One of my favourite songs of the year, from Brighton duo Lambrini Girls, just got, uh, cuntier? I’m not sure that’s a word. Put that aside and put some respect on Peaches’ name. This remix drags the original into fuzzy electroclash territory with distorted beats and a catchy hook. It feels less like a remix and more like a provocation thrown straight at the dancefloor. Check out our full review of Lambrini Girls’ first LP Who Let The Dogs Out released earlier this year.

Kneecap are a Belfast trio who blur rap, punk and cultural defiance into something uniquely their own. ‘Sayōnara’ hits with pounding beats courtesy of Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll. It is confrontational, funny and dangerous in the way only Kneecap can manage. ‘Sayōnara’ is also my favourite music video of the year thanks to Jamie-Lee O’Donnell and some 90’s rave-worthy dance moves.

Nothing excites me more than a live recording of a song I love. ‘Slick Rick’, a 2023 track from Bay Area punks Spiritual Cramp, gets a new lease on life in this 2025 BBC version. The live cut crackles with tension and confidence, driven by a wiry groove and sharp-edged vocals that sound even meaner in broadcast form.

Ekko Astral are a DC band stitching art-rock sensibilities into a punk mentality. ‘horseglue’ is restless and jagged, shifting moods while keeping a nervous pulse that never settles. It feels anxious, smart and deliberately uncomfortable. 

UK band Heriot operate at the intersection of hardcore, metal and pure hostility. ‘Commander of Pain’ is crushing and mechanical, built on industrial weight and suffocating breakdowns. It is a blunt-force impact that leaves no room to breathe. I highly recommend it during tense family gatherings this holiday season; it might not help, but it will drown out the arguing.