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Pretty Bitter

Pleaser
Tiny Engines (2025)

Pretty Bitter is a 5-piece band originating in 2017 and hailing from Washington, D.C. It was formed by Mel Bleker (lead vocals) and Miri Tyler (bass/vocals). Their second full-length titled Pleaser was released on July 25th of this year on Tiny Engines. And what a throwback feel this album gives! If this band and album came out in the early … Read more

Jason Paul + The Know It Alls

I'm Absolutely Terrified
Independent (2025)

I'd call Jason Paul + The Know It Alls happy punk except, well, it ain't. The lyrics are somber and thoughtful, yet the tone and melodies are uplifting and that's what I go by. I'd also call it San Pedro chill punk, as it has some similar elements to other bands from the area while maintaining a go-with-the-flow kind of … Read more

Various Artists

Pulley/Fire Sale – ‘Split Personality'
Negative Progression Records (2025)

When I saw this split 7” announced, I genuinely got excited. I love both bands. I knew that when you have two powerhouse punk bands coming together to drop a split, nothing could go wrong. While one of the bands, Pulley, is a household name in the punk community, the other is on the rise. I guarantee you know the … Read more

Middle-Aged Queers

Theatre of Shame
Engineer Records, Sell The Heart Records (2025)

Theatre Of Shame is the third LP from Bay Area band Middle-Aged Queers, a band whose moniker definitely gives away the plot. The band celebrates community with party punk songs like "Glizzies Banging" and "Pajama Party," but it also has pointed political commentary about the dangers of a bigoted society. In equal parts, Theatre Of Shame is about celebration and … Read more

Sleep Pod Two

Rehearse Your Future
Mindpower Records (2025)

You can always tell when a band contains seasoned musicians. They give off a different aura through their music and it sounds complete. It just meshes better. The songwriting is well done, the vocal melodies are catchy, and the transitions from verses, choruses, and bridges are complex but accessible. That is the case with this band. Let me introduce you … Read more

The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Dreams of Being Dust
Epitaph (2025)

I’m instantly drawn to bands that have intriguing or long names. Without even listening to the first note of the band, I know it’s going to be pushing the boundaries of normalcy in music. Which is why it should be no surprise that TWIABP, in certain spots through this album, remind me of the band ...And You Will Know Us … Read more

Testors

Prime Primitive: 1976–1977
Green Noise Records (2025)

Press release says this came out May 30th so I’m even more behind than usual… Blame summer! I did get an advance download which instantly caught my attention and I’ve listened many times since then. The guitars are shredding. The quick turn around in the chord progression from “Hey You” could or may have inspired Greg Ginn on the early … Read more

Eater

The Lost 1978 Sessions
Cleopatra (2025)

Hopefully everyone reading this already knows that Eater was one of the early British punk bands. Forming in North London in 1976, Eater was one of the youngest bands in the burgeoning UK punk scene, with the members being aged 14-17 at the band’s inception. Eater issued a series of singles and one album for The Label between 1977-1978 before … Read more

Spark of Life

Plagued by the Human Condition
New Age Records (2025)

Spark Of Life hails from LA and has been around since the early 2000s. Their debut album dropped in 2003, but it took almost two decades to drop their newest album titled Plagued by the Human Condition. This album was released through New Age Records out of southern California, and it is worth checking out. If you’re familiar with New … Read more

The Dwarves

Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows
GREEDY (2025)

Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows is a live studio recording from 1989, released on picture disc earlier this year on limited vinyl for Record Store Day. Given that it came shortly before the release of Blood, Guts & Pussy, it's no surprise that it's heavy on songs from that record (10 of 14, if I've counted correctly). It's more primal than … Read more

Osmium

Osmium
Invada (2025)

Osmium brings together four artistic heavyweights, united not just by a shared experimental ethos, but by a love of bespoke and often self-made instruments. On their debut record, Hildur Guðnadóttir harnesses the unstable feedback of the halldorophone, a cello-like instrument designed by Halldór Úlfarsson. James Ginzburg (emptyset) contributes tamboura-like drones using a monocord of his own design. Sam Slater operates … Read more

Lutheran Heat

Hi Again
Pinata Records (2025)

Lutheran Heat have one of my favorite band names, a distinctly Minnesota tongue-in-cheek nod to local culture and mannerisms. But while I dig the band name, that's not really relevant to the rest of this review. Hi Again is their first record in 9 years, but it continues their garagey indie-punk tones. Expect garage rock guitar tones, slacker indie rock … Read more

Huma Utku

Dracones
Editions Mego (2025)

Huma Utku is an explorer. From her early days under the R.A.N (Roads at Night) moniker, she displayed a deep appreciation for experimental electronic music. From the outset, Utku wove together dark ambient motifs, industrial themes, and post-club abstraction into a minimalist yet holistic vision. Since adopting her own name, that same sonic excavation has continued, with a sharpened focus … Read more

Ava Mendoza, Gabby Fluke-Mogul & Carolina Pérez

Mama Killa
Burning Ambulance (2025)

Ava Mendoza appeared in the avant-rock scene in the '10s, and throughout the decade, she defined many works with her adventurous guitar playing and tonality. She made her mark through projects like Unnatural Ways, the trio with Tim Dahl and Sam Ospovat, and her split release with Sir Richard Bishop of Sun City Girls, Ivory Tower. Along her journeys, she … Read more

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