Fiercely delivering a slice of iconic indie hard rock, with a twist of alternative grunge and something evocatively soulful, New Zealand four-piece Powder Chutes achieve a near-orchestral fullness with their heavy riffs, guitar solos, and faultless structural unity.
Rock
Dark alternative vibes in strong supply but a beating heart of effective, engaging songwriting always provided as the centrepiece – pMad excel themselves with this album, and NineFortyFive is the fascinating and rather addictive new single that’s easily one of the most interesting, ambient and enjoyable post-rock tracks to hit the scene this year.
Blues rock and grunge in the guitar tone and rhythms, post-rock in the echoing, theatrical to gritty vocals, and something like alternative and explosive indie freedom at the forefront. French band Quintana Dead Blues eXperience get the chemistry just right, with the fiercely independent charm and passion of their brand new album Ashes.
Channelling rock sub-genres from throughout the ages, but leading with Sarah Beth Rose on gentle to gritty vocals, along with a clear sense of character and unrelenting passion and pace, Born To Break Even has the anthemic, engaging qualities of bands like Green Day, The Distillers and Lagwagon.
Classic indie rock grooves and good vibes a-plenty rain down from superb Toronto band The Get Alongs this season. Blending the passionate rasp and soulful grit of The Stones with the snappy and anthemic energy of 60s garage rock (and a twist of power pop alongside), Second To None includes timelessly addictive jams like Come … Continued
From the UK creative who dropped the intense genre fusion of Internal Combustion earlier this year, SEDATIVE is an explosive new blend of heavy metal and drum and bass, with haunting hard-rock vocals and intense distorted guitars, all leading through a truly intoxicating realm of terror and inner turmoil.
Jason Chaffee crafts uniquely evocative post-rock anthems with passion and precision, the kind of songs that are fit to embrace the deep-thinkers and nostalgic rock fans alike, and the latest single It’s Down provides a bold and beautifully introspective example.
If you’re new to the name, and if folk-rock or Gothic, folk-punk and bluegrass musicianship and all-together-now songs are your jam – this EP is an absolute must, and Cesare Verdacchi & The Duke’s Winers are undoubtedly a band worth seeking out this summer.
“All over the world people are used to being silenced, both in their personal lives by family and others who seek to control in subtle and unsubtle ways, and under the brute force of government, whether democratic or dictatorship. It’s a good time to be brazen and lose the fear impulse.”
There’s something about this group of lifelong musicians untied in their passion for evocative songwriting, their humility and heart, their timeless harmonies, melodies, and the sheer passion and modesty combined that intoxicates in a soft, subtle but striking way.
Somewhere to lose yourself, an echoing garage-rock arena, drenching distortion in reverb and adding something like gentle diary-style vocals and an adlib outbursts to the songwriting. Dayfiction work with mood and momentum, as the tumbling drums and evocative drama of Spare introduces their latest EP on a poignant high.
To coincide with the release of one of independent rock’s most interesting, enjoyable and impressive new albums, we caught an interview with the mighty Lion Drome, to find out more about the story and sentiments behind the superb 2026 album Hero Down. Here’s the conversation in full.