100% August 2026
SIDE A: OK A LITTLE HARDCORE HERE BUT MOSTLY REGULAR STUFF
1. Hardcore for Hardcore - Rival Mob
Brendan Radigan is an absolutely perfect hardcore vocals. “Hardcore for hardcore, what the FUCK else?” I love it when the lead singer sounds like they’re coming unglued. Got super into this EP this month. I’m now convinced this is one of the very best punk EPs from any era. Propulsive, stomping, reminds you how good punk is as just straight, metallic free aggression and speed. Masterful.
2. Give Me Back My Man - The B-52s
I am constantly thinking about something I once heard James Murphy once said, that the guitar solo in “Rock Lobster” is the greatest sounding guitar in all rock music. Go back and listen to it, he’s not wrong! As kitschy and as goofy as The B-52s are known to be, they’re often over looked for how hard they rock. Anyway, I put this one on because this video was going around Twitter, and every time it goes around, I have to watch it. Even though I’m pretty sure the whole thing is lip synced, it’s such a compelling watch. There;’s a wonderful interplay between the coiled intensity of the guitar and the impassioned vocals. Also “I’ll give you fish/I’ll give you candy/I’ll give you everything I’ve ever had” is some truly inspired lyricism. A glorious song.
3. Two Lucks - Lip Critic
An instantly great go-nuts, lose your fucking mind, punky electro track. Makes me want to smash through a wall. Terrific.
4. Wearing Thin - No Pressure
I have a terrible weakness for pop punk or emo with monstrously huge hooks. What can I say? I got bit by the Green Day Dookie bug in high school and am forever chasing the feeling of listening to “Burnout” for the first time. No Pressure delivers! This is my favorite song of theirs off the new album, NP Style.
5. Get My Mind Right - Fiddlehead
I saw Fiddlehead play a life changing set in the round at Thalia Hall this last month. If Fiddlehead comes to your town, see them. Even if you’re not a punk guy, you owe it to yourself to experience this. Pat Flynn is a tremendous lyricist, who has the rare quality to sing so nakedly, openly, and sincerely without an ounce of corniness. It’s real as hell! The band itself is nuts, extremely rocking, and had the crowd going absolutely nuts the whole night. Highly recommend their album Between the Richness, along with their new EP.
6. Last Goodbye - Post-Animal
Knockout slide guitar on this song. Hooks are tremendous. Need 9999999999 million more songs that sound like this.
7. Birthday Forever - Sam and Louise Sullivan
I’ve been listening to Sam and Louise Sullivan’s album a bit this month, and it’s really good - so good, I had to check out their last album. This song jumped right out at me. An absolutely killer 70s-y meets contemporary indie rock rocker.
8. Eidolon - Poison Ruin
Poison Ruin is the best punk band going these days, for my money. They sound like if Wipers were made up of dnd druids. A jamming and (dare I say??) epic track. Whip these guys out to soundtrack your next medievally set TTRPG game night.
SIDE B: OK JUST HARDCORE
9. D.E.A.D. R.A.M.O.N.E.S. - Modern Life Is War
Really awesome jagged, heart on sleeve aughts hardcore. Shout out to millennials, man, we were really good at that crap. Banging around guitars, throwing yourself around onstage, freaking out etc. We were so good at that shit.
10. STYLE DOMINATES - Crush Your Soul
Mindforce is one of my favorite hardcore bands ever, greatly for vocalist Jay Peta’s delivery. Jay Mindforce’s other band, Crush Your Soul, brings serious heat. This song makes me feel like I’m ascending. Absolutely crushing stuff here.
11. Wolverine Blues - Entombed
I got into this song because it seems to have been a big inspiration on the new Converge track “Bad Faith.” The guitar tone here is sick. Thought a band with a name like Entombed would sound like death metal. Nope! Note to self: listen to more Entombed.
12. Squeeze - SCARAB
At the beginning of this, I said that the Rival Mob has a perfect hardcore vocalist. I still stand by that 3 hours later! I would like to add, SCARAB also has a perfect hardcore vocalist. He sounds like a fucking dragon. It’s so cool. I feel like one day, all of SCARAB’s songs will be on one of my playlists. They just really know how to make heavy EXTREMELY heavy.
13. Justifiable Homicide - Dying Fetus
There are so many cool parts to dying fetus songs. I love when an extreme band just lets loose an absolutely rocking section in the middle of disgusting blasts and belches. Did you guys see that Turnstile was doing a reimagining of their last album with a bunch of different collaborators? I got a major kick out of seeing “Dying Fetus” listed next to “Elton John.”
15. Coles Corner - Richard Hawley
THE CLOSER! This song has me in my Scott Walker crooner bag FR!!!! I guess this dude is the guitarist for Pulp? This is a really cool! Absolutely nails the feeling of loneliness. Banging chorus. Very very cool.
