Top New Tracks

5) Nothing – “a short history of decay” (2026)

Self-described “outlaw poets” make up the five-piece post-shoegaze group Nothing. The band started with vocalist and guitarist Domenic “Nicky” Palermo in 2010. Formerly of the hardcore band Horror Show, Palermo released the first Nothing demo on his own. Their three-guitar wall of sound elicits the extreme and industrial side of hardcore rock, though the group is unafraid to stray from their post-rock nook. Finding comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Nothing seeks to express the valleys and peaks of human emotion with their newest release.
This week’s highlighted track, “purple strings” is melancholic and dazed, opening up into introspective refrains.

4) GUM – “Blue Gum Way” (2026)

GUM is the brainchild of psych-pop multi-instrumentalist Jay Watson, most well known for co-founding the Australian rock group Pond, as well as his position as touring member of Tame Impala. With Pond, Watson has released ten albums over the course of 18 years, seeing an evolution of the band’s sound from glam rock to psychedelic electronica, garage rock to danceable pop. His solo project was named after his childhood nickname, Gumby, from the claymation TV show of the same name. GUM also collaborated with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Ambrose Kenny-Smith on the 2024 album “Ill Times”.

This week’s selected track, “In Life” builds from reserved bedroom pop to psychedelia, peppered by electric guitar.

3) Sports – “Sports” (2026)

Indie pop duo Sports hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where members Christian Theriot and Cale Chronister originally met in middle school. Unlike the Red Dirt and rockabilly the state is known for, Sports incorporates catchy pop hooks with dreamy and dynamic elements. For the past decades they’ve drawn comparisons to Connecticut electronic rock duo MGMT and psychedelic powerhouse Tame Impala (who, fun fact, is just one guy). Now with their first fully self-produced album, Theriot and Chronister are kicking off their 2026 world tour, hitting the US and Canada as well as Australia, the UK, and Europe.

This week’s chosen track, “Keep Falling in Love” feels like the lovechild of Prince and Connan Mockasin, balancing falsetto vocals with thumpy pop basslines.

2) Ritt Momney – “BASE” (2026)

Ritt Momney is the stage name of Utahn singer-songwriter Jack William Rutter. The name, a spoonerism on Republican politician Mitt Romney, originally belonged to Rutter’s high school band, though he reclaimed it for his solo act after all of his fellow Salt Lake City bandmates left to become missionaries. His bedroom pop style grew in popularity with his first hit, a 2020 cover of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On” that went viral on TikTok during the quarantine era. “Base” comes after a five-year hiatus and is Rutter’s third studio album.

This week’s highlighted track, “IF” is short but mighty, boasting overdriven bassy drum loops and syncopated vocals.

1) Kim Gordon – “PLAY ME” (2026)

Perhaps most well-known for founding American alternative rock group Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon is a bassist, guitarist, vocalist, record producer, and visual artist. Considered one of the pioneers of the riot grrrl scene, Gordon’s almost five-decade-long career has shaped the concept of grunge within alternative music. She received a BFA from the Otis College of Art and Design in 1977 then moved to New York City in 1980 and consequently formed Sonic Youth in 1981 with lead guitarist Thurston Moore and rhythm guitarist Lee Ranaldo.

This week’s highlighted track, “PLAY ME” samples some swanky horns with Gordon’s emotive and breathy vocals, feeling like more of a breakbeat track.

Top Tracks of the Week

5) Archive – “Glass Minds” (2026)

Evasive of one singular genre, London band Archive has been in the game since 1994, serving up the likes of electronica to trip hop to post-rock. While the current lineup boasts ten members, the group began with founding duo Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths, both well-known as DJs in the London electronic scene. Throughout their career the group has experimented with analog and digital technology, toying with different elemental moods. While their sound has evolved from trip hop to incorporate progressive rock tones, their trademark hazy and ethereal atmosphere is a constant.

This week’s selected track, “Look At Us” is reminiscent of the 2000s alternative rock scene, pairing breezy harmonizing vocals with high-energy drums.

4) The Olympians – “In Search of a Revival” (2026)

Since The Olympians’ 2008 debut 45, Toby Pazner has been the mastermind behind the ever-shifting group’s sound. Two decades in the making, Pazner has worked with a plethora of skilled musicians from the soul world. After switching from Truth & Soul Records to the independent funk and soul titan Daptone Records in 2016, Pazner returned with the group’s widely successful eponymous debut album. The record featured an array of accomplished artists belonging to Daptone, a theme that carried through to their next release, February’s warm and psychedelic “In Search of a Revival”.

This week’s highlighted track, “Honey Bea” is feel-good and sunny, closing the album out with filtered tambourines and staccato strings.

3) Yumi Zouma – “No Love Lost to Kindness” (2026)

Hailing from New Zealand, four-piece alternative pop band Yumi Zouma’s sound has greatly evolved with each new iteration. Their first release, a 2014 EP “EP I” was written entirely using file sharing services, as most members of the group had moved abroad. After adding members to create the current lineup, the group released a second EP the next year and toured across North America and Europe with Jamie xx. Their sound originally moved towards more dream pop and synth pop, however their newest record “No Love Lost to Kindness” experiments with a heavier sound.

This week’s chosen track, “95” features whispery vocals and downtempo instrumentation, cultivating serenity.

2) .idk. – “Even the Devil Smiles” (2026)

Originally from London, .idk. or Jay IDK was raised in Maryland where he began releasing rap and trap music in 2014. His name an acronym for “Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge”, IDK’s style was focused on conscious lyricism from the beginning. His second mixtape was entitled “Subtrap”, short for “trap with substance”, and drew comparisons to Kendrick Lamar with his personal subject matter. As his career has progressed, his collaborations have followed suit, including features from MF Doom, Denzel Curry, NLE Choppa, and Black Thought.

This week’s selected track, “P.O” features catchy choruses from Hawaiian reggae artist Likkle Jordee and a verse from rapper Black Thought.

1) Mise en Scene – “Drive-Thru Confessional” (2026)

Winnipeg 1960s-inspired garage rock darlings Mise En Scene have been on the scene since 2012’s “Desire’s Despair”. Drummer Jodi Dunlop and vocalist/guitarist Stefanie Blondal Johnson comprise the core of the group, though they have more recently added bassist Corey Hykawy. The duo finds inspiration in a plethora of artists across a wide range of musical eras, from 70s rock like David Bowie and The Clash to 90s alternative/grunge.

Our Gem of the Week is “Leftovers”, the energetic and feel-good title track of Mise en Scene’s 2025 EP.