Needle Drop Friday: 7.24.26

It’s time for more new music and debauchery kids! Let’s get it going!

I did not do one of these columns last week because there was only one album that came out last week that would have been worth mentioning (the new album by The Menzingers, Everything I Ever Saw). This week, there are more albums that caught my ear. So, without further introduction, let’s get to it!

First up, I’m going to drop some industrial metal for you from Norway. The band Combichrist released The Venom in the Mouth of God via Out of Line Music. There are sounds strongly reminiscent of Skinny Puppy, Rammstein, and KMFDM coming out of this one. So if you are a fan of those bands, I think you will really like this. The song “Desolation” really tears it up. This one was not on my radar but I got a press release email this morning about it and thought it was pretty good so here it is.

This next one is somewhat along the same lines. Slightly industrial but more along the lines of darkwave, somewhat like Dead Can Dance if you remember them. Hunter as a Horse is from South Africa. They released Paradise Lost via Metropolis Records. The vocal style of singer Mia van Wyk is velvety and haunting. This one, for those keeping track, was on my radar.

For something a little more mellow for you comes Shiverstruck from Ian Sweet. This one was released by Polyvinyl Record Company. Ian Sweet is the brainchild of Jilian Medford, an indie pop artists based out of Los Angeles. Her sound reminds me of Beach Bunny and Soccer Mommy. I haven’t fully absorbed the whole album yet but so far, the stand out track is “Criminal Kissing.”

I’m going to turn it up a few several notches with some post hardcore music from Massachusetts. New Forms came out with Nothing’s Sacred Anymore through Iodine Recordings. There are bits of screamo and maybe a little punk in here. I’m sure this band isn’t for everyone but for those that are into screamo I think it might be right up your alley.

If you are looking for something that isn’t as intense, here’s some indie pop for you. This one comes from Sydney, Australia based Body Type. Their album Tally was released by Poison City in Australia and p(doom) everywhere else. They sound at times like Sleater-Kinney and also at times like The Raincoats. There are some elements of garage rock and shoegaze on the album.

This next one is from Chicago based punk band Cel Rey. I discovered this one through a friend on Discord. Cel Rayzer was released by Exploding in Sound Records. They are a female fronted DIY garage punk/post-punk band that, musically, sounds like it gets its influences from The Minutemen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Devo, and The B-52s. Quirky and sharp. It’s something you should check out.

Speaking of post-punk, Philadelphia’s Mesh came out with No Fun At All through Feel It Records. They take influences from British post-punk bands. This is the band’s first release in five years and it is their full length debut. The first single from it, titled “Violent Peasant,” is a great example of what you are going to get with this album. The twin guitars on that song really shine and came out at you. The dual vocals from Sims Hardin and Allison Durham are pretty nifty too. You know I like the dual vocal dynamic.

And finally, the album that I was most looking forward to this week came from Springfield, Illinois-based indie rock band Attic Salt. This is their third release. I’ve been listening to these folks since their 2017 self-titled debut. This album, Stay in the Midwest, took a long time to get out. Their last album, Get Wise, was released back in 2020. I absolutely love this band and they have released another winner with Stay in the Midwest. They have been compared to bands like Joyce Manor, Jawbreaker, and Superchunk. I can understand the Superchunk comparisons but not so much the other bands. This album features their trademark pop and punk blend with dual vocals from Andy Harmon and Alyssa Currie. Catchy as hell. Memorable hooks. It’s Attic Salt. If you’ve never listened to them, here’s a great place to start. The song “Beyond OK” is a great place to start to get an idea of what you’re getting into. The whole album is amazing.

And that’s all I’ve got for this week kids. This should hold you for the weekend at least. So get these tunes spinning and let me know what you think of them.

See you again next time!