New songs for September 28th 2026

 here they are:


"Burning Out" by The Linda Lindas:  The Linda Lindas have been one of the youngest AND most hard-rocking singing sensations of the past few years!! It was only a matter of time until I came around to reviewing their material. Their first adult alt breakthrough single, "Burning Out," contains their trademark fiery sound and attitude, but sounding a bit more like a slightly edgier "B**ch" by Meredith Brooks than it does like Joan Jett, Blondie, and other punk grrl forebears the way one might expect a Linda Lindas song to sound. The title of this song seems to indicate how The Linda Lindas feel in it - just tired of the humdrum existence and routines of everyday life! The drums briefly climax during the pre-chorus of the song, but most of "Burning Out" sounds like a once rebellious band trying desperately to hold onto their punk rock cred and sound but still facing the inevitability of becoming adults in the process.

"Candlebox" by The Mountain Goats:  This isn't just a clever title. This song IS about the post-grunge band, Candlebox, best known for poignant Pearl Jam/STP-soundalikes like "Far Behind." The question remains, then...does it SOUND like Candlebox? No, it doesn't. Not a thing. It is one of the more "rock" sounding Mountain Goats songs, but it's closer to soft indie rock with prominent keyboards than it is like something authentically '90s and authentically mainstream-ish rock of the era. Specifically, it's about a hypothetical, nameless band going on tour with Candlebox. "Far Behind" and "You" are NOT songs I'd picture John Darnielle being a fan of even remotely. What's next?! Are The Decemberists planning to write a song called "Creed"?! 

"Kick Stones (The Boys)" by Westside Cowboy:  Many bands have claimed to be influenced by The Velvet Underground for probably the last half century, but "Kick Stones (The Boys)" by Westside Cowboy contains the minimalism, the drone, and the deadpan vocals that Lou Reed all (accidentally) popularized! The song never moves far beyond its D major comfort zone, it has a noticeable drone throughout (though it goes into weird, exotic soloing in the middle that suddenly quiets down afterward), but perhaps most of all, Jimmy Bradbury's vocals never rise above a mumble level, and backing singer Aoife Anson O'Connell makes for a good Maureen Tucker/Nico substitute, though she lacks the ironic perkiness of Maureen and the unsettling yet alluring vibrato of Nico. There are also 13 times in the song that the line, "The boys, they are gone this time" is used at the end. We're never told just what this means, but perhaps that's part of what gives it its detached, intentionally odd "hipster" appeal.

"Sledge" by Sylvan Esso:  Sylvan Esso's summer 2026 single, "Hot Slob," was surprisingly rock influenced!! "Sledge" has a slight bit of that rock influence, but there's enough of a recognizable electronica vibe in the song that Sylvan Esso's core fanbase would probably enjoy it. Between "Hot Slob" and this song, it seems like Sylvan Esso have gotten considerably angrier than they were about a decade ago! With lyrics like "angel of death," "rip it all back," and "destroy destroy destroy" during the chorus, something's going on with Amelia Meath! But WHAT exactly?!

"Talk it Over" by Leon Bridges:  The summery, carefree vibes of "Light the Way" from earlier this year give way to a calmer yet far more guitar-oriented tune for fall, "Talk it Over." Almost the entire song is solos instead of chords, but more in a soul/jazz way, like Leon's fans would probably expect from him. The song's topic is also slightly more serious than "Light the Way" while still not exactly being dark. It's about staying in a relationship during difficult times and being there to talk things out no matter what. As an added bonus, Jungle's Lydia Kitto guest stars here on backing vocals, bass, and keyboards!