This October, the indefatigably enigmatic trio The Necks will release Disquiet, their 20th full-length release, a triple disc via Northern Spy. It’s an absolutely intoxicating listen, over three hours of incredible music.
The band has shared the mesmerizing 26-minute ‘Causeway,’ as a first listen. Hear it here:
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Photo credit: Dawid Laskowski
British electronic artist Max Rael presents ‘Pressing Against The Glass’, a danceable elegy for the unbelonging. Capturing the deep-seated ache of being on the outside, this is a soundtrack for those who feel eternally separated from the warmth and safety they can only observe.
Based in Hertfordshire, Max Rael is a key creative force in the UK underground through 1990s-2000s electro-goth trailblazers History Of Guns, frontrunners of the Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene, and Decommissioned Forests. Here, he showcases his singular talents on this record, featuring unique twists on sound design and his acclaimed outsider lyrical perspectives. Musician, writer, actor, engineer and producer, Max Rael has collaborated with Fish (Marillion), Last July, Kommand + Kontrol, Freudstein and Bienheldenschafgegenstand.
“I’ve always been taken by the image of someone being outside alone in the cold looking in through a window to warmth, comfort and safety that’s not for them. I was thinking of Heathcliff looking through the windows of Thrushcross Grange in Wuthering Heights or Frank Abagnale Jr in the film "Catch Me If You Can", outside in the snow at Christmas, unseen looking in through the window at his mother with her new family, happy and warm indoors and realising there is nowhere he belongs, and no one he belongs to,” says Max Rael.
This is the latest audio-visual offering from his debut solo album The Enemy Is Us, released via London imprint Liquid Len Media. Offering up a dark bouquet of minimalist synth, darkwave and spoken-word electronic pop, this album introduces Rael’s compelling ‘futuretroist’ sound: an alternative sonic universe built on a unique sound design that feels at once familiar and alien.
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Rael’s powerful and thought-provoking spoken-word lyrics confronts a world in freefall—its corruption, alienation, and misery. The result seemingly effortlessly conflates a painfully personal portrait of an interior world, with an achingly universal depiction of society and the world outside. He still unearths a resilient core of hope and gallows humour that burns brightly through the darkness, offering a complex and compelling take on the human condition.
Earlier, Max Rael released the poignant shadow-streaked ‘Slightly Less Than Human’, a nervy electronic track with a great hooky synth melody and spoken word vocals. Partly inspired by Japanese author Osamu Dazai. Lyrically, Max Rael relays his feeling of being somehow different from the rest of the human race, while the non-album B-side ‘When the Only Winning Move Is Not to Play’ relates to the 1983 film War Games and the book The Games People Play by Eric Berne.
In April, Max Rael shared his spoken-word electronic pop song ‘Brighter Future’, where he questions avoidant strategies of coping with life in a seemingly increasingly chaotic and unsafe world and queries how can we reverse course from an anticipated dystopian future. The B-side ‘The People We Love Have Won (Persistence Is All)’ is a darker beast, named after Coil’s 2000 London performance at The Royal Festival Hall, which also happens to be tattooed on the inside of Rael’s left wrist.
Spoken word, electronic music and loud drums feature strongly on the 12-track album, produced and mixed by Max Rael with additional mixing by Caden Clarkson and mastered by Pete Maher (U2, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Pixies. Nine Inch Nails). Fusing a range of electronic music styles with other genres, Max Rael is a master journeyman of existential exploration into humanity, self, society, reality, psychology, philosophy and the future.
Industrial rock insurgents Jesus on Extasy (JoE) are back – darker, heavier and more relentless than ever. Led by founding member Dorian Deveraux, the band has returned with an uncompromising sound that pushes their signature mix of industrial beats, searing guitars and raw emotion to the next level.
JoE have issued ‘Somewhat Happy’ as a new single today, with Deveraux deeeming it “the apocalyptic post breakup song you didn’t know you needed.” Describing the song as a paean to “how to move on after a traumatic relationship that left your world in shambles, when you’re starting to get clarity and see your ex-partner for who they really are,” the song can be seen as lyrically related to ’Soul Crusher’ its heavy-hitting predecessor released in July.
Like that single, ‘Somewhat Happy’ offers a further brutal preview of what is to come on the forthcoming new JoE album, Between Despair And Disbelief, which is out on 12th September via Metropolis Records. Giving fans a tantalising taste of their second coming with the single ‘Wide Awake’ in 2023, the band then signed to Metropolis Records to issue ‘Days Gone By’ VIDEO in late 2024, followed by ’Soul Crusher’ VIDEO. All three have been heavier, more intense and unapologetically aggressive than ever before. “It looks like the world is going to hell. We might as well deliver the soundtrack for that,” adds Deveraux.
Check it here:
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2025 shows with Die Krupps
27th August KORTRIJK (BE) DVG Club
2nd September WARSAW (PL) Hybrydy
3rd September KRAKOW (PL) Hype Park
7th September LJUBLJANA (SI) Orto Hall
9th September BUDAPEST (HU) Dürer Kert
11th September PRAGUE (CZ) Rock Cafe
16th September STOCKHOLM (SE) Nalen
17th September COPENHAGEN (DK) Pumpehuset
20th September UDEN (NL) De Pul
21st September LONDON (UK) The Dome
24th September PARIS (FR) Petit Bain
2026 shows with KMFDM
21st February OBERHAUSEN (DE) Kulttempel
22nd February EINDHOVEN (NL) De Effenaar
25th February LAUSANNE (CH) Les Docks
26th February WINTERTHUR (CH) Gaswerk
27th February MILAN (IT) Legend Club
6th March BERLIN (DE) Gretchen
8th March LEIPZIG (DE) Moritzbastei
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The forthcoming full-length from Los Angeles–based band Agriculture, The Spiritual Sound, traces a narrative arc through extremes. The album is largely a fusing of the visions of its two principal songwriters: Dan Meyer and Leah Levinson. Though distinct, their voices converge in a singular spiritual grammar—one that defines the totality of The Spiritual Sound, not as separate parts, but as one unified expression.
Dan writes like someone clawing toward the divine through noise, channeling Zen Buddhism, historical collapse, ecstatic grief. Leah’s songs move differently: grounded in queer history and AIDS-era literature, amid the suffocating fog of the present, they carry the weight of survival as daily ritual. Levinson leads the charge on the album’s latest single ‘The Weight’ of which she comments:
“’The Weight’ is part of a series of songs on the album that bears witness to queer life. It was written reflecting on a particular month last year when so much seemed heightened. It seemed like many of my friends were being harassed in public—both verbally and physically—for being trans, for being queer, and/or for being women (it’s not always clear which). This was also a time when I was feeling a lot of love and a lot of community. I wanted this song and the songs around it to honestly reflect both these elements. I wanted to write about transness but didn’t want to rely on political aphorisms and indulgent images of suffering. I wanted to paint a holistic portrait of queer life.” – Leah Levinson
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Photo credit: Olivia Crumm
AGRICULTURE LIVE DATES 2025:
Sep 3 Bristol, UK — The Exchange
Sep 4 Brighton, UK — Dust
Sep 5 London, UK — Oslo
Sep 6 Manchester, UK — White Hotel
Sep 7 Newcastle, UK — The Cluny 2
Sep 9 Leeds, UK — Brudenell Social Club
Sep 11 Dublin, IE — Workman’s Club
Sep 12 Cork, IE — Nudes
Sep 13 Belfast, NIR — Voodoo
Sep 14 Glasgow, SC — CORE. Festival
Sep 16 Paris, FR — Point Ephemere
Sep 17 Kortrijk, BE — Wilde Westen
Sep 18 Haarlem, NL — Patronaat
Oct 8 Brooklyn, NY — Union Pool (Record Release Show)
Oct 27 San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger $
Oct 28 Austin, TX — Mohawk $
Oct 30 Atlanta, GA — Masquerade $
Oct 31 Saxapahaw, NC — Haw River Ballroom $
Nov 01 Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore $
Nov 02 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer $
Nov 04 Louisville, KY — Zanzabar
Nov 06 Oklahoma City, OK — 89th Street
Nov 08 Albuquerque, NM — Launchpad
Nov 09 Phoenix, AZ — Valley Bar
Nov 11 Denver, CO — Hi-Dive
Nov 13 Salt Lake City, UT — The State Room
Nov 14 Boise, ID — Neurolux
Nov 16 Seattle, WA — Madame Lou’s
Nov 18 Vancouver, BC — Fox Cabaret
Nov 19 Portland, OR — Mississippi Studios
Nov 21 Sacramento, CA — Cafe Colonial
Nov 22 San Francisco, CA — The Chapel
Dec 04 San Diego, CA — Soda Bar
Dec 05 Los Angeles, CA — Lodge Room
$ with Boris
San Diego/Los Angeles-based shoegaze outfit Distressor returns with their latest single, ‘Broken Glass’. Following their breakthrough collaboration with shoegaze giant Wisp on Tomorrow (via Interscope Records), the independent four-piece is carving a new lane for themselves—one that blends the haze and texture of shoegaze with the raw, melodic punch of early 2000s emo.
Formed in late 2017, Distressor has built a reputation for pairing massive, driving rhythm sections with high-register vocals and emotionally charged choruses that cut through the fog. Their 2023 debut LP Momentary established the band as one to watch in the new wave of heavy shoegaze, and ‘Broken Glass’ pushes that momentum further.
Originally a shelved demo, ‘Broken Glass’ came to life after new drum and bass parts lit a fire under the track, transforming it into a setlist staple almost overnight. Leaning harder into their emo roots, the band challenged genre norms on this one:
“We’ve grown a little bored of the classic soft shoegaze vocals,” says the band. “With ‘Broken Glass,’ we wanted something more pushy and hooky—a big chorus that hits just as hard as the guitars.”
The accompanying music video, directed by longtime friend Diego Guardado, captures the band’s raw live energy in an unpolished, visceral way. Shot in a small, sweaty LA room—while an island-themed church service played loudly (and out of tune) next door—the DIY spirit of the video reflects Distressor’s independent ethos:
“Even though music videos aren’t as popular anymore, we still love making them,” the band explains. “This one was nothing fancy—just us, some friends, a few Modelos, and a lot of sweat.”
With ‘Broken Glass’, Distressor continues to evolve beyond nostalgia, pushing shoegaze into modern, emotionally honest territory while staying true to their roots.
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Photo: Samuel David Katz
The Lunar Effect were formed in London in 2017 by brothers Jon and Dan Jefford and later completed by vocalist Josh Neuwford, bassist Brett Halsey, and eventually second guitarist Mark Fuller. Since their arrival on the scene, they’ve carved out a reputation for crafting music that feels both familiar and original – a modern echo of grunge-soaked ’70s rock, fuzzed-out blues, and melancholic British soul.
Following the underground success of 2019’s Calm Before the Calm, the band signed with Svart Records and released the critically praised sophomore album Sounds of Green & Blue in 2024. After touring the album across the UK and Europe, they set their sights on album three, their most ambitious work to date. Fortune’s Always Hiding lands in October 2025; a brooding journey through loss, memory, and the weight of time. It marks a new era for the band – deeper, stranger, and more soul-baring than ever.
The first taste from the upcoming album was released today. “’Feed the Hand’ sets the tone for what’s to come, uncomfortable, deliberate, and heavy with implication. It reaches back with one hand, grabbing a handful of early 90’s alternative nostalgia to bring a high energy groove. With the other, it drags the listener through an unravelling; guidance twisted into obedience, time eroding memory from a feeling to a realisation. There’s weight here, but it’s not theatrical. It’s cathartic and satisfyingly powerful. A quiet reckoning fed by the band’s influences, serving up a whole new dish to the table.” the band comments on the new single. Watch the video for ‘Feed the Hand’:
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UK industrial metal project, BEAUTIFUL FREAKIN’ WEIRDO recently dropped the video for their single, ‘Psychohead’. The track appears on their latest EP, Zap The Fear.
‘Psychohead’ dives head-first into escapism, away from this world of fear in which we are all manipulated and controlled. “I think most, if not all, people have a little psycho in them,” founding member, Mick Pritchard says. “Your alter ego, your dark side, call it what you will. Take the red pill. Take the blue pill and all placebos. Good luck!”
‘Psychohead’ is a tale of sleepwalking into the abyss of smoke and mirrors – into a world controlled by fear because there isn’t a “Hell”. Hell is here. This is where you take the red pill just to try and kill your savage alter ego – the Psycho in your head.
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8th August 2025
Christopher Nosnibor
The seventh single released by the Papillon de Nuit project / collective / ensemble centred around Stephen Kennedy is perhaps the most ambitious yet. It’s clear that Kennedy, who has for a number of years, operated as a live music promoter under the guise of The Velvet Sheep, is an irrepressible creative, a restless spirit never content to do or be any one thing. In Papillon de Nuit, he’s songwriter, arranger, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, bringing to this track vocals, found-sounds, additional percussion, additional piano. And here, in just three and a half minutes, he and his collaborators have produced a song which is many things at once. They’ve also got Steve Whitfield, known for his work with The Cure and The Mission (admittedly, some of my least favourite works by The Mission, but that’s more a matter of material than production) in as producer again.
Being drawn to certain names because of songs is, I suppose, only natural: favourite songs create images and associations which in some way we use to orientate ourselves within the world, internally. And there’s no doubt that Charlotte, like Alice, is a name with special resonance to those with musical tastes which lean towards the gothier domains. That Robert Smith’s inspiration for ‘Charlotte Sometimes’ was inspired by Penelope Farmer’s haunting 1969 novel of the same title was reason enough for me to track down and read a copy of the book, and in context, the doubling / overlapping of the vocals can be seen to represent the parallel / interchangeable lives of the lead character.
‘Frozen Charlotte’ is also a work of a historical persuasion, described as ‘a dark Victorian morality tale about the folly of vanity.’ And it is, indeed, dark. It arrives with a sharp squeal of feedback and the crunch of feet on gravel, before a low but springy – classic goth – and ultimately stealthy bass strolls in and completely shapes the song’s framework. Rolling drums – a minimal, Mo Tucker style, which adds to the stark, brooding atmosphere. The addition of cello and piano builds things further ahead of the arrival of the vocals. It is all about the intro and the build here, but Kennedy gives a magnificent performance. It’s not the overdone booming baritone goth cliché, but a rich, soulful delivery which imbues the lyrics with meaning, in what I can perhaps best describe as a ‘literary’ sense. What I mean by this that while studying English literature at university, some lecturers had the ability to get you completely hooked in a writer because the way they delivered the quotations had impact: they felt the words, and could convey them in a way that opened your eyes to the fact the word on the page contained so much more depth when orated with passion.
The chorus here is understated, the emphasis very much on the dark atmosphere, although the vocal melody does still provide a clear and vital hook, and the ultimate result is alchemical.
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Alternative pop artist Celeste Corsano has unveiled the video for her latest single ‘Stuck’, the third in a trilogy of singles the Pennsylvania-based artist has released this year, following ‘Nightbird’ and ‘Sunlight Gazing’. With hues of Kate Bush and Tori Amos, Corsano is the latest artist to join the talented roster of blossoming Montclair, NJ-based indie label Magic Door Record Label.
This song features famed guitarist James Mastro (The Bongos, Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter, Patti Smith, John Cale), drummer Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Elk City, Gramercy Arms, Luna, Crash Harmony) and keyboardist-bassist David Nagler (Nova Social, Joan Baez, Aaron Neville, Rosanne Cash, Yo La Tengo).
A tender composition that explores being caught in the inescapable grip of an emotional impasse, Corsano masterfully conveys the struggle of a mind wrestling with an unyielding heart, creating an intimate space where raw emotion takes center-stage. The animated video reflects this perfectly through the journey of a ball cutting loose from his existing reality and his loss of direction to find a new path.
“I’m really excited to have a video for this song – the first video created for my music. This artist, known as Brother JT, is an incredible musician, artist and animator. So happy to share it with everyone. It’s fantastic and gives me goosebumps. Lots of humor and wisdom here and very well thought-out,” says Celeste Corsano. “’Stuck’ is a “little” song with a big meaning. The lyrics come from a tender place that needed simplicity and not a big vocal sound. Actually, any time I tried to sing it any differently, the vocals still came out simplistic and childlike."
A gentle but potent counterpoint to the noisy world we live in, Corsano forfeits flashy gestures in favor of the quiet sacred space, offering an raw peek into the most fragile parts of our hearts. With a simple unassuming style, there’s a disarming honesty in her work that feels deeply personal, yet speaks to something we all feel. Revealing a vulnerability that is both deeply personal and strikingly relatable, her sparse, almost childlike vocals amplify its impact.
Corsano’s music blends poetic lyricism with adventurous arrangements, unexpected rhythms and a distinct emotional range — from ethereal and moody to playful and bold. With a natural use of mixed meters and layered vocal timbres, her fearless approach to storytelling conveys a deeper truth.
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Continuing with their nature-inspired theme, ‘Cwlwm Cariad’ refers to a type of moth, the ‘True Lover’s Knot’ in English. This is the second in a run of singles by singer-songwriters Eve Goodman and SERA from their upcoming collaborative album, Natur, due for release in the Autumn of 2025. It follows their first single ‘Blodyn Gwyllt’ which was released in July.
Where Blodyn Gwyllt was a celebration of freedom and the summer, Cwlwm Cariad is quite different. There are no guitars and percussion here, only one piano and 2 live voices almost until the end. It is delicate and it sings of the peril often tied up in the complexities of love and relationships, the passion, the self-destruction and flying too close to the flame. The delicate moth and the human heart connected in this way.
The track was recorded on an upright piano and the duo’s voices weave together in harmony once again. Recorded at Wild End Studio near Llanrwst, North Wales, with co-producer Colin Bass. (member of Camel and also producer of the Tincian album from 9 Bach which won ‘Best Album’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award in 2015)
The single is out on 15th August. Watch the video here.
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Aural Aggravation 