Judging by the way the country is going, this may well be the last issue of this article. We’ll be sailing down a river of dog dirt without an oar. The power grid will be knocked out, forcing us into a modern day Middle Ages. Roads will become gridlocked and the sky will darken eternally as we try to light candles, matches, anything to give us warmth and light. But, assuming the fantastically named Storm Lorenzo doesn’t wipe us out, we’ll be enjoying our latest playlist, chock full with some of our favourite hits.
Give it a listen below, and read a few words on some of our picks from Team Punktastic.
Selfish Things – ‘Synaptic’
Okay, it’s true, I’ve had a longstanding love affair with Selfish Things – but their recently released album ‘Logos’ is a fantastic debut regardless of my love-goggles. ‘Synaptic’ is only one of the eleven shimmering tracks on there, but my god, it’s a punch to the gut. Simple, emotional and so very vulnerable, this song is an anthem for anyone who has at any point in time, if even for a millisecond, struggled with ill mental health. Singer and multi-instrumentalist, Alex Biro’s voice shines alongside the twinkling piano and just wait for the choir-like bridge. So go on, listen to it now… and then listen to the rest of the album, too.
RENETTE VAN DER MERWE
Chapter & Verse – ‘Bad Blood’
Some bands are, frankly, unfairly bloody brilliant. Chapter & Verse are one of those bands. Their ‘Glow’ EP might have come early in the year, but it’s still one of the strongest releases of the year, and they’re continuing to impress (read: completely blow minds) with new single ‘Bad Blood’. It’s a track with ever so slightly more bite and boy is it satisfying – coupled with Josh Carter’s insane vocals, this is a hugely exciting start to the next chapter (oh god that’s a pun isn’t it, sorry) for this London group. Catch ’em on tour with Press To Meco this month – you’ll be kicking yourself if you miss it.
GEM ROGERS
Gif – ‘You Said’
Culture Night has just come and gone in Dublin, with Gif delivering a stellar performance in the Workmans Club after releasing their debut singles – ‘You Said’ being one of them. Heavy, biting guitars blended with airy and ethereal vocals are the name of the game here. If you gave Florence and The Machine an assault rifle, Gif would be the result, and with their unique style of Irish punk that is still able to pay tribute to acts that came before them, they are truly one to keep an eye on in the coming years.
FIACHRA JOHNSTON
Loathe – ‘New Faces In The Dark’
Loathe recently dropped a couple of new tracks, both of which prove that the hype surrounding them is well deserved. The second of the new tracks, ‘New Faces In The Dark’, is an absolute stonker, blending together Deftones vibes with a relentless aggression that is both frightening and addictive. The future is going to be bright for these guys, and these two new jams are just the beginning. Catch them on tour with Stray From The Path, The Devil Wears Prada, and Gideon in December.
DAVE STEWART
Streetlight Manifesto – ‘Point/Counterpoint’
For those who don’t know me (and that’ll be most of you), I’m a big Streetlight fan. I’ve got their artwork on my walls and tattooed into my skin. They’re the sort of band I won’t listen to that often, but as soon as I do, I fall in love with them all over again. They’ve quite literally saved my life. ‘Point/Counterpoint’ is the near perfect introduction to Streetlight, showcasing their fantastic brass section, subtly dark lyrics, and technical bass lines that are so complex, just thinking about them overwhelms me. They haven’t been in the UK for a LONG time (my heart breaks) but they’re definitely one to add to the ‘If they’re here, I’m there’ list.
ANDY JOICE
Beartooth – ‘Disease’
I love Beartooth and I really enjoy certain styles of country music, so when The Blackbird Sessions came out it felt like they were made just for me. I’m also a sucker for anything acoustic, but the fact that Beartooth can reimagine these songs in such a different style is mind blowing to me. The Blackbird Sessions shows off the incredible talent of Caleb Shomo’s songwriting and give even more depth to these already tender tracks. These are some of the most beautiful tracks I’ve ever heard and put a genuinely fantastic twist on the original versions.
PENNY BENNETT
Every Time I Die – ‘Floater’
Every Time I Die play boat shows every year in the USA. The shows have become a tradition of sorts, with fans from all over treating it like a pilgrimage and ceremoniously helping the band tear apart a ship from the ceiling tiles to the stage itself. I wasn’t there and I’m sad about that, so here’s a song that has a name related to water (the place where boats live) from the album they played in full on the cruise, which I am 100% not bitter about missing at all.
DAVE STEWART
Car Bomb – ‘Dissect Yourself’
The new Car Bomb album is, for want of a better word, bonkers. ‘Dissect Yourself’ in particular is absolutely dizzying, make sure you’re sat down when you listen to it or you might get motion sickness. FFO: Meshuggah, Deftones, Dillinger Escape Plan, robots, lasers, punching yourself in the head.
LIAM KNOWLES
flor – ‘White Noise’
Sometimes you stumble on an established artist you’ve managed to not come across before, and the love is instantaneous. Welcome to me and my new all-encompassing obsession with flor… The US four piece released sophomore album ‘ley lines’ earlier this month, and ‘white noise’ is the opener to this astonishingly beautiful album. It’s a little out there for Punktastic – it sounds a bit like what you might get if Hammock had a musical baby with LANY – but it’s well worth a listen if haunting, layered alt-pop is in any way up your street. Like a fresh mural of pastels glowing in the evening sun of summer, it’s immensely comforting and uplifting all at once, and entirely entrancing. This is one to keep your spirits high on the rainy autumn days and dark nights to come.
GEM ROGERS
Wavves – ‘Green Eyes’
It’s been nearly 10 years since ‘King Of The Beach’ was released, and ‘Green Eyes’ is the standout on a fantastic album. Chunky rhythms with delicate glockenspiel, crystal clean content with a vaguely sinister undertone, it’s a gem that should be appreciated more. Because I’m far less metaphorical than Wavves front man Nathan Williams, this isn’t a song about weed. Or at least, it isn’t when I sing it to my sweet baby, Marceline – “Green Eyes, I’ll run away with you”. We could be across the room from each other and our green eyes will lock together, a mutual agreement that we will indeed run away together. One day. I adore that cat.