It’s Blue Monday today apparently. I thought that was last Monday. Or the one before that?!? Who fucking knows. Let’s forget all our woes. Check out this chowns. They’re good. They always are. We’re cooking on gas now. Oh yes. Here comes 2026. Clear the way. Ding dong. Woof. Etc etc. Ahem. It’s Tracks of the Week.
Kim Gordon – NOT TODAY
Why we love it: because with each passing solo release the view that Kim Gordon was, in fact, the driving force behind Sonic Youth gathers even more momentum. ‘NOT TODAY’ adds to that clamour. It is the lead track from her third solo album, PLAY ME, which will be released March 13 by Matador Records.
‘NOT TODAY’ arrives accompanied by a short film directed by Rodarte fashion label founders and filmmakers Kate and Laura Mulleavy with director of photography Christopher Blauvelt. Kim Gordon says, “I started singing in a way I hadn’t sung in a long time. This other voice came out.”
Carried quickly along by a relentless, melodic beat and some blistering guitar, Gordon’s voice just oozes warmth, character, and confidence. This is the way to do it. (Simon Godley)
Powerplant – Bridge of Sacrifice
Why we love it: because Powerplant continue to generate such great energy and noise. If in any doubt, just give ‘Bridge of Sacrifice’ a spin. If you dare. The latest release from the solitary project of Ukraine-born, London-based Theo Zhykharyev is a mighty maelstrom of black metal and emo. The man himself tells us as much when talking about ‘Bridge of Sacrifice’: “I got the name from ‘Elden Ring’ and gave it meaning to make sense of weird times I was in.” He adds “It was fun to slap the most common chord progression as the chorus against a black metal/emo riff in the verse.”
The new single is the title track from Powerplant’s upcoming album, Bridge of Sacrifice which is due out 13th March 2026 via Arcane Dynamics.
Despite its blood-curdling riff and Zhykharyev’s guttural growl, there is still a playfulness to ‘Bridge of Sacrifice’ as evidenced in the song’s accompanying video. There, Theo Zhykharyev sports a hat not entirely unlike the one favoured by Sergeant Oddball in the 1970 American war comedy drama film, Kelly’s Heroes. And just like the character played by the late, great Donald Sutherland says in that movie, “so many positive waves.” (Simon Godley)
Shabaka – A Future Untold
Why we love it: because ‘A Future Untold’ is a thing of such serene, potent beauty. One of two “double-lead singles” released simultaneously by Shabaka – the other being ‘Marwa The Mountain’ – it arrives in marked contrast to those more familiar with the intensity of the British jazz musician, composer, and bandleader’s past work with double-drummer group Sons of Kemet and psychedelic jazz trio The Comet is Coming.
Both singles are drawn from Shabaka’s new solo studio album Of The Earth, released on March 6th. The record sees the Mercury-nominated, MOBO Award-winning multi-instrumentalist primarily playing flutes alongside a return to the saxophone and, for the first time in his recorded output, rapping.
Just like some gorgeous murmuration in the early evening twilight, ‘A Future Untold’ unfolds into view. Magical. (Simon Godley)
Bellbird – Blowing on Embers
Why we love it: because Constellation Records know a thing or two about modern jazz. The Canadian independent label based in Montréal, Quebec already had such luminaries as Matana Roberts, Eric Chenaux, FYEAR, and Sam Shalabi’s Land Of Kush in-house when last November they added the avant-jazz ensemble Bellbird from their home city to an already impressive roster.
And the modern jazz quartet of tenor saxophonist Claire Devlin, alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Allison Burik, bassist Eli Davidovici, and drummer Mili Hong have just released ‘Blowing on Embers,’ the second track to arrive from Bellbird’s new album The Call which is out on the 6th of February.
Stretching to almost seven minutes in length, ‘Blowing on Embers’ allows all four musicians the time and space to breathe and shine as their instruments interweave and flow. Exquisite. (Simon Godley)
Vona Vella – You Can be so Ugly
Why we love it: Because its lush, buoyant, witty, danceable, soaring and radio- ready. Vona Vella, the Nottingham-based five-piece have done it again with their latest release ‘You Can Be So Ugly’ lifted from their forthcoming second studio album, Carnival. Watch the woozily psychedelic video directed by renowned music photographer and filmmaker Roger Sargent below. Dan and Izzy, who front the band, say: “It‘s about accepting the ugly side of friendships or relationships. Even your favourite people have that side to them but you learn to live with it if you want to be around them. It’s saying ‘You can be a right idiot sometimes’, then finding forgiveness.” Vona Vella are constantly touring and nurturing their own scene. The band have supported not only Babyshambles and The Libertines but Peter Doherty, Tim Burgess and Hak Baker. They recently headlined Supersonic in Paris Their upcoming album, Carnival is out via Strap Originals on February 27th accompanied by a string of gigs and instores. Check them out! (Carmel Walsh)
todd modern- Overgrown
Why we love it: Because it’s sun-drenched slacker rock at its finest! Gritty melodic, soaring, hazy and reflective, it’s built around overdriven guitars and lyrics spun from strands of half-remembered imagery, Liverpool-via-Cumbria DIY virtuoso, todd modern’s latest single, ‘Overgrown‘ flicks the ‘go!’ switch for one of indie guitar music’s ones to watch in 2026. Like a 21st Century Beck, it’s a smoky, heartfelt reflection on time, memory and the strange pull of nostalgia, unfolding like a quiet walk through almost forgotten places with smoky wistful charm and restrained energy, arriving loose at the edges and laden with sentiment. ‘Overgrown‘ evokes the textural melancholy of inspirational artists like Alex G and Sparklehorse. Melodies are formed and encouraged to drift and fade, guitars hum beneath the surface while the choral refrain lands like a mantra. Like his recent singles, the track holds that same emotional undertones. Personal yet universal. Balancing observational sincerity with a cool, lo-fi rawness. It’s introspective song writing for late nights, quiet days and the indefinable spaces in between. (Carmel Walsh)
Pem – ‘milk, blue‘
Why We Love it : Because her voice is otherworldly. It’s stunning spine- tingling, soul stirring, liquid gold. Like the quiver of a bee’s wing, it echoes the beauty in fragility. Dancing lightly over twinkling riffs, artist, songwriter and gardener Pem’s practice blends the organic and the stylised. Earthy yet elusive song writing is paired with analogue crackles, string based sound design and field recordings. It is in her long days spent attending the natural world, grown things, the changing seasons, that the foundations of Pem’s songs are crafted. Her ‘pocket sketches’; mumbled snippets and unconscious melodies are captured by a handheld recorder while gardening, while her mind is wandering before they are later formed into fully fledged compositions. On the new single, Pem says – “This is about the Moon, I’m very in awe of the moon. My dad passed away on the full moon and wrote about it a lot in his memoirs so it holds a lot of symbolism for me. It’s my ode to feeling nicely small beneath the full moon and the way it punctuates my life.” her new EP ‘other ways of landing’ which will be released Jan 30th 2026 with Fascination Street Records. What an utterly outstanding artist. We can’t wait to hear more. If you want to hear what heaven sounds like, listen to Pem. (Carmel Walsh)
Cypress Mine!- Safe Highway
Why we love it : Cork indie cult heroes Cypress Mine!‘s latest single ‘Safe Highway’ follows the release of ‘Spellbinding,’ their first single in almost 40 years, thrilling fans with their return. The track was released ahead of the indie icon’s forthcoming album ‘pulling the clouds apart’ which is due for release in February. With buoyant hooks, shimmering guitars, pastoral imagery, polyphonic riffs, warm, powerful, defiant, uplifting lyrics and ageless vocals – it’s based on ‘Siúlóid in Éirinn’, a poem by Seán Ó Tuama from his book ‘Death in the Land of Youth,’ making it a poignant and stunning ode to Irish literature and music. With the righteous resurgent interest in Irish Indie on the World stage, it’s a great time for some of the OGs to show them how it’s done. It’s easy to see why they shared stages with U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen in their heyday. Formed in 1984, with an original line up of Ian Olney, Ciarán Ó Tuama, Mark Healy and Denis O’Mullane. The band released three singles (Justine’, ‘In the Big House’ & ‘Sugar Beet God) and one album ”Exit Trashtown’‘. The original group disbanded in 1989 and reformed in 2025 and the current iteration of Cypress, Mine! has Mark Healy switching to bass with Morty McCarthy, of The Sultans of Ping, taking over drumming duties- What a supergroup! With a string of gigs in Ireland and an album out in February we can’t wait to hear more. (Carmel Walsh)
