This week
@:- “Autosmile”
Muse – Shimmering Scars
Lambchop – Stella
Downtown Boys – Viva La Rosa
Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Boys
Chanel Beads – The Coward Forgets His Nightmare
Field Guide – Time Has Made a Change
Pokey LaFarge – The Thing
Charli XCX – “Wink Wink”
Chanel Beads – The Coward Forgets His Nightmare
Chanel Beads – The Coward Forgets His Nightmare
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/27/chanel-beads-your-day-will-come-interview
Haunted hooks and bone-chilling screams: how Chanel Beads became the indie breakout of the year
Lavers’s intricate, off-kilter music has made him a hero of New York’s indie rock scene and to scores of young artists online who personalize their take on the genre with both messy and finely tuned post-production. But it’s his knack for writing massive, anthemic hooks that has given the band considerable attention in the world of mainstream pop. Billie Eilish has shouted out Chanel Beads, Rosalía has posted their music, and last year they played as an opening act on Lorde’s Ultrasound world tour. Even as his subject matter has remained resolutely threatening and obscure, Lavers’s increasingly accomplished records have made him a prime contender to be the next white boy rock crossover on the same trajectory as Cameron Winter or Mk.gee.
Shane Lavers, AKA Chanel Beads. Photograph: Moni Haworth
Wikipedia info – Chanel Beads is the stage name of New York City-based musician, Shane Lavers, who is currently signed to Jagjaguwar.[3] Lavers works closely with Maya McGrory, also known as Colle.[4]
On 8 November 2023, Chanel Beads released a single, “Police Scanner”, for an upcoming album. Following the release of two further singles, “Idea June” and “Embarrassed Dog”. Their debut album eventually released on 19 April 2024, titled Your Day Will Come.[5]
On 1 October 2025, Chanel Beads released a single, “The Coward Forgets His Nightmare” followed by two further singles, “Song for the Messenger” and “Dust in the Wind”. Their second album, titled the same as the previous, was released on 26 June 2026.[6]
Muse – Shimmering Scars
Ripe old cheese … from left: Dominic Howard, Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme of Muse. Photograph: Tim Saccenti
an older video
Muse – Uprising [Official Video]
319,799,168 views Oct 9, 2009 the music video for “Uprising” now! “Uprising” was released as the lead single from Muse’s fifth studio album, The Resistance, on September 7, 2009. The video won “Best Special Effects” in the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.
Uprising again LIVE Amazing song!!
They remind me of this 1963 classic
From Count Dracula organ to choirs crying in Latin, the Devon band are scenery-chewingly preposterous yet nuanced on this epic about extraterrestrial life
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/25/muse-the-wow-signal-review
Muse – The Wow! Signal
Out now
You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween hitmakers Muse return with another collection of ludicrous, all-caps rock. Now 10 albums in, each new release feels like an excuse to tour as opposed to a new artistic statement, but there’s still much to enjoy here, not least the thrillingly silly Cryogen.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/26/downtown-boys-public-luxury-review
Downtown Boys – Viva La Rosa
Downtown Boys: Public Luxury review – a joyful blast of bilingual political punk
Rolling Stone featured the group and dubbed them “America’s Most Exciting Punk Band”.[1]
The New Yorker described the group’s live performances, noting that “[t]he tracks speed by with hardcore kineticism, but Ruiz’s lyrics squeeze your hand through the pit: she’s lucid and blunt, shouting down cops, traders, and any other impediment to justice that she can spot. There’s something distinctly post-punk about the Boys, … [i]t could be the saxophone, but it’s probably the spirit.”[2]
Downtown Boys Return With First Album in Nine Years
Downtown Boys are back. The raucous punk-rockers will release Public Luxury, the follow-up to 2017’s Cost of Living, on June 26 via Sub Pop. The single “No Me Jodas” (translation: “Don’t Fuck With Me”) comes with a head-spinning live video—watch it below—directed by John MacKay and starring the Mariachi Internacional Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino. The band has unveiled a handful of short-notice live dates, also below, ahead of a bigger tour soon to be announced.
Pokey LaFarge – The Thing
Iconoclastic American troubadour Pokey LaFarge has shared his irresistible new single, “The Thing,” available everywhere now via his own Boxer Boy Records. An official music video – directed by Jacob Butler (LA LOM, Paul Cauthen) – premieres today on YouTube. “The Thing” marks the latest single and opening track from LaFarge’s eagerly awaited new album, Rent Money, arriving everywhere on Friday, September 11. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now.
@:- “Autosmile” – S/T
Yes, you see correctly. The band is called @, although in the promo material they are described as a “Philadelphia-based art-folk project”. They have a new album coming out in October on 4AD records. This is the lead single. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/at-sign-autosmile/
Lambchop – “Stella” – Punching the Clown
Lambchop has been around since the late 80’s with a lineup that is always changing. To give one an idead, here’s the complete history of Lambchop’s roster.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/hffkzvshxirvpb9iwuh9ekoybdgwa5u.png
The one constant is main man singer/songwriter Kurt Wagner. They first came to my attention in 2000 with this gem.
They have released dozens of lps and eps. The new one comes out in August.
https://www.mergerecords.com/news/6501
Phoebe Bridgers – “Lost Boys” – Lost Weekend
Phoebe Bridgers has been featured several times on this venerable podcast but as a member of the “supergroup” Boy Genius. She will be releasing her first solo album since 2020 in August. This is a good one. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/phoebe-bridgers-lost-boys/
The Guardian weighs in: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/26/phoebe-bridgers-lost-boys-review
Olivia Rodrigo – “The Cure” – You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
Olivia Rodrigo at 23, became one of the most popular artists on the planet. Her just released third record, is drawing rave reviews.
https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/olivia-rodrigo-interview
I chose the second single, The Cure, to play. It’s not about the band The Cure but coincidentally, here’s a video of her performing recently with Robert Smith.
This video possibly clarifies what The Cure is about.
Or maybe not…
Valley – “Vending Machine” – single
Valley released a new song a couple of weeks ago. In the spirit of The Beatles, U2 and others, they did a surprise pop-up set in Toronto on Ossington Ave.
The Philippines version of Esquire loves the new ditty! https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/music/valley-strikes-indie-pop-gold-with-vending-machine-a8072-20260612-bsc
The video is featured in the Esquire article. I am sucker for videos that include cows.
Whole-Hearted 