sees - abomination revealed at last

Osees: Abomination Revealed At Last (2025)

Another year, another batch of releases from John Dwyer under various names and organizations. But he’s most known for the garage/psych/kitchen rock juggernaut Osees, a killer band who changes styles almost as often as they do band names. But the latest name seems to have stuck, being in place for six years. The style, for better or worse, has also stayed largely the same: a mix of harsh bursts of punk that after a while all roll into each other, making Abomination Revealed At Last an album I gave one or two listens before shrugging it aside. Maybe it’s the times, but coming back to it I can still see my issues, but I also see many little things that bring the songs to life in a way I ignored, to my detriment.

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deer hoof's noble and godlike in ruin album cover

Deerhoof: Noble And Godlike In Ruin (2025)

Is there a good place to start with Deerhoof? I always confused them with Deerhunter, a band I discovered around the same time, but my only experience with the San Francisco quartet was their 2007 release Friend Opportunity, an album I barely remember except as “weird.” Almost 20 years later I made the impromptu decision to try again. Enter Noble And Godlike In Ruin, their latest critically acclaimed record in a delightful light green vinyl. It’s still weird, but in a way the intervening 18 years of listening have prepared me. Still, there’s a part of me that feels unequipped to explain why now I can find a lot to enjoy in its anarchic chaos.

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militarie gun - god save the gun

Militarie Gun: God Save The Gun (2025)

If you had told me a year ago I would be loving a bunch of young, hungry bands the “kids” of today were into, I guess I wouldn’t be that surprised: after all, I’ve been loving The Dirty Nil since discovering their brand of loud, in-your-face pop punk. But the sheer volume of these young bands, and the strength of their music gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, rock is coming back. Case in point: Militarie Gun, whose second (or third depending on how you count) album God Save The Gun was recommended to me by my friend Sean, who wasn’t even alive when I started dating my wife. It’s a terrific, heart-on-sleeve rock album that straddles the swagger of garage rock with pop punk and indie with a bellyful of hardcore/emo themes.

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tonguecutter - minnow

Tonguecutter: Minnow (2025)

Looking at how it morphed and twisted over the course of 50 years, it’s still strange to think that the first word coming to my head when I think of punk as a genre is “versatile”. The DIY ethos and unadorned approach has spread to so many different styles and movements, and when it intersects with noise rock, hardcore and (using it since they do on their Bandcamp page) riot girl, you get Tonguecutter, a trio out of Muskegon, Michigan whose debut full-length Minnow has been playing non-stop on my turntable since discovering them back in May. Short, ferocious, and catchy as hell, it’s been my go-to when I have a lot of pent up frustration and stress that needs to come out.

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motörhead - the manticore tapes

Motörhead: The Manticore Tapes (2025)

First breaths of a band are a tricky thing. It can take a few years – hell, it can take a few albums – before a band achieves that singular cohesion of function and form. Being kicked out of Hawkwind, Lemmy Kilmister knew EXACTLY what he wanted to become: the ugliest, dirtiest rock and troll band in the world. But despite the clear mission statement, it took a year to drudge up the exact combination of filth – namely, “Fast” Eddie Clarke on guitars and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums – to truly make Motörhead the band Lemmy needed it to be. The Manticore Tapes bring to life one of the earliest recording the classic trio did, a series of recorded rehearsals at Manticore, the headquarters of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Don’t call it a “lost album”; call it the birth of a sound that would continue to make your lawn die 50 years later.

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turnstile - never enough

Turnstile: Never Enough (2025)

On paper I probably shouldn’t like Never Enough, the fourth studio album from punk/hardcore/emo/pop mashup Turnstile; I didn’t care for their lauded 2021 album Glow On, and the youthful, angsty lyrical conceits feel a thousand miles away from where I’m at both emotionally and mentally. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and right now that’s immaculate production, hooks that reach for miles, and a smooth punk delivery that washes over you and leaves without damage, to be experienced fresh the next time you hit play. I can’t say Never Enough lingers emotionally, but the feeling when it’s on is a joyous one.

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