Back with its second single from its forthcoming debut EP, Seattle power pop outfit Radio Weekend punches up the volume on the crunching mid-tempo rocker “By My Side.” This song is giving me early ’90s Pacific Northwest alternative power pop feels by way of ’80s AOR, and I am here for it! I have to love a song that radiates mellow vibes but still rocks your face off. These guys are walking the line between power pop and full-on FM radio rock, and they pull that off splendidly. You get hooks a plenty but also riffs for days and even some epic guitar soloing. Another excellent single that pushes all the retro buttons in all the right ways!
Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders are one of the surest things in rock ‘n’ roll. Anything they release is guaranteed to be top-notch. And that goes for their cover songs as well. The band’s new 10″ EP, After The Dolls (out on Heavy Medication Records), was a passion project for Pat Todd. As one of the world’s biggest fans of the New York Dolls, Todd has a deep love for the band’s catalog that extends into the music the members later released as solo artists. The concept of After The Dolls was to pay tribute to some of the amazing songs that Johnny Thunders and David Johansen wrote when they were supposedly “past their peak.” And when you give a great songwriter like Pat Todd the leeway to put his own twist on some old classics and deep cuts, you know you’re going to get something special.
Sometimes tribute albums fall flat, but After the Dolls feels different. All six of these tracks are inspired takes on incredible songs. The love for the original versions is palpable, but you can tell that you’re listening to Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders. Any Dolls/Thunders fan will be intimately acquainted with the material on the “Thunders side” of the record. Todd & the Rankoutsiders push the tempo on “Dead or Alive” to the point where it practically sounds like a Heartbreakers song. You can feel every ounce of heart and soul in the classic ballad “Disappointed in You.” “Short Lives,” from Thunders’ 1985 release Que Sera, Sera, is re-worked into the roaring ’70s punk classic it could have been. On the “Johansen side” of the record, the band pulls some deeper cuts. “Melody” and “Wreckless Crazy” are both from Johansen’s oft-overlooked second solo album, In Style. “The Rope,” one of Johansen’s rawest and punkiest solo tracks, was the B-side to the 1978 single “Funky But Chic.” “Wreckless Crazy,” as Ted pointed out, comes out sounding like it could have been a Rankoutsiders original. It’s a scorching update on the original. The band drags the disco-era blue-eyed soul of “Melody” into modern times without losing the spirit of Johansen’s version. “The Rope” sounds like vintage ’90s by way of the ’70s punk rock ‘n’ roll — reiterating Johansen’s profound influence on Todd and so many of his contemporaries.
If you’re going to take your shot at covering Johnny freaking Thunders and Mr. David Johansen, you can’t afford to miss. With After The Dolls, Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders show the world what a tribute album ought to be. You can tell that this project was on Todd’s mind for many years. The song selection could not have been more perfect, and all six of these tracks absolutely smoke. While the band succeeds at making these songs its own, it does so with tremendous affection for the original versions. This EP will make you want to go listen to your Johnny Thunders records and perhaps seek out some David Johansen records. And that, my friends, is surely the point.
Look who’s back! Out on the forever legendary Alien Snatch Records, Palermo is the first new music from the mighty KÜKEN since KÜKEN III was released back in December of 2023. I’ve had the honor of touting the musical creations of Chris and Philipp for more than 26 years. And here they are in the year 2026 still smashing it up like their life depended on it. Palermo is vintage KÜKEN: four tracks of raw, thumping, and undeniably catchy punk rock that mercilessly clubs you over the head yet leaves you begging for more. These guys keep it simple as always, cranking the attitude and energy levels to ten and making sure to not cross the threshold of the two-minute song. And these tracks sound amazing, delivering exactly the sort of unbridled sonic ferocity that you would expect to emerge from a St. Pauli bunker. All four of these songs are grade-A rippers! As long as the wonder twins keep on making music, you can count on me to keep on writing about it. Daniel’s remark in the liner notes about this EP being the first entry in everyone’s best-of-2026 list is no joke. Maybe it’s time for me to start my first draft!
Quadrophenia, The Who’s sixth studio album, will be released as an SDE exclusive Blu-ray audio in February 2026.
Issued as a double album in October 1973 by Track Records, it’s the group’s second full scale ‘rock opera’, set in London and Brighton in 1964/65, with a narrative that follows a young Mod named Jimmy and his search for self-worth and importance. The album reached No 2 in both the UK and US album charts and features the singles ‘5:15’ (a UK top 20 hit), ‘Love, Reign o’er Me’ and ‘The Real Me’.
The SDE Blu-ray includes 2025 Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo mixes of Quadrophenia mixed by Richard Whittaker, whose association with the band goes back decades.
Additionally, the disc includes instrumental mixes in Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo, the unique Quadrophenia 5.1 EP (which contains unique mixes/segues was previously only available in the out-of-print Quadrophenia Director’s Cut box set of 2011) and the 2013 stereo remaster. Note: There are no other formats for this Quadrophenia reissue (no box sets or vinyl) just the SDE blu-ray.
Richard Whittaker explained to SDE his approach to mixing this album in Atmos: “The original stereo mix by Ron Nevison and Pete Townshend was somehow superseded by a stereo remix in the mid-90’s by Jon Astley. Sonically, these two versions are really quite different, so Bob Pridden and I decided to study and reference both sets of mixes whilst creating the new Quadrophenia 2025 mixes in Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo. In doing so, the new mixes sit (sonically) between the two stereo versions and have elements re-instated from the original mix that didn’t make the 90’s remix”.
The audio streams of Quadrophenia on the SDE-exclusive Blu-ray are as follows:
Quadrophenia High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray will be released on 27 February 2026. This is a TIME LIMITED release; It available to pre-order for two weeks only, starting today. The pre-order window closes at midnight GMT on 29 January 2026. Availability after that point cannot be guaranteed.
Secure your copy of this SDE exclusive Blu-ray of Quadrophenia by using this SDE shop link
01 I Am The Sea
02 The Real Me
03 Quadrophenia
04 Cut My Hair
05 The Punk And The Godfather
06 I’m One
07 The Dirty Jobs
08 Helpless Dancer
09 Is It In My Head
10 I’ve Had Enough
11 5:15
12 Sea and Sand
13 Drowned
14 Bell Boy
15 Doctor Jimmy
16 The Rock
17 Love, Reign O’er Me
Quadrophenia 5.1 EP (2011)
01 I Am The Sea
02 The Real Me
03 Quadrophenia
04 I’ve Had Enough
05 5:15
06 Doctor Jimmy
07 The Rock
08 Love, Reign O’er Me
Good Day Noir Family,
A cold, futuristic tension runs through Abstract, an album that announces its intentions with confidence and a clear visual imagination.
Abstract is Cries of Redemption’s Album Out Now
Cries of Redemption builds a world that feels unstable and cinematic, and yet deeply emotional, balancing atmosphere with force in a way that feels deliberate rather than accidental.
The opening track, “The Return,” immediately establishes a dystopian tone. The female vocal enters with authority and intensity, and it carries a hypnotic quality. At the same time, the arrangement stays restrained, which allows the tension to grow naturally. The track feels like the opening scene of a sci-fi film, where the environment matters as much as the characters. Because of that, the listener is not just hearing music but stepping into a carefully shaped setting.
An Eerie Feeling expands this vision further. It begins in a spacious, atmospheric way, slowly building pressure. There are clear compositional echoes of Evanescence, especially in the contrast between melodic passages and heavier outbursts. However, the song does not stop there. Screamed vocals and nu-metal injections add sharp edges, and therefore the track moves between fragility and aggression without losing coherence.
Another highlight arrives with “Abstract,” which once again showcases the project’s cinematic ambition. This track could easily function as a soundtrack piece for a sci-fi game or film. The layering feels intentional, and the pacing keeps the listener alert. Furthermore, the balance between electronic textures and metal foundations gives the song a modern identity while still respecting genre roots.
The album closes with “Wherever You Are,” and this final piece underlines the strength of the production approach. Technology plays a visible role, yet it never overshadows the artistic vision. The track opens with a striking guitar solo that carries a clear Pink Floyd influence, especially in its spacious phrasing. Then, the intensity rises gradually, transforming the piece into an instrumental journey filled with harmonic shifts and emotional peaks. The album ends on a reflective but expansive note.
Abstract succeeds because it commits fully to its vision. It blends modern production tools with a strong emotional core, and it never feels uncertain about its direction.
Abstract is Cries of Redemption‘s Album Out Now!
Dystopian!
Cries of Redemption is an independent recording project founded in 2007 by songwriter and guitarist Ed Silva. Rooted in atmosphere over trends, the project blends modern rock and nu-metal with cinematic and electronic elements, focusing on mood, tension, and immersive soundscapes. Written and creatively directed by Ed, Cries of Redemption exists to capture a feeling—and let it resonate.
Good Day Noir Family,
There is an immediate sense of grit when “Hellya” begins. The guitar arrives with a crunch that feels raw and intentional, almost like a torch handed directly from the alternative giants of the ’90s.
Hellya is Less’ Single Out Now
The tone recalls the murkier corners of Radiohead’s early era, yet it never leans on imitation. Instead, Less takes this familiar texture and redirects it into a new form that feels very much her own.
Soon after, her voice enters—warm, resonant, and grounded. It carries a timbre that hints gently at Tracy Chapman, especially in its emotional weight and earthy warmth. However, her vocal identity remains unmistakably individual. She phrases each line as though she is letting you into a story she has lived, not merely performed. The sincerity is striking, and as the song develops, it becomes clear that Less does not rely on vocal tricks. She communicates with texture and breath, letting silence and tone speak for her.
The arrangement itself rewards patience. While many singles rush to their hooks, “Hellya” takes its time. First, the mood deepens. Then, the energy begins to charge forward. Finally, the chorus arrives like a door bursting open. It is not just louder—it feels necessary, as though this is the moment the song has been preparing you for. The production keeps everything focused: each instrument fits with intention, and although the guitars maintain weight, they give space for the vocal to shine.
Furthermore, one of the most memorable elements arrives at minute 2:23. In that moment, the song suddenly contracts, almost like a breath before impact. This structural pause highlights Less’s sense of songwriting architecture. She understands tension and release. She understands that a song can hit twice as hard if it first chooses to disappear.
Thematically, “Hellya” feels like defiance and liberation wrapped in honest songwriting. It delivers intensity, yet it also holds vulnerability. It sounds like the kind of song someone writes after surviving something and coming out stronger—not in grandeur, but in truth.
Less is an artist who seems to have found her voice through lived experience and refined control.
Hellya is Less’ Single Out Now!
Intense!
Born in Naples in 2001 and raised between Arzano, Fano, and Scandicci, Less grew up in a constantly changing environment that shaped her adaptability and emotional depth. The daughter of two leather workers, she learned early the meaning of resilience, while music gradually became her refuge and language.
During adolescence, guitar and songwriting turned into essential tools to express identity, love, and inner conflict. Writing songs started instinctively and soon became a way to transform personal experiences into honest, direct narratives.
The pandemic marked a decisive phase: working from a home studio, Less focused fully on writing and recording, leading to collaborations with producers at Kapow Vintage Studio in Florence.
Her debut singles Up and Down and I Need All Your Love (2025) trace the passage from youth to adulthood, while Instead Of Making Love (Say Hello) signals a shift toward a more mature and energetic sound, blending emotional intensity with rock-driven dynamics.
Today, Less stands as a multifaceted artist whose music moves between vulnerability and strength, carried by psychedelic rock arrangements and a voice that gives weight to every emotion she sings.
Alternative music emerged as a reaction against polished commercial sounds and predictable formulas.
Raw emotion, personal vision, and resistance to conformity shaped its core identity.
Rather than functioning as a single genre, alternative music gathered grunge, Britpop, emo, shoegaze, indie rock, and other movements under a shared mindset.
Sound and culture moved together, giving artists space to express discomfort, anger, vulnerability, and independence.
Experimental thinkers, underground communities, and independent labels pushed ideas forward, shaping a spirit that redirected modern music history.
When Alternative Reached the Mainstream
The early 1990s marked a rare moment when raw emotion reshaped popular music without losing its edge
Cultural momentum carried underground sounds into wider awareness during the early 1990s. Seattle’s grunge scene merged punk aggression with heavy distortion and emotional exposure.
Bands expressed alienation, frustration, and self-doubt through thick guitar tones and unfiltered vocals.
Nirvana’s Nevermind altered popular expectations almost overnight. Raw intensity entered radio rotation without losing its confrontational edge.
Pearl Jam and Soundgarden reinforced introspective themes rooted in discomfort rather than escapism.
British artists responded with Britpop, shifting tone toward confidence and cultural pride. Oasis, Blur, and Pulp drew influence tied to 1960s rock traditions and everyday British experience.
Melodic songwriting and sharp social observation offered contrast to grunge introspection without abandoning resistance.
Visual exposure reshaped identity during the MTV era. Music videos amplified symbolism, turning appearance into narrative.
This shift foreshadowed the broader media landscape where image, fame, and branding could drive cultural trends, including today’s celebrity-driven sportsbook promos, which blend entertainment personas with gambling platforms to attract new audiences.
Grunge figures such as Lane Staley reflected vulnerability through worn clothing, visible tattoos, and an unpolished presence that aligned with lyrical honesty.
Lyrics across alternative music carried emotional contradiction. Pain and hope existed side by side, creating connection rather than resolution.
Common thematic threads included:
addiction and mental health struggles
anger directed inward and outward
resilience through self-expression
Personal storytelling functioned as release for artists and listeners seeking emotional recognition.
Early Avant-Garde and Noise Movements
Experimental thinking reshaped musical possibility decades before alternative rock entered the public vocabulary.
Composers and artists challenged harmony, structure, and purpose, replacing comfort with confrontation and curiosity.
Sound became material rather than ornament, inviting friction, chaos, and unfamiliar textures into artistic practice.
Italian futurist Luigi Russolo proposed that modern life demanded modern sound. Industrial cities, machines, and engines shaped daily experience, so music needed to reflect that reality.
His 1913 manifesto, The Art of Noises, rejected traditional orchestration and argued for a new sonic language rooted in mechanical force. Audiences reacted with confusion and outrage as Intonarumori devices produced screeches, rumbles, and metallic collisions.
Noise gained legitimacy as expression rather than error, laying the groundwork for later abrasive guitar tones and feedback-heavy experimentation.
French composer Pierre Schaeffer expanded radical sound thinking during the 1940s through musique concrète.
Recording technology shifted music away from live performance and into manipulation. Sounds once dismissed as mundane gained compositional power through repetition and transformation.
His work introduced practices that would later define modern production methods, including:
tape looping and reversal
splicing recordings into fragmented structures
use of household and environmental sounds as primary sources
Collaboration with Pierre Henry resulted in Symphonie pour un homme seul and the formation of the Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète. Sampling culture and studio-based creativity trace clear roots to these experiments.
John Cage dismantled assumptions tied to intention and control. Works such as 4’33” reframed silence as active participation, placing listener perception at the center of performance.
Water Walk introduced randomness and theatrical unpredictability, challenging expectations tied to skill and precision. Music shifted toward concept rather than melody.
La Monte Young extended radical minimalism through sustained tones and alternative tuning systems.
Drone-based compositions demanded patience and immersion, reshaping how duration and repetition functioned in listening.
Lou Reed later absorbed these ideas during work on Metal Machine Music, carrying avant-garde extremity into rock culture.
Innovation thrived within collaborative spaces. San Francisco Tape Music Center fostered experimentation through shared resources and technical invention.
Morton Subotnick, Pauline Oliveros, and Don Buchla constructed homemade electronic systems that rejected conventional instrumentation.
Subotnick’s Silver Apples of the Moon demonstrated how electronic albums could function as complete artistic statements rather than academic exercises.
Vocal experimentation expanded expressive limits even further. Human voice abandoned polite melody and entered territory shaped by physical strain and abstraction. Several techniques reshaped vocal identity:
Multiphonics and extended range techniques explored by Joan La Barbara
yodel-based phrasing developed by Leon Thomas within spiritual jazz contexts
distortion and nonverbal sound used as emotional communication
Voice transformed into a tool capable of confrontation, vulnerability, and intensity, influencing later alternative vocalists who rejected smooth delivery in favor of raw presence.
Punk Revolution and Birth of “Alternative”
Punk transformed resistance into a creative method, redefining independence as a musical value
Cultural frustration fueled a loud and immediate response during the 1970s. Punk rock rejected excess, hierarchy, and corporate control through simplicity and urgency.
Music regained immediacy as musicians bypassed industry expectations and created direct connections with audiences.
Do-it-yourself practices reshaped creative independence. Bands recorded on limited budgets, booked their own shows, and distributed music without label approval.
Independent labels flourished, reinforcing freedom and resistance to institutional gatekeeping. Punk normalized imperfection as honesty rather than failure.
Journalist Terry Tolkin introduced the term “alternative” to describe artists operating outside commercial classifications. Language shaped identity, giving nonconforming musicians a shared label without imposing stylistic rules.
College radio stations amplified this shift, using “college rock” to define American acts such as R.E.M. and The Replacements.
A community formed around values rather than sound alone.
United Kingdom indie charts debuted in 1980, offering tangible recognition for artists avoiding major labels.
Visibility shifted power dynamics, validating underground success and encouraging experimentation.
Chart systems eventually adopted alternative classifications, formalizing space for nontraditional music without demanding conformity.
Defining Characteristics of the Alternative Sound
Texture, imperfection, and emotional risk became deliberate choices rather than technical limitations
Sound rejected conventional polish in favor of texture and tension. Distortion, drone, and lo-fi aesthetics shaped identity across substyles.
Shoegaze artists layered reverb-heavy guitars into immersive sound walls, while Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca embraced dissonance and repetition. Tape manipulation reinforced imperfection as sincerity.
Lyrics focused on alienation, rebellion, and self-awareness.
Songs questioned social expectations and exposed inner conflict without sanitizing discomfort. Emotional risk replaced safe storytelling.
Independent production remained essential. Home recording environments encouraged experimentation without external pressure.
Creative control mattered more than technical perfection, reinforcing honesty over refinement.
Visual culture reinforced musical values. Tattoos, thrift-store fashion, and underground art communicated belonging and defiance. Body art acted as a narrative, mirroring the emotional openness present within the music.
Subgenres and Expansion
Grunge developed within Seattle’s local network, pairing punk urgency with heavy guitar tones and themes tied to:
Pain
Addiction
Apathy
Britpop emphasized melodic clarity and culturally specific storytelling rooted in British identity.
Shoegaze favored atmosphere over articulation, using layered effects and introspective lyrics to obscure structure.
Post-punk revival acts such as Interpol and Franz Ferdinand revived angular guitar patterns and brooding moods linked to earlier movements.
Pop punk and emo gained traction during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Bands like Blink-182, Dashboard Confessional, and My Chemical Romance paired catchy hooks with emotional vulnerability, reflecting youth anxiety and identity conflict.
Indie folk introduced acoustic textures and communal energy. Artists such as Mumford and Sons fused traditional instrumentation with alternative sensibilities, broadening emotional access without abandoning sincerity.
Digital Revolution and Global Influence
Digital platforms shifted creative power toward artists, allowing alternative culture to spread globally
Internet platforms transformed access to audiences and creative autonomy.
Bandcamp and SoundCloud enabled unsigned artists to release work directly, shifting influence toward fan communities.
Algorithms and online discovery reshaped listening habits alongside traditional studios.
Alternative scenes flourished worldwide as regional culture shaped expression. The United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan developed distinct approaches tied to local identity.
Acts like Radiohead, Tame Impala, and The 1975 achieved international recognition while maintaining experimental instincts.
Community extended past sound into daily life. Shared values shaped behavior, aesthetics, and interaction. Key communal practices included:
underground shows as gathering spaces
online forums fostering discussion and support
tattoos and visual art signaling belonging
Alternative culture functioned as a collective expression grounded in emotional honesty and creative freedom.
Why It Still Matters
Defining sound within alternative music resists fixed boundaries. Attitude, experimentation, and sincerity guide creative choices.
Industrial noise experiments, punk rebellion, grunge introspection, and emo confessionals share a drive to challenge norms.
Alternative music continues serving individuals seeking authenticity, connection, and expressive freedom.
Emotional risk and creative independence remain central forces shaping its ongoing presence in modern culture.
UK HEAVY ROCK PROGGERS GODSTICKS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM VOiD (27th March, Kscope)
Godsticks by Eleanor Jane
UK-based heavy proggers Godsticks have announced their long awaited seventh studio album and the follow up to 2023’s lauded This Is What A Winner Looks Like. The new album, titled VOiD, is Godsticks’ darkest, heaviest, and most uncompromising album to date. Both lyrically and musically, VOiD reflects a disillusionment with a world increasingly defined by division, ideological rigidity, and the loss of nuance. The album documents a conscious withdrawal from the noise – a retreat into a personal void.
Godsticks guitarist and vocalist Darran Charles, mused:
“It feels like we’re in an age where there’s no compromise, no centre ground, and no one really wants to consider another person’s perspective. We’re left with just two viewpoints: left or right (which are also each side’s synonyms for either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’). Like many musicians, I’m arguably quite left-wing in my views, although I can’t help but feel that all the strides we’ve made as a society towards tolerance and inclusion have been undermined by efforts to shame anyone who may have used an incorrect word whilst actually doing a very positive thing. In recent years people have been too quick to strip words of context and more importantly, intent – all in the name of winning an argument or admonishing someone to make themselves look more enlightened.
But then I also think, what’s the f**king point in investing any energy getting annoyed at these things? We’re inherently selfish as a species and at this point in history it feels that we’ve never been so powerless and we share none of the positive aspects of community. No one is really interested in finding solutions and so – for me – it’s completely pointless conversing about these things and therefore I prefer to exist in my own little void”
VOiD will be released on 27th March on pearl sunrise vinyl LP, classic black LP, CD and digitally.
As well as the vinyl and CD versions of VOiD, all pre-orders made through the Official Godsticks Store and the Kscope Store will include Nowhere To Be Seen, a free bonus CD which includes 3 unreleased tracks.
Nowhere To Be Seen bonus CD
1. Downplay
2. Nowhere To Be Seen
3. Hope Is Burning (piano arrangement)
Drummer Tom Price and guitarist Gavin Bushell continue to play a vital role in the writing process, while the introduction of new bassist Francis George brings a subtle but important shift in the overall feel to the rhythm section.
“I cannot overstate the enormously positive impact Tom and Gavin have had on the writing process over the last few albums. Whilst the writing methods have rarely changed for me over the years, what has changed is that their contributions are indispensable and something I genuinely look forward to incorporating. I’ve lost count of the times on this album that they’ve provided or reinterpreted a part that has prevented the song from being binned because it wasn’t working. This is also the first time in 12 years that we’re working with a different bass player too (Francis George), and that itself has offered a fresh perspective on arrangements and influenced the overall feel to the rhythm section. It’s a little different this time around.” – Darran Charles
Having been holed-up in the studio for the last 18 months, Godsticks are finally being released into the wild once more, ready for a run of UK shows and armed with new music from the new album. Guitarist and vocalist Darran Charles says it is “the toughest and most demanding record we’ve ever made, featuring music that has pushed us to the very extremes of what we can do as musicians.”
These new shows will see a monumental release of tension and energy from this darker and angrier incarnation of Godsticks, so be prepared to be greeted with a ferocious sonic punch-in-the-face; it’s one that you won’t want to miss.”
“Eyeliner” is the second single from Freya and the Vikings, a seven-piece Aussie rock band with three lead female vocalists and a powerhouse instrumental section. It’s just a glimpse of the vibrant sound they’re bringing, with their 15-song debut album set to drop later this year. We’ve already heard the previous single on Given to Rock (click here), now it’s time for this new one.
I love the chorus and the vocals in general, super catchy and energetic at the same time. It’s a very cool song with a perfect production for the genre and with a classy arrangement as well, very 80s, to my ears. Give “Eyeliner” a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and follow Freya and the Vikings if you like what you hear. The song is also part of the Best of 2026 Given To Rock playlist (click here)
