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  • VASSAL STATE – Debut Demo The Withering Wreath Now Available

    A newly emerged atmospheric black metal project from Skellefteå, Sweden, Vassal State, has officially announced the release of its debut demo, The Withering Wreath, now available for pre-order and streaming. The project is the work of David Nilsson, known as the vocalist of Swedish death metal act FERAL. In Vassal State, Nilsson handles all instruments […]

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  • Gypsy Pistoleros Release ‘King Of Almost Everything’

    Gypsy Pistoleros release their video for new single ‘King Of Almost Everything‘, out now, new album ‘Dark Faerie Tales‘ out 17th April via The New Church Records. The third single from the album, ‘King Of Almost Everything‘ arrives with a brand-new video — a savage, cinematic takedown of false idols, hollow power, and blind devotion. A rallying […]

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  • SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: AT THE GATES, EINHERJER, BLACK ROYAL, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR, DISORIENTATION, LONESHORE, HEIDEN, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX

    photo credit: Artemis II crew and NASA (written by Islander) As you can see from the post title, I decided to pack a lot of new songs and videos into this week’s SEEN AND HEARD column. To make that possible (because I got another late start and my free time this morning is limited), I’ve […]

    The post SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: AT THE GATES, EINHERJER, BLACK ROYAL, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR, DISORIENTATION, LONESHORE, HEIDEN, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

  • The Melmacs – EUPHANCHOLIA


    In what is shaping up to possibly become my favorite year for new music in decades, The Melmacs’ EUPHANCHOLIA currently holds the position of my favorite album of 2026. That is hardly a surprise. I’ve been teasing the arrival of this LP since January, and all the advance singles were bona fide bangers. EUPHANCHOLIA, which officially released yesterday on Bakraufarfita Records and Wanda Records in Germany and the mighty Spaghetty Town Records here in the USA, more than lives up to what I promised in recent reviews. 

    This is now my 12th time reviewing The Melmacs, and my enthusiasm only grows with every write-up. There’s no band out there that does a better job of marrying classic punk, power pop, and new wave influences in a way that sounds genuinely fresh and current. Beyond that, there’s something special about The Melmacs. In times that have grown increasingly dark and cold, they are a lightning bolt of hope and love. They bring positive energy into a world that desperately needs it. They’ve made a record that acknowledges the seriousness of life but will ultimately put a smile on your face and add some skip to your step. 

    One trend I’ve noticed in the modern era of punk rock is bands getting better and better as they go along. That is certainly the case with The Melmacs. I liked the band’s 2022 debut Good Advice enough to proclaim it one of my favorite albums of the 2020s. But that record was a mere warm-up for EUPHANCHOLIA, which finds The Melmacs making that big leap from very good band to truly great band. Even as the band’s musical appeal has remained very much the same, the quality of its songwriting and the distinctiveness of its sound have been refined considerably. The Melmacs fully know who they are and what they want their music to be. The organ plays a larger role on this record, but the guitars don’t take a back seat. Bimmi has become one the most likeable and expressive vocalists in the indie/punk universe, and Max’s production on this release (with the help of Brown Barcella and Magnus Lindberg on the mixing and mastering side) is pretty much perfect. This is the kind of music I live for. It’s catchy, powerful, and exciting, but it’s also full of tremendous substance and comes straight from the heart. 

    It’s no shocker that singles like “Lazy Hearts” and “Run for Your Life” are standout cuts. They were singles for a reason. But The Melmacs left plenty of killer tunes in reserve for us to enjoy when we finally dove into the full album. “The Tide is High” has me pumped to go out and live this day to its fullest. “Falling” is another vintage Melmacs high-energy, booty-shaking, earworm sing-along. I was blown away by “These Days,” a song that sounds unlike anything the band has done before. It’s a very sophisticated and modern-sounding pop-rock song that could legitimately be a hit if anyone in the music industry had a clue. Likewise, “Deadbeat” shows the band’s command of pure pop with a bittersweet taste. Elsewhere, “Showdown” and “Lifetime” find the album taking a full-fury punk rock turn. The ballad “Crying My Heart Out” is a classic example of why The Melmacs are so amazing. It comes on sounding like jangly ’60s pop, then seamlessly fast forwards into the ’80s, and all the while Bimmi alternates between anguished spoken word ranting and the purest singing she’s ever done. A song like this would not have been within The Melmacs’ capabilities a few years ago. “Electric Night” puts a glam-bam exclamation mark on an extraordinary album. 

    On Good Advice, the Melmacs dispensed some tough love and sage guidance. With EUPHANCHOLIA, the vibe is a little different. These German sweethearts are here to lift you up. They’ve got your back and want to remind you that it’s never too late to live your best life as long as you’re still breathing. They’re here to cheer you up and cheer you on. In tough and trying times, The Melmacs have brought us the album we need: a pep talk, a kick in the pants, and a giant hug all rolled into one urgent package of anthemic and infectious punk/pop/rock ‘n’ roll. When it comes to records that live at the intersection of punk rock and power pop, this is about as good as it gets. The Melmacs might remind you of bands you loved decades ago, but they aren’t trying to sound like anyone but themselves. I might be guilty of hyperbole if I called them the best band in the world, so I’ll show some proper restraint and contend that they at least need to be in the conversation.

  • DISINTEL – OUTLAW ELEKTRO


    Well here’s something a little outside my usual box, but it really caught my attention. DISINTEL is a new synth-punk band out of Los Angeles, and its EP OUTLAW ELEKTRO is not for the faint of heart. I can roll with some Screamers, Suicide, Units, and Chrome quite often, and DISINTEL is doing a modern version of that style of music. In a good way, I’m hearing an industrial influence as well. But what really hits me hard are the lyrics. I won’t spoil them for you since you can read them on Bandcamp. But man, these songs are dark and disturbing — painting a bleak portrait of a techno-fascist world that would seem dystopian if you didn’t know it was the one we’re already living in. This is brilliant, haunting stuff. And I love the way this band uses synthesizers in a way that’s genuinely bold and creative. The synths aren’t just there in place of guitars; they are the main driver of this band’s nightmare-ish vision. This is synth-punk that qualifies as genuine art. “ESC.DEL.RTN” has me seriously shook. “The Future (I Can’t Afford)” could not be any more in tune with the despairing zeitgeist of present day. This EP plays like a bizarre dream that would jolt me awake in a cold sweat, and I mean that as a high compliment. You won’t hear anything else like this. If an electro-punk mind-fuck capable of chilling you to the bone has been on your wish list, DISINTEL is calling your name. 

  • Josephine Network – Hooked


    If there’s one thing that moves me the most in music, it’s when I can feel the genuine joy in it. And that’s what came through instantly on Josephine Network’s new album Hooked (out on Lollipop Records). From the opening note to the very end, you can feel the unadulterated enthusiasm and excitement that Josephine put into writing and recording these songs. Loud, catchy, and fun has always been the secret sauce for rock ‘n’ roll, and there’s something absolutely perfect about the title of this album. I was instantly hooked, and you will be as well if you dig glam rock and power pop that take their cues from the ’70s but still sound hot and fresh today. 

    Glam rock and classic power pop were always close cousins, and here Josephine brings them together in a way that could not sound more natural. There are sticky-sweet hooks all over the place, and there’s plenty of swagger as well. And plain and simple, this album rocks. Put in on, turn it up, and forget about your troubles for 26 minutes. By the time you get to the end, it will be impossible to feel pessimistic about life. The title track would be a massive radio hit if they still played real rock ‘n’ roll on the radio. “All I’ll Do” sounds like the best song Shoes never wrote. “Mary Jane Girls” is like the Beach Boys gone glam and so joyfully catchy that it ought to be illegal. Elsewhere, Josephine hits the sweet spot for bubblegum pop (“When Nobody’s Home”), wham bam glam rock (“Kiss of the T” and “Babbling Fool”), and even some full-throttle riff rock boogie (“Revved Up Things”). “The Rockers” is pure rock ‘n’ roll with a pop heartbeat and the perfect closer for this absolute delight of an album. For this release, Josephine worked with producer Ryan Howe, who clearly gets what Josephine Network is all about. Hershguy and Nat Brower share drumming duties and totally match Josephine’s energy with every beat. If an album that meets at the intersection of Nick Gilder, Big Star, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy sounds like something that would get your heart beating faster, Hooked just might have you obsessed. And how glorious is that cover art?

  • Anyma Coachella Set Canceled Due To Wind

    Though the first day of Coachella was mostly a success, it wasn’t without problems. Anyma had been slated to perform at midnight, but the Italian-American DJ’s set was canceled last-minute due to severe weather conditions.

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  • Today, Polish black metallers, DEVORZHUM released new EP titled “O królestwie, którego nigdy nie było”

    DEVORZHUM is a quite fresh band on the Polish metal scene formed in 2021 where in the line-up we can find experienced musician – Szymon “Simon” Bieńkowski well-known of playing in the past in such bands as Morbus Mortifer, Supreme Lord, Vomigod, Depravity and Rigor Mortis. Less than three years ago, the band released their debut album, “Exigens Monumentum,” which was very well received […]

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  • Festival Review: Takedown 2026 Day 2 – Portsmouth Guildhall (4th April 2026)

    Friday’s Takedown Festival line-up had set a very high bar indeed! There seemed to be a lot more people here at the start of Saturday’s festivities though, more than last year even. Higher numbers bode well for the future of the event, although it made it more important for me to plan my day and … Continue reading Festival Review: Takedown 2026 Day 2 – Portsmouth Guildhall (4th April 2026)

  • Sabrina Carpenter’s Hollywood-Themed Coachella Set Had Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, Sam Elliott, & More

    Today marks exactly two years since Sabrina Carpenter’s rise into main-girl pop stardom with “Espresso.” Before that song, the idea of her headlining Coachella would’ve been ridiculous, but now it’s a given. She did just that last night, and her Hollywood-themed performance included appearances from various actors, plus several Man’s Best Friend live debuts.

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