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Jared Colinger, the creative force behind The Enigmatic Foe, has released a poignant new double single that dives deep into the complexities of mental health. The release features two tracks, “Autopilot” and “The Waking Dream,” which serve as a mirror for those struggling with the heavy fog of depression. While “Autopilot” captures the aimless drift […]

On April 27th 2026, UK’s Dysemblem will put out their third full-length instalment entitled Buried By The Weight Of Light. The first official single will be released in coming days.
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When ska had its time in the sun in the 1990s, a lot of bands emerged. From Reel Big Fish to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to Buck-O-Nine, ska was back in a big way, getting airplay on modern rock radio for the first time in a decade. Ska had essentially disappeared from the radio when the Two Tone bands lost their luster or broke up, making the genre’s presence nil. While modern radio in the 1990s may have been cashing in on a fad, some kids cutting their teeth in music found a way of life. While I had made some exceptions for bands like Skankin’ Pickle and Suicide Machines, Goldfinger was a band I dragged my feet on, chalking them up to third-wave slop. This was an unfair sentiment from my youth that I’ve since reversed.

The more I went backward and listened to the earlier waves of ska, the more I became disconnected from what was being fed to me on the radio. Discovering bands like The Specials, The English Beat, and Operation Ivy instilled in me the conviction that this music was intended to address social issues, racism, and politics, with these themes at the forefront. As I heard more songs off their self-titled record, it didn’t take too long to give in. Once I purchased and listened to the record, I learned what I had been missing out on. While the lead single, “Here in Your Bedroom,” was a ska pop-punk song that featured many of the tropes that turned me off to third-wave, the record draws cues from a variety of other genres, including punk, metal, and even a touch of jazz.

This year, Goldfinger’s self-titled album celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. Guitar player Charlie Paulson was kind enough to talk to Dying Scene about the making of their self-titled record and its place in ska-punk history.

Dying Scene (Forrest Gaddis): Thank you for your time, Charlie.

Charlie Paulson: Of course. First of all, I have a question for you. Why this record?

Why this record? I love this record. I didn’t at first; it took me a minute to get into it. I just kept hearing more and more songs off it. I was a dumb punk rock kid who was like, “This isn’t punk rock. This isn’t ska.” I heard more. I was like, “Why am I being stupid about this?” I just ended up buying it and I had a whole summer where I listened to it.

Yeah, a lot of you were not alone in that appraisal.

How did the band form? 

I knew Feldy from around Hollywood because he was in a band (The Electric Love Hogs) that me and a bunch of my friends would go see at the time in LA. Punk was sort of dormant; there wasn’t a whole lot happening that was exciting around that time, the early 90s. We had L7, Bad Religion. There wasn’t a whole lot beyond that. It was before alternative was happening, bands like Jane’s Addiction and Fishbone. Those were the bands that sort of took the place of punk rock.  The Electric Love Hogs were not really that metal. They played shows with all those bands. They were a great live band. So I knew Feldy from that.

I worked for the band a couple of times and I crashed on his couch. That’s how we became friends. We talked a lot about how we loved The Buzzcocks, The Clash, and The Specials, and shit like that. When the Love Hogs sort of ran their course, I saw him out one day just hanging out. He asked, “Hey, I want you to hear something?” 

I went out to his little fucking Dodge, this little fucking beater. He popped in a cassette and was playing me a bunch of like these little, it was just him and an acoustic guitar, playing these pop punk songs. I’m like, “That’s cool.” He looks at me and he’s like, “Well, would you want to do this?”

“What do you mean?” He asked, “Do you want to start a band?” He knew that I loved a lot of the same music that he did. That’s sort of how it started. We auditioned a couple of drummers who were terrible. Then I went on tour as a guitar tech on a Danzig tour. He wound up putting an early version of Goldfinger together with a different guitar player. While I was on tour, that guitar player overdosed and was in rehab.

When I got home from the tour, I knew that Feldy always had an insane work ethic. I knew he probably already had a bunch of shows booked and no guitar player. So I called him. I said, “Look, I will fill in for Steve while he’s in the hospital.” I did, and they didn’t want Steve back. That’s the very abridged version.

From those acoustic songs that Feldman had, to when you went to the studio, how long did it take for those to come together?

A couple of years. I mean, he probably first approached me in like ‘93. Then I joined the band a year later. I mean, it wasn’t a band. He still had commitments and shit with his other band.

He didn’t really put Goldfinger together for a year, maybe. It took him a while to find people. I would say a couple years from that first conversation we had to the release of the first record, that was three years.

Where did you guys record the album?

We did it at this studio in Santa Monica, right by the beach, called Media Ventures. I didn’t like it because it was really sterile. They recorded a lot of soundtracks there and things like that. They had never recorded a straight-up rock band. So, we got it at kind of a discount because they didn’t really know what they were doing. I didn’t like it because it was really clean. The walls were beige. It looked like a dentist’s office.

I remember saying that. The first day that we went in to start tracking drums, somebody brought in a bunch of Bob Marley and Sex Pistols posters. I appreciated the effort.

The record is raw, but it’s still kind of clean at the same time. Was that because of where you guys were recording it, or is that just the sound John Feldman had in his head?

That was part of it, but Feldy was also meticulous about it. He really wanted it to sound like a real album. He didn’t want it to sound like demos. I think we may have overcorrected a little bit. What’s really funny about that, though, is as anal as he was, that record is totally out of tune. If you sit down with a guitar and try to play along with that record, it’s gonna drive you crazy because it’s just not in tune. If you just listen to the album, it sounds fine. But when you try to play along with it with a tuned guitar, it is wildly out of tune.

You do what the pop-punk bands were doing, where you kind of have your jokey songs, but even those are presented with reverence.

Well, part of that was when I joined the band; we all sort of adapted to John’s work ethic. We rehearsed at least four hours a day, five days a week. I mean, we rehearsed, like, fucking crazy. We were super fucking tight. We did a Sno-Core kind of tour right before that record came out. In January and February, we were on the road with this hardcore band from New York called Dog Eat Dog and Ugly Kid Joe. So, by the time we wanted to track that record, we were fucking razor sharp.

And you hear it too.

Yeah, that’s part of why that record sounds like that. We were so fucking tight. I remember at the end of that tour, we came home and we played a show at the Whisky. My friends were like, “What the fuck?” It didn’t feel any different to us because we were doing it every night. Nothing tightens a band up like the road. We came home off that tour. The next day, we had a show at the Whisky. The day after that, we loaded into the studio to start tracking.

Were there any songs you fought hard for in terms of arrangement, tempo, or feel, or was it just all what Feldman had in his brain and he wanted it out?

Those first three records, Feldy would come in with the song, and it was about 80% there. Then the band would sort of beat it into shape, write our own parts, and all that sort of thing. The way we make records now is wildly different. Back then, it was very organic. You know what I mean? We had a shitty rehearsal room downtown. Feldy would come in, and he would say, “I have an idea, and I kind of want this feel.”

Then we would sort of build it around there. I wrote a lot. I wrote most of that song, “Answers.” I wrote part of “Nothing To Prove,” “Mable.” Those were definitely like band compositions. Feldy would come in with chords and melody and lyrics. Sometimes I wrote a lot of lyrics. The band would just sort of beat them into shape. When we’d go on the road, they would really kind of come into their own.

How many of these songs still survive the set?

Currently? It depends. Not enough. I wish we had played a lot more from the first couple records, but we still play “Here in Your Bedroom.” We still play “Mable.” We played “Mind’s Eye” a couple of times, and it kind of broke my heart because we hadn’t played it in years. We played it, and it’s just kind of like, I’m not sure how many people that still come see us were familiar with the song, which bummed me out. I mean, there are a lot of songs on that record I wish we still played. I wish we still played “Stay.” I really miss “Only A Day.” I really like to play “King For A Day.”

I hated it at the time because I thought it was too clean. I thought it was too polished. Now, I go back and listen to it, and it really just sounds like four dudes in a room. My punk and John’s punk were different. He came up on super poppy stuff. He loved the Buzzcocks, the Descendents, and the Adolescents Blue Album. Those sound like crazy punk rock records now. Back then, those bands were considered pop punk because they sang harmonies.

I remember people kind of thought they were the Beach Boys of punk. Bad Religion definitely took a heavy cue from them, especially, the Blue Album. Bad Religion with all their harmonies and their arrangements. By the time the ‘90s rolled around, the natural evolution of all the early pop punk that John was listening to turned into bands like NOFX and Green Day. That was sort of the trajectory that Feldy was on and what he sort of wanted to accomplish with that record. 

My punk rock bands were Fear and X. We did have some common denominators. I also loved Bad Religion and the Adolescents, but I liked sort of nastier shit, you know what I mean? When we were making that record, I’m like, “This doesn’t sound anything like Black Flag.” I thought it was overproduced, but now I listen to it and it’s pretty fucking raw. 

Were the first three albums on Mojo, or just the first two?

The first three. There was also, there was also an EP in there. We did Darrin’s Coconut Ass. 

When you guys were recording it, did you have any idea that this would be a classic album for people?

Not at all. I mean, when Goldfinger started, I was crashing on Feldy’s couch. I was like this homeless squatter punk. I was living in squats off Hollywood Boulevard or crashing on people’s couches. When Goldfinger started, I was sleeping in a closet. Next thing I know, I’m in his studio and I’m making a fucking record.

It was very much, I can afford to feed myself. It was really funny when we started getting all the backlash about being major label sellouts, rock stars, and all this shit. For the first time in my life, I can afford to go have fucking eggs and bacon down the street from my house. My house being literally a closet in somebody’s guest house. People were like, “You fucking big time sellout.”

I’m like, “You can suck my fucking dick.”

As far as legacy, no. I just knew I could buy a new pair of Vans if I wanted them. That was it. I was so in the moment.

What do you think people misunderstand about that era of punk and ska in general?

That all the things that now get associated with punk won’t really stick. I don’t think Goldfinger was a punk band. I think we were a really tight pop band that had heavy punk and ska influences. I mean, we weren’t really blazing new territory. All our songs were about girls. It wasn’t like we were really challenging. I think the most punk Goldfinger ever was, we used to fight with cops and bouncers a lot. I mean, fight like winding up in the hospital because we would be sticking up for kids or that sort of thing. We were more punk in spirit than musically. Then when we got heavy into animal rights, that was pretty fun.

Dookie is not really a punk record to me. People refer to Bon Jovi as a metal band, you know, forty years later, and there’s nothing fucking metal about Bon Jovi. I think time has a weird way of like blurring those lines.

Everybody was like, “Oh, it’s a ska album.” There are like, four songs that are really ska songs.

There’s not even really a full on ska song on the record. There’s songs with ska parts.

Maybe you could probably get away with calling “Pictures” a ska song.

Even then it’s got that metal breakdown. Like I said, we have punk and ska influences. We also have metal influences. There’s a little bit of jazz on that record. I’m not splitting hairs at this point. If you want to call us a punk band, that’s fine.

What’s the most surprising way you’ve seen this album resonate with the newer generation?

We’re in a funny timeframe for us. When we go out and play shows, we still sell a lot of fucking tickets, but now it’s like you can tell our audience are people that were teenagers when that record came out. They’re in their forties and they’re bringing their kids. I’ll meet an eight-year-old kid who is learning how to play guitar to “Mind’s Eye” or “Mable.”

I mean, obviously, it’s an influence of their parents, but you know, that eight-year-old kid is still listening to that first record. In fact, we did a show, I don’t know, last year at some point. We always invite people up on stage during “Mable.” This kid, he was maybe twelve. He’s on stage and he’s pointing to my guitar. He goes, “Can I play?”

I’m like, “Do you know this?”

And he said, “Yes.” I just hung my guitar on this kid. He played Mable. It was awesome. I liked it. It’s kind of weird that there are a bunch of kids on stage with John singing a song about my dick. It’s certainly uncomfortable for me.

What felt bigger at the time: to have your first album released or to be asked to have “Superman” on the Tony Hawk game? I know “Superman” is not on this album, but what felt bigger?

The first album, for sure. That was life-changing for us. I was literally living in a closet at $80 a week. Then four months later, I’m in Times Square seeing my fucking album cover 10 feet in the air. That completely changed my entire fucking life. The Tony Hawk thing is funny because we were on a lot of soundtracks and video games. All the music supervisors in charge of finding music for films and TV shows were looking for the new, current thing. Bands like us, No Doubt, and The Offspring were on all the soundtracks, so we got asked to be on a video game.

We thought it was cool that it was Tony Hawk because we all skated; we didn’t really think anything of it. I was stoked that we were there with the Dead Kennedys; that meant a lot to me. I didn’t really think anything of it until we got to Europe later that year. We’re playing like 500 seater clubs, we kick into “Superman” and the place would go fucking nuts. At the time, “Superman” was just another song. We just throw it in the middle of the set and their going fucking ape shit for that song. We’re like, what the fuck is happening?It was because of Tony Hawk. So that song is our song. Now, that song is absolutely the thing we’ll be remembered for. Yeah, at the time, it was a slow burn. It did not take off at first. Yeah, it took a while.

Thanks, Charlie.

Goldfinger recently released their latest album, NINE LIVES, last month, and it’s fantastic. Check out Jacob’s review of it, here.  

One month prior the release of their Human Beast album, Sons Of Eternity have launched a music video for their latest new track in preview “When Fantasy Dies”.
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Crashed Out moves like a tight cut of late-night feelings: fast, bright, and faintly dangerous. Across 10 tracks in 26 minutes, Perth’s Castle Hughes positions herself in the sweet spot between house sheen and confessional pop—music that understands the dancefloor as a place where you can hide and tell the truth at the same time. The project is billed as “spiralling and surviving,” and that’s basically the album’s engine: momentum as coping mechanism, hooks as a lifeline.

The songwriting leans direct, almost slogan-like at times, but it’s a feature rather than a flaw. Too Good opens with a suspicious optimism—everything looks greener, the world’s less blurry—then immediately undercuts it with dread. That tension (hope vs. the expectation it will collapse) runs through the record, giving even its glossiest moments a nervous shimmer. Slipping Through My Fingers is the sharp comedown, built around the feeling of being pushed away and the humiliating clarity that arrives after. It’s spare, blunt, effective. Run is the album’s psychological centre: paranoia as pop architecture.

The lyrics place you inside a head that can’t trust its own surroundings, while the production tightens like a vice—ambient tension, pulsing drive, and drops that feel less like release than pressure reconfigured. It’s the rare electronic-leaning track where the “dark” isn’t aesthetic; it’s bodily. The lead-in pair is where Crashed Out really sells its range. Without You starts minimal—acoustic guitar, a steady kick pulse, descending chords—and gradually blooms into a chorus that’s sweet without being soft. The hook lands with confidence, the kind that plays well in earbuds but also scales to a room. Spinning Faster is the mirror image: an ambient wash and melodic flourish that turns into an anxiety spiral with propulsion.

Kain Kardell’s production and mixing keep the album unified: glossy, clean, and modern, but textured enough to feel lived-in. The later cuts—Favourite Sinner, Mattress Actress, Fever Dream—lean into after-hours seduction and consequence, skirting cliché but landing more often than not thanks to Castle’s plainspoken conviction and a pacing that refuses bloat. Crashed Out isn’t trying to be a sprawling “statement” debut. It’s tighter than that: a concentrated burst of feeling that understands how pop works and uses that machinery to make the mess sound luminous.

The post ALBUM REVIEW: Castle Hughes – Crashed Out appeared first on The Rockpit.

The award-winning, genre-busting RADAR Festival has just dropped the final four names for its 2026 edition, and it’s looking like a proper belter. Joining an already stacked bill at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse from 31st July to 2nd August are UK tech-metal pioneers SikTh, the incredible solo project of Leprous frontman Einar Solberg, alt-metallers The … Continue reading RADAR Festival 2026 completes lineup with SikTh and Einar Solberg

Adelaide’s rising Classic Rock torchbearers, The Coogees, return with their electrifying new single, “Anthem Of The True Believers.” A bold statement of identity and unity, the track captures the raw spirit of vintage rock while delivering the grit and urgency of a modern powerhouse band hitting its stride. Formed in 2024, The Coogees have rapidly built a reputation as one of Adelaide’s most exciting live acts.

Blending the swagger of classic rock with psychedelic textures and contemporary edge, the six-piece outfit channels timeless influences into a sound that feels both nostalgic and fiercely current. Fronted by the commanding presence of Joel Giannitto, the band features the dual-guitar attack of Danny Giannitto and Matt Disisto, the driving low-end of Andrew Cutting on bass, the thunderous rhythms of Jonnie Giannitto on drums, and the rich sonic layers of Jason Forte on keys. Together, they craft expansive, anthemic soundscapes built for packed venues and raised fists. “Anthem Of The True Believers” showcases the band’s signature strengths: soaring vocals, blistering guitar work, hypnotic grooves, and a chorus designed to echo long after the final note fades.

The single stands as both a rallying cry for dedicated fans and a defining moment for the band’s evolving sound. It’s a track that celebrates loyalty, passion, and the unbreakable bond between music and its believers. The release arrives as The Coogees continue to expand their footprint across South Australia’s music scene. Their momentum is set to peak at Coogeefest 2026, taking place in Adelaide on March 28th also featuring Southern River Band, Kingswood, Ragdoll, Shotgun Mistress and many more. The festival has quickly become a landmark event, reflecting the band’s commitment to fostering a thriving rock community while delivering unforgettable live experiences. With independent releases, relentless gigging, and an ever-growing fanbase, The Coogees are proving that authentic, guitar-driven rock is alive and roaring in 2026. “Anthem Of The True Believers” is available now on all major streaming platforms.

The post THE COOGEES Ignite the Airwaves with New Single “Anthem Of The True Believers” appeared first on The Rockpit.

Iconic British group FROM THE JAM celebrate their 20th year in 2026 – two decades of music that cleverly added to the broader British songbook, while also developing a creative legacy that remains timeless and respected today. This July, the milestone tour makes its way to Australia and New Zealand, with FROM THE JAM bringing […]

“I think I knob-touched Donald Trump”

Teenage Joans have shared the first piece of their new chapter, and it’s a showcase of how easily the lines between country and pop-punk can blur.

The song is called ‘Bandits’, and feels like it could call both Warped Tour and the Grand Ole Opry its home. A sun-stained, deeply emotional, brilliant, and catchy blend of pop-punk’s vibrancy and modern country’s melodic tendencies, it’s the best of both worlds in the best of ways.

A sign of things to come for the duo, if they carry on churning out choruses this addictive, then they are onto an absolute winner.

Vocalist/guitarist had this to say about the track, explaining,“Bandits is the first glimpse into the next chapter of TJ’s. The chorus came to us so easily, and we kept it from a writing session, knowing we had to use it because it was too good to lose. Early 2025 we went on a beach trip to write some songs and this one was one we ended up finishing. We really wanted to blend a country vibe with our classic pop punk. The song is about feeling an intense connection to someone, so much so that you would do anything for them and rule out the worst because you love them so much, like a Bonnie and Clyde-style romance.”

And vocalist/drummer Tahlia Borg had this to add about the video that accompanies it, a proper trip into the wild west, stating, “This music video was so much fun to make. We made it in a place called Old Tailem Town, a historic old Australian tourist attraction in South Australia. In the video, we’re bandits, partners in crime, robbing banks, driving getaway cars, hanging out in abandoned old cabins. In the end, there’s a betrayal where Cahli’s character takes the money they stole together and leaves my character alone in the town. We took the direction into our own hands with this video, focusing on different themes using colours (red for betrayal, white for innocence), costumes, and different aesthetics to create the narrative, rather than a fixed storyline like we’ve done previously.”

The duo have also revealed that they are going to be heading out on a UK headline tour later this year. Here are those dates.

MAY

03 – LIVERPOOL Liverpool Sound City
05 – GLASGOW Nice n Sleazy
06 – LEEDS The Key Club
08 – BIRMINGHAM The Sunflower Lounge
09 – BRISTOL Rough Trade
12 – LONDON The Black Heart
13-16 – BRIGHTON The Great Escape

The post Teenage Joans Share Southern-Fried New Track ‘Bandits’ appeared first on Rock Sound.