Brad Marino ramps up 2026 with the release of “Murder & Violence” from his upcoming album “Agent Of Chaos”
At least 2026 is looking up when it comes to music. Power pop maestro Brad Marino is back with Gene Champagne, Bobby Davis, Ron Mullens, Caity Marino, and Dave Strong with his first offering of the year from his upcoming album “Agent Of Chaos”.
Marino is best known in the power pop and garage rock circles. He first gained prominence as co-frontman of The Connection before pursuing a solo career. His music combines elements of ‘70s pub rock, pop-punk energy, and hook-driven melodies. In his short time as a solo artist he has released over a dozen singles and albums, including Extra Credit, Looking for Trouble a rarities compilation On The Brink. His solo work and collaborations often reflect classic rock and punk influences with modern flair.
Spaghetty Town Records is excited to be part of Brad Marino’s next release, Agent of Chaos, out on April 3rd on LP/CD and streaming outlets. Europe from Ghost Highway Recordings (Spain) and Beluga Records (Sweden). Don’t miss Brad touring Spain starting in May!
Arriving hot on the heels of last year’s acclaimed Top 30 effort ‘Light A Bigger Fire’, ‘DAGGER’ is IST IST’s fifth full-length studio album from Manchester’s finest dark post punk pop groovers. 2026 could well be the year that IST IST finally move up on the festival bill ladder and reach into many more ears with their brand of post punk with the Depeche Mode synths and Joy Division darkness mixed in with the norther working class grit that eminates from the songs they sing (a reral identity is coursing through these songs and it would come as no suprise they’re Manchesters finest) IST IST have come of age and found their sound and made it accessable for everyone whilst keeping true to the spirit of where they’ve come from.
The album’s opening is helped by the epic production and the instruments’ spatial awareness, whilst everyone working on the songs is not trying to be niche or cool, just writing great songs. ‘I Am The Fear’ begins with a twitching adjit synth that breaks out into a sprightly thumping bass groove before the guitars and Bass collide to create a huge sound. The oscillating synth throughout is like the best club anthem you’ve never heard, capturing a real moment as it builds towards the chorus that is a majestic earworm you won’t shake for the rest of the day ‘I Am The Fear’ indeed. Great stuff. To follow that with a louder, more anthemic song might be asking too much, but the danceable ‘Makes No Difference’ has touches of New Order but with The Cure playing the instruments, but again the chorus elevates the whole song. A really good tempo as the vocals whisper into your ear before the volume rises on the chorus.
‘Warning Signs’ is classic Goth with a solid tempo, the band sound like they’re in a groove and sync up together and the chiming guitars sound cathedral-sized but always playing for the benefit of the song rather than trying to be cool because the end result is they hit all kinds of cool anyway. As the album lurches in tempo from solid toe tapper to a more measured groove like the excellent ‘Burning’, the band shifts through the gears effortlessly. The use of synths and live instruments is huge with regards to the bands identity, that throbbing Bassline is the core that anchors their sound whist the vocal style of Adam Houghton is a dark softly spoken vocal at the best of times when he needs to raise his voice it adds gravitas to proceedings and makes you want to listen intently as to what he’s saying.
I’ve been lucky enough to have this in my ears for several months, and it’s become my go-to album so far in 2026. If you’re looking for highlights, look no further than the opener and the epic ‘Encouragement’ that builds into some cinematic beast with all the elements of the bands go to styles vying for the limelight, and it takes two minutes before a word is uttered. Awesome stuff.
For all the modern technology on display, the stripped-back ‘I Remember Everything’ is also a standout, maybe due to its slow burn and subtle melody that wins you over. As the album descends to its finale, ‘Obligations’ showcases that thumping Bass again, sounding like darkness has stolen the torch from early Duran Duran through post punk leanings, and it really works. Leaving the penultimate offering ‘Song For Someone’ to bring the darkness and bleak Gothic romanticism before the album signs off with ‘Ambition,’ something the band clearly has, and it’s paying off big time here as ‘Dagger’ is brought to an end, kicking and screaming and the most complete and elevated album from the band thus far. They deserve success and a platform to reach more an dmore peole becuase this record has the receipts and the X factor to bring them everything they desire. Buy this album its a beautiful thing.
Following the release of their fifth studio album ‘And the Adjacent Possible’ last year, OK Go are set to return to the UK for their first tour dates in over a decade this November.
Photo credit: Piper Ferguson
Shows in Nottingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London will go on sale to the general public this Friday 23rd January, but loyal subscribers to OK Go’s email list can access a pre-sale on Thursday Jan 22nd at 10am UK time. Subscribe here.
OK Go’s ‘And the Adjacent Possible’ was met with acclaim around the world in 2025, including two Grammy nominations. The album’s vinyl package, a two-LP set on 180-gram, 45RPM discs in a custom foil-stamped gatefold with full-colour inner sleeves and a 3-dimensional sculpture that pops up when listeners open it, was nominated in the ‘Best Recording Package’ category, while the band’s innovative one-take visual for ‘Love’, which features complex choreography between the band, 29 robots, and upwards of 60 mirrors, was nominated for ‘Best Music Video’.
The ‘Love’ video then went on to win ‘Best Rock Video – International’ at the UK Music Video Awards, with frontman Damian Kulash also receiving the ‘Icon Award’, continuing OK Go’s legacy and vast catalogue of mind-blowing ground-breaking music videos, which began with their iconic Grammy winning, treadmill dance-routine for ‘Here It Goes Again’.
The packaging for ‘And The Adjacent Possible’ was designed by Yuri Suzuki and Claudio Ripol, with the 3D sliceform design and pop-up structure by Wombi Rose, Hà Trịnh Quốc Bảo and Emilio LaTorre for Lovepop. OK Go are now also excited to announce that they have doubled down on their collaboration with Lovepop, this time for their very own Valentine’s Day greeting card collection.
The greeting card range is a unique take on the OK Go ‘And the Adjacent Possible’ album art and features a double pop-up sliceform heart in place of the album’s sphere. Amongst the available designs, is a limited edition of just 500 that have been produced with an embedded music player that plays ‘Love’ when the card is opened.
Buy tickets for OK Go’s 2026 November tour dates from 23rd January 2026 here:
This coming February sees the release of the final studio album by legendary The Damned founder Brian James, coming at the start of the band’s 50th Anniversary year and forty-nine years to the week since the release of their classic debut album ‘DamnedDamned Damned’.
‘Kicks And Diabolik Licks’ is being trailed by a single ‘In The Blood’. Brian sadly passed awayon 6 March 2025, a tragic event marked by an outpouring of love from across the punk and rock spectrum, from musicians, critics, fans and others; many of them having been on the receiving end of an electrifying epiphany, thefirst time they heard the needle click into the groove of ‘New Rose’ all those decades before. In recent years, Brian had had his battles with illness, but remained active, taking to the stage in Autumn 2022 for a highlysuccessful reunion tour with his Damned colleagues Messrs Sensible, Vanian and Scabies, followed by a performance with a reformed Lords Of The New Church, fronted by Michael Monroe in place of the departed Stiv Bators for the 2023Vive Le Rockawards. Then he stepped up for two nights at London’s 100 Club in celebration of Lenny Kaye’s famous Nuggets compilation
Throughout this period, Brian was putting together ‘Kicks And Diabolik Licks’. Inspired by his love of Italian culture, the album takes its title from Angela and Luciana Giussani’s popular comic character ‘Diabolik’. Several tracks, meanwhile, take inspiration from theItalian ‘Giallo’ movie genre; best exemplified in the works of directors Dario Argento and Mario Bava, the genre stems from the yellow-jacketed pulp crime novels common inItaly and denotes a trendin violent noir-style films, popular in the 60s/70s Italy and generally seen as a precursor to the 80s slasher genre. It also inspires the record’s vivid yellow sleeve art, by Brian’s longtime friend and noted film poster designer Graham Humprhreys, also responsible for the first two Lords album sleeves. The transposition of cinematic ideas to audio also gave Brian confidence to draw inspiration from his love ofthe more experimental jazz artists such as Coltrane, Mingus, Coleman and Derek Bailey–an influence only rarely glimpsed in Brian’s work, and never to such striking effect.
For the sessions, Brian was surrounded by friends, including longtime bassist and engineer Austen Gayton and drummers Malcolm Mortimore, Dave ‘Caveman’ O’Brien and Steve Murray, while Dirty Strangers frontman Alan Clayton sings backing vocals and ex-Modettes singer Ramona Wilkins Carlier takes the lead on a very different version of the Lords’ hit ‘Dance With Me’
Let it suffice to say, in Brian’s immortal words,“You want some action, then… yeah? ”Kicks And Diabolik Licks’ is available to pre-order on vinyl here, and on CD here.
Today, punk lifers The Casualties break an eight-year hiatus with their blistering new single “People Over Power”, the band’s first release via Hellcat Records. Starting off the year with a lethal right-hook to the chin of the system, the track’s roaring bark is a call to imploring us all to fight back against injustice. “We’re getting stomped by the world, by the government, by the bad news,” vocalist David Rodriguez says of the new song. “We want systemic change, total transformation, degradation to the state. ‘People over Power’: It’s as simple as it sounds.”
“It’s a protest song through and through,” drummer Marc “Meggers” Eggers adds. “We want the vibe to be: You listen, get angry, get your crew together, and get out on the streets.” The Casualties are the voice of the disenfranchised, the disillusioned and the dispossessed of this planet. The band originally formed in 1990, but these street fighters are still angry, still political and are still keeping the heart and spirit of punk alive. Founded on a mission to revive the sound of punk pioneers like The Exploited and The Sex Pistols, they lyrically weave in scathing denouncements of authority into frantic anthems of resistance, totalling to eleven studio full-lengths, three EPs and three live albums so far.
The Casualties are David Rodriguez (vocalist), Jake Kolatis (guitarist), Marc “Meggers” Eggers (drums) and Doug Wellmon (bass).
In March, the Casualties will be coming over to the UK to play the Scarborough Punk Festival. In June, they will return to Europe for a run of festivals and headline shows.
See below for the confirmed dates so far, more dates will follow. More info + ticket links are available HERE. March 29 – Scarborough (UK) @ Scarborough Punk Festival June 6- Linz (AT) @ Sbäm Festival| June 12- Torgau (DE) @ Ain’t Like You Festival| June 20- Etxebarri (ES) @ Ehuneko Bat June 26- Rennes (FR) @ Superbowl Of Hardcore June 27- Münster (DE) @ Vainstream Rockfest June 28- Tabor (CZ) @ Mighty Sounds July 10- Prölsdorf (DE) @ Krach Am Bach July 25 – Hohenems (DE) @ Speedfest July 30- Argenta (IT) @ DLB Festival July 31- St Maurice de Gordans (FR) @ Sylak Open Air August 6- Jaromer (CZ) @ Brutal Assault August 7- Ancora Praia (PT) @ Sonic Blast Festival August 8 – Duffel (BE) @ Brakrock August 11- Tolmin (SI) @ Punkrock Holiday August 15- Carhaix (FR) @ Motocultor August 20- Loburg (DE) @ Spirit Festival August 22- Oostkamp (BE) – Parkpop
The Casualties Online – INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X | YOUTUBE
TAKING PLACE AT BLACKPOOL WINTER GARDENS, 6TH – 9TH OF AUGUST
HEADLINERS THE STRANGLERS, COCK SPARRER, STIFF LITTLE FINGERS AND SHAM 69 JOIN A HOST OF CONTEMPORARY AND LEGENDARY PUNK ACTS
MORE INFO AND TICKETS AT REBELLIONFESTIVALS.COM
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Rebellion Festival, the world’s largest annual punk event, is set to return August 6th to 9th to its long-standing home, the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Initially known as Holidays In The Sun, the Winter Gardens first opened its doors to mark the then 20th anniversary of punk and hosted headliners X-Ray Spex, The Damned and Buzzcocks for the landmark three-day event back in 1996. Another thirty years on and Rebellion Festival is going stronger than ever. Returning again as punk rock celebrates its 50th anniversary on from that initial explosion of energy in 1976, interest in the music and culture shows no signs of dissipating and the last two years have seen the festival completely sell out across the four-day gathering.
“Goodness, 30 years! Over half our lives doing the thing we love most,” exclaims festival organiser Jennie Russell-Smith. “We just can’t wait to celebrate our anniversary with everyone this year. We’re working hard to make sure it’s a wonderful year for all of our supporters old and new. Going into it on the back of two sold out years is both exciting and challenging but as usual we’re going to put the best festival possible on (as we try to every year).”
Every year, Rebellion Festival work hard to curate a line-up that balances festival favourites alongside new talent and bands from every area of the alternative and punk communities, and 2026 is no different.
“We’ve tried to include as many bands as possible who’ve really become part of the fabric and family of Rebellion,” states Jennie. “Stiff little Fingers, Cock Sparrer, Sham 69, The Stranglers, The Bar Stool Preachers, DieToten Hosen, UK Subs, Cockney Rejects, Slaughter and the Dogs etc, too many to mention them all but they know who they are.
“Diversity and up and coming bands are always foremost in our thoughts so it’s great to have
Millie Manders and the Shutup, Maid of Ace, Split Dogs etc to celebrate with us, continues Jennie. “Most of all we’re looking forward to seeing the people that support us year in year out, there’d be no Rebellion without them and we appreciate them massively.”
These join many other bands already booked to grace the several Winter Garden stages, which include Skids, Buzzcocks, Ferocious Dog, Spear Of Destiny, Ricky Warwick, The Godfathers, Subhumans, Scream, Anti-Nowhere League, Penetration, Bow Wow Wow, Ruts DC, Bad Cop Bad Cop, Adolescents, UK Subs, Discharge, The Chameleons, Au Pairs, The Courettes, The Kids, Riskee and the Ridicule, GBH, TheDickies and many many more.
Head to www.rebellionfestivals.com for more information and updates and to buy tickets for what is surely going to be the best celebration 50 years of punk rock, and Rebellion’s own big 30th birthday!
Kula Shaker seemed like a band out of time when they emerged during the height of Brit Pop fever in 1996. Their heady mix of retro 60’s pop rock with lashings of Eastern mysticism was a far cry from the stadium filling sounds of Oasis and Blur, but they still hit the top of the hit parade with their debut album ‘K’, thanks to strong singles such as ‘Hey Dude’, ‘Tattva’ and their high energy take on Deep Purple’s ‘Hush’.
Now, some 30 years later and still with the original line up, Crispian Mills and the boys return with ‘Wormslayer’, their 8th long player. Following 2022’s ambitious concept opus ‘1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love (And Free Hugs)’ and the ensuing ‘Natural Magick’ in 2024, ‘Wormslayer’ feels like the third album of a trilogy, and a return to their roots.
Opener ‘Lucky Number’ has a glam rock stomp, a bombastic intro with a trademark vocal and a sense of purpose from the frontman. Next up, ‘Good Money’ rides on Sgt. Peppers style multilayered vocals, it descends into 90’s inspired dance beats and swirling psychedelia. With an instant melody that stays the course, it was a surefire single choice.
But Madchester club beats and rhythms are about as modern as Kula Shaker get on ‘Wormslayer’, as theirs is a timeless sound, a band who are a law unto themselves. They do mix it up nicely, though, creating a diverse listening experience. ‘Charge Of The Light Brigade’ is rhythmically intense, trippy and follows that signature spiritual groove. The glorious ‘Little Darling’ is full of ringing, bright chords, 60’s pop aesthetics and fantastic lead guitar work. ‘Broke As Folk’ is a strong contender with a spaghetti western-inspired intro that creates atmosphere. It flows into a sweet melody, drenched in swathes of Hammond that will surely entice even the most casual of Doors fans. And that’s just side one.
Side two kicks off with a gentle acoustic strum and sweet layered vocals. The song in question, ‘Shaunie’ has Led Zep 3 vibes, which is never a bad thing. The singer’s storytelling is on point, and he draws you in, eager to discover which way it’s heading. ‘The Winged Boy’ and closer ‘Dust Beneath Our Feet’ are both trippy and atmospheric, the former builds into a cinematic mantra, while the latter feels like the epilogue of a film. Both tracks bookend the epic 7-minute-plus title track that takes all sorts of twists and turns. Here, Kula Shaker do what Kula Shaker do best, the song is a riff-heavy groove machine that is both psychedelic and progressive and carries a few surprises along the way.
While Kula Shaker’s message of spirituality was lauded by the music press back in 1996, 30 years later, more people are aware of what is bad, what is good and can maybe connect with a band that was seen by many as a novelty act back in the 90’s. While ‘Wormslayer’ is in no way a departure soundwise, Kula Shaker’s retro sound is as fresh and vital as any new band out there today, and props to a band that is still going, doing things on their own terms, independently and having as much success and fun as they were having 30 years ago.
Formed in 2015 by two Scottish sisters Brèagha Cuinn (Guitar and vocals) and Onnagh Cuinn (Bass and vocals) outside a small whiskey village called Tomintoul in the Highlands, Bratakus have been fiercely DIY since their inception.
Following the release of their incendiary ‘Final Girls’, ‘Tokened’ and ‘Turnstile’ singles earlier this year, which marked their first recordings for Venn Records, (the label ran by Laurent ‘Lags’ Barnard of UK punk band Gallows, and previously the home of artists like High Vis, Bob Vylan and Witch Fever), Bratakus are ready to release their new album ‘Hagridden’, which is set for release February 13th.
Despite Bratakus’ staunch resistance to mainstream music industry practices, the young band quickly built up a following. Their unique approach to creating their art drew the attention of BBC Scotland who featured the band in two documentary shorts, Hidden Lives’ and ‘TUNE’. Author and musician, Ian Glasper wrote about the sisters in his book The Scene That Would Not Die, a deep dive into post-millennial punk in the UK. Meanwhile in the USA, legendary punk zine Maximum Rock’n’Roll wrote about the band and even BBC radio DJ Vic Galloway added the duo to his “Ones to Watch” list.
Word was spreading, and before they knew it, Bratakus were being booked for live performances in countries as far as Japan. Support slots for bands like Propagandhi, Bis, and Discharge helped the sisters turn into a ferocious live combo. If there was ever any doubt that a punk band could pull off not having a live drummer, these two sisters are here to prove you wrong.
Once described by the BBC as “the most remote band in the UK”, the isolation of their surroundings made it impossible for the duo to find a drummer in their small hamlet, let alone the neighbouring villages mostly inhabited by Highland cattle, as Brèagha explains.
“We programmed some drum tracks, plugged in for our first practice and instantly it just felt like we already had a band, so we’ve been playing like that ever since! What started out as a logistical issue now feels like a big part of our identity and we just love playing as a two piece.”
Heavily influenced by the garage rock scene and bands like The Distillers, The Donnas and X-Ray Spex, Bratakus went on to perform their first ever gig at a fundraiser for the Glasgow Rock ‘n’ Roll School for Girls in the Glasgow School of Art.
“As this was a kid friendly show there were lots of young girls in attendance, which meant the front half of the venue was filled with little girls spinning around in dresses during our set. It was unusual for a punk gig but made for a really fun atmosphere.”
From that moment, Bratakus were a real band, and with that, Screaming Babies Records was born. Unlike other record companies, Screaming Babies Records would be a family run DIY label, not only a platform for Bratakus to launch new music but also a place to revisit their father’s catalog, Angus Quinn of the influential Scottish Anarcho punk band Sedition. No publicists, no streaming services, no photo shoots, just straight up word of mouth, limited edition vinyl releases, and anti-establishment anthems for generations old and new as Brèagh explains the label’s origin.
“Our Dad was always in punk bands when we were growing up, so we were raised in the DIY scene. When we started the band, it just seemed like the most natural step to start the label with him and put our own releases out. He thought of the idea of calling it Screaming Babies Records after the Crass lyric because our logo is a screaming baby.”
Fast forward to the start of 2026 and the band are thrilled to be finally getting ‘Hagridden’ out into the world. They originally recorded the album themselves some three years ago, then lost everything they’d worked on when their laptop broke. From there they just decided to make a fresh start and go back into the studio again to finally get it finished, emerging with ten songs of essential and beautifully cathartic punk rock.
“We decided to call the album ‘Hagridden’ before we even recorded it, but it’s been a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy because so many barriers came up when we were trying to get it recorded and released that it turned into a bit of a nightmare, so the next album might be called ‘Smooth Sailing’ to avoid cursing ourselves again,” laughs Brèagh. “It definitely sounds way better than the first version, so in a way I’m glad it worked out this way, but we were so gutted when it happened,” exclaims Brèagh.
Lyrically, the album’s ten sharp songs cover a wealth of subjects close to their hearts; feminism, animal rights, media brainwashing and how normalised sweatshops have become in our society are all tackled on ‘Hagridden’ with raw, raging vocals, barbed-wire guitars and pounding rhythms.
Whilst the band still play live with programmed drums, ‘Hagridden’ features live drums for the first time.
“Our first record is all programmed drums, and that’s what we were planning for this album too,” explains Brèagh. “We actually recorded every song with a drum machine, but our producer Tommy Duffin (renowned Scottish drummer and recording engineer) played with us and drummed on the album. He recorded our first album, so it was great to work with him again.”
‘Hagridden’ is released February 13th via Venn Records and the band tour the UK this February.
The embodiment of Rock n Roll independent style out in the wild, growing organically via the interweb and the power of Rock n Roll, Amen brothers and sisters, just how the good lord meant it to be.
Hailing from the good old town of Portland, this eleven-track of down n dirty good time rock n roll is free from the shackles of trends and fads and runs on instinct and what’s in their gut. Inspired by the good and the greats who set the templates for the wise (and not so wise) to follow. Kicks off in a sleazy low lit late night dive bar kinda sound, no bells and whistles or fanfare gimmicks to announce that Celebrity Telethon are in da house, but ‘Skin Flick’ has honking horns and some slack, low-slung guitars to ease you in with a mellow shot of Rock n Roll. Don’t get too comfortable, folks, because this one bobs and weaves its slinky body of work.
‘Undercover’ is a bright and breezy fuzzed up slice of Rock n Roll with a dash of ‘Some Girls’ Stones for good measure, and some ole blues licks for good measure, at least some were paying attention. It’s roughed up around the edges as the vocals sound like three sheets to the wind, but oh so righteous. ‘Neighborhood Regulars’ is a side step with a filthy backbeat and some Grungy fuzzed up Bass guitar taking the limelight as the song grooves for the next three minutes, punctuated midway with some absolutely dirty low down horn honkin that The Ashtons would have been proud of during some Funtime back in the day, what a great tune.
As the record wears on with its badges of honor worn on their sleeve it schizophrenically jumps from sleazy punk n roll to garage to dirty blues with infinite ease and that’s the beauty of this free spirit that’ll scare the hell out of and some listeners ‘Salems Lot’ sounds like it was belched from the depths of Satan’s back yard via his lounge band. Cool Tune, no question about it. The story is narrated like prime time Green On Reds Dan Stuart on a tequila bender.
Hell, this record gets better on each play, and it begs to be turned up as we ease back with some fuzzy countrified rock n roll on ‘Film Noir’ with the out of step yet perfectly timed guitar break. Can I hear a Yee Haw for ‘How’d You Get From Here From so Far’ showing the lighter side of Jack Habegger’s storytelling and thigh slappin’.
‘Rock N Roll Matinee’ is a straight up horn honkin’ romp through some fine laid-back rock n roll, whereas ‘The Rumours Are True’ is more of that good ole country honkin’. It’s not all a good time as we kick back with a ballad, ‘Latkes & Brisket’ that has visions of Pavement or Cracker. The album is closed out with a romp through Stonewall Jackson’s ‘I Washed My Hands In Muddy Waters’ that sounds loose and late at night with the exquisite, talented playing of Joe Dog lending a hand. My advice is don’t brush over this review, a true melting pot of styles and sounds that actually works really well, get this in your ears and play it loud and many times, and you can come back and thank me later.
Lithium Kicks present their debut digital double A-side single, “I Want Something I Don’t Care About” and “Catch Me When I Fall.” Recorded at Newport’s Le Pub and on location in Cardiff, the tracks lap up punk-rock anger with catchy power-pop sensibilities, delivering a ferocious and impassioned assault on the senses.
The band hail from South Wales and feature Ginge (vocals), Michael (lead guitar), Darren (rhythm guitar), Jonny (bass) and Dave (drums). Single available from 1st February on Bandcamp and all major streaming services. Gigs to follow in spring 2026
Something has been brewing on the windswept streets of South Wales. Something that some of us had been hoping might happen, should the right circumstances coincide. That time is now. This cat couldn’t stay in the bag for long, especially at RPM headquarters. It is the return of Ginge Knievil.
From The Sick Livers to Nicotine Pretty, Ginge has left his mark on the South Wales scene, and further afield. At The Pipeline all-dayer some years ago, The Sick Livers were the most entertaining band on the bill, with the tunes to back it up.
He’ll hate me saying this, but people respect his music and his attitude. In 2026, the name to remember is Lithium Kicks. Fear not, the tunes are BACK, butty!
What a kick-off it is. From the opening riff, ‘I Want Something I Don’t Care About’ evokes early Manics pogoing recklessly with Tenpole Tudor, thanks to the gang vocals and a chorus that will have you “WHOOAH”ing in no time. And it could easily be Bradfield yelling out from ’92 at the beginning of ‘Catch Me When I Fall’. As for that final scream, I am a happy bunny. With ex-Liver Darren back on guitar duties with Michael, Jonny on bass and Dave on drums, they should be proud of what they’ve created here.
An album of songs this catchy would be much appreciated. And with live dates coming this spring, the future’s so bright, he’s gotta wear shades. Welcome back, we’ve missed you x
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