Welcome all you punk fans to this rather bumper edition of picks of the week! Now that we’re heading into Summer, we need to get the new season’s playlists sorted and Punk Rock Philosophy are here to help you with that endeavour! In this post we’ve got our usual selection of some of the best punk tracks by some awesome bands and artists…but also keep an eye out for our round up of the best punk albums and EPs out this Summer! There’s so much great new punk to cover!
Without further ado, get ready to stream/buy/save these tracks…
Skint Knees- ‘Honey Badger‘
Some Sheffield riot grrrl bad-assery for you first with a track by Jinx, Skunk and Rachel- collectively known as Skint Knees. The band’s 2022 6-track debut EP ‘Catcall‘ was well received as was their 2024 release ‘Bite Back‘ and this year they are dropping a steady stream of singles including ‘Diagnonsense‘, ‘A Letter to My Therapist‘ and our pick ‘Honey Badger‘. Skint Knees are colourful, creative, charismatic and put me in mind of a modern day Lunachicks- there’s fun and mischief but also astute social observation and radical defiance in their music which is empowering and engaging. If you like infectious riffs and snarly attitudes then this is your new favourite band. One of our ones to watch for sure! Find all the links you need HERE.
The Thermals- ‘Spirit Collectors‘
Some real early REM mixed with a bit of They Might Be Giants energy, this track is great fun and will be stuck in your head for days. It’s been 10 whole years since we’ve had an LP from the Oregon project led by multi-instrumentalist Hutch Harris, 2016’s ‘We Disappear‘ being the last full length offering. Now they have announced they’re back with album ‘Under Crushing Rain‘ (released 4th September) and ‘Spirit Collectors‘ is the lead single to give us a taste of the musical direction of the new material . On the song, the band’s Hutch Harris says, “Think about what makes you special. Think about what unique talents you possess. Think about your strengths and your skills, your life and your loves, your hopes and your dreams. Now think about the petty and decrepit ghouls who seek to strip you of all of these assets; the dark, depressed demons whose only goal is to waste your time and suck your soul. These are the Spirit Collectors!” DIY to the maximum, Harris is pretty much a one-man band, he wrote and recorded the first Thermals album by himself and the new album was produced in his own studio (Brainwash) and released on his own label (Static Catsup Aspic). Stream ‘Spirit Collectors‘ HERE and pre order the album HERE.
The Klittens- ‘Have A Heart‘
Amsterdam five-piece The Klittens have announced the release of their debut album, ‘Have A Heart‘ due 25th September and will be self-released via Cargo Records. The title track from the album is out now and it’s a charmingly laid back, DIY ditty about using apathy as a form of self-defence. Guitarist Winnie Conradi describes the track as “an indie song that ripples along with a rock ’n roll sort of strut. But where there’s ease, I want chaos and my campaign for an unstructured noise part was born“. Along with Conradi, the band consist of Yaël Dekker (vocals), Katja Kahana (guitar), Marrit Meinema (bass guitar), and Laurie Zantinge (drums). The Klittens are touring across the UK in October to celebrate the release of ‘Have A Heart‘ which follows their previous EP releases Citrus (2022) and Butter (2024). Stream ‘Have A Heart‘ HERE.
Bureau De Change- ‘The Gammon’s Lament‘
Bath-based UK post-punk band Bureau De Change have just announced that they have signed to much-loved UK independent bastion Alcopop! Records and to celebrate…they’ve shared new single ‘The Gammon’s Lament‘. A disturbing insight into the bleakness that is the 2020s, this protest track skewers those in power for whom the rest of us are fodder, ‘less than’ and expendable. Vocalist Flora Kimberley of the single. “Lyrically it’s an outpouring of grief, sorrow, and the realization that you’re nothing but a meal to those in power. In the current political climate, it feels easy to let yourself become a meal, to be consumed by the overwhelming dread of it all. This song is about biting back, for we are many and they are few.” Their forthcoming debut album is due to be released some time in 2027 and for now, stream the new single HERE.
Sweet Gloom- ‘Box Dye’
LA’s Sweet Gloom have just announced the release of their second album ‘No Love Lost‘ which is out on August 21 via Sneak Dog Records. ‘Box Dye‘ is the lead single to be taken from the forthcoming LP and it is was always gonna be a shoe-in for our picks of the week! Here at Punk Rock Philosophy we are HUGE fans of the band’s debut album ‘Reverie‘ (2023) and the way they can innovatively and refreshingly blend old school harmonies and melodies a la 50s and 60s doo wop and rock ‘n’ roll, with modern pop punk riffs. It is a charming combination and makes Sweet Gloom’s specific brand of punk rock especially suited to a joyous summer playlist. Having had a sneaky listen to their upcoming album, we can say it is loud, energetic and full of the same craft and lyrical poignancy that is their trademark. Stream ‘Box Dye‘ HERE and presave the album ‘No Love Lost‘ HERE.
Liquid Mike- ‘Drowning Machine’
Liquid Mike’s 2025 album ‘Hell Is An Airport‘ is one of Punk Rock Philosophy’s best of last year and we’re pleased to report that the high quality releases are still going into 2026! The new track ‘Drowning Machine‘ has the frayed energy and whimsical melody of the best garage punk, all crammed into 2 minutes. Throughout the song, the idea of “pushing rhubarb” pops up repeatedly in the lyrics. It’s a horticultural method of growing something faster and often sweeter by depriving it of light in the latter part of its cycle. Here, vocalist/guitarist Mike Maple pulls inspiration from a range of people he grew up with that died young. The song brims with empathy, refusing to turn the story of once vibrant people into a cautionary tale. Originally formed in 2020 when Maple was still working as US mail carrier, Liquid Mike has grown from being his lo-fi creative outlet with collaborator Monica Nelson into a festival-playing, nationally-touring band, complete with drummer Cody Marecek and bassist Zack Alworden. Check out their Bandcamp HERE.
Stab- ‘Irish Goodbye‘
Stick this track on at your Summer BBQ and you’ll have everyone moshing around the grill before you can say ‘who wants the last hot dog?’. It’s a punchy melodic hardcore song from New England’s Stab that sees vocalist Nik Coggins deliver lyrics about being true to yourself and casting fake friends aside. The track is the closer on their new album ‘Lost In Maine‘ which is due out in October and the infectious riffs and gang vocals give it a real anthemic quality. The video for ‘Irish Goodbye‘ is also packed full of rousing, feel good visuals of playing shows, spray painting and being carefree by the water- seems like good Summer times! You can pre order the album HERE and stream the new single HERE.
Nymb- ‘Rope and Ring‘
Summer is a great time for a bit of nostalgia and it is ALWAYS a good time to remember some unsung heroes of 90s shoegaze/emo and we’re in luck as Chicago’s Nymb are reissuing their entire remastered catalogue, including unearthed recordings and rare 7” tracks. Formed in 1993, the band were an early staple of the mid-west emo and shoegaze scene that is an influential force among today’s contemporary artists. On September 18th Forge Again Records will re-issue the entire Nymb catalogue. Entitled ‘Cutting Teeth: 1997-1999′ this double CD/LP will collect all of the band’s early work, including the EPs ‘Novembre‘, ‘Glass Eye‘, ‘Sanders‘ and the ‘Fun Bobby Sessions‘. The band have also released a video for their classic track ‘Rope and Ring’ that contains previously unseen band footage. Pre order the Nymb re-issues HERE.
There you go punks- we hope there is something here that you enjoy! And if there is, make sure you support the bands in any way you can!
Pic credits for the feature pic:
Nymb: John Honkala
Skint Knees: Ross Dore
Bureau De Change: William Butler at Better Off Bed
Sweet Gloom: James Duran
The Klittens: Jade Sastropawiro