one, two, three, rewind!

Hello. Me again. Welcome to my first installment of Release Rewind, which will cover music I discover that doesn't belong in my yearly Release Radar. The title was inspired by Jonghyun's timeless club house track, Rewind. I highly recommend it if you like house music!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/OJCh090JnRg?rel=0

I've been writing a lot over the past two months between travelling for concerts. Plane rides are always the best time to listen to some new music without interruptions, so I figured I'll catch up on a few albums I missed in 2025. I also bravely took the plunge and listened to Geese, since every man and their dog is talking about this band right now, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about...

Getting Killed by Geese

Let's start by ripping off the band-aid: this was blatantly not for me. I've heard people draw numerous comparisons to Radiohead to Modest Mouse, which gave me a fairly succinct idea of what I was getting into. That said, I'm all for giving things a fair go, despite knowing I might not enjoy it anyway.

Every year another critically acclaimed indie band arrives on the scene, and most of the time, I feel a bit Out Of Touch about it. Maybe I'm not 'artsy' enough, but I couldn't mesh Cameron Winter's vocals sounding like some twisted fusion between Joe Newman from alt-j and Julian Casablancas from the Strokes.

If this were a weird instrumental album, I could've enjoyed maybe one or two songs, but combined with the wailing vocals, the instrumentation sounded like someone chucked everything from their fridge into the blender, expired condiments and all, before topping it off with a tablespoon of vegemite. Everything sounded like an indistinguishable mess, but perhaps that was the intention.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XlEId49JNCs?rel=0

erer - Glitterer

Earnest punk music straight out of Washington D.C, need I say more?

I'd been meaning to check this out since reading this wonderful interview where vocalist Ned Russin (formerly of Title Fight) reflects on his growth as a musician over the past couple of years, moving from New York to DC and how his engagement with DC's rich punk history has shifted his perspective on what it means to create art without career-driven aspiration.

erer is a far simpler record compared to its predecessor, Rationale, but there is an element of confidence here as the band has truly grown into their sound. I'm a sucker for a grungy shoegaze influence when it comes to post-hardcore adjacent bands, and there is plenty of noise, fuzzy guitars and melodic riffs throughout, so I was surprised I found myself drawn to the more subdued tracks like Self Sufficient Bliss and for All Eternity and Not Forever. I'd even go as far to say they're the real gems on this record.

If you're desperately hoping to scratch that Title Fight itch, look no further than Until, a song carried by a dirty bassline and that guttural punk yowl Russin is known for. With that said, erer isn't concerned with clinging to the past; the lyrics are poignant and critical, but with a firm belief in resilience and hope for the future.

Rationale is still my favourite Glitterer record so far, but erer may continue to grow on me as I continue to appreciate the quiet brilliance in its subtle delivery.

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3933807367/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=333333/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Enq1f6tY-l8?rel=0

idrwk - binsad

One of my most recent discoveries from trawling through triple J unearthed which is a wonderful treasure trove of Australian music. I'll hit play on anything described as grunge inspired and 'idrwk' did not disappoint.

I love the contrast between the soft rock pop melody and those aggressive vocals. Overall, a really strong debut single and I'm keen to hear more.

It's also worth noting that 'binsad' is such an incredible name for an Australian band. I actually cannot believe nobody called dibs on that earlier. Big ups to them.

binsad | triple j Unearthed

World In Two - Feel The Pain

Last Ride Records artists are absolutely killing it these days, and Newcastle band Feel The Pain are no exception.

I'm always going to be fond of bands from my old hometown because the local music scene was so formative for me, especially the hardcore/alternative community. I've heard many people say the steel city is absolutely thriving these days, but as someone who grew up there, Novocastrians have always possessed a strong D-I-Y spirit and overwhelming support for the local arts scene. Being a working class city just two hours north of Sydney, people have a lot to prove.

That said, it is utterly delightful to see that in the years since I've left, the scene has only grown more inclusive and vibrant as time passes. Fresh faces, more diverse bands, younger people. World In Two is a true beatdown record, full of tasty, tasty riffs and explosive vocals. They want the pit to start stomping and swinging and that's exactly what they get! I saw them open for Turnstile in Sydney this week, and it was really cool to see the amount of enthusiasm and support from their community.

Absolutely go toss them some support!

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1553588657/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=333333/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/

Trawler by Melvic Centre

Melvic Centre are a one-man punk band from Newcastle (Aus), fronted by a man named Will Mitchell. Yep, you heard me - vocals, drums, guitars, bass, you name it, he can play it. Trawler, as well as the self-titled debut album, were produced by Jason Whalley, also known as the vocalist for legendary Aussie punk band Frenzal Rhomb. There's no surprise here why this record sounds like a time capsule.

Trawler is filled with songs that sound like they belong on a 00s CW teen drama like One Tree Hill or Smallville, or something you'd hear on community radio whilst you're driving your beat-up-yet-immortal 1998 Toyota Corolla on your way to school, or in one of those old skateboarding video games loaded with licensed music. The nostalgic quality is there, but this feels impeccable and fresh in terms of the local music scene.

Mitchell's lyrics are heartfelt and warm, and his has a wonderful sense of melody that allows for his vocals to stretch out on more emotionally charged lyrical beats. I'd say there is a heavy influence from bands like Hüsker Dü, Jawbreaker and The Lemonheads.

If you live in Australia, you'll want to catch them at a gig for sure.

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4010999361/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=333333/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/

Bleeds by Wednesday

This album blew my ears off in the best way! Wednesday sound like the perfect fusion of some of my all-time favourite bands: Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, The Sundays, Slowdive and Yo La Tengo immediately come to mind. There's a lot of shoegaze influence throughout, noisy riffs layered over country twang.

Karly Hartzman is genuinely one of the most incredible writers out there right now. Her prose matches her public persona, someone who is uncompromising witty. Bleeds is a painful record, one that will feel intimately familiar to you, if you've ever lived through the sheer mental, physical and emotional exhaustion from the waning days of an almost decade long relationship breakup.

I sincerely hope whoever curates the music for Yellowjackets puts Wasp in the final season of the show, because that song sounds like it was made for those girls.

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1173127828/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=333333/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/

Pressure by Julia Wolf

I'm pretty sure I listened to this back when it came out because I distinctly remember this album art, but for some reason completely forgot about it.

I picked it up again last week as I'd scored last minute tickets to see Julia Wolf and man am I glad I did. Pressure is one hell of a beautifully melancholic record, fusing experimental rock-infused synth-pop with early grungy, early 00s post-hardcore riffs. I know if I'd heard this as a teenager, I would've worn this CD out.

Julia Wolf's vocals are silky, yet somehow vulnerable and gritty and captivating, and I was absolutely blown away by the sheer power of her voice when I saw her live. Her tone and operatic finesse reminds me of Chairlift era Caroline Polachek, which came as such a huge surprise! I don't know much about Wolf's musical background but it wouldn't surprise me if she is a classically trained vocalist.

I saw her perform at a very small, dimly lit dive bar in Sydney, and the live arrangements of her songs shed a new light on Pressure, and also gave me a better idea of who she is as an artist. I'm hoping she continues down an interesting path as she steps into the mainstream, and it'll be interesting to see what she creates once the Y2k resurgence inevitably slows down. She's definitely one to watch, and I'm half-expecting her to return to Australia with a prestigious slot at the Sydney Opera House during VIVID.

I'd recommend Pressure to anyone that is a fan of Caroline Polachek / Chairlift, Paramore, Basement, Deftones, Evanesence, Pinkshift, and Chelsea Wolfe. There might be a song or two on this album you'll enjoy!