Shining a light on great new music.

Mike Adams 1/28/26 Mike Adams 1/28/26

Another Day

This New Band Spotlight features London band Another Day.

Another Day are a five-piece band from London. Their lineup consists of Louis Hillier (vocals/guitar), Jonte Hillier (bass), Mitch Fuller (drums), Jake Hardwick (guitar), and Astile Doherty (spoken word/percussion).

To date they have supported Babyshambles, Pete Doherty, and Sports Team.

Let’s see why:

Doghouse Roses

The wayward infectiousness of Tribes and Palama Violets runs through their glorious, shambolic rock n roll. Elevating proceedings is frontman Hillier’s vocal as he strays from the ashened melody of Grant Nicholas (Feeder) to a unique, rampaging potency that no one can match.

An instant classic!

Guilty

The poetic charm of Pete Doherty oozes through this record. Pure, earnest, but crucially, confidence. A knowingness that they’re great and will take you with them percolates throughout.

Click the image below for free tickets to their upcoming Camden gig:

Mike Adams 1/28/26 Mike Adams 1/28/26

The Martells

This New Band Spotlight features Glasgow band The Martells.

The Martells are three-piece band from Glasgow who met through open mic nights in the city. They’re made up of Fergus Currie (drums),Mark McKay (lead guitar), and Maxim Lavergne (vocals /guitar).

Let’s check them out:

Cecilla

Distorting the 00s joy of the Bromheads Jackets and Harrisons to a more dystopian groove, The Martells announce themselves with great drama on the indie dancefloor.

McKay’s solo taps into the lo-fi garage of The Strokes but has Britain’s penchant for ecstasy and escapism to take your mind, body and soul to pastures new!

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

Indie euphoria. Many try, most fail. Not The Martells!

Mike Adams 1/26/26 Mike Adams 1/26/26

The Memos

This New Band Spotlight features Liverpool band The Memos.

The Memos are Aaron Spencer’s creative machinations. Hailing from Liverpool, Spencer works with local session players on the live circuit to deliver his vision.

Let’s check his songs out:

Futures Ours to Find

Vocally, frontman Spencer taps into the indie warmth of Little Man Tate’s Jon Windall and the timeless songwriting of Cherry Ghost.

She’s On Her Own

Jarvis Cocker’s social comment rubs shoulders with Rick Witter’s sense of adventure on this epic indie number.

Mike Adams 1/26/26 Mike Adams 1/26/26

Unflirt

This New Band Spotlight features London based artist Unflirt.

Unflirt is the moniker of Christine, a West London singer-songwriter of Filipino heritage.

Let’s see what she has been up to:

Crush

Lowlight shoegaze and dreampop hailing from the covid19 lockdowns, Senorin captures the human condition of the time with great grace. Alone, lost, but never without hope.

Sea Song

The sound of an artist coming of age. The little psyche nuggets of guitar are almost buried in this track, like a wry or shy smile no one is allowed to see.

Her vocal cadence is at its most free here, evoking the beauty of The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler.

Mike Adams 1/22/26 Mike Adams 1/22/26

Hungry

This New Band Spotlight features Manchester based band Hungry.

Hungry are a four-piece band from Cambridge who now reside in Manchester. They’re made up of Jacob Peck (vocals/guitar), Kit Thomas (guitar), Jas Malig (bass), and Stan Rankin (drums).

Having all met at school, and with fervent belief in the band, they all went to university in Manchester to chase the dream.

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Sick of It

Hungry are more than just another angry post-punk band that’s dominated the scene in recent times. Peck’s rapid-fire vocals in the closing stages, coupled with his, Thomas, and Malig’s guitars and basslines rising and falling, show a musicality that will carry their angst far.

Morning Coffee

Boisterous riffs and sardonic lyrics unite on this joyously wry racket.

Mike Adams 1/22/26 Mike Adams 1/22/26

Death Of The High Street

This New Band Spotlight features Midlands band Death of the High Street.

Death Of The High Street are a five-piece band hailing from Derby and Nottingham in the Midlands. Their line-up consists of Scott Baxter (vocals), Ash Simpson (bass), Joe Hodges (drums), Andy Purves (guitar/vocals), and Rhys Davies (guitar/vocals).

After forming in 2015, they released their debut album last year. Let’s check a couple of songs out from it:

Don’t Look into the Sun

Channelling The Specials, they inject the ska scene with the sound of the underclass railing against wealth inequality.

Simpson’s deadly bassline, coupled with Baxter’s aggressive vocal, lends a brutality that will surely breed legions of die-hard fans.

Monster

A record to make films like Tyrannosaur look fluffy. A brutal reckoning of a violent past descending into a similar present. Purves and Davies’ guitars are blessed with the Cobain’s ‘Heart Shaped Box’ violent calmness in the early proceedings before roaring with the power of Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate.

Mike Adams 1/21/26 Mike Adams 1/21/26

Arienas

This New Band Spotlight features Fife band Arienas.

Arienas are a four-piece band from Fife in Scotland. The band are made up of Sam Robb (lead vocals/guitar), Colm Souter (lead guitar), Owen McCann (bass guitar), and Pandy (drums)

2026 is looking very promising already, having sold out their headline show at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh.

Let’s see why:

Take The Money

An ambitious record from a fledgling band. A band signalling their intentions on outrunning their humble beginnings as fast as possible!

Holy Grail

Merging the 00s Sheffield scene (Arctic Monkeys, Little Man Tate, Reverend & The Makers, Milburn) with the free-flowing rumble of The Rifles, their guitars erupt with joy!

Aurelia

The sound of youth looking to make its mark on a generation.

Mike Adams 1/21/26 Mike Adams 1/21/26

The Ransoms

This New Band Spotlight features Darlington band The Ransoms.

The Ransoms are a five-piece band from Darlington. The band consists of Elliot Horn (lead singer), Jack Atkinson (lead guitarist), Ollie Coulter (rhythm guitarist), Olly McAvoy (bassist) and Dylan Forster (drums).

Let’s check them out:

Devil’s Temptation

Warped psyche-guitars and rock music’s rebellion join forces, creating a potent tonic that all should sup from.

Frontman Horn’s vocal drifts from light to dark with a rage that demands immediate attention.

Late Nights

Horn’s breathy vocal gives this record vitality. A desperate urgency loiters with debauched intent, one that beckons you to the dark side!

Mike Adams 1/20/26 Mike Adams 1/20/26

Max Avoidance

This New Band Spotlight features London based artist Max Avoidance.

Max Avoidance is the electronic adventures of London via Wales’ Hari Limaye.

Let’s see what he has been up to:

Lightyear

The latest single, produced by Nick Brine (Oasis, Ash, The Darkness, Stereophonics, Stone Roses) at his studio in Wales, has a beautiful weightlessness.

Dreamy, atmospheric, and charting a course to nowhere, Limaye’s imagination will set you free.

Alone

As Limaye’s vocal taps into Chris Keating’s (Yeasayer) high-pitch tones, which lend his brand of electronica and indie-cum-pop prowess.

Mike Adams 1/19/26 Mike Adams 1/19/26

The Streetlights

This New Band Spotlight features Manchester band The Streetlights.

The Streetlights are a four-piece band based in Manchester. Their lineup consists of Ryan Wynne (vox & rhythm guitar), Owen Marsh (bass), Matty Garmston (lead guitar), and Max Holmes (drums).

Let’s check out their debut single:

Something More

Tinged with the pure souls of the 90s indie scene, Something More twists and turns with great cinematic presence. Dark twists and turns are met with blasts of hope amid a decaying landscape!

Vocally, Wynne’s beds in between frail power of Andrew Montgomery (Geneva) and the poignant soul of Gary Briggs (Haven), whilst guitarist Garmston harnesses his inner Richard Oakes (Suede).

Together, they could just be the next great songwriting partnership.

Mike Adams 1/16/26 Mike Adams 1/16/26

The High Flats

This New Band Spotlight features Scottish band The High Flats.

The High Flats are a five-piece band from the south side of Glasgow. They’re made up of Scott McKigen (vocals), Jai Madden (bass), Thomas Molony (rhythm guitar), Humza Ishaq (drums), and Kerr Ayton (lead guitar).

Having formed five years ago, they played their first gig in 2024 and have since gone on to play the iconic King Tuts Wah Wah Hut.

Let’s check them out:

Revolution

It’s Thin Lizzy’s streetwise freedom, the Beatles’ penchant for melody and Oasis threatening to kick the doors in. A soundtrack for long nights in the pub where the jukebox is still sacred.

Crashing Down

Huge riffs and lo-fi vocals recall QOSTA but, put through the ecstatic prism of British rock ‘n’ roll.

Death-defying guitars and defiant vocals announce The High Flats as serious contenders!

Mike Adams 1/15/26 Mike Adams 1/15/26

Silverline

This New Band Spotlight features Southampton band Silverline.

Silverline are four-piece band from Southampton. They’re made up of Alex (guitar/vocals), Euan (guitar/bass), Charlie (bass/guitar/vocals), and Julie (drums).

The band began with Alex penning a few songs and turned to his friends for help. The rest, as they say, is history.

With a fine debut album under their belts in already, could this be the year the world catches up to their brilliance? It should be.

Let’s check them out:

Sparkly

Frontman Alex’s distinct vocals will see Silverline surge to the front of a crowded guitar scene. The snap of early Alex Turner combines with the wayward joy of Dominic Masters (The Others) and the unifying power of Jason Bavanandan (Battle).

Alex and Charlie’s guitars take the 00s guitar scene to a more ethereal place, and thus, make it a more ethereal place to reside. This culminates in a sublime, warped solo that moves beyond songwriting altogether, becoming less a sound and more a life-or-death reckoning.

A Choice of Two

Delightfully lo-fi, evoking images of bands scraping pennies to record in dingy studios in the wee hours.

As pure an indie single as you’ll hear!

Mike Adams 1/15/26 Mike Adams 1/15/26

The Rafters

This New Band Spotlight features Blackburn band The Rafters.

The Rafters are a four-piece band from Blackburn. Having formed in 2019, they are made up of Nathan Griffiths (vocals / guitar), Joe Roscow (lead guitar), Ryan McDermott (bass), and George Whittingham (drums).

The band are now regulars on matchday playlists at Ewood Park (Blackburn Rovers) and have performed with mod-actor icon Phil Daniels for a special Quadrophenia event.

Let’s check them out:

Gimmick

The Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Briantstorm’ is given a sexed-up makeover, incorporating the flamboyance of Bowie and the youthful exuberance of The Enemy’s classic ‘Technodanceaphobic’.

The results are the brash dancefloor-filling basslines and licks the guitar scene desperately needs to fill indie dancefloors with wild-eyed dreams once again.

The End

This is the sound of a last-chance saloon plan being hatched after the 40th B&H has burnt out and the rum has all gone.

Rock ‘n’ roll should always sound this desperate, and with this much cowbell!

Mike Adams 1/14/26 Mike Adams 1/14/26

Speakface

This New Band Spotlight features Welsh band Speakface.

Speakface are a four-piece from Wales. Led by former Pretty Vicious bassist Jarvis Morgan (vocals), he is joined by Hayden Lewis (guitar), James Addison (bass), and Dozzer Griffiths (drums).

This January, they play This Feeling’s coveted Big in 2026 gig in Cardiff. Let’s see why:

Over Again

A devil sent monster of a record!

Destructive drums, behemoth guitars, and, through Morgan, a vocalist who can carry it all into siege and emerge bloodied, battered, and triumphant.

Smash My Head into the Wall

Leaning into the poetry of Jack Jones, Morgan delivers a hauntingly beautiful opening minute and a half before roaring into life. The tinges of grunge and post-punk on guitar and bass, coupled with Morgan’s ability to produce life-affirming vocals, will be unstoppable in 2026.