'Highwave' by Moon Taxi

 

From their new album of the same name, released March 6, 2026.

This is a very cool US indie rock song by this well established group that you probably have never heard of.

First came across these guys back in 2018 with the release of their album "Let The Record Play", where I see from Spotify I 'liked' "Two High", "Good As Gold" and "No More Worry", all from the same album.

Three songs from one album is usual for me, so I remember waiting in anticipation for Moon Taxi's next releases, only to find myself skipping the 'Silver Dream' album in 2021, and then liking 'Set Yourself Free', from the album of the same name, released in 2023 - still my favourite Moon Taxi.

Moon Taxi are an indie/alt‑rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, in the USA and actually have been active since 2006.

This is what used to be one of the joys of Spotify: discovering bands who are 'BIG' in the vast US market, for example, and that you have never heard of. 

A discovery process that has got so much harder as Spotify continues to relentlessly push it's 'Made for (you)' and 'Discover Weekly' algorithm (now read AI) generated play lists.

Bring back humans.

'Place I Hide' by Double Parked

 

 'Place I Hide' by Double Parked

From their EP "Rosary" released March 6, 2025.

I have came across their song "Faded Days", released way back on April 21, 2023 by this West Coast, Tamaki Makaurau band. 

Say where? That's Auckland, New Zealand for non Kiwi's.

For those accessing 'Place I Hide' via Spotify, it's still not showing any plays compared to 'Buttercup', Necklace' and 'Lighthouse' from this new "Rosary" EP.

Whatever. 

I like the sort of broken play of this song compared to the others, and the guitar work is great.

Not sure if that's pure listener laziness, only I always try to speed listen to most all tracks on album before deciding on one to feature here.

(Spotify will not start showing a song count before 1,000 listens - part of the whole Spotify evaluation nuttiness).

'Idol' by The Rions

 

 

A single released 5 March 2025.

It must be a March thing.

I featured this New South Wales, Australia group almost exatly a year ago with their "Shut You Out" single, released 19 March 2025. 

In some ways a very Rions song, sort of coming off the accelerator after “Shut You Out”, and a move towards a more of an idie pop sound.

Noel Blockley has a such a great voice and the rhythm and lead guitar work is very cool.

Still a very Indie Aussie sound, which I continue to say appers to get little air play outside of Australia.

Listen to recall that late summer someone that you somehow have never forgotten.

For some reason my Spotify will not switch to playing the video, so here's the YouTube link (my last paragraph above I wrote before seeing it. Yes, really!)

And read the video comments, and watch to the end.

'Raise The Dust' by 33DOWN

 

A single released February 28 2026.

A great rock song, with a banjo and a cool lead guitar at towards the end.

The only issue I have is that, besides the 'Artist' information supplied by Spotify, there is really not a lot of information about the artist behind this project available.

YouTune gives a bitr more: song released by Amuseio AB from Stockholm, with the the Producer, Banjo and Composer listed as James Watson.

Why my deep research? AI music!!!

So I also ran it through an AI Song Checker, which came back "Human: most likely (90%)" - fantastic!

Has it come to this!?

Which leads to a bigger question: if this a genuine song, why make it hard to find out who the artist is?

Still, one to listen to.

'Skint' by The Dead Bolts

 

First time for everything. 

'Skint' is a new release by the Chicago group, The Dead Bolts from their upcoming, as yet unnamed new album, here available on YouTube only. 

The song will be on streaming platforms from 20 February, 2026, so the next 'New Music Friday'.

As I said on social media:

"Too good, and the video's cool! 

And to friends 'video is deliberately 'amateur' but actually great!'.

Enjoy.

'Tearing the Ticket' by The Paranoid Style

 

 

From the album 'Known Associates' released February 13, 2026.

Another band that has been around for a while that I have only just come across with the release of this the new album.

The Paranoid Style is a Washington, D.C. indie/garage rock band built around songwriter and vocalist Elizabeth Nelson and guitarist husband Timothy Bracy.

The guitar work is fine, although there is a great sax sola towards the end.

For those interested in the lyrics, which can be found via Bandchamp, here is Perplexity AI's interpretation, for what it's worth, which sounds about right.

"Taken as a whole, “Tearing the Ticket” is:

A tribute to fallen guitar heroes and the people who still carry their influence.

A self‑portrait of a lifer in music and politics who refuses to sell out or cross lines, despite fatigue and doubt.

A meditation on commitment: “tearing the ticket” is both the moment you sign on for a ride you can’t fully control and the act of rejecting the easy out, deciding to keep the flame alive when it would be simpler to go home."