Charlottetown power-pop trio Absolute Losers released their sophomore album, “In The Crowd,” via Having Fun Records, the new imprint from Toronto label We Are Busy Bodies. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck, METZ) at Palace Sound in Toronto, the record captures a major leap forward for the band — expanding their sound without losing the scrappy charm and urgency that made their 2023 debut “At The Mall” a cult favorite.
With early airplay on CBC, a wave of U.S. college radio support, and UK tour dates on the horizon, Absolute Losers are fast becoming one of Atlantic Canada’s most promising underground exports. Where their debut leaned into wiry post-punk energy, “In The Crowd” stretches out into jangly, harmony-soaked territory — evoking Big Star, Superdrag, and Sloan’sOne Chord to Another era. The guitars shimmer, the hooks land hard, and the performances feel loose yet locked-in — a perfect balance of garage grit and melodic polish.
“We just stopped worrying if what we were writing was ‘cool’ or not,” bassist and vocalist Sam Langille said. “This time around, we let our instincts lead, and what came out was something freer, more melodic, more personal. And way more fun.”
For the first time, all three members — Sam Langille, Josh Langille, and Daniel Hartinger — trade off lead vocals, weaving their voices into character-rich harmonies that deepen the record’s emotional core.
“The crowd is everyone around you,” Sam said. “Friends, family, partners, exes, your inner child… they all make up that crowd. And being in a crowd is funny, you can feel connected and totally isolated at the same time. That paradox runs through the whole album.”
Trading the existential edge of “At The Mall” for something warmer and more human, “In The Crowd” explores connection, nostalgia, and the push-and-pull between youth and memory. It’s a vibrant, hook-filled collection that bridges East Coast heart and classic power-pop craftsmanship — and proof that sometimes, being a loser really is the best way to win.
Stream “In The Crowd”: https://ffm.to/k3oynx8
Canadian punk/post-hardcore outfit Midnight Peg unleashed their ferocious sophomore album, “Skinning,” on October 3, 2025 via Thousand Islands Records. Recorded by Rob Lawless and Cody Blakely, mixed and co-produced by Blakely at Half Stack Studios, and mastered by Stuart McKillop (Rain City Recorders), the album features the blistering singles “Swallow,” “Thirstland,” and “The Hag.”
Following the breakout success of their debut “Horn Colic” — which earned over 20,000 streams and praise from DIY Conspiracy, Cups N’ Cakes, and Reverie Mag — Midnight Peg have carved out a place in Canada’s underground scene as one of its most provocative, genre-defiant voices. They’ve toured Western Canada with Pussy Riot, shared stages with punk pioneers D.O.A., and built a reputation for explosive, art-damaged live shows that blur the lines between chaos and catharsis.
Described by RANGE as nodding “to the fury of early ’90s grunge greats like The Gits while racing ahead on a futuristic bullet train of their own design,” “Skinning” pushes that intensity to new extremes. Across twelve tracks, the band fuses noise, post-punk, emo, and experimental grit, exploring themes of sexuality, survival, ritual, and violence with both fury and finesse.
“‘Skinning’ is the apotheosis of our songwriting style; it takes frenzied, but refined risks across the board,” guitarist Eric Neilson said. “[…] Melodic themes recur and reference each other, so as a whole, the album resolves its own chaos. It’s meant to be listened to front to back.”
Vocalist Rocky Mann added, “We really wanted to push what we were doing in the first album. It feels like an exciting time right now in heavy music, and bands are popping out all the time here; the diversity is exciting. ‘Skinning’ grew out of that experimental, cross-genre moment where it all feels a bit unstable but totally alive.”
Dark, volatile, and unflinchingly human, Skinning finds Midnight Peg tearing deeper into the raw nerve of modern punk—and discovering something vital beneath the noise.
Stream “Skinning”: https://bfan.link/skinning
After nearly a decade away, Pennsylvania alt-rock artist The Quality of Mercury — the moniker of Jeremiah Rouse — has returned with “Heaven’s Gate,” a soaring and cinematic new single from his forthcoming sophomore album, “The Voyager,” out October 24. The track marks a triumphant return for Rouse, whose 2016 debut Transmission established him as a craftsman of expansive, emotionally charged space-rock.
Balancing muscle and melody, “Heaven’s Gate” merges starry-eyed shoegaze and pop propulsion into a euphoric journey through sound. Written, performed, and engineered entirely by Rouse, the song captures both the pull of the cosmos and the ache of human longing.
“[It’s] inspired by the real-life cult of the same name, but it’s not a song about tragedy; it’s a song about longing,” Rouse said. “I saw myself in their story: the endless search for something beyond this world, the gaze fixed on the stars, waiting for a sign, a savior, an escape.”
Similar to what fans might find on “The Voyager,” the song channels Rouse’s fascination with connection and transcendence through vivid, cinematic soundscapes. Drawing influence from Hum, Failure, and Sunny Day Real Estate, The Quality of Mercury crafts music that feels both galactic and grounded — meticulously layered yet deeply personal.
With a background in film production and a love for sci-fi, Rouse builds each track like a scene from an interstellar movie — equal parts grandeur and intimacy.
Stream “Heaven’s Gate” on: Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
Los Angeles melodic punks Stoke Signals are back with “Making Enemies,” a four-song burst of sweat-soaked arriving October 31 via Hey! Fever Records.
Following their acclaimed 2024 debut “Make Dying Fun” — which Punk Rock Theory praised for delivering “all the energy and melody you can ask for, delivered with a healthy dose of grit”— the band sound louder, rawer, and more unified than ever.
Tracked entirely in their Culver City lockout space, the EP finds Giuliano Messina, Chris Perez, Jordan Calhoun, and Michael Nusbaum embracing full DIY chaos: amps dimed, drum mics pointed at a toilet for reverb, and gang vocals shouted behind bathroom doors. The result, mastered by Paul Miner (Thrice, Death By Stereo), captures the raucous energy of their live shows.
Lead single “rockville winters build character”— a defiant anthem for overlooked blue-collar underdogs — is out now, completed with a video directed by Tucker Bennett.
It’s a gritty statement of intent for a band quickly making waves across California’s punk underground, with recent sets alongside The Lawrence Arms, Dillinger Four, and Heartwells, plus a standout slot at Camp Punksylvania 2025.
If “Make Dying Fun” introduced Stoke Signals, “Making Enemies” proves they’re here to stay — raw, melodic, and ready for the next round.
Stream “rockville winters build character” on: Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
Pre-save “Making Enemies”: https://show.co/vscbbKg
Seattle-based artist AudioGust (AKA Chris Evans) returns with “Easier,” a gripping exploration of the mental strain that comes with living in a world drowning in bad news. The track serves as the second single from his forthcoming third album “Falling From Down” — his most unflinching and emotionally charged release yet — following the post-grunge opener “Isotope.”
Opening on a quiet note of introspection, “Easier” wrestles with the tension between staying informed and protecting one’s peace. Its chorus — “Some days, it would be easier if I didn’t know” — hits like a mantra for modern burnout, before erupting into a pop-punk bridge that imagines a fleeting escape from the noise.
“I wrote ‘Easier’ out of frustration with how overwhelming it can be to take in all the bad news every day,” Evans said. “There’s a fantasy in the song about how simple life might feel if you just tuned it all out — but in the end, you can’t really look away. The world always pulls you back.”
Known for his emotionally direct songwriting and muscular melodic rock, Evans has spent recent years crafting a prolific catalog that bridges classic alt-rock with modern sensibilities. A finalist in the 2024 USA Songwriting Contest, he’s released multiple albums and EPs — each balancing raw guitar energy with reflective storytelling.
Due out November 7, “Falling From Down” promises a darker, harder-edged evolution of the AudioGust sound, merging post-grunge grit with cinematic scope. “Easier” stands as its emotional centerpiece — an anthem for anyone struggling to find balance in an age of constant noise.
Stream “Easier” on: Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
Brooklyn-London indie duo The King Canutes have made their long-awaited return with “Seymour Stein (for Earle Holmes)” — their first new music since 2008’s debut EP “Last Callers and Losers.” The single marks the first glimpse of their debut full-length “Eastern Seaboard, Perfect Summer,” arriving November 21 via New Jersey’s Magic Door Record Label.
Formed by Keir Woods and Richard Alwyn Fisher, The King Canutes blend Northern English folk warmth with scrappy Midwestern indie rock grit, a dynamic forged in Brooklyn’s early-2000s pop scene and honed across continents. Written by Woods after relocating from New York to Paris, “Seymour Stein (for Earle Holmes)” channels the exhilaration and unease of creative reinvention — part liberation, part fear that this might be as far as it goes. The song also pays tribute to Earle Holmes, a Paris club owner who gave Woods his first shows there.
Produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Luna, Gramercy Arms) at Magic Door Recording Studio, the track features a stellar lineup including Mac Gollehon (David Bowie, Duran Duran) on horns, Dave Derby (The Dambuilders, Lloyd Cole) on bass, Kevin March (Guided by Voices) on drums, and Jessie Kilguss on backing vocals. The result is a radiant, bittersweet burst of skewed pop — somewhere between The Go-Betweens, Belle and Sebastian, and The Postal Service.
“Everyone always talks about what an upbeat song it is, but when I first played it at one of Earle’s shows he came right up to me and said ‘Man, you write the saddest fucking songs,’” Woods said.
Fifteen years in the making and three in production, “Eastern Seaboard, Perfect Summer” is a testament to endurance and creative kinship, featuring guest appearances from Kendall Meade (Sparklehorse), Mike Dillon (Rickie Lee Jones), David Nagler (Joan Baez, Rosanne Cash), and more.
Stream “Seymour Stein (for Earle Holmes)” on: Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
Pre-order “Eastern Seaboard, Perfect Summer”: https://thekingcanutes.bandcamp.com/album/eastern-seaboard-perfect-summer
