Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio are a punk band hailing from McHenry, Illinois, United States who formed in 1996. Since their debut in 1998 they have become one of the most critically acclaimed acts in modern punk and command one of the biggest cult fan-bases in American rock as a whole.

Superheaven

superheaven.net

Pup

It seems significant that there were bats in the mansion’s attic, although how significant it seems will have something to do with how you feel and what you know about PUP. None of it is a metaphor, and also all of it is.

The mansion, for its part, is very real—it is a sprawling residence-slash-studio in Connecticut’s most dispiriting mid-sized city where the producer Peter Katis has helped acts like The National and Interpol and Frightened Rabbit and Kurt Vile make records. There are gold records on the walls and warrens of strange new rooms that the band members discovered seemingly daily; the roof leaks when it rains, and the bats reclaim the attic after dark. PUP singer Stefan Babcock recorded all his vocals in the living room, at night. “The other guys were just trying to live their lives,” he said, “and Nestor and I would be down there screaming into microphones while they were watching TV in the next room.” Babcock remembered Katis telling him that the bats “go away” during the daytime hours. “I was like, ‘no, they’re sleeping,’” Babcock said. “They don’t go anywhere, there’s nowhere for them to go.’”

The band spent five weeks there in the summer of 2021, recording and mixing the typically furious and anthemic songs that would become their fourth album, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND. The band—Babcock, bassist Nestor Chumak, drummer Zack Mykula, and guitarist Steve Sladkowski—more or less never left. “There were some days that were really great, like magical, everything worked and then we’d go to the kitchen and make a great meal,” Sladkowski said, “and then there were days when you’re like ‘I can’t remember the last time I’ve been outside.’” Circumstances—a global pandemic, still happening, not much fun to talk about and won’t be addressed further here—made cultivating a healthy, communal vibe more difficult, but the band powered through by having friends like Sarah from Illuminati Hotties, Kathryn from NOBRO, Mel from Casper Skulls, and Erik from Remo Drive pitch in. When the band got comfortable in its strange new home, the (figurative) walls came down. “As the weeks passed, we seemed less and less rational, objective, and sane,” Babcock says. “You can hear the band start to fall off the cliff, and because of that, I think this record is our truest and most genuine to date. There is nothing more PUP than a slow and inevitable descent into self-destruction.”

Every PUP record arrives with an implied “contents under pressure” warning; the tension between the band’s instinct for the melodic and its gift for chaos propels the songs forward while making them also seem close to flying apart in a horrifying spray of tears and gore. To listen to PUP enough is to spend parts of every day mentally echoing some hilariously self-lacerating, utterly undeniable choruses; you will find yourself thinking “this is the mosh part” at moments when you would otherwise be tearing yourself apart. It is one thing to feel, as Babcock sings on THE UNRAVELING’s “Totally Fine,” “like I’m slowly dying/and if I’m being real I don’t even mind,” but it is another, very different thing to find yourself shouting along with those words. There’s a tension here, too. “There’s only so many times you can write a song about how much you hate yourself before you write a song about how fucking good you are at hating yourself,” Babcock says. “It’s funny that we’ve provided for ourselves by being fuck-ups and writing songs about being fuck-ups. We’ve been fuck-ups forever, and now we’ve got a responsibility, to others and to ourselves, to fuck up in a productive manner.”

That’s not any easier than it sounds, but also the volatility is the thing; all that tension is always just barely held in place by the band’s craft. It couldn’t be anything but uneasy, but THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND is the sound of a band that is not just comfortable with but in command of that chaos.

We are back in the mansion, now, albeit the metaphorical one. PUP is objectively a very successful band. They won a Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year for 2019’s Morbid Stuff and have been nominated for the Polaris Prize and many nice things have been said about them in the places that people say nice things about bands; because they are PUP, "nice things" in this case means Pitchfork saying that they “turn self-loathing and self-deprecation into a sort of superpower.” Fans happily sing the coruscating words of their songs aloud in sold-out venues all around the world; they did a version of arguably the harshest song on 2019’s Morbid Stuff for a 2020 CBC Kids Christmas special in which they replaced the lyric “embrace the calamity” with “embrace the festivities”; they have performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and played at major festivals like Lollapalooza, Boston Calling, Shaky Knees, and Riot Fest. A mansion is a place where such a band might go to record an ambitious fourth album. That success doesn’t haunt THE UNRAVELING, although it does make it funnier; the “Four Chords” piano ballad threaded through the album tells the tale of a contentious quarterly meeting of PUP’s “board of directors” going selfishly awry. There is a long history of Mansion Albums; sometimes it works out well and sometimes it works out less well and more often than would seem plausible a Jaguar convertible winds up at the bottom of a swimming pool.

PUP is not really that kind of band, though, and THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND is not that kind of record. It is still very much a PUP album, but relocating from the literal basement where they wrote Morbid Stuff to the janky manse in which they put together its follow-up afforded the band space to grow, and to make not just the next PUP record but the most PUP record. “This is a band that, until this record, out of some weird fucked up sense of misguided pride or idiocy, felt that we should never use any instruments aside from drums, bass, and guitars,” Babcock says. “We quickly came to realize that the instrumentation isn’t what makes PUP songs PUP. It’s the songs themselves, finding this balance between heavy and melodic, dark and fun, pushing the limits of our writing chops and musicianship in a way that makes us laugh and also want to smash shit. So this record starts with the stupidest piano ballad of all time. And there are synths. And there are horns. And there are some 808s and trap hi-hats. And some other weird shit that we haven’t done before.”

There is no faking that, which of course makes it all much harder to do. In the best PUP songs, the whole process is not just visible but thrilling—the anguish and doubt that drives the songs is nurtured, over a few loud minutes, into something first legible and then somehow empowering. There are a lot of these songs on THE UNRAVELING. The alternately plaintive and anthemic “Matilda” is a classic galloping PUP shout-along recrimination-fest that sounds bigger than previous entries in this robust subgenre without losing any of the signature acid. “Waiting” is pure paint-stripping heat, topped by some legitimately towering choruses. “Robot Writes A Love Song” dissolves into a wash of nervous synthesizer before becoming what is surely the most emotional song ever written from the perspective of a computer being overwhelmed unto death by actual human emotions. “I wanted to write about the horrible state of the world, but through a very specific and personal lens,” Babcock says. “It’s a lot of me trying to articulate my own coping with existential dread, hopelessness, and what I’ve called ‘Grim Reaping’—which is to me, the idea that we are all reaping what we sow, and right now we’re sowing some pretty fucked up shit.”

THE UNRAVELING is not a departure from what got PUP here, really; for all the new breadth, this is still very much the fourth album by the band that has spun songs about The Bad Decisions Lifestyle into scrappy art. The hooks are as bright and barbed as always; the poison threaded through every song is no less potent. But a fourth album should be different from the first, or even the third, and THE UNRAVELING is. “I don’t know that we set out to do new stuff,” Mykula says, of a record on which the band does a great deal of new stuff. “It’s just a band trying to sound as much like themselves as possible. Every record you make, you get closer to that.”

THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND is that next step—not towards perfection, or even towards some more perfect version of writing songs about fucking up, but just in the direction of its choice. It’s a product of this endless awful broader moment, but also very much a step forward into that uncertainty. “The whole album process really brought us closer together, even as things unraveled,” Babcock says. “It’s hands down my favorite PUP record, and I don’t think it could’ve been made under any other circumstances.” It’s the sound of a band learning how to share the mansion with the bats.

Free Throw

Nashville,TN

freethrowband.com

Glassjaw

making things since 1993

Bad Nerves

jazz band from skid row

bobby bird

will power

jon poulton

sam thompson

george berry

Cancer Bats

https://linktr.ee/CancerBats

Dinosaur Pile-Up

Lambrini Girls

Fucking shit

Have Mercy

Sprints

SPRINTS have announced their debut album, 'Letter To Self', out January 5th 2024 on City Slang!

‘Letter To Self' embodies their substantial evolution over the past 3 years. Transforming pain into truth, passion into purpose and perseverance into strength, the Dublin four-piece, who formed in late 2019, have steadily grown in stature, releasing two acclaimed EPs and building a fearsome live reputation. Letter To Self is the sound of Sprints co levelling up once again, revisiting their most vulnerable moments and imbuing their visceral garage-punk with a palpable sense of catharsis that we can all benefit from.

Now, more confident in their opinions and identities than ever, SPRINTS have signed to the iconic label, City Slang and racked up sold-out shows across Ireland, the UK, and Europe as well as a run of shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

SPRINTS's debut AA side ‘Kissing Practice’/‘The Cheek’ immediately landed them a fan in BBC 6Music legend Steve Lamacq and, as the year went on, early support from the likes of DIY, NME, So Young and more. Cemented by the reception to the ‘Manifesto EP’ and 'A Modern Job EP', it’s allowed them to dig even deeper into their policy of honesty.

"Screw-you power, relentless motorik rhythms and impressively large choruses." - The Guardian

"The Dublin gang neatly package existential panic into a buzzy, punchy musical box." - DIY Magazine

"On course towards future raucous, beer-soaked headline festival sets." - NME Magazine

High Vis

Ho99o9

Immortal

Scowl

Scowl has quickly made a name for themselves as one of the most vivid and hard-working acts in the rock world. The band - Kat Moss (vocals), Malachi Greene (guitar), Bailey Lupo (bass), Cole Gilbert (drums), and Mikey Bifolco (guitar) - broke out in 2021 with their debut album How Flowers Grow, and it has been a non-stop trajectory ever since. With the release of 2023’s Psychic Dance Routine, Scowl pushed the boundaries of what “punk” is, combining aggressive hardcore with lush alternative melodies. The band was creating music they wanted to listen to, and the world latched on.

Since forming in 2019, Scowl has consistently eschewed being pigeon-holed, moving far beyond the confines of what a typical “hardcore” band is considered. Floral motifs lace their artwork and merchandise, they’ve notably toured with diverse acts like Limp Bizkit, Destroy Boys, and Show Me The Body. Produced by Grammy-nominated Will Yip at Studio 4, Psychic Dance Routine has exemplified Scowl’s ethos of being true to themselves through creating innovative song structures and personable lyrics.

Pinkshift

You are the Earthkeeper.

The new record, out August 29th.

See you on the road.

Heart Attack Man

Phoneboy
[fohn • boi]
noun: someone consumed with their phone, unable to tear themselves away from distraction

phoneboy.band

contact - info@diamondcitymgmt.com

Split Chain

⛓ SC '24 ⛓️

South West, UK Dreamo

The Dirty Nil

The Lash Out July 25

https://thedirtynil.komi.io/

Saturdays at your place

the band or whatever. Always Cloudy out now via No Sleep Records

Pool Kids

The Xcerts

I Am The Avalanche

I Am The Avalanche is a 5-piece punk band from New York City.

God Complex

Coach Party

Firmly established as an artist’s artist with the likes of Noel Gallagher, Sam Fender, Louis Tomlinson and Pete Doherty
all in his corner, Andrew Cushin is primed to rise to the next level with the May 2nd release of his second album ‘Love
Is For Everyone’. Building upon his acclaimed debut ‘Waiting For The Rain’. The 2nd album charted in the UK official top 40 album charts.
The supercharged wall-of-sound that powers ‘A New World Blazing’ single shows how far Andrew has come from his acoustic roots.
‘Love is for Everyone’ was written solely by Andrew and was produced by Gareth Nuttall (Lottery Winners, Frank
Turner, The K’s). Andrew’s songs celebrate community, friendship and love - and especially the
strengths that come with being part of a community.
Andrew recently teamed up with his local brewery Anarchy Brew Co to create his own L.I.F.E IPA beer,
which is now available from their website. It represents his latest brand collaboration after being invited to headline
The Soundcheck, the debut live event from the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team, late last year. Andrew has played Italian, Dutch and British GP with Aston Martin F1 team in 2025.
Andrew toured the full UK headline in May and October 2025 as well as EU . He is currently on his 3rd successive year of touring North American/Canada headline tour.
With a band of 5 people, this now includes Johnny Bond (ex Catfish and the Bottlemen) on lead guitar, which has raised the live sound to another level. In October 25th 2025 Andrew Cushin sold out his hometown show at Newcastle City Hall in front of 2500 fans.
2025 has been a huge success for Andrew Cushin breaking through the top 40 and now firmly establishing himself as a firm favourite in the UK live scene.

Hyphen

Banks Arcade

A MUSE OUT NOW 💔

Tropic Gold

House Of Protection

Welcome Home.

Bicurious

Kent Osborne

Lake Malice

Karen Dió

LASTELLE

Venus Grrrls

Alpha Male Tea Party

Snake Eyes

Thrash metal z Górnego Śląska

battlesnake

The rising titans of Australian hard rock and pure heavy metal, Battlesnake have quickly ascended from the underground, captivating audiences worldwide with their unique blend of powerful riffs and dynamic songwriting. Channeling the likes of Queen, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath into something familiar yet ground breaking. Renowned for their high-octane live performances, epic theatrical compositions and relentless energy, they have firmly established themselves as one of the most exciting acts in contemporary metal. Mortals tremble, all hail Battlesnake!

Beauty School

Love Rarely

Jayler

Soaring from the heart of the Midlands in the UK, Jayler is a band born to captivate. Formed in 2022, their music is a love letter to rock’s golden era, channelling the anthemic energy of Led Zeppelin and Van Halen, fused with the stadium-filling force of Greta Van Fleet and The Black Keys. The result is a fearless, energetic sound that resonates with both seasoned rock fans and a new generation.
The Midlands gave us Black Sabbath; now it gives us Jayler – be ready.

Footballhead

Cowboy Hunters