*** TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN exclusive song premiere ***

TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN

"1"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Shesmadefromsuede, Orchid, Mondrary and Grimlitter

orders open October 23rd, 2026

     Almost a year or so ago my friend Kyle from Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead messaged me saying they'd seen a new band's first show that night, it was amazing, and that I should probably get them on my radar. Thank you Kyle!!! Nearly a year later we are on the precipice of releasing the Vancouver four-piece's debut five-song self-titled EP and I'm here to give you the band's first official single and a live video of said single! Cassettes and tapes release on Zegema Beach Records on October 23rd, 2026. They've got a show in Victoria on October 17th and should hopefully at least have their tapes to sling a week early, so pull up...unless you have firefighter training in Otter Valley then you might need to miss the show :(

(2026) TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN "1" (from 'Taking Tiger Mountain')

https://youtu.be/sILDJNCuCgk

     Coming in at 1:11, this song wastes no time getting into it with a plethora of time signature changes and stop/starts in the first 10 seconds before dual vocals kick in. By the 30-second mark the song has done a ton of legwork, and takes a half-second breather before going full tilt once again before settling briefly into a breakdown that Senza would be proud of and a final whirlwind conclusion. So much in just over a minute...goddamn!!!

(2026) TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN "1" live in Victoria (August 7th)

https://youtu.be/xzVg-t0QXtA

*** BOON exclusive song premiere ***

BOON

"Luck"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Old Soul, Deafheaven, and Blue Noise

Bandcamp

     When my friend Van Shanahan hit me up in early 2025 to show me their new band's debut EP. I got through like 45 seconds and found myself on the floor because holy shit dude (review of it here). So now it's a year-and-a-half later and the band is back with a new EP but this time I got my foot in the door nice and early. The band's new three-song EP 'Offer Your Arm' releases on October 13th, 2026 on cassette via Tomb Tree and also includes the first incredible EP 'Thief' on the b-side. Check out the single below, which is incredibly dense and compact, while the other two new songs are much more epic, adventure-filled, and atmospheric evolves from gorgeous passages to utter annihilation (and are more than three times the length!).

     Zach had this to say:

     "I typically like to write songs with a big emphasis on dynamic contrast and unpredictable structure, so this one was a bit of a departure in its straightforwardness. It’s fast, loud, and unrelentingly bright. Although largely dominated by the rhythm section, there is some intricate guitar work to be found if you’re willing to dig through the noise."

(2026) BOON "Luck" (from 'Offer Your Arm')

https://youtu.be/_CoscEw3vSM

     "Luck" is an interesting mixture of screamo and black metal slathered in shoegaze but with zero slowdowns. In just 2:05 the song rips through about six sections of washed out guitars played at breakneck speed, rabidly wild vocals, and a flurry of bass and drums. The track gushes positivity and a triumphant conclusion to an EP that is otherwise quite bleak and dark (in the best way though).

*** SHOULDERED exclusive song premiere ***

SHOULDERED

"Scarecrow"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Manchester Orchestra, Social Caterpillar, and Medications

Bandcamp

     I love me some Derek Allen, so when he asked me to premiere a new jam from a new band it was an automatic yes. This new project shows Derek (Lower Automation), Wade, and Nic (Frail Body) dipping into much calmer and accessible waters, ditching the chaos and unpredictability of their earlier bands. The EP straddles slowcore, post-hardcore, and shoegaze like they've been doing it for a decade, which kinda makes sense considering the members' past bands. Speaking of past bands, Derek's gorgeous clean singing has the occasional push from backing vocals, really removing him from the anxious yelps that escaped his lips in Lower Automaion while the instrumentation has lots of room to breathe but when everything hits that room is on fucking fire.

     The five-song 'Lapse' releases October 1st, 2026 on bandcamp and streaming with physical copies being available on the former. Drums and bass recorded at Electrical Audio in June 2026 by Lauren MacDonald while guitars and vocals were recorded by Derek Allen, and the entire thing was mastered by Nick Stetina.

     The band has a few upcoming shows that you should definitely attend if geographically viable:

9/25 - Davey's Bagels, Fort Wayne, IN
9/26 - Sanctuary, Detroit, MI
9/27 - The Run Off, Kalamazoo, MI
10/10 - EP release show at Empty Bliss, Chicago, IL

A few words from Nic about "Scarecrow":

"This song has been floating around in my head for years, but I never felt like I had the right project to bring it to life until Derek, Wade and I started Shouldered. Hearing a recorded version of it after all of this time has been really rewarding. It’s probably my favorite song to play live so far, and a good indication of the direction we want to take the band." 

(2026) SHOULDERED "Scarecrow" (from 'Lapse')

https://youtu.be/VOJ4TwBS004

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

buy the last Lower Automation 12"LP here and the cassette EP here