August, 2025 Music Releases
A curated month-by-month archive of new and underground music releases across shoegaze, emo, punk, hardcore, indie, and adjacent scenes.
The Wave
Listen through the month as a playlist, then jump back into the release archive below.
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Neckscars
Unhinged
Neckscars, an alt-punk rock band from Downstate, New York, is set to release their sophomore LP "Unhinged" on August 1, 2025, via Sell The Heart Records (US) and Engineer Records (UK) featuring 12 melodic punk rock anthems, while leaning into a more diverse sound with varied tempos and even bigger hooks on their new material. Their music echoes influences ranging from Seaweed to Dead Boys to Hot Water Music and The Menzingers, while offering their modern take on classic punk rock and roll. RIYL: Hot Water Music, Seaweed, The Carolyn, Tired Radio, The Lawrence Arms, Spanish Love Songs
Anamanaguchi
Anyway
Anamanaguchi's new album and 3rd LP titled "Anyway" will release on August 9, 2025 via Polyvinyl Records. The album was written in collaboration, departing from their usual digital process and chiptune 8-bit sound, to create a more personal and live-recorded heavier rock sound under the guidance of producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT). The album explores themes of rage, love, humor, and sadness while showcasing the band's evolved voice through emotionally resonant lyrics, loud guitars and big hooks, marking a big shift from their earlier instrumental work. Known for their chiptune experiments and innovative projects, Anamanaguchi's latest single "Magnet" offers a glimpse into their lyrically-driven 90s inspired grungy rock sound, with a music video set in the Gotham City universe now streaming everywhere.
Brooklyn Comic
Define Happiness
Brooklyn Comic, an alternative emo band from Sydney, Australia, will release their debut LP “Define Happiness” on August 8, 2025. The album delves into themes of survival, healing, and self-redefinition amidst trauma and transformation, with heartfelt tracks exploring love, loss, addiction, and the pursuit of inner peace. Comparable to Movements, Basement, and Citizen, Brooklyn Comic’s music combines emo, hardcore, indie, and alternative rock to create a powerful and emotive statement of survival and self-expression.
Eastern Bleeds
Lake Huron
Los Angeles indie rock band Eastern Bleeds released its debut album "Lake Huron" via Ashtray Monument on August 12, 2025, drawing influence from bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, The Twilight Singers and Hot Snakes. Formed by drummer Bob Penn (The Jealous Sound, Racquet Club), the band's journey from demos to a full-fledged album included the addition of guitarist Joe Rivera, singer Bill Kielty, and bassist Trent Steinbrugge, resulting in a project that captures atmospheric indie rock with elements of noise pop, psychedelia, new wave, post-punk and emo. RIYL: Sunny Day Real Estate, Suburban Eyes, The Twilight Singers, Nada Surf, Superdrag, Superchunk
Garage Sale
Any Day Now
Melbourne, Australia indie-rock band Garage Sale will release their sophomore LP titled "Any Day Now" on August 15, 2025 via Other People Records. The album is described as a blend of 90s inspired guitar fueled indie/alt-rock, shoegaze, slowcore, and lo-fi emo. Consisting of a four-piece band with a sound characterized by interlocking guitar lines, diffused distortion, and a rhythm section focused on atmosphere and texture rather than propulsion, the songs are noted for their delicate harmonies, pop intelligence and melody, and a dynamic songwriting approach with three lead vocalists trading off on various songs. The album explores themes of hopefulness and friendship, with a focus on lingering in moments of unresolved tension and melodic haze. The album will contain 12 brand new tracks including latest single "Punching Up" now streaming. Fans of Milly, World's Worst, Ovlov, Hotline TNT, and Gleemer should like this.
Kerosene Heights
Blame It On The Weather
Kerosene Heights is releasing a new LP titled "Blame It On The Weather" on August 15, 2025, featuring 12 tracks, including the lead single "New Tattoo" now available on all streaming platforms. The band's progression is evident in the new LP showcasing the bands chemistry, with a focus on themes of change and transitions inspired by life events that impacted them such as Hurricane Helene. Drawing on influences from 2010s emo bands like Grown Ups, You Blew it, Dikembe, and Algernon Cadwallader, the new LP is sure to please fans of of the 5th wave midwestern emo/pop punk revival sound, similar to bands like Charmer, Hot Mulligan and newer bands like Tiny Voices, The Casper Fight Scene, Carly Cosgrove and the like.
Deftones
Private Music
Deftones have announced a new album titled "Private Music", their first in five years, with a release date of August 22, 2025. The album will be accompanied by a North American tour, starting in Vancouver on August 22nd. The album will contain 11 brand new tracks with the lead off single, "My Mind Is a Mountain,"now streaming. The announcement follows a period of teasing from the band, including mysterious messages and previews at live performances. The new music has been described as a blend of the band's signature heavy sound with the melodic and spacey elements they're known for and Chino's trademark vocal delivery.
Hot Mulligan
The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still
5th wave emo-punk band Hot Mulligan has announced their upcoming fourth full-length album, The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, set to release on August 22nd via Wax Bodega. The band's new single,"And a Big Load," now streaming everywhere, offers a punk-infused sound that captures themes of self-awareness and catharsis. Across 15 brand new tracks full of fist in the air anthemic emo-punk scream alongs, the new LP is set to be Hot Mulligan’s most cohesive album yet. In addition to bold riffs and careful sonic nuances, it’s chock full of addressing fears, screaming unfiltered vulnerabilities, and finding solace in the fact that regardless of the uncertainty of the future, we exist in this moment. Despite the subject matter, Hot Mulligan strike a balance between sincerity and humor, and find the light moments of comfort, even when it feels impossible. RIYL: Arm's Length, Charmer, and Knuckle Puck.
Superchunk
Songs In The Key of Yikes
Chapel Hill, NC indie-rockers Superchunk is set to release their new album "Songs in the Key of Yikes" on August 22, 2025, via Merge Records, featuring the lead single "Is It Making You Feel Something" now available on all streaming platforms. The album promises a triumphant and catchy sound, reminiscent of their iconic fuzzed out inde-punk meets power-pop style. Fans of upbeat indie rock akin to previous albums Majesty Shredding and Digging for Something will find joy in this upcoming release. Songs in the Key of Yikes is a signature Superchunk album: visceral and timeless and catchy as hell—a cathartic balm for these oppressive times that will feel even better once we’ve figured our collective shit out.
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die
Dreams of Being Dust
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die will release their new album 'Dreams of Being Dust' on August 22nd via Epitaph Records. The album explores themes of societal crises and personal struggles, with a heavier post-hardcore sound featuring guest vocalists like Brendan Murphy from Counterparts. This fifth record marks a shift towards a more aggressive musical direction for the band, reflecting the tumultuous times we live in while offering a purposeful and passionate response to the challenges faced. Co-produced by Chris Teti and Greg Thomas, 'Dreams of Being Dust' presents a compelling and reflective narrative of the band's evolution and the current state of the world.
Winter
Adult Romantix
Winter has released their latest album "Adult Romantix" via Winspear, showcasing a blend of dream pop, fuzzed out indie rock, alternative rock with influences from trip hop and electronica. On the new album she experiments with all of these elements including distorted and jangly guitars with break beats, coupled with dreamy melodies and big hooks to go with it. The album, inspired by themes of mortality and transformative experiences, features singles like "Just Like A Flower," "Misery," and "Hide A Lullaby" with nods to influences like Dinosaur Jr and 90s guitar rock and shoegaze with poppy hooks. Winter's musical journey, rooted in LA's music scene, takes a new direction with this release, exploring heartfelt memories and nostalgia as she transitioned from the LA to NYC. RIYL: Rocket, Momma, Shower Curtain, Teethe
End It
Wrong Side of Heaven
End It, a Baltimore hardcore band, is set to release their debut album "Wrong Side Of Heaven" on August 29th via Flatspot Records. Influenced by classic east coast 90s hardcore, thrash, and soul music, the band's sound is characterized by fast, ripping songs, with groove-heavy riffs, breakdowns and Akil Godsey's charasmatic and chaotic vocal delivery. Produced by Brian McTernan, the album aims to spread awareness and maintain the ethics of hardcore, building on the band's reputation for being unapologetically outspoken and delivering electrifying live performances. Latest single "Pale Horse" now available, clocks in at one minute and twelve seconds showcasing End It's trademark hard-hitting, soulful hardcore.
Have Mercy
the loneliest place i’ve ever been
Maryland alt-rock/emo band Have Mercy have announced their sixth studio record, "the loneliest place i've ever been" on August 29th via Rude Records. Along with today's announcement, the band have released the emotionally raw lead single "august 17" now streaming everywhere. The song delves into themes of memory, loss, and regret, full of big guitar sounds and a huge anthemic chorus, which will surely resonating with fans of emotionally charged alt-rock akin to bands like The Dangerous Summer and Jimmy Eat World. Produced by Brian Swindle and mixed by Paul Leavitt, the album promises a cathartic journey across 10 brand new tracks, driven by their signature blend of vulnerability and intense melodies.
Slow Crush
Thirst
Slow Crush's upcoming album, "Thirst," is set for release on August 29, 2025 via Pure Noise Records, showcasing their dynamic textures, signature rock and shoegaze sound with added grit. The band aims to evoke a sense of longing and renewal with this album, delving into themes of vulnerability and romantic connections. Thirst’s ten tracks are a thematic cascade of noise that echoes the end and bursts into new life. The riffs are heavier, the vocals are dreamier and more emotional than ever. Title track and latest single "Thirst" is now streaming everywhere. RIYL: Deftones, Nothing, Trauma Ray, Narrow Head, Glare
The Casket Lottery
Feel The Teeth
The Casket Lottery's new album "Feel The Teeth", set for release on August 30, 2025, containing 9 brand new tracks exploring themes of exhaustion and revelation, reflecting the complexities of a shifting era. Where their 2020 album Short Songs for End Times felt like a direct confrontation with the chaos of a fractured world, Feel The Teeth dwells in the quieter aftermath, the moments of clarity amidst the noise. The album is soaked in existential fatigue, and compared to its previous release, is described as a quieter, more introspective reckoning with what it means to still be here, still searching for meaning, still hoping for something better even when we're not sure what it looks like anymore. In an age where comfort is a fleeting illusion and the answers remain out of reach, Feel The Teeth is the sound of a band refusing to give up, refusing to let go.
The Technicolors
Heavy Pulp
The Technicolors, an American rock band, are set to release their new album, Heavy Pulp, on August 29 through SoundOn. Produced by Robert Adam Stevenson and featuring Nathan Price of BRONCHO on drums, the album is described as a comeback for the band after a four-year break, showcasing a blend of brooding rock. With a history of over 100 million Spotify streams, the band has unveiled tracks like "Softcore" and "Posh Spice" to offer a glimpse into their latest musical chapter.