M(h)aol - "Scam Manifesto"

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Photo by Ginny Davies

Ireland's M(h)aol are back with more of the post-punk we've come to love from them. Their new single, "Scam Manifesto," is a brooding and intense song that keeps all of their anger and humor intact, and mixes it into a swirling mix of noise. One of the things I've come to love about M(h)aol is how they combine the dance friendly side of post-punk with the genre's more chaotic and noisy side. "Scam Manifesto" is sneakily hypnotic, and lulls you despite how abrasive it can be. Something Soft was one of the top albums of 2025, and it's great to see M(h)aol continuing that with their latest.

Constance Keane (drums/vocals) says of her band's latest single:

“'Scam Manifesto' is a song I wrote during one of my semi-regular social media breaks. My entire feed was 'how to lose the last 5 lbs’ and obituaries for people I didn’t know. It’s about the guilt I feel about my own hypocrisy. Publicly, I say that as a woman it’s my right to be as ugly and old as I want and still value myself, while privately I was consistently fixating on a list of things I would change about my appearance. It’s about having one rule for others and another one for yourself.”

You can watch the video for "Scam Manifesto" below. The single is out now on Merge Records and Tulle. For more on M(h)aol, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.

On Repeat...

Hiding Places - "Waiting"

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Failure - "The Air's on Fire"

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Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes With their upcoming seventh overall studio album, the highly influential band Failure will have released more albums since reuniting in 2014 than they did during their first run. The first single from that album, "The Air's on Fire," shows the band expanding their sound while still being rooted in what has always made them great. The song is a dark and moody one that is always threatening to explode but never quite does. This is an example of 90's alt-rock meets art rock at its very finest. It's the kind of song that could easily have come out thirty years ago, but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. After the first listen, "The Air's on Fire" will sound like a killer alt-rocker from a 90's band that hasn't lost a step at all. The more you listen, the more complex Failure get on the single, and the more the song reveals itself to you. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: “That song is directly about my ...
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Mama's Broke - "How it Ends"

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Mama's Broke, the post-folk Canadian duo of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, have just released a break up song that might be their most accessible yet. While the previous singles from their upcoming album have a certain darkness or a sense of foreboding, "How it Ends" sounds relatively upbeat. Considering this is a song about how you never think you'll find someone as good as your ex after a break up, that's quite a feat. This is a traditional folk song with some slightly modern folk harmonies. As much heartbreak as their is in "How it Ends," there is also the warmth of remembering a recent relationship. You can listen to "How it Ends" below. Narrow Line is due out May 13 on Free Dirt Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Mama's Broke, check out the artist's website .
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