We’ve reached the middle of 2026 already, and for the first half of the year, submissions to our Singles Bar have been coming in fast. Naturally, there hasn’t been the time to highlight everything we’ve enjoyed from week to week, and a lot of great tracks have not made the cut. Passing these by would be an absolute tragedy, so, as is traditional at the end of June, we’ve pulled some of the “best of the rest” together for our SB Summer Special! These were picked from a staggering 230 track selection, but we feel they best capture the Singles Bar spirit. We hope you can spare the time to explore this selection of tunes, and as always, hope you find something new to enjoy. Remember: good music does not have a sell-by date!
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Pioneering shoegazers The Veldt can often be relied upon for something interesting, but their 2026 single release ‘Black Girl’ captures a side of the band that’s arguably much dreamier than before. The core of the number presents a very melodic, very light take on a psychedelic sound, allowing light toned guitar work to weave a pleasingly spacious backdrop. Over this, the vocals take an equally trippy stance, with high toned and melodic sounds flowing in tandem with the incredible layered sound, where the cleaner guitars eventually mesh with a world of shoegaze drones. Presenting itself like a Lenny Kravitz ballad drowned in reverb then smashed through a shoegaze prism, this won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s unmistakeably “Veldt-y”!
With its rich baritone vocal, ‘Stay Alive’ by Irish singer songwriter A.S. Fanning invites easy comparisons to the legendary Nick Cave, but musically, this track feels quite removed from even the most melodic Bad Seeds work. The drones and keys lend a dark psychedelic edge to a minimalist arrangement, only allowing sparsely applied glockenspeil sounds to cut through with something that feels a little more optimistic. The way the music wavers gives this piece a slightly claustrophobic quality that feels striking, but no matter where the music goes, it’s often Fanning’s vocal that catches the ear. His volume and confidence really sells this downbeat piece in a way that makes it feel familiar from first listen. For fans of Cave, Tindersticks and 2025’s cult release from Peter Alexander Jobson, ‘Stay Alive’ should be considered a must-hear.
Metal fans keeping an ear on the metal underground in the UK might have encountered Nothing Speaks at the end of 2025. They followed up their ‘I Want (To Die)’ single with the equally impressive ‘Blackwater’, a number that kicked off their 2026 with a genuine intent. Following at atmosphere building intro loaded by studio enhanced echoing drums, the band launch into a great riff that blends melodic metal and grungy overtones, before tempering that with a few choppier sounding guitars. This gives everything a solid base that’s perfect for the gruff vocal that takes centre stage. With a dark sounding, harmony driven hook, it feels like a pinch of Alice In Chains has influenced the heart of the track, but there’s still plenty here that Nothing Speaks can call their own, and with a quiet and ominous atmosphere returning to colour a lengthy instrumental break, ‘Blackwater’ feels like an especially well rounded track.
The Devil and The Almighty Blues aren’t playing things by halves on ‘Lied To’, a 2026 single release that stretches to a full ten minutes. Using the extended playing time to stretch out, the US stoner blues act explore a superb desert oriented sound where the drums echo beneath a world of distorted guitars, but those riffs don’t just settle for more Kyuss recycling. Instead, true to their chosen moniker, …The Almighty Blues favour a much bluesier tone which allows for a lot of reverb and an almost soundtrack-like quality. Although the main riffs weave a huge melody, the verses scale everything back for a growling vocal, lending a whiskey soaked edge to a moody backdrop, and by falling somewhere between melodic Clutch and Amigo The Devil, this takes a very rootsy approach to blues rock, stretching the genre far beyond its usual simple style. It’s a track that likely could’ve made its point in half the time, but there’s a really cool vibe here that’ll pull listeners into the band’s dark world with ease.
Trading in some of his pop influences for a stripped down, folk sound, Robert Grace takes a mature turn on ‘If You Were Gone’, a duet with his father Bob. Against a wall of acoustic guitars and a Celtic influenced string melody, Bob steers a lyric that explores a feeling of loss and the importance of holding loved ones close. Despite ploughing a familiar path, this feels heartfelt and not hackneyed at all. Robert’s arrival for the chorus introduces a recognisable filtered voice and, with that, a few bigger beats add more of a contemporary pop edge without losing the traditional elements of the core melody. There’s nothing too flashy here: the performers clearly understand that this track should be driven by its lyrical content, and terms of a creating a folky ballad that’ll click with the adult pop market, everything has been pitched just perfectly.
Here’s something that should be familiar to most, redressed for the twenty first century. Matthew Ryan Jacobs has taken ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ by INXS and reworked it in his own image, firstly by placing a vocal against a stripped back guitar, then by adding a retro, echoing electric tone that owes more to the likes of Tito & Tarantula than the Aussie pop-rock heroes who first bought the song to the masses. It suits the slightly moodier edge, particularly during the lead guitar break when Jacobs shares a really impressive tone, but he’s still managed to be wholly respectful of the INXS legacy at every turn. Although this could have, perhaps, taken far more of an inventive approach, it’s still a pleasure to hear an old favourite in new hands.
Back in 2008, Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee released their sole album. The self titled disc was reissued in April ’26 with bonus cuts, and ‘Fine Young Cannibals’ was touted as a “focus track”. It’s fair to say it isn’t especially uplifting, but in terms of bringing some fairly trad folk sounds to an indie audience, Hefner man Darren Heyman and friends do a fine job. The number sets a mid tempo strum in place, and by taking a leisurely, unfussy approach, it gives Wave Pictures man David Tattersall plenty of space to weave a light, wavering vocal that seems strangely uneasy. His tones, although never the most melodic, are well suited to a lyric that likens the protagonists to “beautiful animals”, further extending the band’s pastoral and slightly detached qualities. This won’t be for everyone, but those who find some connection here would benefit from checking out the album, where the harmony drenched ‘Sly and The Family Stone’ and upbeat trad-folk of ‘Jam-Eater Blues’ provide further highlights.
Falling somewhere between pub rock and rough power pop, veteran band The Jack Rubies capture an attention grabbing live sound on ‘Boat Rocker’. Between the raw sounding guitar and almost impossibly loud sounding keys, it takes a bar or two before your ears fully tune into this track, but there’s a brilliant melody desperate to escape. The jangling riffs that takes centre stage owe more to early Lloyd Cole than The Raspberries, and there’s even a pinch of Soft Boys colouring what proves to be an insanely catchy melody. Almost as if fully aware that the live sounding mix isn’t the most sympathetic, The Rubies leave nothing to chance by way of (almost) over-compensation: the relentless whoahs that fill this number’s chorus are bound to stick.
Pitched as having “a sound that could level cities”, Dissentience present themselves quite aggressively throughout ‘Kaiju’, the lead number from their 2026 EP of the same name. The bulk of the performance attacks with a thrash speed, but the grittier edge and grumbling bass ensure this isn’t a thrash metal workout; instead, the US band take on a speed driven take on a classic hardcore sound, taking the force of bands like Earth Crisis and fusing that with the relentless drive of Walls of Jericho and early Lamb of God. What transpires is a superb metal/hardcore crossover, a recording where the guttural vocals are equally matched by filthy guitar lines. More importantly, there’s a grinding edge beneath the thrash that gives Dissentience an extra edge. They sound great when ploughing ahead at full speed, but even better when slowing to introduce more of a groove. Between those two factors, ‘Kaiju’ is a juggernaut of a track, but it’s also pleasingly complex: the combination of pure pneumatic rhythms, atonal lead guitars filling the lengthy instrumental break and odd post-metal inspired angularity creeping in before the final verse proves that these guys know their way around a great arrangement. A track not to be missed.
Adam Wedd has released several strong pop rock tracks, but ‘Here We Go Again’ takes a welcome detour into something that feels a little more rootsy. Armed with an acoustic guitar, Adam opens the track with a rather bright sounding riff setting an optimistic mood in place. He uses that as the basis for a melody that utilises sparsely played notes to back a slightly warbly, yet heartfelt vocal. The stripped back qualities of the first half of the number really allow more of an insight into his great voice, before a slight increase in tempo sells a genuinely great hook. Parts of this number recall bits of the Jack Johnson catalogue, while Wedd’s guitar tones occasionally resemble some of the great work set down by the underrated Willy Porter. At all times, though, the brilliant vocal steals the show. Whether you’re already a fan, or this happens to be the first time you’ve encountered Adam Wedd, ‘Here We Go Again’ should prove to be especially catchy.
Bringing together members of Flogging Molly and Throw Rag, The A100s’ ‘Too Rad To Be Sad’ taps into a very old school sound. Casting aside the Celtic punk jigs that put Molly on the map, this explores influences from first wave Jamaican ska and Blue Beat. The retro tones really come through via the prominent bass and muted horns, but even more so via a drum sound that’s pleasingly flat, capturing a mid 60s feel throughout. A slightly gravelly vocal is a surprisingly natural fit with an easy groove, selling a great chorus hook in such a way that – despite the slang terms used – makes this genuinely feel like a revived classic. A fantastic track.
One of the most unexpected arrivals during the first weeks of 2026 came from Rina Rain. The nine minute ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ opens with a deep drone, then appears in no real hurry to move on. Over time, Rina adds different tones and bell-like percussive sounds to build atmosphere, whilst repeating the title as a mantra. Eventually, the repetitive melody is peppered with a few backmasked noises, and the loop is eventually broken by sparse piano. Having reached a natural end, the piece continues, only now repeating its vocal mantra at twice the tempo, making use of multi-layered voices to build even more interest. Falling squarely between new age experimentation and the chill out end of the world music spectrum, this is destined for a very specific audience, but it’s certainly worth hearing.
In terms of “electronica”, you’d be hard pressed to find anything more pure than ‘Sternenabfall’ by Shape Navigator. From the off, this single works a fantastic analogue sound via a drone of keys, but then builds into something with a massively retro appeal. The arrival of hard beats suggests an interest in early OMD, while the tone of the keys and the main melody appear to take influence from ‘Rendezvous’ era Jarre and early 90s chip-tunes for the Nintendo Game Boy. The results can seem harsh at first, but over time, this very nostalgic sound reveals plenty of charm, even if continues to appear a little cold.
Micah and The Mirrors pull no punches on ‘Hungry Hungry Heart’. Opening with a couple of dirty sounding power chords, the track wears its garage rock heart on its sleeve, and as it motors forth with a world of chopping guitar lines and a rough and ready vocal, it soon sounds like a great homage to Johnny Thunders in bigger boots. The sharp edged verses are cool, but it’s the chorus and instrumental break that really impress here, with overdriven riffs underscored by stabbed piano, and a the arrival of a fuzzed up lead guitar that makes no bones about this band’s raucous intentions. An early release from Micah Morris (formerly of Fast Eddy), this promises a band capable of genuine greatness.
When it comes to creating an atmosphere building intro, Clocktowers’ ‘Eye’ is hugely effective. Clean guitar notes weave a gothic toned melody with dark folk overtones, leading the listener into a world where it isn’t immediately clear what lies ahead. The arrival of a huge melodic rock riff isn’t anywhere near as interesting, but this band’s blend of hard rock, goth rock and old school melodic metal certainly isn’t without merit. The core of this number manages to blend some great 80s metal chops with an Andrew Eldridge-esque vocal, and the band’s more melodic edges help to create something that’s far more palatable than Paradise Lost. For those who like old school goth metal, it’s certainly a track worth checking out.
A track that doesn’t fit comfortably into any genre pigeonhole, Lucha Luna’s ‘Macha del Sol’ takes a garage rock abrasiveness, applies that to a mid tempo beat that feels like it should be more at home on an angry alternative dance track, and then throws in an accordion for a strong European flavour and a Spanish lyric. Almost everything attacks with a genuine edge, except for the accordion, which maintains an unsettling presence due to taking a dominant role on the kind of track where it shouldn’t belong. The shar is striking, but if anything sticks in the longer term, it’ll be the various shouted refrains which are used as musical punctuation throughout. Lucha Luna clearly aren’t about “fun”, but they’ve definitely created something that’s rather curious – and impossible to ignore.
Magic Wands’ ‘Moonshadow’ from 2025 was a superb piece of synth goth/dream pop. Building upon a mechanical rhythm not too far removed from a couple of ‘Seventeen Seconds’ era Cure tracks, the upbeat number thrilled with a wavering goth-tinged guitar line and ethereal vocals. The 2026 remix by Canadian duo Delirium presents a very different animal indeed. The tempo has been slowed to around half speed; the once mechanical drums now take on a slow, pounding presence which adds a much darker tone, and during the number’s quieter intro, sparse dream pop sounds lend a superb sense of atmosphere. With the vocal also stripped back and the core of the number driven by a deep bass synth, the only thing it has in common with the source material is an obvious 80s influence. However, it feels as if everything has been changed for the better: the remix allows stronger melodies room to breathe throughout, and the slower vocal has a ghostly presence that’s strangely alluring. Stretching to over six minutes, this should now be considered the definitive version of the song.
There’s a brilliant contrast in place at the outset of Amongst Liars’ ‘Repair Myself’ when a bendy synth tone with a hint of darkwave collides with a dirty groove metal guitar riff. Once the melody stretches out, however, such a contrast isn’t as striking. That’s certainly not to say the track isn’t impressive: the way the band wield a massive riff with echoes of Royal Blood and steer that a little further towards the interests of an alternative metal crowd allows for a genuinely great sound, and the way melodic vocal sit naturally against a crushing riff gives this track an immense power. And that’s without taking into account the bass led interlude that feels a little funky, or the re-emergence of the synths to bring a welcome edge. There’s a lot packed into these three minutes, making this the kind of single that deserves to bring Amongst Liars to an even bigger audience.
In terms of adult pop-rock, David Haerle takes an interesting approach on the rather fun ‘Tucumcare Tonight!’. He manages to blend a classic yacht rock sound with a pinch of funk and an almost Latin groove, which creates something quite perky. A lyric concerning a child’s car journey “1000 years from school” and his excitement of exploring a dinosaur theme park is definitely at odds with music from the world of State Cows, but that only makes this feel even more interesting. With a world of harmony vocals, jazz guitar tones, and a really complex arrangement in hand, this isn’t just about offering people a quick musical fix: it rewards with each successive play, without becoming dull. Yes, there’s so much about this single that could be viewed deeply unfashionable, but as part of your summer soundtrack, it’s a genuine banger.
June 2026