Track #4: 7/10/2026
PSA up front since it is TOMORROW: I want to alert you all that there is going to be a Daikaiju attack at Neptunes on Saturday. If you have seen Daikaiju, you know what's up and I'll see ya there. If you're unfamiliar, a Daikaiju "attack" is one of the craziest instrumental surf rock shows you'll ever see and you should experience it at least once in your life. So, if you don't have plans for Saturday night, now you do. If you DO have plans... cancel them (duh).
From my first Daikaiju show:
Missed Connections:
Albums that came out in May, but I didn't hear 'em in time to put them on the May playlist.
Wheelchair Sports Camp - oh imperfecta [Experimental Rap/Punk]
One of the most punk rock things I've heard all year. When Comedian James Acaster was on Seth Meyers' show earlier this year promoting his NYC show he also hyped up an in-store Q&A event he was doing in Denver which ended up being streamed and recorded due to said hype - so I watched it. Musician and disability rights activist Kalyn Heffernan joined him for that in-store because they're friends and she's from Denver (they also collaborated on Acaster's Temps record), thus my introduction to Wheelchair Sports Camp. If you need more than my - and James Acaster's - endorsement, this new record was released on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. oh imperfecta goes hard start to finish. One of the songs also features the intro from her appearance on Democracy Now back in 2017. Here's just a taste:
gladie - No Need To Be Lonely [Indie Rock]
Hook-laced indie rock from Philly produced by Jeff Rosenstock.
Kevin Morby - Little Wide Open [Indie Rock/Folk]
Midwestern vibin'.
June 2026 Monthly Report Playlist:
Before I get into the playlist, here's one that didn't make the cut because their music isn't on bandcamp and thus I can't add them on Buy Music Club. Womp womp.
Trooper Salute - 友達がいました [J-Rock]
This was a recommended album in Qobuz when it came out. "Symphonic indie rock" that plays around in dream pop, dancey city pop, and jazz-funk lanes. Charming af.
Stream the June 2026 Monthly Report playlist on Buy Music Club while you read along and don't forget to check out my previous monthly reports if you've missed 'em.
Alrighty, the main playlist is all over the place this month. We've got some rap, some country, some metal, and more. It was a solid month that contained a handful of records I've been looking forward to. Let's dive in!
Vince Staples - Cry Baby [Alternative Hip-Hop]
This one stopped me in my proverbial tracks after first listen. Punk-laced hip-hop that puts Staples on the shelf up next to Bob Vylan. Drop the needle, turn up that volume.
Beth Orton - The Ground Above [Folktronica]
Dark, raw, and graceful. This is one of those records you put on and just let wash over you.
WIDOWSPEAK - Roses [Cosmic Country]
Smooth indie rock that rolls into some psychedelic country twang. If you like Wednesday, Kevin Morby, Daniel Romano, etc. methinks you'll enjoy this record immensely.
The Infinity Ring - The Isle of Skye [Dark Folk]
Fans of Mark Lanegan (RIP) and Nick Cave are sure to find something to love in this dark, broody, and beautifully arranged album.
Scivic Rivers - Ghosts of My Life [Psych-tinged Folk Rock]
Durham-based Randy Bickford's latest release (not quite an EP, rather an A side with a B side to follow later) is jam packed with his signature hauntingly beautiful songcraft. All four songs are goosebump-inducing, but the back half of the last track, "Empire Haunts" (which I picked for the playlist), is an absolute treat.
American Aquarium - New Ways To Lose [Countrified Rock'n'Roll]
When they released their last album, The Fear of Standing Still, I said only BJ Barham could pull off a line like "Raise hell, praise Dale, death's coming for us all." In the same vein, only BJ Barham could use the Dollar General as a songwriting device in a Springsteen-esque ballad about our broken country. This record turned up both the piss & vinegar and the rock & roll a bit more than the last few and I'm 100% here for it. The song I picked for the playlist, "Twin Flames," stands out particularly as BJ puts a bit of soul into his vocal delivery, mixing in some horn arrangements to boot.
River Shook - S/T [Country]
Their first release since dissolving the Disarmers is a pensive, honest, and raw country record. Pairs well with the American Aquarium record making June a solid month for North Carolina alt-country.
Las Robertas - All We Need is Now [Psychedelic Rock]
I have an ongoing digital note list of upcoming records I'm excited about. Las Robertas was on there. For some reason I had it written down they were releasing a new record in February, so my dumb ass put a track from their 2023 album on my February monthly report. I swear I checked the release date in several places. Or maybe I just thought it was 2023 when putting the playlist together. ANYWAYS, this is the Las Robertas record from 2026 that I was waiting for. Fantastic Colombian psych rock.
SLIFT - FANTASIA [Heavy Psych/Space Rock]
I've been following SLIFT for a while now. They actually filled out a mini-interview for Global Garage way back when that ended up becoming one of the show website's SEO rankers after they blew up post-UMMON. I'll admit I was a little skeptical about this new record upon hearing the first single, "A Storm of Wings." It was a little rougher and chaotic than I expected, but it was also a hint they might be mixing things up. ILION was a great record, but I think it lived in the shadow of UMMON which really saw them coming into their own sound and, in tandem with their KEXP session, blew them up. ILION felt like a rehashing or refining of that sound. If ILION was your first introduction to SLIFT, I could see that being favored over UMMON. UMMON blew my socks off when I first heard it, along with their subsequent Levitation Sessions performance, and ILION just didn't quite grab me in that memorable way. I was wrong with my initial first impression, FANTASIA rules, but it's a grower. "A Storm of Wings" fits much better in the context of the rest of the record once you get used to Jean's effect-stripped vocals. The vocals are a bit more raw and the riffs more earthen. It's SLIFT through-and-through, but it's a refreshing and needed evolution to their sound. On further reflection, the contrast between the album art of their previous records and FANTASIA represents the shift in sound and feel quite well.
Üga Büga - Valley of the Wolf ["Hog Rock"]
The goofballs in Üga Büga put out one of the most-fun records I've heard all year. They've really come into their sound which blends sludge, stoner, and nu-metal. It's a solid hard rock banger from start to finish. I challenge you to listen to this record without makin' a "stank face" at least once.
MAKE - Exegesis at the End of Time [Post-Metal]
Almost exactly a decade after their previous release, MAKE is back with more of their excellent heavy, droned out post-metal. The same "stank face" challenge applies equally here, as well.
Shows of Note (for those in central NC)
7/11 - DAIKAIJU!!!!!!! (@ Neptunes)
7/17 - Wailin Storms album release show (@ Stanczyks)
8/5 - The Body / BIG|BRAVE (@ The Pinhook)
9/20 - W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend to Cause Havoc) - (@ Stanczyks)
Doomsday Profit
We have two shows coming up and they're both hometown shows at the Pinhook. And you should come to both. Why? Because the bands we're playing with are amazing. Slumbering Sun is guitarmony-laced doom metal glory from Texas. Lie Heavy is a band of local TITANS and LEGENDS. And we haven't played with Smoke since before we put out our split together. From our end, the sets will be a bit different from each other and there'll be new songs in there 'cuz we're in the middle of writing a new record. That also means we're probably not going to be playing much anymore this year after these shows as we hunker down and get to work. Also, Kevin's gonna be on the road a lot with Crystal Spiders this fall so... get yer ass to these shows or risk not seeing us live until 2027!
7/19 - The Pinhook - Durham (w/ Slumbering Sun & Skull Servant) [tix]
8/28 - The Pinhook - Durham (w/ Lie Heavy, Iguanahead, & Smoke) [tix]
Global Garage on WHUP FM
Listen live to Global Garage on WHUP every Sunday from 1pm-3pm EST or stream episode archives for two weeks on the WHUP website.
Let's Make A Mixtape Podcast
Targeting September... maybe October... release for Season 3.
Bite Back!
Thanks for making it this far. I'd love feedback if you have any, please let me know what you think! What would you like to see more of? Less of? What albums did you love so far this year that I've totally missed? What albums are you looking forward to? What shows are you looking forward to?
Until next month. Keep those ears open, keep those minds open, and keep those borders open.
-Ryan
