The Rooks ‘Noise and Confusion’ 

Glasgow band The Rooks have shared their debut EP ‘Noise and Confusion’. A band who have cultivated a large word-of-mouth following off the back of a few raucous and memorable live shows, including at our own TENEMENT TRAIL, they’ve now laid down all that early potential in this five-track release. With each track (bar the opener) broaching the five minute mark or more, it’s an ambitious collection that showcases old-school indie influences like The Strokes, Oasis and Kings of Leon, shifting from punchy rockers like the title track to emotive, stripped back numbers like ‘Carry You Home’. Bringing together big epic rock instrumentals with resonant lyrics, it’s a statement of intent of a band undeniably on the rise. And to top off a huge year, they play Glasgow Art School on 20th December.

They say: “Noise & Confusion brings the energy of live – where we feel our music is experienced in its purest form with the strongest connection between us and the fans. It’s just us five on the record. Our songs are about finding the feeling, it’s a timeless sound. There’s a universal truth in these songs that’ll be here long after we are. Noise & Confusion is the first statement – we’re here and here to stay.”

Jacob Alon ‘the alon salon’ 

Jacob Alon became the first ever Scottish winner of the BBC Introducing Artist of the Year this week – following the footsteps of Olivia Dean, Arlo Parks, Tom Grennan and other huge names. It’s another milestone in what has been a huge year – with their debut album ‘In Limerence’ earning extraordinary praise and nominations for the Mercury Prize and the Say Award. Now, to top off a huge year, the singer-songwriter has shared a new EP called ‘the alon salon’ in which they offer five new intimate renditions of songs from that debut album, recorded at The Mash House in Edinburgh. It takes the material to a new ethereal level, shining a light on their stunning vocals against lush strings and pared back arrangements.

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West ‘Feeble’

Fresh from headlining Resonate in Glasgow last night, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West are back with ‘Feeble’ – a track that features both Helicon and AI Lover. It’s a brooding, angry return that sees the frontman spitting his lyrics over a sinister backdrop of searing guitars and relentless beats, gaining intensity as it moves towards a dramatic finale. Marking his first release since the start of the year, it marks another shift for the singer-songwriter as he takes his sound down a darker and more intense route. It’s currently available on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to those affected by the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Pleasure Trail ‘Alone At Night’ 

Following on from ‘I’m Just Exhausted’ and ‘Spartanism’, Glasgow’s Pleasure Trail has shared a new punchy single called ‘Alone At Night’. Written in the aftermath of their first long-term relationship, the track finds the songwriter and producer grappling with lost trust and feelings of isolation – their diaristic lyrics delivered over an upbeat instrumental, defined by 909 beats, glitchy synths and driving bass lines. And despite the upbeat, vibrant nature of the track, it’s still imbued with a sense of melancholy. A debut EP is expected to arrive next year – so keep your eyes peeled.

Shay O’Dowd  ‘Since We Divided’ 

It’s been a big year for young singer-songwriter Shay O’Dowd – selling out King Tuts before releasing any music, releasing his debut EP ‘Growing Pains’ and being crowned ‘Scottish Breakthrough Act 2025’ at the Scottish Music Award. Now he’s shaping up for the release of his second EP ‘Saying It Now’ and a St Lukes headline at the end of the year on 23rd December. To propel his momentum even further, he’s shared a moving new single called ‘Since We Divided’ about a lost love.

He said: “Since We Divided is a song that I wrote a few years ago but it’s had a huge impact on my career since then. I was 18 and wrote it just after coming back from Canada where I was lucky enough to do an internship for a few months (nothing music related). I had met someone out there and although it was only a brief relationship, it sparked the inspiration behind writing this song. I learned a lot in those few months away on my own, one of them being that we’re all forever growing and changing which means not all relationships are meant to be permanent. I wanted to write a song that captured that sort of “right person wrong time” scenario.”

“I remember coming home from the session after writing it and playing it to my parents. I genuinely had never got a reaction for them like that before as they’re always brutally honest So I played it to a few more people and the reaction was the same. It felt like the first song that actually gave me confidence in my songwriting, and I knew the bar had been set for the next songs to follow.”

Hot Face ‘Pink Liquor’ 

New to Speedy Wunderground, London psych-funk trio Hot Face have announced details of their debut album ‘Automated Response’ next year on 23rd January. This week they shared the brilliant ‘Pink Liquor’ – fuzzy, gritty, absurd and instantly addictive. Meant to reflect the unhinged nature of addiction, it ticks al the boxes and then some – a fiery slice of garage-punk that careens in at just under three minutes.

They say: “‘Pink Liquor’ is an explosive and raw anti-ode to chaotic hedonism and the madness that follows. A rapid-fire slice of garage-punk that wastes no time. Lyrically, Pink Liquor is a dadaist-collection of vignettes that highlight the unhinged nature of addiction, its chaotic rush and ultimately, it’s consequences. The characters within the song are based upon people whose paths I’ve crossed along the way whose stories reflect those themes – Ugly Joe, for example, was a middle-aged alcoholic satirical cartoonist from the Czech Republic whom I befriended only to find 3 months later that they had died from an overdose. The track is neither a glorification nor a condemnation. It just is.”

Really Good Time ‘Shit One’ 

Dublin trio Really Good One deal in hook-laden, fuzz-laden post-punk, making themselves known on the Irish live circuit with one memorable live show after another. This week they’ve dropped ‘Shit One’ – a track that captures their explosive live energy and then some. ‘You told me it was going to get better’ they quip over a grooving instrumental – even though it’s far from it. They say: “Shit One is about a culture that revels in the spectacle of doom; it’s about stoking anxiety, selling nostalgia, and all the nihilism that brings. Things will just get better. Things should just get better. Why hasn’t anything gotten better?”

“The song is written from that spiral, from watching the world burn outside your window while trying to soldier on, shoulder to the wheel of whatever can distract you for long enough.”

ENNY ‘Selfridges’ 

South London rapper ENNY has made a great return with ‘Selfridges’ – a track defined by her trademark incisive lyrics, delivered over an instrumental created with Leeds’ Gotts Street Park.

ENNY comments: “This song came about after a session with Gotts Street Park to finish ‘Mountains’ in 2022. We had a little jam nothing serious, they played, I wrote and drank a magnum as I did back then. I loved that the music was so happy go lucky but I wasn’t. I heard the demo again last year and it still felt as fun as it did when we recorded it. And it reminded me that I just want to have fun and be as creatively alive when making music. And how do I make this feel more alive? We create a world around it!”

Check out the playlist below: