A run through of December’s new releases
Megaphoney
On The Run
Megaphoney is the new solo venture for singer-songwriter Peter Merchant, formerly of Phantom Isle. Megaphoney dial up the drama on On The Run, a dark, cinematic slow-burn that trades indie punch for shadowy atmosphere. Co-written with fellow Northampton artist Jay Brooks (Ginger Snaps), the track unfolds like a midnight chase scene — brooding electronics, looming guitars and vocals heavy with paranoia. It’s tense, stylish and quietly menacing, pulling you deeper with every measured step forward.
thistle.
Tied
thistle. come out swinging on Tied, a breathless burst of fuzz and frustration that barely pauses for air before it’s gone. Swathes of blown-out guitar collide with a punchy hardcore backbone, while the vocal rides the line between defiance and quiet burnout. It’s messy in the best way — urgent, hooky and over almost as soon as it begins, leaving a lingering sting behind.
Tom Rose & The Heathen Orchestra
The Day The Penny Dropped
Tom Rose & The Heathen Orchestra conjure a dark carnival on Day The Penny Dropped, a swaggering, roots-soaked number, wrapped in macabre theatrics. Clattering percussion, wheezing keys and a ragged brass frame, it is a sermon delivered with gravel-throated conviction. Think Tom Waits meets Nick Cave at a travelling freak show — sinister, theatrical and gloriously unhinged. The Day The Penny Dropped is part of a repertoire that includes other tracks such as Keep Those Demons, Dance To Hell, and Clay On Wood.
Lite Sleeper
Rumble
Lite Sleeper crank the pressure on Rumble, a pulsating electronic cut that pairs club-ready muscle with a surprisingly organic undercurrent. Glitchy textures and a weighty low end build around the debut vocal from new member Connor, whose delivery adds a human edge to the circuitry. It’s sleek but not sterile — a track that surges rather than explodes, proving the Northampton collective can hit hard without losing nuance.
72%
I’m Not Happy (And That’s On You Three)
72% return from a five-year silence with I’m Not Happy (And That’s On You Three), a gloriously unhinged blast of frequency-fried chaos. Synths combine with sound effects that lurch in and out of the mix, colliding with the trio’s math-rock precision to create something thrillingly unstable. It’s noisy, unpredictable and defiantly out of step with anything else around — a jolt to the system and proof they’ve lost none of their bite.
Factor 50
Year Of The Zebra
Factor 50 charge ahead on Year of the Zebra, a tightly wound alt-rock cut that balances muscular riffs with a restless, off-kilter energy. The verses simmer with coiled tension before snapping into a punchy, hook-laden chorus that sticks on first listen. In a year officially belonging to the horse, this zebra refuses to be tamed — urgent, gritty and built for volume.