I listen to a lot of music. No, really. If I’m not catching up on what my fellow writers are putting down or doing homework for the Crushed Monocle Podcast (remember that?) I’ve always got my ear to the ground. There’s so much music out there that it’s hard to keep a cohesive list. While the podcast is a great way to discuss a few records each month, I feel I’m undercutting some of the other records that got repeated spins. What’s the remedy? This column! This is The Showcase May 2026.
Cola – Cost of Living Adjustment
Even with only one record and some scattered singles under their belts, I still thought Cola had pretty much conquered their brand of art rock. But their newest album, Cost of Living Adjustment, surprised me! On this go-around, their style has grown almost into power-pop territory. While the record retains the band’s dark sense of humor, the vibe is light and hook-driven. I don’t know how long this particular side quest will last, but Cola has definitely given me the feel-good record of the summer.
Birth (Defects) – Fictional Days
After 2025’s Deceiver/Mirror, I was beyond stoked for a proper follow-up from this Baltimore gang of noise rock aficionados. Unfortunately, with the release of Fictional Days, the band announced it would be their final release. As their proverbial swan song, the delivered a collection of alternate versions of previously released songs as well as a handful of covers. As sad as I am to see them go, the album provided a satisfying listen! I especially love their version of Sonic Youth’s “Sunday”.
Stephanie Nicole – Kali
It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Stephanie Nicole, but I have been ready for her triumphant return for months! Fusing soul, jazz, and ’60s rock n’ roll, Kali embodies the very essence of what I love about R&B. Anything that makes me plug in my Fender Jazz bass and play along gets an automatic gold star from me.
Stalled – Pave Desire
Previous releases from Chicago-based Stalled had me thinking shoegaze, but Pave Desire definitely leans further into post-hardcore. But that’s not all that this band can do. Along with some Deftones-esque flavor, this album reminds me of early Failure and some Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. Every track features its own personal plot twist, making it one of the most interesting rock albums in The Showcase this month.
Split Chain – “Scatterbrain“
I know it’s only a single track, but I seriously can’t get enough of this band.
Daisy Grenade – So Much To Say
With bands like Momma and The Beaches (and to a degree, mainstream darlings like Olivia Rodrigo), the ’90s have clawed their way back into the rock genre. As someone who rocked the mother out to The Breeders and Veruca Salt as a 13-year-old in 1996, I’m pretty okay with that! Daisy Grenade is a duo take it a step further with this EP, which is snotty and bruised, but with just enough self-awareness. What a fun band.
Baratro – No Comply
Somewhere between Helmet and Unsane comes this Italian sludge rock act that features a celloist! The riffs may be larger than life, but No Comply isn’t exactly just a knuckle-dragging chug factory. The album delivers plenty of artistic nuance and sometimes even shoegaze flavor, elevating it above what you’re expecting.
PLOT – Food Chain
For their sophomore record, PLOT delivers a slab of industrial-tinged avant-garde filth that acts more like a sonic assault than recorded music. Uncompromising and claustrophobic, Food Chain is a masterclass in extremity. One minute, it’s driven by gnarly, distorted bass; the next, it’s synth-heavy, like Devo’s evil twin! The whole thing is just weird, making it the perfect album for The Showcase.
Sikander Isa – Hold Your Horses
Sometimes you need a gothic western dirge combining distorted vocals and overdriven bass. I mean, what else are you and your skeleton horse gonna listen to while you’re fighting the undead on a cold night in a lonely desert?
Moon Pussy – At the Pace of Outrage
For their 4th LP, Denver’s Moon Pussy refines their signature brand of noise rock without losing any of their infamous grit or wit. Even at their gnarliest, there’s an endearing quality here that shows the band isn’t too concerned with taking themselves too seriously. Who says hardcore can’t be fun, anyway? The Ghost Is Clear never fails to deliver.
Terror – Still Suffer
After 10 albums and 20 years in the business, is it fair to assume a band will grow? Not when it’s hardcore! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! In fact, a band like Terror is far more cathartic when they’re breaking it even further. Still Suffer is like the deformed loved child of Hatebreed and Slayer, kicking and punching you in the face at the same time.
Old Coffins – Mired in the Past
The only thing I really know about Old Coffins is they’re from Kansas, and they make weird, pseudo-electronic music. That might be enough to turn a lot of people off, and I get it. But there’s just something endearing about Mired in the Past. The album has all the glitches and twitches you’d expect, but it’s done in this strange, organic way where not making sense is what makes it make sense. Lo-fi, fizzy, and at times even gothic, Old Coffins is like a ghost making a chopped and screwed mixtape from beyond the grave.
Michael – Songs From The Motion Picture
No sane music fan was begging the universe for yet another sterile Michael Jackson greatest hits compilation. Yet, much like Antoine Fuqua’s cinematic undertaking, the official companion album is a streamlined, chronological, and psychological blueprint. Across 13 tracks, the record carves out an undeniable, bittersweet throughline tracing a tragic evolution. Mapping the transition from the dizzying, pure-pop prodigy of The Jackson 5 into the unstoppable, blindingly bright solo star before ultimately morphing into the towering, isolated monolith of Thriller and Bad.
While it’s not a complete hits package (it doesn’t even feature half songs from the film itself) it’s still a sonic timeline of a life lived under a microscope. Even while navigating the suffocating wreckage of an abusive father, predatory industry handlers, and weaponized institutional racism, the art remained flawless. It’s a stark, deeply moving reminder that even if you’re not a fan, the music itself was and still is entirely unbreakable.
Thanks for checking out The Showcase for May 2026! Check out previous installments of The Showcase here!