The fortnightly five - 15 September 2026

A rundown of five fresh items on my headphones from the last fortnight

Alphabethead - Misanthrope (Bandcamp)
Wanganui's favourite turntablist and producer, Alphabethead (David Morrison), has teamed up with morph-punk animator Dr D Foothead and just released a music video for 'Misanthrope'. This comes off the album dropped late last year, My Name Is David. The video is mad professor vibes. Delightfully gooey, anthropomorphic images are fed directly into a little lab creature's brain. We watch it mutate and grow along with the bouncy beats, stretched signals and cosmic bleep bloops. Will this musical experiment make it a messed-up little mutant? I'm glad this has popped up in my traps again. Alphabethead's live set is indescribably wild. I've been blessed to catch him performing this album twice in the last year. If you happen to be in Te Whanganui-a-Tara this Friday 18th, do check him out at Meow. The lineup is also killer with Grecco Romank, Bone Chapel and Lady Lazer Light as well! (Tickets here)

SorchaLula - Why So Far (feat. Merlin Webster) (Linktr.ee)
Slightly steamy, semi-exotic and edging on hungry - 'Why so far' is the debut single for Te Whanganui-a-Tara electronic artist SorchaLula. Slipping into the late-night grooves of deep house this track provides a little sizzle over a nonchalant guitar melody. What could be a sparse track is texturised up with pops of brass, hints of scratchiness and little tastes of dub, giving plenty of interesting moments for the ear to hang onto. Keep an eye out for her playing on the Aotearoa summer festival schedule.

The Animeros - ¡Qué Bárbaro! (Official Site)

Sometimes the only thing to jolt you out of a deep funk is a serving of spicy cumbia. The Animeros deliver this by the spoonful on their debut album ¡Qué Bárbaro!. It's a mix of old-school South American-psych, garage rock, and southern beats. We have quivering organ solos, nimble surf-rock guitar licks, and hypnotic syncopation. Producer Dan Auerbach (of Black Keys fame) corals this Austin Texas quintet into tasty wee dish full of zest and pop.

Arab Strap – Half-Told Tales (Official Site)

I am an absolute sucker for Aidan Moffat's brougish lilt and the way he weaves iambic verses over waves of dark electronica. Their latest album, Half-Told Tales, delivers those bangers aplenty. Packed with acerbic one-liners this is an album of disillusionment and betrayal. The Gen Xers have all grown up. The shiny world promised by the boomers never came true and all that's left are broken systems to hand down to their piteous kids. A poetic swipe at the geo-political landscape but boiled down and played through moments of intimacy and the everyday.

Peaches -You're Alright (Official site)

Rounding off this week, and cementing the filth-list spot, we have
the indelible Peaches!
Her album No Lube, So Rude, dropped in February, after a 10-year release hiatus. This means every couple of months we get treated to a new music video - and I'm not complaining! This one is beautifully disturbing. Grotesque organ-like creatures, clad in red-latex, chase Peaches through the streets of Paris. While pulsing dance beats and electro punk drive home the message 'You're Alright'. An allegory of radical self-acceptance and love. Thanks, Peaches! I really needed that affirmation the filthy repugnant parts of me are fabulous too ;)

Thank you again to all my readers. Remember that listening to new music is good for the brain and soul. If you have a fresh tune you wish to share, please email me: waxonandonandon@gmail.com.