It’s been a minute, but Noteworthy Nods is back, this time slightly revamped for 2026. Moving forward, the series will now run as a monthly playlist compiling our top 20 singles of the month. Between the latest releases that caught our ear and your regular recommendations, we’ve pulled together a batch that showcases both the variety and pulse of the current scene.
January’s highlights included an out-of-the-blue return from Embrace, who came back swinging with the instantly chantalong “Road To Nowhere,” pointing toward their ninth album Avalanche, due June 12. Pet Needs followed suit with the tongue-twisting banger “Hey You Hey You (Are You Are You OK OK?),” doubling down on their wired, shout-along energy.
The Molotovs dropped their hugely anticipated debut LP this week, with final pre-release single “Get A Life” landing as a frenetic punk firecracker. Dead Pony, back after a period away, sound newly unfiltered on “Eat My Dust,” one of their heaviest cuts yet, as Anna Shields lets loose in full-bodied, cathartic scream mode. Things are rounded out by Reverend and the Makers, who lean into late-night melancholy on the slinky, keyboard-led “Twenty-Seven Past Midnight.”
And that’s just the tip of this month’s picks. Whatever your mood, the Noteworthy Nods playlist below has a stack of fresh tracks ready to soundtrack the weeks ahead, before we return at the end of February.
Alongside our weekly track picks, Noteworthy Nods brings you regular videocast interviews with emerging and established artists we think are worth your attention. Catch every episode on the playlist HERE, featuring names like The Lemonheads, The Subways, The Slow Readers Club, The Lottery Winners, The Lilacs, Starsailor, Kyle Falconer, Cast, Shed Seven, Turin Brakes, Embrace, and many more.
