It’s August, and we are living for music festival season, ice cream dates, long walks in the park, and beach days where you may or may not burn… If you need the right playlist for your summer vacay, idobi Radio has the best new metal, indie, pop-punk, and rock finds that just dropped in August. From Teen Mortgage to Dead Poet Society and beyond, these new songs will be your favorite new listens this month.
Teen Mortgage — “Democracy Manifest”
Teen Mortgage just wrote a song that many Americans and beyond can relate to. Everything feels a little more dystopian, right? The duo says, “‘Democracy Manifest’ manifested itself naturally. As the USA draws closer to resembling Big Brother and Oceania in 1984, we needed to vent our frustrations around having to engage with a society that takes everything and gives little to nothing back; each and every facet of American life has become a scam.” You can hear their gritty punk anthems for yourself in North America this fall as they tour with Rise Against and Alkaline Trio.
Live Well — “Good Ones”
Live Well is finally back after nearly 6 years away. The emo punks have revealed their poignant and utterly electric single “GOOD ONES,” which is just one part of their upcoming EP MORE THAN YOU CAN GIVE, due on September 3. Frontman Paul Masbad says of the release, “‘GOOD ONES’ is about a time in my life where I was one of the few people of color in predominantly white spaces. More often than not, I’d find myself in situations where people around me would, maybe without realizing, say some pretty heinous and racist things to me. In a way, ‘GOOD ONES’ is the confrontation I’ve always wanted to be in those situations but couldn’t. In a way, it’s my attempt to take back that term ‘good one.’ It’s for anyone who’s been called that in their lives.”
Of the forthcoming EP, he adds that it’s “made up of songs written 6 years ago. Revisiting them now was like traveling back in time and having a conversation with our past selves. Each song is a representation of who I was, who I am, and who I want to become. It’s the band’s past, present, and future in eight minutes.”
Dead Poet Society — “Cold”
Ahead of their massive tour with Honey Revenge, Dead Poet Society has just revealed their single “Cold” from their album Monarch, due on October 2, via Spinefarm Records. Drummer Will Goodroad says, “People today are constantly performing for one another, competing for a place in social hierarchy. We slowly reshape ourselves, cutting away parts of who we are to gain acceptance and validation. Over time, we lose touch with our passions, forget why we do what we do, and stop recognizing who we really are – or what we truly believe, if anything at all. ‘Cold’ is about recognizing that reality and choosing to indulge in it anyway.”
PETEY USA — “Andy’s Gotta Bang”
Petey USA didn’t unveil just one new song this August…he unveiled his whole album, oooo. Featuring four new tracks, “Andy’s Gotta Bang,” “The Worry,” “Clybourn Station,” and “I’ll Be Your Bitch (The Powers of Ten),” the new song collection is a synth-laden breath of fresh air, featuring indie beats that will help you carry the summer vibes well into fall. Petey USA offers his tongue-in-cheek humor and undeniable grooves across each offering—truly a sight to behold. He shared on social media, “Hope you guys have half as much fun listening as I had making. Love u guys.”
Niko Rubio — “kitty”
Following the release of 2026 single “tokyo,” rising star Niko Rubio says of her new offering, “‘kitty’ was the first song I wrote for my upcoming project. It was the first song I knew had to be mine. I didn’t show anyone; I kept it close to my heart and thought it was so weird. I was really afraid of what people would say about it because it was so different to what I had been putting out. Ultimately, the bass/trip-hop drum sound became a signature for this next record, and I ended up diving headfirst into this world.”
The artist continues, “It’s about a boy who—once again—I shouldn’t have been fucking with anymore. It’s me getting super raw about feeling broken from the men I’ve loved and being okay with that, it’s my internal dialogue: ‘Fuck, I need to stop doing this’. It’s a heartache song with an admission of guilt.”
With relatable, unbridled storytelling and a groovy beat that commands attention, this song makes it clear that Niko Rubio is here to stay and conquer the indie-pop landscape!
Cherry Bomb — “Myriad Reflector”
Cherry Bomb, aka Misterwives‘ Mandy Lee, just dropped another pop bop, “Myriad Reflector,” which is inspired by the OG name for the disco ball. Lee says, “The multitudes of tiny, glittering, fragmented mirrors sparked the idea of how much we need the broken pieces to let the light get through. Much like our own experience…the good, the bad, and the painful…jagged parts soften with time, and you learn to embrace all sides.”
She adds of the music video, “It’s an ode to the city that raised me and my love of music. The video takes place on the subway that, akin to a myriad reflector, brings together a constellation of individual fragments to create a single mosaic. It was made with the help of my incredible crew and video vixen friends whose joy has inspired its feeling.”
