Smells Like Alt Rock

We're cutting the May list short so that you can take the best of May with you on your Memorial Day weekend. If this is your first rodeo with us - we build up a list of new music each month, then we cut it back at the end of the month. The May list peaked at 78 songs (4 hr 33 min), which have all been moved over the Smells Like Alt Rock 2026-2030 playlist . But as we do, it's time to cut the May list back, this month is a big final cut with 25 top picks and 5 honorable mentions. Theory of a Deadman captured the top spot this month with Barricade.  Check out the Best of May 2026 below or just give it a listen.  Theory of a Deadman - Barricade Citizen Soldier - Only One Atreyu - Wait My Love, I'll Be Home Black Stone Cherry - Deep The Cab - Sweet Kerosene Mayday Parade - Blame It On The Youth Oliver Tree - Fuck The Whole World Switchfoot - Absolution Des Rocs - Fall Together Broadside - What Are You Leaving Behind Out In Front - The Sound Foo Fighters - Window As It Is - Do...

We are 17 days into May and the May playlist is now 4 and half hours long. Don't blame me, blame the bands putting out quality tunes.  We've got familiar faces like Switchfoot, Breaking Benjamin, and Metric - and we've got someone faces this week like Chloe Slater, Mystery Jets, and Daisy Grenade. Checkout all of their music videos below: Switchfoot - Absolution Breaking Benjamin - Something Wicked The All American Rejects - Clothesline Voila - Our Tomorrows Smash Into Pieces w/ Rival - Hollow (Rival Remix) Foo Fighters - Amen, Caveman Movements - Back In My Ways Atreyu - Afterglow Metric - Wild Rut The Black Keys - Fireman Ring The Bell Catch Your Breath - Control Holding Absence - Reflection The Maine - Parking Garage Song #5 Weathers - Your Girlfriend The Amazons - Blood on the Bone Mystery Jets - Black Sage Daisy Grenade - Emily DICE - Loose Change The Chain Gang of 1974 - Thinking of You Snarls - One Wish Chloe Slater - Ugly 

I know I'm behind again, but I really struggled this week. I listened to my Release Radar on Friday and then started working through the All New Rock list, maybe I was just off this week but I was really not feeling it. (Maybe because I was rocking out with Diamante and Fuel on Friday night in Iowa - just puts a damper on headphone and Spotify, ya know?) So this week's list is a little shorter than some other weeks, but all good additions to the May playlist.   Papa Roach w/ Humankind - See U in Hell The Last Dinner Party - Big Dog Black Veil Brides w/ Lilith Czar - Cut Movements - Dissolve Me Glass Tides - Skin Like Suits As It Is - Do You Remember? Comastatic - Heavy Glow Eleventwelth - Last Here All Alone Act III The Return The Flatliners - And They're Off Black Stone Cherry - Deep Like Roses - Wrist Social Distortion - No Way Out

  The May list is getting ridiculous! We're at 45 songs on the list so far and it's only May 3rd! 2025 is shaping up to be a great year of music - bands we've loved since the 90's are dropping new tunes, bands we are started following over the past couple of years are dropping new tunes, and there's good stuff coming out each week that we've never heard before.  Let's jump into this week's selections: Mayday Parade - Blame It On The Youth Citizen Soldier - Only One Sawyer Hill - Jimmy's Gone Numb Sevendust - Construct Bush - Swallowed 30th Anniversary Version The Beaches - Should've Known Better Bilmuri - Honest L0L0 - whiskey & coke Broadside - What Are You Leaving Behind Teen Jesus and Jean Teasers - Daylight Tigercub - Stuck In The Melancholy Metric, BYNX - Help I'm Alive BYNX Rework Atreyu - Wait My Love, I'll Be Home Soon The Cab - ih8yourgutz Young The Giant - Everygreen Halsey - Carry the Weight Saint Clair - Too Young to Noti...

 Okay, okay - I'm behind an entire week. Like many other month's the last week of the month actually starts the next month. So here's me getting caught up because I know more new music is dropping tonight at midnight.  So here's last week's start to the May list : Foo Fighters - Window Theory of a Deadman - Barricade As December Falls - Teeth The Haunt - Favorite Way To Die Muse - Cryogen VOILA - Tightrope Walking Cowboy Mouth - Patty (With The Rose Tattoo) Metric - Tremolo Des Rocs - Fall Together Bilmuri - Worth Part of You The Cab - Sweet Kerosene Sly Withers - Clearly L0L0 - boy who doesn't want to Tigers Jaw - It's ok Fastball - Let Me Love You Sleeping with Sirens - Forever/Always Beck - Ride Lonesome Oliver Tree - Fuck the Whole World Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers - Go Waste My Time untitled - Say It Again Tooth - Restless in Bloom CQ Wrestling - Finish Line Out In Front - The Sound