New Music Friday: Fresh Faves of the Week - October 16, 2026 – What Songs Came Out This Week? (Find New Releases) All new EMO.
OCTOBER 16th, 2026 –– Just in: this week's hottest new alternative and emo music releases. All the fresh faves in one place.
This week is giving us everything from Ray Hawthorne's brand-new album 'Ray Hawthorne Can't Be Trusted'. You already know that we've been anticipating this one; Ray never disappoints with his killer pop-punk, all the way to Pretty Pity with their latest track 'HELP', a song that focuses on mental health and self-awareness surrounding it, and Savage Hands, who dropped 'Bullet For A Halo'; we're going into the week completely fed.
PÆRISH released their album 'RITA.' It's produced by the ever-so-talented Will Yip, and you can tell. The body of work is taking us back to 90s alt in the best way; it's cohesive front to back, and the perfect fall soundtrack. Some standout tracks from the album include 'Heal' and 'Swamp Monsters of Malibu'.
Anberlin gave us another taste of their upcoming record, CURRENCY, with new track “TRENCHES,” featuring none other than Switchfoot. The track's themes are perseverance, connection, and the reminder that even in your toughest moment, you're not alone. Matty Mullins explains: "It’s written from the perspective of someone who’s survived their own pain and is reaching back to say, ‘I’ve been where you are, and I’ll stand beside you until you make it through.'" CURRENCY arrives November 11 via Equal Vision Records, marking the band’s first full-length album with Mullins as lead vocalist.
Winona Fighter are back with 'LEECH '; the drop is self-aware and grungey, kicking off a new era for the band. The track arrives alongside the announcement of their sophomore album, Brutal & Extremely Underrated, due January 22, 2027, via Rise Records. Bass player Austin Luther shares, "In true Winona Fighter fashion, we put our blood, sweat, and tears into the making of this record. Our goal was to evolve as a band while still delivering the hard hitting and melodic songs we love to make. Please enjoy at full volume.”
For fans of Turnstile or bands like Title Fight, New Vision just released 'SPICE' – We have all the info on the drop over at our interview with the band; we know you'll love this banger of a song.
Here are our HEAVY HITTERS of the week:
Buried in Spring, who are bringing everything we loved about 2000s metalcore and the scene in general, dropped their self-titled EP. We are definitely digging it; it's refreshing to hear this type of spin on metalcore. It's nostalgic, vocals go crazy hard & that's why it's so good!
Stray View FINALLY gave us their album 'Self Inflicted.' One thing we know is that the hard work they put into this album shows tenfold; we can't say enough great things about this band, and their discography has been nothing but hitter after hitter. If you want a band that's doing it right in 2026, check them out.
Check out the full list of our fave new releases of the week below:
Fave New Releases of the Week
Don't Look Down (Album) — Coraline's Collapse
HELP — Pretty Pity
Make Myself Your Favorite Scene (EP) — Hot Mess
Chemistry — Makari
Trenches — Anberlin Ft Switchfoot
Can't Be Trusted (Album) — Ray Hawthorne
LEECH — Winona Fighter
Bullet Through A Halo — Savage Hands
RITA (Album) — PÆRISH
Self Inflicted (Album) — Stray View
Burning Low — Archers
Bank Job — Hippie Trim
SPICE — New Vision
10 Cent Martyr — Kingdom Of Giants
Death To Something (Album) — SAVE US
I Only Let You Down Now — Ben Quad
Resuscitate — Light Years
follow me after — rosecoloredworld
Apocalypse — Tortured Demon
Down— Lake Drive
Crab — TVOD
where did you go — We Came As Romans Ft Headwreck
DIRTY PARTS OF HEAVEN — Crawlers
Quick Learner — Those Without
Trust Chaos — The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Frostbite — No Love For The Middle Child
Buried In Spring (EP) — Buried In Spring
Stay The Same — New Junk City
She Should Of Been — Elliot Ernst
Passerby — Commoner
Sissignora — Circus Punk
Break — Dance! No Thanks
Licking Love From A Knife — Carnifex
FRESH FAVES is a weekly updated Spotify playlist where we throw together some of the coolest recent drops strictly for your ears.
Featuring tunes in the emo, pop-punk, post-hardcore, and alternative-adjacent world, we're covering the entire scene. Make sure to stop by weekly; we'll update the playlist every Friday with our top favorites of the week.
From breakout singles to underrated drops, FRESH FAVES is your go-to place to discover the best new sounds worth spinning.
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TOP8 Scene's FRESH FAVES playlist will keep you updated with what’s happening across the scene week by week. It's built for music lovers searching for new tracks, up-and-coming artists, and fresh releases worth having on repeat.
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