New Music Friday: Fresh Faves of the Week - September 18th, 2026 – What Songs Came Out This Week? (Find New Releases)
SEPTEMBER 18th, 2026 –– Just in: this week's hottest new music releases and fresh faves all in one place.
From Anberlin's new era to Ray Hawthorne hitting us with another tune, this release week is loaded.
Pop-punk legends Cartel just dropped their new album Learning How To Cope – the band's first full-length album in 13 years. The album is Cartel to the core, but it's giving a more mature and heavy (we hear you, 'Supercalapocalypticexpialidocious') feel for the band. The band teamed up with Dashboard Confessional for the track 'Constants,' and we know it's bound to be on repeat this fall. This new era was well worth the wait; the album is already proving to be some of Cartel's best work.
Some TOP8 faves include Games We Play, who came in hot with a brand new album, I Wish I Never Quit; honest as always, we're always here for every vibe they bring. Jeniverse is back with 'Never See Me Cry' – We've said it before. Nobody does 2000s alt vibes like Jeniverse; the track is moody, it's 'it girl,' and it's a banger once again. This is easily one of our fave releases of the week.
The Bites just released their sophomore, self-titled record via Earache Records. The LA band brings the energy, blending genres from pop punk to a more bluesy sound while reflecting on where they've been and where they're going. The band mentions, "We got more honest with the lyrics, experimented with new sounds, and pushed ourselves further than ever before. Some songs are more personal, some are louder and more reckless, but they all feel like us."
Autumn Kings has dropped their new Album 'Epiphanies; they did not disappoint. Between their live shows and this new release, they continue to prove they bring that power and energy not everyone has, which is exactly what makes them so unique. It's catchy, hard-hitting, and at some points even personal, especially on 'Only Human' and 'Time'; overall, a great album, and you should definitely check them out if you haven't already!
Of course we haven't forgotten about the HEAVY HITTERS this week:
This week is a big one! We are serving up Flesh Prison with 'Bonesplitter ', definitely an underrated band they just signed to Paper Cut Records recently. Bringing Canadian deathcore the attention it deserves.
Next up, we have Kingdom Of Giants dropping 'Reign' now. Listen, we know we have talked about them before, and we will continue to find every excuse to keep doing so, because they just announced their upcoming album 'Usurper,' releasing on November 13th. Mark your calendars because it has been 5 years since their last full-length album, and we all know how incredible 'Passenger' is, so needless to say, we are very excited for this next chapter.
Alright! Here's one more for this week: Downswing just dropped 'At My Worst,' a recent discovery for us, but we can tell you one thing: it's giving 8 stars, maybe even 10 if we are being real, which we always keep it real around here!
That's all we have for you today; we'll see you next week!
Check out the full list of our fave new releases of the week below:
Fave New Releases of the Week
Here's the list in the same format as your numbered list, with spelling and capitalization standardized to the official releases where appropriate:
Constants — Cartel, Dashboard Confessional
never see me cry — Jeniverse
GRAVITY — Anberlin
One Last Kiss — Savage Hands
Back to You — ISOMETRIC
When It Rains — Ray Hawthorne
The Bites (Album) — The Bites
I Wish I Never Quit (Album) — Games We Play
Reign — Kingdom Of Giants
Matchbox (EP) — SUNTWIST
Modern Life Is Lonely (Album) — Holding Absence
Worlds Away (EP) — Currents
RollerCoaster Tycoon (Album) — lolitslea
SEARCHING FOR THE THINGS WE DON'T WISH TO FIND (Album) — Secrets
Does Heaven Ever Mourn For Me (EP) — Like Moths To Flames
Machine — Architects
Secret Weapon — Anxious
Pylon (Album) — bebadoobee
Love Psychosis — Jutes
Bleeding Heart— Vana
Pinesol — Wavves
dna — Windwaker
Convince Me — Arankai
Loving and Losing (Album) — Honey Revenge
Better Than Me — Knox
delusional darling — LØLØ (ft Ella Red)
Saddest Song — Bayside
SINCERELY YOURS — Haywire 617
Somebody To Hate (Album) — Huddy
Epiphanies (Album) — Autumn Kings
Whirr & Luster (EP) — Whirr, Luster
Great Lake (EP) — Just Penelope
Girls Like Us — NOBRO
Shuteye — Cheem
What Keeps Us Coming Back — Celebration Guns
El Origen — Tungas, Saves The Day
BENT — cut the cord.
At My Worst — Downswing
Bonesplitter — Flesh Prison
Shut Up — Arrows In Action
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.
Want your music featured on our FRESH FAVES playlist?
Hit up our contact page, and we'll check out your music.
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.
.png)
