Ryan Dillon

After what proved to be a hectic August with the avalanche of stunning releases from across the genre spectrum, you would think the holiday weekend would give the turbines and rotary wheels a bit of a break. Thankfully, much to the joy of everyone here at the Old Caustic Factory, September looks to carry the torch with a cornucopia of fresh releases for us to pick through. 2026 pushes forward with LPs from contemporary noise rock gods, modern jazz visionaries, and ambitious Americana outfits, while we collect singles that range from experimental pop to soul-soothing balladry. Once again, we have a busy New Music Friday on our hands, but we welcome the chaos.

With vinyl’s resurgence in recent years, it hasn’t escaped the pitfalls of popularity. Much like shoes or trading cards, when a product like vinyl becomes popular, a slew of scumbags get cartoon dollar-sign eyes and pollute the once pure hobby with malicious, capitalistic intent. Thankfully, though, the art of collecting vinyl is so ingrained in people’s hearts that for every greedy person looking to resell collectibles, even more pure-hearted participants keep the spirit of vinyl collecting alive.

Stories of local success to breakout stardom have been some of the most heartwarming yet troubling tales to emerge from the music industry since its inception. Some stories show a young hopeful realizing their wildest fantasies before the world. In contrast, others tell a harrowing story of fame’s all-consuming pressure swallowing wildly talented people and spitting them out unrecognizable. Unfortunately, there has always been a darkness tied to the idea of success in music, but within those drug-infested stories of what-could-have-been lie significant triumphs that dazzle the mind, especially when they’re achieved by a face so familiar to a scene. In Nate Amos’s case, aka This Is Lorelei, die-hard day-one fanatics of the quirky, genre-agnostic project are watching their favorite indie artist become a star before their very eyes.

The Tubs, the London-based jangly indie rock Celtic four-piece, are experiencing a surge in popularity the old-fashioned way. Across two LPs and a relentless touring schedule that brought them around the globe, the quartet has built a cult-like fanbase by expressing their individuality and honing it through highly regarded live performances and stellar albums like 2025’s Cotton Crown. The Tubs are building organic buzz without forcing their art through algorithms or populating timelines with nonsense attempts at attention, strengthening their brand of unfiltered yet carefully crafted rock that glistens beneath its grit, like a gem peering through a mound of dirt.

When an innovative band like Sleep decides to reignite its legacy after leaving it on the shelf for years while the members worked on other projects, a comeback rarely goes smoothly. Luckily, at least from the outside, Sleep has enjoyed the rebuilding process since reforming in 2018 with the release of The Sciences

While it’s been fun looking through the production work of producers like The Alchemist and J Dilla, it’s come to our Golden Age desk that it’s time to shine a light on one of the most sampled artists in Hip-hop history. Some samples become famous through the producer’s magic touch, while others shine on their own, carrying the weight of innovation with the ease of an ant with a crumb. George Clinton, a funk innovator, fearless bandleader, and beloved member of the music community, gifted the world with his mind and presence for decades, sculpting a legacy that is set to last even longer.

From the golden children of underground hardcore to one of the most respected and watched rock bands today, Turnstile has lived many lives throughout their career. The most recent iteration of their legacy, though, has included a heap of media praise and acceptance into the world of popular music, with Turnstile’s previous two releases- 2021’s

“Your reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns,” arrogantly raps JAŸ-Z within the first few minutes of his instant-classic LP, The Blueprint. While JAŸ-Z rightfully bragged about his longevity back in 2001, when he was six albums into his career, twenty-five years after making this claim, one has to wonder whether the mastermind behind albums like

Our hard-working team at the Caustic Factory can’t seem to get a break, and they don’t seem to be itching for one either. We are reporting to you live from a bustling factory floor, where we once again scramble to find a way to hone all of these fresh releases into one neatly wrapped presentation for our lovely, devoted, fellow music fanatics. This week, much like many others throughout this year, is packed with a wide array of exciting albums and refreshing singles. We have cinematic instrumentals that range from ambient to stadium-sized, moving balladry, and funky undertones alike, all awaiting to be explored.

Making up for some select dates from 2025, punk icons Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter have finally arrived in the States for their 50 Years of Punk tour. The original members of the torch-igniting punk rockers and their fearless frontman stormed Dallas’s Longhorn Ballroom on the first stop of their 21-date tour of North America. Some dates were rescheduled from last year due to an injured wrist on guitarist Steve Jones, with some dates moving venues, while some stops in new cities were added to the trek. Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock are back together playing punk, and with Carter on vocal duty, the band put together a terrifically encapsulating setlist.