The Best of July 2026
The Best of July 2026 TNAM Staff Top Tracks of the Month By Caitlin Taylor 9 August 2026 Festival season is well underway and, as always, it brings new music discoveries. Here’s everything we listened to in July. Listen to the full playlist to see all our favourite new releases, or carry on reading to hear about the best of the best you need to hear ASAP. The Healing Power of Horses – ‘TOURNIQUET’ We first caught a glimpse of The Healing Power of Horses at The Great Escape this year. An anonymous band who at the time had no released tracks, they’ve since gone on to put out some of the best singles of 2026 so far. A creative and catchy addition to their intriguing discography. For fans of: RIP Magic, SALEM Opus Kink – ‘Will It Come For You?’ Theatrical guitar band Opus Kink have been a popular London mainstay since 2022’s ‘Til The Stream Runs Dry. Their new album The Sweet Goodbye demonstrates their songwriting ability as well as their willingness to be playful in their music making. For fans of: Fontaines D.C., Fat Dog Tommy Barlow – ‘Won’t You Ever Need Me’ The second of Barlow’s 2026 releases, his gravelly voice remains ever hypnotic in this lyrical outpouring of emotion. ‘WYENM’ offers more in terms of experimentation than previous release ‘Earthkiller‘, with Barlow himself explaining “I wanted something more direct and alive. It starts small and becomes everything, the idea of being able to dance and cry at the same time.” For fans of: TURNSPIT, Shock Corridor James Massiah ft. MAY – ‘Grave’ James Massiah may well be one of the busiest men in London. He’s spent the past year planning parties with Adult Entertainment, DJing at FOLD, writing poetry, and now he’s dropped a single with blossoming new artist MAY. Grave is a gorgeous collaboration, something you’ll want on repeat. For fans of: Jawnino, Lancer TYSON ft. Coby Sey, Nosaj Thing – ‘AWAY’ ‘AWAY’ is a smooth R&B track that isn’t afraid to play around in post-production. It brings together the warm voices of both TYSON and Coby Sey, with Nosaj Thing as their producer. A proper sleepy end of summer tune to play as you’re walking home in the thirty degree heat. For fans of: Dean Blunt, Orion Sun You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Sounds of The UK Underground
Sounds of The UK Underground ‘The Sounds of UK Rap’ returns in a new format with a broader scope. A curated guide to the essential new releases and artists you need to know. By George Ginn 3 August 2026 ‘The Sounds of UK Rap’ returns in a new format with a broader scope. While the series remains centred on UK rap, it now expands to explore the wider landscape of British underground music. From jungle, grime and the dance music adjacent. Writer George Ginn supplies a playlist of essential new releases, alongside a breakdown of artists and projects you should be listening to. Kibo – ‘Kwengletaria: Ragamyff’ London-based artist Kibo is no unknown MC in the grime scene. Known for his high-energy sets, lyrics, and humour, he makes music that fuses deep cuts with his philosophical, radical self-expression, ‘Kwengletarianism’. Appearing on various sets from TRAVS Presents, Balamii Radio, and Victory Lap, Kibo’s unstoppable lyrical force showcases the thoughts in his head of the legend, MF DOOM, whom he credits as an influence on his latest album, ‘Kwengletaria: Ragamyff’, but not in a way that feels mélange. The bars and production on ‘Kwengletaria: Ragamyff’ feel like a channelling of creating a new sound of the Eskibeat and Mixing Records DVDs era. Kibo executes and polishes this in a way that stays true to the scene he grew up on while showcasing it to a new generation. SIMMS – ‘Traversal Tapes’ Your favourite artist’s favourite DJ. SIMMS has delivered a wide range of production since the days when he first released his jungle flip of ‘Would You Mind’ by Janet Jackson. SIMMS · Janet Jackson – Would You Mind (SIMMS Jungle Flip) The NW London artist found his love for production in 2023 after DJing for 2 years prior, showcasing a myriad of genres including footwork, grime, dubstep, jersey, and hardcore. His ‘Traversal Tapes’ EP, released in May 2026, solidifies his exploration of movement through sonics. Professionally, SIMMS takes on every role with ‘Traversal Tapes’. From production, engineering, and having practical involvement in the visual aspect of his own work, resulting in an EP that feels authentic and melodically converged. ‘Perpetual Motion’ stands out the most on this EP as an energetic ambient breakbeat that truly feels like you’re gliding across Splash Canyon on Sonic Riders (2006). Nori – ‘file_1_is_loading…’ If SIMMS is Sega, then Nori is Nintendo. Growing up in St. Albans, Nori is the opposite of a grime artist but spins it his own way, having come off his release ‘i_aint_fly (G6)’ at the beginning of 2026. Using the foundations of grime, he keeps the UK scene intertwined and developing, with each track shaking legs. His next project, file_1 will show the faith he has in himself and the team around him by turning up, having fun, and talking from the heart. This is just the start of the beginning for Nori, and he is only getting started. Each Instagram post feels like he’s hungry and ready to conquer the new wave of grime. The streets will not be keeping their eyes off Nori. In years, he will go down as a legend to the scene, and just like in the Legend of Zelda franchise: “the courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten.” PlutoOrHades – ‘Heswall spoons’ Sampling the beautiful ‘Ivy’ by Frank Ocean, PlutoOrHades has documented his way into the London scene, having only moved to the capital from his roots in Liverpool last year. In the last year, he has paved his way into the underground, making a name for himself by constantly releasing new music, leading him to perform at The George Tavern for ‘Excavation’. ‘Heswall spoons’ is decorative yet so honest and confessional, circling questions of individuality within himself and his music. PlutoOrHades has released 16 other tracks so far this year, and with a run like this, we could be in for a run of 2024 Fakemink when the Essex artist dropped hit after hit every other day. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
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The Best of June 2026
The Best of June 2026 TNAM Staff Top Tracks of the Month By Caitlin Taylor 5 July 2026 The hot weather hasn’t eased up, and neither have the amount of great releases. Listen to the full playlist to see all our favourite new releases, or carry on reading to hear about the best of the best you need to hear ASAP. THEATRE – ‘Gaudete’ https://youtu.be/YFJjN7Xjp0s?si=v4as1APj_GFmyMXa Despite being brand new to the scene, having only started releasing music this year, THEATRE’s sound is captivating. The Irish band’s new EP is filled with passion and promise for many more amazing things to come. For fans of: – mary in the junkyard, Eaves Wilder Makeshift Art Bar – ‘Discipline’ https://youtu.be/nAbU5gEtVDQ?si=_XIUJ67aQmZhhnxV Second Irish band of the list, Makeshift Art Bar are the The Emerald Isle’s answer to the ‘shouty man band’ trend (see the bands below). This track deserves to be featured for the video alone as it for some reason stars a Harry Styles impersonator. Great stuff. For fans of: For fans of: YHWH Nailgun, Lip Critic pyncher – ‘Oh Boy’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075oD1wDYus After spending a few years refining their sound, pyncher started putting music on streaming last year and have since provided a steady stream of good tunes. This months ‘Oh Boy’ is the leading single of their new EP I Really Mean It This Time. We eagerly await more to come. For fans of: RIP Magic, Westside Cowboy Sandhouse – ‘Pollyanna’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8OnqWaRJjw This hazy neon track comes from Caspar Holloway and Anna Sutherland who met while at Exeter Uni. Self-describing as an ‘ethereal grunge’ band, this is a gorgeous track for sunny nights. For fans of: The Sewing Club, swim school SILVERWINGKILLER – ‘GUNMAN CORNER’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADYqevj_emo Manchester electronic duo SILVERWINGKILLER are back with another heavy track. It almost feels like a love letter to video games and their music, something we actually spoke to them about back in May during The Great Escape. For fans of: Bathing Suits, lttl mort You Might Also Like Recent Posts
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TNAM Staff Picks: 2026 So Far
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