Sound Under Weekly Picks: 29 May 2026
From Emotional Warfare to Looking Down from Space: Five Australian Tracks Worth Your Time
Every Friday, Sound Under curates the best of Australian alternative music: fresh releases, overlooked gems, rising artists, and songs worth spending real time with.
Whether you’re driving down the coast, walking through the city late at night, or simply tired of playlists chosen by algorithms, these picks are built differently. This isn’t about hype cycles or whatever is trending for 48 hours. It’s about music with replay value, personality, and something real inside it.
No artist is too early. No sound is too left-field, and no scene is too small.
Here’s this week’s Picks:
Cyanide — Roxferry
Ever since forming in 2018, brothers Clay and Jake Teiffel have been building Roxferry into one of the most exciting garage-rock bands in Australia. Time and time again, they have delivered the kind of music that reminds you why loud guitars, big riffs, and raw energy never go out of style. “Cyanide” is another perfect example of that.
From the moment the guitars kick in, the track feels built for people who still believe rock music should make you want to turn the volume all the way up. The riffs are sharp, driving, and packed with the kind of urgency that keeps the song constantly moving forward, while the rhythm section gives everything a sense of momentum that feels impossible to ignore.
Lyrically, “Cyanide” seems to revolve around feelings of emotional exhaustion, disillusionment, and slowly fading under the weight of somebody else’s actions or expectations.
What we love most about Roxferry is their ability to make classic rock influences feel alive. There are traces of garage rock, hard rock, and old-school rock and roll throughout “Cyanide,” but the band never feel trapped by those influences.
If you are the kind of person who still gets excited by massive guitar riffs, driving rock choruses, and songs that demand to be played loud on a long drive, “Cyanide” will probably be right up your alley.
Guns and Little Girls — Tori Forsyth
This is not the first time Tori Forsyth has appeared in our Weekly Picks. The last time we featured her was for “You and Me,” a song that showcased a much softer and more intimate side of her songwriting. “Guns and Little Girls” feels like it comes from an entirely different emotional universe.
Where “You and Me” felt vulnerable and reflective, “Guns and Little Girls” arrives with its teeth bared.
Built around themes of resilience, self-preservation, and navigating a world that often feels hostile, the song carries an underlying tension that never fully lets up. From the opening lines, Forsyth sounds like somebody who has been through the fire before and has no intention of backing down now.
What makes the track particularly compelling is the contrast between the imagery and the message underneath it. References to rifles, missiles, war cries, and survival are less about conflict itself and more about endurance. The repeated refrain of “Same game, more players, new aim” captures the feeling of constantly facing new challenges while realising the battle itself never truly changes.
What we admire most about Tori Forsyth is her ability to move between completely different emotional worlds without losing her identity as a songwriter. “Guns and Little Girls” proves once again that she is one of Australia’s most compelling storytellers, capable of turning personal struggle into something powerful, defiant, and impossible to ignore.
Franken$tein — Vlads
We have spoken about Vlads before and why they feel like one of the most exciting bands currently emerging from Australia’s underground scene. What has always stood out about them is their willingness to push beyond expectations rather than settle into a comfortable formula. “Franken$tein” might be the clearest example of that yet.
Honestly, this is not a song we were expecting from them.
Compared to some of their previous work, “Franken$tein” feels like a dramatic shift both sonically and thematically. The track leans heavily into a gritty, aggressive, and fast-paced punk-infused indie-rock sound that immediately feels more chaotic and confrontational.
What makes the track particularly interesting is how perfectly it aligns with the band’s live identity. Vlads have often described their performances as intense, unpredictable, and completely unhinged in the best possible way, and “Franken$tein” feels like the recorded version of that energy.
There is also something fitting about the title itself. Like its namesake creation, the track feels stitched together from different impulses, emotions, and bursts of energy.
More than anything though, this track is a reminder of why we keep coming back to Vlads. Just when you think you understand what kind of band they are, they throw a curveball that completely changes the conversation.
Time for the Needy — egoism
If there is one song from this week’s picks that has been stuck in our heads the most, it is probably “Time for the Needy.” From the opening moments, the track is powered by an incredibly addictive guitar hook that loops its way through the song and refuses to leave your brain long after it finishes.
Sonically, this is easily one of the most upbeat and instantly catchy tracks in this week’s selection.
EGOISM have always had a knack for blending indie-pop, dream-pop, and alternative influences into something effortlessly replayable, and “Time for the Needy” feels like another masterclass in that approach. Everything feels light on its feet, melodic, and deceptively easy-going.
What makes the song interesting though is the tension between its bright exterior and the dynamics unfolding within the lyrics. Beneath the shimmering guitars and infectious hooks is a story built around emotional distance, attraction, and the blurry line between genuine connection and convenience. Throughout the song, there is a constant push and pull between wanting closeness and keeping people at arm’s length.
What we love most though is how effortlessly EGOISM make all of this feel. The songwriting never feels heavy-handed, the melodies never stop moving, and that endlessly replayable riff ties everything together beautifully.
Space Song — Maia Toakley
There are some artists who immediately grab your attention through volume, intensity, or spectacle. Maia Toakley does the exact opposite.
What makes “Space Song” so captivating is the way she draws you in through pure presence. From the moment she starts singing, there is something magnetic about her voice. Every word feels intentional, and there is a quiet intimacy to her delivery that makes you want to lean in and listen closely.
At its core, “Space Song” feels like a reflection on perspective, self-belief, and the desire to step outside your own fears. The recurring image of looking down from space becomes a powerful metaphor throughout the track.
Lines like “What would I do to see it all from space? I think that I’d feel less afraid” perfectly capture that feeling. There is a vulnerability running through the song, but it is paired with a growing sense of confidence and self-discovery.
The writing allows uncertainty and hope to exist side by side. Whether she is tracing the lines on her skin, holding onto a distant dream, or watching the stars tessellate above her, there is a sense that she is slowly learning to trust herself.
More than anything though, “Space Song” is a song that gently reminds us that sometimes the perspective we are searching for has been inside us all along.
Every Friday, Sound Under spotlights the best alternative music beneath the surface.
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