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Monthly Music Crush: RinRin, The Offspring, Julia Wolf, Architects, Mannequin Death Squad & Maple's Pet Dinosaur
Well hey there, October! 'Tis the (spooky) season, we're barrelling to the end of the year now well and truly and, of course, there's been a bunch of awesome music doing the rounds of late.
At the start of each new month, I round up six of my fave recent releases from the last month (or so), sharing a bit of love from across the world and genres with new stuff that's been kicking around in my speakers of late.
This time around we've got some recent tunes from RinRin, The Offspring, Julia Wolf, Architects, Mannequin Death Squad and Maple's Pet Dinosaur.
You can also listen to all these songs and more over at The Soundcheck's official Mixtape which showcases 100 tunes that have recently been kicking around in my speakers...and potentially yours too if you follow and listen along. Available on Spotify, Apple Music and/or YouTube (boo Spotify, but I'm trying to cater for all y'all).
Until next time!
Photo Credit: Jack Fontes
RINRIN
Single: fever dream
(Fearless Records)
RinRin doesn't just blur genre lines — she completely obliterates them like a head-on collision into hyper-pop, fuchsia-soaked madness.
Her new single and Fearless Records label debut fever dream is a whirlwind that is perfect for the TikTok generation in search of its next North Star. Her musical style and songs feel like their own elaborate universe, weaving together soaring euphoric melodies, blistering guitar work, pulsing electronics, and emotionally charged lyricism into an experience that's equally suited for a festival main stage, an anime opening sequence, or a late-night drive with the windows down.
RinRin is here to uplift anyone who listens.
"This song's a hype song for when you're feeling down. You're not going to let your sadness stop you from achieving your goals and dreams. Being sad is basic bitch shit... who wants to do that?" - RinRin
RinRin also recently announced that she has partnered with Immortal Music Group for management, and will tour Aus starting later this month supporting Windwaker.
Photo Credit: Daveed Benito
THE OFFSPRING
Single: I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones Cover)
(Concord Records)
Ok, technically this one isn't "new" new, but The Offspring have recently released another studio recording of their cover of the Ramones' 1978 iconic tune I Wanna Be Sedated.
The band had originally recorded a version of the cover for their 2003 tribute album We're A Happy Family: A Tribute To Ramones, but the 2026 version is the more polished bigger brother than the previous raw track dropped back on the 2003 tribute LP.
"We've been playing this live on tour, so we thought we'd record a proper studio version for you. Listen to our cover of the Ramones' 'I Wanna Be Sedated' now.” - The Offspring
The Offspring continue to carve up a reputation as one of the most popular punk bands of all time, with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS This Morning in their wake, and the band continuing to ride the high of their most recent album SUPERCHARGED, with multiple songs on the album ticking off a billion individual streams and a worldwide tour taking them far and wide, including a huge Aussie run last year.
JULIA WOLF
Single: lamb (feat. Kellin Quinn)
(girls in purgatory under exclusive licence to AWAL Recordings)
Time travelling back through mid-2000s post hardcore and emo vibes, Julia Wolf recently dropped a brand new single lamb which tugs at the hearstrings, merges jangly chords, gauzy alt pop and post hardcore, and also adds in scene icon Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens in for good measure.
With angsty warmth (if you know, you know), the combo of Wolf's crystalline vocals with Quinn flitting between harsh and cleans is a match made in heaven. It's the kinda song you'd blast mid-teenage heartbreak (and potentially mid-life as well), and also arrived along with a music video that will drag you straight back to those 2000s computer graphics days.
“After listening to Kellin’s music for so long, and always feeling inspired by his voice and the sonic world he’s built, I was honored to have him be part of lamb in only the most fitting setting—a Portland studio covered in clouds and rain. No one else could have brought what he did to the song!” - Julia Wolf
Wolf is currently on the road as part of a massive world tour, and meanwhile Quinn will be bound for Australia next year following Sleeping With Sirens' recently announcing their biggest down under headline tour to date taking place next April.
Photo Credit: Andrew Mceaney
ARCHITECTS
Single: Machine
(Epitaph)
Global rock heavyweights Architects have returned with a brand new single, Machine. The track marks the band’s first new music since the release of their acclaimed 11th studio album, The Sky, the Earth & All Between.
Written by Dan Searle and Sam Carter and produced by Searle, Architects push their sound further with Machine, pairing soaring melodies, intensity and an explosive chorus that has established them as one of the leading bands on the scene. The accompanying video, directed by Jensen Noen, explores perception and control, moving from a grounded reality into an increasingly abstract and distorted world.
Machine arrives following an especially strong run for Architects. Their most recent album, The Sky, the Earth & All Between, ushered in a major new chapter for the band, delivering back-to-back #1 singles at Rock Radio in the US with Everything Ends and Broken Mirror. Architects also earned an iHeartRadio Music Award nomination, further cementing their growing presence.
MANNEQUIN DEATH SQUAD
Single: Van Gogh
(Independent)
Another newbie which is actually a glow up from the past, Aussie thrash poppers Mannequin Death Squad recently gave their 2016 debut EP Eat Hate Regurgitate a 2026 (and independent) remix.
Celebrating 10 years since their very first release, the 2026 version of Van Gogh stands out with particular fervour, retaining the original's deliciously angsty spirit while also adding a delectable sheen that showcases just how far this rambunctious duo have come in the past decade.
"Hello from past Dan & El, 10 years ago we broke our first drum skin head and took a cute little school picture with it because we were so proud. Hello from past Dan and El who were paid in garbage bags full of beer and pizza (can’t complain really). This is one of our fav tracks from our first EP. It’s remixed and sounding sexy thanks to Brent Quirk." - Mannequin Death Squad
Mannequin Death Squad will be heading over to WA audiences for the first time later this month, touring with both The Chats and Frenzal Rhomb for a handful of dates, and also recently returned from Europe chasing an endless summer and wowing international crowds in the process.
Photo Credit: Jake Brennan
MAPLE'S PET DINOSAUR
Single: Big Mouth
(Warner Music Australia/In Bloom)
16-year-old Australian rock wunderkind Maple’s Pet Dinosaur has recently released her new single Big Mouth, fresh on the heels of her single Child's Play, and taken from her hotly-anticipated debut EP also named Child's Play which is due out October 30.
Written in a sudden burst of inspiration fuelled while listening to her discman and scribbling lyrics in her school notebook, Big Mouth highlights Maple at her most biting and playful. The track pairs a dynamic, Beastie Boys-inspired delivery with unbridled energy.
"Big Mouth sounds like the posters on my bedroom wall. A slap bass detonation inspired by Mr Bungle and Primus, but it’s also got probably, the poppiest chorus I’ve ever dropped so it’s hopefully good for mosh pit singalongs too- having the legendary DJ Kilmore scratching on the track is a cherry on top and it really helped me nail that funk-metal energy I was going for. Lyrically, Big Mouth explores the idea that a lot of men still think girls should be quiet, so I wanted to celebrate the idea of having a Big Mouth." - Maple
With an ever-expanding global social footprint, Maple teased Big Mouth with a video shot on an Uber dashcam.
Maple's recent releases have further accelerated her already rapid rise, with US Riff Magazine praising recent single Child Play's “aggression, genre fusion and Maple’s vocal/musical finesse”, while the UK’s Metal Hammer described the track as “unique and striking” and named it one of their Tracks of the Week. NME, The Music Network, The Music and Rolling Stone Australia have also spotlighted Maple as one of Australia’s emerging artists, while Spotify placed her on the cover of its New Noise playlist.
