playlist: the 58 best punk songs of october 2026

Last night was fun. Shout out my family’s home states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Texas, in particular. October was a very good month for new punk records.

This week, I got a song stuck in my head and when I went to look for it, I was like, “Oh right, it was on the benefit compilation I put together this year.” That was this year!

I’ve been remembering that my job for a dozen years was “music news.” This year I’ve curated a gallery show about regional punk (more on that in a second), had a hand in booking/promoting a dozen shows, put together that compilation, wrote and edited a bunch, did the podcast and radio show every week, and pretty soon, I’ll announce this year’s annual best punk records zine.

Running see/saw as this maximal all-in love letter to punk, while parenting and navigating partial employment, means the future of this operation is always uncertain. One day I’ll probably have to stop doing so much. But that said, I’ve got some events coming up soon.

November 11 is Punk Night in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It’s two art exhibitions and two punk shows on a Wednesday night in the Chippewa Valley. Consider coming to these things!

I curated the gallery show notaflof: wisco + mpls punk in the ’20s at UW-Stout’s Furlong Gallery. It’s a show featuring artwork and artifacts by regional punks including members of the Minneapolis Uranium Club, gash, U.T.A.I., Makin’ Out, Citric Dummies, Pleasure Cube, Royal Brat, and BUIO OMEGA. There’s also vinyl and cassette listening stations, a video installation, and some zines. The reception for this show and Calee Cecconi’s Low Fidelity Design takes place at the Furlong from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m on 11/11.

Then head over to the Student Center’s Fireside Cafe for a free gash + Yuasa-Exide show that goes from 7 to 9 p.m. There’s an afterparty with Buffalo’s Jake King Band at Brewery Nønic; the band starts at 9:30 p.m. The gallery show is stuffed with cool stuff and all these bands rule, so come on out to three can’t-miss Menomonie events on 11/11 if you’re in the region.

I’ll do a proper announcement of the see/saw year-end zine release show at Leona’s in Eau Claire on December 17 soon, but you should save the date if you can make it. Visual Learner and Answering Machines are going to play, and I’ll DJ my favorite punk songs of the year. This one’s also free.

It’s getting colder out, so let’s have some fun. Hey, you hear all these good punk songs from October? Come on over and hit play, it was a good month.

see/saw’s 58 best punk songs of october 2026

Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers - Hot
Visual Learner - Liar
The Etters - Kopschoppen
Invertebrates - Shock Control
Nisemono - 軍国主義 (Gunkoku Shugi)
Baby Tyler - Ignoring Signs
Real Shocks - For Pay
The Bolt Ons - Does Ash Wyatt Like Swimming
GRISAILLE - Un Nouveau Jour
Yuasa-Exide - Holistic Drop Out
Billiam - Unemployable
Diet of Worms - The Tower
Tramhaus - Overachiever, Big Believer
Seconds - Actual Cat
MR. [REDACTED] - EVAPORATED / LEVITATION
EASON! - Know It All
Sick Thoughts - No Longer Human
Cult Crime - Shot to Hell
Salmon Sisters - Steady Decline
ROBBER - No Mercy
RÄKIÄ - Sotahullut
Secrecy - Knife in My Dreams
The Lunatics - Ghost Town
CLASS - Take Me With You
Havana Syndrome - Modern Crusader
Twerp - (I Just Wanna) Be a Ramone
Allusion - Pris Pour Cible
Power Pants - That Could Be You
Pardoner - Don’t Slouch
Constant Insult - Clever Medicine
Slick - Red Scare
Famous Mammals - Flash #1
Bath Drawers - PBD
W-9 - Elvis
Garbanzo - No Fun
Public Acid - Blind Death
Traumatizer - Condemned
Soup Activists - Johnny
Kohti Tuhoa - Onko Sinusta Menestyjäksi?
Jacket Burner - Societal Enema
NO NO NO - NUNCA MÁS
Dr. Dence - SPAMBOT BABY
GÖTRI - AFD (AKU FALINGAN DIDEPORTASI)
PUST - Cuire
Warm Swords - Mirror
Nuits Blanches - Partir
Delivery - Measuring Cup
Terrible Pop - Thirties
Aidmoozic - Unemotional
Las Grimas - Cococinar
Cold Comfort - Cut Off
Obamacare - Dracula
Kien - Koně
L.O.G. - What Can I Do
Acid Test - Ain’t No Friend
Premium Suite - Motivation
The Sourdrops - Left in a Drawer
Christ Cadaver - Christ Cadaver Eternal

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