Song of the Week Roundup: February 2026

ICYMI: Our song of the week selections from the past couple of months!

"Big Cat Tattoos" - Hamish Hawk

T&E writer Kurt B. says, "He fed me shrimp and avocado salad from a dog dish on the floor."
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"Warmth of Youth" - The Mallard

T&E writer Parisa says, "The early 2010s San Francisco freak-folk and garage revival scene gave rise to a flood of incredible bands. While a handful of names broke through and dominated the conversation, my personal favorite has always been a short-lived group called The Mallard. Across their two LPs, they captured the quintessential raw energy of the SF scene but filtered it through a moodier, post-punk lens. Their second and final album, Finding Meaning in Deference, radiates that cool, aloof and detached confidence while carrying a deep emotional undercurrent. “Warmth of Youth” is a standout for exactly that reason — a track that embodies the bittersweet nostalgia of adolescence. The fuzzed-out production conjures the hazy warmth of memory, while the dark, brooding synth line reflects the ache of distance and loss. The album was released after the band had already broken up, and for that reason, got lost in the hype of its time -- but it so very much deserves to be remembered and cherished."
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"Unidos" - Parálisis Permanente

​T&E writer Parisa says, "In the early 1980s, the Movida Madrileña counterculture movement saw Madrid move towards a post-Francoist identity [after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in '75] - a reclamation of youth culture that was driven by hedonistic partying, open sexual expression and of course, rock 'n roll!! One of the bands that pioneered the goth scene of said movement was Parálisis Permanente, a killer and unfortunately short-lived band that evolved from post-punk to deathrock in their three active years. Lyrically always focused on the macabre and carried with an impossibly cool attitude, Parálisis Permanente deserves to be spun heavy on your spooky season rotation."

"Sippy Cup" - Shlohmo

T&E writer Parisa says, "While the cloudy, grey days were very sparse this winter here in Tucson, I'm trying to force some semblance of a moody, introspective atmosphere before my brain goes full caveman mode in the summer. Shlohmo's 2010 Camping EP has consistently been a go-to for me in winter months to pull in those heady feelings, with the highlight being this glitchy, cerebral, heavily layered and textured electronic track. Sounds like a more aggressive Mount Kimbie, and while I love all his work, the earlier, more experimental sounds are way too underrated."
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