PITTSBURGH — In an alternative universe, the mainstream isn't just Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny and Beyoncé.

It makes room for the rock bands that are making noise below the radar.

Before we move on to 2026, here are nine new bands we may have overlooked in '25.

Lambrini Girls

The Brighton, England, noise-punk duo of Phoebe Lunny and Lilly Macieira unleashes raw, thrashy energy on their debut album "Who Let the Dogs Out," channeling Bikini Kill's riot-grrrl fury with a little Sleigh Bells chaos. The title nods to the Baha Men hit as an inside joke, but the album's bite is all their own — think WRCT-era post-punk with a modern edge. The album's standout track uses the most offensive word you can utter to a woman — can't print it here — and claims it, celebrates it in a grrl-power anthem.

Die Spitz

The Austin, Texas, quartet — dubbed one of the planet's most exciting new rock bands — delivers fuzzy, dirty grunge on "Something to Consume." Think Hole's raw power if Courtney Love fronted a louder, messier unit that screams more and trades instruments freely. The sound is sharp in intent but gloriously unpolished.

Charm School

Louisville singer-songwriter Andrew Sellers (formerly Rinehart) shifts gears with his band on "Debt Forever," diving into dark, aggressive post-punk à la The Fall and Pere Ubu. Tracks like "Boycott Everything Everywhere" rage against systemic woes, while the Lou Reed-channeling closer "Happiness is a Warm Sun" offers a trippy, spoken-word haze. It's a bold evolution from his earlier folk roots.

Brogeal

Two of the members of this Scottish band (pronounced Bro-gale) met on a bus to football games and bonded over the Pogues and the Proclaimers. The bouncy, poppy folk/punk/indie band falls somewhere between them on its debut album, "Tuesday Paper Club," which includes three original songs with familiar titles: "Friday on My Mind," "Lady Madonna" and "Draw the Line."

Truman Sinclair

Fans of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen would do well to explore "American Recordings," the Chicago artist's debut that riffs on "Heart of Gold" with "Bloodline" and evokes "Nebraska" with "Joel Roberts," twisting both into emo-tinged indie-folk. Drawing from his Frat Mouse roots, it's a compelling mix of heartfelt narratives and classic Americana.

Junior Varsity

After a series of EPs, the L.A. trio released its first full-length album, "My Star," which gives us infectious electropop, highlighted by the single "Cross the Street," which sounds like MGMT meets Toni Basil.

Ribbon Skirt

Montreal duo Tashiina Buswa (Anishinaabe singer-guitarist) and Billy Riley rebooted as Ribbon Skirt — a nod to Buswa's heritage — for their Polaris-shortlisted debut "Bite Down" (April 2025). The grungy post-punk fits perfectly alongside, again, Hole, plus Garbage and Veruca Salt, blending raw emotion with transcendent melodies.

Intermission

The top search result for "Intermission band" is a German Eurodance project from the '90s. It's a far cry from this San Diego hardcore punk band that debuted with a seven-song, 16-minute album, aptly named "Power Corrupts," that finds a middle ground between Black Flag and Joy Division. The band fits right in at Skull Fest.

Rattle Bones

Gary Martin is no Johnny-come-lately, having been a member of Pittsburgh bands Science Fiction Idols and the Cosmosonics. Back from L.A., where he fronted the Claws, Martin assembled Rattle Bones and debuted with "Silver Bullets," full of riff-heavy rock 'n' roll that could have slipped into the WDVE playlist in the mid-'70s alongside the Faces, Humble Pie and the Sweet.

© 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.