One thing I enjoy about music in the digital age is that a lot of bands release demos into the streaming wild. It reminds me of listening to actual demo tapes back in the '90s when I was coming up in the punk-reviewing world. Sometimes these demos are not so great, but sometimes they're super-promising. I'm really enjoying the new demo from Lansing, Michigan's TOAD-EATER. This five-piece, fronted by Ben Ackley, plays a brand of music I don't hear as often as I used to: high energy punk rock that's catchy and tuneful but not necessarily "pop-punk." Ackley is definitely a genuine original in the vocal department. His lyrics are absolutely fantastic, and thankfully they're included on the Bandcamp stream. If you're into melodic but also endearingly weird punk rock, this demo ought to be to your liking. Honestly, this is almost too good to be a demo. I have a feeling that TOAD-EATER is going to make a pretty big splash in the punk world in 2026.
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