The Bloodtypes, who haven't released an album in 11 years, are back with a new EP. That is an event worth celebrating. And I mean literally celebrating as in getting dressed up, inviting friends over, and serving snacks. Portland, Oregon's most beloved new wave garage horror punkers are in fine form on the Bandages & Stitches Tour EP — which (fingers crossed!) is a taste of even more to come. You had to wonder after all this time if The Bloodtypes were still going to sound like The Bloodtypes. What if they learned too many new chords? What if they were now inclined to take themselves seriously? What if they properly laundered their blood-spattered attire? Fortunately, the 2026 version of the band is very much classic Bloodtypes. This new EP, the band's first recordings to feature new drummer Spiz Spasm, is everything you love about punk, pop, new wave, and garage rock combined into one hauntingly fun and infinitely danceable package. This is music for your Halloween party if you believed that Halloween ought to be every night of the year. Listening to Schneck and Jesse duet on "Bandages & Stitches," I can't help but be reminded of classic Rezillos. And from there, it only gets better. The Bloodtypes still exemplify brilliant poppy punk that is retro in spirit but fresh and fully contemporary in its appeal. I always felt they were criminally underrated, but perhaps that can change going forward.
In these darker, more desperate times, the reemergence of The Bloodtypes definitely falls into the category of "exactly what the world needs." This is a band that understands that music ought to be fun, exciting, and a little goofy but can still be intelligent, passionate, and deeply human. A world with The Bloodtypes in it cannot be entirely hopeless. The Bandages & Stitches Tour EP will leave us all wanting more, and surely that was the master plan.
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