While everyone else is publishing their end of year lists, as usual I’m bringing up the rear and finally publishing my final part of November’s singles round up… a part which throws up just as many pure gold nuggets as the rest of the month did. Rock, glam, punk, indie… from artists who have reached legendary status (in my eyes and ears at least) to those who are breaking though and creating some astonishingly good new music.
First up in this part is one of those who have reached legendary status. It’s Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe and the second single to be released form his new album Outerstellar due for release on the 20th February. Disconnected is pure Monroe, a punk glam stomper with a chant-along chorus all set for his co-headline tour with Buckcherry in 2026.
Headlong is aptly named as the glitchy intro of the November single from Where We Sleep quickly reveals a hypnotic driving melody. The singles crunching distorted guitars blending with synth lines to create an atmospheric darkly gothic track, a perfect backing to Beth Rettig’s powerful vocal.
Such is the draw of Glasgow’s Soapbox, they have already reached legendary status in their home city and are quickly spreading the word across the rest of the UK and Europe… Their latest single, Boiling a Frog, is a scathing commentary of the rabid roundabout painting, flag hanging racist muppets who don’t realise they are being played by the real enemy… the men in suits, not the small boats. As ever when Tom takes aim he doesn’t miss, the scathing vitriol in his vocals matched by the high energy searing punk riffs from Angus and the powerhouse rhythm section of Aidan on bass and Jemma on drums.
November also saw another single release from Dublin’s Annie-Dog. My Honey is the latest addition to her burgeoning collection of trippy alt-pop songs.
Happy Mondays has recently released their new greatest hits album, The Factory Singles, which does exactly as it says on the tin. As well as the original versions of all their Factory Singles, there is a disc of remixes including this version of Hallelujah (Daniel Avery Remix).
This month has seen it’s fair share of top quality singles, and another to add to that list is the latest from Mercy Girl. Their single Closer is an electro-goth/darkwave masterpiece, the synth/drum intro taking no prisoners and drawing the listener in as the band mix early Human League/Depeche Mode-esque synths with Daisy Miles deep resonating vocals to create a heady intoxicating brew.
It wouldn’t be a round up in the run up to Christmas without the inclusion of a Christmas song, so here’s the country tinged festive tune from Katy and the Wild Ones, Christmas Time is Finally Here. and with it some time away from work…
Another young Glasgow based band who have built up a fearsome reputation is Milange. The band released their brilliant new EP, Till You Drop at the end of November. This is a studio session version, recorded earlier in the year, of one of the EP’s highlights, the vociferous Man Like Me, it’s venomous lyrics spat out with an angry vitriol.
Falkirk has produced more than it’s fair share of excellent new bands in recent years, and Fairways is no exception. I witnessed them live for the first time this year in Glasgow’s McChuills and was blown away by their upbeat atmospheric indie pop. The sunshine pours out of their latest Sunlounger such is it’s jpyously infectious nature.
Wave Raiders released the title track of their debut EP Nothing Better in November and like it’s predecessor in this list, it is another sunshine infused song, this time going down the surf tinged power pop route.
Just in case you weren’t sure of the title of Hens Bens raucous new single the lyric is literally the word Baby repeated… a lot, yes I was daft enough to try to count… if you love Slime City, you’ll love Hens Bens.
Talking of babies…. Inca Babies & Harry Stafford recently released an album, titled Rencarnation, of their songs “re-recorded and re-invented” from which this affecting version of Two Rails to Nowhere (Reincarnation25) comes.
Talking of post punk/indie comebacks, November also saw the release of The Jack Rubies single Greedy via Big Stir, consistent purveyors of fine tunage.
Glasgow’s Iona Zajac, also known for being the harpist and new touring vocalist for The Pogues struck out on her own again in November following up her single Summer, from earlier in the year. with this single from her forthcoming album of the same name, Bang.
Hailing from Manchester, Big Other released their single See No Evil and it has has big written all over it, big hooks, big riffs and a big vocal to matvh.
Where We Gonna Run is the latest ardently impassioned single from The Empty Page, a yearningly fervent vocal delivered over a melody and rhythm delivered with an equal urgency.
The first of a couple of Skepwax released singles for the month comes in the shape of The Gallopers from 1980’s indie-popsters Would-be-goods. What a year Skepwax are having so far, and 2026 looks to continue in the same vein with the new album from Would-be-goods set for a February release.
Psyops was the third single to be released from Tulpa’s debut album Monster of the Week both seeing the light of day in November. The single has a sublime mesmeric quality to it due to the repetitive vocal delivered in style by Josie Kirk. A single that manages to be both emotionally melancholic but joyful in it’s sunshine swathed melody.
Fast Money Music come over all mean and moody in the sultry intro to their single Lover Boy, the post punk leanings continuing to unfold as the song progresses and adds some lush saxophone lines before everything culminates in it’s sizzling zenith.
Christmas isn’t a good time for everyone, so who better to end the November round up as we rush headlong into the festive season than Andrew Irving with his heartfelt plea in the form of single If I’m Not Alright, a soul bearing insight into what it means to be impacted by depressive illness, a feeling that too many of us are too familiar with.
Here is the whole of the month’s singles round up on a handy playlist on TIDAL, because…. fuck Spotify.