crank wave
what it is
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, a new wave of post-punk bands mainly from Britain and Ireland emerged. The groups in this scene have been described with the term "Crank Wave" by NME and The Quietus in 2019, and as "Post-Brexit New Wave" by NPR writer Matthew Perpetua in 2021. Perpetua describes the groups in the scene as " bands that kinda talk-sing over post-punk music, and sometimes it's more like post-rock.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make crank wave a playlist
turn these 34 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is crank wave?
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, a new wave of post-punk bands mainly from Britain and Ireland emerged. The groups in this scene have been described with the term "Crank Wave" by NME and The Quietus in 2019, and as "Post-Brexit New Wave" by NPR writer Matthew Perpetua in 2021. Perpetua describes the groups in the scene as " bands that kinda talk-sing over post-punk music, and sometimes it's more like post-rock.
What are good crank wave albums to start with?
Try The Overload by Yard Act, Real Deal by Honeyglaze, ' Cello Song by Fontaines D.C., and Hands Across the Creek by Hotel Lux.
Who are some women making crank wave?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/crank-wave/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making crank wave, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-19