Animal Scream Shares ‘I Killed A Cowboy’

New LP, ‘Midnight Summer,’ out now

October 30, 2026 Ron Hart 0 Comments 2026, Animal Scream, Chad Monticue, Midnight Summer, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Reckoner Music

Pittsburgh’s Animal Scream is back just in time for Halloween with a brand-new album, Midnight Summer.

The brainchild of Chad Monticue, formerly of the Frenchkiss Records group 1, 2, 3, the third LP under the Animal Scream handle finds him continuing to evolve his modern psych-pop in new directions. Whereas his debut Nightwalk (2020) was indebted to a bottom-heavy constellation of dub and Motown influences and its sophomore follow-up Heartbroke Motel channeled David Lynch, ’60s reggae and underground hip-hop, Midnight Summer offers a darker shift in direction that leans towards lo-fi night-driving music similar to those 24-hour instrumental music channels on YouTube.

“I imagine it like a bunch of wandering, misplaced spirits, ghosts and lovers hanging out together on warm summer nights at the beach,” he says, “with fire barrels all around.”

Darkly vibrant, Midnight Summer is meant to feel like a mixtape you’d give to a friend in troubled times.

Animal Scream *Midnight Summer*, Reckoner Music 2026

“I see it as a hopeful record about life after death, transitions and moving forward when things feel too scary to move at all,” he says.

Rock & Roll Globe celebrates this year’s All Hallows Eve by premiering the video for Midnight Summer’s latest single “I Killed A Cowboy,” a song that depicts “industrial, corporate cowboys feeding off of the energy of others and using that to build a Frankenstein-eqsue monster.”

“‘I Killed A Cowboy’ is about the killing of toxic energy, fighting off dark spirits, shedding dead skin, aspiring to feel better and to be better,” Monticue explains. “Musically, It was inspired by Darkside. The song is meant to be a rant, it wasn’t intended to be a structured pop song, It’s the energy of inner dialogue at play that came over me while sitting in traffic.”

Midnight Summer is the debut release for Reckoner Music, Monticue’s boutique production label offering personalized support for independent artists, curating sounds from all unique genres. Along with digital releases the focus is physical media — tapes, CDs and vinyl — and serves as a home for his ongoing session and production work and other creative visual adventures into photography and film.

Check out Animal Scream’s Bandcamp page for more fun and information.

VIDEO: Animal Scream “I Killed A Cowboy”