Crucial Track for January 2, 2026

"Diamond Keys" by Touché Amoré

I want to start this year off with an unreleased song by Touché Amoré, one of my favorite bands.

The song is called “Diamond Keys.” It was later renamed “Finalist”, with completely different lyrics, and officially released on the Spiral in a Straight Line album. According to Jeremy Bolm, the band’s frontman, it was a song that initially didn’t fit the context of the album they were recording at the time, so they decided to put it on hold.

What you’re hearing here is the original version, with its original lyrics. And in Jeremy’s own words:

> “I wrote it out of the repulsion I feel when it comes to dealing with algorithms, paywalls, merch cuts, streaming platforms, and more.”

That sentiment lines up perfectly with the philosophy behind the indie web and the kind of internet many of us want to reclaim.

So let’s start the year the right way.