Punk & Alternative
CONCERT: October 13th – Tigers Jaw @ Space Ballroom
Legendary Californian band Linkin Park released a new single on Sep. 5th, 2024. The band released its debut album, “Hybrid Theory” in October of the year 2000. The release of “The Emptiness Machine” marks the band’s first new music release since the death of lead singer Chester Bennington in 2017. The track features the band’s new co-lead vocalist Emily Armstrong, who really brings the song together, in my opinion. Critics’ opinions on the new – female – lead vocalist are mixed, but Linkin Park has another release coming up that I think will truly give us the clarity we need on Emily Armstrong. I’ve never been a fan of Linkin Park, but I absolutely loved listening to “The Emptiness Machine.” I think the direction that the band is going in is something that Linkin Park definitely needed when returning to the scene after seven years. The band’s new album, “From Zero” releases on Nov. 15th, 2024.
2020 TikTok famous alternative band Mother Mother released a collaboration entitled “Dirty Devil Town” with British singer-songwriter Cavetown this past August. The Canadian band got its start in 2005, but released its first album, “Touch Up” in 2007, where two of the band’s most popular tracks, like “Oh Ana” and “Verbatim,” originate. “Dirty Town,” another song off of “Touch Up,” is one of the tracks featured in the collaboration—a mashup between it and Cavetown’s “Devil Town,” Cavetown’s most popular track. Mother Mother also released a cover of “Devil Town” with the release of the mashup. I thoroughly enjoyed both tracks, and while I am not the biggest Cavetown fan, I’ve enjoyed Mother Mother’s music for years, and really appreciated their adaptation of the Cavetown style.
Pop-Punk legends blink-182 released an album on Sep. 6th, 2024 – and after further inspection, it seems to be the band’s own “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY” to the band’s last album, released in 2023. “ONE MORE TIME… PART-2” features tracks from the 2023 album “ONE MORE TIME,” while also featuring eight new tracks of its own. The new album’s tracks include, “NO FUN,” “ALL IN MY HEAD,” “CAN’T GO BACK,” “EVERY OTHER WEEKEND,” “EVERYONE EVERYWHERE,” “IF YOU NEVER LEFT,” “ONE NIGHT STAND” and “TAKE ME IN.” The two songs that stood out the most to me from this lineup were “EVERY OTHER WEEKEND” and “ONE NIGHT STAND,” the former being my favorite from the eight. The album as a whole however really feels like a representation of everything the band has done throughout its presence on the scene. A review from “The Brooklyn Vegan” describes it as, “one of the band’s most musically varied albums,” with the “Enema of the State-style pop punk, the darker, artier vibes of the untitled album, the “Adam’s Song”/”Stay Together for the Kids”-style power ballads, and plenty of stuff in between.”
An odd one from the bunch this week, Disney—that’s right—Disney released a “Punk Goes Pop” styled album featuring covers of classic Disney songs. “A Whole New Sound” features covers from some of your favorite names in the genre, New Found Glory, Mayday Parade, Simple Plan, Plain White T’s and Bowling For Soup to name a few. I didn’t go into this album with high hopes, considering the source material, but I was absolutely amazed by most of the tracks on this album. With a good mix of “Golden Age” classics with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Simple Plan), Colors of the Wind” (Tokio Hotel) and “Go the Distance” (We The Kings), and some more modern tracks with “Remember Me” (Mayday Parade) and “Let It Go” (LØLØ) there is a wide variety to enjoy here. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of I2I (Magnolia Park), originally featured in “A Goofy Movie,” and it’s absolutely one of my favorites from the album. However, I have to stay true to my original number one, Princess Ariel. “Part of Your World” (New Found Glory) is the first song on the album, and it is perfect. I love New Found Glory, and the band’s take on one of my childhood staples was incredibly satisfying.
Pop & Indie
CONCERT: Cavetown October 25th at College Street Music Hall
I don’t know much about Rachel Platten, but I know the empowering lyrics to “Fight Song”. My sister and I used to try and harmonize so we could upload our cover to Youtube and be the next big thing. Unfortunately for us, that did not happen. “Girls”, however, is a song I can only wish was around for us to sing. It’s an empowering song for girls about experiences they may face and how they can overcome them. Between friends leaving, breakups, big dreams and tears, Platten shows that all of these common things that young girls experience are powerful. And this song perfectly captures all of it. Platten wrote the song for her daughters but I think it can inspire us all.
“Wristwatch” by MJ Lenderman has a beat that reminds me of a country song and a voice that reminds me of 80’s rock. I enjoy the sound of the song but the lyrics aren’t my favorite. I think it’s an interesting song that is worth a listen.
“Think I Wanna See You Again” by Grace Enger is a perfect song for anyone with a crush. The song shows the feeling of meeting someone and wanting to pursue a relationship despite having just met. I really liked this song. There’s a good beat and I enjoyed the lyrics.
“Don’t Lie” has a similar vibe to a song you would hear at a high school dance. It brings the energy with a strong beat and easy to remember lyrics. I think this song would fit perfectly into a hype or gym playlist as well. Kim Petras was a great choice to collab on this song with The Chainsmokers. Her voice was perfect.
“Troubled Waters” is one of my favorite songs from this week’s picks. It’s super catchy and has great lyrics. I have never listened to Alex Warren before but I will definitely be checking out his music. I love his voice and this song is just amazing.
Hip-Hop & R&B
CONCERT: 10/12 – Lil Wayne @ Mohegan Sun
This is another in a long line of Fred again house classics. Over the past year or so I’ve been listening to more EDM and house music, and to call Fred again any less than a staple of the genre would be a disservice. The layers of this song make it feel so full. The breakcore drums keep it upbeat, and every artist (especially .Paak though) glides across the synth so well. It’s my favorite song off Fred again’s new album, “ten days”.
Pharell’s movie run of late has been insane with the recent release of Despicable Me 4. Fans and critics alike seemed to be impressed with the level of quality Pharell continues to produce. The title song for his new Lego biopic, “Piece By Piece” is upbeat and funky in a way that totally matches his style. My favorite part is the offbeat section at the beginning.
A$AP Rocky’s album rollout continues with his second single in two weeks. This one is much more gritty than “Tailor Swif”, with an eerie piano and slow drums. J. Cole has had a mediocre year to put it lightly, but this verse stunned me. Cole finds a really solid flow on this song that reminds me of his album, “The Off-Season”. His verse is reflective on what’s happened in the past year, and Cole seems to have a new inspiration to make more music.
I’ve definitely fallen off Cochise the more I’ve listened to him, and this song doesn’t change my mind all that much. His style feels pretty rigidly inspired by rage trap popularized by artists like Playboi Carti and Yeat. Unlike those two artists, Cochise hasn’t really done anything novel enough to keep me interested. This song is solid if you’re a big Cochise fan, but honestly, this was just a shallow week for hip-hop.
Folk & Country
CONCERT: 10/15/24 – Dale Hollow – Space Ballroom
“Manning Fireworks” is the title track from MJ Lenderman’s fifth album. This somber folk song features simple, yet immersive, backing instruments, including a scratchy violin and straightforward electric guitar chord progressions, which perfectly complement Lenderman’s dry, witty lyrics. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love the instrumentals on this track. The North Carolina-based artist is an indie folk-rock star on the rise, and “Manning Fireworks” is one of the most subversive and authentically gritty albums I’ve heard in a long time.
Country legend George Strait has teamed up with Chris Stapleton on their latest song, “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame.” This dynamic duo has crafted an instant classic, and I can already imagine it being played on repeat at summer cookouts. With its perfect blend of a twangy rock beat and the mix of raspy and smooth vocals, it’s hard to see this as anything other than a quintessential country rock hit that all the dads will love.
“Walmart” is Jesse Welles’ most recent single. Welles has gained recognition for writing jaded political protest songs. This single follows his album, “Hells Welles,” released in July this year, his first album released under the name Jesse Welles. “Walmart” is a narrative folk song making pointed observations about American capitalism and its effects on working-class citizens. It is a brilliantly cynical song.
Willow Avalon’s newest single, “Homewrecker,” embodies the essence of heartbreak country music. With her signature raspy, raw, and powerful voice, Avalon draws undeniable comparisons to country legend Dolly Parton. This song is an anthem for scorned women, offering a perspective from the other side of Parton’s iconic “Jolene.” “Homewrecker” tells the story of a woman who, because of a no-good lying man, unwillingly becomes a “homewrecker.”
