Pop & Indie
CONCERT: 11/2 – Cold War Kids @ College Street Music Hall
My Indie pick this week is “Alone” by The Cure. This song is inspired by an Ernest Dawson poem titled “Dregs”. “Alone” is part of the first new album by The Cure in over a decade. Something interesting about this song is that the length comes mostly from the instrumental parts. There are only two verses and one chorus in this song and if you look at the lyrics it reads like a poem. As someone that loves poetry I was able to notice a few things commonly seen in it like repetition. There is a lot of repetition in this song, the outro is almost entirely one line repeated multiple times. This song is really interesting and I definitely recommend looking at the lyrics while listening.
Lady Gaga’s “The Joker” is a cover of a song originally sung by Shirley Bassey. While this song is part of an album promoting Gaga’s role in the new Joker film coming out the lyrics have the ability to make you think. When I first listened to the song all I could think about was the literal Joker with a funny smile and scary laugh that used to scare me at Six Flags. I thought about how many ads I’ve seen for the film and wondered if this was a soundtrack album. As I looked at the lyrics something else clicked, every group has an outsider. Whether or not it’s intentional or you notice it, someone always feels left out.
Lastly, Austin Mahone, who I recognized from J-14 magazine in middle school, released a new song titled “Sooner or Later”. The song looks at a failed relationship where the other person is at fault and doesn’t accept it. Mahone felt like the relationship was going to last a long time but it ended and he is more hurt than the other person. He hopes they eventually realize what they did. I think this song is really catchy and I’ll definitely add it to some of my playlists.
Punk & Alternative
CONCERT: 11/14 – Panchiko @ Toad’s Place
A big congratulations to Mixed Signals is in order this week, as the Scottish Alternative Rock band released “Are You Satisfied?” on September 20, 2024—the Ayrshire based band’s debut single. In just a week, the song already has over 44,000 listens on Spotify, and the band’s instagram, @mixedsignalsofficialband, is slowly gaining traction, with just over 400 followers as of writing. “Are You Satisfied” is a really great track, and one to be proud of as a debut single. It has some really great instrumental and two superb guitar highlights that fit perfectly within the 4:21 runtime. Mixed Signals has a lot ahead of it as a band, and I’m truly very excited to keep watching and see the band’s growth as it releases more songs.
Incredibly exciting news for 80’s New Wave fans (me and my mother) this week, The Cure just released a new single on September 26, 2024. The track, titled “Alone” is a whopping six minutes and 48 seconds long, but who’s introductory instrumental lasts for about half the track’s runtime. This song is The Cure’s first release of new music in 16 years—since 2008, which makes this a genuinely momentous occasion. The last time the English rock band released music, I was three years old. “Alone” is the first single to be released as the precursor to a new album, set to release on November 1, 2024. “Songs Of A Lost World” sounds like it will be very reminiscent of the band’s sound from 1989 when it released “Disintegration.” I don’t have the words to convey my excitement for this release, The Cure frontman Robert Smith sounds amazing, sounding practically identical to when the band released its most popular tracks, like “Just Like Heaven” and “Friday I’m in Love.”
Legendary Californian band Linkin Park released ANOTHER new single on September 24th, 2024. “Heavy Is the Crown” is the second single to be released from the band’s upcoming album “From Zero” that is set to drop on November 15, 2024. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was excited to hear what Linkin Park had coming next to further create my opinion on Emily Armstrong—and while I didn’t enjoy “Heavy Is the Crown” as much as I enjoyed “The Emptiness Machine,” it’s no fault of Emily Armstrong’s herself. Mike Shinoda—the co-lead vocalist, goes a little heavy with the “rap” aspects of this track, which aren’t necessarily my taste, but Emily Armstrong goes all out for this one. I held off on making the comparison last time, but Armstrong has a striking resemblance to Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale on this track, leaning into the more metal, “heavier” sound that a song titled “Heavy Is the Crown” definitely deserves.
Another release from iconic Alternative band Mother Mother this week, the band released “Mother Ep” on September 27, 2024. The EP features 6 songs, all of which were cut or modified for the band’s debut album, “Touch Up” from 2007. Two songs, “Dirty Town – Mother Version” and “Oh Ana – Mother Version” are unreleased “demos” of the songs we ended up getting on the album. Neither of these are particularly stunning, the first being very slightly different from its counterpart on the original album—and the latter sounding almost exactly the same. Other tracks include “Fat Kid,” “Babies,” “Mama Told Me” and “Home Recording.” Out of these, “Babies” definitely stands out the most to me as the best contender for the album. I could be biased because it was my favorite track, but I felt it fit most closely with the band’s sound. A close second would absolutely be “Mama Told Me,” with an air to it that makes me think it may have inspired the sound of “Body” off of “O My Heart,” Mother Mother’s sophomore album from 2008.
Folk & Country
CONCERT: 10/5/24 – The Doobie Brothers @ Mohegan Sun Arena
On September 27th, Noeline Hofmann released her third single, “Rodeo Junkies,” ahead of her upcoming EP, Purple Gas, set to drop on October 4th. Having collaborated with artists like Zach Bryan, Hofmann is solidifying her status as a rising country star. “Rodeo Junkies,” with its distinct vocals and cheeky lyrics, stands out from her typically more somber tracks. The single highlights her versatility, adding a new dimension to her growing discography and further solidifying her presence in the country music scene.
On September 24th, Katie Gavin of MUNA released her single “Inconsolable,” the third ahead of her debut solo album, What a Relief, set to drop on October 25th. If the new album is anything like this single, I’m sure I’ll have a new obsession. “Inconsolable” is a fiddle-filled folk song that has a sense of nostalgia embedded in it. Gavin is showcasing her versatility as an artist by “taking it back to bluegrass” and I, for one, can’t wait to see what she does next.
Bluegrass star Billy Strings released his new studio album, Highway Prayers, on September 27th. In this genre-bending album, Billy pushes the boundaries of what bluegrass means in the 21st century. While he explores various genres throughout, the most notable example is the track “MORBUD4ME.” At its core, the album stays true to its bluegrass roots, with Billy’s signature flat-picking guitar and raspy vocals ensuring it’s unmistakably his. With mesmerizing fiddle work and top tier banjo skills the instrumentals on this album stand out as my favorite part of the album. My top picks from the album are “Leadfoot” (a track that feels like taking three espresso shots), “Cabin Song,” and “Catch and Release,” which is reminiscent of the golden age of Johnny Cash. Highway Prayers is an album I can’t recommend enough, an instant classic by an artist that will go down as one of the greats in the country scene.
Hip-Hop & R&B
CONCERT: 10/23 – Gunna @ Toyota Oakdale
“Timeless” is my pick for song of the year. After hearing the recording at The Weeknd’s one-stop show in Sao Paulo, Brazil I knew this would be a legendary collaboration. Carti and The Weeknd have been working a lot together recently, most notably on The Weeknd’s last big hit, “Popular.” The start of Timeless floors you with an ebbing synth and heavenly vocals from The Weeknd. Then the drums come in and Carti starts rapping. Carti’s voice has a ton of range, and for one of the first times, he utilizes all of it on this song. The Weeknd’s adlibs bring more character to the song with the ethereal hum in the background. The Weeknd’s verse is pretty good too, which all together makes a song of the year candidate in my eyes.
I can’t quite decide how I feel about this beat. Pi’erre Bourne seems to step out of his comfort zone on this one, but it’s not for the best. Luckily, J.Cole and Tee Grizzley both had solid verses. I could listen to Tee Grizzley’s flow forever, there’s something that special about him. This duo is not one I would’ve guessed would drop a song together in 2024, but it’s a welcome collaboration.
I had never heard of Mustafa before this song, but I’m thoroughly impressed. The way his and Daniel Caesar’s voices mesh is something incredible. The entire song is the two artists harmonizing over only a soothing guitar. The lyrics are heartbreaking, as the artist is scared to leave someone he loves which they associate with the city they’re from. I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on both artists, and I encourage you to listen to Mustafa’s full album, Dunya, if you like this one.
This song is some vintage Young Thug. The beat is ambitious in a really fun way that’s difficult to describe. Nigo and Wheezy both worked on this one together, and if you’re a fan of either you can kind of tell who’s influencing which part of the song. Thugger glides across the beat effortlessly just the same, my only complaint is that I wish it was longer than just a minute and a half.
