Oldies – Concert: 3/1 Boy George and Culture Club @ Mohegan Sun

(Album) January 25, 1998 (psychedelic instrumental)

As someone who has never reviewed a psychedelic instrumental album, I thought it would be only proper to introduce, firstly, one of the pioneers of this digitally complex world, Shpongle. They take the earliest explorers of their own genres, like noted in the honorable mentions, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Chicago and even artists like Salvador Dalí for their inspiration in going beyond the established rules of the world and using their voices in unique ways. For Shpongle, this layered masterpiece of “Are You Shpongled?” is supposed to, and really does, take you to a place outside this world and your own brain. On the CD itself, there is a small hint into the minds of the creators: 

“Where is Shpongleland? A Multi-verse, not very far away, Where Queues and Noise don’t exist, neither pain nor fear, scary faces or Bad Smells… just peace & pieces, and perfect Weather. Sucking the big toe of humanity, your armchair turns into an Aural spacecraft, catapulting you thru the veils of Reality and consciousness into a Psychedelic adult theme park: Sonar ballis Tickle soma-sucking cyber-sorcerers, floating Weightlessly on the threshold of Bliss, creating psycho-geometric Atomic Telepathic shimmering incandescant Dream dilations. This hybrid Exotic serofonin-drenched electroplasmic dripping Brain-forest moves With endless Hallucinogenic changing patterns while unnoticed, a million Angels dance on a pinhead. Fun-shui, Phreaological Escapology; The Divine Moment of Truth… the inevitability if the unexpected – the Vortex of the Cortex. Knowing What we don’t Know, While sampling the cosmos; From the Darkness to the Light; from the Unreal to the Real… from death to immortality…Let’s get Shpongled!”

And I couldn’t have said it better myself. Although it may be created by people on drugs or enjoyed mostly by those on drugs, you can’t deny the musical and artistic vision one needs to pull off layered instrumentals in this fashion. And when I heard it for the first time, it was so reminiscent of those videos where people plug their plants or fungi into a machine that picks up on their bioelectrical signals and converts them into a music language called MIDI. I am especially interested in any human invention that resembles nature, like the architectural work that fits right into the landscape, or music like this that sounds like the symphony of an ecosystem. The songs are a little longer than normal, but nothing about this is normal, so the 7-20 minutes of length per piece is tame. The songs truly vary from piece to piece, “Vapour Rumors” offering a almost beat-box flute vibes, “Shpongle Falls” as the tame water-droppy kickoff, and “Monster Hit” sounds like encountering a witch in a supernatural forest. “Behind Closed Eyelids” is the most extraterrestrial and sounds like the exploration of a new planet, “Divine Moments of Truth” is more nature and ancestral human oriented, and finally “And the Day Turned to Night” is a story within itself offering a slow rumbling build up, intense middle and a soft disappearance into the silence again. I would recommend listening to “Shpongle Falls” if you just want a little taste of the genre, but otherwise if you do have an hour 20 minutes to travel to a different dimension, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

(Album) January 26th, 1983 (synth-pop/ new-wave)

Before their breakaway with the song “Take My Breath Away” for the 1986 movie “Top Gun,” Berlin was fully deep into the synth, new-wave and electronic pop breaking through the Los Angeles club scenes of the early ‘80s. On January 26, 1983, Berlin re-released their second album, Pleasure Victim, which went on to become their best-selling album and was certified platinum in 1993. Terri Nunn provides an airy but emotionally detached delivery that complicates the album’s themes of desire, power and alienation in yourself and others. For those who remembered my Marianne Faithfull review of Broken English, and her turn to darker themes with synth backgrounds, it really brought me back to those same emotions and descriptions. Although it had some brighter, more commercial hits at the time like “The Metro,” “Masquerade,” the opening song “Tell Me Why,” the themes of sexual alienation are more prevalent in “Sex (I’m A…)”, “World of Smiles”, “Pleasure Victim” and even “Torture” that all have hypnotic synth beat backgrounds. While the album didn’t break the band into the mainstream, it became a staple for underground clubs and alternative circles that then went on to influence goth-adjacent genres. The minimalist aesthetic mixed with European electronic influence gave it a timeless appeal that more closely resembles early Human League or Ultravox than anything else on the West Coast. Even in the most explicit song, “Sex (I’m A…),” the lyrics give it a ton of comedic and maybe political value. While Terri Nunn is playing an “obedient” role, the lyrics of the main chorus, an echo, are a debate between Terri and bandmate John Crawford. When he opens with his part “I’m a man,” she responds differently 10 different times to his call, anywhere from “I’m a goddess”, “I’m a geisha,” “I’m a boy,” to “I’m your slave.” I don’t take John Crawford’s decision to repeat his vocal line over and over lightly, and instead see the main theme of the album come into play. How women and men see their relationships with each other and with themselves, as either very simple, or multifaceted, deep and complex, and Terri definitely takes it to the next level with her performance over minimal synth. She sees herself, or the world sees her as all these different people, while he can just be a man. I recommend the whole album, as it is only 8 songs and 37 minutes, but it contains a clear story and emotional arc for Terri Nunn’s character.

(Single) January 25th, 1974 (soft-rock/ ballad)

The release of this single changed a lot for The Hollies, and created a rare late-era hit, when “The Air That I Breathe” reached number 3 on the UK singles chart and number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The reason I love this song so much shouldn’t come as a surprise, first written and recorded for Albert Hammond’s debut album, It Never Rains In Southern California, and shortly after it was brought to The Hollies for their 1974 album, The Hollies, which explains why it’s such a good ballad and contains so much soul and emotion not just in the singing, but the longing guitar notes. Being different from the rest of their British-invasion roots, this slow atmospheric single is timeless, leading to a more modern use of the chord progression. In 1992, Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of this single for their song, “Creep.” And after the publisher sued Radiohead for their use, Radiohead was honest about their recycling, and so Hammond and co-writer Mike Hazlewood received a small portion of the royalties from “Creep.” This song is another perfect example of how timeless and cyclical music can be, and how, through many eras and decades and generations, we all go through and feel similar emotions and experiences.

Global – Concert: The Hives @ Toads 3/19

Girl groups are SO back, guys. For the fans of Katseye, Girlset, and Say Now, No Na is your next group to keep your eyes on. Hailing from Indonesia, the group of four made their debut just this past May and have made quite the impact so far. Their latest single, “work,” is reminiscent of Fifth Harmony and Little Mix in its classic girl-group vibe. If you’re looking for other songs to listen to by them, I’d recommend starting off with their debut “shoot” and their release from earlier this month, “sizzle.” 

Back with their first comeback since the rebrand, this is Xtraordinary Genes! Following the coming out of their youngest member, the group has been shown explosive amounts of support from both the K-pop community and globally! Coming out on their 20th birthday, Cocona has carved a new path as the first openly transmasculine and nonbinary idol. The group’s concept was easily adjusted, and their latest album is a hit, with Hypnotize being the highlight in my eyes. This house-vogue style song just makes you want to get up and DANCE. 

The Parisian duo Papooz, made up of Ulysse Cottin and Armand Penicaut, have made their return with a full album titled “Papooz and Friends.” They made their debut in 2015, known best for their groovy style of music. The duo is currently on a world tour, with stops across the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, and of course, their home country, France. They have branched across different genres throughout the years, but the music is mainly written and performed in English. The music videos are well-crafted and artistic. I recommend “Theatrical State of Mind” and “Hell of a Woman” for first-time listeners/viewers.

Hip-Hop/R&B –  Concert: 4/11 – Meek Mill @ Total Mortgage Arena 

Over winter break, A$AP Rocky finally released a new album titled “Don’t Be Dumb.” The album consisted of 17 songs and two deluxe songs, which were released a week later. This album incorporates the classic Rocky sound while giving fans a new sound to obsess over.  My favorites are “STAY HERE 4 LIFE,” which includes a feature by Brent Faiyaz, “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO),” and “PLAYA.” These are songs I will definitely be playing on repeat on multiple playlists. Fans have speculated that Frank Ocean can be heard in the background of “AIR FORCE (BLACK DEMARCO),” which I would love to be true, but I also really enjoy the switch this song has from powerful to slow and lowkey. I am so excited to hear this album live in June, as A$AP Rocky’s performances are known for their unmatched energy and style. Hearing these songs in person feels like the ultimate payoff after waiting so long for new music from him.

On Jan. 9, 2026, The Kid LAROI released his fourth album titled “BEFORE I FORGET.”  This album consisted of 15 songs, three of which included features. Each song on this album was about the same topic: a recent breakup that LAROI went through. Although it is not confirmed, fans speculate that the album is targeted at pop star Tate McRae, with whom he was in a relationship for over a year. As a huge Tate fan, I do have to say, I did really enjoy this album.  Each song on this album told a story and truly described how in love LAROI really was. Some fans concluded that LAROI released this album to say everything he wanted to before he moved on, hence the title “BEFORE I FORGET.”  My personal favorites are “PRIVATE” and “RATHER BE.”  Both of these songs were more upbeat than others on the album and were immediate additions to my playlist. All together, this album was very strong, and I am very excited to see what comes next from him.  

Last December, Lil Uzi Vert released their fourth single of 2025 titled “What You Saying,” and it immediately stood out to me. If you know me, you know I will always love hearing Uzi’s voice; it has this unique, almost hypnotic quality that instantly pulls you in. On this track, their vocals blend seamlessly with the beat, creating a smooth yet confident vibe that feels effortless. The production is clean and engaging, giving Uzi plenty of space to play with melody and flow while still keeping the energy up. “What You Saying” feels like a natural continuation of their evolution as artists, experimenting just enough to stay interesting while holding onto the sound that fans originally fell in love with. It’s another strong release that proves Uzi’s consistency and ability to stay relevant without losing their identity, making this single an easy addition to my rotation.

This past week, DaBoii released a new single titled “Sidewalk.” DaBoii is a rapper with 900k monthly listeners on Spotify, most known for his single titled “Bananas.” This single includes powerful lyrics with a chill but exciting beat. What stands out most is how effortlessly DaBoii rides the production, balancing smooth delivery with sharp moments of intensity. The beat feels laid back but still exciting, making it the kind of song that works just as well blasting in the car as it does playing in the background. “Sidewalk” proves that DaBoii is ready to keep pushing through the rap game.

Country/Folk – Concert: 2/28 – Jack Blocker @ Space Ballroom

Though it’s early in the year, I believe “Act I” by Kashus Culpepper could be a contender for album of the year already. I think Megan Moroney’s “Cloud 9” might sneak in there for me, but this is a great way to start 2026. I have covered Culpepper in the past, with his single “In Her Eyes” off this album. While that song is still one of my favorites, a lot of the new songs really surprised me, mainly “Is It True” and “Alabama Beauty Queen.” I think the latter will be one of the more popular songs on the album, as Culpepper released a music video to go along with it. I actually think the shining star of the album, though, is “Broken Wing Bird,” where Culpepper is joined by Sierra Ferrell. This song was already released as a single, but I think its placement in the album is perfect. The song is the exact middle track, and it serves as a sound change-up from the rest of the album. Even though the album runs over an hour, which is a bit long for my liking, nearly all the songs on this album work really well with Culpepper’s unique, raspy voice, a voice that’s one of my favorites right now. Culpepper has a lot of fans in the country music world, and I can see it as a favorite of not only mine, but a lot of those artists. I think time will do this album very well, and I’m excited to see Culpepper blossom into superstardom.

The second release from Connor Smith’s 41-minute video “stories I’ve never told,” “Man I Was Meant To Be” is a beautiful love song dedicated to his wife, Leah. Smith was in the media over the last year for the wrong reasons, as he was involved in a tragic accident that killed a woman. He logged off social media for months, going radio silent to reflect on the accident. From that point on, Smith has been on a journey of self-discovery through his faith and family, and the one person who has been by his side the entire time is his wife. Somewhat of an influencer herself, Leah Thompson Smith and Conner have been married for over two years now, and had been dating for a long time prior. Initially, this wasn’t one of my favorites from the video, but since its release on streaming, I’ve really enjoyed listening. Smith is one of those artists for me where I will like just about anything he puts out, and this song is no different. All of his songs put me in a great mood, and they are some of the most important in my life. Not only is this a sweet love song from Smith to his wife, but he manages to keep it free of personal lines, meaning it can be played as a universal love song. Some of my favorite lines include “cause you’re an angel sent from the sky,” and “I love how you see, not the man I am but the man I was made to be.” This is one I would recommend to fans of a classic country love song, as it fills all the tropes. It, like his last release “Ain’t Got Enough Faith,” gets me excited for all his new releases, and I hope they all touch streaming soon. 

Any Parker McCollum fan is familiar with “Big Ole’ Fancy House.” Before this weekend, it was one of the artist’s more popular unreleased songs, so fans were very excited when he announced it was dropping. What was unknown to many fans was that this song is set to be on the deluxe edition of his self-titled album from last year. One of, if not my favorite album from last year, the deluxe edition should be more of what made the last album so great. “Big Ole’ Fancy House” is about a man who has everything he could want in life, money-wise, including a “bunch of fancy cars,” “two swimming pools in the yard,u” and “flowers on the windowsill.” But the one thing he is missing is the love of his life, who left him and his big house. The man sits lonely in the “empty” house now, thinking of his love and how he “can’t live with the memory.” It’s a sad song with a sad message, but thanks to McCollum’s vocals and the instruments in the background, it doesn’t come off that way initially. It reminds me of Flatland Cavalry’s “A Life Where We Work Out” in that regard, as you don’t realize the true message until you listen to and read the lyrics. I do really like this song, and I imagine it will be one of my favorites on the deluxe album, but we will have to see.

Rock/Alternative – Concert: 3/13 – Rod Stewart @ Mohegan Sun

YUNGBLUD began the year by releasing a new version of his song “Zombie” that features The Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan’s voice works very well with YUNGBLUD’s. The guitar sounds are a little bit denser than on the original track, as they tried to incorporate more of The Smashing Pumpkins sound into the song and it works extremely well. According to Billboard, this single marks the first time that The Smashing Pumpkins have appeared on another artist’s recording. If you like YUNGBLUD or The Smashing Pumpkins, you will definitely enjoy this track, as the new version does a really good job of capturing both of their sounds in one recording. 

After a big year in 2025, Viagra Boys are keeping their momentum. Last year saw the release of their almost self-titled album “Viagr Aboys,” and in early 2026, we got the release of “Viagr Aboys (Japanese Deluxe Edition)” with four new tracks. The songs are all amazing additions to the album, with a nice bit of range as well. If you liked the album or like any of Viagra Boys’ other music, then I highly recommend checking out some of these new tracks, especially “Therapy II” and “Cumboy,” which are two songs that are very different from each other but are both great examples of the sound that the band has found for themselves.

The new Format album “Boycott Heaven” marks the reunion of Nate Ruess and Sam Means after nearly two decades apart. The Format was the first band of Nate Ruess, who later went on to join the band fun, which is where many people recognize his voice from. When you listen to the format, you can definitely tell it’s the same singer from fun, but the music definitely does seem to have a little bit more of an alternative rock and pop-punk vibe to it than some of the stuff from fun. It is still very indie pop-sounding at the same time, though. The new album sounds fantastic and definitely doesn’t sound like a band that’s been apart for nearly two decades. The band also uses the album to talk about modern issues with the track “Leave It Alone (Till The Morning)”, talking about the war in Gaza and commenting on the apathy that many seem to have, as many people are just leaving the situation alone. If you like fun or Nate Ruess, then I highly recommend checking out this new album. 

Arctic Monkeys have also made a return recently as they have released a new single, “Opening Night,” which is the first track from a new charity album called “Help (2).” The new track is somewhat minimalist compared to some other stuff from the band in the past. So far, people online are having a lot of different reactions, and I have seen people compare this song to both Steely Dan and David Bowie. If you like Arctic Monkeys’ music, then I highly recommend checking out this single, hopefully it’s not the last that we get from the band either. 

Megadeth started the year 2026 by releasing a self-titled album, which will be their last. The album acts as a strong farewell to a legend of the genre, as Dave Mustaine, with a lot of fast-paced and technically impressive parts showing that even with age, the band can still absolutely play. Mustaine also includes a version of “Ride The Lightning” at the end of the album as a bonus track, which is a fun nod to an iconic piece of metal history and drama between him and Metallica. Overall, the new album does a great job of celebrating the career of a legend of the genre.

Pop & Indie – Concert: 3/21/26 – Bethlehem Shalom @ Space Ballroom

Nick Jonas’ solo album “Sunday Best” is set to release on Feb. 6, and he recently released the first (and possibly only) single, “Gut Punch.” Not only does this song have a good message to be nice to yourself, but it is also super catchy. I really like how this song sounds, and it’s making me very excited for the rest of the album. My experience with the Jonas Brothers is limited. I, unlike the general public, don’t like Camp Rock. Beyond that, I only really know their extremely popular songs and have limited experience with their solo music. I do, however, really like what I’ve heard and had planned on seeing them live in Florida, but didn’t get to. I also covered one of their songs last year and loved it, and I’ve been obsessed with all of their TikToks. I’m looking forward to more music from Nick and the band together. 

Unfortunately, Hilary Duff’s song “Roommates” is not “and they were roommates” vibes; it’s actually very straight. The song is about wanting the exciting beginning of a relationship, but not anything after that. She wants the butterflies, but she doesn’t want him to be tired of her. I surprisingly enjoyed this song even though it was nowhere near what I expected. Her album “luck…or something” comes out February 20th.

It’s a big week for One Direction fans, especially those who love Harry Styles. A week ago, Styles announced his upcoming album “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” which I will be using as my life motto from now on. The album comes out March 6th, but the first single, “Aperture,” was released Thursday, Jan. 22. I will say after the first listen, I didn’t like it, but I think I went in with different expectations of how it would sound. It is slowly growing on me, and I know the Harry fans are absolutely thrilled with it. The track list for the album also released, and I’m definitely interested in some of the titles!

Continuing with the past One Direction members, Louis Tomlinson released his single “Imposter”. I have not listened to any of his solo music, so I went into this with high hopes. I really liked it, but it also sounds like part of a movie soundtrack. The song makes it clear that he doesn’t feel worthy of someone else’s attention, but sonically, it’s like a soundtrack of a racing movie. I imagine the opening to Cars for some reason. The song itself is very good, though. The album “How Did I Get Here” was released on Friday. 

U.K. artist Holly Humberstone released the second single from her upcoming album “Cruel World,” which is set to be released in April. “To Love Somebody” is a great song that I think would be fun to hear live. The song is about how hurting, loving, and losing people is human, and it happens to all of us. I look forward to seeing what else she comes out with leading up to her album.