Our inbox is over flowing again so we are letting you good people know exactly what is new and available out there in the music world. A really fun mix of styles today from very popular bands like Laura Jane Grace and newcomers like Post Punk from Lithuania Local Blood. We keep it pretty punky today except for the exquisite KC Rae who makes a great mix of Indie Rock and Indie Pop. If you want to see your band on one of these lists, send us streaming music and as short bio.
Band Name: Gale Forces
BMN Score: 8.2/10
What the band says: "Highlights of Existence" channels the energy of our primary need for connection. The realization that we’re never that far apart when we sit down and raise a glass around a fire, or in the backyard. What’s at stake is the quality of our lives and the ability to problem solve, by the better angels of our nature." “Reach in and tie the rose, melting the callous of your heart” sums up a desperate summons for more."
What we say they sound like: This kind of has a punky Killers feel, but maybe focused through a post punk lens. I could also see something like Gaslight Anthem being where this band is coming from. Although I like the vocals on this better, it's not reaching to be an imitation, it's got it's own unique timbre to it. Overall the sprinling of good songwriting and equal parts alt rock and post punk make this standout from other contemporaries.
Song to add to your playlist: Highlights Of Existence
Band Name: KC Rae
BMN Score: 9.8/10
What the band says: With big discoveries, came a new sense of self. KC Rae, as she goes by now, acknowledges that writing the songs found on Think I’m Gonna Die started out as an attempt to regain her power. “It felt like I was writing a response to all of the times I’d been told ‘No' in my career. And to be honest, I kind of just wanted to prove that I could do something on my own, as the sole writer, musician and producer of a thing that was just mine.” However, as time went on, the solo process became much more than that; it became the timestamp of a painful yet incredible chapter in life. The album is raw and uncompromising, yet also warm with familiarity; the way a brand new pair of denim might feel— at first pinching at the soft spots— and eventually easing into a second skin.
What we say they sound like: This has a great vibe that lands somewhere between Boygenius and Soccer Mommy. It's catchy, it's fun and it's got a solid groove that is more high end pop than indie rock. This has a nice restraint it where it just flows and becomes something that can be endlessly listened to. This has a little bit of 90's vibe as well like a mellow Lemonheads or Juliana Hatfield song but it's definitely more in line with Sophia Allison of Soccer Mommy if I had to make a direct comparison. The video as well is like the music, it's simple, concise and perfect for the genre.
Song to add to your playlist: Bathroom Floor
Band Name: Laura Jane Grace
BMN Score: 9.9/10
What the band says: A musical force since Against Me!'s debut in the late-’90s and one of Billboard Magazine’s “50 Greatest Rock Lead Singers Of All Time,” punk veteran Laura Jane Grace has never shied away from themes of political commentary, environmentalism, social critique and candid self-exploration. On the forthcoming Hole In My Head, she continues to showcase her songwriting genius across the 11 tracks presented here, issuing an album that captures the nuances of humanity and experience in a strangely optimistic manner. The lightness of its influence, and the journalistic recollection of experience set against a battered and warm folk-punk delivery from beginning to end, makes Hole In My Head a refreshing comfort.
What we say they sound like: Gotta be honest, not a huge fan of this genre but this is enjoyable and nobody really does this better than Laura Jane Grace. It's like a mature version of the Ramones. It's got deeper lyrical content and music that feels like it has more depth to the guitar playing than Johnny Ramones style. There's something to be said for brevity in post punk, this song is the perfect length which is great for multiple listens and adding to playlists.
Song to add to your playlist:
Band Name: Local Blood
BMN Score: 9.2/10
What the band says: This idea of the album is felt when listening to both the album’s lyrics and the composition of each song. “Loverman” is created as a conceptual one-piece, so it should be listened from the beginning till end, because the story of the main protagonist is being told throughout the album as a whole. What’s more, at the end of the album, the listener should hear some hints of what may be expected in our future work,” – the band shares their comments about their new release.
What we say they sound like: This song has stong bite to it, dancey and similar to bands like The Bravery but mixed with classics like the Talking Heads. This is definitely the sound of the underground and exactly what we're hearing out of Bushwick Brooklyn from some of the biggest post punk bands like Dead Tooth and Two-Man Giant Squid. I was blown away to find out this is from Lithuania. Maybe the Brooklyn sound has been stealing from Lithuania this whole time and we didn't know it. Either way, this has energy, grit, and danceability along with blistering guitars.
Song to add to your playlist: Lovesong
Band Name: Pet Needs
BMN Score: 8.9/10
What the band says: “In the last 18 months we have been catapulted from steady jobs and playing in our small town local bars to world tours at a million miles an hour. The life we’d grown accustomed to is constantly thrown behind us until it disappears into the distance in our rearview mirror. We thunder forward, show by show, adventure by adventure, until [normal life] returns as a speck on the horizon like an oasis in the desert. Then suddenly we’re home again. I sit content on the sofa with a beer, my wife and our new little puppy wondering what the hell just happened for the last three months.”
What we say they sound like: Musically this didn't blow me away but more the charisma of the lead vocal is what put this over the top to make this weeks list of singles. I think it's just that almost tuneless way bands like IDLES and this band as well bark vocals but then also at other moments can sing in perfect harmony. This has a great post punk edge to it that sets it apart from other stale pop punk bands.
Song to add to your playlist: Separation Anxiety