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. Kind of an all over the place one this week. Found two new favorites in Pen Pin and SICK BOSS. If you want to see your band on one of these lists, send us streaming music and as short bio.
Band Name: The Chats
BMN Score: 9.1/10
What the band says: “more agitated and absurd than ever,” and “everything you want a Chats album to be: fast, crass, and loaded with more instantly quotable Aussie idioms than Crocodiles Dundee and Hunter put together.”
What we say they sound like: Austrailan punk rock that is like The Ramones on speed, it's got old school punk grit. It's the kind of thing I feel like any fan of the genre would enjoy. I'd definitely put this on a playlist and watch a live set of this band. The hyper-speed and just pure fun of this makes you want to listen. No wonder they are icons down under. Would love to catch them here.
Song to add to your playlist: Struck By Lightning
Band Name: The Planes
BMN Score: 8.2/10
What the band says: The Planes are an indie rock band founded in Brooklyn, NY, back in the summer of 2010 by songwriter, singer, and guitarist Stephen Otto Perry. Through the years, the band has chugged along deep under the surface, earning a rep for deft songwriting, electric live performances, and tight musicianship (occasionally loosened by inebriation). An efficient, well-oiled indie rock machine that has never ridden a bandwagon orchased a trend, they have crafted a voice and vibe that is unmistakably theirs, despite existing in an ultra-crowded genre. With a very small, but very loyal fanbase, The Planes have become favorites at Brooklyn’s more obscure DIY spots.
What we say they sound like: This borders twee pop bands like the Lucksmiths but maybe with a little bit more indie rock grit around the edges. The meek vocals are the distinctive thing that separates it from other bands. It's honest and genuine and not trying to be something that it's not and I can get behind that. As BMN has argued recently with a few folks that bands like this from The Weakerthans to Pavement are not judged by the skill of the vocalist but more the delivery and lyrical content. It's a unique voice saying unique things, which is what I always appreciated about the indie scene as compared to the other scenes.
Song to add to your playlist: Feels Like Years
Band Name: Embers
BMN Score: 2.1 /10
What the band says: "I wrote this song while on the road and dealing with the ups and downs of trying to maintain a relationship. I wanted to capture the sound that reminds me of singing along to my favorite bands in the car, but with the lyrics of an emo revenge banger.”
What we say they sound like: This is by far the most popular band we're covering today and I can tell you just with the vocal melody it's got “I listen to Blink 182 and 100 Gecs” written all over it. Like am I supposed to relate or be like yeah totally when the singer says “I'm so fucked up for you”? It's just so cringe, who is this written for? 14-16 year olds that'll be impressed with your use of the word fuck? The song musically starts with promise but I can't say anything else about it is like-able. I mean the throwback Taking Back Sunday lyric kind of hints to this guy is too old to be this way. What I do know, except that I just don't think it's good.
Song to add to your playlist: Scratch My Name
Band Name: Pen Pin
BMN Score: 9.9 / 10
What the band says: Entitled "The Boredom" the song is about the perils of low levels of dopamine. Jeni confides, "I hope it serves as a reminder not to be too hard on ourselves when we find ourselves scrolling through our phones yet again, without knowing how we got there. "The Boredom" isn't necessarily evil, but it's a character that you might not always want around but seems to show up when you least expect it anyway." Surf rock drenched guitars underlay layered breezy melodies for an end of summer earworm.
What we say they sound like: I have not heard of Pen Pin but I feel like this might be a band I have to investigate and listen to more of. It's cute indie pop with a little bit of the pop elements of some heavier indie stuff like The Beths or Soccer Mommy but with the lightness of a Phoebe Bridgers. Take that and make it sun soaked and fun. This band feels hopeful, fresh, joyous and the splash of 60's gives it this underlying element that is great. You ever hear bands that just kind of sound like it's writers have come up with their own unique style? I feel that way when I hear this band.
Song to add to your playlist: The Boredom
Band Name: SICK BOSS
BMN Score: 9.5
What the band says: SICK BOSS encompasses a wealth of experience that spans many dimensions of Vancouver’s music scene from alternative pop to far-out experimentation. Appearing in their full line-up, the band performs the unique amalgam of composition and improvised music showcased here; in smaller or collaboration-oriented incarnations, the group primarily improvises.
What we say they sound like: This to me feels like if you had Radiohead or some other super group of musicians messing around with some lo-fi recording gear. The music is superb, the sound quality a little more saturated with distortion than I'd expect for this style but I'm ok with it. The horn melody adds a cinematic texture to it. This is really great driving instrumental music kind of like an indie version of The Budos Band. The guitar noise adds an interesting twist to this style of music, I feel like it's partially improvised but at a very high level where the whole band caught on and were on the same page. Definitely something different but exhilarating.
Song to add to your playlist: Useless Genius 2