LA-based artist KODA released his latest single “Nazareth” and it is a dynamic, atmospheric track. He is brutally honest about his inner struggles and the complexity of them. This song reminds me of how current pop music has openly embraced mental health issues in a way that relates to the younger generations of today. There has been a shift from bubblegum pop to a darker, more real approach. In that way, KODA’s sound reflects the millennial pop/R&B vibes of Zayn or The Weeknd. The subtle beat paired with his emotional vocals create a deeply personal, emotional track that gets extremely candid about his anxiety. Getting this personal is always risky, always scary, but KODA has achieved it in a way that shows his truth and, as a result, created a beautiful piece.
Acclaimed Texas-based artist Salim Nourallah has released his latest single “Sweet as a Weed,” which is set to appear on both his upcoming EP and full-length album. It’s quite stripped down, making for an intimate track. It has an interesting country-like feel to it, which may be attributed to the story of how the idea of this track came about. Nourallah recalls how the inspiration struck while on the road:
I was having pre-gig chips and salsa with a friend in Malden, Missouri … We were talking about my daughter when he proclaimed, ‘Well, she’s about as sweet as a weed! I nearly spit out a chip. ‘What? Is that actually a saying?’ It was baffling to me. Weeds aren’t sweet! He swore it was a legit Southern saying after I grilled him on it. I stuffed it away in my file of things to consider for songs.
The spirit of the South can definitely be heard in this song, with its distinct twang and tone. The mellowed-out guitar paired with Nourallah’s vocals creates an atmospheric, vaguely eerie vibe and a song for those days spent in the blistering summer heat in the country.
Nourallah’s EP South comes out on September 7th, and his next album Somewhere South of Sane comes out September 28th. Keep up with him here.
Joe Cardamone’s latest music video is triggering, outrageous, and everything that encapsulates his otherworldly sound. It feels much more like a film than an actual music video, with nods to the aesthetics of Quentin Tarantino or Baz Luhrmann. The drugs, the violence, and the gore is a fitting backdrop for Cardamone’s chilling track. The video begins with an unstable relationship spiraling towards his girlfriend’s attempted suicide, shifting into a frenzy of cocaine and an armed robbery gone wrong. It ends with his relationship supposedly back to normal under the guise of a watermelon peace offering. This highlights the dangerous cycle that is the characters’ lives. “Eat Side No One” has a sharp electric beat and the imagery is just as shocking, making this one of the most fascinating music videos I have seen in a long time.
Be sure to check out Joe Cardamone’s album Holy War, which is set to be released on August 30th. You can also watch the album’s companion film trailer for Holy War II, which is due out August 25th. Keep up with him here.
Pop punk is a genre that many of us identify as our first real musical love. It’s the music that blasted in our earphones as we tried to survive eighth grade . And for many of us, that love fades away as our own teenage angst forms into something new, something “mature.” Belmont’s new self-titled album reminds us of that first love and how that music has involved in itself, while still being as cool and emotional and punk.
This album is the epitome of what pop punk music is. Each song showcases the band’s youth and talent. Frontman Taz Johnson’s vocals are hypnotic, and combined with Brian Lada on drums, Sam Patt on guitar, and Alex Wieringa on bass, the end result is magical. The moment the opening track “Empty” bursts to life with an explosion of guitar and drums, I am flooded with nostalgia and the desire to head bang like crazy. As the album goes on, each song seems to give off that same vibe that only this music can give. There are also so many lyrics that stand out because of their depth and honesty. “Interlude” is a slowed-down song that, despite its cool beat, has you thinking instead of head banging:
Do you know what it’s like to be alone?
To live life feeling numb and cold,
It’s a ******* nightmare on its own
And it just gets worse as we grow old.
The second half of the album picks up speed once again, with powerful tracks like “Hollowed Out” and “Convalescence.” As the album comes to an end with “BMC,” Johnson asks the million dollar question: “Why do I pretend to keep caring?” Belmont’s talent is undeniable in both their music and their lyrics, showing the band’s inevitable rise as the next great act.
Canadian artist The Pinc Lincolns is the current musical project of Daniel Colussi, who has self-released three full albums since 2014, and his latest one is due out on October 10. “Not Half/No End” is a five-minute song that starts with a pure and simple melody. The instrumental is reminiscent of some early Coldplay songs with its repetitive piano chords and cool guitar riffs. The track’s overall sound gives off 90s pop-rock vibes, especially due to the vaguely angsty lyrics:
Just like the first cigarette of the day,
I’m letting it burn on the plane
Towards not half/no end.
It’s has a classic stuck-in-your-head pop chorus, which is just barely masking the dark nature of his lyrics. Colussi did this intentionally, aiming to make a complex track to open the album:
With ‘Not Half/No End’ I was trying to make a simple, accessible, pop song with a repetition that the listener could get lost in. I wanted to be vaguely intelligent, like a John Cale song from 1974 or a Peter Jefferies song from 1990. This song is supposed to be an easy hit that starts the album, because the second half of the record is so resolutely bummer. And, as is generally the case, the sentiments that lay behind the song only became clear to me after it was written, finished and in the can.
Be sure to check out his upcoming album “On the Plains” and Canadian tour in October. Keep up with him here.
Canadian artist Taylor Janzen gets as real as she can get with her new EP. Interpersonal is thoughtful and smart, as if written by a seasoned professional; at only 19-years-old, she has an acute sense of empathy and self-awareness that makes this EP incredibly special. Her vocals are heartbreakingly beautiful, drawing strong comparisons to Paramore’s Hayley Williams. But that’s as far as the comparisons go – in every way, Janzen is entirely her own artist.
As you listen, each song bares a bit more of Janzen’s soul. Her honesty makes her relatable, which is the epitome of why we love sad songs. “Stations” delves into the reality of emotional abuse in a relationship. “The Waiting Room” is a standout track due to its raw and honest discussion of her struggles with mental health through the imagery of a waiting room. The lyrics show how, sometimes, the mental health system can be challenging and lonely. Janzen sings with pain in her voice, lamenting about her experience: “Spitting out my demons to someone I just met … the only one who listens is the person I pay.” “Colourblind” and “Better Now” round out the EP, leaving you with that feeling – not sadness, not anger, not happiness. The best way to describe Janzen’s music is hopeful. She delves deep into heartbreak and depression, but her voice assures us that not all is lost. In fact, these are the kind of sad songs that you want to listen over and over again, even if it makes you want to sob into a glass of red wine.
Houston band Jody Seabody and the Whirls take it back to old school punk rock with their latest single, which is off their upcoming third album Hawksamillion. “GrenadeGreen” is a long track, tapering off at six and a half minutes. And majority of it is high intensity — it’s loud and jarring and absolutely mind-boggling. The lyrics are screamed rather than sung, giving it the true angry garage rock feel. This is the kind of music that is easily forgotten in this day and age, but JS&TW manages to embody the genre and turn it into a stand-out track.
At around the 4 minute mark, the song does a complete 180. The rock vibe is still there, but it’s slower and more mysterious. There are no lyrics, no screaming. Just the instrumental. The shift is surprising, yet welcome. It allows the anger from before to dissipate and turn into Led Zeppelin-esque classic rock and roll. This song seems to capture the ever-changing emotions of rock music in such a way that shows how this is a band that does not stay in one place.
Be sure to listen to their newest album, due out on August 24, and check them out on their upcoming tour. Keep up with the band here.
Night Shop is the latest project of former touring drummer-turned-songwriter Justin Sullivan, and he has released a new single from his upcoming debut album In the Break, which is set to be released on September 14. “The Ship Has Sailed” is a folksy ballad with a very contemplative nature. The pairing of dreamy vocals and the constant strumming of a gentle guitar reminds me of Paul Simon. The melody is slow and his voice is soothing, but his lyrics are heartbreakingly honest:
Two days, four months, three years and still no spring, I’m just counting down until there is nothing. Your heart breaks as well, oh well, tell the tale.
Despite the somber recount of a lost love, it isn’t an entirely sad song, and that is because of its emotional honesty. The song is parallel to the feeling of driving on an empty highway just before dawn – it’s dark and lonely, but it’s also hopeful, and you’ll eventually get to wherever you’re going.
Be sure to listen to Night Shop’s debut album due out next month (plus a nationwide tour), and keep up with him here.
Portland band The Stubborn Lovers are here for a good time with their latest single “Drivin’ 22.” Their country-rock vibe shines in this track with an authenticity that only that kind of music can bring. The electric guitar riffs and upbeat vocals make for an extremely catchy tune. The lyrics relate to the child in all of us. They are bursting with nostalgia, with vivid opening imagery of a family making their way down Route 22:
Daddy’s at the wheel of a Ford Country Squire, Mama’s putting makeup on down to the wire, Sister’s in the back spilling Goldfish on the floor, Shepherd’s in the way back scratching at the door.
The track is reminiscent of a simpler time by embodying the ambiance of an American summer. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to go back to the land of family road trips, fast food stops, and even the backseat fights with your siblings.
Be sure to check out their upcoming album Mother Road, out August 17. Keep up with the band here.
