Quickly rising indie pop/rock artist Michigander just put out a new single entitled “Giving Up”, attached with a music video and a B-side called “Breaker Box”. Michigander, led by singer-songwriter Jason Singer, has been releasing music since 2016 and has been gaining traction through singles like “Misery” and engagement from popular playlists by Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. As of now, Singer is the face of Spotify’s “The New Alt” playlist, which promotes new and popular alternative music, placing him alongside artists like The Killers and Hozier. Before the release of “Giving Up”, Singer had put out 2023’s It Will Never Be The Same EP and a live performance and EP for Vevo’s online DSCVR series.
“Giving Up” absolutely appeals to fans of Michigander’s previous songs and features his trademark sound. His alternative pop sound with hazy synths and electronics that still capture honest emotions, all sung with Singer’s distinctive Midwestern twang. It’s cutesy and very likable, and Singer has a charm and earnestness to him that makes him appealing. The backing band assembled for this single is also very good, composed of Jake LeMond on guitar, Connor Robertson on bass, Chris Koo on keys, and Aaron Senor on drums. Lyrically, it’s about desperately trying to make someone happy to have minimal success and having to be assertive about getting nothing in return. It’s a relatable sentiment and very genuine. The music video, directed by Tyler Appel, is shot well with beautiful cinematography. It features multiple scenes of Singer playing with his band, as well as aimlessly driving his truck amongst other things. It’s fun and matches the song well enough, and Singer has a good presence in music videos.
The B-side, “Breaker Box”, matches the A-side in its similar sentiments and seems to be from the same narrator and addressed to the same person as before. It’s another song about a crumbling relationship and wanting the other person to put forth more effort into maintaining it. The song has a wonderfully lush production, with a more piano-driven melody and some wonderful-sounding horns. Like “Giving Up”, it balances being catchy as well as intimate and personal.
Michigander continues to be an inspired presence in modern alternative music, and “Giving Up” is an excellent example of why. As for the future, Singer and his band have a headlining tour beginning Oct 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio, going into 2025 with support from multiple artists including Cece Coakley and Sydney Sprague, as well as solo acoustic performances with Band of Horses.
On the night of August 15th, I went to The Anthem in DC to see the band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they’re an incredibly popular Australian rock band made up of talented multi-instrumentalists Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Harwood, and Michael Cavanagh. One of their main appeals is their approach to genre and exploring as many sounds in their work as they can. Since forming in 2010, they’ve put out 26 studio albums (not to mention 16 live albums) that have ranged from psychedelia, various kinds of metal, progressive rock, synth-pop, sunshine pop, folk, and many more. Despite this, they still have a consistent “King Gizzard” sound that’s rooted in vintage psychedelic rock. Flight b741, which was released on August 9th, is another new musical avenue for them: an early 70s-inspired blues rock album with obvious references to The Rolling Stones and T. Rex. My brief review is that it captures the sound perfectly, with heaps of nostalgia to boot, but still provides plenty of hooks and fuzzy guitar riffs to keep it a consistently entertaining listen. Give it a whirl when on a road trip. You won’t regret it.
Okay, now back to the concert. This was the first show for their tour to support Flight b741, with the opener at this show being Brooklyn-based indie-punk band Geese. They proved to be a fitting match for King Gizzard, as their newest LP 3D Country features a classic rock sound similar to Flight b741, albeit with more country influence. I enjoyed their performance, though, with only the core members of the band, their sound was more alternative rock that doesn’t capture the roots-based atmosphere of the album. Still, they were fun despite the more stripped-back aesthetic. There were occasional unique touches like hand drums and smooth keyboard playing, and I gotta give props to their frontman Cameron Winter. He’s a very interesting and captivating presence, with an oddball southern yodel-ish twang in his vocals that stood out to me.
After Geese’s set, there was a 30-minute break so King Gizzard’s crew could set up. Right before their performance started, a message appeared on screen reminding the audience to have fun in the mosh pit but to look after each other and report anyone dangerous to security. I didn’t get close enough to mosh, but I’ve heard enough horror stories of audience injuries to know that the message was responsible on the band’s part. I should also note the atmosphere and the crowd of the show. There were lots of young people at the show, (more men than women, though still a decent mixture) around their 20s and early 30s. With the band’s decade-spanning influences, it also made sense that there were also some middle-aged and older people that were likely fans of similar bands such as Phish or The Grateful Dead. All the concert tickets sold out quickly, so the general audience pit on the main floor had to be packed tightly to accommodate everyone. From my firsthand experience, it smelled of sweat, pot, and alcohol the entire time. Still, that was to be expected from a crowd made up mainly of stoners wanting to mosh or get zonked out on hallucinogens.
King Gizzard’s main ethos seems to be that not only do they never repeat an album, they also never repeat a show. The band’s live performances feature lots of extensive jamming, allowing for the musicians to ride a groove and riff off one another with improvisations, giving the songs a different feel from their studio counterparts. While the jams of earlier shows may have focused more on heavier metal riffs (according to my friend, anyway. Shoutout Nayeli!), the ones this one had fit more with the influences on the new album and are more bluesy (featuring harmonicas!) with some fuzzy psychedelia and touches of funk. I’m a fan of extended performances of songs to ride out a groove to its fullest, but admittedly some improvisations could be too aimless and lengthy. They were fun, but it got to a point where I nodded off before things kicked back into gear. However, these jams are a staple of their concerts, and it may not entirely matter to you if you enjoy watching talented performers work their craft (or if you’re super high). I’ll also give the band jams credit for being more inviting to new fans that may not have listened to all of King Gizzard’s albums and giving them something entirely distinctive to their concert.
The band’s setlist was very diverse and featured 14 songs from their catalog within 2+ hours. This included three of the new songs from Flight b741, and songs from Omnium Gatherum, Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava, Nonagon Infinity, and others. Despite each album representing a new era and sound, they all fit well together and never appeared too different from each other while still being distinctive. The funk grooves of “Iron Lung”, the raw acid flavoring of “The Dripping Tap”, and the last 30 minutes of the show with back-to-back metal songs (featuring fan favorites “Mars for the Rich” and “Supercell”) all shine brightly. What I admire about the band is their democratic approach to playing, with no member seeming more important than the other. Sure, Stu Mackenzie is their designated “frontman”, but each member gets time to solo, time to speak to the crowd, and opportunities to do what they’re good at. The concert closes on an intense and completely hypnotic drum solo by Michael Cavanagh at the end of “Gaia”.
King Gizzard provided and continues to provide wonderful concerts that rock out, all the while showcasing the band’s chemistry and never-ending talents as they continue being one of the best live acts around. I can’t recommend seeing them enough, whether it’s once or multiple times.
Thursday took the stage 5th on Friday at the Uptown Theater, another incredible punk/emo act that we all know and love on the Twenty Years of Tears tour. Playing directly after Anberlin and before Hawthorne Heights, this band truly threw their energy into the entire performance, per usual.
We got up close and personal for an evening we just absolutely cannot believe happened.
Setlist The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (of Control) Cross Out the Eyes Signals Over the Air Standing on the Edge of Summer Jet Black New Year This Song Brought to You by a Falling Bomb Fast to the End Application for Release From the Dream Paris in Flames Running From the Rain Understanding in a Car Crash War All the Time
Day one at Newport Folk Festival 2024 was an absolute whirlwind. There were almost too many amazing sets to photograph, and not enough time. Performers included Billie Marten, Petey, Sir Woman, and Wednesday that Friday. Eric Tsurumoto grabbed some quick pics of them all.
Bert McCracken, frontman of indie rock band The Used released a new single titled “The Feels” on August 9th under his solo project robbietheused. He has collaborated with long-time friend John Feldmann to help produce this eclectic and feel-good beat. McCracken states that he was inspired by all generations of pop music when creating this song, citing the wonderfully positive impact it has on his mental health.
The musicality of “The Feels” is very upbeat with electric guitar, keyboard, and tenor vocal elements providing an EDM festival-friendly melody. The vibe of this song reminds me of the iconic “Fireflies” by Owl City, in which the vibrant electro-pop beat contrasts greatly with deeply intrapersonal themes. I can already tell “The Feels” will be a go-to song on every DJ’s playlist this summer.
The lyrics in “The Feels” provide a beautiful take on neurodiversity. As someone with severe social anxiety, I relate to this song very much. In social settings, my mind is consumed with many worrying thoughts… Is my voice too high? Am I walking funny? Do I smell weird? Is it better if I just left? Most of the time, you need help to quiet them all down. This song is a great metaphor for people who are coming to terms with discovering coping mechanisms for their anxiety, whether it be through therapy, medication, building a support system, or– as shown in the music video– finding joy in one’s unique hobbies. The chorus goes:
I like how it feels, I’m starting to think maybe that’s just fine, that’s just fine Can finally deal with all of the chaos that plagues my mind, plagues my mind I may not feel anything, that doesn’t mean I feel nothing (x2) I like how it feels, I’m starting to think maybe that’s just fine (x5)
The official music video is nothing short of a work of art. The claymation depicts various emojis wandering around a vibrant arcade space. An animated clay version of McCracken is seen singing on an empty stage. Emojis slowly gather around him, as if he is performing a concert just for them. This implies he is entertaining, or at the very least trying to appease, all the emotions in his head. This concept is reaffirmed at the end of the video when all the emojis burst out of McCracken’s head in a colorful explosion.
My absolute favorite part of the video is when zombie-like creatures invite a ghost emoji to their garden. The ghost visibly brightens when he sees his planted seeds sprout and give way to new healthy, green growth. Coincidentally, the ghost emoji depicted with its tongue sticking out is my favorite emoji of all time!
In unfortunate timing, this is my *37th* article for this website. Just one off, huh? Anyway, indie-psychedelic band 36? have put out a new single titled “i don’t want to go out tonight”. This is the fourth single to come from the Calgary-based group this year, after “wasted”, “FEERS”, and “ART”; with their latest LP being 2022’s Naturally. Their sound is an eclectic mix of sources, with influences ranging from hazy alt-pop and art rock, and comparisons to bands like Animal Collective or even Bleachers. Many of their lyrics, from the band’s producer and songwriter Taylor Cochrane, deal with personal subjects awash in sincerity and emotional qualities.
“i don’t want to go out tonight” is more laid-back than their more recent singles, with an indie-folk sound led by Hawaiian-sounding acoustic guitar and a breezy beach atmosphere. It’s very sweet sounding with a heartfelt performance from Cochrane and cutesy backing vocal harmonies. It also features a wonderfully abrasive guitar solo characteristic of a lot of their work, though it still fits against a different musical backdrop. Lyrically, it’s a tribute to introversion and taking time for yourself even when it means avoiding energy-draining social activities. The lyrics and the music match perfectly, creating a vibe throughout the track that’s cozy and comforting. 36? have crafted a great summer single in “i don’t want to go out tonight”, a song that’s drenched with both positive energy and relaxation.
The band is currently on tour throughout North America, with more music still in the works.
