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Category: Playlist Review

  • In Case You Missed It Vol. 4

    In Case You Missed It Vol. 4

    With Summer winding down it’s time to wrangle in singles and albums you might have missed due to the hustle and bustle of daily life. This edition of ICYMI proudly serves up a piping hot tray of punk rock for you to feast upon. Punk wasn’t the only thing releasing over the summer, but, man, was there a lot of it. 

    First up, bringing the heat of gritty punk rock, Scarboro’s Hate Season starts off horny (as in full of horns) and ends with a frantic plea to not kill yourself. Which honestly just sounds like a Tuesday night for me. Hailing from New York, Scarboro delivers short and frantic punk rock romps in spades. They’ve got the usual amount of anger a punk band has while managing to carve out a place for themselves. One of my favorites on the album is “Got Soul?”. The main reason being that life is a bitch and then you die. But it also tells you that like, you’ll be okay in spite of that fact.

    I first discovered the goofballs (said with the utmost respect and affection) in Homestyle Dinner Rolls thanks to the good ol’ instagram algorithm, it was a classic “our impression of you if you like this band” video. I can’t remember the context or what they had me figured for, but I do remember I learned exactly two things about them then. One, they were from Utah and two, Worthless Highs was kinda a banger. Just a few weeks ago, they released a song called “I Don’t Want to be Your Enemy”. If you’re also fed up with the usual suspects trying to convince you that everyone who doesn’t look like you is the problem, then give the track a listen. It feels like an instant classic with its The Ramones era punk style and tenacity.

    Forming in 1997, The Cryptkeeper Five from New Jersey and have chugged along in the punk rock genre ever since. They released a new single called “the Big Picture” from their first album release in nearly a decade. The song is just a preview on what appears to be an exploration on grief, sadness, and whatever else humans do in order to just get by. Definitely plan on keeping an eye out for news of the album drop. 

    Leaning more towards the pop side of punk, California based solo artist Gavin Prophet has worked tirelessly to build a following over the last two years and deliver his politically-charged music to as many people as possible. On October 2nd, “Love Thy Neighbor” was released as a single featuring two other songs released earlier in the year. The song, as you can imagine, criticizes the conservative mindset of quoting the bible without actually living by its word. While the core of his music focuses on the flaws he perceives in the system, he also has not so political music like “Forever (West Coast Emo)” which was also released over the summer. 

    Just a casual reminder that lesbian cyberpunk band CHROMERA exists and released a new single shortly after being featured in our Queering the Airwaves article called “Skeletons.” The single was released on an EP featuring all previous tracks by the artist and therefore is conveniently packaged for your listening. It even has a cool as all hell music video. Self-proclaimed music for the apocalypse, they definitely deliver with their distorted, off kilter sound. Skeletons has a more emotional message of recovery and struggling to heal from trauma. 

    Unfortunately, that’s all for the time being as we’d never get any of these articles out if we featured every artist you might’ve missed out on new releases. Hope there’s something in here that’s to your taste and keep checking back for more!

  • Queering The Airwaves

    Queering The Airwaves

    Have you spent Pride Month wishing and hoping for something new and queer to listen to while you’re ironing your flags for marches? Better to come in with a noncomprehensive list of suggestions late than never, right? Besides, you should Hear Queer All Year, so even though it’s almost over, you can take these suggestions into next month, too. No one is going to stop you. I’ve made it a little easier and compiled some of my favorite songs from the artists mentioned into a playlist, which will be added to periodically. 

    For those of you interested in electropop, Die Shiny is a self-described ‘conscious art pop’ group based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even though they’re just getting started in their career in surreal music made for anti-capitalistic, anti-AI queers, they’ve had a fucking amazing go of it so far. Maybe it’s because I am a human who wants the ruling class to be Embalmed, but the music they create is insanely relatable. All around, it is easy to get absorbed in the music and the message. 

    Speaking of artists with only a handful of incredible songs, cyberpunk duo Chromera is playing during an apocalypse near you! If you’ve ever done something completely normal, like bought groceries, and still felt that the world around you had turned into a dystopian hellscape, you’d probably get a kick out of Save Urself. There’s something so personal about imagining the song you’re listening to playing in some fucked up club scene in a dark dramedy. But hey, that’s just life as a nonbinary emo, I fear. 

    Ska? Ska anyone? Would anyone like some fucking ska??? JeR is here, queer, and ready to tell you to get with the fucking program. They’re not going to let you get away with being complacent. Music has always been a tool for protest and JER took the idea to heart. The thinly veiled threats in Say Gay or Say Goodnight are incredibly enjoyable when paired with that certain flare ska is known for. 

    Tay Jardine. What can I say about Tay Jardine? I’ve been a fan since 2010 when I first heard We Are the In Crowd and had the pleasure of seeing the band at Warped Tour. Tay definitely creates pop punk music for sad as fuck sapphics. I love all her projects, and I’m so excited to see what she comes up with next. If you’re looking for a set place to start, head over and listen to her self titled EP.

    Grunge pop band Gully Boys from Minnesota? A.K.A the hottest boy band in the midwest? If you’re looking to shake ass in a gay way, listen to Big Boobs. All around, Gully Boys proves to be just a fun romp in what feels like nostalgia but is probably just wistful imaginations of all the neopets we wouldn’t severely neglect this time, knowing what we know now. 

    I’m not too much of a genre buff, so forgive me if I’m wrong but Elio Mei is something of an indie folk anomaly. I certainly don’t know What’s Going On either, Elio, but I’m here for it. Their music invokes this sort of whimsical imaginary world while still remaining relatable in a queer clown sort of way. 

    Did someone say Lesbian Punk? A little old school as they’re a band from the 90s, but I’d be remiss not to mention the pioneers of the genre Team Dresch. As disheartening as a 30 year old song like I’m Illegal still being painfully relevant today is, it at least provides comfort that queer people have gotten through it before and we will make it through still. I’d give them a listen if you love girls and are mad at the government. Which I think would totally make an awesome Team Dresch t-shirt. 

    Another throwback and maybe someone you weren’t even aware had come out is David Archuleta. I know recommending someone of American Idol fame isn’t an original idea, but it’s as I said, maybe you didn’t know he was queer. Now you do! And while songs from his Mormon Heartthrob days are still worth a spin, I definitely will be listening to Creme Brulee on repeat even after Pride Month ends. (Sneaky book rec for his new memoir “Devout”).