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Tag: Indie

  • Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost by How I Became Invisible

    Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost by How I Became Invisible

    Album: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost

    Artist: How I Became Invisible

    Released: April 25, 2025; Anthropic Principle Records

    It is very hard to me right now not to claim that How I Became Invisible is my favorite band, but picking a favorite band to me is like trying to pick your favorite child. They are each unique, cool and bring meaning to your life in their own special way. So instead, I will just say that How I Became Invisible’s 2023 release “better or the next best thing” meant a lot to me so I was absolutely stoked when “Everything Not saved Will Be lost” dropped. Emily Reed is an amazing song writer who puts her heart into every song. I could simply not wait to dive into this release.

    The album starts off with the song “Make It A Good Ending” and really sets the stage for the album. It is chalked full of sci-fi imagery. This absolutely continues throughout the rest of the album to great effect. The literal end of the world has never sounded so eerily hopeful.

    The break out song of the album has to be “Biblically Accurate Arby’s Witch”. The synth on this song goes so hard in such a specific way; it is hard to not wonder if Motion City Soundtrack at least in part, did not inspired this song. It’s an upbeat high energy love song, which I can’t say has ever been my jam, but this one just hits. I think it perfectly captures the joy and longing of being perfectly completely in love. I get wildly happy just listening to it.

    The next song I really feel I need to give accolades to is “This is not a Place of Honor”. The atmosphere presented by this song is thicker than that of Venus. I said earlier the the first track was chalked full of sci-fi imagery, well this song is like that as well but for sci-fi vibes. It’s technically not an instrumental as there are two kinds of vocalizations in the song. First, there are barely audible vocals that sound like radio transmissions from something that was lost long ago. Then, Emily adds faint scream like vocalizations towards the end of the song. Both are pretty incomprehensible and when combined with the instrumentation, really create the feeling of insolation and dread. Now here is the creepy part: while the transmissions are hard to understand, when listening to track, they are listed in the lyric sheet of the album (at least on Bandcamp). I am not going to spoil what they say here but I do suggest you look them up after listening to the song a couple of times. It really adds to the haunting vibes when you find out after the fact that the message you didn’t understand and likely ignored was in fact a warning. This is, in my humble opinion, is peak storytelling within the medium.

    The last song I feel needs mentioned is “You Are (Not) The Problem”. It is just a really solid trans resistance anthem that succeeds at being both a bop that makes you want to move your feet and a fight song that makes you want to stand up and fight. The choir piece at the end is the cherry on top.

    “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost” is a fantastical romp through space. It tells a story of impeding doom and the will to continue to not only fight in the face of devastation, but love in spite of it all. It is the message we need these days and having it set to a ripping Pop-punk soundtrack makes it even better. Everyone should definitely check it out if they haven’t already.

  • What’s Another Night? by Apes of the State

    What’s Another Night? by Apes of the State

    Album: What’s Another Night?

    Artist: Apes of the State

    Released: April 22, 2025; Self Release

    This is the third full length release by Apes of the State, fourth if you want to count the solo album no one really talks about. As a band I really enjoy their commitment to DIY music and the folk punk genre/community and also their general disdain for the government. If you are a fan of any of those things, you will be happy to know that all those things are found in spades on this release.

    Ever since Apes of the State went to a full electric touring band, the folk punk that lives in my heart has been a little bummed. However, all the other punks that live in my heart tell that little shit to stop whinging the moment the electric guitar piece hits midway through, “I’m Okay”. Its truly incredibly good and really illustrates the change was a good decision. The song is about dealing with the angst of growing up and realizing thing aren’t working out like you had planned and dealing with the desire to make things better. This is a recurring theme of the album as well. I struggle to say that this is the best song on the album because there are other solid bangers, but it is up at the top of the list.

    “Punk Rock Shows In Heaven” is my favorite song on the album, it is the classic, Apes of the State fans have come to know and love. Its got acoustic guitar, punchy drum beats and self reflective lyrics. Whats not to love? At face value, it’s a song about what it’s like in heaven but deep down I think it’s really about making life here and now more like what we imagine heaven to be. This hopeful sentiment is what keeps me coming back to Apes’ music.

    “Hot Summer Night’s Part 1 and Part 2” are cool songs Part 1 is a look at the nostalgia for youth with an ire of self judgment. Part 2 offers the same nostalgic look at the past but offers a more mature and developed take and the desire for simpler times and a reprieve from the responsibilities of adulthood. The two songs combined really feel like a coming of age story, because of the “character growth” between part 1 and 2 and the neat little, “where are they now?” retrospective that makes up the later half of part 2. It really delivers the vibes a later 80s earlier 90s movie in the vain of The Sandlot or Stand by Me. I guess that is what I think about when I get all nostalgic.

    What’s Another Night is a great addition to the Apes of the State Discography. It offers a few more glorious steps into a electrified musical direction while providing big payoffs for long time fans. I especially like the call backs to their album “Pipe Dream” found in the “Intro” track and “Round 2” which is a reprise of “Fight Song”. Bringing it back as if to say to everyone that the fight continues, and we ain’t getting through it without each other. That is, I think that over all message of Apes of the State music, and the thing that makes it meaningful to me. They aren’t afraid to point out that they’ve got problems, that we’ve got problems, and that society at large is a mess. More importantly though if we work together we can solve them.