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Tag: Pop

  • In Case You Missed It Vol. 2

    In Case You Missed It Vol. 2

    October has been a pretty wild month for releases. There have been several great albums that we have covered here on the blog and even more no doubt that have slipped past my gaze. There have also been an incredible amount of singles that were released this month. In this volume of, In Case You Missed It, I am going to spot light some of those releases that I really enjoyed. 

    “Temperance” by Mega Infinity; released October 7, 2025: Mega Infinity is a four piece ska band from New York City. They lean to the harder side of the genre and this song puts that on display. It’s the first single released in the run up to their newest album, releasing sometime winter of next year. The song uses the moon as a metaphor for personal empowerment. Michi’s vocals are powerful and maybe even a little angry. Especially as they scream, ‘I am the tide’. Something wholly appropriate for this kind of hype song. The guitar solo that sits almost directly in the middle of the song goes hard, and brings the hype up to an insane degree. Temperance hasn’t been this hard since the 1920’s. 

    “Heart Attack” by Cold Wrecks; released October 10, 2025: Cold Wrecks is from Brooklyn, New York, delivers a surprising up beat song about the struggles of dealing with anxiety and crisis. It is refreshing when artists engage with these kinds of topics in a way that can be uplifting rather than in a gloomy manner. While gloomy is valid, upbeat is good as well.  I have been a fan of Cold Wrecks for quite a while. If you have been following me since back when this blog was a ‘radio’ show streamed on twitch, you know I played them frequently. This is the second single they released this year. I hope this is a sign of a new album hitting the internet at some point in the near future.

    “Daydream” by Underneath The Lookout; October 14, 2025: Underneath The Lookout consists of the duo Suzy and Craig and hailing from the UK. They produce a unique blend of reggae dub and ska. Their newest single came out mid-October and clearly demonstrates that reggae and ska do indeed belong together with dub. This song has a lot going on in a way that makes it a wonderful cornucopia of sound. It’s got horns, melodica, some (I assume) synthesized ‘ska’ organ, and bass. And let me tell you, that bass is so good. It’s got a low rumble about it and beat that underpins the whole song. While I definitely think the musical composition is the star of this song, I do think that Suzy’s vocal performance is great as well and the message of the song is very much relevant to today. I too frequently despair about the downfalls of modern life. 

    “Time Warp” by Bad Mary; released October 21, 2025: This song made this list for multiple reasons. First of all, is that I have been wanting to write about Bad Mary for a while now. They are a great glam-punk band from Long Island, New York. Then there is the fact that it is Halloween today, so not including this spooky classic from my favorite musical felt wrong to me. It is an incredible rendition of the song. I could barely keep myself from singing along and grooving while listening to it while taking my kid and his friend to school this week. It was hard, but I think i succeeded. 

    “Radio Player” by Josaleigh Pollet//Crowd Shy; released October 28, 2025:  SLC musician, Josaleigh Pollet, just released this song and the moment I heard it I knew I had to write about it. The song starts out with the sound of a single beating heart and slowly is accompanied by this creepy, swirling, wispy, ethereal ambient noise. It is the perfect set up for a feeling of seclusion and loneliness. Moments later the synthesizer hits and it is also amazing at crafting the chilling ambiance. Then Josaleigh’s vocals kick in and they are soul-stirring and beautiful. The lyrics are cryptic and make you feel even more isolated and perhaps lost in time. The second half of the song is a reference to the famous scene from the movie poltergeist. It is at this point that you realize what you are experiencing is a haunting and it hits you with a shudder. The question then becomes, is Josaleigh talking to you about the ghost? Are they  talking to the ghost? Are you the ghost? Oh, lord, It is so good. 

    These songs are not by any stretch of the imagination the only good singles that dropped this month but they are a selection that I think you all should check out. I hope that y’all enjoy them as much as I have. 

    If you liked the songs I reviewed here and want to support the artists as well as this blog please consider picking them up digitally via these Amazon affiliate links—>

    Temperance 

    Heart Attack

    Daydream 

    Time Wrap

    Radio Player

  • Live Free DIY Hard: The Next Generation

    Live Free DIY Hard: The Next Generation

    Playlist: LFDH- The Next Generation

    Featured Artists:

    Rainbow Kitten Surprise

    Jeff Buckley

    Robbie Williams

    Car Seat Headrest

    Eminem

    Nicky Youre & Hey Daisy

    There is a common trope among older music enjoyers that kids these days don’t know what good music is or that music isn’t “what it used to be”. I have a whole mess of kids and a curious mind so lets put this belief to the test. Here are the terms for our little “experiment”: I ask each one of my kids (the ones old enough to participate) to recommend me a song. It has to be one they enjoy and it can’t be a song that they like because I showed it to them. They had to discover it themselves. The majority of my brood agreed to this. The only hold out was my 16 year old who claimed “I don’t like music” to which his siblings replied. “You listen to it all the time!” He then went on the assert that while what they said was true he doesn’t like any of the music he listens to. I feel like he missed out on an opportunity to at the very least troll me by making me listen to some random meme song. We are probably better for that not crossing his mind. What I did get was 6 recommendations that I have listed here in order of oldest kid’s suggestion to youngest.

    “It’s Called: Freefall” by Rainbow Kitten Surprise. First off. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an absolute boss of a name. I really enjoy the cadence and smoothness of the vocal performance. While I called it smooth. My son who suggested it said he’s never heard anyone describe it that way. We both decided that mellow works as well. I feel the song is about the anxiety of dealing with relationships. Not wanting to be a burden on friends and the intention behind your interactions with them. I think it is a pretty deep song with quite a few layers.

    Next on the playlist is “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley. This is a love song. It’s about the pining after a lost lover. I think the tempo and melody do a good job at conveying a sense of longing. The lyrics are very sorrowful. Seriously, this dude is working through some shit. Hopefully he becomes a better person when he comes through it all. This is definitely the kind of song I could see someone putting on after a break up when they need a good cry.

    The next song on the playlist is “Rock DJ” by Robbie Williams. I really don’t have much to say about this song, it is an upbeat party/dance song. Its good for what it is.

    “Fill in the Blank” by Car seat Headrest is probably the song that is most similar to my musical taste. Its got a really nice indie rock vibe. The lyrics are very sarcastic and talk about dealing with depression and life. Its tempo is upbeat which I obviously like and it really adds to the tongue and cheek nature of the song.

    When I ask my kids for suggestions, I guessed I was going to get an Eminem song. I find it endlessly amusing that my 12 year old kid discovered Eminem on his own and now a few times a week I get slim shady ‘factoids’ that are highly mythologized. Like he tells me stories about things I remember happening but with a highly fantastical and dramatic slant to them. It’s really great. Anyway, his song suggestion is “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. It’s originally from the movie 8 mile. I think most people know about it. If you like Eminem, you like this song if you don’t? Well nothing I say is going to change that.

    The last song is “Sunroof” by Nicky Youre and Hey Daisy. This is another song I think most people know about. It has gotten a lot of radio play. This is a upbeat pop song. When I listen to it I get the vibes of cruising around in my car with the windows down on a warm summer day.

    I think the propensity to believe that the youth don’t have good music tastes is really just a show case of some people’s refusal to discover new music after they graduate from high school or college. I think the kids are doing just fine. I really enjoyed this playlist and talking to my kids about the music they like. I think it is cool how the song each of them suggested seemed to fit their personality really well. I hope y’all enjoyed it as well.