Another week has passed and you’ve done nothing to improve your musical taste. Despite continued warnings from friends and loved ones about how lame you look when you put on ‘In On The Kill Taker’ for the thousandth time this week, you are seemingly resistant to new music and ideas. It’s a shame really, but maybe it’s not your fault. With literally dozens of songs being released daily, it can be hard to know where to start.
Because we care about your well-being and social standing, we’ve taken on the overwhelming task of sifting through song after horrifying song to present you with six new tracks worthy of your depleted attention span.
Melvins “Working the Ditch”
In case your dealer hasn’t already told you, sludge-rock veterans The Melvins announced a new LP entitled ‘Tarantula Heart’ due out in April. It is already being billed as one of the band’s most eccentric releases to date, which is quite the statement considering their storied career. Lead single ‘Working the Ditch’ is a dense, droning, and wildly textured effort thanks to additional drums from Ministry’s Ray Mayorga and extra guitar flourishes from longtime collaborator Gary Chester. This supersized line-up expands the band’s typical trio attack into a widescreen and noisy affair.
Pissed Jeans “Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars In Debt”
Next month, Philadelphia’s favorite rock degenerates Pissed Jeans are set to release ‘Half Divorced’ – their first album in seven years. If the first two singles are any indicator, the wait will have been more than worth it. The latest of these two preview tracks, ‘Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars In Debt,’ is a searing commentary on late-stage-capitalism as Matt Korvette details the endless cycle of paying down debt while making no real headway. To the all too relatable protagonist Korvette embodies on the track, the hard work of ‘paying it down every day’ will be finally worth it once they are only ‘61,000 dollars in debt.’ Yikes.
meth. “Shame”
Chicago’s experimental metal outfit meth. has steadily been making waves since their formation in 2017. Mixing elements of noise-rock, drone, and industrial, their unique sound is as ear-catching as it is hard to place. Whatever genre it brings to mind for you, one thing is absolutely certain: meth. is heavy as all get out. Not just in terms of their absolutely gut-punching sonic assault, but emotionally as well. Their latest and second full-length ‘SHAME’ is a brutal seven-song journey into the depths of despair brought on by the trials of adulthood, all rooted in the album’s title. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is also not to be missed.
Glixen “foreversoon”
Phoenix’s Glixen is crafting oozy shoegaze masterpieces that would make Kevin Shields blush with pride. While the outfit might easily be compared to a handful of contemporaries, the airy and hypnotic vocals of founding member Aislinn Ritchie help propel the group into another realm entirely. Their latest single ‘foreversoon’ illustrates this point vividly. Melted melodies gracefully float atop an absolute wall of fuzzy blissed out guitars while pulling the listener into a soundscape dense enough in which to get irreparably lost.
Split System “Temporary Freeze”
Melbourne’s Split System just released their excellent sophomore LP, ‘Vol. 2,’ and it is an absolute banger. Beckoning to the rich rock and roll history of their home country, the band delivers their garage-punk stylings with a ferocious intensity that never loses steam throughout the entirety of the record. Album highlight ‘Temporary Freeze’ showcases the group’s propensity for incredibly catchy riffs, gritty sing-along choruses, and break-your-neck backbeats.
Dancer “Change”
Glasgow’s post-punk outfit ‘Dancer’ are preparing to release their highly anticipated debut album ‘10 Songs I Hate About You’ next month. The latest offering from the effort, ‘Change,’ showcases the quartet’s ability to keep things simple but not stupid. The track, with its sparse production consisting mostly of just bass, drums, and vocals, feels stripped without ever conveying emptiness thanks to the mathy guitar flourishes that aptly serve as punctuation marks throughout the lyrical themes of personal growth.
Did you know that we’ve compiled these and several other questionable tunes into a playlist for you? Pretty great of us right? Right. Click here to like, follow, and trick your friends into thinking you’re a tastemaker in the world of punk, indie, hardcore and metal.