It’s a strange time to be an alternative music fan right now. blink-182 is releasing a new album with their (almost) original lineup, Death Cab For Cutie and the Postal Service are playing their landmark records in full on a nationwide tour, and the Mars Volta are somehow more relevant now than they have been in years. Because of this, you might be feeling like it’s the early aughts all over again. Why even bother upgrading your musical tastes at all, right? Wrong. Someday soon this nostalgia train will run its course. When it does, you’ll be left at the station rambling incoherently about the fact that ‘From Under The Cork Tree’ turns twenty in less than two years or some shit. ‘Feel old yet? Feel old yet?’ you’ll repeat ad nauseam as the world moves on without you.
It’s not too late to change your trajectory, though. There are literally dozens of great new songs released each day, allowing you to simultaneously reminisce about the past while charging fearlessly into the future. We can’t promise to fix you completely, but here are a handful of new tracks our staff have been spinning that will hopefully point you in the right direction.
Al Menne “Freak Accident”
It’s certainly no accident that Los Angeles singer-songwriter Al Menne’s solo debut album is one of the best indie releases of the year. Initially making waves with Seattle-based rock outfit Great Grandpa, Menne has gained a steady and building reputation for their thoughtful lyricism and inimitable vocal stylings. Fans of the previous band have a lot to hang onto here as Menne’s signature motifs paint the entire record. What sets it apart as a solo effort is a dialed-back and more vulnerable sound. This is aided by production and engineering from indie veterans Christian Lee Hutchinson and Melina Duterte (Jay Som). Album highlight and title track ‘Freak Accident’ blends each contributor’s best sensibilities – as well as backing vocals from comedian and collaborator Whitmer Thomas – into a lush and satisfying alt-country twinged indie meditation on outsiderism. A theme you might strongly relate to if you fail to immediately hop on the tail of Menne’s rising star.
Soul Glo “If I Speak (Shut the Fuck Up)”
Our managing editor has been trying to tell us about this track since it came out a couple weeks ago. When she would mention the title, however, we kind of thought she was just yelling at us again. Instead of her typical scorn, it would appear that Philadephia’s Soul Glo is fucking shit up again. Apparently when artists take the time to empower their work and hone their crafts, they can achieve stunning results. Maybe if you spent more time mixing your EP and less time spamming multiple comments sections, people would actually listen to it. That’s the general thesis of “If I Speak,” at least. Building over a brooding intro before slamming your head into the brick wall that serves as its hook, Soul Glo’s latest is an anthemic ode to taking pride in yourself while purging the incessant and time-consuming trappings of modern digital life.
Joe Camerlengo “Words For Goodbye”
Columbus, Ohio native and noise-wizard Joe Camerlengo holds an impressive resume. From fronting cult legends This Is My Suitcase and Van Dale to providing guitar work for Justin Courtney Pierre’s ‘The Price of Salt’ EP, there is seemingly no project the songwriter and producer can’t manage. Serving as an electric reimagination of their sparse solo debut, which was a collection of songs inspired by the birth of their first child, ‘New New Things’ features some of Camerlengo’s most enduring soundscapes to date. Notable highlight, ‘Words For Goodbye,’ is a touching ode to unconditional love that carries on through a lifetime. A vulnerable slice of freak-pop that would make you want to call your parents if you didn’t already live in their basement.
Baroness “Last Word”
Baroness is currently celebrating their twentieth year as a band, which modern events tell us is quite a milestone. While your band is already starting to show its age even in its infancy, the Savannah, Georgia quartet only seems to be getting started on their recently released sixth LP, ‘Stone.’ If you need any evidence that these guys are still capable of ripping your face off while defending their regal namesake, look no further than the epic ‘Last Word.’ While the staff has been thoroughly enjoying the album, we have had to institute a moratorium on playing it until we can get our office put back together. That shouldn’t stop you from trashing your living room while listening, though.
The National “Laugh Track ft. Phoebe Bridgers”
At their widely beloved Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio last weekend, The National not only announced that a new album, ‘Laugh Track’ – their second this calendar year – was on the way, but that it would be released just two days after their headlining set. This caused a massive waiting list for therapist appointments as divorced dads across the nation scrambled to be seen in time to process the record. The aptly named title track, which features Phoebe Bridgers in her third collaboration with the band, carries on the subdued nature of the preceding ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’, but is significantly less of a dirge thanks to more vibrant percussion and catchier hooks.
Blink-182 “ONE MORE TIME” and “MORE THAN YOU KNOW”
Time to bust out a pair of Dickies shorts, high top Vans, and a box of Kleenex (for crying, grow up), because Blink-182 is back again, baby! This time, it’s a family affair. After releasing a four-minute trailer for their upcoming album that halted production at HT HQ due to every single person in the office sobbing for 48 hours straight, Blink has released not just their promised single “ONE MORE TIME,” but also the bombastic “MORE THAN YOU KNOW.” The former questions why it always seems to take a tragedy to bring estranged loved ones back on the same page. You didn’t need another reason to feel shitty about not talking to your friend Greg since his emergency surgery five years ago, but now you have it. The latter seems to feature Mark and Tom airing their grievances with one another while admitting their own faults which led to the previously fractured state of their relationship. We don’t think we’re being hyperbolic by stating that nothing has ever had the power to heal our troubled and divided nation quite like watching two rich white men publicly set aside their differences for the sake of pop-punk and friendship. Leaders, please take note.
New music is important, but ensuring you have a well-rounded taste that will impress anyone who dares to question your prowess means having a well-stocked arsenal of classics to lord over everyone. We here at The Hard Times have those covered in spades too! Here’s a few of our handpicked blasts from the past to add to your collection if you’re trying to avoid looking like a total dweeb.
Mitski “Townie”
Mitski just released her excellent album “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” last week, which has fully launched one of our writers into their ‘annual end-of-summer sadboi phase’. When he’s not playing her entire discography at full volume from his desk, he can be found dramatically sitting in a window ledge with a cup of tea. Many have asked when he’ll be himself again and have been met with a pensive and wistful, ‘when it stops hurting.’ At least when “Townie” comes on, he gets so jazzed that he writes a few paragraphs before going back to his brooding.
Manchester Orchestra “100 Dollars”
Two of our writers this week faced weirdly large bills from their veterinarians. For some inexplicable reason, they both on separate occasions found solace in this hidden gem from Manchester Orchestra. For the life of us, we cannot figure out why. Yes, the lyrics mention a dog, but we’re not convinced any of the other lyrics refer to emergency pet care. In fact, we’re pretty sure it’s a breakup song, or at least a poetic admission of Andy Hull’s secret gambling problem. Regardless, we’re pretty sure most people can relate to needing $100 at any given time.
Nada Surf “Popular”
Though one of our writers said we probably don’t need to hear this song again in his ranking of the band’s studio albums, we know for a fact that he was listening to it on repeat while penning the article. Frankly, we don’t know why he’s hiding it. Sure, it’s not their best track by a mile, but it’s still kind of wild that it was a mainstream hit for a second in the late 90’s. Best to get this one on your playlist so you can tell everyone you knew the song before it inevitably got turned into a nostalgia-biting TikTok trend.
The scenery is nice for the first hour or so, then you’re bored. You can’t even take a boredom nap because sleeping on the ground sucks. Camping is dead last by a mile.
Just imagining the mindset of someone who would enjoy getting a headstart on holiday capitalism makes us wanna lay down.
Really don’t see the appeal here. Yes, the cooler weather means you won’t bake in the stands, but you could just watch sports at home, and for that matter you could watch one of the millions of things better than sports instead, and while you’re watching that you can fall asleep which is inarguably the best part.
Do you like sitting on a bunch of horse food that pokes your skin while you get dragged around a farm? No, of course you don’t. You like sleeping in your bed.
You know apples, the food you never buy at the store anyway? What if we told you that you could drive way further than the supermarket, walk for miles outside picking them yourself, and pay way more for them? You would tell us to go screw and you would take a nap, right? We would for sure.
You’re all like “Pretty.” and they’re all like “You wanna buy some?” and you’re all like “No Thanks.” cause what are you going to do with a sunflower and aagh it’s just an awkward mess, just thinking about it makes me tired.
School is back, and not just for kids! Why not spend your free time taking a community college course, like film study, or a foreign language? Oh, right, because if you have time to do that, you have time to nap. Pass.
I mean what are you trying to prove, that you like fall? Are you afraid you’re going to say “I like fall” one day and some big fall-head is gonna call you out like “Show me three decorative wreaths you made out of pinecones and that weird corn you don’t eat!” Would you even want to hang out with someone like that anyway?
Whether you want to add a personal touch to your own wardrobe or make someone special a thoughtful gift, it’s going to cost you 6 hours where you could totally be sleeping.
This runs the risk of nulling you into a dullard and will probably just put you to sleep anyway.
You know how much your life improves if people on Instagram know you bought a new flannel shirt and believe you enjoy the outdoors? None at all. Sleep, on the other hand, has a number of mental and physical benefits.
Why not hit up your best local coffee shop and treat yourself to an afternoon pumpkin spice latte? Well, maybe because you already drink enough caffeine to kill a baby horse just to wake up every goddamn morning and 4 extra espresso shots will send you into a manic episode.
Have you ever been walking and said to yourself “Boy, I wish this made me feel like an idiot”? Of course not, no one has.
There’s a lot of squashes you can only get at farmers markets in the fall. Some are edible, and some are just decorative, and they don’t tell you which is which you’re just supposed to know. It’s gatekeeping, and it makes me sleepy.
They’re like regular donuts, but further away from your house and not as good. Why aren’t we sleeping again?
Hiking is a wonderful compromise you make with yourself when you feel guilty for not actually working out, but then you go to do it and it’s actually kind of hard. Why put yourself through that when there’s a perfect sunbeam right at pillow level right now?
Every band’s gotta start somewhere. Thrash bands don’t have a great track record with classic debuts. They’re usually cheaply made and the songwriting isn’t honed yet. (Except, of course, for Metallica. They nailed it on the first try and have been in steady decline since.) Naturally, Havok’s debut album is their weakest. It’s a promising effort, though, featuring some solid riffs and inspired playing. Additionally, Sanchez’s condescendingly indignant snarl is already fully formed. Same goes for his leave-me-the-fuck-alone alpha-libertarianism: (“Mess with me, I’ll mess you up / You’ve never seen a temper quite like this / Stay away from me right now / I got a pistol cocked and I’m pissed”) and his hatred of religion (“War with open arms / And open minds that fear / Freedom of religion / What is the final cost?”). Despite its flaws, “Burn” is still a more enjoyable listen than “Killing is My Business… and Business is Good!,” so there’s that.
Here, Havok experimented with groove and slower tempos, as well as some progressive songwriting. The result is a well-performed record of growing pains with multiple songs plodding along, saved only by longtime drummer Pete Webber’s slick playing (“Worse Than War”), or speeding up the song’s middle third to proper thrash tempo (“Chasing the Edge”). The other upsides are Terry Date’s superb mix and Sanchez once again denouncing religion. His libertarian (read: obliviousness) hits a new high this time with “Give Me Liberty… or Give Me Death,” which is exactly what you think it’s about. It ends with Sanchez reciting a quote about liberty from noted slaveholder Thomas Jefferson, which is like writing a song about racial harmony and then quoting David Duke.
Calling it “5” woulda been too on-the-nose, amirite? I guess it’s better than a cringe-pun. Anyhow, with most of the progressive stuff from “Conformicide” cut out like a burst appendix, think of Havok’s fifth album as a sleeker and somewhat experimental version of “Time is Up.” It’s got some of their finest riffing to date, and, thanks to Mark Lewis, it’s also their best-sounding album. Sanchez sounds as pissed off as he ever has, employing his libertarian spittle-snarl to attack misinformation, transhumanism, the war on drugs, and the military-industrial complex (again). No diatribe against religion this time, however. I guess you can beat a crucified horse only so many times before it gets boring. Overall, “V” is a top-notch thrash record and proves the genre is still essential, even if recent records by the Big Four suggest otherwise.
Written mostly by Sanchez while the band’s lineup was in flux, Havok’s sophomore LP is a serious upgrade from “Burn.” This is the first one with Webber, who proves instantly that he’s one of the best in metal. His fluid technicality is a joy to listen to. The band also replaced their original lead guitarist with Reece Scruggs. He deserves a raise just for his punk-as-hell name. Seems like those additions allowed Sanchez to expand and fine-tune his songwriting because the riffing is sharper and the choruses are stronger. This time around, Sanchez shits on religion in two different songs, but those aren’t career-best numbers. Yet, the album’s main theme seems to be that life is short. The cliché’s more banal than “follow your dreams,” yes, but Sanchez used it to focus his talents into a superb thrash record. Consider this Havok’s true debut.
Ignore the silly title, because this is Havok’s finest full-length. It’s their “…And Justice for All” (or “Rust in Peace,” if you prefer a lesser example). This is their only no-skips record, and has their catchiest riffing and best playing to date, with Webber’s drum arrangements being the most inventive in thrash. The interplay between all four members throughout is fantastic: they’re tighter than the grooves of your 180g vinyl of “Kill ’Em All” you bought years ago but never opened. Sanchez rises to the occasion with apoplectic vocals, railing against corrupt officials, mass media, and, that’s right, the military-industrial complex. His libertarianism goes Super Saiyan here, invoking “1984” and calling political correctness “a social disease.” He also berates religion in three (!) separate songs. That may seem like too many, but consider: anyone who calls God “a power-tripping maniac” is doing something right. “Conformicide” is a stunning achievement and the peak of 2010s thrash metal.
Then presidential candidate Bill Clinton famously appeared with his saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1992 to gain more votes among young people. Nothing excited the youth in the early ’90s like a saxophone. Most people also forget that the Ramones were Arsenio’s musical guest that night, and Clinton was tasked with playing the sax solo to “Do You Remember Rock n’ Roll Radio?” They were so impressed he toured with them during the rest of the primary season.
Hulk Hogan’s claims to have auditioned for Metallica after Cliff Burton died are complete bullshit, like everything that comes out of the Hulkster’s mouth. Hogan did actually leave the WWF and play with the Ramones for two years in the early ’90s. He was kicked out for not knowing the first thing about playing guitar, he was so upset that he formed Hulk Hogan & The Wrestling Boot Band to compete with the Ramones.
Jerry Only from the Misfits played with the Ramones for two months in 1995. However, he annoyed the band by constantly trying to sell them Misfits-branded merchandise. The Ramones decided to retire rather than risk any more of Only’s sales pitches. Because of this, Jerry finally went ahead with the Misfits reunion he had been threatening for years.
Many Ramones fans know that Joey Ramone suffered from an extreme bout of OCD. On April 8, 1997, Ramone got stuck counting steps backstage moments before he was to perform. In a pinch, Johnny Ramone noticed radio personality and Joey Ramone doppelganger Howard Stern in the audience. Stern was quickly given a set list and sent onstage to perform. To their credit, nobody in the crowd that night seemed to notice the switch had occurred Stern continued to fill in for Joey at least a dozen more times.
Noted baseball fan Johnny Ramone invited The New York Yankees’ Don Mattingly to play drums for the Ramones in 1987. Surprisingly enough, Mattingly knocked it out of the park. However, Ramones management forced him to decide between his baseball and rock n’ roll careers, and Mattingly ultimately chose to return to baseball for much more money than the Ramones could have paid him in his wildest dreams.
In 1991 Doug Funnie won tickets to see his favorite band, the Beets. Later that year, Doug’s older sister Judy entered a contest to see the Ramones, and against all odds she won her contest as well. Funnie arrived early and not only caught the band’s soundcheck, but she was also asked to provide vocal levels, as Ramones singer Joey Ramone was distracted by a dog outside that had a particularly fluffy tail. She ended up recording an unreleased EP with the band.
Nobody embodied ’70s and ’80s New Yorker rage quite like John McEnroe, which is why the Ramones enlisted his help to bring an edge to their sound for 1984’s “Too Tough to Die.” There’s no question that McEnroe ratcheted up the anger, though he was ejected from the studio for constantly arguing with the band over every single minuscule point.
Joan Jett played with the Ramones for six months during their early days at CBGBs. That said, both Jett and the Ramones were strung out of their minds at the time and had no idea what was going on. Neither Jett nor the surviving members of the Ramones remember her being in the band, despite the existence of dozens of photos from the time period.
Every Ramones fan knows that the Huntingtons at their best are easily as good as the Ramones at their worst. Hell, even the Ramones knew it. That’s why they hired the Huntingtons to put on some wigs and perform as the Ramones for most of 1995, so the real Ramones could take a load off and just sit down for a while.
Janet Jackson had always looked up to her brothers in the Jackson 5: Michael, Jackie, Marlon, Randy, and Tito Jackson. So when she heard about another band of brothers called the Ramones she was interested, to say the least. Jackson joined the Ramones for a single show in 1986, however she quit the band after finding out that the Ramones weren’t another family band, but rather a bunch of weirdos from Queens.
Kate Moss struck up a friendship with Dee Dee Ramone in the early ’90s through the New York drug scene. The two were fast friends based on their love of practical jokes, and in 1993 Moss used her waifish figure to disguise herself as Joey Ramone’s microphone stand. It wasn’t until the last song that Moss revealed herself, at which point the Ramones all had a hearty laugh about the hilarious prank that had been pulled, this led to her being a member of the band for three full years.
Johnny Ramone was a devoted fanatic of the New York Yankees, and in 1995 spotted in the audience the Yankees’ Assistant to the Travelling Secretary, George Costanza. Ramone pulled Costanza up on stage to sing “The Blitzkrieg Bop,” however Costanza seemed panicked by everyone in the crowd looking at him. They hadn’t even made it to the first chorus before Costanza screamed “George is getting upset!” and ran off stage.
Dolly Parton’s decades and decades of charitable work are both well-known and highly commendable. She was scheduled to perform at a benefit for New York musicians with severe head injuries. The Ramones were also slated to play the bill, and Parton actually joined them onstage to sing a few songs. It was later revealed that Dolly Parton believed the Ramones were victims of severe head injuries, due to their musical prowess, and considered the performance to be yet another in a long line of charitable gestures.
Despite the fact that by 1980 Harrison Ford was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, his movie career paled in comparison to his weed-dealing career. It still does, too. So the Ramones called up Ford to supply them with some swag-ass babbage while they recorded “End of the Century” in L.A. However, they didn’t have any money, so they let him record backing vocals on “Chinese Rock” and agreed to sign over royalties for the song to Ford as payment.
Jem from the Holograms gave a hard pitch to the Ramones as to why she should play backup guitar for them. The Ramones agreed to bring her on board, even though it seemed there were ulterior motives at play. Those motives would reveal themselves one Halloween show with the Misfits, as Jem touched her earring and a dozen holograms appeared and beat the shit out of the Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only. Little did they know they had roughed up the wrong Misfits.
Ramones management purchased a speak & spell in the hopes of getting the band to write songs that were more in-depth than simply stating what they do and don’t wanna do. Unfortunately learning new vocabulary got Dee Dee all worked up, and he left the Ramones to begin exploring the English language through his rapper alter ego: Dee Dee King.
Like everyone in 1990, Joey Ramone fell head over heels for Twin Peaks, Washington’s own Audrey Horne. Joey tried everything to win her affection, including letting her record backing vocals for a song he was working on at the time. Eventually Audrey confessed that she was in love with an F.B.I. agent that was in town investigating a murder, thus breaking the heart of not only Joey Ramone, but also the heart of an entire nation that couldn’t stop thinking about her.