Well here we are again. It’s Sunday, the thought of having to go back to work tomorrow makes you want to put your head in the oven, and even your days off are filled with endless toil. But don’t fret, when life gets you down you can always turn to new music to distract you for a few minutes at a time. Here are six songs for you to dive into so you can forget about the outside world. (Listen to the full playlist of all our picks from this year here.)
Balance and Composure “cross to bear”
Wake up babe, Balance and Compsure has once again surprise dropped a single. “cross to bear” gives fans a look into B&C’s soft grunge/lowkey alt rock side, with contemplative lyrics and almost shoegazey production to boot. Perhaps if they tour in the next few years, their aging fans will be able to slow-motion mosh to this one. We would absolutely sign up for that, just ask our knees.
Speed “THE FIRST TEST”
Australian hardcore maniacs Speed are back at it with another blistering single that will bring out the stank face in even the most jaded of fans. “THE FIRST TEST” has everything; crazy breakdowns, high energy vocals, an inexplicable flute feature (your move Jethro Tull), and an old school record scratch sound effect. You’ll have these two minutes of explosive sound on repeat for the next several days, guaranteed.
Gastr Del Sol “The Bells of St. Mary’s”
If you are remotely plugged into the post-rock scene, you have absolutely heard of Gastr Del Sol. “We Have Dozens of Titles” is their archival release of bonus tracks, live recordings, and rarities from the ‘90s, including “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” a moody, piano-driven instrumental piece. Since you haven’t been doing too hot lately, we suggest queuing this up while staring bleakly out a train window on your way to divorce court.
Southtowne Lanes “Find Your God”
Self-proclaimed “emotive hardcore” gang Southtowne Lanes recently released their first full-length since 2016, titled “Take Care,” which is directly about the death of guitarist Matt Kupka’s father. “Find Your God” is an excellent microcosm of the Eugene, OR band as a whole, featuring catchy Midwest emo guitar hooks, driving percussion, and a mix of dreamy clean vocals and impressively gritty screams. And bonus points for a voicemail at the end, we love that shit and so should you.
Unleash the Archers “Buried in Code”
Listen, you can pretend that high fantasy is cringe, or you can accept the truth that sometimes you need an epic melodic metal anthem to swing the sword you have in your basement around to. That anthem is “Buried in Code” by Vancouver heroes Unleash the Archers. This track, off their new album Phantoma, has the unique quality of somehow sounding like a power metal song from the 80s while retaining a modern edge, likely due to frontwoman Brittney Slayes’ incredible, triumphant vocals. Call her next time you need motivation to get on the treadmill to train for your next LARPing meetup.
Fire-Toolz “Re: Official Request for Reciprocal Indwelling Procedure”
Fire-Toolz is kind of a litmus test for experimental hardcore fans—how far and weird are you willing to go in the name of obscurity? We’ll be upfront and say our staff “noise guy” submitted this one and that we kind of have no idea what’s happening and we are a little scared. But we don’t dislike this feeling either, and in fact we’re kind of mesmerized by this track. Is this how you operate at all times, Peter?
There you have it, six new songs, but there is so much more to discover out there. That’s why we compile all our picks into a strange and disorienting playlist that will make your coworkers file a complaint against you if you get the aux: