Friedrich Nietzsche once said that “Without music, life would be a mistake.” Reportedly, he uttered that famous quote years before he could see your Spotify playlist and retract the statement. We tend to believe in the power of learning from the error of our ways here, and we’d like to pass this knowledge along to you. With our help, your horrid musical taste of today can be drastically transformed into your passable-at-best musical taste of tomorrow. Take notes as we look at some of the freshest tracks to grace our ears this week, as well as a few classics approaching some notable anniversaries.
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard “Gila Monster”
King Gizz and The Liz Wiz have just released what we’re pretty sure is their millionth record after a notably long eight-month dry spell. To make up for not releasing a new album every week this year, the band has filled this one to the brim with menacing guitar fuckery a la White Zombie. Metalheads are sure to fucking love it, and zoologists across the world will be thrilled to hear how much the guitar riff in the intro of “Gila Monster” evokes the image of the namesake’s reptilian tongue.
No Pressure “Say What You Mean”
Here at The Hard Times, we’ve always believed that Pop-Punk would never die. Now that legions of TikTok users have deemed it acceptable to enjoy the genre, we’re no longer afraid to admit it. Los Angeles’ No Pressure has been churning out hit after hit since their debut EP dropped in 2020. Their latest single, ‘Say What You Mean,’ is no exception. There is no shortage of hooks and Warped Tour nostalgia within its two-and-a-half-minute runtime, making it the perfect way to escape reality and feel fleeting moments of youth again on your lunch break.
boygenius “Stay Down, Man (Dan Reeder Cover)”
boygenius recently took a break from their massively successful tour to serenade satellite radio listeners with a rendition of Dan Reeder’s ‘Stay Down, Man.’ It’s a harrowing and beautiful cover complete with the boys’ trademark three-part harmonies. You might be thinking to yourself, ‘who the fuck listens to satellite radio?’ Fortunately for us, SiriusXM is aware that almost no one uses their services and has put the entire session up on YouTube so cheapskates like us can enjoy the track too. Grab a pillow to muffle your cries and sink into the dulcet tones featured on this track.
Faye Webster “But Not Kiss”
Indie wunderkind, Faye Webster, has been dazzling audiences nationwide since her amazing eponymous debut in 2017. Since then, she has released two critically acclaimed full-lengths and an EP featuring orchestral arrangements of her already classic catalog. After a short rest, Webster is back with her most arresting single to date, ‘But Not Kiss.’ If you’re making a playlist for your crush but don’t want to seem too eager or forthright, this track is basically designed to confuse the absolute shit out of prospective partners. Confoundment aside, they’ll probably appreciate your niche, yet expansive, musical palette.
Sigur Rós “Gold”
After a ten-year bout of silence, Sigur Rós have surprised the fuck out of everyone with the sudden drop of their new full-length ‘ÁTTA.’ Our in-house Hopelandic expert tells us that the new release displays a more introspective side of the band, marking a departure from their scathing diss tracks of the past. Lush orchestration atop minimal arrangements gives the album a somewhat understated feeling without sacrificing the anthemic power for which the group is known. Though the cherub-like vocals on tracks like ‘Gold’ might give listeners images of idyllic underpinnings, a quick translation reveals that ‘we all die, anyway.’ Yeesh.
Time continues to march on relentlessly, marking moment after meaningless moment of humanity’s banal existence. Just the thought of another year going by is enough to drive even the strongest mind to the brink of utter insanity… But hey, at least there are classic records to soothe our troubled souls. Here are a few of our favorite songs that are reaching significant calendar milestones this year.
Blink-182 “I Miss You”
None of us could score tickets to the Blink-182 tour this year, but fortunately we have their studio output to tide us over. In less than four months we’ll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2003 self-titled masterwork. This means we’ll also be honoring two decades of doing our best Tom DeLonge impression in the chorus of ‘I Miss You.’ This song still feels so modern that you might not be able to comprehend such an anniversary, but try not to let it get to your ‘ead.
Refused “New Noise”
Holy fucking shit, ‘The Shape of Punk To Come’ is almost twenty-five years old, and we’ve been playing it like it came out yesterday. It’s hard to fathom what the true Shape of Punk would be today without this record. Refused broke up shortly after the album was released, and in just two years, we’ll be celebrating a decade of them ruining that legendary move by reuniting and putting out a much shittier record. We’ll always have the memories, though. Be sure to add this into your rotation if you want the attendees of your next party to think you’re not a fucking sell-out.
Iron Chic “Spooky Action At A Distance”
Notably ahead of its time, Iron Chic’s ‘The Constant One’ celebrated its tenth anniversary at the top of the year. Overlooked and underrated, it’s possible you’ve never heard of them and we’re totally not judging you at all for that, you fucking nerd. Now that the electronic-infused emo sound that the band helped propel is quickly garnering favor in the trendy halls of social media, you can easily pretend to be an elder statesman by saying you’ve liked this excellent cut since the day it came out. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you read it here. For all we or anyone else knows, you’ve always had a mind of your own and excellent taste to match.