“Venal Joy”, The Jesus And Mary Chain

This way: Venal Joy

Glasgow Eyes is the eighth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain. It was released on 22 March 2024 through Fuzz Club, and marks their first studio release in seven years, following Damage and Joy (2017).

The band recorded Glasgow Eyes at the Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow. Jim Reid stated that the album is "certainly" what people expect of a Jesus and Mary Chain record. Coinciding with their 40th band anniversary, he said that their "creative approach" is the same as it was in 1984: "just hit the studio and see what happens". They started recording a "bunch of songs" and "let it take its course". Reid clarified that there were "no rules" as they share a form of "telepathy", calling him and his brother "those weird not-quite twins that finish each other's sentences". The duo went into the studio and felt their "way around" operating by "the same old deal", however, contemporary music had "some sort of impact on the production values". They messed around with "some synths" and tweaked "the sound a bit".

The lead single "Jamcod" was released alongside the album announcement on 29 November 2023. Leaning on "their barbed electronic aspects", it showcases William Reid's "synth skills" and combines "dark electronica with some crunching guitars". The duo will embark on a European tour in March and April 2024. 

[Spotify] Venal Joy

“Free Treasure”, Adrianne Lenker

This way: Free Treasure

It really doenst get better than this for song writtin'. Adrianne Lenker (born July 9, 1991) is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of the band Big Thief, as well as an established solo artist.

Lenker was born in Indianapolis and was raised in a Christian cult until the age of four, but primarily grew up in Minnesota. Her parents rented homes in Coon Rapids, Nisswa, and Bloomington, Minnesota, before settling down in Plymouth, Minnesota, where she lived for 10 years, excluding a brief time spent in Santa Cruz, California. She spent a summer traveling throughout the midwest and living out of a Ford cargo van. 

Lenker wrote her first song at the age of eight, and recorded her first album at age 13. Her other interests included studying martial arts, and she was the state karate champion three years in a row. She moved to Santa Cruz for a year and a half, living with a family friend and working at a local McDonalds. She dropped out of Santa Cruz High School halfway into her sophomore year, moved back to Plymouth, and got her GED at the age of 16. She attended the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship provided by Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

On February 28, 2006, when Lenker was 14, she released her first solo album, Stages of the Sun. On January 9, 2014, Lenker released her second solo album, Hours Were the Birds.[6]

On May 1, 2014, Lenker, together with future bandmate Buck Meek, released the LP records a-sides and b-sides. In 2015, Lenker and Meek, alongside Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia, formed the band Big Thief, whose first album was released in 2016. The band has since released four more albums, and has been touring every year since their formation.

Lenker released her third solo album, Abysskiss, on October 5, 2018. The album consisted of songs Lenker wrote while touring with Big Thief, and two of the songs received full arrangements, which were rereleased on the band's album U.F.O.F. a few months later.

While in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lenker wrote and recorded her two most recent albums, Songs and Instrumentals, which were released on October 23, 2020. The albums focused on less production and a more acoustic sound with traditional folk songwriting and improvisation. Both albums were recorded without any digital processes, utilizing an analog-analog-analog (AAA) recording method.

This from her latest release: Bright Future.

[Spotify] Free Treasure

“Sanitarium Blues”, Townes Van Zandt

This way: Sanitarium Blues

A Far Cry from Dead is a posthumous album by Townes Van Zandt, released two years after the singer's 1997 death. It contains overdubbed instrumentation added to vocal and guitar recordings made by the late singer. It was Van Zandt's first album on a major label. Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter. He wrote numerous songs, such as "Pancho and Lefty", "For the Sake of the Song", "If I Needed You", "Snake Mountain Blues", "Our Mother the Mountain", "Waitin' Round to Die", and "To Live Is to Fly". His musical style has often been described as melancholic and features rich, poetic lyrics. During his early years, Van Zandt was respected for his guitar playing and fingerpicking ability.

Much of Van Zandt's life was spent touring various bars, music clubs, colleges, and folk venues and festivals, often lodging in motel rooms or the homes of friends. He suffered from drug addiction and alcoholism, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When he was young, the now-discredited insulin shock therapy erased much of his long-term memory. 

In 1983, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered and popularized Van Zandt's song "Pancho and Lefty", reaching number one on the Billboard country music chart. Van Zandt's influence has been cited by countless artists across multiple genres. One of the all time greatest songwriters. He dies at 52 years old. The heroin took him. 

[Spotify] Sanitarium Blues

“Miki Dora”, Amen Dunes

This way: Miki Dora

Amen Dunes is the musical project formed by American singer-songwriter and musician Damon McMahon in 2006. McMahon has described Amen Dunes as both a solo project and a band "when it's in action." Frequent collaborators include guitarist and keyboardist Jordi Wheeler and drummer Parker Kindred.

Damon McMahon founded the band Amen Dunes in 2006 in New York, New York. 

Amen Dunes' fifth record, Freedom, has received positive reviews, with Pitchfork calling it McMahon's "euphoric breakthrough". In addition to his regular collaborators Parker Kindred and Jordi Wheeler, Freedom features Delicate Steve and underground Roman musician Panoram. Chris Coady  (Beach House) produced. The record was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.

Amen Dunes is made up of McMahon and a rotating cast of musicians. In an interview, McMahon explained: "It's a solo project, but it's a band when it's in action, you know what I mean? I always relate to people like David Bowie, who were very considered with their collaborators, and collaboration is what he did, and it's a big part of what I do, but it's a solo project. I have a band per album, you could say. Even less, I have different band for each stage of album development. 

[Spotify] Miki Dora

“A Town Called Walker”, Tom Verlaine

This way: A Town Called Walker

The Solo work of Tom Verlaine holds some real jems. This album holds many. Tom Verlaine, was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television. Verlaine was born in Denville, New Jersey, on December 13, 1949. Tom had a twin brother, John Peter Miller (1949–1984), who died suddenly at age 34. 

Tom moved to Wilmington, Delaware, with his family when he was six. He began studying piano at an early age, but switched to saxophone in middle school after hearing a record by Stan Getz. Jazz saxophonists such as John Coltrane and Albert Ayler inspired him. Verlaine initially was unimpressed with the role of the guitar in both rock music and jazz, but was inspired to take up the instrument after hearing the Rolling Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown" during his adolescence, at which point he began a long period of experimentation to develop a personal style. A later musical influence of Verlaine's became jazz musician Miles Davis' electric-period recordings, particularly the Japanese LPs Agharta (1975) and Dark Magus (1977), which he was able to obtain as imports.

Tom's family sent Verlaine and his twin brother John to Sanford Preparatory School, a private boarding school in Hockessin, Delaware. While John excelled in athletics and graduated in 1967, Tom's interest leaned toward writing and poetry. At Sanford, Tom became friends with future bandmate and punk icon Richard Hell (Richard Meyers). They quickly discovered that they shared a passion for music and poetry. Neither Verlaine nor Hell graduated from Sanford and they later moved to New York City. This from 1987.

[Spotify] A Town Called Walker

“5150”, Matt Heckler

This way: 5150

MATT HECKLER is a solo multi-instrumentalist that barely fits into any ordinary musical category. He tends to keep to the darker side of Appalachian mountain music and early bluegrass but listen long enough and you’ll soon be transported to the mountains of Eastern Europe or a dimly lit bar in Ireland where they honor those who have passed with a gently swaying a cappella ballad.

After touring almost nonstop for years in support of bands like Devil Makes Three, Lost Dog Street Band, Flogging Molly, and others, HECKLER, like the rest of us, got sidelined by the ongoing global pandemic. With the newfound time off, he set to pushing creative boundaries in his home recording studio as far as his mind would allow. Each fiddle, banjo, and guitar track carefully put in place all the while retaining the grit and energy reflected in his live shows. Paired perfectly as the sequel to After The Flood, the Blood, Water, Coal album is a defining release in his career. 

[Spotify] 5150

“This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide“, The Kings

This way: This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide

Do I love this or hate this, i can not decide. The Kings are a Canadian rock band formed in 1977 in Oakville, Ontario. They are best known for their 1980 song "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide", which was a hit in the United States and Canada. 

Recording history

The Kings were formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Oakville, Ontario in the late 1970s. The original lineup included David Diamond, bass, lead vocals; Mister Zero (aka John Picard, listed as Aryan Zero in the original "Kings Are Here" LP liner notes), guitar; Sonny Keyes, keyboards and vocals; and Max Styles (drums), with Zero and Diamond serving as the main songwriters with contributions from Keyes. The Kings were originally known as WhistleKing and rehearsed, performed club gigs, and wrote a considerable number of songs for more than three years.

In early 1980, the band went into Nimbus 9 Studio in Toronto to record their first album. While recording, renowned producer Bob Ezrin visited the studio, listened to the band, and liked what he heard. Together they created the album The Kings Are Here with the songs "This Beat Goes On" and "Switchin' To Glide", The double-A side single spent 23 weeks on the U.S. charts, peaking at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100. On superstation WLS-AM in Chicago, the song peaked at number nine during January 1981. It reached #59 in Canada. Two other singles followed, including "Don't Let Me Know" which only reached #109 on Billboard, and the band began touring extensively with Bob Seger, Jeff Beck, The Beach Boys and Eric Clapton. During 1980, their rising commercial fortunes culminated in an appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and the closing spot at the major Heatwave festival in August.

[Spotify] This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide

“Pull up your Jocks”, The Scratch

This way: Pull up your Jocks (live)

Started as a fun experiment in the kitchen of a house in Perrystown, The Scratch are a 4-piece acoustic act from Dublin, Ireland. Born from a shared love of acoustic gui-tar, metal and traditional Irish music, The Scratch have moulded triumphant melodies with the groove and intensity of metal.

A 2017 busking trip to Rory Gallagher festival in Ballyshannon kick-started the jour-ney, as a video of the band busking racked up an astonishing one million views in just a week and was shared around the world. An invitation to do a free show in Dublin’s Whelan’s followed, and then a string of Dublin headliners in increasingly bigger venues, each one sold out before doors. Most recently their Academy Dublin show sold out in just four days. Their first UK show in The Camden Assembly was also sold out ahead of time. 

[Spotify] Pull up your Jocks

“Ain't it Fun”, Dead Boys

This way: Ain‘t it Fun

The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist Stiv Bators, rhythm guitarist Jimmy Zero, bassist Jeff Magnum, lead guitarist Cheetah Chrome, and drummer Johnny Blitz in 1975, with the later two having splintered from the band Rocket From The Tombs. The original Dead Boys released two studio albums, Young Loud and Snotty, and We Have Come for Your Children.  

The Dead Boys were initially active from 1975 to 1980, briefly reuniting a few times in the mid-1980s, and then later again in 2004 and 2005 for the first time without Bators, who had died in 1990. In September 2017, Chrome and Blitz reunited the band with a new line-up for a 40th anniversary tour along with a new album, Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40, a re-recording of their debut album. The new lineup includes vocalist Jake Hout, guitarist Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz and bassist Ricky Rat, alongside Chrome and Blitz.

Chrome and Blitz joined Cleveland proto-punk band Rocket From The Tombs in late 1974. Chrome invited his friend Steve Bators on stage to sing a few songs at a show in August 1975. This caused most of the other band members to walk off stage and they broke up. Shortly thereafter Bators, Chrome and Blitz recruited Magnum and Zero to form Frankenstein who recorded demos in October but they broke up in January 1976. When the band members relocated to New York City in July 1976, they adopted the Dead Boys moniker which came from a line in the RFTT song "Down in Flames".

Moving to New York City at the encouragement of Joey Ramone, the Ramones' lead singer, the Dead Boys quickly gained notoriety for their outrageous live performances. Lewd gestures and profanity were the norm. They frequently played at the rock club CBGB (the band was briefly managed by club owner Hilly Kristal) and in 1977 they released their debut album, Young, Loud and Snotty, produced by Genya Ravan. Their song "Sonic Reducer" is often regarded as one of the classics of the punk genre, with AllMusic calling it "one of punk's great anthems."

[Spotify] Ain‘t it Fun

[Original version] Ain‘t it Fun

“Smelly Tongues”, The Residents

This way: Smelly Tongues

Weirdos Unite! This from 1874. The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, Meet the Residents (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects, and ten DVDs over the course of over half a century. They have undertaken seven major world tours and scored multiple films. Pioneers in exploring the potential of CD-ROM and similar technologies, the Residents have won several awards for their multimedia projects. They founded Ralph Records, a record label focusing on avant-garde music, in 1972. 

Throughout the group's existence, the individual members have ostensibly attempted to work anonymously, preferring to have attention focused on their art. Much speculation and rumor has focused on this aspect of the group. In public, they appear silent and costumed, often wearing eyeball helmets, top hats and tails—a costume now recognized as their signature iconography. In 2017, Hardy Fox, long known to be associated with the Residents, identified himself as the band's co-founder and primary composer; he died in 2018.

[Spotify] Smelly Tongues

“Here's Your Future”, The Thermals

This way: Here's Your Future

The Thermals were an American indie rock band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The group was formed in 2002. With influences heavily rooted in both lofi, as well as standard rock, the band's songs were also known for their political and religious imagery.

In 2002 former bandmates Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster came together to form the Thermals, having previously worked together, most notably in the folk duo Hutch & Kathy. Their first album, More Parts per Million, was released in 2003 by Sub Pop Records. The album was recorded and performed entirely by Hutch Harris, who played every instrument. The first live lineup was Harris with Kathy Foster on bass, Jordan Hudson (also of M. Ward and The operacycle) on drums and Ben Barnett on guitar.

Their follow-up album, 2004's Fuckin A, was mixed by Death Cab For Cutie member Chris Walla. During that period Ben Barnett left the band and Hutch Harris took over the role as guitarist.

Their third album The Body, The Blood, The Machine was produced by Brendan Canty of Fugazi and won the group much recognition and acclaim, appearing on multiple top album lists for 2006 such as NPR, The AV Club and Pitchfork. The song "A Pillar of Salt" was also featured on EA's Skate 3 in-game radio. Jordan Hudson dropped out of the band during the recording of their third album. Kathy Foster took over percussion duties in the recording studio, which Lorin Coleman performed on tour.

The Thermals' fourth album Now We Can See, was released in 2009 on the label Kill Rock Stars and produced by John Congleton. Again, Foster worked as the percussionist on the album. Westin Glass joined the group as a drummer after the album had been completed. 

[Spotify] Here's Your Future

“We Want the Airwaves”, Ramones

This way: We Want the Airwaves

Ramones? Who dis?  

[Spotify] We Want the Airwaves

“Lucky”, Kicking Giant

This way: Lucky

Carns' first band was Kicking Giant with fellow Cooper Union student Tae Won Yu, with whom she played drums and sang from 1990–1995. Their first show was in the storefront window of a Brooklyn junk shop; Carns stood up and played just one drum, a floor tom. Kicking Giant played around New York City and the northeast with bands like Codeine, Uncle Wiggly, and fellow "love-rockers" Sleepyhead; Carns continued to expand her stand-up kit, building around the central floor tom, anchor to Yu's whirling guitar and bedrock of their unique sound. Live, their largely improvised mash of punk, free jazz, sugar-candy pop, and pure poetry meant that Kicking Giant never played the same set, or even the same song, twice. Photographer Robert Frank filmed some live Kicking Giant shows; Carns later appeared in his film Last Supper (1992) along with Taylor Mead, Zohra Lampert, and Chemical Imbalance magazine's Mike McGonigal.[citation needed] While in New York, Kicking Giant recorded songs on Yu's 4-track and released a number of homemade cassettes (including songs recorded with Kramer); circulating bootlegs soon garnered the band a fierce cult following, particularly in England and Japan. Through the underground fanzine network, Yu became penpals with Liz Phair and members of Bratmobile, trading tapes and letters and zines and introducing the band to Riot Grrrl, a movement that merged Do It Yourself culture and feminism. In the summer of 1991 Kicking Giant played the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia with bands like Bikini Kill, Beat Happening, Fugazi, L7, Unwound, and Jad Fair. The energy of the northwest punk scene was infectious, and both members were ready to leave New York; the duo parted ways temporarily in 1992 when Yu moved to Olympia and Carns to Washington, D.C. 

[Spotify] Lucky

“Galveston, Dark Tides”, Erase Errata

This way: Galveston, Dark Tides

Erase Errata was a band from San Francisco, California. The group favored improvisation as a compositional tool and each of their performances were a unique manifestation of established songs. Erase Errata formed in Oakland, California in 1999 and quickly earned national attention after the release of their first eponymous 7" and via tours with electro grrl band Le Tigre and Japanese noise rockers Melt Banana. They released their highly acclaimed debut album Other Animals in 2001, followed by At Crystal Palace in 2003, both on the Troubleman Unlimited label. The group began counting Sonic Youth, Mission of Burma and The Ex among their fans.

After founding guitarist Sara Jaffe left Erase Errata in 2004, singer Jenny Hoyston switched to guitar and the group briefly drafted a male vocalist named Archie McKay. The group eventually settled on a three-piece lineup, with Hoyston handling both guitar and vocal duties, and joined the Kill Rock Stars roster for the 2006 album Nightlife.

Jenny Hoyston - vocals, guitar, trumpet, keyboards 

Ellie Erickson - bass

Bianca Sparta - drums

[Spotify] Galveston, Dark Tides

“The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory”, Guided by Voices

This way: The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory

This is the record, this is the one that made the blinders fall from the eyes. This was real and unabashed. This was solid and endless. One minute and 45 seconds? Who does that? Just get to the point already and move on. This record has 20 songs on it, as all records should.  

[Spotify] The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory

“Your Favorite Thing”, Sugar

This way: Your Favorite Thing

Sugar was an American alternative rock band active in the early 1990s. Formed in 1992, they were led by the singer and guitarist Bob Mould (ex-Hüsker Dü), alongside bassist David Barbe (ex-Mercyland) and drummer Malcolm Travis (ex-Human Sexual Response). 

After frontman Bob Mould departed from Hüsker Dü, he released two solo ventures, Workbook and Black Sheets of Rain; neither album was well received and Mould was released from his contract with Virgin Records America in 1991 as a result. Shortly after, Mould recorded a demo tape of over thirty songs and formed Sugar with David Barbe and Malcolm Travis. The band was named in an Athens, GA Waffle House Restaurant when Mould spotted a sugar packet on the table where he and the other two band members were sitting. Their first concert was on February 20, 1992, at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, after a few weeks warming up in R.E.M.'s downtown practice space.

Later in 1992, the band released the album Copper Blue on Rykodisc in the US and Creation Records in the UK. Copper Blue was named Album Of The Year 1992 by NME. The music videos for the singles "If I Can't Change Your Mind" and "Helpless" received extensive air time on MTV shortly after the album's release. The single for "If I Can't Change Your Mind" had moderate success in the UK Singles Chart.

[Spotify] Your Favorite Thing

“Get Inspired”, Genesis Owusu

This way: Get Inspired

Genesis Owusu, is a Ghanaian-Australian rapper and singer from Canberra. He is the younger brother of fellow hip hop rapper, Kojo Owusu-Ansah p.k.a. Citizen Kay. Owusu's debut studio album, Smiling with No Teeth (March 2021), reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 30. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards he won four trophies for Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release and Best Cover Art (latter shared with Bailey Howard). 

Genesis Owusu was born Kofi Owusu-Ansah in 1998 in Koforidua, Ghana. His older brother, Kojo (born ca. 1994), is also a rapper who performs as Citizen Kay. The family migrated to Canberra, Australia in 2000.

He was dubbed "Genesis" by Kojo in primary school, who told his friends that his younger brother is Kofi: "his friends were like 'oh, what's your brother's name?' and he said 'Coffee' and they just didn't believe him, for whatever reason. So he just apparently made Genesis up on the spot, and since then it's just stuck." Owusu completed a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Canberra in 2018.

2015–2019: Career beginnings and Cardrive

Musician Citizen Kay is Owusu's older brother, and he decided to feature his younger brother, among other relatives, on "Family Ties", a track on his album With the People (October 2015). Kay explained that "Family Ties".

[Spotify] Get Inspired

“Evidently Chickentown”, John Cooper Clarke

This way: Evidently Chickentown

John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet and comedian who styled himself as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly.

His recorded output has mainly relied on musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett, Steve Hopkins, Pete Shelley, Bill Nelson, and Paul Burgess. 

In 1979, Clarke had his only UK top 40 hit with "Gimmix! (Play Loud)". Clarke toured with Linton Kwesi Johnson, and has performed on the same bill as bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Fall, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Elvis Costello, Rockpile and New Order (including at their May 1984 Music for Miners benefit concert at London's Royal Festival Hall). His set is characterised by lively rapid-fire renditions of his poems, usually performed a cappella. Often referred to as "the bard of Salford", he usually refers to himself on stage as "Johnny Clarke, the name behind the hairstyle".

Clarke appeared in a 1982 music documentary compilation Urgh! A Music War, in which he performed his poem "Health Fanatic". The film featured live performances of mainstream artists (the Police, the Go-Go's, XTC, Devo) as well as more obscure bands (Pere Ubu, Invisible Girls, the Alley Cats, Athletico Spizz '80, Chelsea) using concert footage from around the world. He also starred in another 1982 film titled John Cooper Clarke – Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt produced for the Arts Council of Great Britain and Channel 4. Somewhere between a narrative film, a series of music videos and a documentary, the film features interviews and performances by Clarke and Linton Kwesi Johnson among others.

[Spotify] Evidently Chickentown

“Why Can’t I Touch It?”, Buzzcocks

This way: Why Can’t I Touch It?

This is an early single b-side from the Buzzcocks and at one point was added to the Singles Going Steady album. Another perfectly honed pop masterpiece form a band with so many jems.

[Spotify] Why Can’t I Touch It?

“It's a Wonderful Lie”, Paul Westerburg

This way: It's a Wonderful Lie

Paul Westerberg (born December 31, 1959) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for The Replacements. Following the breakup of The Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him release three albums on two major record labels.

Following the release of his third solo album, Westerberg has been mostly releasing music that he has self-produced and recorded in his basement home studio.[3] He has also released two albums and an EP under the pseudonym Grandpaboy. In 2017, Westerberg released songs on SoundCloud as User 964848511 and on Bandcamp as Dry Wood Garage.[4][5][6]

In the late 1970s, Westerberg was working as a janitor for U.S. Senator David Durenberger, and one day while walking home from work, he heard a band practicing Yes's "Roundabout" in a basement. He talked his way into the band by convincing the singer that the other band members — Bob Stinson, Chris Mars and Tommy Stinson — were going to fire the singer. The singer quit, and Westerberg joined the group. The band was originally called The Impediments, and they played their first gig in the basement of a church, playing to members of a nearby halfway house who did not appreciate their drunken shenanigans. They soon changed their name to The Replacements after several venues declined to advertise the band under their original name. 

The Replacements began performing in the Twin Cities punk scene, showcasing Westerberg's songs in a classic rock–friendly punk style. The band made three albums and an EP for local label Twin/Tone before signing to Sire Records in 1985. They made four albums for Sire, each with a different lineup.

Westerberg's first solo releases were two songs, "Waiting for Somebody" and "Dyslexic Heart", for the soundtrack to the 1992 Cameron Crowe film Singles, for which he is also credited with composing and performing the score. The following year, Reprise Records released his first solo album, 14 Songs. Even though The Replacements had been banned for life from Saturday Night Live after a notoriously chaotic 1986 performance, Westerberg was invited back in 1993 as a solo artist while touring in support of the album. Ironically, one of his two featured songs on SNL was the Replacements tune "Can't Hardly Wait."

During the interim between solo albums, Westerberg's songs appeared on Melrose Place ("A Star Is Bored") and Friends (his cover of Jonathan Edwards' "Sunshine" and "Stain Yer Blood") television soundtracks, in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

Westerberg co-wrote the song "Backlash" with Joan Jett for her 1991 album Notorious and played guitar with her on the song's video. He also recorded a duet with Jett ("Let's Do It") for the Tank Girl soundtrack (1994).

[Spotify] It's a Wonderful Lie

“Serafina”, Bambara

This way: Serafina

Bambara is an American band formed in 2007 in Athens, Georgia, currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The trio consists of twin brothers Reid Bateh (lead vocals, guitar) and Blaze Bateh (drums), and William Brookshire (bass). 

The band is named after the character of the same name from the animated television series Æon Flux. Drummer Blaze Bateh stated that "honestly there wasn’t anything in particular about him as a character that drove us to use his name. We were just huge fans of the show. I’ve watched the show start to finish countless times and I still get blown away by aspects of it. But yeah, we just thought his name sounded really cool".

Reid Bateh's baritone vocals have been compared to Nick Cave and Rowland S. Howard. The members of Bambara began playing with each other in 2001 in Athens, Georgia when twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh and school friend William Brookshire attended North Springs High School. The trio started out playing covers of bands such as Blink-182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers before developing their own sound that incorporated "funk, progressive, and a lot of Latin". They released their debut album Curtains and Cannibals in 2005 under their original name 23jinx. In October 2007, the band changed their name and formed as Bambara. The band moved to Brooklyn, where they signed to Arrowhawk Records in 2013. They recorded the album Dreamviolence from their basement apartment before releasing it in April of that same year. Their music was labeled as noise rock in part due to their use of machines, loops, and other assorted lo-fi software.

[Spotify] Serafina

“Birth, School, Work, Death”, The Godfathers

This way: Birth, School, Work, Death

The Godfathers are an English rock band from London, England, with strong influences from R&B and punk.

The Godfathers were formed by Peter and Chris Coyne (vocals and bass, respectively) after the demise of The Sid Presley Experience in 1985, joined by Mike Gibson (guitar), Kris Dollimore (guitar) and George Mazur (drums). Peter Coyne had briefly worked as a music journalist from 1980 to 1982 for ZigZag and Record Mirror. Fellow TSPE member, and later Godfather, Del Bartle, went on to form The Unholy Trinity with drummer Kevin Murphy. 

After independent single releases produced by Vic Maile, and collected on their debut album, Hit by Hit, they signed to Epic Records in 1987. Extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the United States followed. Single and title track of their first album "Birth, School, Work, Death" made the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in 1988 after college radio and MTV airplay but the band were less commercially successful in the UK. Albums More Songs About Love and Hate (1989) and Unreal World (1991) followed, with Chris Burrows replacing Kris Dollimore on guitar in time for the latter, after which the Godfathers left Epic and released a live album and two studio albums on German label Intercord in the early to mid-1990s. The band ceased activity in 2000.

In 2003, Peter Coyne and Kris Dollimore played briefly in a band called the Germans with Rat Scabies, formerly of the Damned.

[Spotify] Birth, School, Work, Death

“Astradyne”, Ultravox

This way: Astradyne

In 1979 John Foxx left Ultravox and was replaced by Midge Ure. And this first effort by the new band is stellar. I have always loved this LP. I saw the band on this tour in 1980 (September 25, Dooleys-Tempe, AZ). Vienna is the fourth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, first released on 11 July 1980 through Chrysalis Records. Vienna was Ultravox's first album with their best-known line-up, after Midge Ure had taken over as lead vocalist and guitarist following the departures of John Foxx and Robin Simon, as well as the group's first release for Chrysalis.

Vienna was produced by renowned German producer Conny Plank who had also produced Ultravox's previous album Systems of Romance, and mixed at Plank's studio near Cologne, Germany. Ultravox changed pace, style and audience with the arrival of Ure, who had already participated in the formation of Visage with Ultravox's keyboard and viola player Billy Currie. Many different styles are in use on the album; "Astradyne" is a long instrumental featuring sweeping, majestic synthesizer arrangements throughout, while "Mr. X" is a simpler, much sparser Kraftwerk pastiche. The lyrics to the album's songs were mainly written by Ure and drummer Warren Cann, who also takes a rare lead vocal on "Mr. X". 

[Spotify] Astradyne

“Soon Enough”, Constantines

This way: Soon Enough

Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Constantines was formed in 1999, by vocalist and guitarist Bryan Webb, drummer Doug MacGregor, and guitarist Paul Bright, all of whom had played together in the emo band Shoulder from 1994 to 1997; with the addition of bassist Dallas Wehrle. Bright was asked to leave early on and was replaced by Steve Lambke. Their style has been described as "art-punk", and they have been compared to bands like The Clash, Fugazi, Bruce Springsteen, The Replacements, and Nick Cave.

The name of the band is taken from an episode of Coast to Coast with Art Bell, in which Bell was playing recordings of ghost voices in static, and one of the ghosts' names was Constantine.

From their hometown of Guelph the band relocated to London, Ontario and then to Toronto, where in 2001 they released their self-titled first album. Constantines enjoyed widespread play on campus radio and was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. The first track, "Arizona", is based on the suicide of Danny Rapp, the lead singer of Danny and the Juniors of "At the Hop" fame. The song begins with the lyric "This is a song about the death of Danny Rapp. And that great gospel jest called rock 'n' roll." That year they performed at the El Mocambo in Toronto with Oneida and Grand Total.

[Spotify] Soon Enough

“Alibi”, Hurray for the Riff Raff

This way: Alibi

Hurray for the Riff Raff is an American band from formed in New Orleans in 2007 by Alynda Segarra, a singer-songwriter from the Bronx, New York. As Segarra's project, the group originally performed different styles of folk music while releasing several albums independently. 

Alynda Mariposa Segarra was raised by their aunt and uncle in the Bronx where they developed an early appreciation for doo-wop and Motown. They are of Puerto Rican heritage.

Segarra became a regular attendee of hardcore punk shows at ABC No Rio when they were young. They left their home in the Bronx at age 17, spending time crossing North America, hopping freight trains.

Around 2007, Segarra became a part of the Dead Man Street Orchestra, a hobo band that was documented in a photo essay by Time Magazine in 2007. Segarra traveled with the group for two years, releasing two independent albums and embarking on freight train tours across the country.

[Spotify] Alibi

“Everything Turns Blue”, Chelsea Wolfe

This way: Everything Turns Blue

Katy Kirby is a Nashville, Tennessee based American musician and singer-songwriter from Spicewood, Texas. Kirby grew up as an evangelical Christian in Spicewood, Texas, where she was homeschooled and listened primarily to worship music. She attended college at Belmont University, where she majored in English. Kirby began releasing music in 2018, with the EP Juniper. In May 2020, she shared a new recorded version of her song "Tap Twice".  

In late 2020, she announced plans to release her debut album and, along with the announcement, released the single "Traffic!". The album, Cool Dry Place, came out on February 19, 2021, and became Stereogum's "Album of the Week". The album would eventually be included in a number of yearend best-albums-of-2021 lists, including those by Paste, Our Culture Mag, and Consequence of Sound.

[Spotify] Everything Turns Blue