It’s hard to imagine a band getting the year off to a hotter start than Lips Speak Louder just did with their newest single.
The turbo-charged “Spooky Girl” enters the equation with loud, fuzzy guitar riffs and aggressive drums, combining the grit of 90s grunge with the thrilling, rhythm-oriented bombast one might expect from a Queens of the Stone Age record.
“‘Spooky Girl’ is a song about walking the line between carnal fascination and hedonism,” notes vocalist/guitarist Rachel Brandsness. “The opening guitar riff, soaked in fuzz, dictated the direction of the song, which paved the path for the aggressive drums and created the perfect tonal landscape for the lyrics.”
Produced by acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Emily Wolfe, “Spooky Girl” is another offering from the band’s forthcoming album, to be released later this year.
“When we pictured the backdrop of ‘Spooky Girl,’ we envisioned the chase, or cat-and-mouse situation in a dark club with lots of stimulation, sexiness, and eagerness,” drummer Angie Lese adds. “We wanted the music to mimic that driving force, so by design, the song goes hard and doesn’t let up.”
There’s a certain moodiness to some of the tunes on this month’s edition of Rock On! befitting the time of year. The weather has turned colder, the sun’s light has dimmed, and it’s a perfect time to go inward and reflect. There are quite a few songs here that will give you that opportunity, bookended by holiday cheer.
Of course, there are plenty of high-powered moments, as well. It wouldn’t be the Rock On! playlist if you couldn’t turn it up to 11.
Track listing: The Mad Sugars – Christmas Wrapping The Manic Boys and Girls Club – Blacked Out Glamper – Back Chewer Josh Gilligan – Anything Aaron English ft. Francy Planet – Canada Evan Kreutz – Dandelion All Poets & Heroes – Dime A Dozen Harley Olivia ft. Emily Bones – You’re Not Ready Tell My Sons – Shot In The Dark Fortunate Losers – Taste Lips Speak Louder – Dog Days of Summer Feral Minks – My Escapade General Mojos ft. Marshall Law Band – change will come floater. – Half-Life Doc. Henry – Babyface KJ Wild – Red Hot Magazine Girl ROM COM ft. Eliza Harrison Smith – Call You Mine westwell – Don’t Forget To Leave the Light On Brother People ft. Bradley Rodermond – It’s a Brand New Day Shattervox – Home for Christmas
We’ve said it before, we’ve said it again, and we’ll always say it: contrary to what you may have heard, rock is alive and well.
We’ve seen and heard this simple truth through the years, as artists near and far have made clear through their art. And, for as diverse as our musical world has become, there’s still nothing quite as organic as a bunch of friends bringing their instruments into a room to make some noise.
This playlist is a result of that raw energy and spirit, 20 times over. If you’ve been wondering where all the guitars are on the modern music landscape, look no further. They’re right here for you.
Track listing The Mad Sugars – New York Girls Bobby Mahoney – Empty Passenger Seats Leah Burns – WUT R U WAITING 4 Brother People – Total Vibe The Trampoline Delay – Little Lucy Theos Wall – COSMONAUT CASTAWAY Hot4Robot – Your Chemical (Unplugged Live) Lonely Little Kitsch – Vices Harley Olivia – You’re Not Ready Fortunate Losers – Taste Lips Speak Louder – Dog Days of Summer Feral Minks – My Escapade General Mojo’s ft. Marshall Law Band – change will come f1oater. – Half-Life Doc. Henry – Babyface The Manic Boys and Girls Club – Last Train horsebread – ontherun The Hollow Party – Medicine KJ Wild – Red Hot Magazine Girl ROM COM ft. Eliza Harrison Smith – Call You Mine
Lips Speak Louder may have a busy fall on tap, touring with Emily Wolfe. However, that won’t stop them from continuing to crank out the tunes.
The most recent? The pop punk anthem, “Crush.” Written by Lips Speak Louder’s Rachel Brandsness and Angela Lese and produced by Wolfe, the new single reminds us what it’s like to be overcome with cautious optimism as we (maybe? possibly?) fall in love.
“(‘Crush’ is about) the incredible rush of emotions you get when you first start falling for someone, and how one unexpected encounter can change everything,” Brandsness said.
Don’t forget: you can see Lips Speak Louder perform “Crush” and plenty of other tunes from their upcoming full-length record on Saturday, October 19 at The Lipstick Lounge in Nashville. Learn more about that here, and check out the latest below!
San Diego power punks Blair Gun — set to release their new album, There Are No Rival Clones Here, in just a few weeks — are showing off their range on their new, folk-infused single, “Don’t Think.”
The new tune — in contrast from previous single, “The Thief” — is built on a rootsy acoustic foundation, letting the band’s Americana sensibilities shine, while not losing the fuzzy, gritty edge that we fell in love with in the first place. Thematically, “Don’t Think” inspires quite the opposite, making us ponder how easy it can be to let ourselves become entangled in situations that do not serve our higher purpose.
“I wrote it about how hard it can be for anyone to make meaningful change in their life, and how often we can all end up complacent in toxic situations,” said vocalist/guitarist Joedin Morelock.
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Eric Bauer, There Are No Rival Clones Here will hit your favorite streaming platforms on Friday, June 7. Get another taste below!
We couldn’t let you step all the way into the weekend without some new tunes, could we?
The three songs here — while all unique from a sonic standpoint — have one thing in common: they challenge Music City’s status quo. Whether providing commentary on Lower Broadway’s culture, or testing the limits of what country music “should” be, there’s plenty for you rebels to dive into this week!
Artist: Gloom Girl MFG Song: Batshitlorette Genre: Punk/Alternative Why You Should Hear It: If you’ve been to downtown Nashville, you can probably already tell what this one is about, based on the title alone. If you haven’t, well… we’re pretty much the bachelorette party capital of the world right now — for better or worse.
‘Lead singer Paige McKinnon says: “‘Batshitlorette’ is a dogfight. Picture the Greasers vs. the Socs, except make it the Nashville Locals vs. the Bachelorettes. In this song, we’re at play with the idea of local insularity in contrast with bachelorette party mayhem here in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a song that is both dead serious and absolutely absurd all wrapped up in an epic punk package. On brand with the EP, we can’t help but expand our grief and frustration beyond our city walls, and turn it into a bigger declaration: Ignore the future of our youth, and you will pay the consequences.”
Artist: Jess Antonette Song: Three Two One Genre: Pop Country Why You Should Hear It: Inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey, this sultry, smoky tune “delves into the theme of bold exploration of sexuality in a genre widely known for its reputation for more conservative ideologies.”
About the creative process, Jess tells us: “The weekend before we got into the writing room, I had just watched Fifty Shades of Grey. I was never interested in seeing it, but figured I’d give it a chance. What struck me was that I personally felt the soundtrack didn’t quite match the essence of the movie. When my co-writers and I got into the writing room together, I thought it would be fun to try something completely different from anything I’ve done before in my artistry. I wanted to take listeners on an unexpected journey, pushing the bounds, a topic that is not seen or common in country music. Fortunately, my co-writers were fully on board with the idea. I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous. Despite being outgoing and expressive, I usually don’t talk openly about my sexuality. Writing these lyrics with two of my platonic guy friends made for a ton of awkward giggling, but it was super fun. And no, I don’t have a ‘red room,’ but it was fun to play this character.”
Artist: Surtsey Song: Knot to Force Genre: Alt-Country Why You Should Hear It: Rich vocal harmonies, well-crafted guitar arrangements, and some beautiful pedal steel experimentation are the salient features of this prime cut of Americana. From their new EP, Nothing Doing, this is far from your run-of-the-mill country song, as it offers a well-read assessment of the human condition.
“Lyrical references involve the universal human experience of not forcing things that aren’t meant to be or out of our control, derived heavily from Alan Watts’ books, excerpts, and lectures,” said frontman and songsmith Joe Bassa.
Got something you think we should hear? What are you waiting for?! Shoot it our way, and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Songs You Should Hear!
Between Nashville’s established status as a country music mecca, and Music City’s ever-growing pop and hip hop ecosystem, the city’s rock scene often doesn’t get enough love here in 2024.
Gloom Girl MFG might be the band who changes that.
The high-powered punk quartet calls Nashville home, and they’re getting ready to release their EP, Polycrisis, on May 3. The lead single, “Crimes,” is out now — and it gets the whole thing off to an explosive start!
“Crimes” features relentless guitar riffs accompanied by a tight, swaggering rhythm section — calling to mind the edgy alt-punk heyday of bands like The Vines and The Hives. Meanwhile, the charismatic Paige MacKinnon establishes her undeniable presence, as she illustrates the raw complexities of our human experience.
“‘Crimes’ is about someone who’s right in the middle of an emotional explosion,” MacKinnon said. “They’re fed up trying to play the game of love as they see it. And through that we’re speaking to a truth about how intertwined our human experiences in the world are with the way we show love to one another. It can be messy and it can be beautiful too.”
Maybe it’s the New Year’s optimism that’s lingering late into January. Or, maybe it’s the fact that we’re excited to have escaped our ice fortresses after last week’s winter storm extraordinaire in Nashville. Either way, there’s a buzz in the air.
That buzz has its sonic representation on this week’s playlist. Many of the tracks here are on the high-energy side of the spectrum, keeping your blood pumping through any weather.
Track listing William Prince – When You Miss Someone (Roosevelt Remix) Harris Hills – ACTION MAN ROM COM – Mess You Made Kabir Green – I See Gold Marcus King – F*ck My Life Up Again Earthquake Lights – Heartbeat Kendra & The Bunnies – Manic Pixie Nightmare Michael Daughtry ft. Tishmone’ – Save Me Some Armchair Boogie – Gone in a Day Kitchen Dwellers ft. Lindsay Lou – The Crow and The Raven (III) J.Antonette – Run Girl Run The Bones of J.R. Jones – My Hometown Elise Browell – Remarkable Tucker Woods – Are You Glass? The Mighty Calm – Boardwalks Rundown Kreeps – Big Bear Mad Caddies – Baby Keep the Eleven – Do You Wanna Change The World? MONTE – Canna-Vision Tommy Magik and the Wonderfulls – I Do What I Want
Ever regret ignoring the red flags, even though they were there the entire time?
f1oater. explores that regret — and the associated feeling of frustration — on “Don’t Know Why,” a fire-powered pop punk single dedicated to those times when we’ve known better from the start (and then did it anyway).
“‘Don’t Know Why’ is the epitome of hindsight is 20/20, (and) being caught in the moment is a wonderful thing until you ignore warning signs flashing in your face,” said f1oater. frontwoman Laura Short. “It’s the expression of frustration of not listening to your inner intuition.”
If you’re looking for more, you won’t have to wait too long. “Don’t Know Why” is the first single from the band’s forthcoming album — and serves as the tip of a rather compelling iceberg.
“This single marks the beginning of the story we’re about to take you on,” Short said. “A tale of reaching towards the light and all that you encounter along the dark road of reawakening.”
Apologies for the unexpected gap between UMC20 playlists last week. Ya boy has been on a retreat of sorts, shoring up a few things and gearing us up for the second half of 2023 and beyond.
All that means is that there was more to choose from for this week’s edition of UMC20! So, we’ve put together a quality compilation of some of the jams that have been making their way into our world of late.
