#they're the lead singer of an indie-punk band!

[americana-sims]

Scan of my vintage Bitten Bullet album! I love Dead Gingers they're such an underground band... Abijah's voice is lovely. Their Tartosian accent just adds a wonderful flavor to the music.

[freakshowtwopointoh]

gen v limoreau normal college / punk band au

Marie is a music theater mechanical engineering double major. Jordan is in a grungy indie punk band with their friends. They accidentally book the same music room and begin helping each other. Marie helps Jordan sort an issue in the song they're writing, Jordan helps Marie deal with some engineering college logistics or something, and I'm thinking at a certain point, the band will ask marie to feature on a song because cate doesnt sing at all and jordan does not sing in their fem form in public ever. thats where the REAL ROMANCE BEGINS people. thinking the spring musical will be spring awakening or next to normal or something else edgy just because i like the idea of jordan overhearing marie singing something with curses or electric guitar or something and is like... i thought u were into musicals and marie is like... this is a musical. i thought u were educated.

vibes

yes powers but vought isnt bad.

Marie: Music theater mechanical engineer double major (i know someone who did this, shes a badass.)

Jordan: Mechanical Engineering Major, guitarist (also decided jordan is into cars in this one.)

Emma: Musical theater major w/ minor in dance, Marie's roommate

Luke: Music major, lead singer

Sam: Video Game Design major, graphic designer/cheerleader

Cate: Business major, manager/pianist

Andre: Business major, percussion

what i also like about this set up is the opportunities for drama

of course emma is in dance - her mom has strong dance mom vibes in the worst way.

not only does luke have the only music based major in the band which sets him up to be isolated from the others, but it also puts cate and andre in the same major to allow for shenanigans.

and then uve also got the tension of jordan being in engineering but not caring about anything but music and cars (i also know a person like this - he changed majors to film and then business, but in this case, jordan will push through of course, complaining all the way) it also means that their main friends are all in "softer"/"easier" majors which gives them a superiority complex and a chip on their shoulder

were going real punk for this band.

[cryptidswitch]

Innnntroducing the newest weirdos on the scene!! Astro Dog!

Hailing from the various corners of the wide Sim World and coming together in San Myshuno, Astro Dog is beginning to turn heads in the world of indie pop punk! Debuting with their album Dogpile, they're about to take the world by storm!

Tour Dates to be announced!

Featuring lead singer Aisha Johnson, lead guitarist Enola "Lola" Ragland, guitarist Georgina "Georgie" Ventura, bassist Pavarti "Perri" Patel, and drummer Veronica "Ronnie" Ransom

As soon as I saw the server challenge this month was all about album covers and bands, I knew I had to do this one! These girls have caused absolute brain rot and they all already have backstories and all sorts of stuff lmao

I even downloaded GIMP again!

[sunshinebobaa]

gen 1 || wistful red

"Mistress of rage, I'm pulling your chains! Twisting your words and smashing your walls!"

Wistful Red was positively powerful. Their composition, playing in sync, and even their movements shined on the stage. They were an indie band, but they were natural stars.

"A hellbent demon nestled somewhere in time! A horrible monster - no warnings, no signs!"

The main singer's voice quivered as if he were sipping poison. He was passionate, his brows knitted together, all while he drowned in the lyrics about a conniving liar. Perhaps he had gotten hurt, at one point.

Hailee was mesmerized. This was her first time going to an underground club. She preferred sinking into the sounds of crashing waves and sunbathing seagulls. She hardly considered herself a punk-rock enthusiast, but something about Wistful Red struck a chord in her.

"Kiyoshi is amazing!" Hailee cheered to her friend. Her mission tonight was to push Sabrina in his direction. She had different plans, though.

She was more interested in the lead singer. "Kiyoshi's alright," she responded. "But that lead singer's a hunk. But, I can see why you're interested in Kiyoshi, too."

"I told you, it's not like that!"

"They're about to finish! Let's go meet them!"

After Wistful Red finished their performance, the girls headed to the lounge area. Hailee's next goal was to get Kiyoshi alone, but it was hard when she was ogling the singer across from her.

"We heard a lot about you from Kiyoshi. The name's Darnell," the brunette began. He gestured to the threaded-haired man beside him. "That's Jasper." He then pointed at the black-haired man with his chin. "That over there is Jaxon. We call him Jaxx, though."

Jasper bobbed his head. "Nice ta meet ya."

Jaxx, despite his bad-boy image, was a bit on the shyer side. He glanced at the two women before swiftly averting this gaze. "H-Hi."

"It's nice to meet you all. You were all great tonight!" Sabrina laughed with her whole heart. "I'm Sabrina! The fish-out-of-water next to me is Hailee!"

"What's with you and your fish nicknames lately?" Hailee sighed.

"I like it..." Jaxx commented. He didn't have much else to say on the matter.

"Thanks for taking care of Kiyo." Darnell turned his attention to the multi-colored-haired man. "I was a little worried when he decided to go back to school. He's never fit in too well."

"I fit in fine." Kiyoshi clicked his tongue.

"With us, yeah, but you got in trouble with the cops last year when you--"

"Let's not talk about it."

"I take it the rest of you don't go to school?" Sabrina arched a brow.

"Actually, Jasper goes to Foxbury." Darnell grinned.

Jasper flicked his attention toward Sabrina. "Majoring in History. My dad was an archeologist. I wanna follow in his footsteps... Or something."

"That's so neat! For me, I..."

In the end, Hailee couldn't get Sabrina and Kiyoshi alone. Kiyoshi was supposed to get his bandmates to leave, but it seemed like they opted to stay so they could judge the girls. They were a band of brothers, and they didn't take kindly to outsiders.

Not only that but now Sabrina thought she had a thing for Kiyoshi. Things couldn't get worse.

← Previous || Beginning || Next →

[iamthecomet]

Hi Comet! Here's another headcanon question. The whole band share one tourbus because I say so.

Who is the main person responsible for the roadtrip playlists? Which ghoul is banned from adding songs to the queue and why is it Rain for adding "What's New Pussycat?" 25 times in a row? Is there a song that everyone sings along to? Any songs added ironically to a playlist that the band members end up liking un-ironically by the end of the tour?

-Ghoulette Anon

HI! Road trip music headcanons under the cut because I'm insane and I had thoughts.

Cirrus is the head playlist maker. She is almost too organized, and this leads to being very good at putting together very curated playlists. They tend to be a little predictable sometimes, but there are certain days when that's exactly what they all need. Her playlists are best for quiet off days when everyone is tired, or long night drives. Swiss is the other trusted playlist maker. He is less curated, a little more random. But is good at picking songs that everyone likes. His goal with all of his playlists is to keep the mood up. He wants to hype everyone up, keep everyone happy. His playlists are great for sing-a-longs on long travel days. Sunshine was banned from having her playlists played on the bus when it became clear that 60% of them were comedy bands, or weird mixes of songs together (think Neil Cicierega) and while sometimes that's a great vibe at the Abbey, it's a little grating on tour. Rain is absolutely banned from adding songs to the queue. He is not allowed to be in control of the music at all. He's too unhinged, and known for, yes, playing the same song on repeat. He also has no sense of what songs should come after what. He thinks it's perfectly acceptable to put Cattle Decapitation on directly after The Spice Girls. He doesn't understand what everyone's problem is. Mountain is only allowed to play music late at night. He has a penchant for classical and folk songs and singer-songwriter stuff. everyone else is fine with that, but not when they're trying to get hyped up for a show. There are only so many sea shanties they can all take before someone is throwing something at Mountain and physically wrestling control of the music away from him. Aether's the classic rock guy. Loves his 70s and 80s rock. Especially punk. He is allowed to have control of the music during long days, but only until he starts playing the obscure stuff. Everyone is on board when he's playing The Clash and Black Sabbath and Van Halen, but as soon as he starts breaking out some punk band from London that only ever played one show he's cut off. Cumulus plays a lot of shoegaze. indie. early emo (Cursive is one of her favorites). She likes her music a little dreamy a little moody. Also a great choice for when they're driving through the night. But like Aether, when things start to get too obscure and weird someone has to cut her off. Dew is, weirdly, the best at manning the queue. When they've gotten sick of the playlists and everyone else has exhausted their permissions Dew is really good at finding the vibe and working with it. He knows a lot of music. And, while, if you caught him listening to k-pop back at the Abbey he would deny it until his last breath, he doesn't have shame about playing his guilty pleasure music for the rest of the band as long as it helps keep the peace. If asked about it, he'll say he knows it for this specific reason. No no, he's not mouthing the words, you're insane. Copia is really into early rock. Buddy Holly. The Beach Boys. The Monkees, all of that kind of stuff. He is also, inexplicably VERY into disco. If they don't listen to Abba's entire discography at least once during the tour he gets sad. Guaranteed full party sing-a-long songs? - I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys - Take On Me - A Ha -Dancing Queen - Abba -Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen -Literally anything by Lady Gaga. I think there are A LOT of songs that get played while they're queuing music that get a lot of eye rolls at first or are played for the laugh, that they end up falling in love with by the end of the tour. Something about singing a song with people you love can make even the most cringe songs loveable. I also think that some of Sunshine's "weird joke" songs start to grow on them (turns out everyone loves Ninja Sex Party by the end of the tour).

[alecscudder1987]

tagged by @discoidal to do 15 questions, 15 mutuals!

were you named after anyone? i named myself. james you might know him from the giant peach or perhaps the mauraders alternatively the middle name of my middle school crush. you decide

when was the last time you cried? like 2 days ago over a guy. tbh i cry more than i used to but it is sooooo embarassing and evil i try not to. terrible habit to fall into

do you have kids? NOPE terrified to be at an age that this is a valid question tbh

do you use sarcasm a lot? yah but not on purpose. its the autism

what's the first thing you notice about people? personal style bonus points if they're wearing a lot of layers and mismatching shit. also people's hair :)

what's your eye color? like. blue grey i guess. sorta like ocean under fog it kinda changes look depending on what im wearing lmao

any special talents? i can crack eggs without getting any shell in them ever

scary movies or happy endings? yes

where were you born? california baby

what are your hobbies? drawing, playing music, singing, any kind of craft i can get my hands on, really

have any pets? 2 of the goofiest and specialist cats in the entire universe. i am a 6 on the kinsey cat person scale

what sport do you play/have you played? i was on swim teams for like 6 years and i was a non competative dancer for like 14 non consecutive years

how tall are you? 5'6" but in my heart i'm 5'3" because most of my friends are >5'10"

favorite subject in school? english or art :) i liked chemistry and stats but they were just a lot more effort lol

dream job? artist and author!!!!!!!! forever and ever and ever i want to do art and have people see it and be moved by it. Alternatively i want to be the lead singer of an insanely famous homoerotic faggotty punk/rock/indie/alternative band and tour the entire world 1000000 times we'll see how that one woeks out.

tagging y'all, feel free to pariticpate or not it's all chill w me:

@give-her-my-regards @queerhouseplant @macbethapologist @fellshish @kellyscabin @guac-with-style @alwayscomewhenyoucall @constantbellpepper @patronsaintofgirls @scorpiontattoo @rivermp3 @nuclear-cowboy @doublemegative @sevdrag @beachboysnatural

[sheepslicker]

behold: Viper (bottom) and Piper (top). they're a t4t performing duo who are the lead singers in their indie punk band

so within the Jellybeans universe, female dragons grow horns while males don't. dragon top surgery (horn removal/horn implants) is expensive, so viper said fuck it and sawed his off and gave them to his girlfriend to wear

viper is loosely based off a bush viper and piper off ghost pipes

also this was a quick sketch that got out of hand pay no attention to the guitar

[punk-raphaelite]

saw ur music post… i’m a big lyrics girl but also enjoy a higher energy song, any heartbreaking bops to share?

I am so sorry this took me 5 months to answer.

Heartbreaking songs? One of my favourites that I was just thinking about today is left and leaving by the Weakerthans. Theres so many great lines in that song, but for me what makes it extra special is knowing that the songwriter is talking about my city.

We're not a big city, and while we have a great punk scene - which I love - its not really a genre known for its lyricism (though the local concerts are killer). So to have a band whose lyrics I love so much, and hit that aughties, public indie radio, middle school nostalgia factor AND they're from my city? And the singer has the same complicated feelings about this place that I do? I can't beat that.

My favourite line comes right before the refrain at the end of the song: "I wait in 4/4 time, count yellow highway lines, that you're relying on to lead you home"

Its not really a bop, but some heartbreaking but more high-energy songs that I play on repeat are probably Someone Else by the Greeting Commitee, or Vampire Empire by Big Theif. Ooh or Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Soundsystem, that's a great scream your lungs out song

[mylandlockedblues]

Top Five New Albums of 2022

My personal ranking that nobody asked for

Ants From Up There- Black Country, New Road

A genre-defining and experimental amalgamation of elements of post-rock, post-punk, indie, pop, and elements of jazz, this album is as stunning as it is complex. Complete with its emotional yet still humorous lyrics delivered in Isaac Wood's unique style, every song on this album will give you chills

Best Track: Basketball Shoes

2. Skinty Fia- Fontaines D.C.

Gloomy Irish post-punk that is both lyrically dense and some of the best atmospheric music for a rainy day. Fontaines D.C. is such an incredible band and I skipped my senior prom to see them live (definitely worth it).

Best Track: I Love You

3. God's Country- Chat Pile

As someone who is generally more into hardcore/post hardcore, rock, and screamo than metal, God's Country makes me think I haven't given the genre a fair shot. This is the first album from the Oklahoma sludge metal band, and I am already obsessed and I can't wait to hear more from them. This would have easily been my favorite album of the year if BCNR and Fontaines D.C. hadn't put out such fantastic records.

Best Track: grimace_smoking_weed.jpg

4. Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky- Porridge Radio

I feel a very personal connection to this album, because it somehow suits navigating the confusion and change of your late teens and early twenties. It is expertly performed indie pop, and I am absolutely in love with Dana Margolin's voice.

Best Tracks: Back To The Radio, Birthday Party

5. Labyrinthitis- Destroyer

I cannot overstate how talented Destroyer is. Every single one of their albums is worth listening to, and Labyrinthitis is no exception. The best way I can describe lead singer Dan Bejar is the reincarnation of T.S. Eliot or some other brilliant poet, paired with an unmatched ear for music.

Best Track: Tintoretto, It's For You

Honorable Mentions:

-Lights For Attracting Attention- The Smile

pseudo-Radiohead album, absolutely brilliant and I hope Thom Yorke keep releasing albums under this project

-Versions Of Modern Performance- Horsegirl

first album from this Sonic Youth-inspired post-punk outfit from Chicago. they are incredibly talented and I feel like the have the potential to make it big.

-Midnights- Taylor Swift

I'm a huge Swifty and there was no way I was gonna forget to include her new album on this ranking. I'm not as critical as some of this album, and I do really like it, but I agree that it isn't her best stuff.

-Asphalt Meadows- Death Cab For Cutie

Actually such an underrated album and I'm surprised I haven't heard more about it. Personally I think they're still going strong as a band and I think they've got the potential for some big hits.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Walt Disco Interview: The Truest Picture

Photo by Izzy Leach

BY JORDAN MAINZER

They're growing as a band--sure--but they're also simply able to reveal more of themselves. Glasgow post-punk quintet Walt Disco broke out in 2022 with their debut album Unlearning, a stellar, concise collection of indie rock songs that was stitched together over the Internet during pandemic-era lockdowns. Listening to sophomore album The Warping, out Friday via Lucky Number, at first, you wonder what Unlearning might have sounded like had the band members been able to collaborate in the same room. Then again, Walt Disco has proved to impress due to their clear ability to create something big with constraints, and now, deliver something cohesive with a plethora of options at their fingertips. For The Warping, the band had pre-album recording sessions with Lucas Polo (at the studio of none other than Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music), co-produced the album with Chris McCrory, got Vale Studio's Chris D'Adda to engineer, and collaborated with string and horn players to flesh out already existing arrangements. The result is, well, whatever the opposite of a sophomore slump is, a hard-to-avoid pitfall when your debut already a clear artistic voice. Instead, Walt Disco have provided the glam rock record of the year.

Of course, Walt Disco didn't choose such an aesthetic just because it sounded cool: They needed something to match the grandiosity and gamut of emotions The Warping's songs exude. Lead vocalist Jocelyn Si sings about getting older and gaining self-confidence, often in the context of gender dysphoria they've felt throughout their life. Fittingly, the title track represents the greatest encapsulation of the album's themes and aesthetic, Si delivering bits of stark truth atop high-pitched synth whirrs, textured piano and acoustic guitar, cinematic strings, and staccato percussion reminiscent of Roxy Music and The Psychedelic Furs. Namesake single "Jocelyn" imagines a conversation between singer and mother, a gently galloping song with electric picking, thudding drums, fluttering woodwinds, and slide guitar, Si looking at themselves from what feels like an outside perspective on lines like, "Her name was Jocelyn / She had a worried grin / A mole upon her chin," but ultimately inhabiting their true self. Their ruminations on identity carve other paths, too. Nursery rhyme-inspired "Black Chocolate" tackles the warm parts of family, connecting over food, simplicity that nonetheless wields seemingly infinite emotional power, represented by the song's fast strings, atonal horns, electric synth lines, and huge programmed drum beat.

Much of The Warping is about change, both tangible and in the past, and inevitable and in the future, and not just from Si's perspective. "Weeping Willow" was inspired by the amicable departure of a founding member of the band; its swayed acoustic guitar strum and synth melody answers the question, "If a weeping willow made music, what would it sound like?" "I Will Travel" is a tearjerker for anybody that's lost a pet when Si sings about their family dog, "I will be there at the end of your days and remind you that our deaths are the same." Closer "Before The Walls" is a spiritual sibling to "Jocelyn", Si detailing the imagined last shared words between themselves and their parents. Their vocal vibrato is like its own instrument, chopped and shaky alongside flutes, thumping and thwacking echoed percussion, and woozy strings, the volatility of time incarnate. And "Pearl", penned by drummer Jack Martin and released first as a standalone single before The Warping was even announced, is perhaps most effective in context of the record. Here, Martin imagines himself living alone in Glasgow, "holding onto no one for the long rides," an old-school song rife with lush strings and pop chops, Lewis Carmichael's unexpected slide guitar adding a feeling of seriously expansive solitude. Whether or not these moments of loss have happened or will happen doesn't matter so much as Walt Disco's confronting of all possibilities head-on, again able to survive and thrive amidst the curtailments of life.

The band answered some questions over email about The Warping, including how some of the songs started, the cover art, and playing them live, as well as about their general influences and what art they've been digging lately. Read their responses below, edited for length and clarity.

Photo by Izzy Leach

SILY: Your debut album was put together electronically out of necessity due to being recorded over lockdowns. In contrast, The Warping has all analog instrumentation and features a wide array of live orchestration. Do you think The Warping is a more exemplary presentation of Walt Disco as a band?

Walt Disco: The Warping feels like more of a summation of everyone in the band. We couldn't all be together for most of the making of Unlearning, but here, everyone got to dig their hooks in and throw in a good piece of themselves. It feels like the truest picture of Walt Disco that's come out yet. All of us individually have a varied music taste, loads of different things make us all tick, and this album is a real coming together of all of our tastes and habits.

SILY: Did the lyrics or the music come first on this album?

WD: On a song to song basis, it varies, but mostly it feels as though we were starting from a musical jumping off point and creating the narrative from there. "Pearl" came from its piano part, "The Captain" came from the guitar riff, "Jocelyn" from the bass part. We even had the vocal melody for "Gnomes" figured out before the lyrics were put together. Songs come around in a multitude of different ways. Lyrics are very important to us, and these songs cover a range of subjects we wanted very much to address. We feel the music and lyrics go hand in hand quite deeply on this album.

SILY: Did you collaborate with the players themselves in coming up with the string and horn instrumentation?

WD: We had many of the orchestral elements arranged from the demoing phase. The rest were put together in collaboration with Krayg Miqman, who added arrangements, wrote out the scores, and primarily instructed the players while we were in the studio. The players were given freedom in the studio to interpret a lot of parts for themselves and try things out. They all did a magnificent job and added a lot to these songs with their performances.

SILY: Was there something about the singles released so far that you think made them representative of the album as a whole?

WD: With these singles, we wanted to achieve the same thing we want the album as a whole to achieve, and that's to slightly alter people's perception of the band. We'd never released a song that was anything like "Pearl" before, or "Jocelyn". We weren't exactly known for these kinds of meditative and patient arrangements. Yet, this is something we love in a lot of music, and [we] wanted to present it as something that we're capable of in addition to being maximalist. That's the spirit of the sound of this album, showing people more of what we're capable of.

The Warping album art by Lulu Lin

SILY: What's the story behind the album's cover art?

WD: We discovered the artwork of Lulu Lin while we were in pre-production for recording the album. Our co-producer, Chris McCrory, had one of her pieces saved to his desktop, and it caught our eye. We then looked at the rest of her work online and fell totally in love with her style. The figures she creates seemed to gel perfectly with the narrative and vibe of the album. At that time, she hadn't worked with many bands before, but she took our brief and did something magical. We're very grateful to have come across her.

SILY: Have you performed these songs live? How do you adapt to the live stage an album with such a huge aesthetic and so many players?

WD: With keyboards and synths, there's many ways to recreate organic sounds. We also have a Mel 9 pedal which allows our guitarist to play string and flute samples. There's some backing track to fill in the gaps, but we don't rely on it for most songs. It's always a fun challenge to reinterpret recordings for live shows, it was a lot easier to do with this album than our last.

SILY: Jocelyn, who are some of your favorite vocalists? Are there any that particularly influenced you when developing your singing voice?

JS: Paul Buchanan, Scott Walker, Kate Bush, Linda Ronstadt, and Beverly Glenn-Copeland are vocalists that I love and think are very talented. I think what I'm attracted to most with vocalists is drama, emotion, creativity, and individuality. All my favorite vocalists, those I've named, and others I'm often compared to like Bowie and Billy Mackenzie, all use their voice in a range of ways and use their voices to push the emotion of a song to its furthest point. This is what I try and do, too.

SILY: Jocelyn narrated a short film about queer identity, Christopher at Sea, and the band participated in a Louboutin campaign that challenged the gender binary in clothes. How important is it for the band to explore similar themes to those present in your music, in artistic mediums other than music?

WD: Music has always gone hand in hand with most other forms of media. We see the visuals we make as a way to enhance our world and to create more art in its own right, not just to serve the songs. We want to give that element the care it deserves in the same way we do with our music.

SILY: What are your favorite cities to play in?

WD: London is always a great show. Amsterdam is a favorite, too--lovely people and very polite crowds. We recently had an unreal show in Paris. We've had some great times in Austin, Texas in the past. We're excited to be revisiting all these places on tour this year!

SILY: Is there anything you've been watching, reading, or listening to lately that's caught your attention?

WD: The new Fallout series is incredible. Jocelyn watched Billy Elliott for the first time. It was really good. Jack has been enjoying the drumless edition of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories; the way they build layers of groove even without drums present is unbelievably impressive.

[thescoutgaymer]

sorry but by answering the ska ask you've activated the skatism (ska autism). so here's what you're gonna do (imagine I said that in mike ehrmantraut voice. like from breaking bad)

i'm more of a ska punk enthusiast (punk rock and ska) so that's what I'll recommend. as two songs very representative of the genre as a whole, you should listen to Superman by Goldfinger, and The Impression That I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. their other songs are very good as well, but these songs are just widely well-known.

two other popular ska punk bands that I like are Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake, though I've listened to more of the latter than I have the former, both are very good.

lastly, if you want recs that are more indie, then two lesser known ska punk bands are Streetlight Manifesto and Flying Raccoon Suit. some people say that SM isn't technically ska- the band's lead singer says so, but it has enough ska influence to it that I think it's worthy to mention. they're by far my favorite band. ive also been getting really into FRS's stuff lately, very catchy tunes.

of course you don't have to listen to it, but it's very skater-culture music so it defo sounds like something you'd like. skanon (ska anon) out

Dw 'bout it 🙏

I'ma add all these songs to a playlist and I'll update ya if I listen to them 👍

Thanks skanon! :D

[patrickjonesblog]

Best of New Colossus 2024

I'm currently recovering from a busy New Colossus Festival and a few folk have asked for rundown of my faves, so here you go.

First of all, this years fest was my absolute favorite and it was great to see so many packed venues appreciating the music. I've been every year to this festival, I love it and long may it continue.

If you don't know what it's all about it's similar to SXSW, or Iceland Airwaves, or a personal favorite of mine back home - The Great Escape in Brighton. Tons of small venues showcasing new and upcoming bands. New Colossus leans towards indie, rock and shoegaze, but there's a smattering of other genres too all in the best small venues in the Lower East Side, NYC.

Here's what I enjoyed the most:

Cucamaras

Possibly the festival highlight for me. Nottingham band taking influences from early Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines DC, Yard Act. As with a lot of these new bands their Spotify list doesn't really do them justice, you have to see them live.

NOBRO

Definitely the most fun set of the week. 4 piece canadian all female punk band, with sing-a-long choruses, crowd surfing and smiles galore. My fave chant: EAT! SLAY! CHARDONNAY!

Reme

Half spanish, half english classic rock, super talented musicians. Sleeves proudly adorned by all their influences, Beatles, Bowie, Queen, Elton John all come through, another fantastic live band.

Scrounge

Two piece, reverse White Stripes formation. Killer riffs and angry vocals. This is an instant classic. Formidable live.

Langkamer

Bristol lads with a drummer / singer. Sound like Pavement, Belle & Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub. Full of catchy melodies and fun lyrics.

O.Wake

I broke my no local band rule for O.Wake, as they play regularly in NYC along with my other local faves Mary Shelley and TVOD. But Im glad I did. They're a little hard to pigeonhole, the new single is quite funky phoenix style indie, great lyrics and songs that veer in all sorts of directions but usually with a great hook.

Slash Need

Certainly won't be a lot of peoples cup of tea, but if they're on a festival you're at this year - GO SEE THEM. Musically they're dark electronica, I would imagine Peaches is a big influence and if you know the belgian dance band GOOSE similar sounding to them. Visually, it's a feast, lead by a fierce lead singer, heavy beats and two gimp-like dancers that get uncomfortably close.

Hotel Mira

Probably the most primed for a main stream audience out of all this list. Radio friendly indie-pop with a very enigmatic lead singer but you can't deny they got tunes and they're good fun live.

Minas

The most intense set of the week. Difficult to categorize again, nearest I can think of is The Prodigy. Welsh rap / industrial noise / metal?? I honestly don't know, but they put on a helluva show. Two of the best heckles came out of this set, 1. "MORE YELLING PLEASE" after a particularly shouty track and 2. "Are YOU OK?" a response to the singer asking us if we're OK after a track which had him pounding the floor and screaming. Terrifying, but super interesting.

Holiday Ghosts

Perhaps the polar opposite to Minas, bright sunny indie, chock full of tunes from Brighton / Falmouth. Hints of a milder Sleater Kinney.

I've done a spotify playlist with these and a few more artists I liked the sound of but didn't get round to watching so check it out .

While I have you my general 2024 new music playlist is taking shape, so give that a follow too and I'll continue to add to it.

[freakshowtwopointoh]

changed to limoreau. sorta like scott pilgrim but not.

Marie is a music theater mechanical engineering double major. Jordan is in a grungy indie punk band with their friends. They accidentally book the same music room and begin helping each other. Marie helps Jordan sort an issue in the song they're writing, Jordan helps Marie deal with some engineering college logistics or something, and I'm thinking at a certain point, the band will ask marie to feature on a song because cate doesnt sing at all and jordan does not sing in their fem form in public ever. thats where the REAL ROMANCE BEGINS people. thinking the spring musical will be spring awakening or next to normal or something else edgy just because i like the idea of jordan overhearing marie singing something with curses or electric guitar or something and is like... i thought u were into musicals and marie is like... this is a musical. i thought u were educated.

vibes

yes powers but vought isnt bad.

Marie: Music theater mechanical engineer double major (i know someone who did this, shes a badass.)

Jordan: Mechanical Engineering Major, guitarist (also decided jordan is into cars in this one.)

Emma: Musical theater major w/ minor in dance, Marie's roommate

Luke: Music major, lead singer

Sam: Video Game Design major, graphic designer/cheerleader

Cate: Business major, manager/pianist

Andre: Business major, percussion

what i also like about this set up is the opportunities for drama

of course emma is in dance - her mom has strong dance mom vibes in the worst way.

not only does luke have the only music based major in the band which sets him up to be isolated from the others, but it also puts cate and andre in the same major to allow for shenanigans.

and then uve also got the tension of jordan being in engineering but not caring about anything but music and cars (i also know a person like this - he changed majors to film and then business, but in this case, jordan will push through of course, complaining all the way) it also means that their main friends are all in "softer"/"easier" majors which gives them a superiority complex and a chip on their shoulder

were going real punk for this band.

also dreaming up an au where reader is a musical theater major and jordan is an engineer in a grunge-rock band or something and they keep running into each other in the practice rooms.

[beybladegods]

AU where Takao is a Pop Idol and Kai is a Rock Star. They hate each other.

Takao is the lead of a boy band (think Japanese Idols, K-Pop groups, etc) made up of himself, Max and Rei. Their producer/manager is Mr. Dickinson and his assistant Kenny of BBA Records. They're best known for their pop and EDM. They are relatively new to the scene but their popularity exploded just 2 years after their debut, quickly becoming an international success.

Kai is the lead singer and guitarist of a punk-rock band he formed with his fellow delinquent friends Yuriy, Bryan and Sergei when they were 13-14. Their rise to fame has been slow but steady, topping indie charts and finally getting global attention. They've recently been getting attention from the head of Volkov Productions. It's a running joke within their fanbase that they keep fighting, breaking up, and getting back together with a new band name.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Modern Band AU Submission

ok i wrote this rlly fast so its super messy and theres not much,,, also like,,, i wrote this instead of studying for my exam so 😋 (AH and !! I DIDNT MEAN TO CALL U QUEEN HNNG im trying to use more gn lang but ahh i slipped up!! sorry if i made u uncomfy !!!) 

BAND 1 :

Main singer + guitarist: venti

Drummer: bennet ?? 

Bassist: mona (sometimes sings bc wahoo her eng va is so good) 

Keyboard: albedo

Guitarist 2: amber

they have like,,, indie pop vibes. (breakup shoes,,, bowling shoes,,, spilt milk society,,, boy pablo..., the happy fits

Band 2: 

guitarist + lead singer: xinyan

Bassist: xiao

keyboardist: fischl

Drums: beidou

GUITAR: keqing,,, (imagine regal keqing just like going ham on a guitar,,,, yes,,,mmmm) 

EMO pop-PUNK/roCk (my fight childe playlist basically),,, think thE ROYAL THEY,,, MCR ,,, K.FLAy,,, choke by idkhow,,, 2017 half•alive music,,, MOTHER MOTHER,,

Band 3:

Keyboard synthesizer: gANYU (replacing the bass)

main singer: BARBARA OWO

GuitariST: LUMINE

Drums: noelle ?? (KLEE-)

ok i can also see lumine sometimes singing too and in that case i think ganyu wld be guitarist whole barbs plays synthesizer,,,? 

im thinking like,,, soft love songs ??? like clairo,,, khai dreams,,, phum viphurit,,, frances forever.... girl in red but specifically her we fell in love in october song.. (lumine wld sing bad idea! or like kehlani ,,) (basically lesbian solidarity) ( personal hc that everyone in that grp is a lesbian yes) 

im here for the rivals to lovers xiaoven ,,,

ALSO ningguang hating loud noises but going to beidous + keqing’s performances cause she wants to see her gf and her junior perform owo

and none of the bands have names cause i cant think creatively HAH

I hAVE MORE iDEAS LIKE,,, BASSIST KAEYA,,, dRUMMER DILUC ??? NINgguang and zhongli r in a classical chinese music band,,,, 

ok ANW THANKS FOR FEEDING MY LITTOL BRAINROT HNNGG ITS NOT VERY GOOD SORRY :((( !!!! 

- Crocus ❤️💞💕

NONONO IS SO CUTE AND UNORTHODOX, WHICH MAKES IT REALLY COOL AND REFRESHING!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING, AND I REALLY WANNA SODBDKSKSOS

Let's do band name suggestions!!

1: DRMRS!

2: FADE/Fade to Black

3: (They're all lesbians lmaosbssnsjs) Crossandra (the flower!)

I love it, it's so cute please

[rainydawgradioblog]

Husky Jam Spring Thing: Lineup Run-Down

April 19, 2022 was a night for the books! The second Husky Jam was a blast, with a hefty lineup of six student bands. Let's dive in to the performers of the night.

Gender Envy: They're here, they're queer, and they're ready to rock

Gender Envy, a queercore/riot grrrl band started the show with a cover of "Celebrity Skin" by Hole, a fun opener that helped set the tune for the rest of the night. While the star of the show is undoubtedly frontperson Cassidy, drummer Archie had an entire fan section, complete with a fan poster from UW club 'MESH', cheering for him at the end of the set. The two guitarists, Lily and Sam, were both skilled instrumentalists, but bassist Cam, showed their skill by playing the trumpet for a soulful song halfway through the set. This band works as a cohesive unit, a special thing in the punk world, similar to the early work of Tribe 8.

Find them @ genderenvyband69 on instagram

Close Encounters: Havin' fun in Area 51

This band was endearing, and a fun time. Lead guitarist Anton is one to watch, opening their cover of "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by using a mug to play the opening solo. Front woman Jacque has a singing voice meant to be in rock n' roll, which was showcased best in the band's original songs. Backup guitar Isiah and bassist Alex had their standout moments too, but event organizer and drummer Warren had the best performance of the night. I'm mostly just bitter that there wasn't any alien-related songs, but I was satisfied with the lemonade they made with my lemons.

Find them @ close.encounters on instagram

Moonlight Marmalade: Light, citrusy, fresh, and glacé

While not too much information is available on this group, Moonlight Marmalade was my favorite band of the night. They're a fusion of Weezer, jazz cords with a Japanese influence (their words, not mine) with a sound bleeding with passion. Their cover of "Ripped my Pants" (from Spongebob) was the highlight of the entire show, with a room full of college students yelling along. Their original lyrics were where the Weezer influence was highlighted the most, with songs about California beaches, sung in harmony. If they establish a larger social media presence, these guys could be the next big UW student band.

Find them @ moonlight.marmalade.official on Instagram

Ponzi: Getting scammed never sounded so good

In case the name didn't tip you off, this band is dripping with a bitingly satirical gimmick, like a modern Seattle spin on Dead Kennedys. Several times throughout the performance they thanked/threatened people they 'hired' to attend, a gimmick that got a chuckle out of me and the rest of the audience every time. Drummer Lucas did a great job of elevating the performances of his bandmates, who each sang a song or two. While all three vocalists were amazing, they each brought something different to their performances. Starting off was guitarist Roger, whose vocals were good, but not quite standout, when contrasted with his bandmates. The most skillful vocalist was the other guitarist Liv, who had a crooning voice. But bassist Oleander, who had the charisma and conviction of the best punk singers out there really shined that night. They also played the bass like a machine gun, high on their chest and ready to kick ass.

Find them @ ponzi_official on instagram

Aurora Ave: On the corner of beach and indie pop

I don't feel like I was really the target audience of this band, but I understand the appeal. If you've ever listened to the Spotify playlist Lorem, you'll probably like their sound. While they aren't doing anything too new or original with indie pop, they sound wonderful, like a sunny beach, and can certainly please the young adult crowd. There was a lot of excitement and love for this group, and I hope they can try to get a bit more unique in their styling.

Find them @ aurora.ave.the.band on instagram

All of Our Cornbread: Sweet and full of flavor

Named after frontman Oliver Norred (say both quickly in succession for a tongue-twister), this band is messy, in all the right ways. Oliver's range is the real star of the show, loose and unhinged, backed up with a perfect amount of funk/jazz. I can't really think of any soundalike to be honest, maybe if Weird Al and Pee Wee Herman's child sang a They Might Be Giants song, through a malfunctioning voice modifier, but that doesn't do this guy justice. Seriously, he's like a roadside attraction. The songs weren't anything too interesting, lyrically speaking, but honestly that didn't really matter, Oliver could sing the entirety of War and Peace over the band's instrumental stylings, and it would still be entertaining.

Find them @ allofourcornbread on instagram

That's all for the Husky Jam Spring Thing! Founders/event organizers Kensho and Warren have announced a two day UW music festival titled "Woofstock" coming sometime in 2022, so follow @ uwhuskyjam on instagram to keep up to date with any future events of theirs.

-Sommer Holloway (she/her)