SONGS WE LOVED! 26-31 August 2024
As summer 2024 fades into memory, we’re closing out the season with one last blast of musical dynamite. In this final edition of SONGS WE LOVED!, we’re cranking up the volume on an eclectic mix of the best song releases that span the sonic spectrum.
Featuring Karen Jonas, Federale, ACROBVT, Brackish, The Bard Band, Massive Nightmares, María Mazote, Helegardh, The Subtheory, The Giraffes, and Mayday 13.
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Karen Jonas - Shake Bump and Grind Show
Karen Jonas is back with her seventh album, The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch, and it’s a wild ride through vintage vibes and modern insights.
Taken from the album, Shake Bump and Grind Show is a lush storytelling masterclass—Jonas' commanding vocal delivery flows flawlessly with the song’s lively instrumentation, while thematically, she brings Elvis’s stage persona to life
Energetic and unapologetically vivid, this track embodies the rebellious spirit of mid-century American culture, showing off Jonas's knack for blending sharp commentary with infectious grooves and proving she is a force to be reckoned with in the Americana scene.
Listen to the full album here
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Federale - The Worst Thing I Ever Did Was Ever Loving You feat. Jenny Don't
Federale's The Worst Thing I Ever Did Was Ever Loving You is a full-throttle dive into a world of cinematic despair, drenched in the kind of darkness that makes you want to throw on a leather jacket and ride into the night.
The song is the perfect marriage of spaghetti western drama and noir-soaked heartbreak, delivering a sonic punch that’s as moody as it is enchanting. With its brooding lyrics and majestic melodies, Collin Hegna and Jenny Don’t craft a soundscape that’s both epic and intimate, pulling you into a twisted love story that feels like it could have been ripped straight from a Tarantino flick—their deep, aching vocals delivering a heart-wrenching tale of love gone horribly wrong,
Do yourself a favor and dive headfirst into Federale's entire album Reverb & Seduction and soak up the magic of their unique sound.
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ACROBVT - Can't Put You Down
ACROBVT’s Can’t Put You Down is a magnetic anthem that struts with the swagger of a band that knows exactly what it wants—pure, unadulterated desire wrapped in a slinky, irresistible groove. The song pulses with the energy of obsession, blending sleek pop-rock hooks with a raw alt-rock edge that keeps you hooked from the first note.
Ben Edwards' vocals glide over the lush instrumentation, conjuring a seductive tension that feels like the musical embodiment of temptation itself. The collaboration with Mikey Demus of Skindred and James Loughrey on production is a masterstroke, seamlessly merging gritty rock textures with polished pop finesse, delivering a sound that’s as infectious as it is powerful.
If Neon put them on the map, Can’t Put You Down stakes their claim as a force to be reckoned with in the alt-rock-pop scene.
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Brackish - Lay Down
Brackish’s Lay Down is an explosive opener for their forthcoming EP, Rear View. This Philadelphia emo-punk quartet dives headfirst into raw, unfiltered emotion, and Lay Down hits hard with soaring vocals and anthemic choruses that echo the best of the genre.
Recorded by drummer Zach Miller at Landmine Studios, the track is a powerful showcase of Brackish's growth, blending poignant lyricism with a sonic intensity that hits like a freight train.
Mark your calendars for the full Rear View EP dropping on September 27th, 2024—this is a ride you won’t want to miss!
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The Bard Band - Angels Got His Back
Get ready to be moved and groove—Angels Got His Back is pure, unadulterated magic. This soulful masterpiece strides into the realm of "New Classic Rock," blending grooves, emotion, and a touch of divine magic. The Montclair-based outfit delivers a track that’s utterly soul-stirring, with its rich, soulful rock sound and a groovy spirit that will leave you entranced.
The song is a beautiful homage to love, loss, and the enduring hope that shines through even the darkest times, demonstrating Bard’s talent to channel profound themes into musical gold.
Produced by the seasoned Ray Ketchem, Jamie Pagliaro's evocative vocals paint vivid imagery of a child embraced by celestial guardians transforming Vachel Lindsay’s poem 'In Memory of a Child' into a soaring anthem of light and positivity.
Be sure to keep an ear out for their debut album, dropping on October 4th.
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Massive Nightmares - Back to the Beach
Massive Nightmares' Back to the Beach hits like a shot of adrenaline, delivering the high-octane energy you've been craving.
This Massachusetts quartet kicks indie-punk into overdrive with a track brimming with fuzzed-out guitars and infectious hooks.
From the get-go, Back to the Beach blasts you with its nostalgic blend of 2000s punk and 80s indie grit, reminding us all why we fell in love with punk rock
Don't miss their self-titled debut EP, dropping September 6th—this track is just the beginning of what promises to be an exhilarating ride.
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María Mazote - Entre Fantasmas feat. Germain De La Fuente
This is nothing short of magnificent.
María Mazote—one of Chile's breakout pop-rock bands of 2023—delivers with Entre Fantasmas, a stunning blend of classic Latin American soul and contemporary Chilean rock. Featuring the legendary Germaín de la Fuente of Los Ángeles Negros, the song elevates their already potent sound to epic proportions.
The music video, directed by Álvaro Muñoz, features stunning visuals and a captivating performance by Milena Bralic, with every shot dripping in intensity and dark beauty.
If you’re not playing this on repeat, you’re missing one of the year's most powerful tracks.
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Helegardh - The World
Helegardh’s The World is a symphonic metal tour de force—a powerful, beautifully orchestrated wake-up call for humanity. The Chilean band has crafted an anthem that’s as profound in its message as it is in its musical execution, delivering a fierce indictment of the world’s woes wrapped in a dark, grandiose metal package.
From the very first notes, the band immerses you in a storm of orchestral splendor and crushing riffs. Ricardo Camacho’s powerhouse vocals cut through a backdrop of thunderous drums and searing guitars, channeling the fury and despair of a planet on the brink, with lyrics that penetrate deep into humanity's failings.
Helegardh is here to make sure you don’t just listen, but that you feel every note, every word, deep in your core. Miss this, and you’re missing out on one of the most significant metal releases of the year.
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The Subtheory - Crown of Thorns
The Subtheory’s Crown of Thorns is an otherworldly dive into downtempo trip-hop that hits all the right notes. Cate DeBu’s ethereal vocals guide you through a lyrical exploration of personal boundaries and the unspoken tensions that define our connections with others.
It’s a song that lures you into its shadowy depths while exploring the fragility of existence with a quiet, almost eerie strength.
Immerse yourself fully in their melancholic cosmos with their full album.
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The Giraffes - The Shot
The Giraffes' The Shot is a blistering sonic jolt that digs deep into the psyche of Gen X. Taken from their upcoming album Cigarette, the song melds hypnotic rock with psychedelic surf vibes, blending shadowy undertones with euphoric highs.
It's a declaration of musical rebellion, offering a scathing critique of Gen X’s struggle against the suffocating expectations set by the Baby Boomer generation while embracing its own chaotic brilliance.
Aaron Lazar’s gritty vocals lead the charge, delivering an unfiltered take on existential disillusionment and the struggle to define oneself in a world still bound by outdated rules.
With their new album Cigarette on the horizon, The Giraffes have delivered a powerful taste of what’s to come. And we can't wait.
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Mayday 13 - This Pulse
Mayday 13— the solo project of Brian Hadley—delivers a fiery jolt of pure adrenaline with This Pulse, a track that channels the invigorating spirit of classic rock reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's iconic vocals.
With a pulse-pounding rhythm and a vibrant energy that could light up a stadium, the song’s powerful anthem-like quality embodies everything that makes rock music exhilarating: passion, intensity, and an irresistible urge to move.
So, crank up the volume and treat your ears to the full album Cryptograms right here.
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About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@kinkl.com
