Weekly Roundup
IH8EVERY1 - Sarah Barrios
Catchy chorus? Check. Subverted fairytales? Check. All the attitude of Hayley Williams and Avril Lavigne combined? Check. Sarah Barrios’ latest bubblegum punk single has it all. It covers a relatable theme – our local punk is forced to recognise that they might in fact have *feelings* for someone. To keep their edgy image intact, they boldly proclaim ‘I hate everyone but you!’. Romantic, right? In less than two years, Barrios has released a handful of EPs and already racked up over 400’000 listeners on Spotify. If this new single is anything to go by, she’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
Uh Oh - Neoni
Turn the lights down low and fall in love with the Neoni sisters’ bass-heavy brand of electro pop. This song’s blunt hook screams ‘uh oh, you’re just like the rest of us!’ and is targeted towards influencers and celebrities that look down on us normal people. Neoni have had enough with money or beauty somehow determining a person’s value, and these lyrics are certainly written to take some celebs down a peg or two.
Delusional - Garrett Kato
As we move towards the end of coronavirus lockdowns, Garrett Kato explores one of the pandemic’s less visible outcomes. The lyrics are from the perspective of someone doubting what is real because of their overexposure to media – ‘what I feel, is it real? / I can’t say’. The song was released alongside an artistic music video that combines 2D animation with futuristic glitches. In July, Kato will release his newest EP Kumamoto; its title is drawn from his Canadian-Japanese heritage.
Finnish songstress Petra Jasmiina is here to take her listeners away to a folklore-inspired dreamscape. She wants the song to speak other artists and creatives and inspire them to ‘step out of the shadows’ and escape ‘crushing realism’. ‘Naïve’ has timeless melodies but modern pop flourishes, making it an accessible but truly original track.
Sentimental - Down for Tomorrow
Your new earworm is courtesy of Australian punk band Down for Tomorrow. The classic melodies are supported by a foundation of chugging bass and guitar, as the song progresses to a grungy breakdown. ‘Sentimental’ is a bonafide festival crowd-pleaser – catchy enough to scream along to, but heavy enough to get people
Pacific are on a mission to make the piano cool again. This British alternative band are endorsed by BBC Radio 1, Apple Music and even Manchester United’s own pre-match playlist. ‘Spiral’, their third single of 2021, brings all of the bombastic arena-scale ambition of their previous releases along with some flawless production. It’s a winning formula and is sure to lead to even more success for these Manchester lads.
Do U Follow Me? - Halfloves
‘Do U Follow Me?’ started life as a bassline back in 2016 so it’s only fitting that the infectious funk riff opens this track. Halfloves were inspired by the 2020 resurgence of Black Lives Matter to write a song about social media activism and whether it could be doing more harm than good. The band may be from Iowa but they have that British indie/alt sound down perfectly (think Two Door Cinema Club and Franz Ferdinand). This is their first single since their second album Dazer was released in 2019.
Scapegoat — Mud Whale
Are you a young person fed up of boomers blaming you for everything that’s wrong in the world? Then boy, do Mud Whale have the song for you! This slice of melodic hardcore points out the unfairness of ‘clickbait news articles’ that pit generations against each other. Drawing inspiration from bands like Touché Amoré and Basement, this upcoming Ohio band are looking to set the scene on fire. ‘Scapegoat’ was released ahead of their debut album Everything in Moderation, out on August 3rd.
The year is 1999 and the apocalypse is nigh… or at least that’s what this highschooler thinks. Nate Noworyta (AKA Darth Nater) tells the story of a teenager preparing (and hoping) for armageddon. Because let’s face it, the end of the world means no more bullies or homework! The combination of endearing tongue-in-cheek lyrics and folk-punk guitars make this song impossible not to like.
Listen to all the Weekly Roundup songs on our playlist here.
Review by Eleanor Taylor
