1. A Day To Remember, “Bad Vibrations”Metalcore titans rise from the depths for another massive record release. Surviving the burst of the metalcore bubble in the late 2000s, A Day To Remember has continued to deliver driving guitar in the trademark mix of harsh screaming and melodic harmonies and heavy-as-hell breakdowns for years. “Bad Vibrations” only serves to cement that reputation.
2. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, “Commandments According to SCAC”Alt-country is a descriptor that gets thrown around fairly regularly. If you don’t want people thinking your group is some of that Kenny Chesney radio tripe, you call it alt-country. Slim Cessna has been rocking that genre tag for almost 25 years, bringing apocalyptic imagery, janky-sounding keyboards and organs, and a level of atmosphere that most country musicians would scoff at.
3. Angel Olsen, “My Woman”Some know her as the backup and touring vocalist of Bonnie “Prince” Billy, but this indie folkster is much more than a member of a band. She plays the ethereal kind of folk that labels like JagJaguwar and SubPop have been fostering for a while now.
4. Eluvium, “False Readings On…”Imagine drifting in space, cold and alone, when you see a structure in the distance. As you reach out to touch it, a single spark springs from one of its many edges to strike life and warmth into what was once cold. A choir of emotion springs out of the deep well of your chest. You’re scared, but the good kind of scared. That’s what Eluvium sounds like.
5. Primitive Weapons, “The Future of Death”If A Day To Remember carries the torch of modern metalcore, Primitive Weapons is the twin bannerlord of the oft-forgotten world of Post Hardcore. Primitive Weapons is here to stay, bringing energy to Deftones-style grooves with a driving guitar tone and vocals that are just shouted enough to be able to tell that you should not mess with these guys. Listen to Electric Drama. You’ll understand.
Cooper Stapleton
