Top8 - 11/25/24

Welcome back to Top8. I was starting to think that it would never get cold. I am the sort of person who enjoys this sort of weather. Not because of the holidays or any of that. Just because I am a cold hearted bitch.

That said, the holidays are upon us. Holly Jolly Brawley is being set up mere feet from where I am typing this message. It's pretty and people are happy taking pictures and all that. And I am already sick to death of it all. For your sake and mine, stay out of my way when I am on my way to Taylors for coffee. Please send all original ideas for a photoshoot to wtsq.org/contact.

This is one of those weeks when I found way too much cool music for one Top8. So, you're getting some of it next week. Probably.

Lambrini Girls - Love

Lambrini Girls just might be the best punk act in the world. Since 2022, they've released a series of positively incendiary singles and an EP. They hinted strongly during their recent KEXP live set that a full length is set to drop in 2025. 

I am featuring the new single "Love" for two reasons. 1.) It's new and awesome. 2.) we can play it on the air without major edits, something that cannot be said about many of the band's songs. 

"Love" is an explosive, distorted, shouty attack on the phony idea of true love. Lambrini Girls are not content to merely attack the political structures oppressing women and queer folk, they mean to destroy the whole damn thing. That said, if you pay attention to the lyrics you'll hear –  "Nothing more / Than flowers I bought / Empty promises / And hand drawn cards / Your high hopes / And fingers crossed / I'm so sorry, for you letting you down." Leave it to Lambrini Girls to make vulnerability and resignation punk as fuck. 

If you like this band, don't miss some of their previous singles,  "Big Dick Energy", "God's Country", and "Terf Wars". 

Jane Deer - Crash

Let's get this out of the way – Jane Deer's new EP "Nothing Runs Like You" is one of my favorite releases of 2024. I shouldn't ever be surprised when a "local" band delivers like this. This has happened again and again while I have been at WTSQ. The lesson is that there's a TON of great music out there that corporate radio and Spotify algorithms will never expose you to. Every band is someone's local band. And Jane Deer is one of ours.

I am featuring the song "Crash" here. Jane Deer was born out of the ashes of Choke A.D. and that definitely shows on this song and others. There's some of the same crushingly loud shoegaze that band had. But where Choke A.D. leaned more toward Deftones, Jane Deer reminds me more of Nothing (and yes, I know I keep comparing band's to Nothing; get your own blog). "Crash" has the soft, hazy vocals of bands like Slowdive or MBV, but layer on tons of noisy goodness. Jane Deer create perfect dynamics in their sound while still managing to be sonically opaque at times. This song, like the whole EP, is also really well produced and put together. 

Side note: Beckley, WV delivers another amazing band. Charleston needs to get off its ass, these guys are eating our lunch. 

Hotline TNT - L

Thank you to Hotline TNT for releasing a song with a name that's only one letter. There's a distorted-but-jangly Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel or Grandaddy quality to "L". Bands that combine a buzzsaw sound with something jangly work really well for me. Having nothing else to really observe I will say that Hotline TNT is from New York. This means that they have a lot of options for falafel shops. This makes me really jealous. I would kick a guy down the stairs for a falafel right now. 

Fucked Up - City Boy

If you listen to Attention Please, you've heard me play a band and say that I couldn't tell you their name on the air. A lot of times that band has been Fucked Up. I have been playing this band since the beginning of my time with WTSQ. They are back with a full length called "Someday." Even in a studio recording, you can Fucked Up is the kind of band where people go nuts at a live show. There are tons of Youtube videos you can check out. 

"City Boy" is typical of Fucked Up's sound. It combines vocalist Damian Abraham hyper-intense delivery with supporting vocals that are, comparatively, soft and almost poppy. Sometimes they layer these voices simultaneously creating something pretty unique. Instead of being the sort of punks that brag and boast about being tough, Fucked Up is a band that allows room for examining emotionally complex charactors and stories. "City Boy" is this sort of song. God, I love this band.

Shabaka - Timepieces (ft. Billy Woods)

"Timepices" features brilliant jazz/hiphop fusion by the great British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings. The vocal is by the American rapper Billy Woods. The hiphop I like most is musically adventurous and interesting. The flutes and horns here are minimalist and vaguely mournful. Woods verses remember a choice he says he doesn't regret. He goes on too long to make this completely believable. 

Westside Cowboy - I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)

Sometimes you need a band like Westside Cowboy. "I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)" feels like a heartfelt declaration to someone. Yet it's also got a bit of silly yelling in it. Some dudes have a hard time just saying I love you with a straight face. It's still a really sweet song. 

Red Sun - Boomer 

The moment you hear the vocal at the start of the song "Boomer" you know you're about 15 seconds away from a mathy guitar part. Sure enough, Red Sun kick things right into gear. This has some pop punk flavor which makes things a little lighter and dancier. This is emo as hell though. I feel like I am listening to the Victory records sampler I used to drop into customer's bags when I worked at Hot Topic. A few years ago, I would have turned my nose up at this. Today, I admit that I love it. Put this on, find your white, studded belt in the back of the closet and mope your way to the mall. Tell them Emily sent you.

Jawdropped - Star

Jawdropped has exactly one song on streaming – "Star". I always wonder if these bands have 20 songs and play shows with covers or if they are just in their bedrooms doing this on headphones. Who knows. What I do know is that "Star" is legit. There's a mid-tempo 90's shrugrock vibe here. These guys have heard a Dinosaur Jr song or two. They are also, apparently, into Slint given that they've blatantly ripped off the cover image of Tweez for this single. This one could have been the song of the summer for me, except it's almost winter. Thankfully, because of climate change, you can still roll down the road with the windows open and this song blasting.

And this week's extra innings, just a few other things I am listening to right now.

The Sundays - Here's Where the Story Ends

Roy Orbison - Crying

Jose Gonzalez - Line of Fire

And a playlist with everything here.

Thank you for reading and listening.

-emily.