Topic: The Music Thread

I've Been listening to Imagine Dragon's Mercury and Morgan Wallen's One Thing at a time. Found a lot of tracks on both of those that I had never heard and really liked.

I'm still listening to a combination of catching up on 2024 releases, as well as finding brand new 2025 alternative, indie, hardcore and punk albums. A few examples are below.

I'll also return to the previous Page 113 of The Music Thread to update my "Best 2024 Punk" list.

• Anxious 'Bambi' (Run For Cover Records, 21st Feb. 2025). Out today, there's no need to feel Anxious in 2025, because there's no sophomore slump for this emo, pop-punk Fairfield, Connecticut five-piece.
• Bad Moves 'Wearing Out The Refrain' (Don Giovanni Records, 13th Sept. 2024). Recommended by Thrillho. Pop-punk team vocals in Washington, D.C.’s Bad Moves' third full length.
• Bicurious 'Your Life is Over Now...' (Big Scary Monsters, 4th Oct. 2024). Recommended by Thrillho. Bits of math-rock, with a big sound for this Dublin/Leipzig duo.
• Gaffa Tape Sandy 'Hold My Hand, God Damn It' (Alcopop! Records, 31st May 2024). Recommended by Thrillho. Pop-punky, indie rock trio from Brighton.
• Hot Water Music 'Vows' (Equal Vision Records, 10th May 2024). Florida's finest, and Gainesville's greatest melodic hardcore band.
• METZ 'Up On Gravity Hill' (Sub Pop, 12th April 2024). METZ sound so authentic to Sub Pop, it makes me yearn for the old days of the 1988 Sub Pop 200 compilation.
• Redshift 'Chaos As Planned' (Alternative Tentacles, 20th January 2025). New 2025 gruff melodic hardcore, with a hint of surf guitar.
• Shutdown 'By Your Side' (Equal Vision Records, 17th January 2025). A punchy and catchy 2025 six-song EP by New York hardcore legends.
• Stick To Your Guns 'Keep Planting Flowers' (SharpTone Records, 10th January 2025). A brilliant set of ten tracks by hardcore quintet from Southern California.

I think my main special mention is regarding Anxious' release of 'Bambi', where Run For Cover Records' YouTube channel has the Anxious - Bambi (Full Album Stream) uploaded for the release today (Friday 21st February, 2025). I've already listened to Anxious' 'Bambi' album four times, and I know that I'm going to love it.

It's also worth noting that the Anxious song Head & Spine currently has 456K views on YouTube, which is massive for a band like Anxious.

@Jimmer-jammer It's cool that you got to see Sum 41 during the final farewell tour in January 2025, mate.

I'd actually forgotten about 'Heaven :x: Hell' releasing in 2024, even though I listened to the songs Landmines and Waiting on a Twist of Fate when these tracks first released last year.

You probably know this already, but Sum 41's previous drummer from over ten years ago, Steve Jocz, has a YouTube channel called Stevo32Drums.

Just a couple of weeks ago he made a YouTube video called EVERY Sum 41 album (that I played on) RANKED!!, which might interest you.

Also, if you like Green Day as well as Sum 41, then Stevo32Drums discussed Tré Cool's drumming style, and Stevo plays drums along to Burnout from 1994's 'Dookie'. Here's the link to What I REALLY think of Green Day's TRÉ COOL by Stevo32Drums.

@JamieO Thanks! It’s nice when a band goes out on its own terms. I never knew about Stevo’s YouTube channel. I really enjoyed the two recommended videos (and also enjoy Green Day) so I look forward to browsing through the channel. My ranking is almost the same as his actually save for swapping Chuck and Does This Look Infected around.

Heaven :x: Hell was pretty decent all things considered and a bright spot for me in what was a pretty quiet 2024 for my tastes. Been listening to that Bambi album today and it’s quite good. Never heard of Anxious. VOWS is fantastic though. I’ll try and comb through your (and Thrillho’s) lists over the next bit!

@JamieO Sorry I never replied to your previous post as I agree it's been fun comparing lists for the last couple of years and I'm honoured that the three recommendations all made your list in the end

If you enjoyed the Gaffa Tape Sandy album, definitely check out the Mammals EP by them which is also great fun.

For late additions to my 2024 list I would certainly be adding The Cure - Songs of a Lost World. I don't really know much of their backlog at all outside of the bigger singles (Boys Don't Cry, Friday I'm in Love etc) but Daniel P. Carter on the Radio 1 Rock Show had it as his album of the year and a whole show dedicated to it. I love hearing artists talking about the creation of their work and it's mad that a band that have been going for nearly FIFTY YEARS can make such a hauntingly beautiful album. It's slow, dark, and certainly not for everyone (especially with tracks like the final one which is over 10 minutes long and has no vocals for over 6 minutes!) but it's absolutely gripped me.

I love this track as it's one of the few more euphoric moments on the album, especially after the brooding opening track Alone.

Funny you should mention the Anxious album though as it seems I've had it wish listed on my bandcamp account so posting that video has been a good reminder I need to go and pick it up!

And my early recommendations for you of the year would be LS Dunes (a real emo/hardcore supergroup) and Winona Fighter (an excellent pop punk sound with heavy noughties era vibes).

@Jimmer-jammer Thanks right back at you, because reading about you going to the Sum 41 gig triggered my memory to listen to the band's new 2024 album today.

As well as Landmines and Waiting On A Twist Of Fate, I already knew Dopamine and Rise Up, because these songs must have appeared in my YouTube feed last year, so I was slightly familiar with Heaven :x: Hell ahead of today's listen.

Heaven :x: Hell injected a nice bit of energy into my weekend, so good on you!

Your Shinobi: Art of Vengeance avatar is great choice too, after seeing Lizardcube's wonderful art direction carry over into another classic SEGA IP, it was a real highlight of the February 2025 State of Play — based upon my gaming tastes.

Enjoy your weekend!

@Thrillho Superb stuff, mate, it's always great to hear from you.

There's never any pressure to reply here, by the way. You've already provided lots of fantastic band and album recommendations to me over the years, anyway.

There've been a few Winona Fighter songs that popped up on my YouTube feed via Rise Records, so it's good to know that we're on the same wavelength, yet again. I've heard the songs Hamms In A Glass, R U Famous and Talk, so far.

L.S. Dunes are new to me though, and I've just found the Gaffa Tape Sandy 'Family Mammal' EP on a YouTube music channel called Dead Beat Club. Cheers, as always!

Have an excellent weekend, bud, and have fun listening to the new Anxious album when you pick it up.

@JamieO Glad to hear it was a boon to your day! Yeah, I couldn’t be more exited for a new Shinobi, especially with the direction they’re going in (even if I did enjoy Hotsuma and Hibana’s escapades). The hand drawn aesthetic really suits the more nostalgic angle, with those ninjitsu animations looking particularly sharp!

Been listening to a lot of Duckman (the rapper) and Bruce Edwards (jazz guitarist, formerly a member of Sun Ra's Sextet) lately. Loving both their sounds. It's just a shame that there are so few examples of Edwards' playing available. Contemporary black jazz guitarists seem to be too far and few between.

Never heard of this artist before. It is one hell of a music video.

ifa - Faith

That new Lady Gaga album sounds pretty much exactly like I want a Lady Gaga album to sound. Pretty much wall to wall pure camp bangers.

Fantastic metal guitar-work on this hip hop album.

Also, I saw Wynton Marsalis live the other night, fantastic gig. Amazing horn-work from premiere musicians.
He told humorous asides in-between the songs, and let the younger guys in the band do most of the soloing, one of his albums even features his original spoken-word poetry. Man of many talents, from a very talented family.

Love Kurt Rosenwinkel's work as Sideman on this album.

Saw the Final Fantasy Orchestra live yesterday. And of course I had to buy the soundtrack! Seeing as I have all my games digital, it's nice to have something physical connecting to a game I hold dear.

It's also the first video game soundtrack I ever bought.

@Herculean I’ve wanted to go to something like that for a long time but just haven’t had the opportunity yet. I’m assuming it was amazing?

Sometimes when I listen to a jazz song and skip to the guitar solo, it's like eating a burger without the bun, sauce or salad, you need to hear the whole thing, i.e the 'head' of the song and the other musicians solos, to get the full experience, even if your primary instrument is the guitar!