Sponsor: ‘The Futile’ Now in Stores

The Futile

Dane Johns has released his new novel, The Futile, which one reader described as “Hunger Games on the Warped Tour.” The pitch is simple:

In a near future world, where critics of the authoritarian leader are imprisoned and media has become a state sponsored tool for repression, one young punk rock band goes on the road to start a revolution with their music. Written with plenty of humor and heart, The Futile is ultimately a book about how people have the power to change themselves—and the world—even in the darkest of times.

The author is a long time punk and and emo music and the book is filled with various references to bands like Colour Revolt, Foxing, Now, Now, mewithoutYou, Pussy Riot, The Copyrights, and many more. You can order the book here, and make sure you check out the author’s website to get a free zine and various buttons/stickers made for the release.

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Review: Cal Stamp – NYLON

The debut EP from multi-instrumentalist Cal Stamp (Spirit Animal, Record Heat) finds him brilliantly stepping into his own sound while giving subtle nods to the great music that he’s inspired by. The tracks that make up the initial batch of songs found on NYLON come from a larger sample of music from Cal Stamp’s planned trio of EPs. Stamp described the direction of the material by stating, “All these songs could easily coexist on the same record. They’re essentially my take on 1980s guitar pop, but within that you’ve got the more synth-driven yacht rock of NYLON, the sun-soaked SoCal jangle of DENIM, and the straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll of LEATHER – each representing a different strand of my own musical DNA.” With a breezy, 80’s new wave sound paired with breathy vocals and excellent production, Cal Stamp is setting off on the right foot.

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TheWorst – “This House Didn’t Build Itself” (Song Premiere)

the worst

Today I’m pumped to share the latest single from indie punk trio, TheWorst, for their song “This House Didn’t Build Itself.” The track comes from the band’s upcoming sophomore record, Yes Regrets, that will be released in full on June 3rd. For those unfamiliar with the band, they sound like a combination of the best parts of the early 00’s New Jersey emo scene, paired with the punk rock spirit of Joan Jett. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Brooke Binion, had this to share about the latest single and the overall direction of Yes Regrets, “It’s exhausting living this way where you’re constantly punishing yourself. I’ve been through a lot, and most of it was self-inflicted, but this record is just about that pain you can cause yourself and those regrets that wear you down.”

If you’re enjoying this song as much as I think most of you will, please consider pre-ordering the new album here.

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Halsey Says Record Label Won’t Release New Song

Halsey

James Rettig, writing at Stereogum:

While playing a snippet of a new song, Halsey wrote: “Basically, I have a song that I love that I want to release ASAP, but my record label won’t let me. I’ve been in this industry for eight years and I’ve sold over 165 million records and my record company is saying I can’t release it unless they can fake a viral moment on TikTok.”

Some might speculate … that this is exactly the sort of viral TikTok this song would “need” to be released. Halsey says that’s not the case. When someone pointed that out in the comments, they responded: “Bruh I wish it was haha. They just said I have to post tiktoks they didn’t specifically say ‘about what’ so here I am.”

Review: Be Well – Hello Sun

A lot of times when you’re going through tough times, experiencing anxiety, or battling a stint of depression, it can feel like the fight is done mostly on your own. That weight can bog you down pretty badly until it’s all you feel. In a lot of ways it’s like breathing: you don’t need to think about it until you can’t find air, and then it’s all you can think about. Brian McTernan and his bandmates honed in on these feelings deeply on the band’s debut, The Weight and The Cost, and as McTernan describes, “I was caught in the center of a storm. I really couldn’t see anything except the destruction, and I had no perspective on what was happening.” On Be Well’s latest EP, the lyrical material pave the way for coming out of the toughest times fairly unscathed, or at the very least being able to see through the heavy fog that surrounded them before. On the opener, McTernan describes this feeling through a series of self-reflection, or as he explains, “On ‘Treadless,’ it’s me finally being able to question myself, like, ‘How did I let it get this far? How did I live my whole life hiding something that was so integral to whom I am from the people who love me the most?’” No longer being bogged down by the weight of the world on their shoulders, Be Well have every right to say Hello Sun to the better days that lay ahead of them.

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Kendrick Lamar Tops the Charts

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar has the number one album in the country:

Kendrick Lamar lands his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as his latest release, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, launches atop the list (dated May 28). He’s debuted at No. 1 with each of his last four albums.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers charges in with 295,500 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 19, according to Luminate — the largest week of the year for any album.