WHO: Mac McCaughan WHAT: The Sound of Yourself WHY: Being late to the game is the name of MY game. I only discovered Superchunk a few years ago and have been loving diving into their back catalog. The Sound of Yourself is frontman Mac McCaughan’s solo work and it serves as an exploration of styles, not sticking exclusively to the rocking sounds of Superchunk. While the songs here expertly vary from ambient, to ballads, to straight up rock songs, what...
WHO: Billy Bragg WHAT: The Million Things That Never Happened WHY: Billy Bragg has easily slid into the “easy listening” category over the past few albums, but what sets him apart is that his music still packs a powerful message. It’s quite an efficient and interesting way to get your point across. The Million Things That Never Happened is a pandemic album in that it deals with issues of divisiveness and conflict that became more prominent during that time. It’s...
Hello, dear reader. We thought we were out of the woods with this whole pandemic thing, huh? Looks like we have to hunker down for a while longer. We’re prouder than ever this year to bring you our take on the best this year had to offer. We’d like to consider ourselves mostly a music site, but there were some undeniably great movies and TV shows as well. Lists like these are all over the internet, but remember that, as...
WHO: Fiddlehead WHAT: Between the Richness WHY: No lie, this one’s a grower. And a remarkable thing for an album that’s so short. Between the Richness is equal parts post-post-hardcore as it is western Mass, whatever that means. Pay close attention and you might notice the passion and rawness of Patrick Flynn’s vocals perfectly balanced with the elegant and rich guitars that adorn the entirety of Between the Richness. Somehow, this album welcomes you to its roughness, maturity, and intensity,...
WHO: Former Member WHAT: Manageable Scratches WHY: For those of you who don’t know, Former Member is a punk rock duo consisting of Jason Shevchuk and Will Yip. The former is front man extraordinaire of bands like Kid Dynamite and None More Black. The latter is producer extraordinaire working the controls for bands like Mannequin Pussy and Turnstile. That alone makes this album worth checking out. Together they make up a powerful hard-hitting punk rock combination that sounds like a...
WHO: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard WHAT: KG / LW WHY: I don’t know if these are meant to be consumed as separate albums, but considering how productive King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard is, I’m pretty sure this is one album. KG / LW is the best release this band has had in years, combining everything that they do well (psychedelic rock, metal, and prog) into shorter songs following a overarching theme. KG / LW rocks and pulsates...
WHO: Mannequin Pussy WHAT: Perfect WHY: Mannequin Pussy is one of the most exciting punk bands around at the moment. They’re just one of those bands where every element of their music comes together and elevates the songs: they probably have the best drummer in punk rock, and this is a wonderful complement to the bass playing which sounds big and tight. Singer Marisa Dabise’s vocals are powerful and passionate. Perfect, the follow-up EP to their massive hit album, is...
WHO: Down By Law WHAT: Lonely Town WHY: One of my loves when I was coming up in my punk days that I keep falling for every time they release a new album. As one of the best bands to surface from the Epitaph 90s era, Down By Law has kept going for more than 30 years, still releasing their own brand of pop punk. It’s also a very special era in Down By Law history as the punkrockacedmyfightsong lineup...
WHO: The Bronx WHAT: The Bronx VI WHY: The Bronx don’t have a single bad album. Not many bands can claim that. Fewer punk bands still. Bronx VI brings with it everything good that you’d expect from an album. It’s riff heavy, it pounds mercilessly, it simmers and builds, it’s filled with great musicianship on every level, and it knows not to take itself seriously. That threatening aura is still there, but this time, you can sing along to it....
Here we go, dear readers! It’s been a hell of a year and hopefully the worst of it is over. Things are slowly opening back up, social events are possible to some degree, and some of us are even going to be able to go back to school in person. Hopefully things will continue to get better. A new year, of course, brings with it a new Back to School guide from us at Ground Control Magazine. Will it be...