Staff Pick's Playlist - August 2024

Currently Listening To:
1. Artless Jesus - U HATE ME
2. Lawrence - i'm confident that i'm insecure
3. Pond - Black Lung
4. Slow Degrade - BoxCutter
5. Hanumankind & Kalmi - Big Dawgs

"Back in the early 2000's, I managed a Washington DC pop-punk band called ONE THIRD DORK. Cal Stamp was in that band and would go on to become one my most genuine, and longest friendships. Cal moved to Brooklyn, his band SPIRIT ANIMAL (later RECORD HEAT) was signed to Atlantic Records and he's been on a tear ever since. This year, he makes a return to his pop-punk roots with his new band ARTLESS JESUS. Keep an eye on this band! Rounding out my picks this month is a track from a band I am LOVING called LAWRENCE, as well as Australian psych-rock outfit POND, Mobile, AL's own SLOW DEGRADE bring the heavy with song 'BoxCutter' and a fun little tune from HANUMANKIND & KALMI"

Currently Listening To:
1. Point North - Dearly Departed
2. Movements - Colorblind
3. Youth Fountains - Rose Coloured Glass
4. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - The Other Line
5. Settle Your Scores - How to Screw Up Your Future and Disappoint Your Loved Ones

"After a 14-year hiatus from playing any instruments, I decided to jump back in with Scream Out Loud. I've been practicing like my life depends on it, trying to get my bass skills back to where they used to be. My usual music discovery sessions have taken a bit of a backseat while I shake off the rust, but to kickstart my songwriting mojo, I've been jamming out to some Emo Revival and Easycore favorites. It's like a musical boot camp, but with way more feelings and breakdowns!"

Currently Listening To:
1. Megan Thee Stallion, Yuki Chiba - Mamushi (feat. Yuki Chiba)
2. King 810 - Alpha & Omega
3. King 810 - brains on the asphalt
4. UnityTX - ROC SH!T
5. IRONTOM - Con Artist

"Long time no see folks! In my absence, I’ve continued to confuse both my Spotify algorithm and eventual Spotify Wrapped by having numerous songs on repeat this month across a variety of genres. From the viral hit Mamushi (still perfecting my dance, btw) to several songs from Michigan’s King 810 (who had a very energetic Pensacola and New Orleans show – review for the latter on the way!), it’s safe to say that just like my life, my music is of screaming highs and funky lows."

Currently Listening To:
1. Mr. Gnome - Mind's Gone
2. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers - I Used To Be Fun
3. Fish in a Birdcage - Rule #4 - Fish in a Birdcage
4. Shit Present - Anxious Type
5. VIAL - just fine

"My music often reflects my mood, and with some personal losses weighing on my mind this August, my playlist has taken on a more emotional tone. I kicked off this month's additions with a brand new release from Mr. Gnome, a band that’s a staple on my playlist. Their latest track, "Mind's Gone," instantly hooked me and got me even more excited for their October show at The Handlebar. I also made three new artist discoveries this month. First, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers caught my attention with "I Used To Be Fun," a track that led me to dig deeper into their music, only to find more gems. Another discovery was Fish in a Birdcage, whose song "Rule #4 - Fish in a Birdcage" struck a chord with me—the lyrics and the captivating beauty of the instruments drew me back time and again, like a glutton for emotional depth. Lastly, I found Shit Present, and as someone who’s definitely the "Anxious Type," I could immediately relate to their lyrics. My final addition is an emotional piece by VIAL titled "just fine," a song that resonates with anyone who’s ever said they’re fine while feeling like everything inside is a mess."

Currently Listening To:
1. AFI - 6 to 8
2. Finch - What it is to Burn
3. Funeral For A Friend - Red is the New Black
4. Senses Fail - You're Cute When You Scream
5. From Autumn to Ashes - Placentapede

"Soon after the incredible 20 Years of Tears show, I started to think back on what I was listening to back in the early 2000s. What were the tracks getting me through middle school/early years of high school, when I was feeling the lowest point of my life. Emotions were in full swing due to rampant abuse at home and my school days were full of sleeping in every class while having no friends due to feeling far too out of place from the other kids.
So figured I would challenge myself to pick my favorite song from each year starting with the year 2000. I would be 12 at this point in time and that's around the age were music really starts to stick plus become super meaningful to forming the personality you will forever be.
Coming up with this 5 song list was incredibly difficult with keeping within the ruleset I put in place of only 1 song per year. I feel so bad not having bands I like even more than what groups I put in this list but when picking my favorite track from each year I had to disregard bands like Story of the Year, NOFX, Brand New, Panic!, My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, at the drive-in, Bad Religion, Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, Hawthorne Heights, The Mars Volta, Fall Out Boy, Thrice, and I really could go on and on... With an artist or two being what I prefer to bands I decided upon, but this is a top tracks list and not top artist.
With all that being said, share some tears with me during this 5 track run and give Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge that we are on the other end of those miserable days."

Currently Listening To:
1. Hoodoo Sinners - Make You Mine
2. Martha Thornton & The Sidekicks - Oh By Jingo, Oh By Gee
3. Martha Spencer & The Wonderland - Who, Who, Who
4. The Patina Turners - Red Tide
5. The Surfisticats - Agent Steel

"If your into rocķ-a-billy, this month's choices are most definitely for you. My interest in this genre stems from watching show bands perform while playing some of the craziest links, runs and riffs! Most assuredly pick your feet up and dance type tunes! Check out BOPFLIX on YouTube for a variety of artists of this kind."

Currently Listening To:
1. Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires - The Company Man
2. Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
3. Moon Taxi - Two High
4. Warren Haynes Band - Soulshine (Live at the Moody Theater)
5. Trombone Shorty - Hurricane Season

"I’ve gotten in the habit of when I see a show announcement that grabs my attention, I fire up a playlist of the artist and turn up the volume. There’s been a lot of them lately. So that means this month’s playlist is made up entirely of artists who are playing on the Gulf Coast soon.

I wrote a little piece about Lee Bains III here on Scene Pensacola and can’t wait for that show. I saw Silversun Pickups a few years ago and they’re the band that really caught my attention on the Night Moves Fest lineup. I’ve seen Moon Taxi a couple of times and that show at Vinyl should be a blast. I’ve also seen guitar royalty Warren Haynes a couple of times with his band Gov’t Mule here on the coast and in Atlanta. He’s played with everybody and I’m going to try to make his show at the Saenger. And last but not least, I’ve seen Trombone Shorty in Mobile and at Vinyl and he’s bringing that New Orleans funk back to Vinyl in October."

Currently Listening To:
1. Fleetwood Mac - Thrown Down
2. mewithoutYou - January 1979
3. Brand New - You Won’t Know
4. Beabadoobee - Animal Noises
5. ThxSoMuch - Knocking At My Door

"I went on a few different music tangents this month. I have wanted to listen to more of Fleetwood Mac's discography for a long time, so one day I doubled down and shuffled their music on Spotify while I ran errands. Thrown Down was a song I had never heard before, but once I listened to it, I ended up repeating the song more times than I'd like to admit. Brand New and mewithoutYou are bands I often go to when I'm in the mood for grunge; the songs I picked by them were pieces I've listened to but only recently started to truly appreciate. Animal Noises by Beabadoobee is a song I just found by chance, even though it's been out for a few years and I went through a huge Beabadoobee phase when I saw her at the Vinyl last year. Animal Noises caught my attention because of its soft, almost cinematic feel, which is reminiscent of her album Loveworm. Finally, Knocking At My Door is ThxSoMuch's newest single. ThxSoMuch has such a unique, quintessentially punk voice that is only made more dramatic by his darkwave-inspired instrumentals, and Knocking At My Door only further proves how this artist not only knows what kind of music he wants to make, but how to do so without remaking the same song over and over again."