Staff Pick's Playlist - July 2024

Currently Listening To:
1. Jalen Ngonda - If You Don't Want My Love
2. Drugdealer - Pictures Of You
3. Alien Ant Farm - The Wrong Things
4. Mannequin Pussy - Loud Bark
5. ANKOR - Prisoner

"This month was full of new music to be discovered, and I'm listing my top five in order from gentle to violent. Take this journey with me starting with Jalen Ngonda's "If You Don't Want My Love", then easing into a slightly higher tempo with Drugdealer's "Picture's Of You". Alien Ant Farm's latest "The Wrong Things" cranks up the emotions and "Loud Bark" from Mannequin Pussy adds intensity. Finally, ANKOR's "Prisoner" provides the explosive finale to an emotional month of new music obsessions. Whew. "

Currently Listening To:
1. New Found Glory - My Friends Over You
2. Underoath - A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White
3. Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without the E
4. Story Of The Year - Until The Day I Die
5. A Day To Remember - The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle

"If you know, you know.... ;) "

Currently Listening To:
1. Mother Mother - Explode!
2. Mother Mother - It's Alright
3. Childish Gambino - Lithonia
4. Windwaker - SIRENS
5. Scream Out Loud - Anxious

"July's playlist submissions were influenced by two big shows that Moth and I attended in July. Crazy enough, we both got to experience shows that were considered "bucket list" items. For me it was Mother Mother with Cavetown in Atlanta, so two of my favorites - Explode! and It's Alright, were regulars in my playlist in preparation for singing my lungs out. Moth's bucket list show included Windwaker, Invent Animate, Thornhill, and Northlane - but it was my first time being exposed to Windwaker and while they were new to the stage, I enjoyed their energy and felt it earned them a spot on my playlist with their most popular track, SIRENS. Like Schaffer mentions in his playlist, my next item is Childish Gambino's latest and sadly, last, drop with Lithonia, finishing out the month to Scream Out Loud's awaited single Anxious - which I find getting stuck in my head (not just because of exposure from Moth practicing) and hope that we continue to see new stuff from those guys!"

Currently Listening To:
1. Childish Gambino - Dadvocate
2. The Used - Before I Leave
3. Lupe Fiasco - Mumble Rap
4. Capstan - Undertow
5. Schoolboy Q - Yeem 101

"Since last month was oldies but goodies, I wanted to flip the script with tracks that are fresh from this year with 4-out-of-5 tracks being in the last 2 months in order of their release date. Dadvocate is my latest obsessed track. I'm a huge Childish Gambino fanboy so it's been rough getting crumbs for years only when the new long awaiting album drops it also happens to be his last 
The Used latest album may not be as perfect as Heartwork was, though there is still plenty of bangers on it with Before I Leave being a personal favorite.
We then have some more hip-hop since the genre has been in great heights this year. I also had to obviously slip in my huge spike of interest with Capstan since I saw them live back in January. Their latest album I'm pulling from, might be my favorite album this year."

Currently Listening To:
1. Iron Butterfly - In A Gadda De Vida
2. Aerosmith - Train Kept Rollin
3. Sugar Hill Gang - Rappers Delight
4. Herbie Hancock - Dis Is The Drum
5. Scream Out Loud - (Anything)

"This month my musical tastes are all over the map! Got a nostalgic bug and listened to In A Gadda De Vida all the way through...man, that's a long song! Aerosmith was my very first concert experience at age 14, just as they were making their way into rock culture...Train Kept A Rollin, from the get your wings album is a personal fav rave of mine. Sugar Hill Gangs Rappers Delight, the iconic seed of the popular genre impressed me as they played real instruments instead of sampled music....the ONLY way to play rap in my opinion. Herbie Hancock's "Dis Is The Drum" paints a picture of rhythmic
historic jazz in the 70's. Finally...our very own Moth Edge recently donned the stage for the first time in some time at the Handlebar with SCREAM OUT LOUD....though I was unable to attend, I've been listening to the posts and recently released music by the band. Though not my particular cup of tea, I was impressed with their arrangements and the Handlebar performance. ...rock on Bruh!"

Currently Listening To:
1. The Cure - Pictures of You (Extended Dub Mix)
2. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Superstar
3. Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us
4. Drivin and Cryin - Honeysuckle Blue
5. Manchester Orchestra - Pensacola

"I've been doing a lot of editing lately and one of my go-to albums for creative focus is The Cure, "Mixed Up". Some great extended mix cuts of Cure classics. I LOVE this album. I shot Rainbow Kitten Surprise pre-plague and fell in love with them. Playing their new album a good bit although I haven't connected with it entirely yet. My tiktok has been filled with the Kendrick/Drake beef so Not Like Us gets played a lot. Saw Drivin' N Cryin' live again this month so they are in heavy rotation. I just bought a reissue of the Manchester Orchestra vinyl Simple Math which features the song from them that first got my attention. (Wonder why:)"