I want to feel the way a normal person does when they decide to wake up and have fulfilling interactions

Friday, February 24, 2023. Twin Peaks day. The weirdest month of the year is almost over. Only 28 days but we still have to pay a full month of rent? That’s not right.

Here are four new releases and one from last year. Bandcamp links included.

Scarlet Street - S/TI’ve been waiting awhile to say “the first full length from Cincinnati’s Scarlet Street!” and now here it is. I really dig this band. The singles were all good and the record is too. One of the first lines on the record is “I’ll tell myself what I worked on for years is gonna sound so good when it falls on deaf ears.” They held up their end of that line; it does sound good, so prove them wrong and let’s not allow it fall on deaf ears. Some of these tunes have big Your Favorite Weapon energy, a compliment I do not give lightly.

Singing Lungs - Coming AroundBig, strong, beautiful 90s alt radio vibes all over this one. Replacements, Goo Goo Dolls, Lemonheads. Yeah. That kinda thing. Those words either do it for you or they don’t, I think. Sort of like IYKYK, which has become so overused it’s crazy. People be out here posting shit like “Breathing oxygen is just so important to me, IYKYK!” Stop it.

Equipment - Miracle EPI love how this EP opens with them showing off their pop sensibilities and then goes right into a big ripper. Nice flex to show off that they can sound so different track to track and pull it off. They should have quite a few new fans soon after opening some dates on the upcoming Free Throw tour. I just wish they were still on the tour when it comes up here.

Charmer - Seney Stretch EPIt’s been almost three full years since Charmer’s last release (Ivy, 2020) so it’s nice to hear from them again. Excited to see them live for the first time next month.

The Carolyn - Rhythm of My Own DecayThere are always a few records you discover a year late. This is one of those for me. These 8 songs are over in 16 and a half minutes and they leave you wanting more, to the point where I usually just listen to it again when it’s over. Just really good straight up rock and roll.

Deja Enten-Who?

BrooklynVegan recently posted 30 Classic Emo & Post-Hardcore Albums Turning 20 in 2023 and I know all Internet Lists are really just made so people can fight about them and say like, “if you really think THAT is #4 and not #3 you’ve clearly never listened to it and frankly you’re extremely unattractive!” and whatnot, but command+f “Deja” and there’s…nothing? The band ended badly. People were hurt. We know. You can mention that when you include it on the list! Pretending they never existed is such a weird move. Pretending it wasn’t monumental, important, and influential is just rewriting history by omission.

19 of the 30 were big ones for me back then, and I’ve come to like a few more of them over the years. It’s a nice list…but it’s missing something.

That’s all for today. Go buy something from a band you like. I’ll be sick in bed reading my third Emily St. John Mandel book in a row. I loved Sea of Tranquility and Station Eleven (the show was also incredible) and now I’m enjoying The Glass Hotel. I’m obsessed with her prose and style. If you’ve got any recs for similar books, hit me up.