Aster Tracks

Between the Buried and Me - Colors II (Sumerian Records) This record made me realize something; for me, BTBAM is not a singles band. Was really lukewarm on “Revolution in Limbo” and “Fix the Error” when they came out but here in the  context of the record I think they’re some of the strongest performances of the year. This album is going to be hard to break apart in terms of songs because I feel the way it’s strongest is in it’s uncut, seamless format. I think this could be my favorite BTBAM record to date. Lorde - Solar Power (Universal Music) I like this record a lot, it might not be in my top of the year and it’s certainly not my favorite Lorde record though even Melodrama took time to grow on me. I respect that it’s the record she wanted to make and I was really into the lead single when it came out for just that reason. She could have come back with some pop banger and it probably would have done well but it wouldn’t have been authentic. I understand the fanbases disappointmen...

Trash Boat - Don’t You Feel Amazing? (Hopeless Records) Been waiting on this one awhile and it did not disappoint. My only nitpick is there were a lot of singles on this and they were really stacked in the front. By the time you get to side b you’ve only heard two new songs? Really craved that Christmas morning feeling. Unreqvited - Beautiful Ghosts (Prophecy Productions) Normally I don’t really like black metal (with a few exceptions) but this one is really interesting. This is a Canadian solo artist who set out to write a record about love, which the genre doesn’t really touch upon. It’s honestly really compelling and the instrumentation sounds so full of hope while still being heavy. If I Die First - They Drew Blood New EP by the collaborative project between Lil Lotus and From First to Last. More of the same from their EP last year and their split this year. (There’s even a Connie Sgarbossa feature) Still it’s worth checking out especially if you miss that MySpace heavy sound. Meet...

Last month we looked at the new single “Cat’s Song” by Mel Stone and promised to look at the single after that, “Simone.” It’s been a month since then and it feels like I’m finally hearing about Mel’s music on her social media responses and it’s well deserved. I told you that the best was yet to come and this track backs up my statement in a big way, let’s take a look. Everything about this track grabs you and refuses to let go from the first second. It kicks in with just two drum taps (not to say the drums aren’t huge on the track overall) then goes into an incredible riff and danceable bass line. That bass plays a huge part in this song in a similar way that percussion did in “Cat’s Song” as well. All this and the lyricism hits so hard. The opening line of this thing is; “You fuck me up like a horror story when you want to be sincere.” To be honest, that line feels like it’s hitting you like a horror story. This is then followed by the Twitter-promised “I’d bottom for you” line. The ...

  Week after week, I screen so much new music to present in my weekly Friday posts and in doing that I’ve found some of my favorite records and artists in general. For all my sources and efforts though I of course do miss some things since I can’t exactly hear everything in its initial week. So every week I make a short list of some things that can’t really make the post but I would like to hear anyway. So I thought I’d start this little inconsistent series (I’m thinking once a month.) of showing you one album, one EP and one single that maybe slipped by me in the current year and didn’t get to be part of the weekly post. Earlier this year, I was able to watch day two of Good Noise Podcast’s twitch-hosted music festival. For two straight days they showed pre-recorded live sets by various artists and it was well picked not only in quality but I think there were five and under that I was even aware of. Two of the artists below were ones whose sets I did manage to see and they really ...

  I was initially going to skip this week as I didn’t really feel motivated to do it. I found myself listening to the new music anyway though and remembered I did this to recommend music on a slightly bigger scale in the first place. So, the show must go on, it’s a bit lighter of a load but we have some tunes for you to check out. As December Falls - Happier. English independent (though, they fooled me for a minute!) alt rock band have released their sophomore record and it’s a fun one! It’s the kind of album where any of these songs could be a single or just enjoyed in a vacuum but please make sure you check them all out. Kississippi - Mood Ring (Triple Crown Records) Almost missed this record but I have seen so much talk about it on my twitter feed that I couldn’t just ignore it in it’s release week. Lowkey, heart wrenching songs by a Philly pop artist. You will 100% get something out of listening to this. Raccoon City - For Nobody, Nowhere (Dog Night Productions) Looking for som...

French easycore legends Captain Chunk are back after a sort of unannounced five year hiatus and following up 2015’s Get Lost, Find Yourself. The band hasn’t changed labels or anything but do return produced in-house with vocalist Bertrand Poncet taking the reins. Given the singles leading up to this I had high expectations and how could I not? “Bitter” the first single as well as album opener is a big “we’re back” moment. We open the track with this very light riff that builds up and even uses the Goonies quote the bands namesake comes from as a hype up. Everything about Bert’s artistry here is so apparent from the lyricism, which very much paints the picture of being away for a long time, getting into the groove of being a band again. Just look at the first line; “It’s been a long time coming and I know it” Even in his production there is not a stone he left unturned. Minor details like the keys in the chorus, the way the vocals are layered in the last chorus all contribute to make t...

Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever (Interscope / Darkroom) I got to say, compared to most people I was not that hot on When We Fall Asleep but this feels like a major upgrade on first listen. There are production choices here that feel like risks that maybe Finneas wouldn’t have taken on the first record and that’s not even to undersell the things Billie herself does either. Glad to see they haven’t declined when they got a hit on success. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Gone Are the Good Days (Fearless Records) It took five years but Captain Chunk is back and better than ever! This album sends you on a journey to the past and makes you feel like you’re at Warped Tour, has a soul ascending sax solo and revitalizes a five year old single in an emotional way without even re-recording it. This may have taken the throne as my current album of the year. Flight Club - Until the Sun Drowns (Open Your Ears Records) I’ve said it before, I’ll say it every album drop. This label cannot miss. Flight C...