Aster Tracks

It’s been a little over two years since the release of Orlando, FL’s No Business’ debut record, Snitch. That album saw band founder Paule Poole join with guitar player Alex Britt and now the band has released the b-sides from those sessions with a twist. No longer a two-piece, the duo are joined by second guitar player Nick Hewitt, Hayden Nicholson on bass and Joshua Arceval on drums and have reworked those unused tracks as their full band introduction. The first track to be released was “Dawgma,” and listening it is clear why. The single leans heavily into the band’s Linkin Park influence with some bouncy production up front and a structure built on nu metal riffs and melodies. The feature from Maryland's Granite State is a seamless verse drop and goes quite nicely with the track as a toss-up as well. The second single, “Strings,” is a standout cut but is a very distinct contrast to both “Dawgma” and the rest of the EP. The Deleted Scenes EP being the fist full band effort from No...

The Black Dresses split was and continues to be ugly. I never reviewed Laughingfish, the duo’s final record, mostly because I didn’t feel it was my place. While there were some strong tracks present, I felt the two’s strained relationship came through quite clearly and it wasn’t up to some music blogger to weigh in on it. Now Ada Rook has released Unkillable Angel , her first solo record since the split and she makes it hard to not weigh in on. When I heard about this record, I saw warning to stay away, citing Rook as being aggressive, toxic and confrontational, which if you’re attempting to read the record in bad faith I could definitely see. She also invites you to hate her on the album several times on both the tracks about this situation and the one’s written two years ago. Still, this didn’t scare me away, in fact I think Unkillable Angel gives us a deeper look into the situation than we’re led to believe. Rook's music has always been danceable with a sharp edge with her harsh...

Brighton punk duo Lambrini Girls have released their debut full-length. The band has been putting out music since late 2022, and, aside from this record, only have an EP and double single to their name. I got into Lambrini with 2023's You're Welcome , which I appreciated for its spunk and sarcasm but also undeniable spirit. With a debut record I was sort of expecting more of the same but have been pleased to see the band has kept a level amount of boundaries pushed at the top of this year. Punk front men are often weighed by their message over their performances, in Lambrini Girls case their front woman is pretty good at both. Phoebe (Lunny, guitar and vocals) demonstrates swift, yet even, vocal melodies with a lot of focus.  On tracks like "Bad Apple" the message is targeted but it also uses space as a key element of delivery. "You're Not from Around Here" uses the definition of gentrification as lyrics to a bridge, which, while sort of an obvious lift ...

2024 is over, in most cases we’ve really put pressure on ourselves to have this out by or before Christmas. This year though, I wanted to make sure the write ups didn’t feel like the result of burnout. So, where a normal AsterTracks year end list would have fifty or so releases on it, this one has six. At the bottom of this post you can find a playlist with thirty songs, however, one each from the top ten EPs and albums, and ten assorted singles. The normal Reddit disclaimer is also present, need it now more than ever. I am still proud of Aster Tracks, the artists we’ve connected with, and what it has brought to my own life. This will continue into 2025. My plans this year is to try new things and be less devoted to mass reporting on every album I listen to. I hope you continue to check in. Just like last year, if you're here from Reddit, start here. EP of the year goes to Ignite // Decay by Wave Break released independently When it dropped, Ignite//Decay felt like a massive momen...

The day you are reading this Evelyn Gray's second full-length, "I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE" has been released. This follows 2022's how to be alone EP, which, had a slightly longer run time than this new release but didn't quite show the variety of Evelyn as an artist. Between the two singles from FIGHTING we already have started to see the evolution of her as a songwriter and vocalist so I was excited to dig into the entire project to see just how far she had come. We already covered “AIR” the first single, but it should be reiterated how much this track does with such little material. With just vocals and some percussion, “AIR” is one of the heaviest songs I’ve heard this year. It's also just very forthcoming to write a song about the fantasy of your own death in contrast and combat with it taking form. The following single “HIDING” was telling of what the entire first side of the album was going for. While “AIR” establishes the tortured subject matte...

LA's oldphone is bringing you an emo and hyperpop mix from Lonely Ghost records. I don't have a relationship to the music of oldphone though I am familiar with the name thanks to the Lonely Ghost stamp. Like any DIY artist whose name I hear quite a bit I had planned on jumping on when a new project came around and now the sophomore album is here. If you came for emo, oldphone have a lot to offer. The album's intro, "Flicker," gives us a twinkly riff, some clapping, if you close your eyes, you can imagine the sweat in a tiny club. The same live energy is applied to the following "The City's Alive" but blended with hyperpop percussion. "A sunset" is another track where oldphone feels really tuned in. Where the record starts to fall apart is the production, specifically in the vocals. Songs like "urchildhoodisnevercomingback" are composed very smoothly with elements of both sides of the genre-mash but whose vocal melodies sound comp...