It’s here, the final one of 2020. After lack of motivation and Animal Crossing caused numerous delays, I can wrap up this series properly.
Here at Punk Goes Prenatt, for the past 10 weeks, I gave you 100 artists that you needed to tune your attention to throughout 2020. This list featured numerous acts from numerous genres.
This is part ten of ten. If you didn’t read the previous list, click here.
Doja Cat
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Out Now: Hot Pink (Kemosabe/RCA)
For Fans Of: Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Santigold
Meet the new Nicki Minaj. Doja Cat, real name Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, first rose to popularity with her joke song “Mooo!” went viral in 2018. In the span of two years, she dropped her debut Amala in 2018 and her latest record Hot Pink back in November. The record is a major change in her style, trading in her dancehall vibes for pop and funk. She even appeared on the Birds Of Prey soundtrack with the killer track “Boss Bitch.” Oh, and to give her some scene cred, “Bottom Bitch” samples Blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again?”, so that’s something. She’s collaborated with acts like Tyga, Gucci Mane, and even Nicki Minaj herself on the remix of her big hit “Say So.” Her Hot Pink tour was postponed due to COVID-19 and hopefully it’ll start later this year.
Song to Listen to: “Say So”
Off Road Minivan
Hometown: Red Hook, NY
Out Now: Swan Dive (Tooth & Nail)
For Fans Of: Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World, Thrice
When he’s not busy kicking ass in the metalcore band Fit For A King, bassist Ryan Tuck O’Leary is throwing it old school with his other project Off Road Minivan. The alt rock quintet bounce between 90’s grunge and heartfelt emo vibes. Think Dashboard Confessional meets Thrice; that’s a good description of their sound. ORM formed in 2018 and have released one EP and one full-length album called Swan Dive which dropped earlier this month on Tooth & Nail Records (Alexander Fairchild, Hearts Like Lions, Mae.) The band have done shows with Chase Huglin, Blis., and Davey Muise & The Sons Of Zero. So if you’re a fan of FFAK, why not check out the glorious tunes of ORM.
Song to Listen to: “YOU”
NOT A TOY
Hometown: Denver, CO
Out Now: J Cash – Single (Fearless)
For Fans Of: AJR, grandson, twenty one pilots
The Denver-based collective NOT A TOY are quite mysterious. Formed from the ashes of the rock band Shatterproof, NOT A TOY are here to wow you with their charm. They don’t consider themselves a band, but as a collective of four creatives. They don’t just make music, they make their clothes, their videos, and even their artwork. Simply put, NOT A TOY are one of the most fascinating groups to appear in the scene in a very long time. You might’ve heard of them when they were announced as the newest act to join Fearless Records (Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, The Pretty Reckless, Underoath) during their Fearless At Home livestream earlier this month. As their label puts it, “If Kanye West and Pharrell joined forces to produce a rock group co-fronted by Jesse Rutherford and Lana Del Rey, it might sound something like Not a Toy.” NOT A TOY are not to be toyed with.
Song to Listen to: “J Cash”
Black Pumas
Hometown: Austin, TX
Out Now: Black Pumas (ATO)
For Fans Of: Durand Jones & The Indications, Leon Bridges, St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Tears For Fears. The Black Keys. City Morgue. What do all of those bands have in common? They’re all duos, and so is this band: Black Pumas. The soulful R&B duo have only been around for three years and have already done so much. One of those accomplishments was being nominated for Best New Artist at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards back in January. While they didn’t win, one of them does have one under his belt. Guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada won a Grammy with his previous band Grupo Fantasma in 2010 for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. In 2019, the duo signed with Dave Matthews’s record label ATO Records (The Bronx, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Primus.) So far, they’ve done shows with Norah Jones, Toadies, and Anderson East. With COVID-19 hitting the country, the duo are using their spare time to help out various venues and record shops in their city with some fundraisers.
Song to Listen to: “Colors”
Alex Lahey
Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Out Now: Sucker For Punishment – Single (Nicky Boy/Dead Oceans)
For Fans Of: A.W., Courtney Barnett, Paramore
If Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance loves your stuff, that means you’re doing something right. He got chills when he heard her rendition of their classic hit “Welcome To The Black Parade” for Triple J’s recurring Like A Version series. That’s one of the many growing highlights in the musical career of 27-year-old singer-songwriter Alex Lahey. Influenced by The Killers and Dolly Parton, Lahey’s career skyrocketed with the success of the 2017 track “Every Day’s The Weekend,” which went gold in her native Australia. She’s even making some small waves in the pop-punk community when she appeared on a previous Prenatt’s Picks band Stand Atlantic’s reimagined song “Skinny Dipping.” She’s done shows with Liam Gallagher, The National, and Cyndi Lauper, and if COVID-19 lets up later this year, she’ll be touring with City And Colour in October. But for real, check out her MCR cover, it’s amazing.
Song to Listen to: “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself”
DRAIN
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Out Now: California Cursed (Revelation)
For Fans Of: Absence Of Mine, No Option, Vamachara
“[DRAIN] could prove to be one of hardcore’s biggest names in the immediate future.” That’s what British music magazine Discovered said about the Cali hardcore punks when reviewing their new album California Cursed. Formed in 2014 and barely consisting of any original members (drummer Tim Flegal is the last one,) the quartet have hit several incredible milestones. For example, they achieved international press, did a photo shoot with Santa Cruz skateboards, and signed with the legendary hardcore label Revelation Records, the label behind Sick Of It All, Gorilla Biscuits, and Texas Is The Reason. They’ve done shows with Slapshot, Vein, Cruel Hand, Power Trip, and Gulch. Simply put, DRAIN is your friend.
Song to Listen to: “California Cursed”
Vaines
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Out Now: Summer’s Over – Single (Hopeless)
For Fans Of: gnash, Lauv, Troye Sivan
Meet the most overlooked artist on Hopeless Records (The Dangerous Summer, Lil Xtra, ROAM.) Jared Gaines, the man behind Vaines, had a horrible childhood and developed an over-the-top personality to cope, thus allowing his creativity to blossom into songwriting. That’s where Vaines was born. And while his music sounds poppy, he isn’t attached to labels. “I used to make metal music, then I made rock songs, then I made pop songs, and now I make whatever I want,” he told All Access Music. “I rapped as a kid so now if I feel like it, I’ll rap on a song. I’ve grown into the artist I’ve wanted to be for years and I fully expect my sound to continue to evolve as the years go by. If you hear too much of the same thing from me, I’ve failed myself as an artist and you should burn me at the stake.” He signed with Hopeless last year. Definitely check out Vaines when you can.
Song to Listen to: “Summer’s Over”
Bob Vylan
Hometown: London, UK
Out Now: We Live Here – Single (Venn)
For Fans Of: Bad Brains, Ho99o9, Scarlxrd
Meet Bobby and Bobb13, the incredible minds behind London’s heavy-hitting hardcore-rock-rap-grime act Bob Vylan (yes they’re named after Bob Dylan.) NME described them with, “Melding the attack of grime with the bite of punk, Bob Vylan couldn’t be further from their folksy namesake; instead, they take on gentrifying yuppies, gap-yah enthusiasts and amateur film photographers with paralysing lyrical venom.” They’ve done shows with Slaves (UK) and Gallows, and if COVID-19 wasn’t fucking up everyones’ plans, they were scheduled to play 2000trees this July with The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Creeper, and Lizzy Farrall. Bob Vylan might be playing next year for the makeup dates.
Song to Listen to: “We Live Here”
Dealer
Hometown: Springbrook, Queensland, Australia
Out Now: Saint – EP (Stay Sick)
For Fans Of: Bury Your Dead, Misery Signals, Vein
What happens when you combine the former and current members of Alpha Wolf, Capture The Crown, Northlane, Iconoclast and Codeine King? You get one of Australia’s greatest supergroup. Vocalist Aidan Holmes (ex-Alpha Wolf) and his merry group of men go hard every single time, and they’re not giving you a second to catch your breath. To be quite blunt, their shit hits hard. Dealer have played with Varials and Spite, and they just had to cut their US tour with Spite and UnityTX short due to…you know. New dates will be unveiled soon. Because one thing’s for sure: nothing fucks with Dealer.
Song to Listen to: “Tourniquet”
Ash Bricky
Hometown: San Joaquin, CA
Out Now: Rats, Mice, And More… (Self-Released)
For Fans Of: Jeff Rosenstock, Laura Stevenson, Neutral Milk Hotel
Sometimes you find an artist you like in the most peculiar way. I discovered singer-songwriter Ash Bricky from YouTuber Movieunleashers, well known for his Starters series, who animated his video for “Chowchilla Song.” Sounding like a crust punk version of Car Seat Headrest and Neutral Milk Hotel, Bricky might be young, but his songs sound like they were crafted from the soul of an old punk. He mixes in several genres with his style, adding in ambient, folk punk, indie, avant-garde, and emo. Give him some time before you see him at The Fest, he’ll fit in just fine.
Song to Listen to: “Chowchilla Song”
Well that’s it, 100 bands across the span of (nearly) 10 weeks. I hope you enjoyed this list as much as I did making it. If you want to read last year’s list, featuring Capstan, Year Of The Knife, Beach Bunny, shortly, and Spanish Love Songs, click the links provided underneath each band. Hope to see you all soon!
Punk Goes Prenatt 