It’s a brand new year and you know what that means right? New music! Much like I did last year on my weekly list for The Record, I’ll be looking at 50 bands that I think you should add to your playlists. You might know some of these guys, or some of them might be fresh faces. Here’s some artists to check for in 2018.
Teenage Wrist
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Out Now: Chrome Neon Jesus (Epitaph)
For Fans Of: My Bloody Valentine, Silversun Pickups, Whirr
Shoegaze is back and it came back in a strong way. From the City of Angels comes this alt-rock trio born in 2015 as a side project from bassist/vocalist Kamtin Mohager’s band the Chain Gang of 1974 and guitarist/vocalist Marshall Gallagher’s band Swing Hero. Along with their drummer Anthony Salazar, the shoegaze trio play songs that sound like they were written during the heyday of the shoegaze movement in the 90s. On their debut record “Chrome Neon Jesus,” Teenage Wrist combine “dreamy vocals with distorted guitars and massive dynamics,” making it an unforgettable sound that’ll last in your ears for months to come. Oh, and FYI, “Chrome Neon Jesus” was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Carlos De La Garza (Night Riots, Paramore, Wolf Alice.) The band will be playing the second day of the Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, GA, along with Queens of the Stone Age, Cake, and Parquet Courts.
Song to Listen to: “Swallow”
Color Killer
Hometown: Marlborough, MA
Out Now: TBA (Self-released)
For Fans Of: Descendents, The Offspring, Teenage Bottlerocket
Okay, so these punk rockers have played 20 shows since their formation last summer, they covered Green Day and the Dead Kennedys, and they’re playing Warped Tour this summer. Not bad for a bunch of children who only started their band last August. Color Killer is a trio of friends ranging from 8 to 11-years-old who just want to play good old fashioned punk music in the same vein as NOFX and Bad Religion, and they’re doing pretty damn well for themselves. Guitarist/vocalist Lincoln, bassist/vocalist Nate, and drummer Matt, are doing things that bands half or even double their age were dreaming of when they were their ages. What can I say, these kids rock.
Song to Listen to: “Go To Bed”
*repeat repeat
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Out Now: Floral Canyon (Dangerbird)
For Fans Of: Best Coast, MGMT, The White Stripes
If you read my review of their show this week, you can clearly tell that I’m in love with this husband/wife duo. Hailing from Nashville is this married duo who combine catchy indie pop magic with the raw energy that’s grunge. While that sounds like a bad idea, Jared and Kristyn Corder make it work in their own quirky style. You can hear the tow of them work their magic on their sophomore album “Floral Canyon” which dropped last year and it’s one hell of a ride. Songs like “Girlfriend,” “Plugged In,” and the seven minute long “Speaker Destroyer” are just pure ear candy. Don’t be surprised if you’re hooked by the first choruses. To quote my review, “With their combination of grunge with surf rock and indie pop, I’m sure this Nashville based duo will go pretty far in their career.”
Song to Listen to: “Girlfriend”
Jay Som
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Out Now: Everybody Works (Polyvinyl)
For Fans Of: Courtney Barnett, Frankie Cosmos, Kurt Vile
Looks like Courtney Barnett better watch her back because there’s another quirky singer/songwriter coming into the music world. 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist Melina Duterte has been growing her career ever since she started in the early 2010s, releasing music on BandCamp before signing to Polyvinyl (American Football, Jeff Rosenstock, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin) in 2016, re-releasing “Turn Into.” With her debut album out “Everybody Works,” the young musician plans on expanding her horizons, touring with the likes of Peter Bjorn and John, Japanese Breakfast, and Honeyblood and playing festivals like Green Music Festival, Music Tastes Good, and Big Winter Classic. Maybe by the end of the year Duterte will become a well-known name in the indie scene. Jay Som will be playing Panorama NYC on July 28 with Janet Jackson, PVRIS, and SZA.
Song to Listen to: “Baybee”
PKEW PKEW PKEW
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Out Now: + One (SideOneDummy)
For Fans Of: The Flatliners, Jeff Rosenstock, PUP
To quote their Facebook, PKEW PKEW PKEW (named after the sound of a gunshot) are made up of “Cool dudes. That’s it for now. Just cool fuckin’ dudes.” Formed in the early 2010s are these cool dudes from up north, playing punk music that the Vans Warped Tour truly needs, and it’s a goddamn shame these boys aren’t on it. PKEW PKEW PKEW (or simply put as PKEWX3) are a punk band that we all seriously need to put on our radars. Hell, we did the same to Canadian punkers PUP and you know how well that worked for them. PKEWX3 is the type of band that you skateboard to and down a can of Pabst to. They’ve toured with such distinguished groups such as Reel Big Fish, Direct Hit!, and of course, PUP. SideOneDummy Records (AJJ, Microwave, PUP) signed them last year and re-released their debut album “+ One” so that more people could hear their mighty sound. It’s fun music made by fun dudes who just wanna have fun. You wouldn’t pass up on “the Lance Armstrongs of music” now, would you?
Song to Listen to: “Before We Go Out Drinking”
Calpurnia
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Out Now: City Boy – Single (Royal Mountain)
For Fans Of: Mac DeMarco, The Orwells, Twin Peaks
Hey, that guy in the middle looks familiar. Have I seen him before? Actually, it’s Finn Wolfhard who plays Mike Wheeler in the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” He, along with his bandmates Malcolm Craig (drums,) Ayla Tesler-Mabe (guitar,) and Jack Anderson (bass,) who, like Wolfhard, is an actor, too. The group formed last year and gained popularity due to Wolfhard’s success in “Stranger Things” and the 2017 horror hit “It.” Twin Peaks’ frontman Cadien Lake James will produce Calpurnia’s upcoming debut EP which will drop sometime soon on the Canadian based record label Royal Mountain (Alvvays, Mac DeMarco, White Reaper.) If you like garage rock or bands that have popular actors in them, check out Calpurnia.
Song to Listen to: “City Boy”
Story Untold
Hometown: Laval, Quebec, Canada
Out Now: Waves (Hopeless)
For Fans Of: Broadside, Hit The Lights, Simple Plan
Ladies and gentlemen, I think we found the scene’s next big thing. JStory Untold come from Quebec, and they’re here to show the world their version of pop-punk. The quintet are influenced by everyone ranging from pop-punk acts like Green Day, Sum 41, and All Time Low, to pop acts like Paramore, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry. Vocalist Janick Thibault’s sounds so smooth and sweet, accompanied with his bandmates Jessy Bergy and Max Cloutier (guitarists,) Aiden Von Rose (bassist,) and Jonthan Landry (drummer.) They even have a Wikipedia page that contains a lot of info about each member, almost as if they were Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy. The band will appear on all dates of this year’s Vans Warped Tour and will play Rockfest in Quebec from June 14 to the 16 along with Weezer, Cannibal Corpse, and The Plot In You.
Song to Listen to: “In Or Out”
Movements
Hometown: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Out Now: Feel Something (Fearless)
For Fans Of: Balance and Composure, Real Friends, Trophy Eyes
Here’s the thing: if you didn’t see Movements last year at Warped Tour, DO NOT MISS THEM THIS YEAR. This band has been around for a while, but started to gain speed when Fearless Records (Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, Ice Nine Kills, Underoath) signed them back in 2015. After releasing their EP “Outgrown Things” which featured their hit song “Kept,” the band started to stand out in the crowd, attracting people to them like moths to flames. The band combines elements of emo with post-hardcore, and they have some very powerful and hard-hitting lyrics. Songs like “Deadly Dull” and “Nineteen” tug on the heartstrings. Missing out on Movements during this year’s Warped Tour will be a grave mistake for you. The band is currently touring North America along with Can’t Swim, Super Whatevr, and Gleemer.
Song to Listen to: “Daylily”
For The Win
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Out Now: Heavy Thoughts (Victory)
For Fans Of: A Day To Remember, I Call Fives, These Hearts
Okay okay, For The Win aren’t a new band. The San Diego quintet have been around since 2010 and have gone through numerous lineup changes, but their current lineup is nothing but solid. Vocalist Kyle Christensen, guitarists Matt Jimenez and Lee Chambers, bassist Giovanni Suarez, and drummer Omat Nieto have great chemistry together and together they roll out the punches. Their newest release “Heavy Thoughts” was just released late last year on Chicago based label Victory Records (Dead Girls Academy, Seeker, The Tossers) and it features some incredible songs like the pop-punk jam “All Or Nothing” and the A Day To Remember-esque “Dancing Shoes.” The group just currently wrapped up a tour in Japan.
Song to Listen to: “All Or Nothing”
The Unlikely Candidates
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Out Now: Danger To Myself (Deluxe) – EP (Red Music)
For Fans Of: Cold War Kids, Finish Ticket, Young The Giant
It took them over a decade, but The Unlikely Candidates are finally getting the recognition they deserved for quite some time. Formed in 2008, the Texan based alt-rock quintet first hit it big when their song “Ringer” was playing on alternative channels late last year. Now with a deluxe version of their EP “Danger To Myself” dropping on Red Music (Aaron Carter, Fozzy, New Years Day) and a guest spot on The Dirty Heads song “Celebrate,” The Unlikely Candidates are finally on a roll. Vocalist Kyle Morris, guitarists Brenton Carney and Cole Male, bassist Jared Hornbeek, and drummer Kevin Goddard make up this powerful group, filled with enough pop and rock to entertain fans of both genres. I’m unofficially calling 2018 the year of the Unlikely Candidates. The band will play a one-off show with rock trio Highly Suspect this Friday, March 23, at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX.
Song to Listen to: “Oh My Dear Lord”
Check out next week for the final list!
Punk Goes Prenatt 