Lav's Music Corner

This week's rapid fire reviews are, for lack of a better term, called "girl noise," which is the only way I could think to cover the punk, hardcore, pop punk, indie punk, and noise pop that makes up this group of artists. I've grasped at thinner straws than this for rapid-fire reviews in the past. Enjoy. Are We All Angels  - Scowl Scowl are a California hardcore band whose reputation as a ferocious live act preceded me ever hearing their studio material after their 2021 debut missed me. In fact, it was one of those live performances that first got me interested in the band, and that hype built alongside some of the singles from this record. In particular, it was “Not Hell, Not Heaven” that really grabbed me and worked as an excellent proof of concept of how the band can bounce between their most pop-friendly ambition and bombastic tension-inducing urges. That gave way to “B.A.B.E.,” which arguably executes the formula every bit as well.  If you follow the discourse su...

I was on vacation last week so this is actyually the best new tracks of the past TWO weeks. *kisses* 5.  Neon Signs  - The Weather Station I loved The Weather Stations last album in 2022, even though many fans seemed to overlook it in the wake of its more instrumentally verbose predecessor. That's why I was nervous that when the project left its gentle acoustic meditation behind I may not enjoy it as much. Thankfully with one single under her belt for the 2025 follow-up, The Weather Station seems fully committed to taking the songwriting I loved about her last record and expanding it with a more versatile sound palette and I like it so far.  Listen 4.  Funny Man  - Chat Pile While I wasn't crazy the previous lighter Chat Pile single, this one sees the band digging directly back down into the depths of their harrowing metal instincts. That includes everything from grinding circular guitar riffs to booming drums to an excellent vocal performance that's captivating...

This week some big favorites dropped duds and the best songs came from a few surprising places.  5.  Life  - Jamie xx (feat. Robyn) Even lacking the variety of his legendary debut album, the singles from Jamie xx's long-awaited follow-up have still been satisfying. Life  sees him teaming up with Robyn, who appears to be fully back in 2024, for what may be the most satisfying of the bunch. Jamie's vibrant house beats combine with Robyn's unmistakable direct swagger for a crossover that meets the moment perfectly. Listen 4.  TGIF  - GloRilla Glo isn't slowing down off the release of her admittedly pretty solid mixtape earlier this year. Her voice continues to be one of the most commanding in all of rap and the sparse popping beats she chooses to lend it to make things hit even harder. Even if this track has one or two lyrical moments that tend to drag down the energy with silly punchlines it's still an absolutely thumping song.  Listen 3.  Favourite...

Beach Bunny is a Chicago based indie pop band who first blew up on the back of their song Prom Queen  in 2019. They transitioned into 2020 with a debut album on Mom + Pop records early in the year and are following it up with this 4 track EP of songs recorded during quarantine.  Review By Lav: I enjoyed Beach Bunny's debut last year quite a bit as a simple, fun, surfy indie pop record that flashed a ton of potential. I was hoping to catch the band at Shaky Knees Festival later in the year but it was obviously cancelled and I've been waiting since for more material from Beach Bunny. I was surprised it came so soon with the Blame Game  EP and a bit nervous that this was nothing more than a B-Side collection from the debut album. Whether it is or not may be hard to ever know for sure but it certainly doesn't sound like it because most of these tracks I really enjoy.  The EP had a lead single that came out last year and I quite enjoy it. Good Girl (Don't Get Used)  ...