This Track Is Fire!

Last year I discovered this band via a collaboration they did with The Linda Lindas and immediately fell in love. I soon devoured their expanded version of their 2023 debut album, I Love You , with the appropriately titled I Love You Too (which I highlighted on my person blog ). The band shifted more from their punk roots toward power pop, evidenced by their 2025 album GLORY, and while I prefer their initial releases, "MOTHER" is a standout from their current album. It was just last night as I was driving in the car heading to pick up my dauther from work that this song came on and I thought to myself, "this song fucking rocks." Add to that the dark lyrics that are my happy place: I've got Mary on my shoulder Her hand on my back I'm a storm comin' in I'm the skies turning black So yeah, this track is fire! Have a happy and safe New Year tonight! GLORY by Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

Full disclosure, I found out about this album because of this article and I figured I should check out some of these acts and their respective albums. I am still making my way through the list, though there are a few acts listed that I already know very well. This track, however, jumped out at me immediately and I am glad that it did. One listen and I knew immediately that it was my happy place. Hopefully you like it as well. Enjoy!  Don't Become The Thing You Hated by Rotersand

This version of the song was released all the way back in 1959, so it's hardly new. And though I have most certainly heard this track hundreds of times now in my life, I never really listened to it nor paid any particular attention to it. It was just Christmas "static." Honestly, I don't know what changed, other than sometime in the last couple of weeks not only did I start singing along, I started requesting it from my smart speaker. I even added it to my Christmas mix. So, for some reason 66 years after its release this song has become an earworm for me. Merry (day after) Christmas!

So this is Christmas... I can think of no better a way to announce this very day that those words and this song. I hope you're having a lovely and happy Christmas today!

In late 1984 I was just 11 years old, but on my way to deciding what my musical tastes would ultimately be, and this is my first favorite Christmas song. I remember distinctly my parents owning the 45 of this single and playing it during the holiday season.  I'm not sure where that record went, but my love for this song persists, 41 years later. I have a routine setup at home that when I tell my smart speaker "Merry Christmas" the Christmas tree lights up and this song starts playing. That's the love I have for this song. Have a lovely Christmas Eve!

I think from yesterday it's pretty clear that I have an affinity for Christmas music that is not the norm, and this track is no different. And really, shouldn't there be more punk rock songs about Christmas? I think so. Enjoy!

 Let's get this out of the way right now: this is my favorite Christmas song of all time. Perhaps you have you disagree, and you're certainly welcome to, but for me, this the gold standard, not because it's both dark and hopeful, but in many ways it's very real, and I can appreciate that. Enjoy!

Looking back at the last couple of weeks, other than The Cure I have been posting mostly electronic artists. This was not intentional, but as I noted in my previous post , I go through phases. And sometimes you just want to hear minimalist techno. Thankfully, we have RΠЯ. This is what's making me happy today, and yeah, I think it's fire. Happy Friday! Enjoy! New Arche by RΠЯ

I have eclectic tastes, but electronic music is my happy place. I say this because yeah, sometimes there is some intentionality to these posts when it comes to theme (again, the week I covered Canadian artists during a trip to Canada, Depeche Mode during my birthday week, etc.), but sometimes the themes are unintentional because I go through moods. One day/week I may be in the mood for rap, rock, industrial, or like this week, electronic music. That brings us to Four Tet "Three Drums," a lovely piece of IDM with a fun beat that also makes for excellent background music while I work. That's my vibe this week. I've included not only the original track, but also a variaton of same that was performed live. I love them both, so take your pick! Enjoy! Three Drums by Four Tet Live at Alexandra Palace London, 24th May 2023 by Four Tet

The past few weeks of work have been crazy for me, but after Friday this week I am on PTO until after the first of the year, so I am hoping for calm knowing that the next five days are going to be a cacaphony. Which is why I picked this track: it's electronic, my happy place, but relaxed and chill, inviting, even. That's my aspiration for the week. I do not know if that will be my reality, but this entire song is the vibe that I am trying to manifest for myself. I hope you have a good Monday and a great week! Caught Up In The Fire (feat. JONAH) by Ben Böhmer

Is this track new? No, it's actually quite old. Is this track fire? 100% Last night I had the opportunity to go to a viewing of The Cure The Show of a Lost World , which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I wanted to be clear that I am a fan of The Cure with a lowercase "f." I do notn know the deep cuts that hardcore fans might know, in fact, I don't even know Songs of a Lost World especially well .  That said, I saw/heard every song by The Cure that I wanted to witness last night. Every time I thought that the performance was about to wrap up I would think to myself "well, they aren't going to play 'X' song," and then a moment later they would play that very song. It would be easy for me this morning to post "Boys Don't Cry" or "Just Like Heaven," but "The Walk" is the song that put the biggest smile on my face. Maybe to get more blog hits it would make more sense for me to post something from their most recent album in...

What do I know about this band? Almost nothing. Hell, I don't even know how to say their name other than to spell it out. But my friend Holly texted me if I had ever heard of them, which, I had not, but I threw on some tracks and now I am hooked! I try to stay away from posting the same genre of music for each post, unless there's some special reason, like Thanksgiving (thus all the songs about being thankful), or that week we were in Canada so I highlighted only Canadian artists, but God damn, this track is just so good that I had to make an exception even if it is a bit similar to Perturbator. What can I say, I like what I like and this track is FIRE!

  Here's all of the music that I covered for the month of November, 2025. As always, I highly encourage you to actually  purchase  the music that I share here on this blog.  Enjoy!

It was the final Bandcamp Friday of 2025 three days ago, and yes, I made several purchases (more on that later), but one of the standouts is this track by Perturbator. I think the best way I can describe this track, and the entire album, is that it's the soundtrack to a badass sci-fi/action movie that does not yet exist. After making my purchases that afternoon I was listening to them as I drove to/from my friend's house for our weekly poker game when this track came on and I was like, "DAMN!" It's already a solid track, but then at about the 1:15 mark it shifts to this sinister, throbbing beat. Dark Wave, indeed! I love it! Age of Aquarius by PERTURBATOR

As I look out my window today I fully relate to the title of this track, if not the words. Sometimes at the end of the week I want something that adrenalizes me for the weekend, but sometimes, like today, I want a song that feels like a blanket near a fire with a hot mug of something. And while I get that this may not be the happiest song, comfort is sometimes knowing that others have struggled as well. Misery loves company, and all that. Lastly, I wanted to note that this is another track that my daughter introduced me to. I think she's a keeper. Happy Friday!

This is your final reminder this month that it is last Bandcamp Friday of 2025 tomorrow! Always support independent artists and independent music. Buy something cool then come back here and tell me about it!

I just discoverd this song, and its album, last week, and almost immediately I thought to myself, "this is a banger!" I have already added this as to my Bandcamp wishlish for purchase this coming Friday , because I am certain to get an alert from Bandcamp that I can't play this album any more because I have listened too many times without purchasing it. That won't be a concern soon! I still love "classic" EDM artists like Deadmau5, and I was lucky to see some of the (formerly) newer artists this past year (including REZZ), but with Gen Z coming onto the scene I am confident that EDM is in good hands. Enjoy! I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi

  What is Bandcamp Friday, you may ask? All you need to know is right  here . This holiday season it's good to support independent artists and independent music, especially when Bandcamp is foregoing their cut for 24 hours. Buy something cool!

I last posted about Nation of Language back in June and I had not intended to include them again this year, but they released a new album that I patiently waited to drop in price. When it did a few weeks ago I grabbed it, more for Shalee than me, because she absolutely loves Nation of Language. I very much like them as well, but what snippets I had heard from the new album made me think that I preferred their previous release. And yeah, Strange Disciple  is definitely poppier and more accessible, but after several listens I have found the beauty in this more subdued and chill record. That said, this album is one that grows on you in a wonderful way, and now I find myself compelled to exclaim that this track is, indeed, fire! Dance Called Memory by Nation of Language