Every week the Melodic staff assembles a Weekly Roundup playlist of songs we can’t stop listening to. This week we were taken with artists who gave us vibes of the 90’s to the early 00’s.
Here are some of the highlights:
1. “Rockwell” – Chaz Cardigan
Blasting off with high pitch vocals and a driving beat, “Rockwell” quickly ascends into a chorus that we dare you not to shout along with. However, the coolest part of this track may be a little over halfway through, when the song takes an unexpected turn, easing up and becoming an emotional acoustic ballad (“stay with you all my life/ the kids go to high school where we met”) before launching right back into the dance-y rock we thought it was. Bringing to mind an array of influences, including The Talking Heads and Fleetwood Mac, Chaz Cardigan is an artist that you’re going to want to say you knew before the hype.
2. “I Don’t Talk to Boys That Make Me Cry” – Penny Lame
With an anthemic chorus that brings to mind My Chemical Romance in their Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge days, Penny Lame’s latest single is one that is bound to get stuck in your head for days on end. She sounds like she’s pushing her voice to its limits when she sing-screams “You think I’m falling for it this time/ But I don’t care if you live or die/ I don’t talk to boys that make me cry,” and it’s not in vain. We can’t wait to see what Penny Lame comes out with next.
3. “Bang My Head” – hanna ögonsten
“I bang my head against the wall until every trace of you is gone…” Ouch. These lyrics alone in hanna ögonsten’s latest single give us a visceral reaction— we can already feel the headache— but in the best way. The perfect song for singing along to post-breakup, or just post any situation where you feel like telling someone to, ahem, “f__k off.”
4. “Afghan” – Longsleeves
Drawing influence from the alternative/emo sound we all know and love from the early 00’s, Longsleeves sounds like we could have seen them on a tour with Taking Back Sunday, Acceptance, or Spitalfield back in the day. Lucky for us that this band’s time is just beginning, and we’re excited to see Longsleeves bringing back a familiar vibe but also adding in their own twists. If you dig it, be sure to check out the band’s full EP, Joyrider.
5. “The Shipping Forecast” – David Kirby
This song is like comfort food for those of us who grew up in the 90’s. Kirby’s vocals give off a lot of personality, and it’s easy to imagine this song blasting from the radio in your parents’ car, fitting in nicely with the likes of Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler, or Barenaked Ladies. We’re welcoming this trip down memory lane with open arms, and we think you will too.
You can listen to more of our picks on our Spotify playlist below. Don’t forget to hit that “follow” button!
Full playlist:
1. “Rockwell” – Chaz Cardigan
2. “In My Head” – Lights ft. Josh Dun
3. “maybe” – Machine Gun Kelly ft. Bring Me the Horizon
4. “Keepintouch” – Love You Later
5. “Honey Brains” – Royal Blood
6. “I Don’t Talk to Boys That Make Me Cry” – Penny Lame
7. “Stumble” – Jordan Jones
8. “Wild” – Britt Lari
9. “Like I Did” – Jackson Guthy
10. “Bang My Head” – hanna ögonsten
11. “Ciao” – Charles Fauna
12. “Good Ones” – Charli XCX
13. “xx” – The Millennial Club
14. “Afghan” – Longsleeves
15. “Friends, Right?” – AMWIN
16. “January” – KUSHYKUSH
17. “The Shipping Forecast” – David Kirby
18. “Faded” – I Fight Fail ft. Aj Perdomo
19. “To Know I Hurt You – stripped” – Drew Schueler
20. “When You Hold Me” – May Payne
21. “Dear Karma” – Felicia Lu
