Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – My Chemical Romance
January 3, 2025
NA NANANA NANANA NANANA NA
Hello all! It’s time to start the new year off strong with one of the most energetic albums I’ve listened to recently—Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by My Chemical Romance. While their earlier work is iconic, MCR surprised me by how well they adapted an indulgent 80s synth-rock sound into both a contemporary release and a sinister, rebellious concept record. If you’ve read most of my recommendations, you know by now how much I love interludes. Danger Days begins with Doctor Death Defy, a recurring pirate radio DJ, who introduces the first song. If you’ve listened to MCR, you know they know how to write an anthem. Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) is a brilliant example. It seems wrong that the simple vocal hook doesn’t get tiresome with the number of times it plays, but it doesn’t; it only adds to the nonstop energy the track captures. Right off the bat, we can hear that this album is going to be a ride. It’s difficult to choose a favorite off this album, since it brings a solid diversity of moods. Na Na Na is a premium pump-up jam, while DESTROYA’s savage power feels like charging into battle after your allies have fallen. S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s gentle heart balances the mania of the record with a calming, nostalgic acoustic sound, while Planetary (GO!)—well, embodies that spacey, laser tag mania. Bulletproof Heart and Save Yourself, I’ll Hold Them Back are among other favorites. Danger Days is a great experience, especially with the overarching concept plot of the machiavellian rule of Battery City and the rebel Killjoys who contest it. The colorful, overdramatic mood masks the deeper danger of the desert as the Killjoys face off against their foes. If I’ve piqued your interest, go give the album a try!
The Downward Spiral – Nine Inch Nails
January 10, 2025
I am BECOMING
This week, it’s time to delve into the sinister with one of the most revolutionary records of the past 30 years. I’m talking about Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral. Of all the genres I appreciate, industrial was one I just never got into. But like with many genres, all it took was a crossover sound. This album manages to crossover with many seemingly conflicting genres like dance, folk, and 80s-style synthwave, while at the same time being one of the most intense industrial records ever recorded, complete with grinding guitar tones and those defining mechanical sounds. Many disregard hardcore rock and metal for being shallow or overly-aggressive—must a bunch of loud noise. But The Downward Spiral balances that aggressive energy with beauty and depth. Each track stands out with its own unique influences, but all are brought together by Trent Reznor’s versatile vocals (Except A Warm Place, which is instrumental) and impeccable production choices. Some tracks that I enjoy include Ruiner, featuring a dreamlike dark fantasy synth over the chorus, Hurt, a moving ending to the record, and Reptile, simultaneously insidious and powerful. I want to choose the beautiful A Warm Place as my favorite track, but that seems like a novice choice, considering it’s the least industrial on the record. however, it serves a keystone purpose on the track listing, to contextualize the screams and static with what a warm place really feels like amid the chaos. Instead, I select The Becoming as my favorite. Equipped with top-notch production and killer vocals, The Becoming really shines in its story of Mr. Self Destruct becoming…something else. The lyrics are deliciously sinister, without hitting the uncomfortable “what am I listening to?” feeling the album sometimes reaches. Add the iconic drilling synth solo in the bridge and the powerful acoustic lines throughout, and The Becoming makes for one of the greatest examples of industrial music to date. Whether you enjoy this album or not, I think we can agree that you will take something interesting away from it. I sure have. And I think that’s a good enough reason to go give it a listen. Who knows? Like me, it may quickly become one of your favorites.
DISCLAIMER: Before listening, I will warn that The Downward Spiral is quite dark. A lot of the lyrics aren’t meant to be taken literally, but more as a look into dark, disturbed thoughts. So, tread mindfully! It’s still an excellent listen.
What If Nothing – WALK THE MOON
January 17, 2025
I can take a beating like a good pair of Headphones.
Hello all! I had planned to recommend a different awesome album this week, but after hearing this one, I chose to prioritize it immediately. Many of you know WALK THE MOON for their massive hits Shut Up and Dance and Anna Sun, but my personal favorites come from What If Nothing, this week’s record! It’s a challenge finding a great no-skip album, especially in the pop genre. But What If Nothing is incredible start to finish. WALK THE MOON knows how to pay homage to the 80s without riding on its coattails. The album is laced with the sounds of The Police and Phil Collins—but most importantly, WALK THE MOON’s signature sound, mixing rock, funk, dance, electronica, and more. The lyrics are not only conducive to catchy many catchy hooks, but are very deep, from unique takes on relationships and individuality to metaphysics. One Foot is the big hit of the record, and deservedly so. Kamikaze’s raw, powerful sound is energetic and hypnotic. Tiger Teeth is one of the most bittersweet songs I’ve ever heard. The Sound of Awakening treats listeners to beautiful and dramatic vocoder production that marks a turn in the album’s narrative. The end of the album doesn’t disappoint, with synth-heavy, danceable In My Mind and the strong conclusion, Lost In The Wild. My favorite has to be Headphones, a hardcore, garage-y track that’s great for pumping yourself up. What If Nothing is an impressive record. It has a very tight cohesion while experimenting with many different moods and instruments. If you’re listening for a “dud” track, you’re going to be waiting a while, because I found practically every moment of this record to be enjoyable. Go give it a listen here!
MANIA – Fall Out Boy
January 24, 2025
YOUNG AND A MENACE
Hello all! This week, I am recommending an album that doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves—MANIA by Fall Out Boy. Following two massive pop rock successes, MANIA dares to incorporate a more electronic sound. This album is Fall Out Boy’s most experimental project since Folie á Deux, and it is awesome. Many fans feel a big divide between “old” and “new” Fall Out Boy. One thing that hasn’t changed is the lyrical quality. MANIA has some of my favorite lyrics of all time: “I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me”, “I’ve been sifting through the sand, looking for pieces of broken hourglass, trying to get it all back, put it back together, as if the time had never passed”. Such imagery! The instrumentals are incredible too. Each song brings something unique to the table, be it hardcore rock, latin, Patrick’s signature R&B/soul, afrobeat, or dubstep. Highlight tracks include epic, cinematic Church, beautiful, soulful Heaven’s Gate, dramatic divergence Young and Menace, and poignant, powerful closer Bishops Knife Trick. My favorite track is the absolutely iconic anthem The Last of the Real Ones, featuring the first chords I ever played on piano! Overall, this record is an experiment, and to me, a successful one. While some punk-purist fans disliked the electronic pop sound, I think MANIA is one of the most diverse and ambitious records of their catalog. And with the release of So Much (For) Stardust introducing an 80s orchestral rock style, MANIA feels like the perfect closer to FOB’s pop era. Go give it a listen!
Sam’s Town – The Killers
January 31, 2025
We hope you enjoyed your stay…
Hello all, and welcome to this week’s album recommendation! This week, I am covering the under-appreciated classic that is Sam’s Town by The Killers. Following their massive hit record Hot Fuss, The Killers created a worthy successor that I feel surpasses the first. Sam’s Town delves into a darker mood, contrasted with soaring highs, and all underpinned with a theatrical ambience reminiscent of the carnival and The Killer’s signature desert sound. Brandon brings his all to the vocals, Mark and Dave treat us to some of the band’s best instrumentals, and Ronnie is still the king of cymbals. Some favorite tracks include the contemplative and hopeful Bling (Confessions of a King), energetic Bones (some of the best brass work in a song!), gritty Uncle Jonny, and swelling This River is Wild. The highlight of the album to me is When You Were Young, the pinnacle exemplar of The Killer’s mastery of bittersweet. If you don’t like every song on Sam’s Town right off the bat, I suspect they will quickly grow on you like they did for me. Front to back, Sam’s Town feels like a journey through your history, your psychology, and the remains of a windswept fairground in the middle of the salt flats. Go check it out, and enjoy!
Little Dark Age – MGMT
February 7, 2025
All alone, horrified, on the stage my LITTLE DARK AGE
Hello all! This week we’re taking a look at one of the most beloved albums of the decade, a record that teaches us that pop and artistry are far from mutually exclusive. I’m talking about MGMT’s Little Dark Age. Releasing in 2018, Little Dark Age is as much a callback to the 80s as it is a trip into a pretty trippy future. With tantalizing synths and a mixture of danceable rhythms and peculiar harmonies, this record really knows how to maximize what it’s working with. Even more minimalist songs use every one of their traits to their advantage in creating something catchy and meaningful. The album, despite it’s dreamlike fun, is drenched in dreadful trepidation. Songs delve into the existential nature of death, of dark thoughts walking dark corridors. There is almost something gothic about this brooding fantasy. My favorite track has to be Little Dark Age, an inspiration and a masterclass. Every element meshes to create an indulgent soundscape perfectly deserving of the album’s title. The bass? Iconic. The spooky synths? Iconic! However, a close second goes to One Thing Left to Try, a deranged, dramatic exploration of mortality. Another track that connects with me is When You’re Small, which manages to make witty puns insightful and deep. Other favorites include spacey, energetic She Works Out Too Much, and beautiful Me and Michael. Go listen to this record—There is a lot to appreciate.
Shatter Me – Lindsey Stirling
February 14, 2025
We are giants!
Hello all, and Happy Valentine’s! If you’ve exhausted drowning your romantic sorrows in MCR, I recommend bringing up the mood and trying out an album I’ve loved for years, and one that has held up on every listen. Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling released in 2014, following her eponymous debut album. If you’re not familiar with her sound, it’s essentially (barring the featured vocalist tracks) Lindsey shredding violin solos over EDM and dubstep beats. If you don’t think that sounds appealing…you’re wrong. Shatter Me adopts a more bass-y, club-oriented sound than her previous work. Shatter Me also really introduces the dramatic, orchestral sound on tracks like Take Flight and Beyond the Veil that she would later lean into. I have so many favorite tracks off this album. Roundtable Rival, a rocky, old west-style track, is unbelievably powerful. It may be the greatest song for a fight scene ever recorded. Shatter Me, the title track and a killer collaboration with Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, brings a moody, steampunk energy, a meaningful story, and an electric sound. We Are Giants is an excellent pump-up track with airy vocals from Dia Frampton. Night Vision offers a powerful, off-balance feeling while Ascendance is aptly-named for its soaring atmosphere. Finally, Master of Tides provides the perfect closing to the track listing, featuring beautiful arrangements that never fail to move me (by the way, while her surprise performance in the music video is really impressive, I would recommend listening to the album arrangement). My favorite track has to go to Mirror Haus. Its driving energy and insanely catchy chorus solidify it as a personal highlight. Mirror Haus feels so concise—there is nothing unnecessary. It holds back just enough to let every bit if itself wind up and hit hard. One of my favorite elements of Lindsey’s writing is her arrangements, such as in Mirror Haus. EDM often balances on the ledge of repetitive boringness, but her songs never fail to bring something new. She has managed to fit classical writing into a pop format, without compromising what makes the violin great. This mix keeps every track catchy yet unexpected. I think there is a lot to be learned from her impressive catalog. Go give Shatter Me a listen!
Master of Tides (album version):
Vessel – Twenty Øne Piløts
February 21, 2025
AND I’LL BE HOLDING ON TO YOU!
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending an album that’s special to a lot of people. It’s Vessel by Twenty Øne Pilots. While their earlier work is great, Vessel is the band’s first real record, bolstering their popularity into Blurryface and the Trench story. But Vessel shouldn’t be overlooked. Along with boasting some of the band’s most classic hits, Vessel’s back half is jam-packed with excellent tracks. The sound seamlessly blends electronica, hip hop (I know, “this is not rap this is not hip hop”), pop, screamo, and…whatever piano and ukulele genre is? Josh introduces himself with some super fun drum grooves, while Tyler keeps you on your toes with his voice—will he belt a beautiful melody, lay down an intense, Migraine-nasal rap, or scream his heart out? All of them express the truth of Vessel’s meaningful story. My favorites include the classic Holding On To You, intense Car Radio, energetic anthem Guns For Hands, and beautiful Semi-Automatic. My favorite track has to be Fake You Out, a song that’s so gentle yet so powerful. It holds a lot of emotional weight to me, due to the pairing of deep lyrics and excellent songwriting. This album means a lot to many of TøP’s early fans, but also to later fans (like me!). The developing metaphor of sleep and the dark thoughts that can creep from the dark of the night make it a great album to listen to before sleeping. It feels like fighting off your demons until you can reach a truce. Stay alive for Tyler, everyone. Stay alive for me.
10,000 gecs – 100 gecs
February 28, 2025
You’ll never really know, knowknowknow, knowknowknow, anything about me, mememe, mememe!
Hello all! This week, I am recommending a pretty crazy album by the name of 10,000 gecs by 100 gecs. They clearly used the creativity for the name for the album itself, because if this album is anything, it’s creative. The revolutionary hyperpop duo’s second release is even more ambitious than the first, mixing a heavier rock influence with ska, metalcore, hip-hop, and more. Before listening, I want to address probably the most important issue most have with the record—it sounds bad. I don’t disagree. And this “bad” sound is the genius of 100 gecs. The appeal of many genres is not the perfect harmonies and clean production. Where would we be without the intensity of industrial, punk, or dubstep? I would argue that the challenge of 100 gecs is this: How bad can we make this sound before you turn it off? After listening to this record, I realized that it’s not just a torrent of overblown drums, pitchy synths, and guitar feedback. There are flecks of beauty hidden in the chaotic atmosphere, and those flecks are the heart of the album. When the high notes in Hollywood Baby bridge or the Doritos and Fritos prechorus hits, it feels all the more emotional and important. The bad parts make it unique, and the beautiful parts make it meaningful. Hollywood Baby is insanely catchy, as is Doritos and Fritos. 757 is energetic and vibey. Frog on the floor provides a much-needed breath of the relief, providing a calm, indie sound. Despite it’s strange sound, I got my tooth removed is unexpectedly insightful. My favorite comes as the closing track, mememe. The lyrics hit hard mixed with a happy façade, detailing hiding your truth self from those who don’t care to know the real you. If you can stomach the overstimulation, I think you’ll find that this album is so much more than a bunch of silly nonsense. It’s a diamond coated in mud. And maybe that’s on purpose—maybe that’s why you found it. Maybe that’s why it’s important.
From Under The Cork Tree – Fall Out Boy
March 7, 2025
I set my clocks early ’cause I know I’m always late!
Hello all! This week, it’s time to recommend the pop punk legend itself, From Under the Cork Tree. The scene can argue if it’s punk, if it’s emo, if it’s pop, if it’s trash. We all know that this album was big in its time, and I think that’s for a good reason. Following the success of Take This To Your Grave, Fall Out Boy worked to develop an individualized sound, combining their roots in hardcore, soul, and more. TTTYG boasts hits such as Dance, Dance and Sugar We’re Goin’ Down. Many laud the creative lyrics of this album, dripping with sarcasm and conflict. however, an aspect that should not be ignored is Patrick Stump’s development as a singer and songwriter. He really found his comfort zone on this record, not being afraid to experiment and further the punk formula. Tracks like Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner, Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year, or A Little Less Sixteen Candles are exemplars of what we love about pop punk, whereas other tracks such as Dance, Dance or 7 Minutes in Heaven push where the genre can reach. This reaching sound would propel Fall Out Boy straying from the formula more and more in their subsequent releases. Some may brand this as selling out or betraying their punk roots. Maybe they’re right. But it’s easy to write the same record again and again for 20 years, and I commend them for always bringing something new and interesting to the table. There are a lot of great favorite contenders—hits Dance, Dance and A Little Less Sixteen Candles more than earned the spot. While underrated bonus track The Music Or the Misery claims a high placement, my favorite might just have to go to Of All the Gin Joints in All the World. It feels comforting in the same way someone relating to your problems does. It’s not saying everything is fine. It’s saying that even when things feel bad, it’s OK anyway. If you haven’t already, go check out this record. And if you have? Give it a revisit! I think it will be worth it.