Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo
March 14, 2025
FROM MY HEART AND FROM MY HAND…
Greetings all! I hope you’re ready for me to recommend a true classic album. It’s Dead Man’s Party by Oingo Boingo. A half-dozen-some piece fronted by visionaries Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek, Oingo Boingo was formed in the late 70s and experimented with many genres during their existence, including ska, punk, jazz, and more. All come together to form a pretty unforgettable experience. A fan-favorite project is 1985’s Dead Man’s Party, featuring blowup hits like Weird Science and Dead Man’s Party. The album is considered the peak of the band’s ska sound. It features complex arrangements and catchy hooks, never afraid to diverge from the usual rock lineup with unexpected instruments, from ska horns to lightning-fast xylophones. The whole album is packed with an unmatched energy and shaded with hints of macabre humor, exploring death, love, introspection, and the end of the world. Some favorites include fun and spooky Dead Man’s Party, macabre No One Lives Forever, disconcerting Just Another Day, certified jam Same Man I Was Before, and the emotional heart of the record, Stay. My favorite must go to Weird Science. There is a reason it was a big hit. The closing track channels the electricity of the album into an explosive, ever-moving masterpiece. This whole record has that “looking over your shoulder while being chased through a funhouse” feeling. In fact, if I were ever chased through a funhouse, I would want none other than Oingo Boingo performing. Don’t wait for the Halloween season! Give Dead Man’s Party a try. You may find it’s not just another day.
Evanescence – Evanescence
March 21, 2025
High, above the world below…
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending a terribly underrated record. It’s Evanescence’s eponymous third release. This album sees a bit of a divergence from orchestra, emphasizing intricate synthesizers and arguably the most metal, prog sound Evanescence has experimented with. This marks a stepping stone in their sound leading into the complex arrangements of Synthesis. There are no words to compliment Amy Lee’s voice. If you appreciate good singing, listen to any Amy Lee project. If you like heavy rock with ambient synths and a pop flavor, Evanescence (the album) is the record for you. Standout tracks include What You Want (that drum intro is iconic), soaring The Other Side, powerful Never Go Back, and the sweetly tragic album closer, Swimming Home. While my favorite song of Synthesis is The End of the Dream, one song overtakes it on Evanescence. It is My Heart is Broken. The visceral emotion driving the track makes it shine with blinding colors and powerful heart. Follow your heart! Listen to this album!
Soundtracks for the Blind – SWANS
March 28, 2025
Screaming out your name.
Hello all! This week, I have a properly insane record that was recommended to me, that I am in turn sharing with you. Metal music can express intensity and anger. Records like The Downward Spiral capture a feeling of chaos, hopelessness, and darkness. But I’ve never before heard music that made me feel scared. That’s what Soundtracks for the Blind is. And it is an experience. Built from a collage of recordings and textures paired with live instruments, Soundtracks for the Blind by Swans performs this uneasy bleakness that doesn’t seem to stop, only to change and morph in front of you. The album foregoes expected structures and doesn’t hold back in employing any and all sounds. But it’s also not a mesh of randomness. There is a biting intentionality behind every sound, deeper meaning that almost begs to be conveyed. Being a very long album that flows through many movements, it’s difficult to choose favorites. However, while listening, I tried to pick out songs that especially interested me. I am often inclined toward transition pieces and instrumentals, which may be the root of my liking of Live Through Me. The complex textures of this track provide a deep listen that leaves you wondering what comes next. Volcano is striking, subverting its resemblance to eurodance and 90s club music. The sickening descent of Mellothumb haunts your thoughts. But there are moments of beauty too—Animus treats us to some smooth synths and calm vocals. Even the tense bits of the track show some merciful restraint. The building rock section of The Sound is climactic and engaging. Blood Section feels like waking from a dream into another dream that’s not quite right. The vibraphone and breakdown of Empathy are twin highlights. Secret Friends’ mysterious lilt makes you wonder just what is in that dark corner of your room. I will forewarn you—I can guarantee it’s not for everyone. But I can also guarantee that it is an experience, and an experience I cannot accurately compare to any other. If you like some music, Soundtracks for the Blind might not be for you. But if you like music, I am certain that if you listen, you will get something out of this record. You can give it a try here:
Artemis – Lindsey Stirling
April 4, 2025
Even when I’m all alone, our loves goes on and on…
Hiya all! I am doing an about face from last week and covering a beautiful, dramatic, and uplifting record. It’s Artemis by Lindsey Stirling. Lindsey wears two faces during this album: The archer goddess Artemis, and a citizen dismayed with a dystopian future. The sound of the album conveys this pairing. While Lindsey’s arrangements have always been excellent, Artemis indulges in a new depth of complexity, blending her violin meets EDM roots with dark, vapory sounds and tastes of a vintage, almost victorian quality. Having anchored her sound in her previous releases, Lindsey branches out and experiments with different sounds from her violin and other instruments. I especially love the pizzicato portions of the album. My favorites include the enchanting Love Goes On and On with the legendary Amy Lee, hypnotizing Underground, waltzy Masquerade, dramatic Foreverglow (featuring some lovely vocals from Lindsey herself), contemplative Sleepwalking, and tranquilly transcendent Guardian. My very favorite has to be Darkside. From the instantly striking intro, into the uneasy verse, to the rocking chorus, Darkside captures an exhilarating spiral into the shadows. It’s simply electric, as is this whole album. Go give it a try, and enjoy!
Coco Moon – Owl City
April 11, 2025
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf!
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending a pretty new record that I fell in love with after listening to by the name of Coco Moon by Owl City. Known for his hits such as Lucid Dream, Good Time with Carly Rae Jepsen, and of course Fireflies, (I’m partial to Kamikaze myself), Owl City has built a reputation for being wholesome without sacrificing interest and meaningfulness in his projects, and his latest release is just that. Coco Moon tells fun and creative stories, some real and some fictional. The electronica/indie sound is underpinned with a tropical vibe for this record, expressing Adam’s love for the ocean. The lyrics are really thoughtful and poetic, and the paired instrumentals never disappoint. My favorites include calming and motivating Adam, Check Please, climactic The Tornado (we just adore the scream, don’t we?), rocking Vitamin Sea, magical Dinosaur Park, thoughtful and heartwarming The Meadow Lark, and the beautifully loving closer My Muse. I have to give an honorable mention to bonus tracks Car Trouble and Boston (a cover of Augustana). Car Trouble is both adorable and electric, Owl City nails Boston’s punk rock influence and crushing emotion. However, my absolute favorite has to be Learn How To Surf. The unbridled energy, the inspiring lyrics, that INSANE solo? Learn How To Surf is epic, and so is Coco Moon. Go check it out!
Froot – MARINA
April 11, 2025
I’ve been saving all my summers for you…Like fro-o-o-ot…
Hello all! It’s time to recommend one of the best pop records of the past decade. If one pop star knows how to make something unique, it’s MARINA. her third album Froot marks a change in direction following the more maximalist Electra Heart. MARINA pushed away the producers and executives, closed the doors, and wrote a really concise, meaningful album. Incorporating classic funk, rock, and disco with an atmospheric contemporary production, Froot paints splotches of color against a black background. And those colors sparkle. While it’s hard to beat her bombastic performance on The Family Jewels, Froot may just have MARINA’s most beautiful vocals. While she can carry fuller tracks, the minimalism on this release really lets her voice step to the foreground. My favorite tracks include Solitaire (a track I personally connect with), conscious and powerful Savages, rocking Forget, and heart-melting I’m a Ruin (my favorite version of which being the acoustic session). Perhaps it’s a basic choice, but my #1 song has to be Froot itself. The song is just so unique and good; the wild bassline, the ethereal synthesizers, the deliciously haunting vocals, the complex lyrics? And the movement of the arrangement is inspirational. The lyrics are about patiently waiting to finally be ready for love, and what better way to reflect that than to make the listener wait almost two minutes and five sections into the song for the chorus? If I’ve succeeded in piquing your interested, go give Froot a listen!
(If you choose to listen on YouTube, I highly recommend listening to the full arrangement. MARINA music videos are great, but the chopped up arrangements are never as awesome as the real tracks! You can listen to the full arrangement of Froot here:)
(And you can listen to the incredible acoustic version of I’m a Ruin here:)
The Reckoning – Icon For Hire
April 18, 2025
READY FOR COMBAT!
Hello all! This week, I am recommending a great new record from Icon For Hire—The Reckoning. It’s almost a natural progression for an artist to go more mainstream the longer they’re in the game, but it’s rare for one to get heavier. This is the case for Icon For Hire. The Reckoning is hardcore, borderline metal, yet it doesn’t compromise the punk attitude or soaring hooks we’ve come to love from Icon For Hire. This album also features arguably the most hip hop influence on an IFH record so far. This blend sounds like a recipe for nu metal, but the sound sort of transcends that feeling into something more complex, mixing traces of 2000s nostalgia with a firmly contemporary feel. Ariel’s vocals have really matured, giving every track an added weight, and Shawn’s leads rock. My favorite tracks include crazy powerful Dismantled, heavy and emotional Emo Dreams, infectious Diseased, and beautiful Sunflower. I can’t neglect to mention the awesome vibes of the three interludes. My favorite of all of them has to be Ready For Combat. The pure energy, dynamic vocals, and ripping guitars make for a perfect walk-up, pump-up track. Go give The Reckoning a listen!
Vices & Virtues – Panic! at the Disco
April 25, 2025
There is simply nothing worse than knowing how it ends…
Hello all! This week, I am recommending that is somehow super underrated without many people disliking it. I’m talking about Vices & Virtues by Panic! at the Disco. Following the departure of Ryan Ross and Brent Wilson after their second record Pretty. Odd., Panic! enlisted producer Butch Walker (known for post-hiatus Fall Out Boy, Twenty Øne Piløt’s Blurryface, and an impressive number of other credits) on their third release. For Vices and Virtues, they left some of the quirky baroque sound behind and went all-in on catchy hooks and crazy hi-hats. And my did they succeed at that. Brendon pushes his voice as always, and Spencer Smith’s drums are complex and skillful. One of the best parts of this record is that it is as precise as painted nails. It gives the same feeling as a greatest hits album—it’s just hit after hit, so much so that I can barely articulate my favorites. I would have to choose the sinister and infectious The Ballad of Mona Lisa, wild and bouncy Hurricane, addictively energetic Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind), and Memories, which reads like a ballad but sounds like an energetic pop song. I must give a special mention to Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…) for being a super climactic album closer. My favorite track off the album has changed as I’ve come to appreciate each song. Right now, I have to say it’s The Calendar. The sweet, mournful lyrics and dynamic arrangement engage me with every listen. Trade Mistakes has been growing on me…but I don’t need to wax on about it. Go listen to it yourself!
Black Holes and Revelations – Muse
May 2, 2025
When will this loneliness be over?
Hiya all! This week, I am recommending a record that feels like it’s one of the greats, but I don’t hear talked about nearly enough. Black Holes and Revelations was released by Muse in 2006. There is something beautifully classic about this record, while also sounding flawlessly contemporary even today. Muse is no stranger to experimentation, and every track on Black Holes and Revelations feels like it pushes itself to do something unique. Yet, the album feels strongly like a whole. Mixing old west and sci-fi seems like an odd choice thematically, but my does it work. The underpinned notes of conspiracy and rebellion drive intrigue into each track. The project as a whole feels like the soundtrack for a movie, yet I don’t even need a movie to immerse myself in its story. There are so many songs to love on this album, like the hypnotic smash hit Supermassive Black Hole and explosive finale Knights of Cydonia. After my first listen, gritty Assassin was a standout favorite. However, in subsequent listens, I found myself more and more drawn to City of Delusion. The relevant lyrics, tense arrangement, and middle eastern influenced-sound make for a really dynamic track. And lately, I’ve been more and more drawn to Map of the Problematique. The beautiful instrumental and haunting vocals paired with driving energy makes it a major contender for favorite. How will I ever decide? Who cares! Go listen to Black Holes and Revelations and tell me what YOUR favorite track is.
The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
May 9, 2025
GIVE ME A SHOT TO REMEMBER
Hello all! This week, I am recommending an iconic record beloved by many. It’s The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. MCR has always shown an attention to detail and a dedication to intentionality few other bands match. The Black Parade took the pop punk formula a step further, revitalizing the rock opera with an emo sound. The album deals with the concept of death manifested in The Black Parade, which is the way death shows itself to a patient dying of cancer who battles with their fate, legacy, and morals. All while expressing such a somber story, there is a lot of hope in the record too, laughing in the face of death. The album features such catchy hooks and driving instrumentals, but it’s done in a complex and meaningful way. While Welcome to The Black Parade is an iconic anthem of the 2000s, my favorite tracks are the intense and angular The Sharpest Lives, soaring Sleep, mournful Disenchanted, and the rocking, climactic closer Famous Last Words. Cancer is such a heart-wrenching song, written with such an innocently sweet sound it comes all the way back around to bitter. However, while my opinion may change with time and dethrone it, I have to say that my favorite track is House of Wolves. The wild energy and bouncy rhythm inject this track with such urgency. It feels like your enemies are enjoying chasing you. With its 20-year anniversary approaching next year, I think The Black Parade will be credited as one of the greatest records since its release, and it deserves it. Go give this album a listen.