Bleed American – Jimmy Eat World
February 27, 2026
If you’re listening, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! (Dear audience, I expect you to sing this one back.)
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending an inspirational record from 2001. It’s Bleed American (briefly self-titled) by Jimmy Eat World! Bleed American has this distinct warmth to it. It’s comfortable without feeling passive; familiar without feeling unimaginative. I owe this to great harmonics, both from the deceptively catchy yet complex extensions, suspensions, and drones in the guitar work and from the stacked vocal harmonies that are careful not to compromise the sincerity of a single voice. On the topic of voice, the world of punk is populated by many excellent singers with strange, at times annoying vocal tones. For those who are dissatisfied with such voices (and haven’t checked out Fall Out Boy), Jimmy Eat World may be a good place to begin. Jim Atkin’s voice is excellent, especially his tone, from his gentle vibrato dynamic comparable to Rivers Cuomo to his controlled aggressive dynamic. I also want to compliment the bass work, which is always subtle, yet works so hard to organize the intricate harmonics above it. Bleed American’s songwriting is very dynamic, particularly its song structure. I find myself pleasantly surprised many times during this album when it transitions with clever chords and rhythms into new and unexpected territory. The band uses these wide, midwesty builds that let each track breathe without lingering. I also notice a trend of taking jaunts to the relative minor, expressing longing and emotion. The title track Bleed American jumpstarts the record with furious salty, sweaty, and sugary vitriol. There is no question why The Middle is an anthem not only of the band but of the scene, maybe even of the era, in general. Hear You Me feels very special and sweet in the face of tragedy, before the striking, conversational excitement of If You Don’t, Don’t. Get it Faster begins sinister, trepidatious, and textural before leaping into darkness and electricity, widening the breadth of the album’s sound. Authority Song feels like the functional last song on the album, featuring driving melodies and rocking riffs with special praise to Rachel Haden’s lovely supplementary vocals (including on earlier tracks as well), with My Sundown acting as something of a beautiful, emotional extended outro. My favorite track may just have to go to Sweetness. The razor-sharp energy, frenzied pace, and engaging structure all support the simply explosive dynamics of the call-and-response motion it employs so well. Go give Bleed American a listen! And if you do, please listen to the audio version of the title track. The video version in the official playlist has ridiculously low audio quality. Haha!
Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! – Panic! at the Disco
March 6, 2026
Well I never really thought that you’d come tonight…
Hello all! This week, it’s time to recommend an album that I confess took a few listens to grow on me. It’s Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! by Panic! at the Disco! There are a lot of divided opinions on Panic!’s discography; everyone seems to have a standout favorite and a despised least favorite, yet I don’t see much of a trend on which albums these are. For a bit, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! was my least favorite. Upon my first listen, the whole soundscape felt dry and sterile, nothing like I was expecting following the lush soundscapes of their first three records or preceding the jazzy bombast of the next three. Like many middle children, it took me a bit to see the magic in it. Slowly but surely, each track in turn began tugging at the back of my mind. So maybe it has a few good tracks. Maybe the second half has something to it. And finally, maybe there is something special to this strange atmosphere. And that to me is what makes this album united, a strange coldness that at first confused me. It feels almost grim. Even energetic tracks like This is Gospel or Vegas Lights are underpinned by this thinness, this coldness. It’s an atmosphere, a feeling, that Panic! never seemed to match, before or after. But the longer I sat with it, the more I realized how this uniqueness indulges the grim mood it captures. I mistook this evocative hollowness for insincerity. This is Gospel begins the album with a bang, a highlight single and a deserved fan-favorite. Vegas Lights is simply electric, incorporating a hint of what’s to come on the likes of Pray For the Wicked. Nicotine succeeds in the ambitious task of word painting the title with its insanely addictive riff. Far Too Young To Die is so emotionally distressing, pairing simple chords with excellent melody writing and structure; the climactic ending simply makes it. Collar Full is the spiritual climax of the album, a sweet, refreshing jaunt after the dismal brooding of the last few tracks. My favorite track has to go to Casual Affair. The stinging darkness of the track, the impact of the chorus, and the uneasy synthesizers make for such an unsettling feeling. It’s uncomfortable in a way that stretches some muscle deep in you. It’s a great example of the atmosphere of this album. I think Far Too Young to Die sums it up better than I can: “I never really thought that you’d come tonight.” It’s so melancholic; It’s a façade of indifference disguising heartbreaking complexities. I challenge you—see through this façade! See what Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! has to offer. Go give it a listen!
Also, much thanks to everyone who tuned in to my stream last night! If you enjoyed the first one, or you missed it and want another shot, I’ll be streaming my sound:concept remaster at 8:00 p.m. EST every Thursday, so if you enjoyed the first one (or missed it!) be sure to catch the next one!
Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter – Em Beihold
March 13, 2026
I’ve had enough of me.
Hello all! This week, it’s time to recommend a brand new album: it’s Em Beihold’s debut record, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter! Em Beihold’s music seems to have a special effect on me. Her EP Egg in the Backseat took me by storm the first time I heard it, an effect that hasn’t faded since. Side note: so far my recommendations have been strictly albums; rest assured, I’ve been waiting a while for an opportunity to talk about Egg in the Backseat, plus Daisy Grenade and McKenna Grace EPs (which despite their short length are worth the weight of a whole album). When Em began teasing her debut record, I was so excited. Now it’s finally here, and it was totally worth the hype! After listening to this album, I immediately saved it to listen to again, I put it down as an album I am I terribly excited to recommend, and I prioritized it about 20 slots in the queue. That’s how awesome it is. I wouldn’t even guess this was a debut it’s so well done, so expressive of her identity. Firstly, the vocals are on-point, using these energetic wide intervals without compromising the catchiness of each melody. The songwriting and lyricism is the real highlight here. The lyrics are so meaningful, confident without arrogance, sincere without awkwardness. And each instrumental paints these lyrics really well. The instrumentals on Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter are so distinctly fun, using creative dynamic tricks to make every moment exciting. We get a perfect example of this right off the bat with Scared of the Dark, which begins with a dramatic, classic-film-style score. Spoiler warning, it leaps into bouncy piano and upbeat drums. Her style is very minimal, never using more than a few elements. Yet every element feels relevant, feels like the best accompaniment. In this way, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter doesn’t feel stark or thin, rather full of life trimmed to its most distinct, its best quality. I have to compliment the strings on this album. I am a huge fan of string arrangements, especially those used as well as they are here. Along with the aforementioned Scared of the Dark, my favorite tracks include Hot Goblin, which features electrically driving synths, punchy drums, and lyrics way more relatable than you’d guess from the wild title; Lottery, a darker turn for the album, its subtle harmonic and production choices bottling a peculiar unease; Soup!, and for everyone questioning how a song called Soup! could be in any way meaningful: stop right there, give it a listen, see for yourself; and Shiny New Things, disciplined vitriol channeled into a sweeping landscape of a production. The album ends with Won’t Let Go, a gentle yet movingly strong and sonically transcendent ballad. I think I have a tie for my favorite between two very different tracks that fulfill two very different moods. The first is Unicorn. Like, come on. What an explosive song! The use of octaves and colorful chords (I can’t find any chord notation out yet, but my novice ears hear a lovely Dorian IV in there) inject so much energy into the track. My other favorite is much calmer, yet it is maybe the most moving of all of her discography so far. It’s Exorcism. The lyrics are beautiful and the instrumental is sharp and striking, its off-balance yet lightweight sound a crushing contrast against the weight of her words, which are delivered perhaps more dynamically and emotionally than we’ve ever heard from her so far. Go check out Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter! It’s awesome!
Also, another Friday the 13th? Let’s hope they cancel one another out, and stay safe!
Camp – Childish Gambino
March 20, 2026
Fire Fly!
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending another debut album, though this one is a dozen some years senior. It’s Camp by Childish Gambino! I have to compliment the co-production between Ludwig Göransson and Gambino. They blend these scratchy alternative sounds with massive luscious orchestras and synths so effortlessly, making for really interesting dynamics and surprising moments. Fun fact, Questlove plays live drums on the record. It feels like every song has an exemplary hook that pins together the consciousness of the lyrics. Speaking of, something that really surprised me is just how talented a writer Childish Gambino is. The lyrics are introspective, critical, profound, and sometimes really funny when they want to be. From what I’ve heard, these jokes give Camp a reputation of immaturity and cheesiness compared to the rest of Gambino’s discography, yet it’s currently my favorite of them all (although Atavista and Bando Stone are pretty sweet too). And yes, there are some funny lines, but they earn their space beside really moving ones as well. To paraphrase All The Shine, sometimes stupid lyrics are real lyrics. Outside acts as the album’s overture, introducing Gambino’s childhood and setting the scene for what’s to come. The album begins to tackle themes of recent fame and the battle between earning maturity and staying true to oneself on Fire Fly, with awesome vocals by Janet Leon and Gambino. All The Shine and Hold You Down compete between soaring hooks and tight bars criticizing those who judge him unfairly. Backpackers is also biting serve to his critics set to an uneasy vibraphone beat. Heartbeat and Kids are bittersweet approaches to the complexities relationships. Heartbeat also has one of the catchiest hooks I’ve ever heard and one of the sickest beats on the record. It was actually the first song I heard off the album that persuaded me to check it out to begin with. I have to throw in a special mention to the closer That Power. The highlight of this track for me is actually the narration closer, a meaningful story in the closing minutes of the record set to a rubato disco loop. However, the penultimate track Sunrise takes the cake as my favorite. The synthy beat is simply electric, the rhythm of the hook is so catchy, and that outro is beautiful! Go check out Camp by Childish Gambino.
Save Rock and Roll – Fall Out Boy
March 27, 2026
This is the road to ruin, and we’re starting at the end.
Hiya all! This week, it’s time to recommend what I consider the exemplar record of 2010s pop rock. It’s Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy! When the EDM wave hit, it struck the pop punk subculture hard. Some chose to go down with the ship. But Fall Out Boy stayed afloat with a hiatus, a series of secret recording sessions, and a totally redefined sound. On Save Rock and Roll, they shook off the stunning but emotionally unsustainable weight of Folie á Deux and let loose into tight pop rock. This album contains some of Fall Out Boy’s best lyrics, delightfully verbose and clever as always, as well as a brighter and grittier vocal tone from Patrick. I also have to compliment Andy’s drum parts, which seem on the surface to keep no more than the beat, yet under the hood use a lot of subtleties to accelerate and accentuate each arrangement. Save Rock and Roll feels like more than an album, like a culmination of a moment in time, an intersection of featured artists established and beginning alike, something I’ve rarely seen captured outside of the likes of a Gorillaz record. Some of my favorite tracks include My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up), which is a dark and exciting track that propels the record into motion. Alone Together is a sweet song held together by its driving vocals and the searing synths soaring above them. Death Valley is a super rocking, energetic track, and Rat A Rat is pretty sick as well, though I maintain that Debbie Harry would have been the perfect guest vocalist (just imagine the awesomeness!). Young Volcanoes is a wistfully innocent track with a powerful core. Finally, the power ballad title track Save Rock And Roll closes the album on a resoundingly defiant note. In fact, if there was one word I would use to describe Save Rock and Roll, it would be defiant; the defiance of rock’s spirit. And nowhere is this spirit more apparent than in the album’s first track as well as my favorite: it’s The Phoenix! The pounding drums, the electric riff, the striking strings, the chromatic motion in the chords? Fantastic! Go check out Save Rock and Roll!
Pretty Hate Machine – Nine Inch Nails
April 3, 2026
It comes down to this!
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending the debut album by Nine Inch Nails, the one and only Pretty Hate Machine. An early first step into the 90s and a landmark record in industrial music, Pretty Hate Machine stands on its own beyond its influence as simply a great album to listen to. How to describe the sound? It’s as if conventional 80s rock were filtered through so much length of metal piping and ejected, burnished raw, on the other end. The album oscillates between wrecking synth rock and tense, swampy brooding, unified by dynamic vocals and maturely angsty lyricism. For the first of many projects, Nine Inch Nails takes an approach to harmony that transcends even the dissonances of metal. Something that I feel distinguishes this approach is the foundation of really creative and alarming chords (chromatic mediants, tritone steps, etc) rather than a more riff-based method. Finally, the production completes the atmosphere of the album. Every colorful sonic detail gives character to the songs, filling them with texture and grit. The hit album opener, Head Like a Hole, is one of my favorites. Bow down before the one you serve! Terrible Lie thrums with rebellious hostility and sinister synths. Sanctified features a peculiar bassline and groovy drums. Something I Can Never Have takes a gentler approach with ethereal pads and pianos. Kinda I Want To is equal parts threatening and groovy. That’s What I Get is almost unbearably restrained, slowly opening over its duration. Ringfinger closes the album by sliding between a by now peculiarly consonant synth riff into a spooky chorus. My favorite of them all, however, has to be Sin! The drilling rhythm, punchy vocals, endearing melodies, and energetic synths already make for a super awesome song. Then, just when you think it can’t improve, you get the shattering breakdown in the bridge. I have never heard anything precisely like this album, although I can isolate its echoes through decades of music after. Go give Pretty Hate Machine a try!
Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
April 10, 2026
I’m gonna whittle you into kindling!
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending one of the most artistic records I’ve known, one by the one-of-a-kind talent Tom Waits: It’s Swordfishtrombones! How would I describe it? A restrained experimental jazz record? An early example of industrial music? The manic wailings of a folksy singer-songwriter? Perhaps the only descriptor required is that of a great album. And goodness is it! There are three essential elements to this album. One would make it good, two would make it memorable, and three make it the great record it is. First is Tom Waits’ ravaging voice. He throws so much into every performance with such range that at times, it’s difficult to imagine that his husky, soulful crooning comes from the same throat that at other times screams like a tortured creature. The second are the sparse instrumentals, which lean from the precipice of an unorthodox jazz set over the realm of sound design and ambient texture. One of the few constants between Tom Waits’ projects is the upright bass, which always fits the low register subtly, neatly, and dynamically. The third is the folksy storyteller lyricism, which tells of the broken, the lost, the wicked, and even the compellingly commonplace. The almost-title track (mind the plurality) Swordfishtrombone is built off the interplay of its groovy bass and a vibraphone line as peculiar as the lyrics’ story, the later instrument of which pokes its head in on the album every once in a while. Shore Leave is the first of several narrated tracks, set to a spooky, almost old-west-sounding instrumental. 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought-Six is abrasive and exciting. Colorful bebop narration Frank’s Wild Years and manic funk track Down, Down, Down contrast against Johnsburg, Illinois and Town With no Cheer, which serve as softer breaks from the scratch of scream and percussion, set to melancholic piano. Soldier’s Things is especially contemplative. Gin Soaked Boy is Tom Waits’ own acidic brand of borderline-rockabilly. Trouble’s Braids is nothing short of exhilarating. Of them all, my favorite actually has to be the first track on the album, Underground. What an epic song! The vocals carry the slinky, sinister arrangement of steady drums and unsteady band, the pounding rhythm instilling a sense of dread and foreboding. Check out Swordfishtrombones now!
Brave Enough – Lindsey Stirling
April 17, 2026
Love’s just a feeling!
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending the striking, the exciting, the moving, the beautiful Brave Enough by Lindsey Stirling. I admit, this album took a little while to grow on me. I don’t always give Brave Enough as a whole the credit it deserves. Yet, every time I listen to a Brave Enough track, I’m reminded how incredible it is. They rise from the depths of my memory at random times; they nag at me to listen again. Firstly, I have to credit the awesome, colorful acoustic drums and percussion on this album. And of course, how can I neglect the stunning violin performances by Lindsey? Featuring guests from Rivers Cuomo to Raja Kumari, Brave Enough is Lindsey’s most vocal-heavy work, promoting a range of styles beyond EDM and dubstep. My only complaint with this album is that with so many featured vocalists, we get less of the incomparable character of Lindsey’s violin leads! Yet there are still plenty of those to love, such as in The Arena, a keystone track featuring aggressive melodies and dramatic orchestral drums. And if you like heavy drums, The Phoenix is Lindsey’s awesomest rock track (OK, maybe tied with Surrender on Duality). Where Do We Go is equally dramatic, yet bears a mournful yearning and beautiful vocals from Carah Faye. Don’t Let This Feeling Fade trades off between hip hop verses with Lecrae, soaring prechoruses with Rivers Cuomo, and shredding riffs with Lindsey on violin. Prism is a dark, off-balance electropop track, while Mirage is a dizzying haze of cascading percussion and mesmerizing vocals by Raja Kumari. Love’s Just a Feeling is a sweet, energetic track with one of my favorite drops I’ve heard (fun fact, produced by Zedd!). The penultimate track Something Wild bursts with color and adventure before the beautiful tribute Gavi’s Song plays us out. Before I get to my very favorite, I need to throw an honorable mention to Brave Enough’s bonus tracks, which are some of my very tops of the album. Waltz and Forgotten Voyage are dark, mercurial, and epic whereas, Afterglow and Powerlines are energetic and dancey. Of them all, my favorite track has to be First Light. The beautiful lead line over the soft pads, the crushed out beat, and the creative production all make for a stunning song that’s one of Lindsey’s best instrumentals. Check out Brave Enough now!
Brave Enough is in memory of Gavi Gaviati, Lindsey’s close friend and keyboardist, who would have turned 46 next week.
Amorphous – Icon For Hire
April 24, 2026
I will be the last one standing!
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending an album that flew under even my radar. Why? I couldn’t guess, because it’s an awesome record. I’m talking about Amorphous by Icon For Hire! This album blends the electronic sound prevalent on their previous two records and the upcoming nu metal/post hardcore edge of The Reckoning. Something that I find distinct about Amorphous is the sharp electronic riffs that feel like metal guitars painted in a dubstep sound. It feels like a dynamic between the grind of heavy guitars, double kicks, and rapid raps beneath peculiar synths and pop hooks. The lyrics are accessible sing-a-long pick-me-ups when you’re down, yet over and over they strike me as clever and meaningful as well when listening to this album. The production on Amorphous also does a lot for it, turning transitions into explosions and switchups into exciting surprises. One of my favorite tracks is the reflective closer Only Be a Story. The breakdown in Curse or Cure is shattering, and Seeds is as exciting as it is creative and heavy. Last One Standing is an energetic call to arms with a sick synth riff, my choice for the anthem of the album. Wait, wait, it might have to be Waste My Hate. When you find yourself chanting along while you’re all alone, I think that qualifies as an anthem. As is standard for Icon For Hire, the interludes are essential in gluing together each track into a full album experience. Brittle (Prelude) is dreamy and dare I say amorphous, where Thirteen (Interlude) is exposed and heartbreaking and Impossibles & Obstacles (Interlude) is confrontational and cool. The severe, dynamic The Panic Attacks almost takes my very favorite, but it’s hard to beat Background Sad. My favorite element is the beautiful production, lightweight enough to contrast the weight of the performance. The writing is simple yet so beautiful, emphasizing melody and lyrics as a palette cleanser from the heavier sound. It feels like an important moment on the album. Go give Amorphous a try, and if you like what you hear, stay tuned. Icon For Hire is working on new music!
Electra Heart – MARINA
May 1, 2026
I’m Living Dead!
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending an iconic highlight of 2010s EDM pop. It’s Electra Heart by MARINA! Following her debut The Family Jewels, MARINA came into conflict with more cooks in the studio kitchen, fighting to retain creative control. Yet she prevailed in creating some excellent tracks all over the record. Loosening the grip on TFJ’s alt pop sound, Electra Heart spans a range of dancey electronics, lending to what one would expect to be a conventional pop sound. But the clean production doesn’t whittle off the edge of the project’s concept, exploring female archetypes and gender roles through the eyes and voice of the titular Electra Heart character. These themes arise in the music as well, a creative edge that underpins each track that raises it above the expected and into something unique, meaningful, and expressive. I can’t forget that as well as her songwriting, the vocal performances from MARINA are massive and emotional. There is also an element of fragmentation to Electra Heart. So many of its best songs are bonus tracks, spread throughout several different editions, some of which fit in different ways into the track listing rather than just at the end. Plus, between music videos, edited versions, and demos, several songs have alternate arrangements and cuts. It almost fits with the narrative multiplicity of the album, having the definitive version made ambiguous. Maybe part of the fun is choosing which songs your definitive Electra Heart has, how the narrative moves, and how it ends. For me, Electra Heart wouldn’t be complete without Primadonna. The structure is really clever, and the performance is striking. Likewise, Power and Control is a paragon of the record, cynically exploring relationship dynamics. The State of Dreaming is a personal favorite, the dramatic orchestration and melody writing being highlights. Lies is a beautiful ballad, and Teen Idle is a cutting, delectably sickening turning point on the record. One that’s been growing on me lately has been Hippocrates, which feels like the last breath of air on the record. Despite being a major hit and a super colorful, catchy song, How To Be a Heartbreaker wasn’t even included on the original album track listing. Another bonus track, Buy the Stars, is especially important to me, written and arranged so well that I frequently forget that it features no more than piano and vocals. Lonely Hearts Club is a super fun track too, and relatable in a different way. Radioactive’s synth line is one of the best melodies on the album, which has some stiff competition. Yet of them all, I think Living Dead may just have to be my favorite track. Between the dark, labyrinthine production and the regretful, almost mournful lyrics, it manages to feel energetic while remaining thoughtful and purposeful. It borders on a sort of mania—and if you couldn’t tell by how often I resort to using “manic” to describe tracks on my favorite albums, I tend to like those sorts of tracks. Maybe you will too, so give Electra Heart a listen now!
(Please, listen to the longest edits of Power and Control, EVOL, and Fear and Loathing in particular. They are vastly superior to their shorter counterparts.)