Ben Folds Five - "Underground (Shelved First Attempt)"

By -

Photo courtesy The Alan Wolmark Archive

Ben Folds Five was a wildly important band in my early adulthood, particularly their 1995 self-titled album. Getting anything new to us from that band, and that album, is going to be especially thrilling for us. To celebrate the band's thirtieth anniversary (albeit late), Ben Folds is releasing a remastered and expanded version with previously unheard alternate takes and versions. The first one we can hear is "Underground (Shelved First Attempt)." I'm not sure if the casual BFF fan will notice the differences, but if being a fan in 1996 was a big part of your personality, you definitely will. In my opinion, the album version we all know and love is the superior version, but hearing this early take is a fun experience for the diehards. 

You can listen to "Underground (Shelved First Attempt)" below. Ben Folds Five (30th Anniversary) is due out September 4 on Capitol/UMe, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ben Folds, check out his website.

On Repeat...

Glixen - "all tied up"

By -
Image
Photo by Jocelyn Pacheco Phoenix's Glixen have quickly become our favorite heavy shoegaze band, and songs like "all tied up" will show you exactly why. This new single might be the most classically shoegaze song they've released to date. It sounds like it could be a lost song from the Loveless sessions. It's filled with a heavy wall of fuzz and lumbers along at a midtempo pace. As always, Aislinn Ritchie's vocals have a slight pop sheen to them, even if they tend to take a backseat to the music surrounding her. This mixed with the absolutely punishing drums throughout "all tied up" make it a heavy shoegaze instant masterpiece. Aislinn Ritchie says of her band's latest single: “‘all tied up’ is about feeling completely consumed by someone.  We definitely wanted the song to feel enveloping. There’s a subtle tension that builds throughout with a push and pull between the guitars and vocals. The song hits hard with its emotional depth, yet breathes w...
Read more

Julien Baker & TORRES - "Tuesday"

By -
Image
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Julien Baker and TORRES teaming up for a country album is one of the true joys of 2025. The pair's latest single, "Tuesday," is fronted by TORRES, and according to the press release is about "... trying to overcome and heal from the guilt, shame and religious abuse that so many people experience discovering their identity and growing up Queer." The song is a twangy, laid back country track that lands somewhere between classic country and modern pop music (but nowhere near the current country pop sound). I'm not typically a lyrics guy and don't normally pay attention to the lyrics of a song until after multiple listens, but the lyrics of "Tuesday" grabbed me immediately upon the first listen. This is the type of song that is going to demand your focus and attention.  You can watch the visualizer for "Tuesday" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . F...
Read more

Lydia Loveless - "Sex and Money"

By -
Image
Photo by Jillian Clark There's a ton of buzz about the upcoming album from Lydia Loveless, and I may be a gushing fanboy at times, but her latest single may be her best in her career. "Sex and Money" is this perfect mix of all the phases of Loveless' career. It has the twang of her earlier alt-country classics, the noise and punk that has always been front and center during live shows, and the more pop side that has been on more recent albums. "Sex and Money" could be a trainwreck of a song, but Loveless has melded these genres into this perfectly structured song. Sometimes you just hear a song and know it's something truly special, and that's what this one is. It's the kind of song that you instantly fall in love with and want to share with as many people as possible. Lydia Loveless says of their new single: "This one was written at an Airbnb in Austin on some late tour night where there’s a bottle and a guitar and everyone’s giggly. I’ve t...
Read more