Ken's Top 10 of 2016 - #10: Weakened Friends - Crushed

2016 has been a pretty rough year for everyone, but luckily it's been a great year for music. This has been such a particularly great year that I've been agonizing over my top 10 this year more than others. In such a great year, I wouldn't normally include an EP in my top 10, but Crushed by Weakened Friends is too great not to include. For a band that only formed last year, they've had a great year topped off with a mini-tour with a reunited Letters to Cleo. It was a perfect pairing for such a 90s influenced band. Weakened Friends have this amazing indie rock meets power pop punk sound. "95" is one of the most perfect songs of the year. "She's so Cool." truly shows their great pop chops with some of the best "Whoah oh oh"s you'll ever hear, and yes, that's important. "Blankets" might be the hidden gem of the EP in it's almost power ballad sound, but a sped up power ballad. Crushed might have landed higher up in my top 10 of 2016 if it was just a little longer. But, for a 6 song, 20 minute release, it's virtually perfect.

Weakened Friends - "95"

Just when we think we can't love Weakened Friends more, they go ahead and release a song like "95." It's beyond catchy, with this great indie rock meets power pop punk sound. My own theory on the name of the song is that it just feels like 1995. Sonia Sturino has this powerful effect to her voice where it comes across as both powerful and strained and vulnerable. It's almost like a more sensitive Kathleen Hanna. Plus, the inclusion of hand claps, swirly guitars, distant backing "Woahhh woahhhh woahhhh" vocals, and a gang vocal bridge that ends up mirroring the backing vocals, and you would have the undisputed song of the summer, if such a thing still existed.

"95" will be on Weakened Friends' upcoming EP, Crushed. You can pre-order it on vinyl through Counter Intuitive Records, and receive a download of it now. That's pretty great since the album isn't officially out until July. For more information on Weakened Friends, check out their Bandcamp and Facebook. Listen to "95" below, and check out their current tour dates below.

05.12.16 - Birdseye - Portsmouth NH 
05.13.16 - KOTO - Salem MA 
05.14.16 - Blind Moose - Bloomfield CT
05.15.16 - Mercury Lounge - Manhattan NY
05.16.16 - Wonder Bar - Asbury NJ
05.18.16 -The Metropolitan Lounge - Annapolis MD
05.19.16 - Liveburghstudio (house show) - Pittsburgh PA
05.20.16 - Mantua Yacht Club (house show) - Philadelphia PA
05.21.16 - All Roads Music Fest - Belfast ME
05.22.16 - Great Scott - Allston, MA
05.27.16 - World Citizen Party House - Albany NY
05.29.16 - The Sportsman Tavern - Buffalo NY