Katie MF - "Confidence Crisis"

From what I've heard, most folk punk seems to lean more towards the folk side than the punk side. That's not the case with Katie MF. Her latest single, "Confidence Crisis," may be a mid-tempo rocker, but it's mostly her vocals that inspire comparisons to punk. Her vocals are just dripping with punk venom and make the song seem much heavier than it is musically. Her press releases refer to her style as "punk-folk." It may seem like a minor designation, but once you hear "Confidence Crisis" it becomes a huge difference.

You can listen to "Confidence Crisis" below. Fall Starts, Open Endings is due out September 15 on Lockjaw Records. For more on Katie MF, check out the artist's website.

Katie MF - "Work Drinks"

The latest from folk-punk singer Katie MF resides more on the side of punk than folk. "Work Drinks" starts off as this driving anthem and then leaves from room for her venomous vocal delivery. As angry as the song is, there's an odd sense of pop and catchiness to it as well. It's loud, and angry, and kind of fun, too. "Work Drinks" is an interesting blend of artists like Frank Turner, Against Me!, and The Go-Gos. (If that isn't enough to get you to listen to the song, what is?) It's not many artists that can make a song this dripping with anger still uplifting, so we're going to have to keep an eye on Katie MF from here on.

You can watch the video for "Work Drinks" below. False Starts, Open Endings is due out September 15 on Lockjaw Records. For more on Katie MF, check out the artist's website.

Raisin Awareness - "Never Ending Story"

Hailing from the UK, Raisin Awareness are getting called pop punk, but I'm not quite hearing enough pop in their punk for that category to work for me. Their debut single, "Never Ending Story," is proudly melodic, but so is Bad Religion and no one is calling them pop punk. The song is catchy with some pop tendencies, but it has just enough of an edge to keep from being truly pop. It also has wonderfully fuzzy guitars and driving drums that are going to suck you right in. Plus, the lyrics are clever while still being political.

Lead guitarist and vocalist Jo D says of the new single:

"When you actually sit down and think about how fucked the world is and that you’re part of that mess, it can feel overwhelming. Some of us have gotten very good at justifying our actions due to their convenience, or some of us simply stick our heads in the sand.”

You can watch the video for "Never Ending Story" below. The song will be available on Currant Times which is set to be released on Lockjaw Records. For more on Raisin Awareness, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.