Memorial Day has crept up on us faster than we could have ever expected as 2021 continues to fly by. But as always, this Memorial Day Weekend was plentiful with brand new tour announcements, album sneak peeks and our favorite: new singles from some of our favorite oldies and newbies.
And in the spirit of celebration and the joy that this slow return to normal has brought upon us, we have once more collected a list of some of our favorite new tracks from this past week and dropped them into one easy-to-read playlist post that will give you both some insight into the tracks as well as our unfiltered thoughts on some of the best musicians in the game.
You can read our full list of hot new tracks below, and be sure to give our full May playlist a listen, linked at the bottom.
If you have ever experienced a breakup, there’s a high likelihood you have also experienced the feeling of trying to start fresh and get yourself out of the negative space that splits can often put us in. And it’s also likely you’ve experienced wanting the best for your former partner even when you know you will never be together or even close friends again.
If these feelings sound relatable to you, and you enjoy new music with punk themes and a dash of grunge distortion, the new track “Venom Denim” by The Effens is the new release for you.
A track about trying to get yourself back to level ground after feeling your world flip upside down, this song navigates the gray area between wanting to move on and wanting to leave on good terms.
“You know that sinking feeling? Climbing out and wanting to save the person you fell in with, but knowing your attempts will only make them sink further? You can never truly take away the parts of your life that an ex has helped shape – “Venom Denim” is about all the marks and residue left, even after you’ve broken free of a relationship,” vocalist Austin Nops shares. “There are a lot of things that appear to be ‘love’ on the surface. ‘Love’ can fade and be replaced by the fear of being alone, comfort, codependency, lust, or even hate. You may not notice that what you’re feeling isn’t ‘love’ anymore.”
“Speak of the Devil” by Magic Whatever feat. The Score
If you were a fan of pop punk/emo music in the early 2000s and are looking for new music that hits just as hard but has a modern 2021 twist- look no further than rising artist Magic Whatever and his new single “Speak of the Devil.”
Featuring the angsty rock undertones of early Fall Out Boy meets The Cab, with a dash of catchy pop elements and a sprinkle of electro-punk flair, “Speak of the Devil” is a song all about falling in love with your darker side and accepting that sometimes it’s okay to be a little devilish.
And as the debut single by Magic Whatever, this track is a strong starting point for what we expect will be a long, genre bending career and we can’t wait to hear what comes next.
“Full of Life (Bella says f#%k it!)” by Eli Hurts
“Full of Life (Bella says f#%k it)” is the latest single by Eli Hurts- who as of this weekend is the newest addition to Rude Records’ ever growing roster of talent. And what better way to celebrate a new career move than to re-release your entire discography- including one of your most personal and heartwarming tracks- an ode to your best friend.
Though “Full of Life (Bella says f#%k it)” originally debuted earlier this year, this new-release is allowing us to hear it for the first time and soak in the track’s beautiful backstory.
Inspired by Hurts’ best friend Bella, who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last year, the track navigates the concept of living life to the fullest instead of worrying about trivial things. Using acoustic strings to provide an uplifting melody contrasting the song’s sad backstory, this track is easily one of the best releases of the year. Especially after the past year draining all of us, “Full of Life” is a great reminder to just get out and live with no regrets and no hesitations.
“She was not only the most impactful person in my life, but she had a huge effect on our entire music community,” Hurts shares of the track’s inspiration. “When we were all caught up in our stuff, she would show and up and everyone would just drop their BS and be together. It was beautiful.”
As The Maine gear up for the release of their upcoming album XOXO: From Love and Anxiety In Real Time (July 9th) they have continually released new tracks that get us both hyped up and remind us why we love the band in the first place. And this weekend’s new track, “Lips” is just one more beautiful reminder.
A funky, danceable track, “Lips” pairs perfectly with the album’s lead single “Sticky,” and explores the darker side of relationships- specifically miscommunication. Making us want to get up onto our feet and scream-sing the lyrics to anyone who will stand around long enough to listen, this track helps us imagine just what the rest of XOXO may sound like. (Hint: it will sound like a dream.)
As for what the track means to the band, vocalist John O’Callaghan shared his inspiration behind the line “lips do more than just kiss.”
“I think for me it was important to convey the idea that there’s a huge responsibility that comes with the ability to communicate,” he shared with Rock Sound. “You can do a lot of good with communication and with your worlds but you can also do a lot of negative things. It was important for me to highlight the idea that words are important.”
“WHO I GOTTA BE” by oddCouple (feat. Elijah Blake and Melanie Faye)
Love is not always easy, especially when you find yourself in a situation where your partner doesn’t reciprocate the emotion or commitment to making it work. And it’s this mix of emotions and universally relatable feeling that inspired the latest single from multi-talented musician oddCouple.
Featuring Elijah Blake and Melanie Faye, “WHO I GOTTA BE” is the third track off of oddCouple’s upcoming album REFLECTIONS (June 4) and gives fans a glimpse into the soul and talent that exists in the man behind the music. A raw and vulnerable track, which exposes some insecurities, the song is a plea for a partner to meet them halfway. Using experimental instrumentation, captivating vocals and an overall vibe that is unlike the other tracks on this playlist- making listening to it an unforgettable, relatable experience.
“We all end up experiencing moments where we question ourselves and the ones who love us most. Where we reach a crossroads and have to re-align ourselves, and what we need, to be our best selves,” oddCouple shares. “As imperfect as these instances are, they’re always some of our realest and most unfiltered moments, and can help lead to raw clarity and understanding of where to go. ‘WHO I GOTTA BE’ is a vulnerable collaboration between Elijah Blake, Melanie Faye, and I, that explores these challenges: A raw vibe that represents the beauty and pain in growing and loving.”
“Diamond (Sprinkler)” by Charmer
If you are a fan of nostalgic sounding, roll the windows down on a long drive- feeling, and deep cutting emo lyricism, this final new music track is the one for you.
Opening with Cameron’s iconic debate about being sucked into to hang out with his best friend Ferris in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “Diamond (Sprinkler)” is the latest single by midwestern emo band Charmer. Sharing the experience of having an existential crisis and being afraid of finding yourself trapped in a cycle of uncertainty, this song is not exactly the hype-up anthem you may want for the weekend, but it is a relatable track that will have you feeling validated and less alone when becoming trapped in your thoughts.
And if you check out this song and enjoy it, we have even better news for you, as “Diamond” is only one half of a split release featuring Charmer’s longtime friends and fellow emo band, Gulfer. Appropriately titled the Gulfer / Charmer Split, the two track EP also features the new song “Look” by Gulfer, that has an equally nostalgic feel and is available to stream now.
You can stream all of the above tracks now, wherever you stream music, and be sure to tune into our full May new music playlist, linked below.
Happy streaming!
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