Rich Funk Friday Music Dump: 1/26/24
IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY and that means you're gonna need some awesome new tunes to listen to this weekend while you ignore society slowly collapsing all around us.
Who better to lead you on that musical journey than a 40-something walking dad joke? LET'S DO IT!
Fluorescents - Better Off
There are certain things you can count on with every Fluorescents song that gets released. One of them that might not get its credit is just how well all of their songs are put together. Every guitar riff somehow sounds crunchy and absolutely clean at the same time. The drums and bass have a combination of precision and punch that keep the momentum of all their songs chugging forward at all times. Clear vocals and immaculate harmonies. A seemingly infinite supply of earworm choruses addressing a varying number of relationship problems. This is pop-punk served up straight and satisfying.
Picking up where recent singles 'On & On' and 'Take It Back' left off, 'Better Off' is an examination of making the long-overdue decision to cut someone out of your life. But don't let the downer subject matter make you think this is some sad bastard music to sit and stare out your front window into pouring rain to. This is all about being better off, with the narrator realizing (over Fluorescents' usual riffage and stomp) that the best revenge on those who treat you like shit is to live it up with their stupid face getting smaller in the rearview.
Footballhead - Like a Blister
Yes, two Chicago bands in a row. Deal with it. It would be one thing if I was like "HEY LET'S LISTEN TO THESE HOMETOWN BOYS" and they sucked ass, but that is not the case.
Footballhead, the best band in the world that has a name inspired by Hey, Arnold!, has their full-length debut Overthinking Everything set to release March 1. We've been treated to a slow trickle of singles in the meantime, and the latest ('Like a Blister') is a bit of a departure. On the first two singles ('Tightrope' and 'Habits'), we heard a bit more of Footballhead's straightforward pop-rock sound. 'Like a Blister' takes a bit of a departure from that sound, coming in much more down-tempo and contemplative with a mellow acoustic strumming that the 90's kids will mistake for Evercleafr's 'Santa Monica' for juuuust a second when the song starts.
It's not like there wasn't enough reason to be excited for Overthinking Everything, but this example of how varied and layered the Footballhead sound and experience can be just makes the wait that much more intolerable.
Sheer Mag - Moonshot
Hey, speaking of songs that have been out for like, 2 weeks that I'm only getting around to mentioning now and albums that are due out March 1, we've got Sheer Mag up next with a song that hasn't left my head since I first heard it. Off their forthcoming third full-length album, 'Moonshot' sounds like it's going to have a much more country-western sound to it when it first starts, before switching gears to a perfect summertime groove jam. Look, the more time you spend reading what I'm saying here, the more you aren't listening to the song, so I'll do us both a favor and just stop here. Listen to it. And buy tickets to their upcoming spring tour.
Sarah Jarosz - Runaway Train
Hey, here's a song off an album that's actually out! Don't say I never do anything for you. Leaning a bit more country/roots/Americana than what's usually in my wheelhouse, this is a fantastic "put it on and get something done" song that everyone needs to wrap up that last Friday project or email. And if you like it, the rest of her album Polaroid Lovers came out today and is more of the same. And if you like that too, you're also in luck because she's about to kick off a tour that probably comes near where you live.