Welcome back! Below is our compilation of staff picks from March 21-25 of 2016. Thanks to Jacquibim, whose tastes exceed the outer limits of Spotify, I was forced to break convention and use Youtube (look at this guy…a few weeks on staff and he’s already sticking it to the man). Anyway, the layout looks nicer but the playback is less convenient. See what you missed last week by checking out our third installment of this feature, and as always, enjoy our diverse and (hopefully) enjoyable selections!
1) Fracture: “Makin’ Hype Tracks” [Monday, submitted by BroStep]
One of the most genuinely fun tunes released this year on Exit (though their other release this year, a Zed Bias EP, is also phenomenal), “Makin’ Hype Tracks” is exactly why Fracture’s become one of the most popular names in drum & bass over the past few years, and it’s great to see his decade-plus of hard work become recognized. —BroStep
2) The Strumbellas: “Spirits” [Tuesday, submitted by Sowing]
Remember in 2006 when My Chemical Romance launched the single/video “Welcome To The Black Parade”, and it was so wildly over-the-top that, on some levels anyway, it actually worked? Or way back to 1967 when The Beatles had done pretty much the same thing withSgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band except it actually did work? Well subtlety be damned, here’s your folk installment. —Sowing
3) Zealotry: “Yliaster” [Wednesday, submitted by Jacquibim]
“Yliaster” is very serpentine in terms of composition, slithering between dimensional walls as guttural murmurings effervesce and guitar licks writhe and twist like tentacles. It’s a concoction that is slightly more contemplative than what we’ve come to expect, but make no mistake, it’s just as evil. —Jacquibim
4) Flotsam and Jetsam: “Never to Reveal” [Throwback Thursday, submitted by Willie]
Cuatro featured the band’s best sound, best songwriting and was (and still is) their most consistent release. It was also the album that finally attracted Mtv and radio attention. That attention started on the radio with the song ‘Never to Reveal’. ‘Never to Reveal’ was an excellent blend of the band’s new streamlined sound combined with a bit of the energy and heaviness of their past, and it received frequent plays on metal radio. —Willie
5) The Hotelier: “Piano Player” [Friday, submitted by Atari]
Despite the subdued nature of the song, everything feels synced together in a fuzzy sort of way, from the steady pace of the guitars and drums to the repetitious, yet mesmerizing chorus. It’s not a track that will hit you in the gut from the get-go, but spend some time with it and soon you’ll revel in its reflective lyrics and pleasant familiarity. —Atari
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03.28.16