Happy New Music Friday! It’s been a long week, and we all deserve some joy in the form of a few new tunes.
This week we have an eclectic mix, featuring some bands/artists you’ve maybe never heard of, and at least one big return that’s sure to make your weekend. Enjoy!
“Universal Language” by Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes are f**kin back!
The alt-rap group returns this week with their first song in 15 years, “Universal Language”. It’s a chill pop-hop tune with frontman Travie McCoy’s signature suave vocals. This perfect summer soundtrack is just what a sunny July day demands.
This track is just the first piece of a puzzle that will eventually become a new Gym Class Heroes album, down the road. For now, fans can catch them at these upcoming tour dates: 7.11 Reno, NV @ Now or Never Music Festival / 7.25 Long Beach, CA @ Warped Tour / 8.01 Albertville, AL @ More mEMOries Festival / 9.25 Carlstadt, NJ @ Bolero Snort Brewery
“A Plague, A pestilence” by Cain Culto
It would be a lie for me to say that this song is the last thing I expected to hear from Cain Culto. However, I was very taken aback by how much “a plague, a pestilence” stands out from much of his more recent music.
He has always been very imaginative and scandalous with his use of religious imagery. This track, though—a Southern-gothic folk-pop tune—very much leans into the apocalyptic connotations of his dogmatic past.
I am, in a word, obsessed with this song.
“Kill Me First” by Lakeview
Self-described Blue Collar Country boys Lakeview unleashed their newest tune this week, “Kill Me First”, featuring The Ghost Inside frontman Jonathan Vigil.
The track is 3 minutes of heavy a** Southern hard rock with a hardcore twist. It hits like a cross between something from Nickelback’s The Long Road and Hatebreed’s Perseverance.
This is backwoods barfight music, so please drink responsibly while you listen.
“HUMAN AGAIN” by Genesis Owusu
Genesis Owusu is a deeply compelling music artist. You can’t really lock him into any specific genres because he’s doing some version of all of them.
His new single, “Human Again”, is a fascinating blend of 80s new wave and 90s dance pop, all while he delivers his distinctive vocal stylings. It’s a little bit rapping, a little bit singing, but very punk-coded the whole time.
Genesis Owusu represents what is exciting about the future of music, and I’m grateful to be on Earth at the same time as him.
“My Body Next to Yours (Ursa Major)” by Execute
Featuring two members from Year of the Knife (Chris Tremble and Fletcher Zuckerman), Execute is a Delaware metalcore band keeping the sound of the early-2000s scene alive.
There are mean riffs, some two-step, brutal breakdowns, and vocals that range from deep growls to clean singing. I f**k with it.
The post New Music Friday: 5 Songs You Need to Hear This Week (7/10) appeared first on VICE.
