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the best of this year's underground scene (so far)


It may only be March, but 2018 has already been treating us well with lots of new music releases. So many great bands and artists have announced upcoming albums this spring, so warmer weather isn’t the only thing we have to look forward to! Here’s a list of music you should be listening to, or looking out for in the next couple months. The Garden The Garden are a band consisting of two brothers, Wyatt and Fletcher Shears from Orange County, California. The Garden have a very energetic sound that combine a lot of genres including garage rock, punk, and elements of hip hop. A fifth album has recently been announced, set to be released March 30th. The album is titled Mirror Might Steal Your Charm, and two singles No Destination and Stallion have already been released. I’m curious to hear what overall direction they will take with this album, because No Destination was a little softer, more melodic and varied a little from their typical sound, whereas Stallion went back to their more typical, kind of hectic sound. Either way, I’ve been loving the singles and I’m sure the new album will be full of energy, and will be a great album to jam to while the weather warms up. Sleepy Dog I have YouTube’s recommendations to thank for turning me on to this artist. Sleepy Dog has been making and uploading his psychedelic/math rock music to YouTube and Bandcamp since 2015, but just earlier this year he finally moved a lot of his music over to Spotify, and I highly recommend checking it out. His music is complex yet it feels simple and breezy. It has a very laid-back vibe to it, and it's been my go-to for long drives lately! Haley Blais Haley is yet another artist I’ve discovered through YouTube. She’s a young singer/songwriter from Vancouver. She already has two EP’s out. Her EP Late Bloomer, consists of three songs containing soft beautiful vocals and lyrics that will really speak to a lot of people, especially anyone who considers themselves a bit of a late bloomer. Recently, Haley announced a new EP coming this spring, and I can’t wait. The single Small Foreign Faction is absolutely stunning. It starts very soft and simple and slowly builds onto itself, the dreamy quality of the music paired with lyrics like “I never wanted anything, and I never got it.” will leave you feeling nostalgic and existential, and mostly just wanting more, which is why I can’t wait for the full EP! You can find more information about Haley, and the EP on her YouTube Channel.

Mt. Eddy There’s no way I could make this article without talking about Mt. Eddy. Mt. Eddy has remained one of my favorite bands since I first discovered them late last summer. The band just released their new EP, and it is incredible! It features three songs all of witch are energetic, clever and so fun to jam too! The music videos for Zombie and I Luv Robert Smith, are inspired by classic 80’s movies. Mt. Eddy makes punk music, but in a way that very few bands seem to be doing right now. They keep their recording quality very raw and mixed with Jakob’s low gravelly vocals it makes for a very grungy sound. If for some reason you haven’t checked out Mt. Eddy yet, do yourself a favor and get on that! And I hear their live shows are great, so if you get a chance to see them while they tour with The Regrettes this spring, don’t miss out! Post Animal Post Animal is a 5 piece psych rock band from Chicago, who make quality psychedelic music with great energy to it. They’ve been around since 2015, and during that time have self-released lots of great music, and have toured with lots of great bands including Twin Peaks and White Reaper. On February 20th, they released a single titled Ralphie, and announced their upcoming album, When I Picture You In a Castle, which is set to be released April 20th. Ralphie is such a fun summery pop rock song, and I’m excited for this album to be the soundtrack of this summer! Destroy Boys Last, but most certainly not least, I’m looking forward to the release of the new Destroy Boys EP. Destroy Boys are easily one of the most badass punk bands out there right now. They’re doing a phenomenal job of carrying the torch for young women in the punk scene by making angsty, high-energy, and extremely expressive punk music, that really sticks to the roots of the punk scene. Their EP Crybaby/Vixen comes out April 6th, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what they make next. Definitely keep your eye on this band, because they’re gonna be doing big things soon! Thanks to these musicians as well as many others, 2018 is looking like it’s gonna be a good year for underground music. I’m sure lots more great music is to come! SWMRS, has hinted at a new album possibly being released this summer. And The Frights, have also recently announced the completion of the recording process for their third album. I’m excited for what’s to come this year! Let me know what you’ve been enjoying so far in 2018, as well as what you’re looking forward to!

words by Katie


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