Melissa's Recs: A Summer of New Music

By: Melissa Burant, Public Relations Director

I was really excited to write “Exec Recs” this week because I have an entire summer of new music to share. Here’s what I can’t get enough of:

1. Vacation - Bomb the Music Industry!

Bomb the Music Industry! - Hurricane Waves by melirnvxlrse

"Bomb the Music Industry! is one of my absolute favorite bands and this past summer they released their 7th full-length album Vacation. I can already say with certainty that this album will be my favorite album of 2011. The album is a step in a new direction for BTMI! with more mature lyrics, a plethora of guest appearances and a sound heavily influenced by the Beach Boys. The album still has that classic BTMI! feel though—it’s still loud, fast and synth-infused punk. I can’t help but get chills hearing interlude track “Sponge Board/Baby Waves” and the final refrain of the album on “Felt Just Like Vacation.” “The Shit That You Hate” is another great track, and while I have a really hard time choosing a favorite, “Hurricane Waves” probably comes the closest and is the song I chose to share here. Oh yeah, you can also download this album for free!

2. “Constant Headache” - Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor - Constant Headache by melirnvxlrse

I heard about Joyce Manor at the beginning summer and they quickly became a staple in my rotation. Unfortunately, being from California, they don’t come out east too often, which is too bad for me because I would love to see them live. Their full-length, self-titled album is a super solid punk album, from which the above track “Constant Headache” is taken. Joyce Manor also just signed to Asian Man—one of my favorite labels! You can download the track “Constant Headache” for free from Topshelf Records’ 2011 label sampler.

3. “Emily, You Were Right” - Emily and the Complexes



This summer while Tyler and I were in New York City, Tyler was walking around in Times Square playing songs, when the creator of the fashion/music website, Blind Specs, approached him and asked him to make a video. Above is the result for his classic song “Emily, You’re Right,” which was filmed in one take on the streets of SoHo in NYC. Emily and the Complexes will be playing in Athens at The Fern Gully this Friday, September 23rd!

4. “Little James” - The Sidekicks

The Sidekicks - Little James by melirnvxlrse

This summer, The Sidekicks, another favorite of mine, put out a 7” split with Scranton, Pennsylvania band Tigers Jaw. The split features an original track and a cover track from each band. Above is a new track from The Sidekicks called “Little James.” The original track from Tigers Jaw, “Jimmy Piersall,” is equally as good! You can stream the whole split.

5. “Lake Erie Back Float” - Delay

Delay - Lake Erie Back Float by melirnvxlrse

Delay is a great pop-punk band from Columbus, Ohio. Their track “Lake Erie Back Float” comes from their 2009 album Plain Language. The track is a bit sporadic, but they make it work wonderfully and it’s catchy as hell! You can download the track from the Shout Out Loud Prints Mixtape for free here.

6. 13 Chambers - Wugazi

01 Sleep Rules Everything Around Me by WUGAZI

Wugazi was a project that came out at the beginning of the summer from Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy. Like the name suggests, Wugazi’s 13 Chambers is a mash-up of Fugazi and Wu-Tang Clan and, it’s pretty great. Above is “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me”—the track comes Fugazi’s “Sleep” and Wu Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.” Another one of my favorites is “Nowhere to Wait.” The entire album can be downloaded for free.