Mr. Substitute’s recommendations:
- Dynastic– I love seeing bands perform live having 0 knowledge of them beforehand and instantly becoming a fan. That was the case for me with Dynastic when I saw them perform with Eichlers at the Programme Skate Shop. A one-person-show (plus DJ), Dynastic had these mind-melting songs that as soon as I heard them my eyes got big and I knew they had something special. “Gold Medal” and “the Actor” were two songs that when I heard them live I felt like I was watching a headlining band in a giant music hall (which is ironic if you know how small Programme is) and I remember going back to my car to drive home and instantly putting “Gold Medal” (“the Actor” wasn’t out yet I believe) on my Liked Songs on Spotify and listening to it a dozen times on my drive home. Lately, it’s been rare haunts pt. I, their album released last year. Equally raw and refined, I can put it on, go for a walk and experience a lot of emotions.
- System of a Down– When things in my life are…hectic, for whatever reason I like listening to metal and System of a Down were one of the first metal bands that I listened to growing up. I remember buying Toxicity as a 6th grader and listening to it on my little boombox, screaming “I BUY MY CRACK, MY SMACK, MY BITCH RIGHT HERE IN HOLLYWOOD!” and having 0 sense of what I was singing. Also I saw a video of someone listening to “BYOB” for the first time and reacting and it was so funny to me because it is a song I’ve listened to countless times but experiencing it through them was hilarious.
- Eichlers– Like honestly, how could I not? DAYS BEFORE MCF was recently released and of course I’ve been listening to it at least once a day, often multiple times since it’s really only about 15 minutes. Without spoiling anything, I’ll keep this one brief: do you remember the first time you went to Cold Stone Creamery? All those ice cream flavors and all of those goodies you can put in and they literally make your ice cream in front of you? Maybe it’s a west coast thing. Regardless, DAYS BEFORE MCF is a lot like that: sweetness topped with goodies, hand-crafted by knowing hands.
JustSomeMustard’s recommendations:
- Tenacious D – Mustard had the pleasure of seeing The Super Mario Bros movie. Without spoiling anything, Bowser (played by Jack Black) has an incredible Tenacious D-esqe rock ballad in the film. This song has been stuck in Mustard’s plug ever since they saw the film. Listening to this song led them to listening to the greatest band in the world: Tenacious D. Tenacious D is a band that Mustard has always loved. Their self-titled album and future releases were essential listening during their formative years. The music that Tenacious D is timeless and can be enjoyed at anytime.
- DOKI DOKI – First off, holy heck! Mustard was instantly drawn and hooked to this album. The self-titled album from Asian Man Record’s DOKI DOKI is like experiencing Fury Road for your human ears. It is non-stop and all action. This album never slows down, thankfully. It is the exact type of punk music that Mustard loves. The lyrics and the energy on this album will want you to cause mayhem. This is an album that will be a part of Mustard’s weekly roundup.
- Julez and the Rollerz – Since Julez and the Rollerz reached out to Mustard they have been unable to stop listening to them this month. They make the type of garage rock that will snap your step-father out of their midlife crisis and return that boat they purchased after their weekly bar crawl. Julez and the Rollerz lyrics welcome introspection, reflection, and a general good time. You can feel the energy throughout the music which makes the listening experience so much better. Mustard looks forward to their upcoming EP “Is This Where The Party Is?” coming out next month.
Gimpleg’s recommendations:
- We Are The Union – We Are The Union’s Ordinary Life album is the album that made me fall back in love with music, and may be my favorite album of all time. I got the chance to see We Are The Union life for the first time in March and I played the album several times in the days before the show, I can definitely say that the album still holds up as one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. I know it’s only been 2 years since it came out, so “still holds up” feels like it’s not really had much time to fade, but when I fell in love with the album I hadn’t really listened to much new music for over a decade. Now I listen to a half dozen new albums every month and I’ve fallen in love with many of them. I wasn’t sure if my love for that album was based on the music or if it was based on the ability it had to make me love music. I can gladly say it was both, and it is getting regular spins still.
- Bite Me Bambi– I love Bite Me Bambi, what can I say. I love their 90s ska punk sound, I love their amazing videos- almost always directed by Chris Graue. I love their twitch streams, which tend to feature plenty of karaoke and a healthy dose of original songs. Their videos tend to feature constant inside jokes and running gags. Most recently they released a cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine”, and before that they released a Christmas themed single, but their best music is definitely their originals.
- Harry Belafonte – While I haven’t explored deep into his catalog I wanted to use my third recommendation for Harry Belafonte. I always enjoyed his songs from Beetlejuice, but never looked much further into his and was unaware of his lifelong political activism from refusing to play shows in the South during the peak of his career, to being a confidant to Martin Luther King, to writing an album about South African apartheid in the 60s. I’ve always appreciated calypso when I hear it, but never sought it out. This week, I will be rectifying that.
Music Shelf With Mustard 