Sarah Yagki – Alone
In our latest interview Sarah mentioned how her newly released single “Alone” marks a new era. Yagki (and her team) have an excellent understanding of world-building. “Alone” and the music video along with it are cinematic and refreshing. Yagki’s vocals mixed with the grunge guitars and synths provide listeners an escape.
Mustard appreciates the duality of “Alone.” Sarah confronts the part of her that is hopeful but also the side which is falling. Humans, as Mustard has said before, are complex. There is more to them than meets their eyes. Sarah explored this on her captivating EP “I Love You, I Lied” and continues to do so on “Alone.”
Listeners can truly engage in the human experience when listening to Sarah Yagki.
Mustard cannot wait to see what she does next.
Grooblen – Twiggy Molts
Originally on Grooblen’s “The initial Groobles” Twiggy Molts has been able to shed new skin. Grooblen, a self-proclaimed reptile nerd, has always found a way to incorporate reptiles and other creatures into their music. When Grooblen announced that this single was coming out Mustard was elated as it was one of their favorite tracks from “The Initial Groobles” EP.
On Instagram Ellie (of Grooblen) shared that she wrote this song during her old pet gecko’s shedding cycle. Stokes noticed and was fascinated by the parallels between the gecko and her own life. Knowing this adds another level of appreciation of the song.
“Twiggy Molts” will be a part of Grooblen’s sophomore release “A Wormhole is a Freeway to the Stars” releasing on June 23rd.
JulieGoLive – FOMO
Streamer and musician JulieGoLive’s FOMO has provided us with not only a wonderful song but a captivating music video. Mustard learned through the lyrics and human controlled and operated worldwide web that FOMO stands for “Fear of Missing Out.” There are events that take place such as weddings, a band’s reunion tour, or finding a bear in your trash can that require your attendance. Not every human though can attend these events which is when FOMO sets in. FOMO’s production along with JulieGoLive’s vocals are wonderful. This is a relatable song that you should treat your human ears too.
Lo(u)ser – Pokemong the Chicken Nuggets
Review by Gimpleg
https://singmeastory.org/song-payments/1790
Chris Graue teamed up with singmeastory.org to write a story based off of the artwork of a child in need. Thomas, an 8 year old in need, wrote a story and drew an awesome picture of a Charizard and some other Pokémon eating chicken nuggets at a table, and Chris Graue aka Lo(u)ser wrote an amazing catchy ska song about Pokémon going out to eat and ordering 2000 Nuggets (half grilled and the rest fried). The song is incredible, chock full of Pokémon puns, and irresistibly catchy. And who doesn’t want to hear a song about Pokémon burning down a Chik-fil-a? As of the time of this writing, this song had only raised $40 of the $100 goal. Please, go check out this amazing song and help this great charity raise money for families in need!
Flip and the Combined Effort – Skasha
Review by Gimpleg
This instrumental single was released as a ska cover of “Sasha”- an Eastern European song that is often used to teach Russian Dance. While it was not actually a Russian song, (This version is based off of an original arrangement by the New England Dancing Masters) it has strong Russian vibes and the Flip horn section absolutely crushes the song. That accelerating tempo through the end of the song is so fun and has me on my feet every time. It’s incredible how well this tracks over to ska and how fun it is with horns. Definitely the best version of Sasha I’ve ever heard. SKASHA!
J Navarro and the Traitors – For the Broken
Review by Gimpleg
For the Broken is the second single off of the upcoming All of Us or None album, and it hits exactly like you’d expect it to. It’s punk, it’s ska, and it has strong reggae connection, but still feels as original and clean as NuTone and post pandemic ska. The song itself is a call to unity, but also a call to action. In the tradition consistent throughout ska’s history and especially the current ska movement, this song demands that we heed the call to fight against oppression. Yes, the lyrics are great, the gang vocals in the chorus are going to make this a favorite at live shows, but what will stand out is the music. The catchy rhythm guitar that will have you moving, the drums that lead the song in and pop throughout the song, and possibly most importantly, the lead guitar. It’s just a great song, and I can’t wait for the full album to drop. If you can catch them on their current tour, I highly recommend doing so.
The Ruffolos – Episode 420
Review by Gimpleg
This re- recording of the Ruffolos Episode 420 was released, unsurprisingly, on 4/ 20, and you’d never guess the subject matter. This song is the Ruffolos take on “The Edge” by David McCallum, which is best known as the sample used by Dr Dry with Snoop Dogg, Korupt, and Nate Dogg in “The Next Episode” although the song is a tribute to all four and references more than just that one track. This mix is much better than the previous version of the song and sounds great. If you weren’t familiar with Ruffolos or this song, I HIGHLY recommend it. The Ruffolos have been expanding their sound and they just keep getting better, from the horn section to additional vocals and backing vocals, this is a band where I never know what I am going to get next and I know I will want to hear more of it.
Music Shelf With Mustard 