In this weekly feature, a different LEO staff member will share 7-10 of the songs they’ve got on repeat right now with one caveat: about half of those songs have to be by local artists. (Songs by Louisville artists are marked with an asterisk.) Got a track that you think we’d like? Let us know at [email protected] or at the author’s email below.
Greatest song of all time! The first song on their first album, opening with the iconic rally cry of “Hey Ho, Let’s Go”, it served as a wakeup call to the disenfranchised youth; a middle finger in the face of the ultra-talented but pretentious and long-winded prog rock songs that ruled the radio at the time; and more importantly, a flame to ignite the music revolution that was coming. This was everything The Stooges, MC5, and The New York Dolls were working up to, the first true punk rock song!
Rocket To Des Moines - All My Dreams*
A little self-serving here, but I played drums for this band. We were only able to record one full-length album before breaking up not long afterwards. The whole album is my heart and soul and is by far my proudest moment as a musician, but this track in particular holds a special place for me. Beautiful little tune we almost didn’t record because we were running out of studio time. My drum track was done in one take, all live with no overdubs. Guitarist/singer/songwriter Brad Maynard is one of the most talented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and I miss the fuck out of playing these songs.
Anyone who knows me knows my absolute obsession with this band. I thought I was alone in saying I felt spiritually connected to their music, then I found a King Buffalo group on Facebook and was shocked to learn there were thousands who feel the same way I do. Their sound is a mix of Rush, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and Tool, but distinctly all their own. It’s easy to get lost in. “Regenerator” is the title track off their latest album and is a great mix of where they came from and where they are going.
Bad Wires - Senile 20 Something*
Is it metal, thrash, punk, hardcore, stoner rock? Yes! And the riffs come flying at you in all directions at once. If members of Young Widows, Jesus Lizard, Melvins, Helmet, Prong, and The Minutemen all got together and jammed, the result would be something like this. A great tune to turn up really loud!
Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms vs. Bad Arms
This was the first song I ever heard from FR, (via 91.9 WFPK), many years ago and is still my favorite of theirs. Scott Hutchison was one of the greatest songwriters of our generation and doesn’t get enough credit for it. This song is a great example; extremely catchy indie rock meets Americana tune with lyrics that manage to be completely heartbreaking yet tongue-in-cheek at the same time. No one is able to pull that off the way he did. The man wore his heart on his sleeve and made no hesitations about showing it. Why the mainstream largely ignored this band is beyond me, they deserved so much more.
The almost spiritual/psychedelic intro gives little indication of what’s about to come. Quickly broken up by vocalist Blannah, the song kicks in with all its punk meets garage rock fury. Shitfire has always been a great band, but they really outdid themselves with this one. Their catchiest song yet! Check out my review of their new “Shit Genes” ep in the May 10th issue of LEO.|
Well, kinda local. They’re from Lexington, but they do play here a lot. This is heavy in every sense of the word. Six minutes and 24 seconds of doom/sludge metal where the only thought going through your head is “Holy fuck, I think my ears are bleeding!” Just an absolute powerhouse of a song. You can read my full review of this song in the May 10th issue of LEO as well.
Aside from Louisville, Nashville easily has one of the most interesting music scenes happening right now, and Howling Giant is certainly a big part of that. Heavy psych leaning on stoner metal, kind of like Black Sabbath jamming with King Crimson. Not going to lie, it took repeated listenings for me to really grasp their sound, but once I did I couldn’t stop. Although this is my favorite track, their “The Space Between Worlds” album is often on full repeat for me, as the whole record is solid.
Letters of Acceptance - Statue of You*
I first heard this band while having a particularly shitty day, and instantly all the negativity was washed away and replaced with a feeling of blissfulness and contentedness. Their music is so warm, bright, upbeat and carefree that it’s easy to lose yourself in it and miss just how talented this band truly is. This song in particular has a wonderful Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers meets Elvis Costello meets self-titled album era The Cars charm about it.
The Response - King Of The Scene (We're The Response)*
Old school punk rock n’ roll played by actual old-school punk rockers! This is a catchy-as-hell banger with a strong Sloppy Seconds feel to it. The recording is as bare-bones as you can get, but packs a shitload of energy. Hopefully a proper studio-recorded version is heading our way soon. Until then, get out there and catch these guys live at one of their many upcoming shows!
