RADKEY, “Cat & Mouse”

RADKEY, “Cat & Mouse”

From the chainsaw buzz of an opening riff on “Cat & Mouse,” it’s clear that the three brothers of Radkey are here to melt faces, not make friends. And the band doesn’t hold back from there on, with a chorus exclaiming, “Nowhere to hide/He’s going to take your life/No one to cry to/He’s going to take your life” in a baritone that could summon the ghost of Ian Curtis. As machine-gun drums give way to a searing guitar solo, the darkness and tension of the song bursts into a cacophony of “woah”s and a welcome reprise of that opening riff, somehow even more brutal and urgent than at the top of the song. “Cat & Mouse” is a dangerous game that you’ll want to play again and again.Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #88 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

EXTRADITION ORDER, “Baby, What Have You Done For Me Lately?”

EXTRADITION ORDER, “Baby, What Have You Done For Me Lately?”

Enticing harmonies and soft tambourines may not spring to mind when thinking about J. Robert Oppenheimer, but London’s Extradition Order make a compelling case that the sound and subject pair better than you think. Blending stomping rhythms with shimmering guitars, Extradition Order has crafted a self-described “Northern Soul album about the atomic bomb,” but Alastair Harper’s lyrics on “Baby, What Have You Done For Me Lately?” don’t give up the game so easy. Gang of Four-style harmonies punctuate the repeated refrain, “Baby, what have you done for me lately?/I miss your torso, especially when it was unclothed,” which steps away from the specific subject into an accessible portrait of love and longing. Once the horns and voices coalesce in the chorus and the Northern Soul influences shine through, the song transcends into its final form: a kickass kiss-off, more universal and impactful than the man behind the bomb.Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #88 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: Science Rat by Gabriel Bernini

Song We Like: Science Rat by Gabriel Bernini

Someone’s been listening to The Kinks and all the universe that followed – that sharp ragged riff and those beautiful pop melodies riding over the top. This is dance-y, catchy, ride in your car or drop this in a bar – this is pure garage bliss. Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #87 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

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Song We Like: Hopeless Man by Don Babylon

Song We Like: Hopeless Man by Don Babylon

This is gospel. This is Biblical. An epic soul bearing of a hopeless man. These garage rockers and truth-tellers take on the Americana genre and produce a work of immense depth and beauty. Also – this is one of the best vocalists in the underground scene today. Everything he sings is the truth and vibrates with the cells of my soul.Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #87 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: Walking Wreck by Gak

Song We Like: Walking Wreck by Gak

Gak is every bit as intense as Suicidal Tendencies, Black Flag, and Fear. And “fuck you you fucking prick” – gets the Cinnamon Kennedy lyrics award. They’re dipping their testicles into the metal genre – but the rest of the body and soul of Gak is a wonderful roll back to the pinnacle of 80s west coast hardcore.Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #87 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: Ro Sham Bo by Her Pilots

Song We Like: Ro Sham Bo by Her Pilots

Song We Like: Roshambo by Her Pilots

These suave mother-f*ckers have dropped some catchy rock all about love – you’re throwing your best game at her and maybe she’s playing the game, maybe? Or maybe you just threw a rock and she enveloped it with her paper. Enveloped your hard rock. The dynamics in this song are perfect – with the guitar dropping in and out and the vocals snapping and snarling. Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #87 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: Looking For A Date by Stevie and the Sleaze

Song We Like: Looking For A Date by Stevie and the Sleaze

I absolutely adore this mid-tempo garage rocker. There’s nothing fancy or over-elaborate and everything is perfect. The vocalist is all sneer and attitude like Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers. And also like Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers we’re not sure if they’re interested in the girl or interested in the score. This is wonderful rock-n-roll.Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #87 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: Christmas Time by Melting Alpha Coat

Song We Like: Christmas Time by Melting Alpha Coat

A more expressive and experimental Christmas carol. Very fascinating and interesting and dissonant at the same time – and then this collection of excellent ideas culminates into a chant “Christmas Time!” and an “oh for the birth of the baby king!” They are swinging for the fences – going for a commercial hit!Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #86 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: The Devil Is Real by Supervillain

Song We Like: The Devil Is Real by Supervillain

These boys are unapologetic rock. This is in your face. This age old story of going too far and having to pay the consequences, of a life that spirals out of control. When you sell your soul – well – the devil comes to take your soul. Supervillain was kind enough to be the first band to share a song for the Musicians for Overdose Prevention collection. The devil is real.Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Featured on our #86 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.