Song We Like: Soft Stud by Black Belt Eagle Scout

Song We Like: Soft Stud by Black Belt Eagle Scout

It sounds like Courtney Love trying to hypnotize herself by singing the same thing over and over for six minutes. It’s great. So great

Song We Like: Tide by Secret Bleeders

Song We Like: Tide by Secret Bleeders

Melodically interesting, complex instrumentals (dark – real dark). And their talented vocalist does some scat over the top about thighs and stuff. Awesome

Song We Like: Honest Loving Heart by Momma Molasses

Song We Like: Honest Loving Heart by Momma Molasses

It’s a really pretty song, and she probably wrote it, but she is the kind of artist who could sing a furniture-store jingle and make you fall in love with her. Really, you should listen.

Song We Like: Started a Band by Don Babylon

Song We Like: Started a Band by Don Babylon

A song designed to break your heart. Check out how they change all the music 2/3 of they way through. They’re the coolest kids in school

Song We Like: Cupid by DANA

Song We Like: Cupid by DANA

Weird, rhythmic and vaguely upsetting: it’s what the future (and parts of the past, like the Thrill Kill Cult) sounds like 👍

Song We Like: Nutthin’s Fair by Illiterate Light

Song We Like: Nutthin’s Fair by Illiterate Light

The new marriage of rock and pop is not just about synths and squeaky girls (we like those too). It’s about rock musicians who are tuning their music to a new level of catchiness without sacrificing integrity. Let’s all go see Illiterate Light at Lalapalooza in August.

Song We Like: Goodbye Johnny by Quinn Powers

Song We Like: Goodbye Johnny by Quinn Powers

The maximum-integrity HLYCRP editors broke our own rules about covers for this one (it was written by Jeffrey Lee Pierce & The Gun Club). All covers should be like this: Quinn Powers took a song by someone else and made it totally about himself. It’s lighter and prettier than the original, and totally, completely, 100% different.

Song We Like: Evil by the Mongrels

Song We Like: Evil by the Mongrels

A deceptively-complex song, in which the mongrels’ satan/not-satan singer digs into some big poetry about religion and commerce, while pretending to be just some Irish fucker at a bar (they’re not Irish, they *claim*). Nice work.

Song We Like: Flying Saucers/Heatwave by Mega X

Song We Like: Flying Saucers/Heatwave by Mega X

The beauty is in the details! It takes musicians who’ve been doing this a while to come up with something so perfectly balanced. This is a great song for the soundtrack of your high-drama life. (His teeth were perfect! He was wearing a jacket made of spun glass!)