Hot Hot Heat - Kid Who Stays In The Picture

I remember when you used to laugh
Like in the day we used to hide
Like a deer in the headlights
I saw you give up the late nights
We were the sweet and the bitter
The kid who stays in the picture
Could have been you
It should have been you

Found a very nice surprise on my Discover Weekly playlist yesterday; a new cut from one of my old time favs, Vancouver, BC funsters Hot Hot Heat. I'm not sure what they've been up to since their last album, Future Breeds, but they've been quiet, so I'd assumed they'd disbanded. I'm so happy to hear they've not, and while they're saying this (they self-titled Hot Hot Heat) is their last album, I'm crazy happy to hear anything new from them. Bonus points for being really fun! Next step: tour? Let's hope so!

Upcoming Shows

888 - Critical Mistakes

Let me rewind to the times where we never felt ill
We fill our minds with those dreams and we never miss a beat
Just pass the time staying up, feeling restless at night
Come wake me up before I die and I never get to live

I was pretty shocked to learn that 888, with it's synth-pop, slightly emo debut EP Decades, was formerly the band Drop Dead, Gorgeous - hardcore metal, including one serial killer-themed album. But hey, they formed DDG when they were still in high school and to me it's pretty rad that they did that thing until it no longer suited them and then totally switched gears, still together. Regardless, I really like this song, and the video takes on the the theme of not just moving on but fixing things and forgiving things. There is a lot that is shitty in the world that can make us angry, make us judgmental, create false us-them dichotomies, and while there definitely needs to be accountability and measured systemic changes, on an individual level humility and compassion are major keys to moving forward.

Upcoming Shows

Emarosa - Miracle

I'm watching you die a little
Watching you cry a lot
Haven't we been deserving
Maybe we're not
Any other time my eyes are dry
But I am an ocean

The latest single from post-hardcore punk band Emarosa reminds me a bit of the ballads by big hair bands in the 80s, but that's not an insult. It feels like dramatic, masculine, sing-a-long emotion - perhaps to go with your Monday blues, or more serious sadness about the world, or whatever is going on in your life. 

Upcoming Shows