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(Some Of) The Best Albums Of 2020 So Far

BEst Albums 2020

As we enter the back-half of the year, the Haulix team takes a moment to celebrate some of the best albums released thus far in 2020.

Believe it or not,  we are only halfway through 2020. The year that just won’t end has already given us more than most as far as cultural shifts and life-changing headlines are concerned. From COVID-19 and murder hornets, to the suspension of live music and an inability to visit a movie theater anywhere in the United States, 2020 is challenging everyone to keep their head above water. It is also giving us some truly incredible records, and that is what we are trying to focus today.

Musicians in 2020 are more in tune with the state of the world than previous generations. Artists from every genre are discussing topics like politics and the economy in a direct manner, and very few are pulling any punches when about those in power. The music being created right now is doing more to unite people and bring us hope for a better future than any leader, and we believe more great songs are coming in the months ahead.

Picking our favorite albums of the year is a tradition that goes back as far as this blog. We never have the time to highlight every release that leaves a positive impact on us, but we did want to pull ten albums we believe are essential listening experiences. There is no ranking or order to the presentation here. We only ask that you set aside a little time to give each artist or group a chance to change your life.

Trivium – What The Dead Men Say

What The Dead Men Say, Trivium’s ninth studio album reflects on the past in hopes of saving the future. The band – Matt Heafy, Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto, and Alex Bent – pull from everything they’ve done to deliver an album that serves as a thesis statement for Trivium’s career. It’s a relentlessly heavy, yet undeniably melodic exploration of existence that pulls from philosophy and mythology in equal measure to paint an elaborately-detailed portrait of what makes us human. Fans will hear hints of the youthful confidence that fueled Ember To Inferno and Ascendency, alongside the grit of In Waves and melancholy of Silence In The Snow. How Trivium combines these seemingly conflicting ideas gel is one of the record’s many wonders. That said, the real mastery lies in their ability to do so while also creating incredibly accessible music for new listeners. [Full review]

Run The Jewels – RTJ4

Run The Jewels could not have anticipated how much the world would need RTJ4 when they set its June 5 release date. Fan demand was already high, but after the last two weeks in America, the music of El-P and Killer Mike has a new sense of urgency. The booming beats and tongue-in-cheek lyrics on life and death in a broken system seep through your ear canal and take residence in your cerebellum. It’s a soundtrack to survival for a generation raised to believe that living under the surveillance of other people is normal that demands we strategize ways to create lasting change that benefits all people. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but that’s okay because the outcome will be worth the struggle. [Full Review]

Best Ex – Good At Feeling Bad

Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Mariel Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad is about what comes after all that, which is where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails. [Full review]

Lamb of God – Lamb of God

On their new, self-titled release, Lamb of God targets all the topics that most of us choose to ignore because implementing meaningful change often feels impossible. The band asks that we stop accepting a world where everything is on fire and demands that we do something about it. Everything from the opioid crisis, to school shootings and immigration, is put in the spotlight through some of the group’s heaviest production to date, all to make us pay attention to the broken state of civilization. If you’ve fallen victim to complacency, Lamb of God is here to deliver a wakeup call that will shake your bones and clear the cobwebs from your mind. It is a reminder that you are more powerful than you know, and it is your responsibility to use your strength for good. [Full review]

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Reunions

Reunions examines the role we play in the world around us. Jason Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, leave no rock unturned in their search for answers to life’s biggest questions regarding purpose and grief. The album provides few solutions on either front but finds comfort in acknowledging that we are on this journey through the chaos of existence. If we can learn to love one another and shed the weight of stress and mistakes from our past, Isbell believes we can find a lasting sense of peace amidst the turmoil of our daily lives. It’s a big idea that some will think impossible, and he understands that. Rather than giving listeners an optimistic ear-beating, he focuses on crafting undeniably soulful songs in hopes people will reconsider our limitless potential for change. [Full review]

Dance Gavin Dance – Afterburner

Afterburner finds Dance Gavin Dance refining their talents while pushing the creative envelop wherever possible. It’s the kind of musical chaos and experimentation that would border on cacophony if it were attempted by anyone less skilled or in sync than the members of the group. Track to track, beat to beat, Dance Gavin Dance work to find new ways to catch fans off guard while simultaneously giving them precisely what they expect. It’s a magic trick of sorts, handled by musical magicians making seriously unserious music with the precision of fine craftsman. [Full review]

Dogleg – Melee

Dogleg, the latest in a long line of alternative bands to rise from the mitten state in recent years, is chasing dreams of changing lives and selling records with a passion unmatched by their peers. The band’s Triple Crown Records debut, Melee, speaks to that ferocity with ten songs built upon all the angst and stress of trying to survive in our modern times. It’s a cathartic collection of high hopes and broken dreams that reaches through the speakers with each note and lyric, urging listeners to get off their ass and influence positive change in the world around them. [Full review]

 Body Count – Carnivore

Carnivore continues Body Count’s reputation for speaking their minds on the state of the world. It’s an album about taking life by the reigns, taking responsibility for your actions, and working to create the world you want to see. Body Count has grown tired of people complaining, especially when they’re not doing anything to influence change, so they use this record to ignite our collective desire to fight for a better life. They believe nothing happens unless you work to make it happen, and they use this record to urge listeners to take action. [Full review]

The Amity Affliction – Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them

Australian post-hardcore favorites The Amity Affliction are internationally recognized for their fierce lyricism and hard-hitting music. Their time in the spotlight has a devoted following of fans who wear their hearts on their sleeves with clenched fists and weary eyes. For them, the music The Amity Affliction creates is about more than trudging through the experience of existence. Fans know the group is writing to inspire rebellion, both from the world as we know it and from the people they were in the past, in hopes we all seek to reborn as better, more empathetic human beings. [Full review]

Hot Mulligan – You’ll Be Fine

Michigan’s Hot Mulligan is leading a long-overdue alternative uprising that emphasizes heart over tradition. Their music takes the moments in life most keep to themselves and leverages them through big hooks to create a welcoming, fully-transparent presentation that helps the group stand out from many of their peers. You’ll Be Fine teaches us how to be like them by urging us to get over ourselves before we become someone we hate.

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Haulix Recommends: Tyler Carter – ‘Moonshine’ (Acoustic)

A career musician who has already proven his talent several times over, Tyler Carter returns with his most intimate work to date.

There is a saying that suggests the only way to be successful in business is to diversify your offerings. Consumers are easily distracted, people say, so you should never rely on what has worked in the past when considering where you will go moving forward. That idea applies to music as well. A great song or sound may get you far, but you can always go further by keeping listeners on their toes. Many artists may attempt to expand, but few pull it off as well as Tyler Carter.

A staple of the modern alternative scene, Tyler Carter is a musical chameleon whose signature croon has given the world anthems that will outlive us all. He’s got the kind of voice you would expect to hear at pop radio, especially in the era of artists such as blackbear and Jon Bellion, but he’s best known as a hard rock vocalist. The majority of his time is spent with Issues, an abstract metal act that combines a variety of sonic influences to challenge the perception of metal without completing alienating fans of the genre. It’s a challenging line to walk, but Carter and his bandmates make it look easy. Case in point, the band’s 2019 album was one of the year’s most celebrated releases. Not just in metal, but in music as a whole.

But Carter is more than a one-band man. His talent in various groups is equally matched by his brilliant solo career, which has admittedly taken a backseat to some of his more high-profile projects (such as Issues). When working alone, Carter has more room to experiment and develop as a songwriter. His solo material allows him to fully express himself as he asserts creative control over each song rather than being a contributing part of a whole. The results are often more cathartic than any other material he releases.

Carter’s latest release, Moonshine (Acoustic), is a stripped-down take on his 2019 solo record that features a pair of new recordings. The first, a new track titled “Escape My Love,” offers a beautiful ode to someone who doesn’t understand the power they possess. It’s mostly a love song, but also something of an anthem for anyone who hides from mirrors and feels like they don’t deserve the things everyone else gets in life. Carter wants those individuals he will always be there for them, as will the people who love them.

The second new offering is a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s timeless hit, “Landslide.” The challenge with covering a beloved song is finding a way to meet expectations while putting a fresh spin on a track people have heard countless times. Carter’s take is simple and airy. It’s a showcase of his vocal talents as much as it is an exercise in restraint. He resists the urge to go “too big” in preference of making sure the message resonates. It’s a massive success.

With Moonshine (Acoustic), Tyler Carter cements his place as one of music’s most exciting vocalists. He’s a crooner at heart, and it shows throughout this release. “Glow,” for example, brings the hazy chaos of a late-night rendezvous between lovers into a beautiful place that is undeniably compelling. “Good Things,” on the other hand, finds happiness in the simple joys of life. There is no topic Carter is afraid to tackle, nor a single track where his soulful voice fails to connect with the listener. We didn’t need more proof of Tyler Carter’s talent, but if anyone remains on the fence, this record will convert them.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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Haulix Recommends: Run The Jewels – RTJ4

In a time of great political unrest, with protests in the streets and anger in our veins, Run The Jewels are back to provide the soundtrack to a long-overdue revolution.

There are many lessons to be learned from Run The Jewels‘ success, and the biggest is the importance of chasing your passions. Though they are recognized as hip-hop’s most exciting and thought-provoking duo, the project started as a single release between two incredibly talented friends. Like so much great art, the goal was never to make a massive impact on culture. El-P and Killer Mike made music together simply because they wanted to, and that pure desire to create came across in their artistic output. The people they reached took notice of their motivations, and the connection forged through that understanding built the successful career the duo now leads today.

But make no mistake. As much as Run The Jewels work hard to inject a sense of fun into modern hip-hop, the duo also has a message to share. While other musicians get lost in fantasies of how life could or should be, Run The Jewels write songs that speak to right now. They refuse to distract from how the powerful do wrong or how those with influence often refuse to help others. El-P and Killer Mike shine a light on the injustices of the world and, rather than pretend they may be magically resolved through good intentions and prayer, call people to action.

Run The Jewels could not have anticipated how much the world would need RTJ4 when they set its June 5 release date. Fan demand was already high, but after the last two weeks in America, the music of El-P and Killer Mike has a new sense of urgency. The booming beats and tongue-in-cheek lyrics on life and death in a broken system seep through your ear canal and take residence in your cerebellum. It’s a soundtrack to survival for a generation raised to believe that living under the surveillance of other people is normal that demands we strategize ways to create lasting change that benefits all people. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but that’s okay because the outcome will be worth the struggle.

Some may say RTJ4 is more of the same, but that is an oversimplification of Run The Jewels’ latest offering. The elements that fans have come to expect are present, yes, but they are more refined. The beats are funkier, and there is more precision in the lyrics. The message of RTJ4 is never up for debate. Run The Jewels make groove-heavy rap for a working-class population that is more aware than ever of the oppression that they face and the need for immediate change. Though the duo cannot facilitate systemic upheaval on their own, they are doing their part and ask that we do the same.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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Haulix Recommends: Behemoth – ‘A Forest’ EP

Black metal masters Behemoth are leveraging the attention garnered from their recent cover of The Cure to share their most exciting music to date.

Behemoth is a band that needs no introduction. For the better part of thirty years, the Polish metal titans have been blazing a trail entirely their own through the world of music. They are partially responsible for making black metal something people around the globe recognize as art, and they spare no expense in seeing just how far they can push themselves as both musicians and creatives. No two Behemoth offerings are the same, but the group’s latest, A Forest, is in a league all its own. 

A four-track release arriving just coronavirus cabin fever is setting in, A Forest speaks to Behemoth’s relentless pursuit of musical mastery. Highlighted by a cover of The Cure’s 1980 track “A Forest,” which appears twice (once as a studio cut and once as a live cut), the record showcases the group’s innate ability to make any idea their own. Behemoth builds on the already dark themes and energy of the original track to produce an expansive black metal offering that lures you into a brooding state of madness from where there is no escape. It’s a song you want to live inside, and the video plays like the arthouse horror film:

At the risk of overstating its brilliance, A Forest is Behemoth at their very best. Their cover of The Cure transforms a classic rock song into something far more sinister without sacrificing the core elements that make the track great, which is enough to warrant a purchase, but the EP also features two new songs that fans won’t soon forget. “Shadows ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha” finds the group delivering a driving anthem with ferocious riffs and thundering drums, while the closer, “Evoe,” feels like a call to arms for the devil’s army. It’s the kind of heavy songwriter that inspires uprisings and leads to chaos in the streets. In other words, it’s precisely what we need.

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Haulix Recommends: Best Ex – ‘Good At Feeling Bad’

Combining equal parts heartache and hopefulness, the enchanting new EP from Best Ex will make you dance and cry, possibly at the same time.

Oh, to be young and finding yourself under the (pre-COVID) lights of New York City. It sounds like a fantasy to many, one that movies and books explore repeatedly, but for Mariel Loveland, it’s a real-life experience. She’s overcoming heartache and learning what matters most to her in a place where the possibilities are endless, and she captures every sensation on Good At Feeling Bad, the latest EP from Best Ex.

Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad is about what comes after all that, which is where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails.

“Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” the opening track and recent single, places the notion of caring for one’s self front and center. It begins as any breakup song would, with an evident longing for a connection that has recently severed, but as the first verse gives way to the chorus, a more grounded and rational way of thinking emerges. Loveland’s broken heart is begging for something immediate to soothe the wound, such as a kiss from a stranger or a night lived with reckless abandon, but her mind knows better. Life has taught her that trying to fill the void the exists when someone you love leaves with anything less than a more significant emotional connection will ultimately lead to a pang of more profound sadness. A wild night might be fun, but the next day she will wake with the same longing in her soul, so what is the point?

Later, on “Lemons,” Loveland breaks from the adage of making lemonade to suggest biting the lemons life serves instead. That message, which is mirrored on the track “Bad Love,” perfectly encapsulates how age and experience are informing her perspective on life. You can go through your time on this planet sugar-coating reality to make it more palatable, or you can face challenges head-on and learn from them. The music of Best Ex tells us that running from the truth never gets you very far and that real growth stems from putting in the work to be the person you are to become. 

But Loveland isn’t foolish enough to believe such decisions are easy. “Feed The Sharks,” for example, ruminates on the feelings of regret and unease that follow difficult choices. She understands that knowing what you should be doing and following through with it are two different things. Personal development is not a straight path. It’s a complex web of choices and feelings that rage like tornadoes in our chest, and even when we do what is best for us, we often feel bad. Luckily, she’s getting good at living with that feeling.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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Haulix Recommends: Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Reunions

JASON ISBELL

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit explore the biggest questions about life and death while delivering soul-shaking Americana on their latest release.

Blame it on the coronavirus restricting our access to normal life or the digital revolution emphasizing constant contact over a human connection, but people are aching for genuine relationships. We long to return to simpler times, back when hugging those you love didn’t feel like a high-risk activity, and the world was full of exciting possibilities. I choose to believe we will return to that time sooner than later, but until then, we have Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit‘s new album Reunions to remind us what matters most in life.

Isbell is above all things a storyteller. His career is full of real and fictitious accounts of underdogs fighting for a life that often feels beyond their reach. His characters cling to love and family, even when it seems easier to let go, and they maintain hope for a brighter future despite all evidence. He never knows how things will pan out, nor does he claim otherwise, but he understands life is for the living. You can do your best with what you have, or you can wallow in sadness. The choice is yours. 

Reunions examines the role we play in the world around us. Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, leave no rock unturned in their search for answers to life’s biggest questions regarding purpose and grief. The album provides few solutions on either front but finds comfort in acknowledging that we are on this journey through the chaos of existence. If we can learn to love one another and shed the weight of stress and mistakes from our past, Isbell believes we can find a lasting sense of peace amidst the turmoil of our daily lives. It’s a big idea that some will think impossible, and he understands that. Rather than giving listeners an optimistic ear-beating, he focuses on crafting undeniably soulful songs in hopes people will reconsider our limitless potential for change.

Of course, none of this information will come as a surprise to longtime fans of Isbell’s work. His songs are known for tapping into a universal sense of sadness and anger regarding life, but Isbell always includes a silver lining. Life may be shorter than we want, but isn’t it a miracle we get to live at all? The mistakes of our youth can cripple our development as adults, but who would we be without those missteps? The songs on Reunions do not embrace the idea that everything happens for a reason. They do, however, urge listeners to accept the things we cannot change and move forward. Process your feelings, work through the pain, and keep going. That’s the only thing any of us can do.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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Haulix Recommends: Asking Alexandria – ‘Like A House on Fire’

Six albums into an unpredictable career, Asking Alexandria redefine themselves once again with Like A House On Fire.

Everyone loves an underdog story, and it is easy to understand why. Overcoming the odds and proving every hater wrong is the quintessential path to success we all aspire to follow in life. We want to make our dreams a reality, and from there, discover new goals that change that consistently challenge us while we continue to evolve. Living life on terms we set is the only way to exist, and Asking Alexandria have built their career by subverting expectations at every turn.

But we are taught something different. Music industry classes and conferences will tell you to stick with what works. If your fans love ballads, for example, then keep writing them. In other words, “give the people what they want,” but Asking Alexandria disagrees. No two records in the band’s catalog sound the same, but they each play an essential role in the shaping of the band and their devout followers. The group understands that taking a hard left turn sonically may scare fans away, so rather than jump the shark altogether from record to record, Asking Alexandria does so in steps. Not unlike a well-written story, their career has a clear and riveting narrative that makes sense to all who experience their art.

Like A House On Fire is a testament to Asking Alexandria’s insistence on constant progression. The young lads that screamed about heartache over 808-enhanced breakdowns on Stand Up And Scream in 2009 have matured into men concerned with problems more significant than themselves. The album delivers raw rock cuts that take stock of the world around us and the role we play in it. There is no shortage of heart or rage, nor does the energy let up for even a moment. For the better part of an hour, Asking Alexandria bleed themselves dry to deliver honest music that not only makes you feel something but also encourages positive change.

But make no mistake, Asking Alexandria knows their latest creation may upset people. “The Violence,” which began the long album rollout in 2019, tackles the idea of thinking for yourself by addressing the way pop culture and mainstream media manipulate the masses. It’s not hard to understand how the music business forces similarly unfavorable ideas on creatives. “They Don’t Want What We Want (And They Don’t Care)” explores a similar theme, albeit in a more direct manner. The powers that be don’t want you to satisfy your creative urges; they want to profit. To them, Asking Alexandria and their fans are merely cogs in a machine fueled by people willing to exchange passion for financial gain, and the band is sick of it.

“Down To Hell” is the song most likely to become the next inescapable rock anthem. It’s a thesis statement, not just for the album, but for Asking Alexandria’s entire career. Packed with gang vocals and a relentless spirit that is highlighted by an incredibly catchy riff, the song reinforces the idea of forging your own path in life. It’s a giant middle finger to the people who mock you because they’re too afraid or too stupid to be themselves, and it’s got a replay value higher than the vast majority of music in rotation at radio today.

The most exciting element of Like A House On Fire is how it sets up what Asking Alexandria will do next. The band’s willingness to try new ideas to keeps their sound feeling fresh even when it seems to borrow from other, arguably more established artists. Those moments of imitation are rare, but they serve to make the band more accessible without sacrificing the soul of the group. Like A Burning House is the kind of album that can only be made by people who are comfortable in their skin, and it points to an even brighter future in the years ahead.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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Haulix Recommends: Winterfylleth – The Reckoning Dawn

Two years after stunning fans with The Hallowing of Heirdom, UK black metal favorites Winterfylleth return with one of the year’s most memorable records.

If you love any genre of music long enough, you begin to believe as if you’ve heard everything that sound has to offer. After all, there are only so many notes, chord progressions, and tunings to explore. The key to creating great music in the modern era is how you make familiar things feel new once again, and there are few artists in the black metal scene who are doing that as well as the UK’s Winterfylleth.

That information is nothing new. The members of Winterfylleth have spent the past twelve years building their careers by continually pushing the boundaries of black metal. They are one of the few bands in the genre with a steadfast determination to evolve, and they’re willing to risk everything in that pursuit. From concept records to releases featuring a stripped-down sound, Winterfylleth exists to explore the outer limits of metal with wide eyes and open minds.

On their latest studio album, The Reckoning Dawn, Winterfylleth combines the heaviest elements of metal to create an all-encompassing ode to chaos. The album plays like an epic score to a brutal battle happening in some faraway land that listeners witness as they ride across the sky atop a black steed alongside the other horseman of the apocalypse. The emotions of pain and confusion in the songs are unstoppable, but the perspective is fresh and invigorating. You feel stronger for experiencing the music Winterfylleth wants to share, and that strength grows exponentially with each subsequent spin.

Take “A Greatness Undone,” for example. The track starts at a breakneck speed and builds into a calamitous fury of drums and guttural growls that feel larger than life. Then, just as you’re beginning to wrap your head around the track, a riff comes in that lifts the song into another, a somehow higher plane of existence. It’s as close to an out of body experience that sound can provide, and it’s available wherever you listen to music.

The Reckoning Dawn is such a strong record that fans may be left wondering what else Winterfylleth can accomplish with their career. The band has outdone themselves with this album. From the thunderous blast beats and fiery riffs to the ferocious vocals detailing the eternal search for meaning in a world where the truth is often stranger than fiction, Winterfylleth has showcased their massive talent in a manner that is likely to leave you in awe. Other bands will see this album as the new bar for creativity and artistic precision, and they will be right. A new dawn is breaking, and Winterfylleth is the sun that will guide the next generation of black metal apprentices.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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It’s No-Fee Friday On Bandcamp. Buy These 6 Releases

The popular digital music store and streaming platform Bandcamp is waving any claim to revenue generated through its store to support artists during COVID-19.

The bright side of living in the age of coronavirus is that many people and companies are going out of their way to help those in need. For example, millions of dollars and non-perishable goods have been donated around the world to help anyone unable to buy feed and pay their bills. Acts of loving-kindness are what make the direst circumstances seem manageable, and luckily, Bandcamp is doing what it can to help musicians while touring is on hold.

Today, May 1, Bandcamp is waiving its claim to any revenue generated on its platform. Bandcamp ran the same promotion on March 20, which generated millions of dollars for labels and independent artists who are currently unable to tour.

To be clear: Every cent spent on Bandcamp today will go directly to musicians in need. Considering that no one knows when live music will return anywhere, let alone when touring can happen again, your support of independent music is desperately needed.

Bandcamp has incredible discovery tools that will help you find new music that matches your interest, but if you’re open to suggestions, we have a few recommendations:

Anthony Green – Live From The Social (Stream It/Buy It)

Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green has built a thriving solo project over the last twelve years that has produced numerous beloved albums. To celebrate Bandcamp’s COVID-19 fundraiser, Green is kicking off a new bootleg series of live recordings with audio from a 2016 concert at The Social in Orlando, FL. The sixteen-track digital release features songs from Green’s catalog and the joyous sounds of a packed room singing along as loud as possible.

Also Also Also – The Good Grief (Stream It/Buy It)

The second full-length album from Canada’s Also Also Also does not disappoint. The haunting vocals of Eden Rohatensky pair perfectly with their hypnotic synth production to create a deeply moving collection of songs that seek answers to existential questions about the nature of love and death. Answers are few and far between, but the journey is one you will want to take again and again.

Hot Mulligan – Opportunities (Stream It/Buy It)

Before they were internationally known as the #1 Hot New Band, Michigan’s Hot Mulligan were building their brand one fan at a time with unique songs that challenged pop-punk traditionalists and captivated young music fans. The group’s early releases speak to the members’ passion and devotion with big hooks that no listener can ever shake (“Dary” is a standout). Opportunities is just one of multiple early releases available on the Hot Mulligan page, but it happens to be our personal favorite. Buy as many as you can. The band deserves it, and so do you.

Killswitch Engage – Atonement II (Stream It/Buy It)

Bandcamp’s decision to help those in need is inspiring musicians to follow its lead. Killswitch Engage is sharing six (6) b-sides from their 2019 release Atonement for one week only to raise money for charity. The tracks deliver the same ferocious energy fans have come to expect, with frontman Jesse Leach delivering hopeful, yet grounded lyrics over thunderous production that will incite mosh pits around the world. It’s unclear if the band will perform these songs when live music returns, but the strength of the material gives us hope at least a few will appear in future setlists.

Straylight Run – Live At The Patchogue Theatre (Stream It/Buy It)

The vast majority of musicians record more often than fans realize. From demos and b-sides that never make it to the public, to live recordings from various tours that get lost in the gears of the industry, the annals of music history are filled with material the majority of listeners never get a chance to hear. Live At The Patchogue Theatre was almost a lost release. Recorded fifteen years ago when Straylight Run was at the height of their career, this incredible performance captures a moment in time when emotion and lyricism meant everything to alternative music fans. Over the course of eleven tracks, listeners can hear the group deliver one soul-stirring rendition after another of songs that deserve more love and attention than they may ever receive. It’s a testament to how great songwriting never ages and a reminder of why we need to preserve the live music experience for future generations

If that isn’t enough to move you, Straylight Run is donating 100% of the proceeds from the live LP to help feed the hungry. Help them help others and get a great release in return.

Witch Taint – Sons of Midwestern Darkness (Stream It/Buy It)

Inside every person is the knowledge they are unique. Many try to squash this notion in hopes of fitting in with the masses, but others choose to use what sets them apart to their advantage. Witch Taint is an example of how leveraging the things that make us different ultimately makes the world a better place. Sons Of Midwestern Darkness is an album that took sixteen years to exist, and it showcases the very best elements of black metal and heavy music in a manner few records can claim. It’s the kind of release that seems to know your life before you hear it, and it’s likely to be the soundtrack to existence for many moving forward. Witch Taint is the future, and the future is brutal as fuck.

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Haulix Recommends: Dance Gavin Dance – ‘Afterburner’

On their ninth studio album, Afterburner, Dance Gavin Dance proves their expertise at the subtle art of not giving a f*ck.

What makes a great rock song? Is it the riffs, the bass, the drums, or the way those elements combine? Is it the lyrics, and the way they’re able to explore complex human experiences in a unique, yet relatable manner? Is it something altogether intangible, like an unshakable feeling that whatever a band or artist is doing describes where you are in life at a certain point in time? There is no answer, and those that feel otherwise probably haven’t spent a lot of time listening to Dance Gavin Dance.

Across fifteen years and numerous lineup changes, Dance Gavin Dance has become a beacon of hope amidst rock music’s repetitive tendencies. The group’s catalog is a collection of wide-eyed analysis of the human condition paired exquisitely with something that can only be described as post-ironic self-awareness set to instrumentation that dares to explore all corners of heavy music. No two records or songs sound the same, and yet nothing feels out of place. 

Afterburner, the band’s latest release, finds Dance Gavin Dance refining their talents while pushing the creative envelop wherever possible. It’s the kind of musical chaos and experimentation that would border on cacophony if it were attempted by anyone less skilled or in sync than the members of the group. Track to track, beat to beat, Dance Gavin Dance work to find new ways to catch fans off guard while simultaneously giving them exactly what they expect. It’s a magic trick of sorts, handled by musical magicians making seriously unserious music with the precision of fine craftsman.

A great example of the fine line Dance Gavin Dance walks is “Prisoner,” one of singles released ahead of Afterburner. As vocalist Tilian Pearson croons about existentialism and the architecture of the universe, vocalist Jon Mess delivers the post-hardcore equivalent to slam poetry with lines about someone named Billy who backs abortion and eye cream while smoking packs of Christian Bale. The two songwriting elements are so different that one might believe they’re written without knowledge of the other’s existence, and yet, they meld perfectly. 

“Three Wishes” combines similarly opposing ideas. A sonic bed made for summer car rides with the windows down while your arm rides the waves of the air rushing by serves as the foundation to a love story interrupted by Mess repeating shouting the line, “multiple stab wounds.” Then, as the pre-chorus for the second refrain hits, Tilian sings, “I make offbeat noises with my little guitar / always been a little crazy but I don’t think too hard.” It’s the perfect summary of the band’s sound, an offbeat concoction of ideas thrown together with a reckless abandon that somehow works, and it’s delivered with absolute sincerity.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, describes first-rate intelligence as “the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” Dance Gavin Dance proves their mastery of music through their willingness to combine unlikely elements in songwriting. Afterburner, like any release in the group’s catalog, is a series of experiments to understand what limits, if any, exist in music. That exploration alone is worthy of acclaim, but the fact that the band’s songs are easily accessible to most fans of rock music is something else altogether. Some would call the continuing success of the group a miracle, but miracles are inexplicable. Dance Gavin Dance’s success is the result of handwork, not divine intervention, and as long as they stay the course, anything is possible.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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