Waterparks Archives - Haulix Daily

From The Devil Wears Prada to Waterparks, there is something for everyone among the best new music releases of the week.

Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are four we believe everyone should experience. This is the best new music of the week.

The Devil Wears Prada – ZII EP (Solid State Records)

They say you should never make a sequel to something people believe is perfect. The Devil Wears Prada has never bothered with what other people say. 11 years after the release of their beloved Zombie EP, the metalcore titans return with a new series of stories that are both hopeful and horrifying in equal measure. Rather than rehash old ideas, the Devil Wears Prada uses this release to explore where they want their genre to go in the future. They are dreaming as big as possible here, and it pays off in significant ways with hooks and riffs fans won’t soon forget.

Kaonashi – Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year (Equal Vision)

On their sophomore album, Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year, Kaonashi expands on the foundation set by their debut EP with a fascinating tale of heartache and vengeance. The record follows Jamie, an androgynous high schooler who concocts a plan to enact revenge on those who’ve wrong them. As they attempt to keep their anger under control, compounding personal issues push Jamie to the breaking point until everything comes to a head with an epic three-song finale that explores what happens when people turn a blind eye to those in pain.

People often claim that they are making music that is unlike anything you’ve heard. In the case of Kaonashi, that statement is true. The Philadelphia band is blurring genres and breaking all the rules. You will never hear another album like this one, including any other release this band puts out in the future. What we have here is new music in its purest form.

Just Friends – JF Crew Vol. 2 (Pure Noise)

The ska revival is alive and well. If Just Friends is not leading the revolution, then they are not far behind. A perfect blend of pop, ska, and punk sensibilities, Just Friends are bringing feel-good vibes to anyone willing to listen. The second installment of their ongoing JF Crew series offers three immediately memorable songs, including a bombastic cover of No Doubt’s “Hella Good.” It’s not long enough to be the complete soundtrack to your summer, but it seems impossible to believe that you will not have these songs on repeat for the next several months. Just Friends is one good tour in a few good licensing placements away from taking over the world. Don’t fall behind. The future is here.

Waterparks – Greatest Hits (300)

If you’re new to Waterparks, don’t worry. While Greatest Hits does include the band’s best material to date, it is not a compilation of everything they’ve done up to this point. Instead, the group’s fourth album pulls the best elements from each of their previous releases and blends them with lyrics that do not shy away from tough topics or silly observations. From tough talk on mental health to grappling with their relationship with fans, the humans in Waterparks pull listeners into their headspace with sugary-sweet melodies and bouncy instrumentation that is sure to get your feet moving. It’s scientifically impossible to remain still while listening to this record. Make your mom and doctor proud by putting it on, getting off your butt, and dancing the day away with one of alternative music’s brightest stars.

Pop Evil – Versatile (eOne)

Pop evil makes rock music for hard-working individuals who feel left behind. Their songs speak to the unbreakable will of the human spirit and urge listeners to make the most of the time they have left. The group could easily write a song tackling cultural divides or economic inequalities, but they understand their audience turns to music as a means of escape and inspiration. Their fans are looking for music to help them get through the day and whatever hardships they will encounter along the way. Pop Evil delivers just that, and Versatile lives up to its name by finding exciting new ways for the group to approach their favorite themes. Versatile is a soundtrack for self-improvement that understands we are all in this together. You cannot get ahead if you hold your brother down. Pop Evil reminds us that we must uplift one another the same way we try to pull ourselves up, and that is a message everyone needs to hear.

Monster Magnet – A Better Dystopia (Napalm Records)

Recording an album of covers that people want to hear is a difficult task for virtually any musician. Attempting to deliver a collection of cover songs in metal is almost unheard of. The critical gaze placed upon such releases can be severe enough to scare away any who may consider attempting it. Monster Magnet does not care about critics. The metal deities have more than proven themselves several times over, and they have reached a point in their careers where anything goes. Fans want whatever the band wants to share, and the band has chosen to deliver a collection of covers that may be unfamiliar to general audiences. It’s an expansive and psychedelic experience that is wholly unique.

New Music Friday recommendations feature a collection of new releases from Haulix clients chosen by the company staff. Join Haulix today and gain immediate access to the industry’s leading digital promotional distribution platform: http://haulix.com/signup.

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Every year we are blessed with one or two records that offer us a sign of where things may be headed in the best possible way. You know the kind of release I’m talking about and the types of bands capable of creating such releases. These are the artists who find a way to make a large number of people feel as if their life was somehow incomplete before their music came into existence, and they often encapsulate very specific periods in our life. They may manage to do it again and again with future releases, but none of that matters because this release is good in that way you wish everything were good, and I have a feeling you’ll be feeling this way about the new record from Waterparks when it arrives this Friday.

If I have learned anything about the difference between artists destined for stardom and those almost certain to fail it’s that those who eventually find success tend to have studied those who came before them. A lot of things change in this industry, but just as many stay the same. The key to making your mark as an artist or professional is to build on what has worked for others while simultaneously giving things your own personal spin. Waterparks borrow ideas and maybe one or two chord progressions from their pop-punk heroes to create an immediately infectious take on hopeless romantic rock songs that simply do not know how to quit. Just give their album opener a spin and see if you don’t understand what I am trying to express:

“I was bitter, but I’m fine now” might as well be the motto of the current generation of teens and twenty-somethings currently searching for their place in the world. We all like to think the world is out to get us, but even when we realize that is not true the path to happiness is one riddled with pitfalls that can catch anyone off guard. The only way to keep sane in this crazy thing called reality is to express yourself and align your journey with others you believe to share a similar perspective on life. Maybe your connection lasts a night or a lifetime, but regardless of its longevity at least you can experience the power of two passionate hearts coming together in hopes of finding a little peace amidst the chaos of day-to-day life. That is the kind of thing the music of Waterparks personifies, and it plays like a jolt of pure energy to your system when their work hits your ears.

Positive progression for a genre or business is rarely the work of one person. Progress is something that happens very slowly at first and then all at once, switching just as the numerous contributions from all the creative people working to better their own corner of the music go from being unique ideas to industry standards. I don’t know when the culture will shift so that the ideas and themes of Waterparks’ music become something every band in their genre attempts to emulate, but when you listen to the band’s new album you get the feeling that change is not far away. With a little luck and a lot of support from their dedicated followers, Waterparks could easily be the next big thing by the time next year, if not sooner.

With this in mind, I want to urge you to head into this week looking for an opportunity to make your mark on whatever it is you do to keep a roof over your head and food in your stomach. Even if your current career or job is not something you want for the rest of your life, find a way to change the day-to-day workflow for the better and set to sharing your solution with those around you. Some may think your crazy at first, and you may even feel a little push back from peers who are set in their ways, but if you can find a way to make people feel their lives are somehow better or easier because of your creativity you will see your professional life boom in the months ahead. All it takes is one idea. One simple, perhaps already obvious change could be your ticket to the career and success you know you were meant to achieve, and the only thing preventing you from getting their is yourself. Shake off your fears and try something new. If you fail, oh well, but if you succeed life may never be the same.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and 10-year music writing veteran. You should follow him on Twitter.