30 Great Songs You Missed
(By Melody Werner)
When I review music, I generally try to focus on things that have flown under the radar. Sometimes, I feel like a song in particular is so good but deserves far more attention than it gets. Since people seem to like their listicles, I figured this'd be a good way of maybe getting some eyeballs in front of 30 songs I believe deserve more attention.
When I review music, I generally try to focus on things that have flown under the radar. Sometimes, I feel like a song in particular is so good but deserves far more attention than it gets. Since people seem to like their listicles, I figured this'd be a good way of maybe getting some eyeballs in front of 30 songs I believe deserve more attention.
Some things to note:
1. There will be no repeats on musicians/bands, so that more can be highlighted.
2. The title of this presumes that you're a fairly casual listener to music, or that you're deep into one genre or so and not many others. You may not have missed a song on here if you're big into, say, rap music. The same may be true if you actually listen to the music I recommend, but haha, we all know you don't.
3. Expect plenty of weird shit you've never heard of, regardless.
(edit: since this post was made, Chiptunes = Win has gone belly up due to its organizer having been a conniving, creepy tit. you can still reach out to the artists involved if you would like to listen to the tracks mentioned, some of them will even send you their tracks for free if I understand correctly. it's a shame that things turned out this way, considering how many amazingly talented musicians I found through C=W that were not at fault for any bad behavior, to my knowledge. as always, though, my heart goes out to the victims of such scum especially, and hopefully the pricks responsible are run out of the chiptunes/chiprock scene permanently.)
1. OUT THERE, SOMEWHERE (2019) by don'tblinkoryou'lldie
Out There, Somewhere may be one of the most underrated songs of all time. A truly epic chiptunes masterpiece that no one's listening to. I'm still crestfallen to see it at only 295 views on YouTube.
2. W.A.B. (2019) by Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion's star is on the rise after her dynamite debut album and touring with Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign for Hot Girl Summer. That said, I believe that she deserves to be wayyyyy more popular than she is, thanks to kickass tracks like W.A.B. showing her cold-blooded rapping prowess.
3. REMEMBER ME (2019) by Neo Relic
Remember Me is the kinda song that gets you pumped for an underground band and what they'll do next. Deanna Curulli's vocals are the highlight of this song, and hers is a career to watch.
4. THE MONSTER WITHIN (2018) by SERAPHIC
Of the prog bands I checked out following my Remember Me review, SERAPHIC has one of the more impactful songs I've tried with The Monster Within. A badass headbanger.
5. PONYBOY (2018) by SOPHIE
While SOPHIE's debut album, Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides, did relatively well, this is a song for the ages that everyone oughta' try. Super infectious earworm and relentless bass.
6. WHITE CROWS (2016) by Meteor
I've made clear time and again that I am an enthusiast for the underground synth scene. White Crows is probably my single favorite song that has come out of that overlooked side of the internet, with its serene vibe. The fact that the rest of Para||el Lives is just about as good means you have plenty more to try if you enjoy this.
7. MY BATTERY IS LOW AND IT'S GETTING DARK (2019) by BinaryCounter
A common theme on this list will be the unjust ignoring of wonderful chiptune music that is freely available at all of our fingertips, so if you see a chiptunes song on here, take it as granted that I feel the same way about it too. MBIL&IGD is a terrific single and it's yet another track from the Spacetunes = Win compilation that is a perfect distillation of the adventurous theme.
8. PUDDEL (2018) by Fark&Sacio
Puddel is an absurdly chipper and fun chiptunes track. Fast-paced, tight chiptunes.
9. RURAL (2018) by Knasibas
Another terrific chiptunes track. Triumphant, energetic, and lively.
10. CULT OF C. (2016) by Hollywood Burns
I will continue to promise a review of Hollywood Burns's Invaders album, so for the two people who feel strung along on that, here's my opinion on a track from an entirely different EP.
But yeah, this is the pulse-pounding slice of extraterrestrial synthrock you will come to expect as a Hollywood Burns fan. Ample UFO noises strung together with bizarre guitars. Turns out, the alien invasion was just to share some badass tunes with us mortal beings...
11. OVERLORD (2018) by Irving Force
Irving Force has fast become one of my favorite synthrock artists, and though Overlord was my first taste of IF, it has remained my favorite what with its gnarly, high-octane riffs.
12. THE SEXY BRUTALE'S MAIN THEME (2017) by Matt Bonham & Tim Cotarell
Fans of it could easily write an essay on how underrated The Sexy Brutale is itself, but personally, I will focus on its music for now. If you like groovy jazz, this is literally perfect. Funky and elegant as fuck.
13. THIS MEANS WAR, FEATURING SYLVAIN COUDRET (2016) by Volkor X
I'm quite the Volkor X fanboy, so it's no surprise that VX should land on this list alongside Meteor. From its opening guitars alone, I get PUMPED. This is such a frenetic song at first, which turns beautiful by the end. A perfect showstopper for a perfect album. Don't miss it.
14. ARRESTERE (2019) by John Greco
Synthrock is quite popular, but chiptunes + rock? I'll say it's a good combo, if Arrestere is anything to go by. This song grew on me as I listened to it a few times, as it weaves the chiptunes and rock together expertly, and the vocals are surprisingly welcome--considering how I usually listen to chiptune music to cool down.
15. 20 SOMETHING (2017) by SZA
SZA is another artist who's bound for greatness if she continues on her current trajectory. And I think she deserves to unseat the current queen of R&B, since SZA doesn't have her clothing line exploiting sweatshop workers... (lmao, just saw a shit ton of pseudo-woke articles defending Beyoncé for that 🤡 I SNATCH YOUR WIG, NEW YORK POST) But to refocus on 20 Something, it is a song from SZA's debut album that people tend to sleep on. While Broken Clocks, Drew Barrymore, and The Weekend are all fantastic tracks, 20 Something is in my opinion on par with them and deserves more love. Like SZA.
16. ABSOLUTION (2015) by Ghost
Absolution is the song where I realized just how much I loved Meliora, and where I coined my description of Ghost as a band. Such a catchy song, even if I remain steadfast in my suspicions that it wants to kill me.
17. PHOENIX, VOLKOR X REMIX (2018) by Scandroid
I know I said that I wouldn't have repeat artists, but shut up, I do what I want. Kidding. I think we all understand that remixes aren't really completely new songs, like a cover would be. So yeah, Phoenix is an awesome piece of synthrock with great vocals.
18. ALL THAT (2015) by Carly Rae Jepsen
I know you've probably heard of a lot of these other artists and groups, but have you heard of this little underground act, Carly Rae Jepsen? All jokes aside, the Carly Rae Jepsen career trajectory is truly fascinating--and not just for a pop diva. She went from loved and loathed over Call Me Maybe to synthpop reviver to the target of one of Max Landis's cringey creepfests. And, I know that if you haven't been following her, this seems heretical to say as someone who tends to stick to (relatively) underground music, but... I love her music from her last two albums. It's a throwback for sure, but it still feels like its own thing. A great mixture of modern and older ideas.
19. RAGE (2018) by Rico Nasty
A grimy trap/metal track that hits hard.
20. THE MESSAGE (2019) by Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards
A funky alt rock tune from a band that's slowly growing in popularity. Maybe not my favorite song of theirs, but it's an ideal entry point for new listeners.
21. BOL-DOR'S REALM (2017) by David Wise
A fun, tropical tune that works in the context of Snake Pass, but is also enjoyable to listen to by itself.
22. NEON NIGHTS (2016) by Wolf and Raven
A soothing piece of synthpop and one of the best songs off of W&R's Renegades album.
23. INDIGO (2019) by NIKI
Indigo is not the kind of song you would maybe expect me to love if you've only seen my reviews of harder material from outfits such as Ghost or King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. But I do. This is a cute little song, with top-notch vocals from NIKI.
24. PLANET B (2019) by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
KG&tLW's latest album is a great departure for the band stylistically, but not thematically, with songs like Planet B carrying on the overt environmentalist message of its previous album, Fishing for Fishies. It's just this time, it shreds fucking hard as hell.
25. STARDIRGE (2019) by Petriform
A wonderful little chiptunes adventure. Absolutely beautiful.
26. BROOKLYN (2019) by Nahlah
A solidly chilling R&B track, mostly thanks to Nahlah's enchanting voice.
27. NASTY, FEATURING JASON RICHARDSON (2018) by Polyphia
A brain-bending instrumental rock song with psychedelic guitar playing. Kicks. Ass.
28. SENTIENT OONA (2018) by Oh Sees
A psychedelic rock track with phenomenal instrumentals.
29. EPSILON (2019) by meganeko
A tranquil chiptunes epic. Reminds me of the kind of quality one might expect of Pokémon soundtracks (I'm talking about the video games).
30. STARSCROLLER, FEATURING CARBOHYDROM (2019) by The Chunderfins
A bold, anthemic slice of masterful chiptunes.
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