Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Aug. 3
Clockwise from top left: Neutral Snap, Jared James Nichols, Caroline Romano, Hailey Whitters and ERNEST, Typhoid Rosie, and Amyl and the Sniffers.
This week in Tuesday Tracks, Amyl and the Sniffers bring back ’70s punk, Neutral Snap bring back ’90s punk, Typhoid Rosie brings back rock, Jared James Nichols shreds, Caroline Romano breaks the female soloist mold and Hailey Whitters and ERNEST channel legends.
Amyl and the Sniffers, “Security” — Aussies Amyl and the Sniffers, last seen in the Bay at the final Burger Boogaloo in 2019, are back with their ’70s throwback punk rock on new single “Security.” What makes it a throwback? Well, the lyrics are not complex, the instrumentals aren’t particularly nuanced and the theme won’t make you stop to think—and I mean all that in a good way. The track brings back the raucous punk energy of the genre’s beginnings with a vengeance. Judging by the pent-up aggression in America, a good pressure release valve is just what we all need.
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Neutral Snap, “I’m Crazy (But You) Like That” — From old-school to pop-punk, Neutral Snap harkens back to the glory days of the genre; it has the same vibe as ’90s bands like Blink-182, Sum 41 and others with numbers in their names. “I’m Crazy (But You) Like That” has the signature power-pop foundations, leading to a catchy chorus that will linger in your head for hours. The song is an instant pick-me-up despite the somewhat mixed lyrical themes.
Jared James Nichols, “Bad Roots” — When you hear someone described as a “Nashville singer-songwriter,” you typically do not imagine a song like Jared James Nichols‘ “Bad Roots.” This is not a folk/country ballad, this is guitar-driven hard rock with a Southern flair along the lines of Blues Saraceno’s solo work. Its bluesy, country undertones combined with a driving beat, is too rare a combination in music today, and I salute Nichols for keeping it alive.
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Caroline Romano, “The Hypothetical” — Sometimes female vocalists have limited flexibility and potential range compared to their male counterparts. While men can have success with a variety of styles and tones, and often be downright terrible, women seem to be expected to have the same smooth, almost choral quality. Caroline Romano has the potential to display that quality, as evidenced by the first verse of “The Hypothetical.” But as the song goes on, she moves on to a sneering punk rock attitude, an aggressive rocker vibe and other styles uncommon for a female solo artist—all without losing a consistent feel to the song. She’s an excellent example that there’s no one way to be a good musician.
Typhoid Rosie, “All I Need” — Rock music doesn’t occupy the lofty position in the music world that it enjoyed for the latter half of the 20th century, but in the words of Neil Young, rock and roll will never die. And the reason is bands like Typhoid Rosie. The specific flavor of rock Typhoid Rosie is keeping alive is somewhere in the neighborhood of the late ’70s or early ’80s, before the spandex and the synths took over. The rebellious, defiant energy is strong, but there’s an underlying anger that wasn’t as present in rock before or since. Think along the lines of The Runaways and you’re on the right track.
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ERNEST and Hailey Whitters, “Islands in the Stream” — Let’s get something out of the way: ERNEST, whose name’s stylization implies it should be shouted to be properly pronounced, is not the late Kenny Rogers. Hailey Whitters is not the legendary Dolly Parton. But it’s not fair to hold that against them since not many people can stand alongside Kenny Rogers and absolutely nobody is Dolly Parton. But once you remember that “Islands in the Stream” was originally written by the Bee Gees for Marvin Gaye, before being sung by Parton and Rogers as a backup choice, it’s an excellent rendition of an excellent song. Despite the clear parody in the video, the pair shows in their cover a clear love and respect for the original and pull off the near-impossible task of living up to a classic.
Danny’s pick — The week’s new releases started out a bit slow, and for a while I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fill the list, but it ended very strong. That said, the very first song that struck my fancy remains my favorite: Typhoid Rosie’s “All I Need” is the clear pick of the week. It’s an unapologetic rock song that’s not trying to be anything or sound like anyone, which in itself is an extremely rock and roll attitude to take. In a fair and just world I wouldn’t have to tell you about Typhoid Rosie, but it’s my pleasure to introduce you.
Follow editor Daniel J. Willis at Twitter.com/BayAreaData.