Islands in the Stream: 8/7/24

Islands in the Stream is a periodic series that highlights songs I've liked by artists who have a relatively low number of monthly listeners. It's like a public service with a dash of the thrill of discovery. What more could you ask for?

"Head Exploder," Bull
Listening to this three-minute gem from the UK-based Bull is almost enough to make you think British rock never evolved very far beyond the Beatles — which, as any Oasis fan would have been happy to tell you in the mid-'90s, can often be a fairly appealing thought.

"Start of Something," Tori Frost
A sweet, sunny pop strutter that's elevated by Frost's slightly smoky vocals. Nothing that's going to change your world or the way you see it, but a perfect addition to any late-summer barbecue playlist.

"Oh Modernity," FELONY.
Does this song slap? Is it a bop? I can't answer those questions because I'm old, but I can tell you that I think "Oh Modernity" is a large fuckload of fun. If there's any justice in the world, FELONY. won't be a fizzy, buzzy pop secret much longer; this song is one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in some time.

"Call It Clear," Halloween, Alaska
This one is a little bit of a cheat, because I heard it ages ago — probably on one of Paste's CD samplers back when that was still a thing? — and then forgot all about it until the algorithm barfed it up for me the other day. From what I recall, the rest of this band's output at the time failed to light up my pleasure receptors like "Call It Clear," but after rediscovering this particular song, I'm still a fan.

"Out of the Blue," The Rallies
Ingredients don't get much more basic than this: A four-piece cranking out power pop bashers frosted with jangling guitars and sunny harmonies. But as I've said here before, formulas become formulas because they work, and just because you can draw a straight line between these guys and a million other bands doesn't mean "Out of the Blue" isn't a fantastic song. Play it loud.

"Mother Buzzer," Gadfly
In general, I prioritize melody over energy, which tends to put a bit of a wall between me and any band that would rather kick out the jams than sharpen its songcraft. But then there's Gadfly, the aggro outfit led by Iranian singer-songwriter Homa Khoshnavaz; fueled by her rage against the patriarchal machine and further set apart by her roots in traditional Persian music, this stuff is a feedback-drenched adrenaline rush.

"Went on T," Um Jennifer
For a song that isn't even three minutes long, "Went on T" deals with a bunch of stuff. If you or someone in your circle is trans, the song's title is probably enough to let you know what it's about; if not, I'm confident you'll be able to enjoy it simply by bopping along with its angular melody and insistent beat. Um Jennifer sounds like a band that could have opened for Talking Heads in the late '70s. This is a good thing.

"Gaslighter," Widows Gold
Widows Gold say this song has "a sound reminiscent of the Cardigans, Metric, and the Strokes"; I don't know about that, but I do feel like it could have been released in an alternate universe where late '70s Fleetwood Mac gave in to their harder-rocking inclinations. That's four bands name-dropped in the space of a handful of words, and when you put them all together, you don't get any kind of helpful RIYL, do you? Well, the short version is that I like "Gaslighter."

"Well Done Honey," Half Happy
The Sundays left a hole that may never be filled when they fucked off into unannounced retirement, but Half Happy get halfway there with their utterly '90s alt-rock sound — and if you've ever eye-rolled your way through a corporate meeting, you will absolutely identify with lyrics like "Feeling so stupid in a room / Full of holders of the future I desire / I will jump when you say higher / You treat em mean to keep em keen / But boy I’m running out of steam." Well done, honey.

"Wandering Song," Chime School
I'm hard pressed to come up with a band that lives up to its name better than this one. If you read the words "Charm School" and expect to hear an electric 12-string accompanied by plaintive, harmony-assisted vocals, you will absolutely not be disappointed by "Wandering Song" — and you'll probably be further intrigued by the title of the band's soon-to-come album The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel. These are Bay Area guys who seem less than thrilled with the gentrification that started changing the landscape even before I moved away nearly 20 years ago; I should look into seeing whether they're interested in guesting on the Record Player.