I’ve come across some good tunes over the past couple weeks that I’d like to share with you. There’s something here from so many different genres which makes this even more fun. Take a listen to these jams and let me know what you dig! Enjoy!

01) The Baby Goats- Two Shakes: I’m really digging on this band. I’ve seen them a few times at The Cobalt Presents shows and they are pretty damn fun and awesome. I love that they embrace the 80’s new wave sound and add a little something else to it to give it a bit more charm. Their live show is quite fun as well. By the middle of the first song, you can’t help a little foot tapping or head bobbing. It’s catchy, infectious and fun! Definitely check THE BABY GOATS out!

02) Groundstate- Floating Away: The 2000’s nu-metal era is starting to make a bit of a come back. I keep hearing a lot of bands trying to embrace a sound that quite frankly got convoluted and over-saturated by generic crap. Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of bands from that era we want to forget. One band that I’ve heard most recently is Groundstate. These guys have been able to take the best parts of that era and mix it in with a bit of 90’s alt rock and the end result is pretty good. Their sound is definitely reminiscent of that time so it does strike a nostalgic chord with me. Check it out!

03) Ghost- Spillways (featuring Joe Elliot of Def Leppard): Ghost is one of those bands you either like or don’t. I happen to like it. It’s just fun and totally over the top in a good way. This track with Joe Elliot sounds straight out of the 80’s around the time that Def Leppard’s Hysteria was on top of the charts and they were one of the biggest bands in the world. There’s so much seriousness in the world that a band like Ghost is perfect to let you forget about all that and just have fun!

04) Metallica- Screaming Suicide: I don’t know about you all but, I’m excited for a new Metallica album. They’ve been an all time favorite of mine since I was 4 years old and that is never going to change! This second single they’ve released “Screaming Suicide” is pretty damm good. It has some cool throwback moments to their early years, a bit of the bluesy sound from Load and still a kick ass attitude compliments of James Hetfield’s vocals and lyrics. James is seriously one of the most underrated writers (both musically and lyrically). I can’t wait to hear this song live. I have a feeling this one will be quite explosive when they hit the road

05) Seven 40 Seven- On and On: Seven 40 Seven is another band that I’ve seen at a few of The Cobalt Presents shows. These guys are a straight up rock n roll band. Solid songs and a really fun live show to top it off. A band like Seven 40 Seven is much needed in the music landscape now. I’m so tired of all these laptop rock bands. These guys are just here to rock with no frills or filler, just rock!

06) Turbid North- The Decline: I recently came across this band and I fully dig on this! It’s badass and rad! This is their first album in over 7 years. They have a sound that combines space-rock, doom, and at times full-blast death-grind and all together it’s hypnotic and brutal!. Think about it as though Black Sabbath met Failure and then somehow Napalm Death and Kyuss all merged to form a band. I’m looking forward to Turbid North hitting Los Angeles. I need to see this live!

07) Vanishment- No More Torture: I was recently introduced to the band Vanishment and I am totally into it. It’s parts, thrash metal, speed metal, NWOBHM, and even a little bit of a stoner metal vibe. This band is comprised of former/current members of Pacific Northwest bands like Himsa, Hell Promise, Heiress, Lair of the Minotaur, Trial, North American Bison and more. The combination of all these influences coming together like this is pretty damn good! I for one am stoked to hear more from Vanishment!

08) MAL- Ritual: MAL is one band that I’ve been following for quite some time. I love this band. They bring a really cool take on 90’s rock mixed with prog to make something that stands on it’s own merit and then some. They really know how to cut deep with the way they write songs. One moment you can be head banging away at a part of a song and then next thing you find yourself swaying in a cool trance as all the elements they have come together. Live they are something else too. It’s an experience when you listen and see MAL. They are another band that have played many Cobalt Presents shows and each time they play, I never want it to end. Check Out MAL!!!

09) Centershift- Fade Away: I love this song. It’s so damn good. It’s one of those tracks that when you hear it in the context of their album, it ties it all together beautifully. It’s deep, a little dark and yet full of hope in a very cool and interesting way. Centershift released their debut album, A Different Shade Of Color in late 2022. It’s one of those albums that takes you on quite a journey, as an album should. The track “Fade Away” is exquisite and a really good representation of what the band brings to the table! If you haven’t heard Centershift, you should probably fix that!

10) Bush- Kiss Me When I’m Dead: I seriously can’t get enough of the new Bush album, The Art Of Survival. It’s really, really, really good. I’m not messing around. This album and their previous one, The Kingdom, has the band back on track and have delivered an album that stands up with Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase. There’s a ton of songs on the new album that I could pick to show you. This one “Kiss Me When I’m Dead” though, every time I hear it when I put the album on, I can’t help but turn the volume up a little more and sing along. It’s such a good song! Well done Gavin!