Bands You Should Be Listening To

Singles, by Future Islands
Thanks to frontman Sam Herring’s dance moves, Baltimore-based synthpop band Future Islands made a viral sensation of themselves on the David Letterman show in March 2014. They were, in fact, promoting this album and playing its opening track and lead single, “Seasons (Waiting On You),” which was later voted the best song of 2014 by NME, Pitchfork Media, and Spin. Funkier and more danceable than previous albums (especially on tracks like “Doves”), Singles is driven by William Cashion’s rock-solid bass and the uninhibited passion of Sam Herring’s voice; there’s a heart to this music that’s largely absent from contemporary synthpop. Besides “Seasons,” the best tracks on this album are the uptempo numbers, namely “Spirit” and “Light House,” and the slower “Fall From Grace.”

Gone by the Dawn, by Shannon and the Clams
Shannon and the Clams play an infectious mix of punk rock, soul, and the kind of early-1960s girl-group pop you’d hear in a John Waters movie, complete with falsettos. This unlikely combination has won them a lot of fans, and you’ll be one of them after listening to their newest record, Gone by the Dawn. While they may seem like a quirky, vintage novelty band at first glance, Shannon and the Clams are versatile songwriters who don’t let the kitsch overwhelm their talents. Lead singer/bassist Shannon Shaw’s smooth, husky voice works perfectly for calling out unfaithful lovers (“The Point of Being Right”) and ruminating on the past (“I Will Miss the Jasmine”), and the male vocals on “It’s Too Late” are just gritty enough to convey emotion without sounding out of place.

The Entertainers, by Video
Recently signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records, The Entertainers is Video’s first full-length LP, and they make it count. Their paranoid, nihilistic lyrics are straight out of early Cronenberg movies, as is their consistent banter about being the best band in the world, bent on global domination. It’s meant to be funny, but with members of Bad Sports, Radioactivity, and the Wax Museums propelling their sound, there’s a fair amount of truth to their bluster. Their mix of punk, garage rock, and dissonant noise (which they call “hate wave”) makes for plenty of catchy riffs and sharp guitar melodies, with sneering vocals that punch hard. Standout tracks here are the title track, which sounds like the opening to a punk rock spaghetti western, “New Immortals,” and “Drink It In.”

White Reaper Does It Again, by White Reaper
If you like your garage rock bratty, weird, and melodic, Louisville, KY’s White Reaper is the band for you. Released earlier this year, White Reaper Does It Again is their first proper full-length album, and it’s a real gem. Full of thudding drums, fuzzed-out guitars, and minor-league baseball keyboard melodies, the album rips through twelve tracks in just over a half-hour without ever feeling spastic or out of control. Not to mention, this record might have the best two opening tracks of 2015: “Make Me Wanna Die” and “I Don’t Think She Cares” are two garage-pop ragers that introduce the rest of the album perfectly. Other standout tracks include “Sheila” and “Wolf Trap Hotel.”

Coast to Coast, by the Cramps
Coast to Coast, released back in January, is comprised of two live shows recorded for radio broadcast in 1979, a year before the Cramps’ first full-length album came out. As one might expect, these songs are raw, unhinged, and a little sloppy, but that was always part of the Cramps’ charm. In fact, part of the reason why their music has endured is because that lack of polish makes it fun. The combined swagger of Lux Interior’s voice and Poison Ivy’s guitar propels tracks like “Human Fly” and their cover of Jack Rhodes’ “Rockin’ Bones,” and the stomping rhythm of drummer Nick Knox keeps everything lively. Other standout tracks include “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” and “Twist And Shout.”

Silent Kill, by Radioactivity
Following up an album as good as Radioactivity’s 2013 self-titled LP is no easy task, but the Denton, TX four-piece has managed it. Guitarist Dan Fried has cited the Ramones as one of his favorite bands, and it shows here; Silent Kill is a high-energy slap of old-school, three-chord pop punk, with an improved guitar attack and enough sing-a-long lyrics to make you hoarse. The opening track, “Battered,” lets the band rock out for a full minute before the vocals kick in, and the next track, “Stripped Away,” builds on that momentum. By the time you get to “I Know,” the catchiest song on the record, your neck will already be sore from bopping along with the drums.