Special: Blog Update and First Listen Thoughts

Howdy partners! First off we'll get to the part everyone wants to know so that those that came to see who won the TV Show poll... Congratulations goes to: The Boys! This was my expected winner but they had a couple close matches I didn't expect including in the Finals where Invincible earned 40% of the vote.

Now with that out of the way I want to announce that with the exception of the rare "Special" such as this one this will be a music blog going forward. Did you like my mini movie reviews? Fear not. They are staying but in a new format. Head on over to the DonnyFTW Presents Youtube channel where I will be doing a One & Done Review every Friday. In One & Done, I will review a movie in 1 minute. So Subscribe and check out the current videos on The Batman, Fresh, Turning Red, The Adam Project and The Lost City right here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV3cVW6FvnsOf7pW3NNxYEQ

Finally, with that out of the way First Listen Thoughts will most likely be a main Sunday component here going forward. So in saying that, the format of that will change. Instead of just giving a quick broad overview of the album with some favourites and some least favourites, I will be going track by track. To show you what I mean, let's run through the new EP by First And Forever entitled "'Til Death To Us Part"

1. 'Til Death Do Us Part: This was released as a single before the release of the EP so I've spent quite a bit of time with it and I enjoy it quite a bit. The lyrics are strong and I enjoy the way the music changes melody quite often. It's a contender for the Top 10 Countdown and a dark horse for the Top 100 of the year.

2. You Would Never: Surprised to see a mid-tempo song this high in the tracklist. It's a pretty solid track they must have released as a single as it has a lot streams and constantly had me bopping my head the whole way through.

3. The Harder We Fall: The middle track on this 5 song EP has a haunting beginning that I didn't really love but after about 40 seconds it picks up to be a pretty great mid-tempo banger. This one has the least amount of streams thus far but it might be my favourite on this EP.

4. If There's Smoke, There's A Fire: Okay so this is kind of mid-tempo too! It's very strange as the instrumentation is very heavy but the melody is not and the bridge is a breakdown with scream. I'd akin this to something that sounds like Rain City Drive or Caskets. Maybe that's just who this band is now and I'm all for it.

5. Sick Little Games: This is yet another track that isn't my first listen as it was a single in 2021 and I quite enjoy it. Certainly the darkest sounding and loudest track on the EP, this track just missed my top 100 of last year.

Overall: The last EP made my top EP's of the year list and I expect this to do the same. It's a lot of fun and has me wanting to revisit it immediately.

Special: 2021 In Review: Best EP's of 2021

15. Story Untold - Nx Future

Choice Cut: Gxne by 23

14. rationale. - If The Problem Persists

Choice Cut: Market Scheme

13. Eve 6 - Grim Value

Choice Cut: I Wanna Bite Your Face

12. Heart Attack Man - Thoughtz & Prayerz

Choice Cut: Leap Year

11. First and Forever - Let This Love Lie Dead

Choice Cut: One More Time

10. KennyHoopla - Survivor's Guilt: The Mixtape

Choice Cuts: Estella//, Hollywood Sucks//

9. Homesafe - Nervous Reaction

Choice Cuts: Nervous Reaction, With You

8. We The Kings - Saga

Choice Cuts: No 1 Like U, Turn It Up

7. Hot Mulligan - I Won't Reach Out To You

Choice Cuts: Featuring Mark Hoppus, Pop Shuvit (Hall Of Meat, DUH)

6. The First Rock Band On Mars - The First Rock Band On Mars

Choice Cuts: The First Rock Star On Mars, Rockstars Of The Universe

5. Boston Manor - Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures

Choice Cuts: Desperate Pleasures, Carbon Mono, I Don't Like People (& They Don't Like Me)

4. Against The Current - Fever

Choice Cuts: Jump, That Won't Save Us, Weapon

3. Real Friends - Torn In Two

Choice Cuts: Teeth, Spinning, Nervous Wreck

2. Meet Me @ The Altar - Model Citizen

Choice Cuts: Now Or Never, Feel A Thing, Never Gonna Change

1. Hot Milk - I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I'm Dead

Choice Cuts:  I Think I Hate Myself, The Good Life, Woozy

Special: First Listen Thoughts: A Day To Remember "You're Welcome", Jetty Bones "Push Back", First And Forever "Let This Love Lie Dead"

A Day To Remember - You're Welcome

Label: Fueled By Ramen

Press release: “It’s finally here – almost!” enthuses frontman Jeremy McKinnon. ​“To all our fans around the world, we want to say, ​‘Thank you!’ You’ve waited patiently, and we can’t wait for you to hear this. There’s a lot of detail in everything we do from the mixes to the artwork, because it all tells a story. So, we made sure each element was perfect. Every line happens for a reason. We took what we envision modern music to be and made a hybrid of who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. It took a lot of maneuvering to get it right, but we feel like we did. We’re here now and very happy to present You’re Welcome.”

My thoughts: There are some forgettable tracks on this release (Only Money, Bloodsucker), but this record isn't nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Sure some songs have weaker lyrics (Viva La Mexico) but generally the music saves it and those that have a mailed in sound (High Diving) gets saved by the lyrics and melodies.

Jetty Bones - Push Back

Label: Rise Records

Press release: Today, the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jetty Bones (aka Kelc Galluzzo) has announced that the she will be releasing her debut album, Push Back, on February 26th via Rise Records. Push Back features songs that dart between alt/pop, indie-rock, and even a hint of bluegrass stomp-and-clamp. “I started focused on my mental health, followed my own medicine, practiced what I preached, and actually took care of my brain. This record is more definitive of the project, because I was intentional with it. I worked through everything” says Galluzzo.

My thoughts: The honesty is refreshing on Push Back. Most people act metaphorical about mental health struggles instead of just saying what happens as Jetty Bones does on this album. The singles That's All and Nothing were my introduction to Jetty Bones and I enjoyed both quite a bit (especially the latter). The other standout track was Taking Up Space which was another single that I missed last year. Everything else is a melding of sounds, ideas and genres some were stronger (Woke Up Crying) than others (Bug Life) but overall it's an interesting album that deserves more spins. 

First And Forever - Let This Love Lie Dead

Label: Adventure Cat Records

Press release: Rock elements and emo charms interweave here. First And Forever try to escape the traumas of day-to-day life on their new EP: Let This Love Lie Dead. They spark truth throughout these 5 songs, a collection which seems mature and well-constructed, a small batch which will alert the emo contingent. And for all the sorrow, there is a party atmosphere.

My thoughts: Although I don't agree with the top portion here about "rock" this is a pop punk EP with emo throughout. Think The Great Depression era As It Is but not necessarily as strong. First And Forever is on the rise however and I definitely think that in a few years when they release their debut full length they'll be primed to explode.