We thought we would start a fairly regular post about what the Become Your Alpha editors are listening to this month. We will fully admit, we are not the most trendy music fans out there but we can at least offer a look into our musical tastes which seems to change with the wind. While some of these may be older joints and some may be new, they are what is in our current rotation.
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The Gaslight Anthem: The ’59 Sound
This will likely NOT be the only New Jersey contribution to this list as at least one of our editors seems to have a thing for Jersey melodic punk. The Gaslight Anthem has a pretty deep discography but this is the album that seems to find its way onto the playlists. You can also go after Brian Fallon’s solo catalog too for a bit dialed down style with the same musical and lyrical sense. Try “Here’s Looking at You Kid” for a cool jaunt into the thoughts of telling an ex what you have been up to.
Benjamin Tod: A Heart of Gold is Hard to Find
If you know who The Lost Dog Street Band is, you know Benjamin Tod. A homeless troubadour with a history of hard drug addiction has a lot to write and sing about. This guy is as real and as rough around the edges as it gets. “Long Gone” is the track we keep falling back on as Tod sings about how his love is essentially poison and he will leave anyone who gets involved with him worse off than before.
The Menzingers: After the Party
Well, like the Presidential candidate Joe Biden, these guys hail from Scranton, PA but are also tied to the Gaslight Anthem. Melodic punk with a Bouncing Souls feel. The title track as well as “Your Wild Years” are our mainstays but the whole album is money and, the guys have a new acoustic album out as well.
Jelly Roll: A Beautiful Disaster
Jelly Roll has been pretty popular with some our group since we first heard about him from a Vice Documentary. Now this rapper/songwriter from Nashville is a regular on our playlists. While some of his associated acts do not get our stamp of approval, the dude did a jam with Tech N9ne and one of his best friends is Struggle Jennings. Plus, the man has a voice that pulls us in when he decides to crank out some melody and not just his rap tracks. Regardless of your taste, there is something for everyone but “Save Me” is by far one of our favorite overall tunes of 2020.
Social Distortion: Self-titled
A bit of a throwback, this 1990 album for Social D just hits differently. It is kind of punk/rockabilly and it has remained a classic for any fan of Mike Ness or Social Distortion. 30 years after its release and for most of us, 2 decades after we first heard it and we can still relate. “Ball and Chain” and “Story of My Life” are timeless. If this is your first entry into the world of Social D, take a look at some other albums as well to get a bit more of the harder side of their tunes.
This singer/songwriter is NOT the crap you will hear on your local pop country station. Jinks hits hard and honest and holds no punches. While he has an ample discography, we keep this one on rotation to get in the feels. “Rock and Roll” is the mellow anthem for any of us who used to be wild animals and have since given all that up for something more.
These guys are unique, full of amazing lyrics and you can listen to their music from the first track to the last track. This 2015 album is no exception and every track tells another unique story. We love these guys. If it is your first taste of them, try “Flood Song” and then do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of the album in its entirety.
Final Word
We are going to try and keep this up because if you are like us, it is getting harder and harder to find new, GOOD music. Satellite radio seems to play the 20 songs over and over and none of us have much time for the YouTube rabbit hole. Always feel free to contact us if you have suggestions and we will keep trying to give you a look into our tastes as well. Remember, plug any of these into your favorite music app or service and you should get additional suggestions so this list could turn into quite the collection.