While Q101 remains the greatest source in the world for discovering new music, we only have so many hours in the day and occasionally some songs fall through the cracks. If your Spotify Wrapped results have you down, or you’re in desperate need of something new to listen to as we close out the final weeks of the year, these are 11 great songs that you may have missed this year. -Case the Producer
Dazy & Militarie Gun “Pressure Cooker”
As far as I’m concerned, Militarie Gun currently holds the heavyweight championship around their waist when it comes to being the most exciting band in the world. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live four times over the last calendar year, and each time the shows got better. They pivoted from blistering, two-minute-growls that laced their first 3 EPs and in March and unveiled this corker alongside electro-punk Dazy. This song is groovy, it’s infectious, and it’s one of the best tracks I’ve heard all year.
Momma “Speeding 72”
Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten are the faces you clicked on that led you to this article. The school friends-turned-bandmates make up the powerhouse known as Momma, who dropped their third studio album, “Household Name”, in July. The duo pulls at the heartstrings with this song, as the band paints a picture of two people falling in love at a DIY show and then proceeding to do “the most romantic thing” – drive around together and listen together. Momma may be singing about coming from a complicated pace, but the infectious nature of this song is as clear as day. Get on the ground floor with Momma before they do indeed become a household name.
Drug Church “Million Miles of Fun”
When frontman Patrick Kindlon isn’t stirring up controversy on either of his podcasts (Axe to Grind / Worst Possible Timeline) or in the printed word with his comic books, he is leading the juggernaut that is Drug Church. When Drug Church rolled through Beat Kitchen on St. Patrick’s Day this year, I became mesmerized by Kindlon’s ability to command a room. His message was simple: if someone stage dives, you catch and you carry them to the back of the room. The 200 patrons, drenched in sweat and beaming with angst, followed instructions. Despite Kindlon being Chronically Online, “Million Miles of Fun” is a buzz-bin-belter pleading for the 24/7 news cycle to stop. Backed by guitarists Nick Cogan and Cory Galusha, this thrashy, two minute jam is essential listening for the modern world.
Sydney Sprague “Think Nothing”
Mark my words: Sydney Sprague will become one of your favorite artists, sooner rather than later. I saw her kick off the festivities during last year’s Front Bottoms tour and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Sprague put this sad-sack-song-of-the-summer into orbit in July and it’s been on repeat for me ever since. Her voice is soft enough to make me want to curl up and face existential dread as her no-nonsense lyrics wash over me. Don’t let the clean guitars and wonderful harmonies fool you, this song packs a punch.
Signals Midwest “Blind Contour”
Signals Midwest put out a record called “DENT” this year that is my favorite record of the year. Every song on it is great. While in recent years, singer Maxwell Stern, who I think of as one of the single best songwriters on Earth, has channeled his softer side, he and his band let it rip with the album opener “Blind Contour”. Even in a room full of underrated bands, Signals Midwest has always been chronically underrated. They have a decade of work under their belt right now with each release being better than the last. “DENT” is their finest work yet and it’s in part to tracks like “Blind Contour”.
PUP “Matilda”
PUP are an entity entirely unto themselves. They made their name touring relentlessly in DIY clubs and driving themselves to the brink of madness. After penning tracks like “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will” and “Dark Days“, they opened their hearts and wrote one of the best love songs of the year in “Matilda”. Singer Stefan Babcock detailed his long, drawn out breakup with his favorite guitar, the titular “Matilda”. This song is as romantic as you can be while also singing about an inanimate object. PUP has been a “band to watch” for years now, and their best song may as well be this, which tonally is such a sharp contrast to their usual output.
Julia Jacklin “Lydia Wears a Cross”
Drenched in religious guilt and aching for something greater, Julia Jacklin followed up 2019’s brilliant release, “Crushing“, with the lead single off of 2022’s “PRE-PLEASURE”. In “Lydia Wears a Cross”, Jacklin’s inner monologue fights of the temptation of organized religion. While her peers buy into the process, Jacklin is merely interested in the song and dance of it all. The minimalist instrumentals give the siren that is her voice a chance to cut through and cut deep. Catholic School Trauma has never sounded as catchy.
Koyo “Ten Digits Away”
Hardcore heavyweights Koyo are a gift to this world. They play songs big enough to fill theaters, even if they often find themselves playing in backrooms in front of a few hundred rowdy fans. Never afraid to get emotional, Koyo accomplished the rare feat of writing a love song with some muscle that doesn’t sound utterly ridiculous. This song of passion is perfect for anyone yearning alone during cuffing season.
BoyWithUke ft. Oliver Tree “Sick of U”
I’d be lying if I said I fully understand the complexities of Oliver Tree’s brain. There’s a lot going on there and not all of it makes sense. That being said, packaged alongside the hit-ready production that BoyWithUke brings to the table, Tree became part of one of my favorite songs of the entire year. BoyWithUke is someone that continues to win me over with every new release. After blasting “Toxic” all summer on Q101, I hope we hear more of him in the new year.
The Wonder Years “Oldest Daughter”
For so many years now, The Wonder Years have acted as an entry point into underground music. Despite over a decade of work as one of pop punk’s most prominent acts, they find themselves in small print on every festival poster with their name on it. With 2022’s “The Hum Goes on Forever”, the band embarked into territory rarely explored by a pop punk band: parenthood. The lead single on the band’s seventh studio record, “Oldest Daughter” is a heartbreaker of epic proportions. While most of the record looks ahead to the future and what parenthood means, this song looks back at a former lover, Madelyn, who has been referenced on the band’s prior works.
Arm’s Length “Object Permanence”
Arm’s Length came along at the wrong time. They absolutely deserved to sign a horrible contract with Victory Records before getting scooped up by a major label (I’m thinking Dreamworks) in the early aughts. This band plays at full tilt, always. They sound remarkably powerful for an emo-inspired four-piece and “Object Permanence” might be their most muscular track to date. Vocalist Allen Steinberg drops a few Tumblr-quality lyrics in this one, notably, “I am your baby bird / Catching evеry other word / You breathe life into a body washed ashore / And call it love”, which is delightfully toxic. Don’t go into the new year without hearing this song.
