5 great songs I just discovered (You’ve probably never heard either)

The Lux List Volume One

Rick Rubin and Rick Beato vibing out

In an effort to spend less time doom scrolling and focus the time I spend on my phone more productively, I’ve committed this year to music discovery. There has been a lot of buzz around the tendency most of us have to stop actively seeking out new music past 30 and stick to our tried and true catalog of bangers. If you follow along on this endeavour with me I hope to help you mindfully change this narrative and keep a fresh set of ears out for new or undiscovered gems.

At some stage I will likely share some more well known artists and I have a bunch of ideas and themes to cover. For now though, these are some lesser known groups I personally had not discovered until I went virtual crate digging this week. It feels really rewarding to set yourself a task and come out the other end with a result that is satisfying.

Anyway, here’s the tracks which, by coincidence are mostly out of California. I’ll endeavour to search wider geographically and include some Australian artists in future lists.

1. Lesser Care From El Paso, Texas - Validation (2022)

This is the most recently released song on today’s list. I nearly skipped over it a couple of times based on the artwork, which just didn’t grab me, but after seeing it pop up a 3rd time as a suggestion off the back of other artists I enjoy I gave it a chance and I’m glad I did.

I’m a big fan of semi-clean chorus laden but simple guitar lead from the post punk and goth music of the 80s. I think these guys have used it well in a dirtier and more chaotically busy application. Coupled with solid urgency in the vocals and drums it creates a compelling mix.

2. Useless Eaters, San Fransisco - Black Night Ultraviolet (2013)

This is a great example of how a catchy and simple song is usually better than one that is complex and technical (most of the time). The production would probably grate on a perfectionist’s nerves with excessive vocal reverb and live and loose boomy drums. Somehow though, it all works and gives an us an airiness that makes you feel like it is being played, not recorded.

3. POW!, San Fransisco - Switchboard Scientist (2014)

“Built around angular shards of guitar, propulsive rhythms, and plenty of oscillating synthesizers, the San Francisco band POW! capture and combine the nervy side of new wave and the poppier parts of post-punk.”

Taken from their Spotify Bio, these words sum up my exact impressions so well I had to just copy and paste. There are some heavy Devo influences here, but the way these guys have managed to blend bright dirty clean guitar with pulsing bass synth lines is pure magic. It’s easy to get carried away with this sort of thing and let knob twiddling get in the way of a great song, but this group doesn’t fall into that trap. The adjustments to synth line’s oscillation rate at the end of the track is a perfectly tasteful touch and this is a song I immediately replayed 3-4 times upon first hearing it. They have some other tracks that are just as good so go check them out.

4. Topographies, San Fransisco - See You As You Fall (2020)

By far the cleanest and most 80s sounding track in this list. I found it on the back of Drab Majesty who I have been a huge fan of for about 4 years now. There seems to have been a resurgence in the gothic music in recent years (or maybe it never really went away) which is great as it lends it self to a lot of experimentation in guitar, vocal and synth effects and tones. Goth can quickly get very cheesy but I really enjoy it when done with taste and this is a good example of when it’s done well.

5. Terry Malts, California - I Do (2012)

They call their style “chainsaw pop” which certainly fits. This song has elements that remind me of classic pop rock hits, but the lo-fi recording style removes any sheen giving this group an edge. The lo-fi thing can often veer into simply sounding amateur if not done carefully. Happy to say that this trio gets it right and for someone like myself who can repel a “bad recording” it works.