November 13, 2023

The Roundup - 11/13

Welcome yet again to a new week. Hopefully you all feel bright and refreshed after a nice autumn weekend. Or completely run down after a wild fall weekend. You do you, I’m not here to judge. I’m just here to give you some recommendations.

I’m playing with the schedule on this a little bit, and welcome any feedback!

Chinese Telephones, Outta My Hands

I’m as shocked as anyone to get new Chinese Telephones songs in 2023, but here we are, 4 brand spankin’ new jams from this vastly underrated pop-punk band. Their 2007 self-titled LP and 2009 follow-up Democracy are perfect slabs of late 2000s pop-punk of the more Ramonescore variety (not the Warped Tour pop-punk of the era), your Copyrights, Marked Men, et al. The new songs sound like the band hasn’t missed a beat in the past 14 years. It’s not breaking new ground, but there’s nothing wrong with doing what you do, and well.

Spiritual Cramp, Spiritual Cramp

I could probably write a whole long post about this, but suffice it to say, this record rules. I’ve been obsessed with it since I heard it last week. It’s punk to an extent, sure, but there’s a lot more going on here. I hear so much of that early ‘00s guitar rock and post-punk revival in this, but honestly with more grit and edge than any of those bands could muster. This could soundtrack a dance night, or a street fight. I hear this album and I legitimately think most people in my life would find something to enjoy here.

Dua Lipa, “Houdini”

Praise be, Dua has a new song out! I can’t believe it’s been so long since Future Nostalgia came out. That album is damn near flawless, so there’s clearly some pressure on the follow-up. If lead singles are anything to go by, this is going to be another banger. Future Nostalgia was led by “Don’t Start Now,” which is also a hell of a way to introduce the world to an album cycle. Nothing has been announced concretely, but this will more than do for now.

Tripper, People Die Every Day EP

Here’s the debut EP from a killer hardcore band here in Baltimore. The scene here is pretty tight right now, obviously with Turnstile being the Face Of Hardcore™, but also locals like End It, Doubt, B.R.A.T, Jivebomb, and more holding it down at home, and Flatspot Records1 cranking out great albums and putting on their Disturbin’ the Peace festival. There always seems to be a sick show happening at Ottobar, Metro, or even Holy Frijoles. Anyway, Tripper just dropped these 4 songs, and I can’t wait to see what more this band can do.

RoboCop: Rogue City

I’m not sure I can really recommend this fully, as the game has its issues. The combat can be frustrating, and pretty much all the non-Peter Weller voice acting is rough. Despite all that, I’ve been playing it a ton. And if you, like me, have an undying love for Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 masterpiece, this game manages to capture a lot of the vibe: the griminess of Old Detroit, the outrageous violence (the absurd power of Murphy’s sidearm is very satisfying), the dark, satirical humor that pervades the film. I appreciate that the game serves as a sequel to RoboCop 2, ignoring the abysmal third film. Throw it on your wishlist and catch a sale.

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