Happy New Year, everybody.
Overall, 2018 was confusing, dark and downright stressful. But every Monday I brightened up the place by interviewing an awesome band and rocking out to their music—you’re very welcome.
Out of the hundreds of bands I chatted with this year, these are my top fifteen favorite. Check the list out below (in order from oldest to most recent) and head to The Music Meetup page to listen to all the episodes and choose your own favorites.
1. Thelma & The Sleaze Will Make You Scared, Horny And Empowered
- Photo by Elena Childers
Powerful & dangerous rock ‘n’ roll.
2. Frankie & The Witch Fingers Experiment With The Dark Side & Psychedelia
- Photo by Minivan Photography
Exploring the good and evil side of music.
3. Screaming Females Stay Fierce After a Decade Together
- Photo by Devon Bristol Shaw
BTRtoday chats with NJ-based rock/metal group about their lengthy run as a band and their new album ‘All At Once.’
4. The Medium Are Unsinkable
- All photos by Elena Childers
The Nashville band plays flowery melodies with intricate harmonies and choruses that’ll stay in your head like the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.
5. Big White Take on America With ‘Street Talk’
- Photo by Elena Childers @ SXSW
The Australian quintet’s newest album was shaped by their time traveling on the wide-open roads of America.
6. Meet The Goth Queen of Panic & Mayhem Sloppy Jane (possibly NSFW)
- Photo by Elena Childers @ SXSW
Haley Dahl talks religion, celibacy and the epic NSFW tale that is her newest album ‘Willow.’
7. Shannon Shaw Talks Going Solo And Overcoming Self-Doubt
- Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
She chats with us about her ups and downs of going solo, working with Dan Auerbach and becoming a godmother.
8. Guantanamo Baywatch Are Today’s Ultimate Surf Rockers
- Photo by Jeanette D. Moses
For over a decade this surf rock trio has been spearheading a beach punk movement from Portland to all over the world.
9. Backstage with Promiseland at The Voidz Residency
- Photo by James Reed
Visits from Surfbort, matching sunglasses and chats about hypnosis, past lives and music.
10. Mother Feather Bleeds New Music
- Photo by Ester Segarra
With their debut LP under their belt, Mother Feather has locked themselves up to bleed out new tunes.
11. SadGirl Combines Romantic Ballads & Rock ‘n’ Roll
- Photo by Michael Haight
The L.A. group was just signed to Suicide Squeeze and are already embracing the doo-wop tradition of keeping love in music.
12. Alex White On 10 Years Of White Mystery
- Photo by Diane Alexander White
The brother-sister rock ’n’ roll duo turns ten this year and hasn’t slowed down even once.
13. Retail Talks Punk, Death, Shitty Jobs & Cats
- Photo by Elena Childers
The NYC punkers are all about moshing with friends, loving their cat and screaming fast songs about dying.
14. Miss World Takes A Selfie & Makes An Album
- Photo by Tanya Chahal
The London-born musician just released her debut album, which she describes as one big elaborate selfie.
15. Surfbort Was Born To Scream & Dance
- Photo by Devon Bristol Shaw
Thrashy and trashy NYC punkers just want to be your friend and for everybody to love each other.
