Ellie’s Pick: Tennis – “Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight”
The last show I went to was Tennis at Brooklyn Bowl! Blown away by how talented they are, they sound even better live in my opinion. Their stage presence as well is absolutely amazing. Composed of couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, the duo met in a philosophy class in college. Making music together since 2010, Tennis never ceases to amaze their listeners.
“Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight” has to be my favorite song from their latest album Pollen. Released on February 10, 2023, the album is filled with soft-spoken vocals, plenty of keys, synths, funky basslines and guitar riffs, and stellar drum beats. Encompassing the definition of indie-pop, “Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight” is an ode to 80s pop from a modern lens. One thing Tennis does especially well is writing lyrics that play on repeat in your head. “Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight” is no exception. With the chorus, “If I see nothing, then nothing’s there. I close my eyes tight, but I can’t remember. You could deny me, but I know what I want. I can feel it in my body,” this song will 100% make in in your Spotify wrapped/Apple Music replay.
Claire’s Pick: “Amelia” – Samia
The last show I saw was Samia at the Brooklyn Bowl with Tommy Lefroy and Venus and the Flytraps! It completely rocked my world. I still haven’t fully recovered. Women in music are amazing! It was particularly special because Samia and Venus are both local to the scene, and Tommy Lefroy met in Nashville! Ever since Samia released The Baby, I have wanted to see her perform live. Seeing her at the Brooklyn Bowl was well worth the wait.
Amelia is a perfect song. The lyricism As Samia describes in the video, the song is about “pathetic joy, hanging out with your friends, and feeling a lot of gratitude.” The song sonically feels like exactly that. Similar to her live performance, the song is laced with cathartic, authentic joy. It is one of my favorite tracks from her record, Honey which was released in late January. Samia is a compelling force that we are lucky to have driving the local scene.
Caden’s Pick: “The Greatest Fear” – Parkway Drive
The last artist I got to see live was Parkway Drive! That also happened to be my first real metalcore show. Before this show, I think the heaviest artist I had seen live would have been Disturbed. Parkway Drive is a metalcore band that hails from Byron Bay, Australia. They formed in 2003 and have since become one of the top names within the genre.
When I saw that they were going to be performing at Marathon Music Works, I was ecstatic. Sadly, I delayed getting tickets because I was unsure if I should go. The night of the show finally came around and I had not gotten tickets. Seeing the tour buses and gear trucks for the show really made me regret that decision. I started looking for tickets, but they were sold out. Thankfully, I found a pair of tickets that were up for resale. I decided to buy those while I still could and asked my brother if he wanted to go even though he had to work that night. He responded saying, “I’m down to clown,” and took off work for the night so we could go. The show was just about everything I had hoped for with a little extra on top of it!
Next up: I am going even heavier with Gojira, Mastodon, and Lorna Shore on May 2nd at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. I am in for a long month of waiting.
Christina’s Pick: Jeremy Zucker – “Therapist”
The last artist I saw live I was suuuper pumped about, because I’ve been a longtime fan! Indie-pop artist Jeremy Zucker first started receiving attention for his music with the release of “Bout It” in 2016, just two years after graduating high school. Within the next two years, he was already collabing with majorly successful artists such as blackbear, Bea Miller, and Chelsea Cutler. Hits like “ComeThru” and “You Were Good To Me” landed the singer major success, with both singles amazing over 500 million Spotify streams. Currently, he consistently continues to build his fanbase of over 11 million monthly listeners.
Zucker released “Therapist” as a single off of his 2021 album CRUSHER. The track was beautifully co-written and co-produced by Ethan Gruska, who also produces for Pheobe Bridgers and Fiona Apple. Lyrically, the song describes Zucker’s experience in a mentally exhausting relationship, with the hook line “maybe you should call your therapist” expressing just how draining it is carrying the emotional burden of someone else’s problems. If you’re looking for something new to scream in the car, I gotchu with this one.
