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Johnny Football Hero - Sister Hellen

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  “Break up, break out the cycle again!” Emo band Johnny Football Hero cries out in their latest single, “Sister Hellen.” The song takes us straight back to those punk basement shows with torn couches and beer-stained carpets. It’s true nostalgia for the rowdy scene kids of the early 2000’s with enough influence from 2021 to keep it relevant.  The song starts off with a choppy guitar lead going straight into a clearly defined melody. Already upbeat and energetic, the song is off to a great start even before the first lyric. When the verse does come in, the lines alternate between rhythmic chants and a simple but infectious tune that just fits the slightly chaotic punk vibe. The band pulls back on the stamina and zeal for a minute to showcase a calmer, filtered tone.  There is restlessness in the lead singer’s voice as he perpetuates the uncertainty of transitioning to adulthood. Lyrics like, “I’m twenty-five, I’m burning out, I’m running empty on bliss and laughing at the thought of li

Cal Veatch - Bad Guy

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It’s that time of year when it starts getting warmer and, guys, we have some springtime ear candy for you! Virginia musician Cal Veatch is dropping the first single titled “Bad Guy” off his upcoming EP, “Love Me Like I’m Dying” on April 16, and it is just the whimsicality that 2021 ordered.  The track begins very simply with some plucked strings playing in a steady but contagiously melodic rhythm before introducing the vocals. The lyrics contradict the innocence of the music ten seconds in with the opening line, “I’d like to feel like I can wash all of my pain away, through my veins, not my skin, down the drain.” Gang chants saying “hey!” come repeatedly after the first line, adding something new and interesting and keeping listeners’ attention.  Adding to the theme of the song, Cal sings lyrics that further the notion of not being able to find a place to belong using vivid imagery. “My head’s a thunderstorm, got ice inside my core, a killer scared of shooting guns/and everything I tou