New songs for October 12th 2026

 Here they are:


"Lonely in the Future" by The Strokes:  If you thought The Strokes' previous single, "Going Shopping," critiqued the modern world, "Lonely in the Future" punctures and wounds it, in both the best and worst ways possible! Julian Casablancas tells us right from the start that he "did that yesterday, when [he] was a kid." Of course, we know Julian wasn't literally a "kid" yesterday, but as criticism towards many modern entertainers ranging from John Legend to Josh Groban to The Weeknd to Harry Styles mounts through the first verse (and even contemporary phrases, like "YOLO"), he's basically telling us that modern life is overrated and kind of empty, hence the line, "it's lonely in the future." Over the song's funky space-age post-punk revival sound, "Lonely in the Future" is essentially telling us that the "future" is isolating us more than it is truly connecting us. Perhaps some people might be tempted to post the "Old Man Yells at Cloud" meme from The Simpsons as a result of reading this review, but I personally think that "Lonely in the Future" isn't just about an aging rocker complaining about current trends and celebrities. It's also about yearning for a world where hype wasn't the flavor of the day! This becomes particularly evident during the bridge when Julian briefly describes a fun date he had with someone.

"Self Aware" by Temper City:  As this song's title implies, "Self Aware," a hazy indie-pop song dominated by keyboard and percussion but still containing faint hints of guitar, is...well...self aware! That is to say, it's a song about overthinking and self-doubt. After lead singer Etyan Peled heaps the titular criticism onto himself in the chorus, he sings to the subject of his song, "We could never be together, but it's nice to play pretend," followed by, "I wish that I could lie, but I'm way too self aware." Almost seems like the song wavers between unrequited love and being painfully aware of your own limitations. In my past, I've gone through both, so I feel like I can relate to this song! 

"Send for Me" by Liam St. John:  Singer/songwriter Liam St. John hails from Washington, but he is clearly influenced by Southern rock, but not in the Skynyrd/ZZ Top way. Liam's way of "Southern rock" is basically like Hozier's "Take Me to Church" if it had more distorted guitars and "Southern" vocals backing it up! The message of Liam's breakthrough song, "Send for Me," is a simple but powerful one: if you want him to be there, he'll be there! He delivers this message like a gospel preacher who wants a rock band to back him up! 

"The Kid With the Crown" by This is Lorelei:  "Billy Came Back" by This is Lorelei is one of the most charmingly offbeat songs I've heard all year so far! Now, This is Lorelei are back with "The Kid With the Crown," a song that hearkens back to seminal '90s indie groups like Dinosaur Jr., Built to Spill, Pavement, and Guided by Voices. "The Kid With the Crown" seems like a slightly less "quirky" song than "Billy Came Back," but when Nate Amos continually addresses the singer as "buddy" and says that said person is "the kid with the crown," I dunno exactly what he means!