30 July 2026 - HyunA - Flower Shower

I feel like you can't talk about K-Pop without mentioning HyunA.  I've been a fan for a lot of years, long before every K-Pop artist was an instant hitmaker.... even before "Gangnam Style".  

No, she had to work and toil for DECADES to get where she is.

This song, from 2019, was cowritten and produced by Psy himself.  She's had many comebacks since then, but this was one of her best. 

29 July 2026 - Karen Dió - Sick Ride

In June 2023, Karen Dió was a struggling Brazilian musician.

In July 2023, she had a badass single.

And just like that, there was some worldwide attention on the Brazilian punk scene thanks to this riot grrrl.  

Formerly of Violet Soda (who broke apart in 2021), Karen Dió made the conscious choice to go solo this time, so she could keep the control. Kinda hard for a solo act to break up, eh?

Anyway, the song is great.

Hell yeah she does it live. This performance from Germany shows the energy she brings to the song. 

28 July 2026 - Night Ranger - Sister Christian

This song - written by drummer Kelly Keagy, who also sings and drums on the track, as a tribute to his sister, Christy (Jack Blades just thought it was Christian) - was released in March 1984.

I was 12.

The song was EVERYWHERE and unescapable on radio.

I couldn't stand the song. HATED it.

Well, time has made me see that the song is brilliantly constructed. The second single from their album Midnight Madness, it is by far their biggest hit.

When you hear "motorin'", you should think "cruisin'", as in going SO FAST. 

I find it absolutely fascinating that anyone can drum and sing at the same time, and yet, that's exactly what Keagy did live.

This is from a 1983 performance, and the lyrics are slightly different because they are performing the album version, which had more words. Single and album versions of songs were once a bigger deal. 

Did you assume that Night Ranger was a thing of the past?

Nope.  They're still together. And as you can see in this performance from 2024, still playing the hell out of this song. 

They are not to be confused with Bobby Knight Ranger, who were a fictional band played by Yo La Tengo on the TV show Parks and Recreation. 

27 July 2026 - Baby Nova - Killed For Sport

I know, it's not March.

I hear you. 

But also, this is my blog, and when a new artist releases a new album and one of their songs gets into heavy rotation for me, I'm gonna post about it. 

And Shhugar, Baby Nova's fantastic debut album that was released in January of this year, is a good album to talk up.  After toiling in the industry for a decade and a half, Kayleigh O'Connor finally has an album getting its due.

This song, its lead single released in 2025, was co-written by Baby Nova, Lowell and Gus Van Go. It should be giving you Lana Del Rey vibes. 

25 July 2026 (Special Edition) - Sick of it All - Beef Between Vegans / Bull's Anthem

So, it's kind of a funny song title.

It came from Sick of it All's 2018 album Wake The Sleeping Dragon.  It was a comeback of sorts, and it was met with universal critical acclaim.  

Pretty impressive for a hardcore band that was formed in 1986 by Lou and Pete Koller to still be making music that aggressive and that poignant more than 30 years later.  And that's what Sick of it All's music is - aggressive, poignant, and in your face.

But you all see that Special Edition label.  You know I ain't here with good news. 

Lou Koller, primary vocalist for the band, had been suffering with esophageal cancer.  Yesterday, the band announced his passing.  Now, at this point, I always say "he will be missed" and that's true but this is different.

You see, Lou knew he was one of the elder statesmen of hardcore, and he took that seriously.  He famously mentored and befriended other up-and-coming musicians.  There are hardcore bands that exist and thrived largely because Lou was their mentor and partner. Lou was one of the good guys in a rough industry. 

So yeah, I feature a song with a funny title.  

They kept releasing singles from the album through 2020.  This video, which might not exist if not for the pandemic, featured videos of the band's fans, singing the song.

The band loved and respected their fans, and that started and ended with Lou.  

Now, normally, I wouldn't be talking up so much a band in a genre of music I'm not generally all that into.  It's not generally for me.  

Sick of it All were talented enough and nice enough and resonated enough that I did like them.  In fact, I was fortunate enough to see them live in 1995, on the first Warped Tour.  I saw them at the Northampton Airport in Massachusetts, but the show I'm posting here is literally from two days before that. 

Lou opened that show the same way he opened ours: by inviting fans closer and telling them to "watch out for each other and respect each other."

So today, when I say he'll be missed, it ain't a platitude.  It's that a true pioneer and a nice person has passed, and he WILL be actively missed. 

22 July 2026 - Lights - Quiet

The other reason I was so hesitant to post Quiet Light is because every time I searched for her I got "Quiet" by Lights. 

Specifically, the acoustic version.  And yes, it's probably the best song from The Listening, but I couldn't escape it, so, here.  Bonus post, guys. 

22 July 2026 - Quiet Light - Postinternetfame

I have been dragging my heels getting to Quiet Light, honestly. 

Not because I don't like her music - her album Blue Angel Sparking Silver 2 is one of my favorites of the year. 

Not because she has a stage name - her real name is Riya Mahesh.  I post lots of those. 

Not because I can't find live performances she's done of this song.  I couldn't, but that'll change soon.  

No, it's because it was so hard to pick a song to highlight.  I chose this one because it was... quiet... and... light.  And cool.  Cool as heck.   

Wikipedia calls her "indie folk" but I think she's a lot more than that.  I hope you do as well.