12 May 2026 - KNEECAP - FENIAN

 A couple of weeks ago, Irish hip-hop trio KNEECAP released their second album, FENIAN. The title of the album - and today's song - is both a term to refer to Irish revolutionaries and, not coincidentally, a slur referring to Irish Catholics. 

KNEECAP - in all their Irish Catholic brashness - have taken their word back.  

And not only are they brash, they released the best hip-hop album of the last year on May 1st, and arguably the best album of the year so far in any genre.  It is melodic AND in your face. STRONGLY recommended. 

They've already performed this and other songs from the album live, as in this April 30th performance in advance of the album's launch. 

You can see how much energy they bring. 

11 May 2026 - Sabrina Carpenter - Thumbs

Happy 27th birthday to Sabrina Carpenter!  Have we been posting her too much lately?  Maybe.  But she's one of the hottest stars right now and she's making great music, honestly. 

But her overnight success was far from overnight.  In fact, her first pop hit - making the top 30 in the United States - came off her 2nd album, EVOLution, released 10 years ago.  This song, written by Muni Long and Steve Mac, was a top 30 hit in early 2017.  

The video was done in one shot.  No edits. She was 16.  

Sabrina does not like this song anymore. She is 27 now.  But she sure did perform it a lot in 2017.  

8 May 2026 - Bonnie Tyler - It's A Heartache | Bonnie Tyler & Kareen Antonn - Si tout s'arrête

My sister, Dawn, wrote to me yesterday to let me know that Bonnie Tyler had been placed into a medically induced coma (after surgery to repair a perforated intestine), in case I wanted to draft something.  

Because, you know, Special Editions. 

Well, I have to post this either way now. I'm holding out for not having to uncork a second one before too long.

I mean, she has a TON of tour dates coming up.  

This song was recorded in mid-1977, after Tyler has undergone surgery (in 1976) to remove nodules from her vocal cords.  That surgery left the Welsh singer with a remarkably husky voice - which is better than not being able to sing, which she thought was going to happen.  

That husky voice would end up being her first US top 5 hit (she'd have another later).

In 2004, Tyler rerecorded a bilingual version of the song with Kareen Antonn, a French singer.  I think it works well as a duet - and Europe agreed, as it as a hit there once again. 

The great thing about her voice is that is still sustains a half century later.  This performance is from a month and a half ago.  As an added bonus, the audience knows every word. 

7 May 2026 - Madison Beer - yes baby

Every generation needs their own "I Feel Love".   

With the first single from this year's locket, Madison Beer has given this to us.  It's sultry - oozing with sex - and brings a sharp disco beat - and it has become a pretty sizable hit on the dance charts in the US and elsewhere. 

Is Madison Beer a modern day Donna Summer?  Maybe. Is this a great dance/pop song?  Absolutely.

It's that sexiness that probably got Madison Beer booked to perform this song at the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. 

6 May 2026 - Darling Buds - Fall

This live performance from 2023 really makes us happy.  You see, we write a lot of posts early, and we are WRITING this post in 2023, just a couple of weeks after this was recorded.   

"Fall" being one of our favorite songs from Crawdaddy, this delights us further.  Plus, they're having so much fun!!!!

Also, hey, future! Did Elon Musk bring us the flying car yet? (edit: 2026: this did not age well.  AT ALL)

5 May 2026 - Maya Hawke - To Love A Boy

On July 4th, 2019, Season 3 of the Netflix hit show Stanger Things dropped. That is when so many people were introduced to a new character named Robin Buckley, who inspired a LOT of 2019 Halloween costumes.

You all had one friend who dressed like this that year.  ADMIT IT!

That character was played by actress (and daughter of Uma Thurman) Maya Hawke.  

Now, when you all saw the name of the artist, a lot of you didn't need me to tell you that this was Robin.  I learned the name of the artist, and I wondered if she was related to Ethan Hawke (she is - that's her dad). Because, you see, I've seen maybe five minutes of Stranger Things. 

This isn't an actor's blog.  It's a music blog.  So, where am I going with this?

On August 16th, 2019 - just a month later - Maya Hawke started her music career with two songs that she co-wrote with Jesse Harris.  She was a young singer-songwriter, but was already showing a maturity in her storytelling.  

Despite her continued busy acting schedule, Hawke does perform live, as she did in 2020 - and her voice was just breathtaking.

Her new album, MAITREYA CORSO, was released last week, so she's also still making music - and the album is excellent. 

4 May 2026 - sleepazoid - NEW AGE

The absolute best thing about this blog is learning about new music that I would not have otherwise heard.  

Lately, that journey has taken me to Australia an awful lot.  Take this band, who formed in Melbourne in 2024 and just released their second EP, NEW AGE, this February. Combining post-punk and showgaze elements, they bring a fresh energy to their music.

Sounds like this don't come out of nowhere. This very tight five piece was performing this song last September - and you can see and hear the raw energy, and the wall of three guitars creating a rich, layered rock sound.