Bilmuri’s new record KINDA HARD came out a few weeks ago, and its a great addition to their catelogue. The whole record is plays it a bit safe though, and I think they’re best when they’re at their weirdest (looking at you Eggy Pocket). Nevertheless, theres some great stuff on here. In particular, the end run of the album from “BACK, THEN” to “WAVES” really showcases how vulnerable John can be in these songs and they hit.
Speaking of Bilmuri, This Wild Life released a great cover of “Better Hell” from the last record. I think a songs ability to move between genres with ease speaks volumes about how well the song writing is, and this is a great example.
Bilmuri has a new record coming out in mid-April titled Kinda Hard. I wish I had thought to include in this my Most Anticipated list. The new song is alright. I think it’s likely to grow on me within the context of the whole record.
I’m a little surprised Poppy’s latest record didn’t make this list, and I’m a *little* embarrassed by how much I listened to “Feedback” by A Day to Remember.
Total Minutes: 34649
Top Artists
1) Bulmuri – 2649 minutes
2) AFI – 2557 minutes
3) Spiritbox – 2463 minutes
4) A Day to Remember – 1833 minutes
5) The Wonder Years – 1803 minutes
Top Albums
1) Tsunami Sea, Spiritbox – 1689 minutes
2) Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, AFI – 1110 minutes
3) Big Ole Album, Vol. 1, A Day to Remember – 1039 minutes
4) Pantheon, Dance Gavin Dance – 814 minutes
5) NEVER ENOUGH, Turnsile – 683 minutes
Top Songs
1) “Feedback” – A Day to Remember
2) “Perfect Soul” – Spiritbox
3) “No Loss, No Love” – Spiritbox
4) “Soft Spine” – Spiritbox
5) “Fata Morgana” – Spiritbox
Lastly, I thought it’d be fun to look at my music listening over time. Pretty steady, but up a little bit year-over-year this year.
I’m continuing to go through my back-log regarding favorite records from the past few years. In no particular order, here are my favorite records of 2024.
POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – Bring Me The Horizon
Bring Me the Horizon gave us the second installation in their Post Human series, and I daresay this installation is better than the first. The band seamless goes between their classic metal core, pop, and perhaps some hyper-pop vibes as well. The release was delayed several times, in part, due to their separation from Synthesizer and co-write Jordan Fish leaving the band. More on that later.
Saviors – Green Day
Well, well, well, what do we have here? A good Green Day record? Boy, its been a while. I was a die hard fan throughout high school and college, but I haven’t really enjoyed the last 5 (!!!) records or so. Very happy to hear some fun new material. Songs like “Bobby Sox” seem to have struck a chord w/ the fan base and incorporated themselves as staples in the live set. Great to see a solid addition to their discography.
Negative Spaces – Poppy
And what did Jordan Fish work on in 2024 after being dismissed from Bring Me the Horizon? Poppy’s Negative Spaces. Poppy is a terribly interesting artist, which I’ll admit I don’t quite fully “get”. Her career started on YouTube…. She’s had several full-on pop records… but here she is just doing extremely heavy metal, intertwined with some solid pop-rock tracks. I first became aware of her on the single “Scary Mask” which featured Jason from Fever 333. That collabortion must have lead to her meeting Stephen Harrison, who co-wrote many of these songs, along w/ Jordan Fish, and has played a few things live w/ Poppy as well.
Live, Vol. One – mewithoutYou
As of writing this in the summer of 2025, volume 2 of this live series has just been released, so volume 1 has recently been in heavy rotation. Mewithoutyou is/was truely a remarkable one-of-a-kind band, which we are all better off for having existed. What a treat these live shows are. The end of the band went out as good as fans would have desired. 2 years notice, anniversary tours, a lengthy goodbye tour, professionally shot and streamed shows, and now these live records. We do not deserve them.
Heaven :x: Hell – Sum 41
Heaven :x: Hell feels almost too on-the-nose. Sum 41 has forever straddled the line between metal and pop punk, and this, thier final record, just lays that out as clearly as possibe: Sum 41 is both. Overall, its a good record. Its a solid goodbye to their fanbase, and if I’m really being honest, it won’t shock me if they reunite in the next 5-10 years
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F–1 Trillion – Post Malone
Huh, I didn’t expect this to be here. Its easy, its fun. Crack a bud light lime and sit back, man.
analysis paralysis – Four Year Strong
This is another record I’m cheating with, because I didn’t get in to it until this year, 2025. Its another great Four Year Strong record. I think these guys keep growing and changing, and making interesting records. I’m not sure why I was so reluctant to try this one, but I was the same with the last record, Brain Pain, as well. Lesson learned.
American Motor Sports – Bilmuri
Lastly, another record I’m cheating with. This band rules. My friends got me in to them earlier this year, so I was introduced to this as well as their back-catalog. They’re a fun/weird band, heavy, poppy, and unafraid to add in a little twang as well.
At Ken 