This is a documentation of my summer 2026 in relation to music as I move into my senior year of college.
Live Music:
Bonnaroo:
Going into my first music festival, yup, my first, I was rather apprehensive. I LOVE the intimacy that comes with small shows, and festivals are the exact opposite. The idea of watching someone I really love perform while I was getting smushed in what I imagined to be an overwhelming crowd just didn’t interest me that much, but I must admit when I'm wrong.
Being able to see acts like Wednesday, Geese, Blood Orange, and The Dare all in the same place on the same day was basically life changing. Well, that might have just been Wednesday. They were the first set I saw, and they just blew my socks off! Their set design was surprisingly charming, with paintings from their lead single, “Elderberry Wine,” and their album Bleeds, along with some fun dolls that added some personality to what can otherwise feel like a pretty bare stage.
Overall, I had such a fun time at Bonnaroo and would definitely consider going back next year!
Also, shoutout to Jake (Digital Media Assistant and Writer) and Hayes (Music Director) for making it so fun!
By My Side at The Firehouse:
My first, and I guess only, Alabama show of the summer was seeing a hardcore/straightedge line-up in Birmingham, but the band I really want to talk about is By My Side.
By My Side is a new, Huntsville-based Youth Crew band (A subset of hardcore and straight edge that focuses on positivity. Click to learn more about the genre) that really took me by surprise. Not to say the other bands I saw weren’t cool, but for having just released their first album, they sounded great!
Riley! + Kerosene Heights:
Over the summer, I visited Kathryn, our 25/26 Station Manager, in Chicago and Indiana for around a week. During this time, we saw Riley! play alongside Kerosene Heights and Bugsy (the opener who I was pleasantly surprised by) at Reggie’s, which was a really interesting and dark venue. The show was good, but honestly, it wasn’t my favorite time seeing either of the bands.
Brownie Points + Pabgaf w/ Sue and Solace:
This was easily my musical highlight of the summer. If you listened to my radio show last year, you know how much I love Brownie Points and Plant a Bug Grow a Flower (Pabgaf), as I played them all the time! Being able to see and hang out with two of my favorite bands with one of my best friends in Connecticut was amazing, and on top of that, I got to sing one of my favorite Pabgaf songs with the lead singer of Brownie Points. Having the opportunity to see two bands I love, and love playing on my specialty show, was an amazing way to end my summer!
Albums I loved to listen to this summer:
The Passionate Ones - Nourished by Time:
My 2025 album of the year, The Passionate Ones, is a warm, soulful, semi-psychedelic modern R&B album that keeps me coming back again and again. It’s incredibly well-produced and always makes me feel like dancing no matter when or where I find myself listening. I've talked about it before, and I will talk about it again. Please give this one a listen!
Bleeds - Wednesday:
If you remember my description of Wednesday at Bonnaroo from the beginning, this addition shouldn’t come as a shock. I was already a huge fan of this album, but after having the opportunity to see most of it live really solidified it in my summer rotation. It has the twang of any of the country music I grew up on(it’s alt-country, but you get the idea) with moments that introduce some of the abrasiveness you could hear from hardcore, a genre I’ve grown rather fond of.
You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into - Does It Offend You, Yeah?:
While I love to talk about the awesome music I discover on my own, I really cannot take credit for this find: You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into by Does It Offend You, Yeah? is an amazing recommendation from my partner that genuinely defined my summer. Moving from electroclash to techno to dance punk to even some more new wave inspired tracks, this album WILL make you want to move.
Summer Releases:
cutting up the elephant - cutting up the elephant:
Before I talk about how sick this album is, let me first talk about how I found this band. So picture this: I’m scrolling on TikTok, super crazy, and I see a video of this interesting looking band playing in a batting cage and I decide that I just need to find their music. I went to Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube looking for anything on them, and found nothing. I finally found them on Instagram and dm’d them to ask if they had any music released or planned on releasing any soon. They told me they didn’t have anything yet but were working on stuff. Fast forward to a week before this release and I get a dm with a Google Drive file with the unreleased album. Now I’m not just saying this album is great because the band sent it to me early; this album is just great. I’ve had it on repeat, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you would too; you just need to give it a try!
HEALING & EASY LISTENING - Lorraine:
Now, if you know me or maybe even if you don’t, you might know that I LOVE HASMA TOLD ME YOU SEE RAINBOWS NOW, their previous album, but H&EL just doesn’t have that same magic for me. Before I get into some of my more negative feelings, I just want to start off by saying: this album is good, maybe even great. H&EL takes what I like about Sass (an energetic, flamboyant subgenre of post-hardcore and the greater hardcore that rejects hypermasculinity in a campy way. Click to learn more about Sass and Sasscore), and combine it with a genre that I’ve really seemed to fall in love with over the summer, dance punk or what Lorraine are calling synth punk (I’d say these two titles are pretty interchangeable but that’s up to you). Throwing the fast, loud, chaotic energy of sass with the well, fast, loud, and chaotic energy of dance punk creates a very, well, interesting combination that I’m not exactly sure how to explain. It’s like combining flavors that should work so, so, well together, but when you do it’s just a little confusing. Like, am I having the time of my life or is this bad but I really like the two flavors individually, so I’m telling myself it’s good? I still don’t think I’ve exactly figured it out myself, but please let me know if you do.
Theft World - Lip Critic:
While I would love to continue claiming these amazing dance records, this is another recommendation from my partner. Theft World honestly rocked my world; coming from a not completely unknown but definitely unfamiliar space of digital hardcore and industrial hip hop, I really can’t get this one out of my head. Recently opening for Mannequin Pussy, Lip Critic have proven they are made for this with their chaotic production and seemingly relentless percussion (they have two, yes 2 drummers btw). I have only seen and heard incredibly positive things about this band since learning about them. Now for their album, it’s great, if you couldn’t tell by my earlier hype up of this band. While not as entrancing as the recordings I've watched of their live music, their studio recordings are great. It’s loud, abrasive, and intense, but that’s what keeps you listening. I definitely recommend giving this a listen and definitely looking for a live recording!
Thanks for reading about my summer in music!
