If you're looking for a break from politics and social justice, Episode 5 is for you! This episode is a Chill playlist of mostly mellow music which starts off with some energy before melting in to some acoustic tunes for the latter half of the show. I hope that this playlist inspires you to do something positive.
Bands and artists featured in this playlist include:
Alicewell, Baxter, Kali Masi, Mansions, Molchat Doma, Mike Herrera, The Ataris, The Menzingers
Long time followers of Pop Punk Radio might recognize Alicewell, a four piece rock group from Sweden. We are happy to see them back with their first video in about 5 years. We would also like to shine a little spotlight on Baxter who bring us a blend of melodic skatepunk from Mannheim, Germany. Kali Masi is perhaps the best band that you have possibly never heard yet. Their music video for "The Stray" was only released in Nov, but I am still absolutely shocked that the video hasn't reached five or six digits worth of viewers yet. Mansions have also released a highly underrated album titled Big Bad in 2020 that still needs to reach more ears.
Mike Herrera and MxPx stock has been absolutely skyrocketing in my book during the pandemic. I loved MxPx in the 90s and have always enjoyed their music, but I will admit that they have not been at the peak of my radar for quite a while. Seeing how Mike Herrera has been handling the pandemic has made me respect the guy a lot more. When many artists were arguing with their fans and using insults towards their own fan base, Mike Herrera has been plugging away with countless live streams and acoustic versions of MxPx tunes. I have never once heard or seen him treat his fans poorly. I'm sure the guy is human, but he does a damn fine job of staying positive. MxPx has never really been a political band. They may dabble here and there, but overall they are more of an optimistic feel good band. Something that this world is in dire need of in 2021.
When I was a kid, if you had asked me if I could be a superhero what would my super power be, I would have told you that I don't care what my super-power is as long as I also have the ability to fly. I had recurring dreams constantly of being able to fly. Even if all I ever used my powers for was to hide in the clouds during a neighborhood game of Hide-and-Seek. Luckily we don't need super powers to fly anymore. We have extreme sports that can turn us in to super heroes!
I feel like I should have included Foo Fighters' "Learn To Fly" in the playlist but literally everyone has heard that song already. Likewise, every punk who grew up in the Tony Hawk era has likely heard Goldfinger's "Superman" as well. Unwritten Law's "Superman" is probably lesser known these days, but would have broken up the acoustic feel of the playlist. Perhaps those songs could be included in a playlist of their own, but not this one.
As usual, the playlist also closes off with a little electronic ambient music.
It's been a stressful year for many of us, with anxiety coming
seemingly from all directions at times. I recently started
making ambient music with 5K visuals in order to help relax during these
stressful times. I realize this music may not be a good fit for all of
our listeners, but perhaps some may find some enjoyment and relaxation. I also include a little dance / trance track to get your blood flowing in a good direction. If you enjoy either of those tracks, please show me some support by following my ambient/dance music channel: ROVVLES
Watch the playlist below or use the following: link