🎙 Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 82: Barns Courtney, The Struts & Songs That Slap
What’s up, fellow music adventurers? Mark Bradbourne is back with another episode of Songs That Don’t Suck, and this one’s glowing with the energy of a recent pilgrimage to the rock capital — Detroit. From holding up Barns Courtney mid-crowd to witnessing The Struts explode onstage, Mark’s weekend was a masterclass in what rock should feel like.
And yes, we’ve also got five new songs that are here to rattle your speakers and tickle your soul.
🎤 Live from Detroit: Rock Ain’t Dead, It’s Just On Tour
Friday night in Detroit was the opposite of the “rock is dead” narrative. Mark made the drive to catch Barnes Courtney and The Struts, and let’s just say:
“Both Barns and Luke Spiller have the DNA of the greatest frontmen of all time.”
🔥 Barnes Courtney Highlights:
- Explosive energy from the jump.
- Shredding guitarist (Andy), smooth bassist (Jermaine), and multi-talented bandmates.
- Mark literally held Barns up mid-song while he performed on the rail.
🧍♂️“Concert security instincts kicked in.”
👑 The Struts:
- Visual unity: coordinated outfits = subconscious professionalism.
- Luke Spiller’s Freddie Mercury-meets-rock-circus persona is the real deal.
- Acoustic detour with “Merry Go Round” and “I Won’t Run” showcased pure musicianship.
- The crowd? Age 10 to 60+ and electric all night. Detroit showed out.
Mark also bumped into fellow podcaster Jace from X-RadioX — collab coming soon?
🎶 This Week’s Songs That Don’t Suck
These five tracks deliver everything from gritty rock to lush, layered ballads. Playlist-ready gems below 👇
1. “Feel Like Flying” – War Play
🛣️ Heartland Rock with teeth. Springsteen swagger, sharper edge.
Straight outta Nashville, War Play’s new track is a gritty, guitar-driven earworm with a Midwest rock soul. Great groove, sharp melodies, and the kind of live energy you can feel through your headphones.
2. “Eden” – The Smashing Pumpkins
🌹 Classic Pumpkins tones, but with a matured, richer Corgan vocal.
Off their new album A Gori Mori Mei, this track is a masterclass in production. It’s moody, layered, and instantly recognizable as Pumpkins, but with a new sonic sophistication that shows how far Billy has come.
3. “Maktub” – Gary Clark Jr.
🥁 Experimental groove meets lyrical clarity. A rhythmic masterpiece.
The drum track is the star here — think closed-foot hi-hats, rimshots, and syncopated cymbal work, layered beneath a smooth rap/soul vocal delivery. It’s funky, slick, and a brilliant sonic experiment from Gary’s new album.
4. “Anger” – Nina Nesbitt
🎭 A masterclass in dynamics. Controlled chaos that crescendos into catharsis.
One of the most emotionally raw tracks of the year so far. Nina takes us on a slow build from hushed verses to soaring, rasped highs. The half-time outro and solo acapella ending? Absolute chills.
5. “Feel” – The Heavy Heavy
🌀 Retro-fueled blues-pop with soul and style.
Soaked in reverb and vintage attitude, this track is what you play when you want something familiar but fresh. Funky rhythm section, soulful lead vocals, and tastefully layered guitar and organ create a rich, hypnotic feel.
🎶 Support these artists. Stream the music. Share the links. Buy the merch.
🖤 Until next time…
Keep searching for and listening to songs that don’t suck.
