🎙️ Songs That Don’t Suck Ep. 4 : Metallica’s Comeback, Boygenius Breakthrough & the Return of Glam Rock
Welcome back to Songs That Don’t Suck—your weekly passport to new music with soul. I’m your host, Mark Bradbourne, aging Gen Xer, drummer, and music fanatic still refusing to give in to autotuned mediocrity.
🎙️ Special Thanks: Introducing the Voice of God
A huge shoutout to Zach Bowders, host of the Data + Love podcast and now the official “Voice of God” for Songs That Don’t Suck. If you love data, design, and pop culture, Zach’s show is a must-listen.
🎸 Metallica: Is the Edge Back?
Mark confesses: he tapped out on Metallica post-Black Album. But their latest singles?
- “Lux Æterna” – Polished, powerful, classic Metallica energy
- “Screaming Suicide” – Even better. Raw, loud, and full of edge
Their new album 72 Seasons drops soon, and for the first time in decades, there’s real hype here. (Also, Mark may or may not be debating a Detroit tour stop 🎫)
🤯 Phoebe Bridgers Clarification + Boygenius Alert
ICYMI: Phoebe Bridgers’ “So Much Wine” is a cover of a song by The Handsome Family—not originally hers, though her version is hauntingly better.
🎤 Speaking of Bridgers…
Her supergroup Boygenius (with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker) just dropped a new EP, and it’s phenomenal.
More on their standout track “$20” below 👇
🎻 Hidden Gem: Radiohead Goes Classical
Found in the shuffle: Vitamin String Quartet’s 2003 album Strung Out on OK Computer.
🎧 Think: String renditions of Radiohead classics, perfect for deep focus and ambient chill.
🎶 This Week’s New Music Picks
Here’s the short list of songs that passed the vibe check and made it onto the podcast:
1. Wednesday – “Chosen to Deserve”
📍 Asheville, NC
🎙️ Southern country-rock with grit
📝 Lyric of the week: “Now all the drugs are getting boring to me.”
This one paints a vivid picture of small-town teenage malaise. A little sad, a lot relatable.
2. Sick Joy – “Painkiller”
🎸 Brighton-based alt-rock
💥 Think: Muse with more distortion
This track is aggressive, catchy, and refreshingly unfiltered. Add to your “blow off steam” playlist immediately.
3. Harpy – “Swallow”
🖤 Darkwave, Industrial Pop from London
🧨 Sounds like: Garbage x Nine Inch Nails
Raw, moody, and full of vengeance. A female empowerment anthem for the goth at heart.
4. The Bites – “Do Me a Favor”
🎉 Debut single from L.A. newcomers
🎸 Feels like: Poison, Motley Crüe, and all your Sunset Strip guilty pleasures
Not lyrically deep, but pure fun. Glam rock isn’t dead—it’s just wearing skinny jeans again.
5. Boygenius – “$20” (⭐ Featured Track)
🎤 Supergroup magic: Bridgers, Baker, Dacus
🎧 Best heard on headphones—there’s rich layering, subtle textures, and one primal scream that stops you cold.
Hands down, the track of the week.
📝 Wrap-Up
Another week, another batch of new music that proves soul > software.
Thanks for listening, and big thanks again to Zach Bowders for voicing the intro magic.
Until next time… keep searching for—and listening to—songs that don’t suck.
