Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 8
UK Rock, Twisted Covers & Cathartic Screams from The Used
Hello friends, and welcome to Episode 8 of Songs That Don’t Suck — the Cliff Notes edition, a music discovery show for people who believe good songs still exist if you know where to dig. 🪙🎵
I’m your host, Mark Bradbourne — your Gen X Jiminy Cricket, here to whisper, “Hey… maybe don’t waste your time on that Top 40 track. Try this instead.”
📣 In This Episode:
- 🎸 Killer rock from Liverpool’s The Luka State
- 🧠 A surprisingly dark flip on a classic from Theory of a Deadman
- ☘️ Irish alt-country-ish vibes from Inhaler
- 🤮 And a cathartic scream from The Used (yep, they’re back—and mad)
Let’s get into it 👇
🎧 How the Music Gets Picked
Every week I listen to 300–500 new tracks from Spotify’s algorithm-driven playlists:
- New Music Friday
- Fresh Finds
- New Rock, New Indie, New Alt—you get it
I give each song 30 seconds. If it survives? It gets a full listen, lands on a review playlist, and—if it still holds up—it makes the podcast. 💪
Let’s get to this week’s standout tracks 👇
🎸 The Luka State – “Two Worlds Apart”
🏁 From: Winsford, UK
🎵 Genre: Alt-rock, post-punk energy
🧠 Vibes: Catfish and the Bottlemen meets early Foo Fighters
I almost missed this one. The Luka State dropped “A Matter of Fact” a few weeks back and it ended up in the “overflow” pile—songs I tweet but don’t feature.
But now? I’m rethinking everything. “Two Worlds Apart” is punchy, propulsive, and exactly the kind of melodic UK rock that’s missing from US playlists right now. Their whole new EP is solid front to back. Add them to your watchlist, because this band is about to break.
🎧 Listen if you like: Royal Blood, Sam Fender, Arctic Monkeys
🔄 Theory of a Deadman – “Two of Us (Stuck)”
🇨🇦 From: British Columbia, Canada
🎵 Genre: Alt-rock with a twist
😵💫 Mood: Dark love. Like, really dark love.
Okay, so they didn’t cover “Just the Two of Us.”
They flipped it on its head.
This reimagining paints a relationship so toxic, it’s basically a cautionary tale. It’s clever, moody, and a little unhinged—in a good way. 🎭
This kind of reinterpretation is rare in mainstream rock and I’m here for it.
🍀 Inhaler – “If You’re Gonna Break My Heart”
🇮🇪 From: Dublin, Ireland
🎵 Genre: Indie rock meets alt-country
🎤 Vocal Vibes: Yep… I hear Bono. You can’t stop me.
This band continues my love affair with UK/Ireland rock scenes.
“Inhaler” delivers a track that blends the emotional intensity of Dawes with sonic textures that give off serious early-U2 vibes.
There’s another track from them I almost featured—so keep an eye on my Twitter this week for that one.
💥 Featured Track: The Used – “People Are Vomit”
🧠 From: Utah
🎵 Genre: Emo? Rock? Catharsis-core?
🔥 Why it hits: Because sometimes people are vomit.
I try to keep this show apolitical. But when a song hits this hard and expresses exactly how you feel about certain people who want to control books, bodies, and freedom—you dedicate it.
“People Are Vomit” is chaotic, screamy, and brutally honest. And sometimes, that’s exactly the kind of release we need.
🎧 Listen if you need:
- A scream in your car
- To blow off steam
- A reminder that rock still has something to say
🤣 Mark’s Social Life Update (or lack thereof)
Big shoutout to Travis, who asked how I get these episodes out so fast.
The truth?
I took my 86-year-old mother to Bingo last Friday. And I lost. 🎱
So, yeah—I’ve got time. 😅
📝 Final Words
It was a shorter list this week, but sometimes quality > quantity.
And sometimes, a band from Dublin or a track called “People Are Vomit” is all the therapy you need. 🎶
Thanks for listening, thanks for sharing, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
🎙️ Until next week, keep searching for and listening to… songs that don’t suck.
— Mark
