Are You Following Me? 1

In the quest for social media engagement, random bands have started to follow me on Twitter and Tumblr, and it does amazing things for my ego. In this segment, we talk about the bands that have followed me this week.

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Mr Fisher and the Hospitality

Off the bat, the sound is reminiscent of We Were Promised Jet Packs, something that has a spiraling, enveloping quality lying behind the jolting, raw vocals. The Albuquerque, NM band has thus far released two EPs, "Stay Safe" and "Our Friends. Our Family. Our Troubles." Each release has its merits, and your tastes will dictate your preference between the two. "Stay Safe" is more assertive and arresting, but not quite as cohesive throughout as "Our Friends," which also boasts a more robust bass sound. 

This is for you if: you enjoy the feeling of walking through a lush green forest of sound and emotion

Southtowne Lanes

My initial response after pressing play was surprise. Fortunately, a pleasant surprise. This is some real, back to the roots emo. This isn't format pop punk, this is emotion and fluidity and original punk sensibilities. There's a restraint that makes the raw edge of the music even more powerful. It feels like running down the wet streets of New York City at dusk, trying to figure out why you moved to this godforsaken town in the first place. Several good releases are available, including: "Break Me," "I Feel Alive," "Place Called Home/ Southtowne Lanes," and a 2012 demo album.

This if for you if:  you want to save pop punk