Undergrads –“Crashing Down”: Undergrads is a pop-punk band from our hometown of Columbus, OH. We have a history with them, as we booked either their first or second show ever. And to watch them grow over the past few years has been marvelous. This new single is proof of their growth. This very well might be one of their best songs. Undergrads call their brand of pop-punk “sad pop-punk,” and this single falls right into that. If this single is any indication of what’s to come from these sad pop punkers, then they are about to make some noise here in Columbus and beyond.

Simple Creatures – “Drug”: When I awoke to news of this collaboration between Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 and Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low, I was not sure what to expect. As a pop-punk fan, you have two of the most recognizable names, ever!!!! So this could go a few ways. According to the interwebs, a lot of people are not digging it. Well, whatever to them. This is a pop masterpiece. I love it when musicians have side-projects that are nothing like their main band. This single has everything a pop song should be, and it has me excited to hear more. Oh, by the way, this is coming from someone that isn’t an All Time Low fan and Tom has and will always be my favorite Blink member. So if I can accept this for what it is, so can you. It’s pop magic!!!!

Bloom. – “Goodbye Forever”: Say hello to your new favorite band. If you don’t know the name Bloom., you do now. This Boston group is quickly making waves, and it won’t be too long until the world knows this name. This single is great. I love how catchy it is. It has one of those choruses that gets stuck in your head, and you catch yourself singing or humming it often. FYI, this band has a former member of Transit, a band I miss dearly, amongst its ranks. Why do I mention that? Well this track sounds like a long lost Transit song. If you were a fan of Transit, I would check these guys out.

Gerard Way (feat. Ray Toro) – “Hazy Shade of Winter”: We at Tuned Up recently did some Q&As with band members playing a local festival called Columbus Covers Columbus, and two of the questions talked about covers and rather you liked them and what was their favorite cover. I love covers. So when I found out about this cover, I may have screamed a little, maybe: (1 Its Gerard Way (2. It’s for his show, The Umbrella Academy (3. It features Ray Toro from MCR. The thing about doing a cover is you have to make it your own. That is the case here from start to finish. I love how Gerard put his own stamp own it; it’s so haunting. And Ray’s guitar playing is as dynamic as always. 

SeeYouSpaceCowboy – “Self Help Specialist Ends Own Life: Let me get this out of the way: I absolute love that they call themselves “sasscore.” It reminds of back in the early 2000s when 18 Visions were called “Fashioncore.” I’m a fan of these crazy subgenre names. Anyways, this 5 piece from California would have fit on a tour with 18V in 2000. The chaos that emits from this single is insane. I can only imagine what they are like live. I picture The Chariot meets Dillinger Escape Plan. The vocals are some of the most intense screaming I’ve heard in a while, and the guitar playing is out of this world. This is a band that has worked hard on their craft.