The theme for this month's albums is that I heard about all of these artists on a podcast I listen to: The Tone Control. It's one of the few podcasts I still listen to and mostly about guitars or stuff guitar players might care about.

Sleep Token: Take Me Back To Eden

I can't get off streaming without some Sleep Token. I first heard then when I was on a trip in Italy and listened to them the entire time I was there almost exclusively. The band sounds huge and their stage image is also. Nobody knows who they are because they perform in costume. They also refer to going concerts and listening to their music as "worship" and refer to their fanbase as a cult. It's pretty amusing stuff!

I recommend listening to this one with some good headphones or speakers for sure, not just your laptop or phone speakers. Careful though with the volume, some parts might surprise you.

The track "Are You Really OK?" is one of the few songs that have made me cry. Maybe don't listen to it if you're sensitive to attempted suicide memories.

Bilmuri: American Motorsports

Fun story, I heard about this band from the podcast and the next day I spoke to my brother on the phone. He was excited to tell me about this new band he found via Tiktok which happened to be exactly this artist and album.

If you asked me what genre Bilmuri's music is, I would say "Good question!". Have fun trying to figure out if you should be hooking your thumbs in your front belt loops and kicking up your boots or looking for a mosh pit while you listen to this one. Also there's saxophone solos?

The Wonder Years: The Hum Goes On Forever

This artist was I think the first I found out about from The Tone Control. The emotion in this man's voice as he sings about losing friends, worrying about having a kid, and so on really got to me the first time I heard it and still affects me when I genuinely listen to it.

Like Sleep Token, I couldn't imagine living without streaming services and not having at least one album from The Wonder Years. Realistically I'll end up with a few before this year-long plan is over.