I had a shitty end to an awful week.
That’s a story for another time.
What saved me was live music.
At the end of the workday on Friday, I made my way to Princeton, New Jersey, for Mei Semones’ sold-out show at McCarter Theatre. I arrived about 15 minutes late and was escorted to my seat.
I bought the tickets the day they went on sale, which was many months ago. I didn’t realize at the time that I had probably bought some of the best seats in the house.
Third row. Center.
It was awesome.
What wasn’t awesome was that I had to pee.
I enjoyed the hell out of the show, but when it ended, I was very thankful to be able to rush to the bathroom. After that, I bought some merch, met Mei again, and headed home.
I was so completely into the show, and I think I know why.
The minute I sat down, I shut down my phone and locked in.
I needed that.
I needed to forget about the week I had just had and let someone else’s music take over for a couple of hours.
I didn’t take a single photo or video.
And why do I need them?
You can go online and find more live photos and videos of Mei Semones than you’ll ever need. The only reason I would have been taking them would have been to prove that I was there or to create content—which is normally why I’m taking photos and videos at shows anyway.
Even then, I try to keep it short and sweet.
Sometimes you should just watch the fucking show.
Anyway, I’ve gotten off track.
The reason I’m writing this is because Mei played some new material that’s coming soon, and there is something incredibly exciting about hearing songs before they’re officially released.
It got me thinking:
Who else am I excited to hear new music from?
So here are a few artists already in the Scroll Stopper Club who I’m keeping a very close eye on.
Ashy Finn
Ashy Finn first came onto my radar with her song “Joyless,” and she was officially inducted into the Scroll Stopper Club. Since then, she’s been teasing new music, and some of what I’ve heard sounds simply incredible.
Great bass lines. Jazzy vibes. Just the kind of stuff I can’t get enough of.
I’ve been paying attention to her sneak peeks, and every time she posts something new, I’m thinking, Yep. I need to hear this.
She’s also moving to my area, so I’m really hoping I get a chance to see her live in the Philadelphia area.
Ashy also introduced me to Eleanor on Earth, who plays in the Ashy Finn band but has her own fantastic music as well.
Pay attention to Ashy Finn.
I predict great things.
Castle Rat
Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve been following Castle Rat since the beginning. You can read about that here.
Castle Rat keeps getting bigger, but I think their third album could be their biggest yet.
Why?
Because I’ve already seen some incredible growth between the first and second albums, particularly in the guitar work.
The first record established the world. The second pushed it further.
So I’m expecting them to push themselves even harder on album number three.
And honestly, that’s what makes me excited.
I don’t want another Castle Rat record that simply sounds like the last one.
I want them to get weirder. Bigger. Heavier. More ambitious.
That’s what I think we’re going to get.
Kilynn Lunsford
I’ll be seeing Kilynn Lunsford opening for Bikini Kill this month, and I have a feeling that show is going to be one of the highlights of September—a month where I’ll also be seeing Angine de Poitrine.
Kilynn is probably the most creatively unpredictable artist on this list.
She’s fearless.
She’s willing to take chances.
And that’s exactly what makes me excited about whatever she does next.
Some artists give you a pretty good idea of what you’re going to get from them.
Kilynn makes me wonder what the hell she’s going to do next.
I like that.
A lot.
Angine de Poitrine
This band has gotten so much bigger since I first discovered them that it almost sickens me.
I kid.
But there is something weird that happens when you discover an artist who feels completely unique. You get attached to that feeling of having found something before everyone else.
Then other people catch on.
And part of you wants to yell:
“I WAS HERE FIRST!”
It’s like when liking Star Wars was nerdy enough that you almost kept it a secret.
Now it’s trendy.
And, honestly, I hate a lot of what comes out under the Star Wars name these days.
So let’s hope the next Angine de Poitrine release isn’t Jar Jar Binks bad.
Because these guys are way too good for that.
So What’s the Point?
There’s a reason all of these artists are in the Scroll Stopper Club.
I think they’re doing something interesting now, but more importantly, I think they’re artists who are capable of surprising us with what comes next.
That’s what makes following an artist exciting.
It’s not just:
“I like this song.”
It’s:
“Holy shit. What are they going to do next?”
That’s how I felt sitting in the third row watching Mei Semones play songs I hadn’t heard before.
And that’s how I feel about all of these artists.
So if you haven’t already, go listen to them.
Follow them.
Buy something from them if you can.
Go see them live.
And maybe you’ll get lucky enough to hear the next great song before everyone else does.
That’s kind of the whole point of the Scroll Stopper Club.
Keep scrolling. Keep discovering. And when something stops you, pay attention.