Teenage Wrist are a difficult band to define. Over the past eight years the act have continually evolved their sound, a process that’s peaking with their third full-length Still Love. Reaching new heights in both scope and execution, the album sees the duo—Marshall Gallagher (vocalist, guitarist, bassist) and Anthony Salazar (drums, vocalist, percussion)—producing the album themselves to handcraft their most expansive collection of songs to date from the ground up. The result is a self-realized collection of songs that saw the band borrowing vintage gear, bringing in friends in the form of members from 311 and Softcult and incorporating tasteful pop sensibilities to craft a collection of songs that redefines the band’s sound while staying true to their guitar-driven roots. “With this album we were just trying to get ourselves out of the safety zone and into the danger zone,” Gallagher explains. “We took a lot of risks and it was a really fun record to make.”
Dolo Tonight is defining his own brand of “awkward anti-pop” with a coming-of-age concept album and a mission to bring fun back into music. The LA-by-way-of-New-Jersey artist, born Jonah Rinder, channels his offbeat energy into everything he does, whether he’s breaking the Guinness World Record for filming a music video at the highest-ever altitude or sneaking onto a high school campus to film a cast of elderly folks for a skit or sneaking onto a high school campus to film a cast of elderly folks for a music video. With millions of views on TikTok and a fanbase that appreciates the unconventional, Dolo crafts vibrant, genre-bending tracks inspired by indie pop greats like Phoenix and Passion Pit, all delivered with a colorful, tongue-in-cheek twist. Dolo knows exactly who he’s making music for: the weirdos, the outcasts, and anyone who’s ever felt like an awkward outsider. His infectious choruses and playful lyrics (about everything from crocheting animal sweaters to drunken cake runs at Wawa) reflect his belief that music should be as fun and authentic as possible. “I’m just a weird, fun dude. I love writing weird lyrics,” he says. “I just like saying weird sh*t.” That authenticity shines on his debut album DVD Rental Store, released via Epitaph Records. It’s a nostalgia-inducing, coming-of-age journey packed with bold anthems and buoyant chords. The project, produced with JUNO Award-winner Ryan Spraker, marks a sonic evolution for Dolo, who learned to let go of genre and perfectionism in the studio and embrace his full creative spirit. Inspired by the lost era of video stores, DVD Rental Store plays like a series of vignettes; With stories of underdogs (“Varsity Lip”), heartbreak (“Hate You Now”), friendship (“Two Pens”), and breaking free from expectations (“Live Your Life”). Dolo’s friends helped to shape the album’s visuals and voice skits, adding another layer of authenticity. At its core, Dolo’s music is an invitation: “You’re allowed to have fun. Let yourself have fun!”