Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Geekly Tunes post for May 2025. This is the post where our writers share what music we’ve listened to over the past month. You’re part of the Geekly Gang, too, so feel free to share what music you’ve been listening to over the last month.
Kyra’s Tunes
I’ve been listening to a lot of punk. The Damned has been in my rotation. The Sex Pistols have historically taken the Damned’s shine, and that’s a shame. I like the Pistols, but The Damned came first; they were the first UK punk band to release an album, 1977’s Damned, Damned, Damned. I think they liked saying the word “damned.” The band’s first single, “New Rose,” was a power-pop-punk track. Even though the Buzzcocks would solidify the pop-punk genre a few years later (more on them in a minute), the Damned kicked off the UK’s punk revolution.
“New Rose” and “Neat Neat Neat” are fantastic tracks. Rest in peace, Brian James, who passed away a couple of months ago. James is the original The Damned guitarist and principal song writer for the band’s first two albums. Captain Sensible took over song writing duties with The Damned’s third album, Machine Gun Etiquette. I love both parts of “Smash It Up.” Part 1 is a wistful instrumental that proves the band knew how to play their instruments, while Part 2 captures punk’s essence. “Smash It Up” stalled at number 35 on the UK charts because record executives feared the song promoted anarchy.
But I may like The Damned’s cover of The Beatles’ “Help” best. I may actually prefer the cover to the original. “Help’s” lyrics lend themselves to a pop-punk song, and The Damned plays “Help” at double the speed. Oh yeah!
The Buzzcocks combine simple but catchy guitar riffs with lyrics to match. They’re one of those bands where you can listen to a song and sing along during your first listen. “What Do I Get?,” “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays,” and “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t Have Fallen In Love With)?” may be their most well-known numbers, but feel free to listen deeper into the Buzzcocks’ catalogue. You’ll hear their influence on pop-punk bands like Green Day, Sum 41, Blink-182, and Emo bands like My Chemical Romance. The Buzzcocks may not get political like other punk bands on my list. But sometimes, you just want a love song and joy.
Bad Religion began as a hardcore punk band in 1980. It still is one today–Bad Religion released Age of Unreason in 2019 and is in the studio for a follow-up album–but something changed with the band’s 1988 album Suffer. Bad Religion added melodic guitar riffs to hardcore punk and pioneered the melodic hardcore subgenre. Lyrics turned introspective and often political. If you want to hear the difference between Bad Religion’s original hardcore sound and after they incorporated melodic guitar riffs, try listening to “We’re Only Gonna Die” (from 1982’s How Could Hell Be Any Worse?) and the title track from 1988’s Suffer.
But I’ll admit my favorite Bad Religion tune, 2001’s “Sorrow,” was released after the band achieved commercial success. Bad Religion wrote about the world’s suffering through the lens of the Biblical figure Job. “Sorrow” was first released shortly after September 11, 2001. Guitarist and songwriter Gurewitz said that it was difficult to account for suffering in the world from a theological perspective (given the state of the world at the time), but “Sorrow” may have been the right song at the right time.
Finally, I’ll give the Dead Kennedys a quick shoutout. Their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, is a hardcore punk classic. With tracks like “Kill the Poor,” “California Uber Allies,” and “Holiday in Cambodia,” Dead Kennedys wore their political views on their sleeves. They didn’t care what anyone thought about them, and what’s more punk than that? Also, “Holiday in Cambodia” has one of the top five sickest punk bass lines. It gets stuck in my head.
That’s all I have for this month. Let’s check in with Season and Skye.
Skye’s Tunes
The Killers’ Hot Fuss is a classic from my childhood. Much like Costello Music, Hot Fuss is what got me into The Killers and created several jammin’ good memories. I remember several car trips in the mid-2000s listening to songs like “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.” Naturally, this was another must-have for my vinyl collection. Good times. If you aren’t familiar with it, The Killers’ Hot Fuss is an album I strongly recommend.
The Fleetwoods is a band I had never heard of until 3 years ago. Their Greatest Hits! album was recommended to me by my parents, and I’ve loved it ever since. My favorite thing about their sound is the calming/chill vibes each one carries with it. Whenever I need to take a breather, The Fleetwoods always help me find my center. Even now, “Graduation Song” is stuck in my head and I’m getting flashbacks to my High School days. In a good way, I promise.
Yep, even in a post about music, I still managed to circle around to movies. You’re welcome. My favorite thing about the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack is its haunting yet majestic tone. Elfman himself has even claimed Edward Scissorhands was his favorite score he’d made. I’m inclined to agree with him, considering the complex emotions I get when I listen to it. I often want to cry, but I also feel peaceful, creeped out, and hopeful. It’s an interesting blend that matches the Edward Scissorhands film perfectly.
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Chronicle has been my go-to album for this month. I always have 1 album I listen to on repeat, and this month it was CCR. As someone with varying tastes, I often go in and out of phases with different genres. The same applies to literature, movies, and video games. Simply put, my vibe for the past month has been Creedence Clearwater Revival. Chronicle includes some classic hits like “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner,” and many others. Even now, “Lodi” just crept its way back into my head. No regrets!
Season’s Tunes
Kyra mentioned that The Buzzcocks influenced bands like Sum 41. Funnily enough, Sum 41’s album Underclass Hero is one I’ve listened to a lot lately. It’s easy to listen to, especially when I’m playing games or working. There aren’t many albums I enjoy listening to all the way through without skipping a song or two. I prefer some Underclass Hero songs over others, such as “Walking Disaster” over “The Jester.” I still don’t skip them.
I’ve always been a fan of video game soundtracks and have a myriad of them saved on my Spotify account. Katamari Damacy’s soundtrack is up there with one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys wacky music with catchy tempos. Two of my favorite songs on this album are “The Na Na Song” and “Moon and Prince.” I’ve only listened to the soundtrack from the original Katamari Damacy, so I’m not familiar with the soundtracks from the sequels.
My final entry for this week is special to me. It’s not this album, but the song “Chakkiri Bushi” 「ちゃっきり節」is a song that’s sung in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture during tea picking season. Shizuoka produces around forty percent of Japan’s tea, and singing while working makes the job go by quicker. I’m not sure if people still sing this song today while they pick tea, but many of the older locals of Shizuoka know it. My favorite version is sung by Ichimaru-san, who originally recorded the song in 1931.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. That’s all we have for Geekly Tunes this month. Let us know what music you’ve been listening to. You’re part of the Geekly Gang, too. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
jkgeekly.com 