You never forget your first. You know, that first time hearing an opening riff to a song that’s going to rule your speakers for the foreseeable future. Or when a chorus hits and it only needs to be heard once before you can scream along to it like you’ve known it your entire life. It’s what music is all about—now Radio Uprising is here to make that experience a regular occurrence. Showcasing the greatest bands and artists that tomorrow has to offer, you might hear their tunes on idobi today, and then maybe someday in an arena.
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Gone Stereo
Best cover: “Somewhere on Fullerton”
As much as Gone Stereo innovates with their pristine pop-punk licks, the band knows how to call back to their roots. One of their first releases, an EP of covers from earlier this year, gives listeners a glimpse into what influences them the most and you can’t get much better than Allister and The Offspring. The band pulls off “Somewhere on Fullerton” and “Want You Bad” by the punk legends, respectively, and they’re so good that they’d impress the OG artists. But it’s their own tunes that make them shine over the rest: “Don’t Think I Forgot About You” has all the makings of a future pop-punk classic.
FFO: idobi Radio
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Near Dark
Crunchiest riffs: “Blinders”
Call it a supergroup or a side-project, Near Dark is here to kill it either way. Featuring members of Set Your Goals and hardcore-punk outfit Maniac, the band takes after groups of a similar note. There’s Lifetime and Kid Dynamite sprinkled all throughout their newest EP, Make Our Way Back, and it’s just the right amount of songs to make you look forward to what comes next. The standout here is the instantly-recognizable vocals from Set Your Goals frontman Matt Wilson. He doesn’t miss a beat, and his polished voice works perfectly in a punkier soundscape.
FFO: idobi Radio
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Flawes
Alt-radio smash: “Is It Any Wonder”
2023 is going to be big for Flawes. The indie-pop-rock trio has been bubbling underneath the surface for years now thanks to a history of solid tunes: “Blank Dice” was written with FINNEAS before FINNEAS was, well, FINNEAS, and producer Lostboy (Why Don’t We, Ellie Goulding) helped the band capture that big pop aura. But now it’s all about the present. “Is It Any Wonder” kicks off the band’s new era and is the first taste from their upcoming album out next year. They have a history, sure, but they’re really only just getting started.
FFO: Anthm
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Mourning
Most ferocious: “Disenlightenment”
There’s no better way to conceptualize how you’re feeling about the world than with a hardcore song. That pent-up aggression pours out for metal/hardcore act Mourning, who hold nothing back with the songs released thus far from their forthcoming record Disenlightenment. An album about the current state of society, songs like “Unhonored Prophecy” tear through speakers with authority and a purpose. It’s relentless heaviness at its finest.
FFO: Howl
