The Mostly Music 2024 Playlist, Pt. 2 (Updated 4/21/24)

This will be the last update for part 2 of the playlist. The late April/early May releases will kick off part 3. 

Be sure to check out part 1 and the entirety of part 2!

Here are the songs that have been added since 4/7/24.

Shadows Calling Showcase Their Versatility on New EP, ‘These Scars’

Shadows Calling is a female-fronted alternative rock band hailing from Cork, Ireland. They released their debut EP, Spirit Shifter, in early 2023. Now, the five-piece outfit is back with These Scars, a four track EP that dropped March 22, 2024.

Shadows Calling boasts a group of musicians who delve into the many aspects of the rock and metal genres, paired with singer Jen Vaughan’s powerful vocals. The band utilizes a vast array of sounds and melodies on These Scars, which clocks in at 17 minutes and balances the fast-paced and upbeat with the slow, dark, and moody.

The EP kicks off with “Dead Long Enough,” a heavy opener with tasty guitar parts that will make listeners want to bang their heads and sing along. The song is a 2:47 driving piece that would be at home on any modern rock playlist. Shadows Calling switches gears with the title track, “These Scars,” which has a deliciously gritty groove that brings to mind such classic metal acts as Metallica and Black Sabbath. Jen toys with the rougher edge of her voice throughout, showcasing a range that is expertly manipulated to match the tone set by the music.

“The Lost” is another nod to the vintage, melodic with a hint of funk, and Jen’s vocals positively soar. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but this is my favorite of the four songs. The EP closes with “Ships,” and here again the band ventures into different territory. This epic track takes the listener on a journey. The music itself runs through a hard rock start, a nasty heavy metal breakdown at its heart. Listeners are then granted by a brief interlude of nothing but bass and the ethereal facet of Jen’s singing before the song ends on a guitar fade out.

Shadows Calling has packed a punch with These Scars, making a statement that they will not be ignored with four catchy, captivating tracks that will grab you and not let go. For any fan of hard rock, metal, and/or grunge, this EP is a must-hear!

Be sure to follow Shadows Calling on their socials so that you don’t miss any updates or new music! The band has had quite a year, and I believe they have a promising future ahead.

5 Things That Make Me Happy

What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?

I saw this prompt from WordPress and decided, why not? Then, I gave the question and its answer some serious consideration. A couple of my responses are no-brainers. The others…well, they are small things that I suppose I take for granted, but nevertheless, they make me super happy!

1. Family

All-encompassing, huh? Okay. Let me get specific. One of my absolute favorite things in the world is ending my day with my mom, watching either true crime or cooking shows. And I love listening to my dad tell stories about him and his brothers when they were younger. And I love hanging out with my brother and sister-in-law, playing video games or watching documentaries.

2. Music

Music ties in directly with family because my parents are responsible for my love and vast knowledge of music. I can’t live without it.

3. Books

Reading brings me so much joy. I’ll usually choose to read a book rather than watching TV. Curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee (or tea) is my idea of Heaven.

4. My cats

I mean, come on. Duh, right?

5. My coworkers

So I don’t always love my job, but I do have a pretty amazing team around me, which sometimes extends beyond the walls of our workplace. My favorite coworker story? The first time my mom had a seizure, we called an ambulance and rushed to the ER. Well, I had been sending snaps to my work bestie, Rocky. He was at the gym, and when I told him what was going on, he asked if I wanted him to come to the hospital. Before I even had the chance to answer (to be fair, I wasn’t staying on top of Snapchat at that point), the outer doors opened and I looked up to find Rocky walking into the waiting room, still in his gym clothes. It was only about 15 minutes later they let us back to see my mom, but the fact that Rocky sat with me and my dad for those 15 minutes told me that we were really friends, and not just on the clock.

And those are my 5. I’m a simple girl. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. I have to say, though, that this list probably would have been fairly different a few years ago.

Mom ❤️
The brotato
Dad 💙
Marceline
Vlad
Rocky
One of my work moms 🩷 (She loved that shirt so I ordered her one.)

25 Years in the Making…

Hello, all, and welcome to my new subscribers! One thing you will quickly come to realize is that I always say I’m going to do regular life updates here, then I never do. I guess I just don’t think I’m that interesting, so I never do personal posts unless something exciting is going on.

Which means…

Something exciting is going on!!!!

2024 is shaping up to be a year of awesome tours, whatever your preference may be. For me, this is looking to be the year of nostalgia.

First, I posted on Facebook, semi-joking about driving up to Nashville for Creed and my friend from Georgia was like “Or I can take you to the show in Atlanta.” So, I’ll be seeing 3 Doors Down, Mammoth WVH, and Creed in December.

Then, last week, I reminded my dad about a promise he made in 2016. He said if Marilyn Manson came close and I bought the tickets, he’d get me to the show. Well, that year Manson actually played in Birmingham, but I chose not to go (long story). Now, however, Manson will be in Nashville four days after my birthday – and, much to my delight, Dad’s promise still stands!

Y’all have to understand why seeing Marilyn Manson is such a big deal for me. I have been a fan for 25 years and I have never managed to attend one of his concerts. I was too young when my brother introduced me to his music, and soon after, Manson was banned from Birmingham. (It wasn’t a statewide ban, but seriously, where else in Alabama would he play?) As stated, he was able to book shows in Birmingham in 2016 and 2017, but circumstances were against me and I had to skip them.

Finally. Finally, I will be seeing Marilyn Manson. And I. Can’t. Fucking. Wait.

My dad regrets that promise. Lol. He’s not a Manson fan. He doesn’t hate him or anything, he just thinks he’s boring. My mom would probably enjoy the show, but unfortunately, she started having seizures in December 2022. She hasn’t been officially diagnosed with anything yet, and she has been to a concert without incident since then, so it would probably be okay. However, when she asked her neurologist, she was advised against live shows. And honestly, I would never want to put her through that. Neither of us was thinking when we went to see Shinedown. Or, more accurately, I was under the impression she hadn’t had a seizure since January and the concert was in April. She was put on a fairly high dosage of an anticonvulsant at the end of last year and seems to have things under control, but again, I will do everything in my power not to put her in a situation that triggers a seizure. I’ve held her hand through a few, and it’s scary.

Anyway. That’s my big news. As for the rest of my life… I work and come home. Haha! Y’all know how it is.

I hope this post finds all of you well, and I hope positive things are happening for you in 2024!!!!!

P.S. – Manson looks good again! Well. He looks good for him.

The Mostly Music 2024 Playlist, Pt. 2 (Updated 4/7/24)

View the full playlist here. And be sure to visit part I of The Mostly Music 2024 Playlist, as well.

Here are the songs that have been added since 3/24/24.