ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Games We Play

Here at ANCHR, we love an “in the wild” artist of the week discovery, and that’s exactly what happened with this week’s featured artist!

I was blessed enough to catch Fall Out Boy at their special show at Metro back in January, and even luckier to discover Games We Play during the opening set. Obviously this show was nostalgic for me because I had FOB CDs (yes, actual CDs) playing in my Walkman CD player between classes in high school, but I wasn’t expecting the support act to also elicit that sense of nostalgia. However, that’s exactly what Games We Play, the moniker for pop-punk artist Emmyn Calleiro, did.

If you’re a Millennial like me, think back to the deep cuts of your pop-punk playlists, or mixtapes in some cases. I’m thinking along the lines of Mayday Parade, The Audition, and Cute Is What We Aim For. Games We Play’s sound has nods to those quintessential artists of our youth while also punching in a refreshing pep in our step, like the sparkling gleam of a new era. Calleiro’s goofy stage presence during the band’s live show perfectly complemented the witty and quippy lyrics of songs like “I Hope You’re Happy,” “Deadbeat,” and “Hey Ben.” Take the chorus of the latter of those examples, where Calleiro sings “Hey Ben, I’m sorry, but I might have slept with your girlfriend/I was under the impression she was my girlfriend/Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”

In my short time of becoming a fan of Games We Play, it comes as no surprise why Pete Wentz has signed him to DCD2 Records, alongside Fueled By Ramen Records. If that’s not enough to convince you, tune into the “Get A Job” EP, and see where you can catch Games We Play on tour to get the full experience!

ANCHR Artist of the Week: Seasaw

This week’s artist of the week goes to none-other than our pals: Seasaw. If you’re a long-time ANCHR reader, hopefully you’re already familiar with the dazzling duo of Meg Golz and Eve Wilczewski from Madison, Wisconsin—but if not, allow us to introduce you!

Golz and Wilczewski have been making music together as Seasaw for more than a decade now, releasing four albums and several singles. My favorite thing about Seasaw is the passion and intention they have behind every single piece of music they put out and every single performance they give. While it’s only the two of them onstage when they play their shows, Seasaw packs more of an artistic production element than most full bands do— from their coordinated outfits to their personalized gear and their mesmerizing harmonies, there’s so much to appreciate about a Seasaw show.

This past Valentine’s Day, the pair gave us some new music to appreciate (their first release since 2018’s Big Dogs), in the form of their single called “Pinky Promise.” The highly-anticipated track opens with some moody synths that are reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’s scores for David Lynch films before introducing a hypnotic percussive melody. The band describes the song as “a ballad about remembering to be kind to your mind and body. Written as a love letter to oneself, this track features lush synth soundscapes paired with gently sarcastic lyrics that ‘pinky promise’ everything is going to be alright.” “Pinky Promise” was recorded at home during pandemic isolation times, and it was mixed by Wisconsin native Beau Sorenson who has worked on albums by Death Cab For Cutie, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Superchunk, and more.

Keep an eye on Seasaw’s Instagram for all upcoming announcements, and tune into “Pinky Promise” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Connie Constance

Photo by SOPHIE JONES

Here at ANCHR, we’re open to any and all roads that lead to new music discovery. This week’s Artist of the Week comes by way of a Peloton class, where she kind of fell into my lap— I was doing a chair pose in a yoga class when the instructor played the track “English Rose” by Connie Constance.

Connie Constance is a British singer-songwriter, and just as her Spotify Bio says, she doesn’t remain cornered into any one genre. For example, the track “British Rose” opens with a warm piano melody and plays out like a ballad. On the contrary, her most-streamed single “Monty Python” features a grooving and steady bass line over a punchy drumbeat that makes you want to dance around your room. My personal favorite “Electric Girl” has that same swelling, upbeat mood that makes me instantly bob my head and tap my foot along to the distorted guitar riffs.

Connie Constance’s artistic streak initially began by studying ballet and musical theater before she eventually started crafting her own tunes. She released her first singles back in 2015 and has released a steady drip on singles ahead of her 2019 debut album entitled English Rose. Most recently, Constance released an EP entitled “Prim & Propa” in 2021, which contains my favorite track “Electric Girl” alongside a handful of others. Constance released this new EP on her own record label called Jump the Fence.

Connie Constance will be supporting the Nova Twins during their upcoming tour. Follow along on Instagram for other touring and music announcements from her.

ANCHR’s Artist of the Week: Snapped Ankles

This week’s ANCHR AOTW is going to be a short one because the band I am highlighting is somewhat mysterious. They only go by surnames, they call themselves forest people, and they perform in Ghillie suits which cover them head to toe.

Photo Credit: Tom Morley

The band I’m talking about is Snapped Ankles. They came together in 2011 when a group of friends with the same artistic head space started performing at warehouse parties in London. They have three albums under their belt with their most recent one, Forest of Your Problems, coming out just this past July. Their most played track on Spotify is “I Want My Minutes Back” and it's definitely, to me, a song that makes me bob my head. From listening to a number of their songs, I can't help but hear some Animal Collective, some Thee Oh Sees, and maybe even a hint of Jay Reatard.

I first heard of Snapped Ankles while at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival in Reykjavik. They performed a late night set at Gaukurinn, but since I had never heard of them before, they weren't even on my radar of acts to see. That night I, and the group of friends I was there with, ended up in a basement watching Icelandic heavy metal band Une Misere. It was one of the more violent mosh pits I had ever been in and someone kept pinching the back of my arm throughout the performance. The Une Misere sweat fest was totally fine, but when looking at Iceland Airwaves Instagram stories once I got back to the Airbnb, I realized we may have made a mistake. The crowd at the Snapped Ankles show looked lit. Everyone was jumping and dancing and have a grand ol’ time. I wasn't sure what I was looking at as the band on stage looked like a bunch of bush people playing instruments.

The next day, a number of people were talking about how awesome the Snapped Ankles show was and that I missed out on one of the best sets of the weekend. I'm hoping to remedy that mistake when they open their U.S. tour here in Chicago at Empty Bottle in March, 2022. If anyone reading this is curious to see what a Snapped Ankles live show actually looks like, I hope you'll join me at the Bottle.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Mysterines

The Mysterines are Lia Metcalfe, George Favanger, Paul Crilly, and Callum Thompson

I hope you guys are ready for some hot new rock out of Liverpool, because The Mysterines are going to be the next band you're blasting in your car, headphones, and/or speakers. The Mysterines are the creative love child of Lia Metcalfe and George Favanger. Metcalfe is the guitarist/singer-songwriter and Favanger rips the bass. The band is rounded out by Paul Crilly on drums and Callum Thompson on guitar. Although they have yet to release their first album, they have garnered much attention in the UK with the singles and EPs they have put out. Even more, touring with The Amazons, Royal Blood, and Miles Kane has captured the attention of their respective fans as well. If any ANCHR readers are Paul Weller fans, you'll hear Metcalfe on "True" from Weller's latest album Fat Pop.

I can't wait until they come to The States. Thompson's guitar work combined with Metcalfe's thunderous vocals can't help but set my expectations that their live show will be raucous. From what I have read about them, Metcalfe states that her influences vary from Bob Dylan all the way to Billie Eilish, but when I listen to songs like "In My Head" or "Who's Ur Girl", I get a Queens of the Stone Age vibe from them. Listening to the tracks The Mysterines have out there give me the same energy and aggressiveness as QOTSA and thus takes my mind straight to songs like "Go With The Flow" and "If I Had a Tail.” On the flip side, songs like "Take Control" and "Love's Not Enough" seem more melodic and like a classic, fun, fist-pumping, rock and roll show similar to what you would get with bands like Angels & Airwaves or old Arctic Monkeys. Regardless of whether you agree with my comparisons or not, you should give them a listen because I have a feeling we're going to be hearing more about them in the near future.

Make sure to keep up with the band on Twitter and Instagram, and tune into the video for “In My Head” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Say Sue Me

When most think of South Korean music, they think of K-pop. Say Sue Me is here to change that.

Started as a surf rock band in 2014, they just wrapped up their first ever North American tour and have already made waves in their country. The band was reportedly the second most nominated act at the 2019 Korean Music Awards, taking home two awards. 

Most of their tightly-knit songs revolve around love, an obvious theme in music, but they pull it off in a fresh way. Check out standout track "But I Like You" and new single "Good People" below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Alexandra Savior

Sure, it's not too hard to see comparisons to Lana Del Ray, but Los Angeles-based artist Alexandra Savior is so much more than that.

Gearing up for the release of her second album "The Archer," which is supposed to drop sometime in the new year, Savior has already released four singles.

Sometimes you have to shoot your shot and that's exactly what Savior did. The Portland native sent demos to Arctic Monkeys' lead singer Alex Turner and he was impressed enough to start working with Savior on her debut album "Belladonna of Sadness."

It's a great LP that appears to be influenced by the 'Monkeys' most underrated album "Humbug." At just 24, Savior is just knocking on the door of her potential and that's evident with the string of singles released this year. The standout is "Howl," which was released within the last month.

Dive in below along with first single "Crying All The Time." The infectious songs are forecasting that "The Archer" will end up on many "best of" lists to start the decade.

Thumbnail photo by Dana Trippe