Weekly Gems 2/18

Hey! I’m Bronson (@bronsonjung). I’m making a guest appearance here in the Weekly Gems series to introduce some of my favorite tracks (and records) that I’ve had on repeat. I hope that you come out of this hearing something you enjoy; let’s get started.

“Rllynice” by The Hellp

If you know, you know. I’m a 26, CD Hedi Era admirer, so it’s no wonder that I’m an avid listener of the punk guys from The Hellp simply by image alone. With that being said, their music is fantastic. In stark contrast from the last track, this song brings it. When I see or hear someone say the phrase, “The voices in my head- they’re too loud”, this is what I imagine is playing in their head.

“Puzzle Box” by Rezz & Subtronics

It’d be a disservice if I didn’t include any electronic music as it’s one of the earliest genres I remember thoroughly enjoying. If you need to head-bang or start a mental riot with yourself, both Rezz and Subtronics discography will easily do that for you, however, this track is one of my favorites as the drop and main melody have been cemented in my amygdala.

“ENCOUNTERS” by Nobu Woods

The perfect song for that when you’re missing a certain someone you probably shouldn’t be. Don’t shoot the messenger when you find yourself listening to this during the late night. An immaculate track off a great record “MIDNIGHT MOTIONS”- it’s worth a full listen if you’re a fan of the slower, yet still hard-hitting modern R&B.

“Micro-Aggressions” by Animals as Leaders

Delving into instrumental prog-rock and semi-experimental metal, it is absolute necessity to include Tosin Abasi, a figurehead of modern guitarists (in the conversation of one of the greatest to ever do it) with fellow bandmate Matthew Garstka, a monster on the drums, these two (alongside Javier Reyes) create some of the most interesting sounding instrumentals, with masterful technique and crisp, new ways of playing each of their instruments respectively. If you have any inkling of respect for the art of playing an instrument, AaL is a must listen, with “Micro-Aggressions” being a great introduction.

“Lee” by Smino

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been listening to Smino for as long as they’ve been making great music (their entire career), but this track off their latest record is unbelievably smooth. From a great instrumental to fun a fun chorus- it’s an entertaining hip-hop/rap track that won’t get stale after a few playbacks.

“Heal” by Yeule

Off of their self-titled EP, this dreamy track will take you to a bustling meadow during the spring time. Or maybe to space. Either way, Yeule offers a unique sound of glitchy shoe gaze that they have been harboring and refining over the years, with this being one their earliest takes on that particular style.

“banger of the year” by nate sib

Known for having a slew of appearances and well-produced tracks with emerging artist, 2hollis, this track showcases Sibs’ signature sound- a Bieber-like voice and cadence with the infamous, yet smashing instrumental of newly popular sub-genre on the internet of rap and hyper-pop fusion. If you’re a fan of the underground scene, Sib is coming up in one of the many adjacent lanes. Although this song came out last year, it’s still one of my bangers of 2025 already.

“不介意 (Don’t Mind)” by The Crane

Finally, I had to end off with a non-English based track. The Taiwanese based artist makes pop sound so fluid with great production and soothing vocals. You don’t have to understand what they're saying to get the memo. The music video to this song has an peculiar story behind it-which I recommend looking into if you’ve made it this far.