I did not write about a ton of music this year due to the stressors that affected all of us. Despite my burnout and a lack of drive, there was a ton of fantastic local releases put out during a year where hanging out at a gig involved the chatbox of a live stream. It was still amazing to be able to interview, write about, or just enjoy the music put out by bands here in Minnesota.  Granddad - What Happens After  (Brace Cove Records) What Happens After follows up  the Minneapolis-by-way-of-Alaska emo act's turbulent 2018 record. The EP chronicles the existential dread of moving into your late 20s and figuring out what to do with yourself. Vocalist Kellen Baker spends much of the release reckoning with what it's going to take to grow as a person. I've always loved Granddad's ability to turn otherwise bleak feelings into moments of combined catharsis. We don't have it figured out, but we are in this together. The band is joined by a host of their friends to bring thi...

To put it simply, Ca$ual absolutely rips. Fed on a steady diet of riffs, the Minneapolis trio has been steadily releasing their brand of thrash-infused hardcore since 2015 EP Shade and continuing with 2017 debut album  Come Around . The band returned in December with their first song in two years, the grimy non-album single "Muck". Rare Form finds Ca$ual absolutely chomping at the bit from beat one. "Flyin' Blind," the EP's frantic opening salvo, has the band looking to take charge. The track's opening words "I built a monster / Just to let it die" burns with the desire to create something you can destroy, and as the EP progresses, Ca$ual's focus on moving forward becomes tireless. The song "Coffin" deals with the fears of losing everything you've built, "Gratitude" is all about the band grinding, and "The Harm" has the band putting on a tough-guy persona with the lyrics "Shit has to get ugly b...