Agnostic Front have released the new song “Way of War.”
Read More “Agnostic Front – “Way of War””Agnostic Front – “Way of War”
The Sonder Bombs – “Everything”
The Sonder Bombs have shared the new song “Everything.”
Travie McCoy Breaks Down Gym Class Heroes Record
Travie McCoy breaks down the tracks on Paper Cut Chronicles for Alt. Press:
My version of GZA’s “Labels.” He flipped label names into a whole verse — I wanted to do the same but with band names. Real talk: I was literally on the toilet with a stack of AP magazines, reading through all these long-ass band names: You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Every Time I Die, etc. Wrote the whole thing sitting there. No shame.
Elway – “Down The Lane And Far Away” (Song Premiere)
Today is a great day to share the electric new single from Elway called “Down The Lane And Far Away,” that comes from their hotly anticipated new LP, Nobody’s Going To Heaven, out on October 10th via Red Scare. Tim Browne (vocals/guitar) shared on the new single:
It feels like every day we lose more of our connection with the natural world and with each other. The simulacra of real human interactions that define our days are approaching an event horizon after which we will be lost entirely to each other and to the immovable truth at the center of our existence, which is that all the universe is meant to be shared and enjoyed, not stashed away behind layers of digital obfuscation. Touch grass before we’re too far gone, kids.
If you’re enjoying this new single, please consider pre-ordering the new record here.
Read More “Elway – “Down The Lane And Far Away” (Song Premiere)”Cartel to Livestream Hometown Show
My Life In 35 Songs, Track 27: “Speed Trap Town” by Jason Isbell
“Everybody knows you in a speed trap town.”
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a songwriter.
I have this vivid memory of when I was 6 or 7 years old, getting ready for bedtime and humming melodies to myself, making up my own songs. A little later, it was me and my brother and sister in the basement, trying to be a “band,” even though all we had was an extremely loud drum set, a dinky 41-key keyboard with no amplification, and a homemade guitar built out of 2x4s and fishing line. And then, eventually, it was me in eighth grade, scrawling “lyrics” in my journal.
Despite many attempts, though, songwriting remained, for years, the most elusive skill I ever tried my hand at. It was harder than singing, harder than running, harder than what I was learning in my math or English classes at school. Maybe the problem was that I had nothing to say. Or maybe I was just so immersed in music that every attempt I made to write something of my own just came out sounding like a pale imitation of one of my influences. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t until the mid-2010s that I wrote a song I was legitimately proud of, and I don’t know if that ever would have happened had it not been for Jason Isbell.
Isbell had already had a whirlwind career by the time I caught up with him. He’d gotten his start in 2001, joining the southern rock band Drive-By Truckers for a tour in support of their appropriately titled LP Southern Rock Opera, and then sticking around as a guitar player and occasional songwriter and singer for the next three albums. But I’d never heard a Drive-By Truckers song before, so I had no reason to have heard of Isbell through that channel. He’d also flown under my radar for his first three solo LPs, recorded between 2007 and 2011, which I don’t recall ever hearing or reading a single word about when they were actually current concerns in the music world.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 27: “Speed Trap Town” by Jason Isbell”AI “Artist” Signs Million-Dollar Record Deal
Monet is actually an AI-powered creation of a Mississippi woman named Telisha Jones, who writes her own lyrics but uses the AI platform Suno to make them into music.
The deal inked by Jones — a multimillion-dollar agreement signed by ex-Interscope exec Neil Jacobson’s indie music company Hallwood Media — marks the latest advance of AI into every corner of American life. But the buzz surrounding the deal, which some of the major labels ultimately backed away from, highlights the legal limbo that music companies and creators face as they adopt the new tech.
Review: Your Smith – The Rub
It’s a bit hard to believe that The Rub is the debut full-length record from Your Smith, since she’s been making music for several years. Alas, the long-awaited full artistic statement from the talented songwriter has arrived. After a series of events (the COVID-19 pandemic, starting a family) that led Caroline to step away from the music scene after her excellent last release, 2019’s Wild Wild Woman EP, The Rub finds Your Smith at her most focused, with a knack for crisp and picturesque songwriting. The Rub was recorded with a band at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, MN, and the record is largely centered around the theme of coming home and re-connecting with the people that make our lives the most worthwhile. The Rub tends to “rub” off on listeners in a great way, and it’s an album that deserves its moment in time.
Read More “Your Smith – The Rub”Interview: Louis Posen of Hopeless Records
Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with the owner of Hopeless Records, Louis Posen, to discuss his recent partnership with Fat Wreck Chords. In this interview, I asked Louis about how he will be honoring the legacy of Fat Wreck Chords in upcoming vinyl reissues, his favorite Hopeless Records’ bands and albums, and how he navigated a career path in the music industry. You can check out the Hopeless Records catalog here.
Read More “Louis Posen of Hopeless Records”Bowling for Soup Share New Live Video
Bowling for Soup have shared the live video for “Ridiculous (Live and Hungover).”
Read More “Bowling for Soup Share New Live Video”The Return of The Starting Line
Kenny from The Starting Line talked with The Aquarian about their new album:
Those three records were made in a five- or six-year time span. It’s really messed up to think about. Then it took us 18 years to record another one! Time seems to be a weird accordion. In that very short amount of time a lot happened in my life. Then in the next 18 years it got spaced out in terms of events. Making Say It Like You Mean It memories are attributed to being in a professional studio and working with a professional producer for the first time. Also, I was working with one of my idols [Mark Trombino] who had made so many of my favorite records up to that point. It was hard not to be intimidated by it.
A lot of that process I was going with the flow. It even frustrated Trombino a little bit. I remember there were times he would say, “How does this sound?” I would say, “Sounds really great!” Then he would say “What do you think of this?” And I’d say “That sounds so good!” [laughs] “Okay just get the fuck out of here and I’ll actually do work” because I was no help at all. I guess I have to start having opinions about these things.
It was just big wide eyes taking it all in! I wanted to sound like Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World! This would be cool if we could have a record that sounded as good as Clarity. I remember I was listening to very little pop-punk by the time we got to making Based On A True Story. I was trying to fit more of that style into the songwriting and moving away from general punk aesthetic. It was closer to our philosophy now. This is who we are and this is what feels good on the stage. Let’s try and concentrate on that good stuff.
Vimeo Acquired
Vimeo has been acquired by Milan-based app developer Bending Spoons:
Vimeo, once the internet’s most prestigious stage for independent filmmakers and animators, is being acquired by Milan-based app developer Bending Spoons in a $1.38 billion all-cash deal. The sale, expected to close later this year, will end Vimeo’s turbulent run as a public company.
For the creative community, the news is hardly shocking. Vimeo’s cultural influence has been fading for years, its pivot away from entertainment and towards enterprise software leaving behind the innovators and filmmakers who built its reputation.
Bad Cop/Bad Cop – “Disbelief” Video
Bad Cop/Bad Cop have shared a video for “Disbelief.”
Read More “Bad Cop/Bad Cop – “Disbelief” Video”Foxing Announce Hiatus
Foxing have announced they are going on indefinite hiatus.
This band has been completely inseparable from us as people for our entire adult lives up to this point. It is so much of our identity and our sense of self worth in the world. But it has become clear to us that in our pursuit of our dreams and making the most honest and genuine art we can, our relationship with music, each other, and our sense of self without the band has eroded. We have decided to prioritize these things and need to step away from the band to do so.
These shows in Chicago and St. Louis will be our last for the foreseeable future. Know that if you ever saw us at a show or listened to our records, you were getting the most from us that we could possibly give in that moment. We will come back if/when we feel that we have more to give.
Thank you for everything over the years.
Some Apple Related First Impressions
Quick first impressions of some Apple related things:
- The cameras on the 17 Pro are fantastic, especially the selfie camera. Coming from the iPhone 14 Pro this was a massive jump up in quality and worth the upgrade alone. I like the Camera Control button.
- My first phone with an Action Button. I currently have it set to my custom settings Shortcut.1 That frees up a spot on my home screen and so far it’s working for me.
- I decided to try a TechWoven case and I love how it feels in hand. This has been the surprise win for me.
- iOS 26 has some issues, sure, but I do not hate it as much as I was worried I would. I’m getting used to it. Background images in Messages is fun. I’ve had more “oh that’s cool” moments than I have “I hate this.” I did have to change Safari tab bar back, the compact version sucked.
- The entire look of iOS 26 made me feel like my entire “aesthetic” of my phone layout was old. Which, to be fair, it was. I have kept it pretty similar since around iOS 14 and the main screen was almost always very monochrome. But iOS 26 just screams for color and I was ready for some more color in my life. I’m still playing around with how I want it to look, but my first pass is leaning in the right direction.
- I also upgraded my watch from the Series 6, after five years the battery was really showing its age, and I really love how the natural titanium looks. The finger tap/wrist flick gestures are more convenient than I expected.
- I do not plan to upgrade my Mac to Tahoe for a bit. Everything I’ve seen leads me to believe it’s very much not ready.
The Shortcut described and shown in the third image.↩