NightFreak – “Midwest Rattlesnakes” (Video Premiere)

Today is a great day to share the latest music video from Chicago punk trio, NightFreak, for their single “Midwest Rattlesnakes.” The title track from their new LP, out everywhere on July 10th via Big Neck Records, this is NightFreak at their leanest and meanest. The band delivers beer drenched chaos, by blending hardcore punk ferocity with metal-inspired riffs, machine gun drumming, and scorched vocals. Recorded by Bobby Hussy (No Coast Records) it’s stripped down, raw metal-tinged punk and it’s mean as hell. The band shared:

This one has a little bit of everything that makes up NightFreak; sick riffs, bitchin’ guitar solos, & killer drumming. We wrote it after a wild gig where we got into a lil’ tussle with another band. It’s full of piss, vinegar, and bravado. It’s a way of saying we don’t fuck around in Chicago and also a shout out to our core group of fans we call the NightFreak NightKrew. We were trying to create something in the spirit of the old 60’s and 70’s music shows like Live Beat or Musikladen TV and we were really influenced by some of the old Black Sabbath and Motorhead footage. We wanted a grimey psychedelic feel, like a good acid trip, and we’re stoked with how it turned out. We shot and edited in the living room of my apartment,100% DIY, on gear we bought thru Amazon and returned when we were finished. Rock n Roll Forever!

If you’re enjoying the music video, please consider supporting this artist here.

Adam Grundy 9 hours ago

Today I’m so excited to bring everyone an exclusive track by track from Bike Routes, the project from songwriter David Osterhout, that has released his third LP called Prairie today via Blue Grape Music. Speaking about his inspirations, David Osterhout shared, “New Jersey is big for me. As a kid, I listened to a lot of Bruce Springsteen in addition to My Chemical Romance. Then, my mom introduced me to ABBA. I’m a huge hip-hop fan, but I love hardcore, grind, and death metal too. My music pulls from all directions. I want my voice and lyrics to fit over anything.” If you’re enjoying the insight on Prairie, please consider ordering the record here.

Adam Grundy 1 day ago

The funk-infused hardcore punk band known as Rebelmatic sound as re-energized and purposeful as they’ve ever been on their latest record, Sting The Devil. This Creep Records release packs in so many different stylistic choices, tempos, and vocal cadences into the mix that is thematically about traditional punk rock ethos of rallying against the status quo. Over the course of these blistering ten songs, that clock in just under 28 minutes, Rebelmatic solidify their sound into one of the best hidden gems to come out of our scene this year.

Adam Grundy 1 day ago

Today I’m so excited to share the latest single from indie pop duo, CA in LA, called ”Clarity”. The track comes from the artist’s forthcoming reissue their latest record, called Hindsight: Deluxe Edition. CA in LA is the creative partnership of best friends Courtney Birk and Ashleigh Coffelt, two longtime collaborators whose artistic world blends music, film-making, visual art, and storytelling into one universe. Originally connecting in Maryland through independent film-making, the duo later relocated to Los Angeles to pursue their creative ambitions while building a loyal online community through years of weekly live music streaming on Twitch. Influenced by artists like PVRIS, Daughter, Flyleaf, and Lydia, CA in LA has developed a distinctive alternative rock sound that reminds me a bit of The Cranberries, Snarls, and Beabadoobee. The band shared, “‘Clarity’ marks the beginning of a new music era for us. Getting sober, leaving self-doubt behind, and focusing on listening to our intuition, we had so much fun playing with song structure, guitar tones, and layered harmonies. We’re excited to share our hopeful, introspective love letter dedicated to everyone going through it and wanting to be better. We see you.” If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider pre-saving the track here.

Adam Grundy 2 days ago

Today is a great day to introduce everyone to Brooklyn rock trio A Very Special Episode who are releasing an early look at their latest single and music video for “But I’m A…Starr”. This rock band has a sound that sits somewhere between the realm of Weezer pop sensibilities and the blistering hard rock of Queens of the Stone Age. The band shared, “We only realized after tracking how much Weezer’s ‘Beverly Hills’ must have been a subconscious influence. ‘But I’m a . . . Starr’ is about the anxieties of being in a working DIY band more than anything else. ‘March of the Pigs’ is a big visual inspiration for the upcoming video to be directed by Brendan McKnight.” The band is gearing up for the release of their self-titled EP that hits all streaming services on July 31st. If you’re enjoying the music video, please consider pre-ordering the band’s EP on vinyl here.

Adam Grundy 4 days ago

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to schedule a Zoom call with all four members of indie pop band, Snarls, to discuss their vibrant new EP called In Heaven There’s Rainbows. In this interview, I asked the band about where the title of the EP came from, which songs came easiest during the writing process to get to the finish line, and how they’re crafting the setlist for their co-headlining tour with Future Teens. One of my favorite quotes from this conversation was lead vocalist/guitarist Chlo White’s comment regarding how the band decides if a song will be included in a set: “The last couple years, when we’re deciding what goes on a setlist, it’s like, ‘Do you feel hot and sexy playing this?’ And if the answer is no, we’re scrapping it!” In Heaven There’s Rainbows releases this Friday, and pre-order options are available here.

Adam Grundy 4 days ago

Today I’m so excited to bring everyone the lead single from the new album from Holy Pinto called “One Tattoo.” Holy Pinto’s long-anticipated new LP, called Wedding Season, is filled with songs grappling with the concepts of love, distance, doubt, and adulthood. The album, which releases on all streaming services on September 14th, features some key collaborations from Bartees Strange, who helped produce some of the tracks found on Wedding Season. If you’re enjoying the latest single, please consider supporting this artist here.

Adam Grundy 7 days ago

It’s really hard to quantify just what Underoath accomplished on their career-defining album called Define The Great Line. Having already achieved breakthrough success with their previous record of They’re Only Chasing Safety, the bar was certainly raised for the band to deliver once again. And what a delivery it was. Underoath’s Spencer Chamberlain recently shared, “Define the Great Line was never just an album to me. It was a world I was building in my head through lyrics and sketches long before the songs were finished. I was dealing with a lot and didn’t always know how to put it into words.” From the thrilling opening notes of “In Regards To Myself” that has the sound of a film projector being turned on, to the final fadeout in the sprawling seven-minute album closer of “To Whom It May Concern,” Underoath were creating pure undeniable audio cinema.

Adam Grundy 7 days ago

Today I’m so excited to introduce everyone to a vibrant new band called Strange Lot. They’re releasing their new single and music video for “Go Have A Dream” that captures just the right magic in the indie rock realm. Strange Lot is Dominic Mena, Cameron Martin, Levi Murray and Jason Desiderio, and their band chemistry is clicking on all cylinders ahead of their self-titled debut that hits streaming services on August 14th via Greenway Records. If you’re enjoying the video, please consider supporting the band here.

Adam Grundy 7 days ago

For a band who have just released their eighth studio album, Sleeping With Sirens still seem extremely motivated and hungry for world domination on An Ending In Itself. Produced by veteran hit-maker Will Yip (Turnstile, Circa Survive), the songs that make up this LP are some of the strongest in the band’s catalog and showcase an artist whose dedication to their craft remains unlimited. Sonically, the record feels recharged, energetic, and vibrant as the music that comes through the speakers feels as urgent as Sleeping With Sirens have been in quite some time. While their last few albums were a bit of a mixed bag in terms of similar-sounding songs, An Ending In Itself firmly stands on its own two feet and I’d place the LP right there at the top of Sleeping With Sirens’ discography.

Adam Grundy 1 week ago

When I first heard that the son of late Bradley Nowell, Jakob, was going to be taking his rightful place in fronting Sublime, I was immediately intrigued and excited about the premise. How do you replace one of the most charismatic and endearing frontmen of the 90’s? Jakob Nowell really was the only logical choice, and hearing him sing on Until The Sun Explodes gives me chills in hearing just how similar he sounds to his father. 30 years after the classic Sublime record was released, Jakob Nowell, Bud Gaugh, and Eric Wilson had the near-impossible task of living up to anywhere near that type of legacy for one of the most cherished bands from my generation. Growing up, if you didn’t have a Sublime CD in your CaseLogic briefcase, you most certainly knew someone who did, as the self-titled album grew major traction during the height of the “CD boom”-era of the 90’s. Until The Sun Explodes has all of the elements of a Sublime record, with the original members too, but even if Jakob sounds as close to Bradley as humanly possible, it doesn’t always translate into the same type of polished songwriting. Instead, Sublime do their best to honor Bradley while providing a closing chapter to the legacy of the band as a “thank you” to the fans who are still playing their music today.

Adam Grundy 2 weeks ago

Today San Diego alternative grunge band, MojoPin, are releasing their latest EP called Out The Door, and I was able to catch up with this trio for an exclusive track-by-track feature. The band has steadily been gaining traction in the rock scene, and their viral cover of Pearl Jam’s “Black” has been viewed over 500k times. If you’re enjoying the feature, please consider streaming the EP here.

Adam Grundy 2 weeks ago

After having well-surpassed the dangers of a “sophomore slump” on her second album of Guts, Olivia Rodrigo must’ve felt mounting pressure to continue to deliver on her third major label record. You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love on its surface is a pretty depressing title for a pop artist, but Rodrigo weaves these 13 songs together with veteran ease, precision, and purpose. The LP features a “pinch me” moment for Rodrigo with a guest collaboration with Robert Smith of The Cure, who contributes vocals and harmonies on the record’s tenth song of “What’s Wrong With Me”. She continues her collaborative process with producer Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan, Kylie Minogue), and through this trusted relationship, Rodrigo takes some big creative risks on arguably her most experimental album to date. With so many stylistic choices being made here, the album faced the danger of being a disjointed listening experience, but You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love ends up being the polar opposite of that. Olivia Rodrigo continues to get better and better at her songwriting craft and her third album is arguably her strongest to date.

Adam Grundy 2 weeks ago

If there’s one thing you can say about the four-decade career of ska band Big D and the Kids Table, it’s that they have been a model of consistency. Consistently touring, putting out record after record to keep their fans happy and engaged, and honing in on their songwriting craft to make confident material. The band’s latest LP, The Good Ole American Saturday Night continues down the path of this “working man” approach by taking a look back at how far they’ve come as a band, while still accelerating their development as a unit by creating some truly great songs. Big D and the Kids Table continue to fine-tune their dynamic and punchy ska sound on this confident record that is sure to keep their adoring fans coming to the shows and singing back every word.

Adam Grundy 2 weeks ago

Over the course of her career in Evanescence, Amy Lee has stood apart from the pack of female-fronted metal bands that have appeared in the music scene since the band’s debut (Fallen) was released in 2003. An icon in the goth rock community, Lee mentioned that her band’s sixth studio album, Sanctuary, got its title from finding comfort and connection through the power of music, all while being written during the rise of fascism in the country. Lee shared, “Turn on the news, and you can get inspired to write a heavy rock song with plenty of rage, especially as a woman. It’s just really hard, because I’m not political. I don’t want this. This was put upon us all. How we react and respond to this moment has nothing to do with if we want to be a ‘political voice’. I absolutely do not, but I do want to rise to the moment. We don’t have a choice. We’ve been forced into this situation where if we don’t speak up and fight back against tyranny, against human rights violations, against blowing people up, we’re next.” This sense of urgency comes through the speakers on Sanctuary, Evanescence’s most thrilling and powerful album since Fallen.

NightFreak – “Midwest Rattlesnakes” (Video Premiere)

Bike Routes – “Prairie” Track By Track

Review: Rebelmatic – Sting The Devil

CA in LA – “Clarity” (Song Premiere)

A Very Special Episode – “But I’m A…Starr” (Video Premiere)

Interview: Snarls

Holy Pinto – “One Tattoo” (Song Premiere)

Review: Underoath – Define The Great Line

Strange Lot – “Go Have A Dream” (Video Premiere)

Review: Sleeping With Sirens – An Ending In Itself

Review: Sublime – Until The Sun Explodes

MojoPin – “Out The Door” EP Track By Track

Review: Olivia Rodrigo – You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love

Review: Big D and the Kids Table – The Good Ole American Saturday Night

Review: Evanescence – Sanctuary