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Adam Grundy
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Adam Grundy
An enthusiastic music blogger who lives in the Washington DC Metro area. My favorite bands are My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard, the 1975, and Paramore.
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FEATURES, BLOGS, & REVIEWS

Gert Taberner – “Tourist” (Video Premiere)

Gert Taberner
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to introduce everyone to Gert Taberner, an ultra-talented singer-songwriter who is releasing his new single and video for “Tourist.” Gert showcases relatable vulnerability and has the ability to connect people to his music in both an authentic and comforting fashion. On this latest single, Taberner shared, “I wrote ‘Tourist’ about my journey providing end-of-life care for my mother when she passed away after a long bout with a terminal illness. The process of providing care to the person who raised you really messes with your head. It feels like any decision you make comes with a life-or-death asterisk, something that I definitely wasn’t prepared to deal with. You’re constantly getting things wrong, and even when you’re getting them right, it doesn’t feel much better, and frankly, any form of joy in that time felt like a bittersweet act of defiance with regard to the clearly pre-defined outcome that a diagnosis like hers entailed. Getting this one right while writing felt like an exercise in holding space for both sides, the morbid and the joyful, and where they intersect.” If you’re enjoying the early listen, more music will be coming soon from Gert Taberner when he releases his new EP If We Kept On Trying later on this year.

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Decant – “Passing” (Song Premiere)

Decant
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the latest single from dark pop band, Decant, called “Passing.” The single is a captivating and emotionally-charged track that delves into the intricate interplay between love’s turmoil and the struggles arising from substance use. With its hauntingly beautiful intro, dark electronic beat, and elevating chorus, the song encapsulates heavy emotions within its melodies and lyrics. Lead vocalist Freddie Bytheway shared, “The name speaks to the passing of life, but also the feeling of passing for what you are not. It is about how existence is contradiction. I remember as a kid often hearing the expression, a blessing in disguise, I was fascinated by the relationship between what we experience and how we interpret it. For me this song is about addiction and how love can be as addictive as any drug.” The band also collectively dedicated the single to, “the life and legacy of Corey Budke, and all of those we have lost too soon.” If you’re enjoying the early listen to this incredibly moving new track, you can pre-save it here.

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Interview: Powfu

Powfu
Adam Grundy

This past week I was able to connect with Canadian rapper/artist, Powfu, to discuss his newly announced LP Gathered By The Lantern. I also asked him about his breakthrough single, “Deathbed (Coffee for your head)” that featured Beabadoobee, his upcoming touring plans and what keeps him motivated as an artist. Powfu will be embarking on a European tour soon.

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Review: Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

Adam Grundy

So much has been written and talked about in regards to Olivia Rodrigo, from her pop prowess in her songwriting style, to the music discourse around what artists she sounds similar to, it’s all gotten a bit…tired. The last time I sat down to write about Rodrigo’s debut, SOUR, it was to evaluate what makes this artist so endearing, talented, and remarkable. GUTS picks right up where she left off on her bulletproof debut record that captivated fans near and wide, and moves the needle that much further up in her atmospheric trajectory towards superstardom. From the opening bars of the lead single, “Vampire,” to the post-teenage brashness of current single “Bad Idea Right?” Rodrigo has created a monster on her sophomore record that has already garnered tons of critical praise. While SOUR introduced the world to Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS is a beautifully messy coming-of-age album that highlights the bets parts of a pop artist willing to take the right steps in her musical journey.

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Review: Safari Room – “Broken Things”

Adam Grundy

On the latest single from Safari Room, called “Broken Things,” he tackles the difficult theme of navigating through a relationship on the brink of collapse. Songwriter Alec Koukol shared, “Quite plainly, ‘Broken Things’ is about the declination of a relationship. The song is an amalgamation of relationships I’ve had crumble over the last few years. This song is a catharsis and outburst of emotions kept in for too long. It’s a whole journey of self-discovery through loss of a relationship, confined in one tune.” The song is brimming with vibrant guitar riffs, soothing vocals, all paired with vivid storytelling from Koukol. The sound of Safari Room is similar to the style of The National, The War on Drugs, and Mae.

The song opens with the verse of “This is the end, no longer lovers/ “Maybe we can be friends” / What a lie / Emphatically sad ‘cause the good has been undone” as Koukol paints the picture of a once fruitful relationship turning sour. The song gradually picks up tempo and features a great bass line before building to the crescendo of, “You’re out of my mind /You’re out of my mind (Get out of my mind) / You’re out of my mind / Get out of my mind /You’re out of my mind (Get out of my mind) / You’re out of mind / You don’t live here anymore (You don’t live there anymore),” that provides a glimpse of the conflict going on within the songwriter’s headspace. Safari Room have reignited the flame of purpose on this electric single that is hauntingly beautiful.

Review: MS MR – “Saturn Return”

Adam Grundy

Goodbyes are hard to do. Whether it’s saying goodbye to a close friend moving to a different part of the country, or losing someone permanently due to death, it’s always a tough process to go through. MS MR have returned with their stunning final single, called “Saturn Return,” that is a fitting tribute to all of the work that vocalist Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow have accomplished over the tenure of this project. Having first stormed onto the indie rock scene with the fittingly titled “Hurricane” in 2012, MS MR captured lightning in a bottle with their first two albums Secondhand Rapture and How Does It Feel. This latest dual-sided single features the atmospheric “Saturn Return” and a beautiful cover of Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta.”

”Saturn Return” opens with a soft, keyboard-laced sound that eventually breaks the spacey feel to it with Plapinger’s breathy vocals to allow the single to reach its heavenly intentions. The chorus of, “Two souls / So close again / And again, and again,” marks the connection that Plapinger and Hershenow have with each other in this band in such a majestic way. The only flaw of the song is that I wish it would’ve been longer, as it wraps up just after the two-minute mark before it could fully take off. The cover of “Flagpole Sitta” is a worthy tribute to the Alt-Rock classic track, and fits well within the realm of MS MR’s discography. They really make the track their own, and leave a memorable final artistic statement with this final release. Saying goodbye to MS MR isn’t easy, but the music that they have left behind will stand the test of time.

Ursa Major Revelation – “Big Baby” (Video Premiere)

Ursa Major Revelation
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to introduce everyone to Ursa Major Revelation, and their new single/video for “Big Baby.” The band is Ursula Rose (vocals) and Dylan Rau (production/guitar) and you may remember Rau’s name from his work in the indie rock band, Bear Hands. The title track from their forthcoming EP is a glowing mix of memorable sounds that mesh well over Rose’s breathtaking vocal performance. While speaking on their new EP, Rose shared:

By the time I turned 30, I had a major revelation. I looked back on my life and saw a map. My life was a map of the men I have loved. Some of them were pretty cool, others less so. I let the map guide me through the creation of three songs, one for each of the major loves of my life. Dylan Rau made these instrumentals in various west coast closets and I wrote most of the vocals at an Airbnb in Joshua Tree. Additional recording was completed at a fishing cabin on the Oregon Coast. The songs feature production and mixing from dear friend and colleague Chris Chu (The Morning Benders, Pop ETC). Original artwork for each single by my grandmother Sara January Price.

I was also able to catch up with this talented band for an interview below.

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Review: Yawn Mower – “Stagnant Lake”

Adam Grundy

The latest single from NJ indie rock/punk band, Yawn Mower, is a tasty slab of guitar-heavy rock that showcases the band’s ability to mix in hip-hop elements, paired with crisp pop sensibilities to make themselves stand out from the pack. The band’s core lineup is comprised of Mike Chick and Biff Swenson, while they have some key contributions from others on their debut LP, called To Each Their Own Coat, and their unique style of fuzzy, doom pop plays off pretty well on songs like this. Yawn Mower will be performing at this year’s Sea.Hear.Now. festival in their hometown of Asbury Park, NJ with other marquee bands like Foo Fighters, The Killers, Weezer, and more.

The single, called “Stagnant Lake” features fuzzed-out guitars that embrace the hip-hop elements in the verses, while still leaving room for creativity in their musical delivery. The second verse of, “Ideas in the cannon for years / Got bullets that are ready to shoot / Went fishing in a stagnant lake / Found a tire, a bike and a boot,” explore lyrical wordplay to tie in to the track’s title. What the band does best on this particular single is to hone in on their musical chemistry while allowing the song to breathe a bit in the closing moments with an extended guitar solo. This is just a small taste of the possibilities Yawn Mower can take their music to in the future.

Review: The All-American Rejects – The All-American Rejects

Adam Grundy

My first impressions of The All-American Rejects, and their pop-centered rock, were generally favorable. The band stormed onto the scene with their charming first single, “Swing, Swing,” that carefully swayed from swooning falsetto vocals, from frontman Tyson Ritter, to a more lush tenor sound with ease. The single seemed to be played everywhere from baseball games, to grocery stores, and it was undeniably catchy. Their self-titled LP was produced by Tim O’Heir (The Starting Line, Say Anything) and he does a nice job of accentuating the best parts of the band on this fairly straight-forward collection of songs. A little know fact about the debut is that when the album was recorded, Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler were the only two band members, and it was until the band would shoot their video for their debut single that they would add Mike Kennerty on rhythm guitar and Chris Gaylor on drums. This lineup is still intact to this day, and The All-American Rejects would see even greater success with their sophomore album, Move Along. The All-American Rejects would go on to sell a million copies in the United States, and solidify the band as a marquee name in the pop-rock realm for the foreseeable future. The album was recently reissued on a “Ghostly Green” vinyl that includes a bonus 7″ vinyl on “Coke Bottle Green” to further celebrate the 20+ years that have passed since this record came out.

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Review: Don’t Panic – Setting Up To Fail

Adam Grundy

Pennsylvania rock band, Don’t Panic, have returned to the music scene with their third full-length record called Setting Up To Fail. The band is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Ted Felicetti, Keith Slader (bass), Anthony Paesano (drums) and AJ Larsen (guitar), and their sound is a vibrant mix of good vibes in the style of Bayside, Sugarcult and No Use For A Name. When speaking on the new album, Felicetti says, “We have been at it for four years now. Powered through a worldwide pandemic and wrote and released two albums in that time. But, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, this new record is this band finally stepping into its own. The songs are the most matured versions of our writing abilities and I have never been more proud to release something with my name on it. It’s the perfect mix of the rock and roll bands I grew up on like the Foo Fighters, and my punk rock roots listening to bands like Face to Face and No Use for a Name. “Newer” bands like Bayside and the Menzingers also played a major role in shaping the songwriting here, and I am more than happy to lean into that when the time calls for it– but all while shaping and creating our own sound and feel In our own lives we have never belonged, but with this record I finally feel like we have a place.” With this positive momentum going in the band’s favor, it’s no wonder why Setting Up To Fail is such a rewarding listening experience.

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Juniper Honey – “Another Morning” (Song Premiere)

Juniper Honey
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the newest single from California indie rock band, Juniper Honey, called “Another Morning.” The track uses top-notch lyricism paired with energetic instrumentals to highlight the deeply-intimate connection that unites and exhausts us all. With a laid-back blend of sounds that reflect the essence of the Central Coast, slacker rock scene, the single offers a musical escape for anyone seeking solace and resonance. Juniper Honey is Jake Hesse (lead vocals, guitar), Donovan Hess (drums), Cason LeSueur (guitar) and Josh West (bass), and their band chemistry pays off on electric songs like this. Hesse shared, ”I wrote this song when I was feeling overworked and stressed with thoughts of what I was going to do with my life. This song feels very near and dear to me, not only am I proud of where it has landed as a song, but it is one of the first songs that I truly feel has pointed me toward a songwriting direction that I am really excited for.” If you’re enjoying the latest single from Juniper Honey, you can pre-save the single here.

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Review: Ratboys – The Window

Adam Grundy

On the fifth studio album by the charming indie-rock band, Ratboys, called The Window, the band expand up on the ideas that they tinkered with on the preceding record, Happy Birthday, Ratboy, with a matured sound. The band chose to work with Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie, Snarls) on The Window and it would mark the first time they would record directly onto tape. Ratboys had first met Walla on a tour stop in Montreal, and he agreed to produce the album in 2021, while they sent voice memos of early demos of the songs that would end up on this record. Through the advice that Walla gave the band, Ratboys would record these songs in Walla’s Seattle studio that really jump off the speakers with veteran ease. The stylistic choices on The Window range from straight-forward indie rock, punk, grunge, to a more alt-country sound that fit well within the vocal range and capabilities of lead vocalist/guitarist Julia Steiner. The band appears to be gaining confidence at just the right moment in their trajectory, which makes it a fun time to be a fan of Ratboys.

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Careful – “I Don’t Mind” (Song Premiere)

Careful
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the latest single from art-pop solo project, Careful, called “I Don’t Mind.” Careful comes from the mind of multi-instrumentalist Eric Lindley, and he weaves a tangled web of musical landscapes similar to established artists like Mitski and Surfjan Stevens. Lindley shared, “For the sound of the song, I tried to keep a wide distance between the two moods: a very private, dry sound that really felt bare and alone for the “sad” parts, and a more soaring feel for the others—like you could hear Beyoncé or Adele singing the vocal, but the backing is closer to the digital decay of Crystal Castles.” If you’re enjoying this latest single from Careful, his full EP will be released on September 22nd called Promise / Practice.

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Zach Berkman – “Alone” (Song Premiere)

Zach Berkman
Adam Grundy

Today I’m so excited to share with everyone the latest single from ultra-talented singer-songwriter Zach Berkman, called “Alone.” With a rustic sound that fits well within the realm of Surfjan Stevens, paired with the vivid musical storytelling of Bruce Springsteen, Zach Berkman could be your next favorite artist. The song tackles the theme of a crumbling relationship, where Zach noticed that things were quickly slipping away. He shared:

”Alone” came along at the beginning of the end of a relationship, just when I knew I could feel something slipping away and when I still hoped I could fix it. The verses describe a crumbling house as a metaphor for a crumbling love. The crooked pictures and fading marks of a thing untended. I thought about my grandparent’s old farmhouse where we made these recordings, left dusty and in disrepair for so long then restored and renewed,  and I wondered whether you could do that with people. I know that when I wrote the song, the chorus was meant to be sung to someone else. It’s all in the second person, but I hear and sing those lyrics now as directed to self. The repeats of the title are at once mantra, warning, and a facing of fear. If we can’t reconcile our differences, we will end up Alone.

If you’re enjoying this latest single, you’ll be happy to know that Zach Berkman’s new album has been announced for release on November 10th via Brooklyn Basement Records, and it is called The Heart Of.

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