Review: Luke Spiller – Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine

Adam Grundy Apr 28, 2025

The debut solo album from The Struts frontman, Luke Spiller, is a vulnerable collection of songs about falling in and out of love, and documents his experiences about when he first moved to Los Angeles. Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine is filled with great string arrangements, slick production, and a 70’s flair that mirrors early James Bond scores. Luke Spiller’s star shines ever so brightly on his first venture away from The Struts to create a record that is both a departure from the sound that he established with his bandmates, and a welcomed throwback to an era of smoke-filled jazz clubs that featured captivating singers.

Adam Grundy Apr 24, 2025

The debut album from Acceptance will be turning 20 over the weekend, so it’s only fitting for us to take another look at the cult favorite record known as Phantoms. The band’s strength came from the great partnership between lead guitarist Kaylan Cloud and dynamic vocalist Jason Vena, and their ability to convey a wide range of emotions through their unique brand of rock. The set was produced by veteran hit-maker Aaron Sprinkle, who leaves his great blueprint all over this shimmering album. The promotion cycle Phantoms included only two singles, “Different” was the lead single, while the more upbeat “Take Cover” followed up on the modest success of the debut single. The band would follow the release of Phantoms with tours with bands like Vendetta Red, Head Automatica, Anberlin, Saosin, and more to work on their live show that had steadily improved since Acceptance formed in 1998. Acceptance would take a lengthy hiatus in 2006, only to reunite and re-capture their spark in 2017’s equally great Colliding By Design. Phantoms signaled a key moment in Acceptance’s rise in the crowded emo scene, and it’s a shame that the record didn’t take off as much as it clearly should have.

Adam Grundy Apr 23, 2025

The second single from Clara Joy and her upcoming new album, What We Have Now, is called “Find Things Beautiful” and is a song about the difference between our emotions and tangible items. Clara Joy shared, “The song was written from the perspective of someone who is confessing to a psychotic break due to the separation they feel between their emotional world and the material world. The ‘material world’ in this song was inspired by downtown Manhattan culture over the last several years, addressing the city’s need to constantly posture itself as entertaining rather than truly culturally engaging.” With a great vision for her music, Clara Joy is a key artist to watch. If you’re enjoying the music video, please consider pre-ordering What We Have Now, that will be released on May 23rd via Shimmy-Disc here.

Adam Grundy Apr 22, 2025

It seems like just yesterday I was finding out about a band named Joywave. My initial introduction to the band was through a friend of mine who lent me a copy of How Do You Feel Now?, and I was immediately taken back by Joywave’s cool swagger, slick production (by band members Daniel Armbruster and Sean Donnelly), and the overall package brought forth on this electric debut. Many others first got wind of Joywave through their breakthrough single/collaboration with Big Data called “Dangerous” that was bound to be successful with it’s bass-heavy delivery and great vocal performance from Armbruster. What made Joywave so charming and utterly infectious on this debut record was their ability to blend electronic and indie rock elements into their ever-evolving sound that they tinkered with on their preceding two EPs. While Joywave would go on to release four more full-length records in the ten year span that has passed since How Do You Feel Now? was first released, this album remains their strongest and most creative statement to date.

Adam Grundy Apr 18, 2025

The first studio album in ten years from the Pennsylvania grunge rockers, Superheaven, is a self-titled effort that finds the band leaning heavily on their strengths to further their artistic direction. After a lengthy hiatus from their 2015 LP Ours is Chrome, Superheaven would periodically reunite to play some shows. During this process of playing one-off shows, the band connected with veteran producer Will Yip during a charity concert he put on in December 2017. This partnership seemed to have stuck, as Yip has produced the band’s third studio album, Superheaven, that released today via Blue Grape Music. Superheaven have released three singles leading up to the self-titled record in “Long Gone”, “Numb To What is Real”, and most recently “Cruel Times.” Superheaven have clearly used the momentum and chemistry from each of these reunion concerts to create a record that is worthy of the band’s past legacy.

Adam Grundy Apr 17, 2025

After taking a year and a half hiatus from music after a family tragedy, Joeyglo has returned with a vibey new single called “Galaxy” that honors his late wife, Angela. The song is a passion project from the songwriter/producer, who admitted to started writing this song nearly five years ago. The guitar parts in the track were performed by Samuel Clayton, and Cory Kassmeier mastered the single. Joeyglo shared, “This is a special song to me. Took me a long time to even want to work on music again after losing Angela and Indie…She didn’t believe it was for her initially because the lyrics (at the time) mostly talked about bending time and black holes. Ya know…nerdy shit.”

With a songwriting style that fits somewhere in the realm of Glass Animals, paired with the smooth R&B of The Weeknd, and put on blend with a crisp vocal performances similar to Mac Miller, Joeyglo has crafted something truly special here on “Galaxy.” By putting a brave step forward by releasing new music, Joeyglo is honoring his family in the best and most honest way possible with this gorgeous song about connecting with that one person who makes our universe seem a little less alone.

Interview: Wounded Touch

Adam Grundy Apr 16, 2025

Recently I was able to connect with the Michigan-based metalcore band, Wounded Touch, to discuss what went into the process of their Smartpunk Records sophomore LP, A Vivid Depiction of Collapse. The band’s publicist had a cool idea of having two of the band members interview each other to get some rich insight on what make’s the band tick, so I was all for it! Kyle Maddock interviews Wounded Touch drummer Jeremy Schultz below. If you’re enjoying the band member vs. band member banter, please consider pre-ordering A Vivid Depiction of Collapse before it releases on May 16th here.

Adam Grundy Apr 8, 2025

The sixth studio album from pop-punk band All Time Low found them working with a ton of outside collaborators/writers and showcased a slick sound led by production from veteran producer John Feldmann. Future Hearts is now celebrating its tenth birthday today, and each of the 13 songs found on the record featured an outside writer on it. This type of collaboration was new to the band, as they had typically composed the majority of their material in-house. Future Hearts was one of All Time Low’s most successful LPs at launch date, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 upon its release and selling over 80,000 copies in its first week. The band took their major label misfire (2011’s Dirty Work) in stride and would quickly follow this up with Don’t Panic and their final Hopeless Records record in Future Hearts. While the band would reach their creative peak on 2020’s Wake Up Sunshine, Future Hearts is filled with a ton of great pop-punk tunes that deserve another look.

Adam Grundy Apr 8, 2025

This year’s Record Store Day occurs this Saturday, April 12th, 2025. Get your lists ready and prepare to dive into the key vinyl releases for this celebration of indie record stores. The Record Store Day “Ambassador” for ’25 is Post Malone, and he shared in a press release:

What an honor, I can’t believe I was chosen to be Record Store Day’s Ambassador for 2025. Record Store Day is so important and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive. We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork, the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. I feel at home. It’s really an unexplainable feeling to hit up a shop and dig through crates, just see what grabs your eye. You can be looking for something super specific and end up finding something totally different. It’s the best. Keep supporting y’all and let’s keep records and these local shops going strong. Happy Record Store Day everybody!”

In this article, I’ll be providing some tips & tricks for navigating this year’s Record Store Day observance, plus some early previews of some of the key titles. You can also check out my initial RSD ’25 preview here.

Adam Grundy Apr 8, 2025

Myriads, the project name of songwriter Maria DeHart, is gearing up to release her new EP called Find Ourselves Again, that will officially release on April 11th. Today, Myriads are sharing an exclusive early listen to the EP and the project is great for fans of similar artists like Wednesday, Snail Mail, and Slow Pulp. When asked about the new EP, DeHart shared, “This EP is straight from my heart and the minds/incredible talents of my bandmates, who helped me string together this big and sometimes loud, sometimes delicate group of songs from bits and pieces of tunes I’d written in my bedroom over the years. I am so excited to share it and I hope it makes you feel something when you listen.” Overall, the EP is a study of love, happiness, depression, and the search for meaning in these universal human experiences. It’s Myriads’ most honest and thoughtful endeavor yet, and the new band is excited for what is to come. If you’re enjoying the early listen, please consider pre-ordering the EP here.

Adam Grundy Apr 4, 2025

Today I’m excited to share with everyone the new single from Norwegian singer-songwriter, Marte Eberson, “Start Over Again.” On this heartfelt track, Eberson blends breathtaking cinematic rock with an indie pop twist. Eberson reflected on the writing process of the new single and shared:

Sometimes I look at pictures from when I was younger—whether from my childhood, teenage years, or just a couple of years ago—and feel a sense of longing. A longing for a time when life felt less complicated, less stressful, and when my friends, my family, and I had more time. That time passed so quickly, and I wish I had realized how much I should have appreciated it. Suddenly, I’m ‘grown up,’ and I don’t know how it happened. The days and years blur together, everything moves faster and faster. It would be so nice to start over, to begin again, to savor that time more, to slow down and take it all in.

If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider supporting this artist here.

Adam Grundy Apr 3, 2025

After the breakthrough success of Household Name, indie rock band Momma have returned with their highly anticipated fourth record called Welcome To My Blue Sky. The new album was produced by Aron Kobayashi Ritch, who also contributed on bass, and showcases the rapid improvements in Momma’s already-dynamic sound. The vibrant feelings come oozing through the speakers early on in vulnerable songs like the opening track of “Sincerely” that helps set the tone for the rest of the album. Led by the two primary songwriters/vocalists/guitarists in Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, Momma tighten up their songwriting while still presenting songs that are both catchy and relevant. Momma shared in a recent interview that Welcome to My Blue Sky is “an open letter to those who have come in and out of our lives,” and this particular letter is well-received and invites wider audiences to sing along to every lyric and connect with this band on a deeper level.

Adam Grundy Apr 2, 2025

Today I’m excited to introduce everyone to Common Holly, the artist name of Montreal-based singer-songwriter Brigitte Naggar, who is gearing up for the release of her debut LP, Anything Glass, this June. First up is her new single and video for a vibrant song called “Aegean Blue.” With key influences from artists like Bill Callahan, Mount Eerie, Lomelda, and Leonard Cohen, Common Holly is anything but a common artist who is unafraid to push the boundaries of her creativity. When speaking on the new single/video, she shared:

A reckoning in meaninglessness and unending pursuit. The words came in a moment of change and of reevaluating. This song sits squarely in the album’s theme of orienting toward what matters most, doing things differently when they aren’t feeling right. You can hear some of the vocal doubling here–since the album was recorded live, many (all?) of the songs have doubled vocals, because I would sing live while we were performing the song, and then I would later add more vocals on top of that initial vocal. This came to be a quality we liked in the whole experience of the album.

If you’re enjoying the new video, please consider pre-saving Anything Glass here.

Adam Grundy Apr 1, 2025

Just in time for April Fool’s Day, Talulah Paisley has announced her debut LP, called Fool, that will be released everywhere music is sold on June 11th. On top of that, I’m excited to share with everyone her debut single and video for “What’s It Like?” Talulah Paisley shared:

I wrote this song when I was about to graduate from college. I had my entire life ahead of me and I feared I wouldn’t live up to its promise…what if: I did nothing with my life? What if I am a waste? I make no impact, no connection? I played and sung all the instruments on the track except that whistle- that was my bandmate, sweet Athena from the band Awksymoron. This song marks the first time I’ve ever recorded drums! The idea for the music video came from how I always notice little things on the street in NYC, and I pick them up and keep them- playing cards, dice, those plastic neon barrettes you wore when you were a little girl. I feel these objects are magical, and a reminder to play. I hand-painted the bike, helmet and spray painted the roses. I also handmade the costume. It was inspired by the incredibly brave and graceful lady lion tamers of circus’ past, who risked their lives in the name of spectacle.

If you’re enjoying the new video/single, please consider supporting this artist here. I was also able to catch up with Talulah Paisley for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy Mar 31, 2025

The fifth studio album from Mumford & Sons, and the band’s first new album in nearly seven years, called Rushmere, gets its name from the pond located at Wimbledon Common in London, where the band first met and began the process of wanting to make music together. The band looked towards their beginnings to find a spark in their music, and create their first new taste of music since Delta. The overall sound of Rushmere recounts the humble beginnings of Mumford & Sons on 2009’s Sigh No More, with more experience under the band’s belt in crafting their desired artistic direction. The set was produced by veteran hit-maker Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and was recorded partly in Nashville, and also in the band’s home studio in Devon, England. Rushmere takes all of the stage and life experiences that the band members have had, and gets the ship pointed in the right direction. The next phase of Mumford & Sons career looks bright.

Review: Luke Spiller – Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine

Review: Acceptance – Phantoms

Clara Joy – “Find Things Beautiful” (Video Premiere)

Review: Joywave – How Do You Feel Now?

Review: Superheaven – Superheaven

Review: Joeyglo – “Galaxy”

Interview: Wounded Touch

Review: All Time Low – Future Hearts

Record Store Day 2025 Countdown

Myriads – “Find Ourselves Again” (Album Stream)

Marte Eberson – “Start Over Again” (Song Premiere)

Review: Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky

Common Holly – “Aegean Blue” (Video Premiere)

Talulah Paisley – “What’s It Like?” (Video Premiere)

Review: Mumford and Sons – Rushmere