Recently I was able to connect with Alt Rock band, Casino Hearts, to discuss their recent cover song of an MTV Unplugged: Nirvana classic, “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For a Sunbeam”. In this brief interview, I asked the band members about what drew them to putting their spin on this cover song, plus more about the tribute album. If you’re enjoying their cover version, please consider supporting Casino Hearts here.
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There’s a lot for the Atlanta-born vocalist Teddy Swims to be proud of these days. From the speedy success of his debut album called I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1), to the chart-topping smash of “Lose Control”, paired with a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, plus the wonderful news that his girlfriend Raiche Wright and him are expecting their first child together, leads to the assumption that Teddy Swims must feel like he’s walking on air. The second part of Teddy Swims’ journey in the music world picks up right where he left off, offers stunning vocal performances, and a more optimistic outlook. Teddy Swims shared, “I thought that I was in such turmoil and heartbreak on the first one and it was nothing but questions and there was no real closure. So I thought that was important, especially with the title, I wanted to go into finding love again, learning how to move on, going to therapy and showing the healing process. Like, ‘Here’s me on the other side of all that mess.’ I’m so happy to be here on the other side of that mess, because it’s lovely.” You can feel the passion behind each lyric, each note, each precise beat, as everything clicks succinctly into place on this wonderful sophomore album.
Read More “Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)”
The latest single from Alt Rock band Crossing I’s Dotting T’s, called “You, In Everything”, recalls the days of when grunge and post-rock dominated the radio airwaves, albeit with a modern twist. The single was produced by Max Dickenson and Lars Deutsch, and showcases the improvements made in the band’s sound that keeps the vocals front and center, while adding in some interesting guitar sounds similar to bands like Deftones, Superheaven, and Hum.
The song builds around the chorus of, “Tell me what it means / See you in everything / Tell me what it means,” that feels like 90’s Alternative magic and recounts the singer’s tortured feeling of visualizing a person they can’t seem to get out of their head. The bridge features shouted vocals paired with heavy power chords and plenty of fuzz pedals to round out the sound they were going for here. Crossing I’s Dotting T’s plan to rally around this lead single bodes well, and their forthcoming EP this Spring should garner some extra attention.
The surprise new album from The Maine dropped mid-week, just as many fans of the band were en route to the 8123 Fest, taking place between January 16-17th in Mesa, Arizona. This new LP, called Dyed (2008 – 2023), features several re-worked demos/ideas from every era of The Maine’s discography, and yet it plays out much better than any other “compilation” of collected B-sides ever would. The reason why it works so well is that The Maine have the confidence to go in any direction they please, as was displayed on their 2024 single “Touch”, and further cemented on this latest record. The band have been no strangers to reinvention, as documented in their dynamic nine-album discography, and yet this album that touches on each of their past recordings showcases what The Maine are capable of creating when firing on all creative cylinders. While it may have been easier for the band to simply dust off these old demos and release them as-is, taking the easy road simply isn’t in The Maine’s DNA. Dyed brings the listener back to where it all started, offers a cohesive journey through their past work, all while still sounding like the band we have known and loved over time that continues to get better with age.
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Recently I was able to connect with singer-songwriter, Greg Freeman, to discuss his latest single and video for “Colorado.” The song comes from Freeman’s reissued debut LP I Looked Out and showcases the songwriter’s incredible depth found in his music. Greg Freeman shared, “I wrote this song a few years ago, when the world was entering a scary and uncertain time, and hope seemed fleeting and very far in the distance. The song is about wanting to find connection in such a world. In a way, it feels like an old song to me at this point, but that place of uncertainty feels even more pronounced than when I wrote it. The acoustic version is just more sparse. There’s a harmonica instead of a saxophone. There’s no drums either. Merce does the high part and I do the low part. I also play the concertina in the recording. Our friend Nate Campisi recorded the song at Mr. Smalls studio in Pittsburgh (where we also recorded the video). It used to be an old church.” If you’re enjoying the video, please consider supporting this artist here.
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Recently I was able to connect with Raleigh, NC eclectic rock band, Thirsty Curses, to ask them about their great new single called “Breakfast Schemckfast.” In this brief interview, I asked them about their forthcoming LP called Music is a Scam, and what fans of their band can expect when they listen to the record front-to-back. Music is a Scam releases digitally on February 27th, and vinyl pre-orders are on-going here.
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Recently I was able to connect with NYC-based indie rock band, Occurrence, to discuss everything that went into their latest single called ”Feeding Time.” On top of the new single, the band is thrilled to announce their new LP called Real Friend that will be out wherever music is sold on February 28th. In this brief interview, I asked the band about how the new single helped shape the upcoming album, their improved writing process, and the themes present in Real Friend. The new LP is available for pre-order here.
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Another year has come and gone, but the music remains. 2024 was filled with more great music, and in this article, I’ll not only be outlining my Top 30 albums of the year, but also my favorite EPs, songs (with a playlist), concerts, books, entertainment, and interviews I conducted. I want to thank everyone who took the time to visit this site this year, and I hope everyone had a very happy holiday season!
Read More “Adam Grundy’s Top Albums of 2024”
The new lead single from NJ pop-punk band, All Systems Go, comes from their recently announced EP Finding Closure, and is a solid slab of heartfelt punk rock filled with great guitar breakdowns and passionate vocal performances. “Everything Going Well is a Bad Thing, Right?” was produced by Gary Cioni (Crime in Stereo, Hot Mulligan) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (New Found Glory, Senses Fail), and All Systems Go have really developed a professional and poised sound on this track. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Pezza shared, “This song is about how poor communication leads to people being on different wavelengths. In context, the ‘remember me when you’re famous’ line is essentially a substitute phrase for communicating ‘this isn’t going to work out’. But no one knows that until it’s actually stated a couple lines later. There’s a reason why people always say ‘communication is key’ – not just in dating but in working relationships, friendships, etc. It’s always better to be direct; mean what you say and say what you mean.” The song is reminiscent of the starry-eyed pop-punk of The Starting Line, paired with the complex guitar parts of Four Year Strong, and put on blend with a bit of the band’s own flavor.
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The latest book by Andi Coulter, called AFI, takes a comprehensive look at the meteoric rise of the legendary punk band AFI whom have been no strangers to reinvention throughout their storied musical career. While Coulter mentions in the Prelude that this book is “not an all-encompassing narrative” on the band, AFI still serves as a gripping tale of a band with a clear vision for their music, style, and ethos. From the early days of AFI finding their footing in the underground punk scene, to their breakthrough into the mainstream on Sing the Sorrow, everything flows with great pacing and intricate details that even the band’s most dedicated fans will devour. In an easily-digestable 130-plus page effort, Coulter does a fantastic job of getting to the core of what made AFI such a key major label “catch,” while offering clues as to why certain records didn’t resonate as firmly with their fans. It’s a book that you won’t be able to put down, and can easily swim through in one sitting.
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8123 Fest, the music festival curated by Arizona rock band The Maine, is making its highly anticipated return in January 2025. For the first time ever, the festival will span two full days, packed with incredible performances, exclusive events, and more. Taking place at the Mesa Amphitheater on January 17–18 2025, the festival offers a celebration of music, nostalgia, and community that fans won’t want to miss.
To highlight everything that is taking place during this two-day festival, I thought it would be cool to connect with some of the bands who would be performing. In this article, I have interviews with members of The Maine, Real Friends, and Bad Suns. Each of the bands I interviewed shared what the 8123 Fest means to them, the new music they are working on, as well as what fans can look forward to from their bands in the new year. 8123 Fest tickets are on sale here.
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Recently I was able to connect with Taylor Acorn to discuss what went into the writing and recording process of her newly announced EP, Greener (Acoustic). The EP hits streaming services tomorrow, but we are thrilled to bring everyone the exclusive premiere of the two-track acoustic collection today. Featuring songs from Acorn’s thrilling debut, Survival In Motion, this EP gets to the core of what makes her such a talented songwriter. Taylor shared:
”Greener” has been one of those songs that has just gotten me through. I needed to write it, I needed to feel it, and I know there’s two versions already, but I am a sucker for an acoustic. There’s something that’s just so sweet and uplifting about the acoustic, and I’m really excited for everyone to hear it.
If you’re enjoying the early listen, you can also pre-save the EP here.
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Recently I was able to connect with Aaron Louis, better known as the solo project called The Clamor, to discuss what went into the writing and recording process of the latest single, “Staircase Stomp.” The song navigates the recognition of a sense of emptiness and unmet desires in life, coupled with an internal rebellion and the quest for comfort and connection. The Clamor are onto something great here, and more music will be coming soon in the new year.
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This past week I was able to schedule a Zoom call with the lead vocalist of Silverstein, Shane Told, to discuss the band’s “25 Years of Noise” tour with Thursday, as well as what went into the writing and recording process of their recently announced two new albums, Antibloom and Pink Moon. Shane dove deep into how the two records were shaped while recording in Joshua Tree, and how the vibe of that place started to seep into the new material. I also asked Shane to walk me through the “personality” of Silverstein’s last five LPs, plus much more. Antibloom will be released on February 21st via UNFD and pre-orders are on-going here.
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Recently I was able to connect with the ultra-talented singer-songwriter, Stella Rose, to discuss her new single and music video for “Beautiful Twenty-Somethings.” Stella Rose has also released a new EP today called Hollybaby via KRO Records. In this interview, I asked Stella about her experiences in the fashion world, her passion for music, as well as some insight on the artistic direction of her music videos.
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