Today I’m excited to bring everyone the new single and music video from Summer Like The Season, called “Mental.” On this great-sounding new track, this Detroit-based band capture the imagination and spirit of indie-electronica music into a thrilling package. Get ready to discover indie rock’s best kept secret.
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Today is a great day to share the new single from rock band EG Vines called “The Swim.” With a sound that sways somewhere between the blissful pop rock of the Gin Blossoms, to the lofty arena pop of Arctic Monkeys, EG Vines may just be one of the best kept secrets in rock. The bands shared:
’The Swim’ is a song about making yourself into the person you want to be, and finding a better path forward. Getting over that feeling of ‘not this shit again’ when you continually fuck things up and just can’t seem to get out of your own way. This song is that light bulb moment when you find a better way. As with most songs on our new album, Dance Moves, it started with the band in a room and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. John Rodrigue started this one out with an uptempo drumbeat and Ben Cunningham and I pushed our guitars to dirty-as-hell while I rattled off the melody. Throw in a few hand claps and some background ‘ahhs’ and you’ve got a 3-minute, feel-good rock & roll song.
If you’ve been looking for that next great band that checks all the boxes, look no further than EG Vines.
Read More “EG Vines – “The Swim” (Song Premiere)”
Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone the new EP from Todd Morse called Time Stopper. This release will be on legendary label Manic Kat Records, and features some great songs from Morse tinged with punk, pop, and a plethora of anthemic moments. Morse shared, “Signing with Manic Kat has inspired me to become more prolific which is what I needed. I try to live in the moment as much as possible these days but I do want to leave a musical legacy. Sometimes you have those moments in life where it feels like time stops and I live for that. Songs can hit you that way. I hope I create that moment for someone.” Todd Morse may have just crafted the next great punk record.
Read More “Todd Morse – “Time Stopper” (Album Stream)”
Recently I was able to catch up with Charleston-based indie rock band, Whitehall, to chat about their upcoming new LP Maizy, out everywhere music is sold on May 5th. Whitehall is Paddy Mckiernan (Vocals/Guitar), Avery Green (Guitar), Brennan Clark (Bass), and Davis Rowe (Drums). I asked the band about their approach to writing great singles like, ”Pull,” as well as what they hope others will take away from listening to their music. The band has toured with pop-rock giants like the Goo Goo Dolls, and appear poised and ready for their moment.
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Today is a great day to share the new single and lyric video from Alexander Wren called “Full Time Blues.” For those unfamiliar with this talented artist, he fits somewhere in the same vein as Mt. Joy and Father John Misty, with a sound that truly must be heard. The song comes from Wren’s forthcoming LP To Whom It May Concern, that will be out everywhere music is sold on May 19th. Alexander Wren shared, “In an industry filled with sad indie artists, I think that I want to continue leaning into this more Fauvist corner of music. This traditional side with excitement and energy. This narrative side of music that isn’t only about angst and failed religion. This side of music that just feels classic–that transcends daily struggles and makes you want to go out on the weekend.” Get ready to discover music’s next big indie artist.
Read More “Alexander Wren – “Full Time Blues” (Song Premiere)”
Today I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to TELECOM, the solo project of Brooklyn-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sean McVerry. On his electric new single called “Ramon,” TELECOM wears his Brit-pop influences proudly on his sleeve in a song ready for your next playlist. I was also able to catch up with McVerry for a brief interview about this new single below.
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Pop rock band, PHNTMS, have returned with a new, vibrant single called “Heat of the Moment” that features The Chain Gang of 1974. The new song was produced by Courtney Ballard (Grayscale, Armor for Sleep) and is dripping with dark synths, paired with vocals by Kamtin Mohager (of The Chain Gang of 1974). What PHNTMS do best on this track is pay direct homage to 80’s electronica bands with a twist of modern flair in the guitar parts to keep things feeling fresh.
The song opens with syrupy-thick synths before breaking away into a great guitar riff by Adam Jessamine. The second verse of, “So when did love become so deceiving? / Something I can’t define / You’re playing tricks in my mind / Face it, we are simply just human / And this is not apathy / Just let me go and get high / Oh my my,” tackles the difficulties of navigating a one-sided relationship. The anthemic chorus is well-constructed, and if the song has any faults, it’s that it ends too soon. “Heat of the Moment” is sure to be stuck in your mind for days on end.
Recently I was able to catch up with Aaron Louis of The Clamor to discuss his debut, self-titled LP. The new album was released today, March 17th, and we premiered the record yesterday.
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Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone a teaser for a new single from talented pop artist, JJ Braves, called “The High Dive.” With breathtaking vocals paired with lush musical arrangements, JJ Braves has crafted a track ready for any playlist.
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Nostalgia can have a funny way of bringing back a flood of memories, whether they be for good or bad. Story of the Year do a great job of honing in on the positive memories of their platinum-certified debut LP, Page Avenue, into a re-imagined version of this sound found on their sixth studio album called Tear Me To Pieces. From the similar cover art, to the references of a familiar time on the song “2005,” Story of the Year embrace their past while still looking towards the future. Tear Me To Pieces features a more polished version of themselves that they hinted at on Wolves, and probably wish they had the poise to create back in 2003. This album is a solid collection of songs that hit hard from front to back, and still leave the door wide open to where they could take their sound next. With themes ranging from self-doubt, anxiety, and meaningful relationships, Story of the Year’s return to the music scene couldn’t have come at a better time.
Read More “Story of the Year – Tear Me To Pieces” Today is a great day to share the self-titled debut LP from The Clamor, that comes from the mind of Aaron Louis. This new punk rock project channels musicians like Joe Strummer and Billie Joe Armstrong into a crowd-pleasing package. Louis shared this about the record:
The album is not me trying to recreate that atmosphere but a place to begin where I left off. Even if that just means having fun – like not being too precious, finding ways to be vulnerable, and embracing the collision of styles, all of which I hope you feel in this album. I like this moment in my life and feel like this album was a way to create a sort of sonic snapshot of what I’ve been thinking about and what’s important to me. And thinking of how fast it goes.
Get ready to fall in love with The Clamor.
Read More “The Clamor – ‘The Clamor’ (Album Stream)”
Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone the new single and music video from rock band, Iguana Death Cult, called “Pushermen.” With a sound that strays somewhere between the indie rock of The Strokes and the craftsmanship of pub rock bands like Catfish and the Bottlemen, this band checks all the right boxes. On their video, the band shared, “‘Pushermen.’ It kind of sounds like an action movie doesn’t it? Sadly we came a couple of million short, so Hache came with the idea to do a casting video for a fictional film called: ‘Pushermen.’ The scenes we did were loosely based on the movie ‘Superfly.’ If you know, you know.” The track comes from their new LP, Echo Palace, out everywhere music is sold on May 12th, and I was also able to catch up with Iguana Death Cult for a brief interview below.
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How exactly did AFI transition from being a band that hardcore and goth kids had in their back pocket to becoming such a pop culture worldwide phenomenon? The answer depends on who you ask. Having outgrown their indie label of Nitro Records given the monumental success of their fifth studio album, The Art of Drowning, AFI were simply destined for a wider audience on their major label debut called Sing the Sorrow. This record was produced by A-list veterans Jerry Finn (Blink-182) and Butch Vig (Nirvana), and they helped the band craft some of their strongest songs to date. Much to the surprise of many record executives, and to the delight of their Dreamworks Records label, AFI’s Sing the Sorrow would sell 96,000 copies in its first week and debut at number five on the Billboard 200. This record seemed to be an unstoppable giant that both the hardcore/goth kids could sing a long to with the same audience as newer fans who liked Blink-182 and other pop-punk bands. The lead single of “Girl’s Not Grey” was a perfect choice of introducing AFI to a wider audience, and it was filled with slick hooks, great guitar work, and Davey Havok’s trademark vocal howls. The great thing about AFI’s growing audience was that their concerts would be a combination of kids from all different backgrounds coming together with the same unified feeling towards this band’s music. This accomplishment didn’t happen overnight, and yet AFI’s trajectory had quickly launched into the stratosphere.
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It’s really a treat to watch an artist blossom gracefully as they release new music that they believe in. Chase Tremaine has returned with his third full-length studio album, Accidental Days, that was produced by Brendan St. Gelais, and Tremaine really does a great job of capturing what I love most about guitar-driven pop songs. Tremaine has mapped out a comprehensive musical landscape that could very well be his best work yet, and it’s certainly my favorite of his to date. Through these ten songs that are filled with passion and purpose, Tremaine makes Accidental Days a labor of love, while wearing his influences of bands like Thrice, Mae and other prominent artists in the scene into a beautiful composition of music.
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I’d like to introduce everyone to Booze Radly. This Philadelphia-based, five-piece emo/punk band is comprised of Alex Manescu (Guitar/Vocals), Dylan Molloy (keyboard/vocals), Vince Dejesus (Guitar), Youssef Moussa (Bass), and Peter Sovia (Drums). On their latest EP, entitled Lose, Badly, they take the best parts of “loser rock” and re-package it in a meaningful way that makes you ultimately root for their success. This band sounds like a mixture between Gob, Homegrown, and Weezer, all put into a blender to see what drink you’re ready to consume.
They kick things off with their lead single, “White Guy Emo,” that features some nice guest vocals from Gabby Relos to layer out their vocal attack. Manescu opens with, “First loves never really fade away / But how interesting is that for us to say / You know I’m tired and it’s a chore / But these songs keep coming cause all we are is bored,” as he captures that teenage, punk rock spirit in a nutshell. Other songs like the frenetic “Hydro Illogical” find Booze Radly experimenting with bratty vocals paired with a mosh pit-ready anthem, while “Crash and Burn” keeps the interest level high in this punk band’s attack.
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