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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

Review: A Place To Bury Strangers – Exploding Head

Adam Grundy

The sophomore record from A Place To Bury Strangers called Exploding Head has received a vinyl reissue with nearly a full second album’s worth of bonus tracks tacked on to the end for your enjoyment. This “noise rock” band sounds crisp and full on the vinyl version that I’m listening to, and features some extensive packaging and other treats in this 13th anniversary deluxe set. When the album was released in 2009, it garnered mostly positive reviews, and it’s easy to see why. A Place To Bury Strangers channel the deepest, darkest parts of industrial rock in a sound that fans of NIN, My Bloody Valentine, and AFI would certainly enjoy.

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Interview: Chris Lewis and Scott Russo of Unwritten Law

Unwritten Law
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Chris Lewis (lead guitarist) and Scott Russo (lead vocalist) of Unwritten Law to discuss the band’s latest album, The Hum. In this interview, we chatted about the 20th anniversary of Elva, the legacy of Unwritten Law, as well as the songs they are most excited to play live during their upcoming headlining tour of the United States.

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Review: Between The Echoes – Awake While Dreaming

Adam Grundy

When I last sat down to write about Between the Echoes, it was for their single “Phantom Limb” that featured Anberlin’s Stephen Christian on guest vocals. The band has since released their debut full-length record called Awake While Dreaming. The album features several twists and turns, much like navigating your way out of a labyrinth, and their ability to tell a story from beginning to end is rarely seen this vividly on a first album. Over the 14-track LP, that also includes three interludes to break up the sections of the album, Between the Echoes take the listener on a cryptic journey of self-discovery that is filled with plenty of youthful exuberance.

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Review: Trampled By Turtles – Alpenglow

Adam Grundy

Very few bands can last long enough to record five studio albums, let alone ten, in the brutal music business. The indie folk rock band known as Trampled By Turtles are circling the wagons on their victory lap for Alpenglow, their 10th studio album to date. This set was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy with the majority of the 11 songs being written by lead singer Dave Simonett. This latest LP would be a great fit for fans of the quirky indie folk by The Decemberists, the working-man approach to songwriting by Jason Isbell, and the picturesque storytelling of Bob Dylan. Alpenglow is a stunning achievement for a band who continues to push the envelope of their creativity in new and interesting ways.

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Review: My Chemical Romance – Conventional Weapons

My Chemical Romance - Conventional Weapons
Adam Grundy

The circumstances that led to My Chemical Romance releasing a collection of scrapped album material, known now as Conventional Weapons, could’ve come under happier situations. However, shortly after the release of the album, that was spread out over five 7-inch records (called Number One, etc.) the band would shock their rabid fanbase and music fans alike by announcing their breakup on March 22nd, 2013. I vividly remember being cautiously excited when Conventional Weapons was first announced, because I’ve seen this formula all too well when bands suddenly release all of their previously scrapped material or extended B-sides before going their separate ways. MCR unfortunately would follow down this unfortunate path, and would not reunite until their announcement was made on October 31, 2019.

Conventional Weapons being observed as a compilation of B-sides, or scrapped material, is a bit unfair since this material flows well in the 10-song sequencing and many fans still consider this to be a “fifth” studio album from My Chemical Romance. The band has even continued to incorporate many of these songs into their setlist on their US tour, so one could argue that the band still believes strongly in these tracks as well. From the aggressive opening sequence of “Boy Division” to the closing bars of “Burn Bright,” MCR made sure their legacy was left intact on this record that has started to get more notoriety over time.

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Review: Chase Tremaine – My Heart Settled In The Middle

Adam Grundy

Sometimes you hear a great new single, and it makes you immediately clamor for hearing more from that artist. This is exactly what happened to me when singer-songwriter Chase Tremaine sent me over his new single called “Middle Of My Words.” The track features everything you’d want in a great-sounding alternative rock song: lush guitar riffs, smooth vocals, as well as few “studio tricks” to keep things moving on the right trajectory for an artist. Tremaine shared on Bandcamp about what inspired this latest EP: “Ironically, these three tracks are also taken directly from the middle stretch of my upcoming third studio album, Accidental Days. I decided to put this EP together after realizing that I would not be able to release Accidental Days in 2022 as originally planned. The full album is now due in early 2023, and I think this EP makes a fitting standalone project as I ask you, my friends, to wait a few extra months before getting to hear the full thing.” By crafting a three-song EP filled with so much promise and poise, Chase Tremaine is able to re-ignite excitement for fans of his music, while still teasing all of the new possibilities of what is to come on his third full-length record next year.

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Asylums – “Signs of Life” (Song Premiere)

Asylums
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the latest single from Asylums called “Signs Of Life.” On this electric-charged single, Asylums channel the best parts of rock n’ roll with a blistering guitar groove that would even make Blur jealous. Lead vocalist Luke Branch shared:

Musically speaking we tried to broaden the edges slightly on this album, quite frankly we didn’t know if we would ever get to play it live so exploring the studio felt apt. We brought in strings, piano, organ and other sounds but still tried to stay true to our artistic values. I personally like to think of this album as our ‘Rubber Soul’ (The Beatles) or maybe even our ‘Out of Time’ (R.E.M.).

The track comes from the band’s recently released new LP Signs of Life.

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Saint Christopher – “Colina” (Song Premiere)

Saint Christopher
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to share the latest single from Saint Christopher, called “Colina.” The song comes from his new LP entitled Pop Shit, out everywhere this Friday, October 28th. On this ballad, Chris Kalil shared:

Every pop album needs a sappy love ballad, I don’t make the rules. One of those songs where you stop playing it cool and just dive head-first into the corny, by-the-numbers, Hallmark version of love. Sometimes there’s still some truth in the platitudes. The message of ‘Colina’ is simple: life sucks but love is beautiful. When the bad times come it’s better to go through them together.”

Get ready to explore the best parts of a sappy love song on Saint Christopher’s single.

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Mother Sun – “Memory Banker” (Video Premiere)

Mother Sun
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the latest single and music video from Mother Sun, called “Memory Banker.” The song is a lo-fi, psychedelic blast of nostalgic rock that re-lives the glory days of 70’s rock n’ roll. Lead vocalist Jared Doherty shared:

This song imagines your brain as a teller at a bank, pulling subconscious strings, filing away new information, tugging at the past and basking in the faint glow of faded nostalgia. Its accompanying video was spontaneously shot on the drive home from the studio we were recording at, Little Red Sounds in Vancouver, at about 2 am. Once I started filming the lens slowly unfocused and all the lights turned into beautiful soft circles swimming around the screen. One memory drifts into another on a late night drive through the back of your mind.

If you’ve ready to take a trip into the unknown, join Mother Sun on their musical quest.

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Review: Team Goldie – “I’m Back / Big Riff” (Single Review)

Team Goldie
Adam Grundy

I’m excited to re-introduce everyone to Team Goldie (the solo project from Matt from the band Cassettes), who have released a dual-single called “I’m Back” and “Big Riff.” On the first song, Matt is able to channel the best parts of the pop-punk genre in a crowd-pleasing package. He sings about his memories of the past few years and does a nice job of keeping his spirits high in this period of time that was so hard for so many people. His infectious energy makes for a great-sounding single that should keep interest high in this re-launched project.

On the second single, called “Big Riff,” Matt turns towards more of a rap-rock approach in the same vein as Twenty One Pilots and Powfu as he oozes with plenty of swagger in a song that bounces along with confidence. The country-tinged riff in the background keeps things interesting as it sounds like a familiar song, yet different enough to make it his own. Overall, there’s plenty to be excited about on Team Goldie’s triumphant return to the scene.

Review: Amarionette – Gemini

Adam Grundy

On the latest full-length effort from funk rockers, Amarionette, they are able to hone in on their strengths and deliver another solid album entitled Gemini. They last made a worthwhile appearance on 2020’s Sunset On This Generation which was a nice mix of frenetic punk rock paired with slick pop-based hooks. Amarionette continue to explore a similar path on Gemini, while still leaving room for some experimentation. The Las Vegas-based band do their best to keep things interesting on this collection of 12 cohesive songs that are sure to make you believers in their brand of rock.

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The Lighthouse and the Whaler – “What’s In Your Head” (Video Premiere)

The Lighthouse and the Whaler
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to bring everyone a new single and video from The Lighthouse and the Whaler called “What’s In Your Head.” In this great-sounding single that fits somewhere in the same vein as The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, this band crafts a crisp song about the complexities of relationships. I was also able to catch up with the band for a quick chat about this single.

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