Interview: John Feldmann of Goldfinger

Adam Grundy Aug 5, 2022

This past week I was able to catch up with the ultra-busy leader of Goldfinger, John Feldmann, to discuss the band’s recent re-release of Never Look Back (Deluxe). In this in-depth interview, John and I discussed the legacy of Goldfinger, as well as what lessons he has learned over the years of being a veteran producer. Never Look Back (Deluxe) features great re-worked versions of Goldfinger classics like “Superman” ft. Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) and “Here In Your Bedroom” ft. Avril Lavigne, among many other great tracks in the 19-song set. Never Look Back (Deluxe) is available everywhere music is sold/streamed today.

Adam Grundy Aug 5, 2022

One of the many fun things about revisiting albums, like this one, is learning out new things about the record that most may have missed when it first came out. For example, while researching the context surrounding Gin Blossoms and their second studio album called New Miserable Experience, I never knew there was an alternate cover that was released for this record. In fact, the first cover for the album depicts an Arizona desert, which would later be replaced with the current image after A&M Records decided to push the record hard at radio outlets. With singles like “Lost Horizons,” “Allison Road,” “Until I Fall Away,” and arguably their biggest breakthrough single called “Hey Jealousy,” Gin Blossoms had everything you’d like to see in a band trying to make a name for themselves. The set was co-produced by Gin Blossoms and John Hampton (The Raconteurs, The White Stripes), and this LP holds up surprisingly well after 30 long years. By the time the promotional cycle would wrap up on New Miserable Experience, Gin Blossoms would earn a 4x Platinum record on their sophomore effort.

Adam Grundy Aug 4, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to Beverly Crusher, a new anthemic alternative rock band that tugs on your heartstrings of classic rock nostalgia. On the song, “Gimmie The Power,” the three musicians channel the best parts of the genre into a crowd-pleasing package. The band is comprised of lead vocalist/guitarist Cozell Wilson, bassist Max Stiles, and drummer Sam Stiles, and their sound strays somewhere between college rock and club-ready bands like The Struts and Incubus. On the latest single, Beverly Crusher shared, “‘Gimmie the Power’ is an anthem that takes many forms. Sometimes it’s a chant for revolution, sometimes it’s a call to the after world asking for for unworldy help, but always, it’s about Cozell’s irrational fear and obsession with Chucky (the doll from Child’s Play).” If you’re ready to drift into the murky waters of this new rock band, Beverly Crusher are happy to supply the soundtrack.

Adam Grundy Aug 3, 2022

Her talent is undeniable. Maggie Rogers seemed to be destined for this type of breakthrough success after catching an early break when her song “Alaska” caught the ears of Pharrell Williams in a class he taught at her school in 2016. This would allow the floodgates to open with opportunities of major labels wanting to sign Rogers on the spot. Heard It In A Past Life, Maggie Rogers’ debut, would continue this breakthrough success with marquee support tours with Mumford & Sons, Haim, and Kacey Musgraves before doing an extensive word-wide headlining tour to solidify her status as a name to watch, and she would even get nominated for a Grammy award for Best New Artist along this same timeline. Since the release of her debut album, Rogers decided to go to graduate school at Harvard Divinity School, where she would graduate with a Master of Religion and Public Life degree. This worthy path back to education still allowed Maggie Rogers some time to focus on her music and record what would become the Surrender sessions with producer Kid Harpoon. This set is co-produced by Rogers, and it’s a remarkable achievement in her musical journey. With an album filled with great vibes, soul-wrenching lyrics, unique beats, and the songwriting chops similar to a young Joni Mitchell, Maggie Rogers has created the record she may have only dreamed of making in her youth.

Adam Grundy Aug 3, 2022

Today is the perfect day to introduce everyone to Coma Girls, a shoegaze/indie folk artist that appear poised for your playlists. On their latest single, entitled “Keep All Of Your Happiness,” Coma Girls channel the best parts of synth-heavy rock with pleasing results. The track comes from Coma Girls’ album No Umbrella For Star Flower, which will be released on September 2nd via Baby Robot Records. The creative driver for Coma Girls, Chris Spino, shared this about the upcoming album, “This record was my one escape, the one thing that kept me from going off the rails. It’s a pandemic record, a relapse record, a break-up record, and a recovery record. This was the thing that was keeping me sane.” If you’re ready to join in the world of Coma Girls, look no further than this single.

Adam Grundy Aug 2, 2022

Andrew McMahon sounds like a man who’s been through some really tough situations. From a childhood filled with several moves to different parts of the country, to his dad’s battle with addiction, and his steadfast love for the music that got him through it all, McMahon crafts a tangled web of stories that he divides up into three book sections based on three pianos that have meant something to him at different points of his life and career. Three Pianos: A Memoir is a fairly quick reading experience, especially for those familiar with McMahon’s musical references in his bands of Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and lastly Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness. This only speaks to his ability as an author to convey such rich, vivid memories from an emotional standpoint that led him to be the man that he is today. As McMahon puts it in his memoir, referencing the transition between Jack’s Mannequin and the start of a new adventure in The Wilderness Years, “Starting over at twenty is easy. At thirty it’s a test of your mettle.” Battling through a leukemia diagnosis, to navigating through several starts and stops in his musical journey, McMahon never lets his difficult story seem hopeless. Instead, he provides a beacon of hope for others to keep pressing on when we reach our own breaking point.

Adam Grundy Aug 1, 2022

It feels great to have Anberlin back in the music fold. The band seemed very comfortable walking away from the music scene after the release of their last (and at the time, final) album called Lowborn and an accompanying farewell tour, yet fast forwarding to the band’s reconciliation in 2018, where Anberlin would perform several concerts and then in May of 2020, the band announced they would be working on some new music once again. Add in a few livestream concerts during the pandemic, and Anberlin regained their band chemistry and appear to be re-invigorated in the path that lies before them. This passion was felt first-hand in lead vocalist Stephen Christian when I interviewed him about Silverline. Hearing Christian’s take on how these songs came together with producers Tim McTague (Underoath), Chad Carouthers, and JJ Revell only brings further context to the rich tunes that came together on this EP.

Adam Grundy Aug 1, 2022

Every now and then you come across a band or a song that makes you feel fortunate to be a music writer. This feeling come in strongly with Between The Echoes and their new single entitled “Phantom Limb.” The track even features some guest vocals from Anberlin’s Stephen Christian towards the end of the song to add to the layers of complexity and conflict within the song’s lyrics. The band is comprised of Chad William, Katie Jean, Marvin Albert, and their unique band chemistry pays off majorly with a crisp pop-punk delivery. With a sound that drifts somewhere between the darkest parts of Finch, paired with the pop sensibilities of Broadside, Between The Echoes are well on their way to making the best use of their moment.

Adam Grundy Jul 28, 2022

Today is the perfect time to hit play on the single from Beach Bums called “WAR.” This LA-based experimental rock band crushes out this synth-heavy, electronica-infused song with professional poise. On this latest track, Beach Bums shared, “This single, ‘WAR,’ is a candle provided by god to help light the way through the dark, secretive, and extremely personal journeys that we continue to face (and/or may later face) in our lives. I hope this song leads you to the ashes of all your wars.” If you’re ready to take the next dramatic step forward in your musical journey, Beach Bums will accept all who follow.

Adam Grundy Jul 26, 2022

Recently I was able to catch up with the lead vocalist of Anberlin, Stephen Christian, for an in-depth interview about the band’s new EP entitled Silverline. We chatted about the legacy of Anberlin, the memories Stephen has from visiting each city as they go on tour, as well as what the band learned about their storied discography through each of their livestreams during the pandemic. Silverline will be released July 29th via Equal Vision Records.

Adam Grundy Jul 25, 2022

Recently I was able to catch up with a talented alternative rock band called Oh Lonesome Ana right after they released a new record. This band would be perfect for fans of Jets to Brazil, The Weakerthans, and Pedro the Lion, while still adding a unique twist to their own music. In this interview, I asked the band about their core influences, what continues to keep them motivated as artists and musicians, as well as how their songwriting has continued to evolve.

Adam Grundy Jul 25, 2022

Today I’m excited to share the latest music video from Trick Gum (comprised of Justin Raisen and Jordan Benik) for their new single called “Tim Dillon.” The song takes its inspiration from comedian Tim Dillon, and as Raisen shared, “As far as the ‘Tim Dillon’ video goes, besides being the one of the funniest comedians on the planet, we also wanted to see him look like Jagger.” I was also able to get more insight from Trick Gum in a short interview below.

Adam Grundy Jul 22, 2022

On the third full-length record from Albany, New York’s alternative rock band called Coupons, they hone in on their songwriting and use the full power of their four band members to contribute to a record entitled Wasted Intimacy. With a sound that tows the line somewhere between Oso Oso, The Format, and Foxing, Coupons appear to be hitting the right groove in their collective approach to their music on this album. From the steady beat found on the opening track called “Mardi Gras” to the spacey closer of “Japanese Whiskey,” Coupons could be just the right band for this strange moment in our lives.

Adam Grundy Jul 21, 2022

All truth be told, I wasn’t an immediate fan of this little New Jersey band called My Chemical Romance that came storming onto the emo scene with I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. If I remember right, the first song that I ever came across from MCR was an MP3 of “Vampires Will Never Hurt You,” which coincidentally was the first single to be released from the set. Whether the song caught me in a bad mood, or the fact that the emo/screamo/punk rock scene was exploding with more bands and content than my ears or brain could handle at that time, My Chemical Romance never really got its due justice in my regular music rotation. That all changed quickly when I went to Washington, DC’s legendary 9:30 Club in the summer of 2002 to check out The Used. Luckily for me, I made the wise decision to get there early and see if the openers had anything worth checking out. The very first band to take the stage had bad haircuts, fresh faces, and a lead singer rocking a studded belt while donning a leather jacket. Little did I know, I would be watching my future favorite front-man in Gerard Way, and my future all-time favorite band in My Chemical Romance grab the audience by the throat and never let go in the the short 30-minute set that featured songs from Bullets.

Adam Grundy Jul 21, 2022

Starting your day off on the right foot, an art-rock/experimental band called Up Is The Down The are sharing their latest single called “Memento.” The four-piece band is from Boise, Idaho and take their influences on established artists like Andrew Bird and Them Yorke to a new level with this great-sounding track. The latest single comes from their LP entitled Pulling the Wool, which will be fully released on August 12th via Earth Libraries. I was also able to catch up with the band for a short interview about this single that takes its inspiration from the Christopher Nolan film of the same name.

Interview: John Feldmann of Goldfinger

Review: Gin Blossoms – New Miserable Experience

Beverly Crusher – “Gimmie The Power” (Song Premiere)

Review: Maggie Rogers – Surrender

Coma Girls – “Keep All Of Your Happiness” (Song Premiere)

Review: Andrew McMahon – Three Pianos: A Memoir

Review: Anberlin – Silverline

Review: Between The Echoes – “Phantom Limb”

Beach Bums – “WAR” (Song Premiere)

Interview: Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Interview: Oh Lonesome Ana

Trick Gum – “Tim Dillon” (Video Premiere)

Review: Coupons – Wasted Intimacy

Review: My Chemical Romance – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love

Up Is The Down The – “Memento” (Song Premiere)