Interview: 09

09

Recently I was able to chat with EJ Olson of the band 09 (pronounced “oh-nine”) to discuss his band’s great collaborative record called Lost Years. The new album features 12 songs with 12 different vocalists ranging from marquee names like Kellin Quinn and Marty Mullins to lesser known names looking to take advantage of the spotlight. In this interview, I asked EJ how the album came together with his bandmate, Chancelor Reeder, as well as the key artists 09 looks to for inspiration in their music. Lost Years is a record that should not be missed and I’d highly recommend everyone checking it out sooner rather than later.

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Review: Snarls – What About Flowers?

Those kids grow up fast, don’t they? Snarls have knocked all of the expectations for their band out of the park on their great new EP called, What About Flowers? On this Chris Walla-produced effort, this young band have absolutely floored me with their growth as songwriters, musicians, and people in general. When I last spoke with the band, they could hardly contain their excitement in discussing their new EP that comes shimmering through the speakers on its first listen. While their debut, Burst, found the band exploring what would “stick” best in their sound, What About Flowers? finds Snarls at their most focused and driven.

The first single released from this effort is the almost out of place song, “Fixed Gear,” that has a different guitar tone than the rest of the material that follows. In retrospect, it may have made more sense for this song to be a stand-alone single rather than kick-off this collection of songs, but it’s still a song I’m glad Snarls have birthed into this world. It features a great, driving beat, and is rounded out by complex guitar parts and beautifully harmonized and layered vocals. While the band was worried about more fans clinging to this sound of this track, rather than the rest of more synchronous material that follows, it’s still very much a song Snarls should be proud of creating.

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Full Bush – “Wild Heart” (Song Premiere)

Full Bush

Today I’m excited to share the latest single, called “Wild Heart” from Philly’s Riot Grrl band, Full Bush. In this blazing single, the band is able to grasp the spirit of early Riot Grrl bands and put their unique stamp on it for today’s audiences. Kate shared this about “Wild Heart:”

Learning to embrace what sets you apart and how you can embody those parts of yourself that perhaps you were told weren’t socially acceptable for one reason or another is what ‘Wild Heart’ is all about.  I wrote it at a time when I was struggling to find answers to why I was stuck repeating habits that weren’t serving me, and beginning to do inner child and shadow work helped make sense of the cognitive dissonance I’d been experiencing. The culmination of the song’s message is to stop fighting the lies you tell yourself and instead listen to and feed the pieces of yourself that are screaming to break free and embrace the wildness of who you are without fear.

If you’re still rocking out to this song, their new EP is out on December 3rd, and pre-orders are available here.

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Interview: Snarls

Snarls

Recently I was able to chat with the band Snarls before they embarked on a comprehensive US tour supporting The Happy Fits and their label mates M.A.G.S. In this interview, we discussed what it was like recording their new EP What About Flowers? with producer Chris Walla, their direct influences in their sound, and what makes the direction they took on their new EP so exciting. What About Flowers? will be hitting all streaming services on November 12th, and different vinyl options are still available at their Bandcamp store here.

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Review: Snail Mail – Valentine

Lindsey Jordan sounds like a young woman possessed. Possessed with purpose, direction, and a more rounded out sound than what came through the speakers of the bedroom pop classic debut album, Lush. Snail Mail, which is also comprised of bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown, sounds like a band pushing the boundaries of the “bedroom pop” label, and breaking down the damn door in the same process. Jordan has been put in the same vein as other artists like Soccer Mommy, Phoebe Bridgers, with even some comparisons to Fiona Apple, yet Snail Mail has found a way to break free of these similarities and created a lush (no pun intended) and rounded out sound on Valentine.

The Ellicott City, Maryland based artist is ready to explode out of the indie rock scene, and has already collected several high album ratings for Valentine from other music publications (and rightfully so). From the initial chords on the title track as Jordan croons, “Let’s go be alone / Where no one can see us, honey / Careful in that room / Those parasitic cameras, don’t they stop to stare at you,” it’s almost as if Snail Mail is making the conscious choice to leave that “room” that trapped her in the bedroom pop label, and leave that scene far behind as Jordan establishes herself as one of the better artists in the indie pop realm. As Jordan explodes into the chorus of, “So why’d you wanna erase me, darling valentine? / You always know where to find me when you change your mind,” it becomes crystal clear that she has the songwriting chops to elevate her game at just the right time.

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The Maguas – “Release Me”

Maguas

Today I’m excited to premiere the latest single from the emo/alt-rock band called The Maguas, for the track “Release Me.” The Maguas shared this about the song, “‘Release Me’ holds a very special place in our hearts as a band. We feel this song helps to portray that feeling of hopelessness one faces when their heart is broken after the loss of a loved one. This song is our interpretation of that internal struggle to let go or move forward from the fear of losing someone so dear to us. This song was conceptualized following the loss of our drummer’s grandfather and is a tribute to Brandon’s coming to terms with his grandfather’s passing.” If you’re rocking out to this song, please consider purchasing the single at your favorite streaming service starting tomorrow.

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Review: Sellout – Dan Ozzi

Sellout

When I last chatted with author Dan Ozzi about his book called Sellout, I asked him, “What does the word “Sellout” mean to you today?” And the author barely blinked by telling me, “Probably nothing!…And so I saw that word still out going around a lot recently, but I don’t see it as much for musicians anymore, because there’s no money in music now, right? How do you sell out?” What I wasn’t expecting from that answer was for Dan Ozzi to be completely on point with his description on the state of the music scene in this comprehensive look at eleven bands’ trajectory into dipping their toes into the major labels’ waters.

The book is carefully and thoughtfully organized into 11 succinct chapters following each of the eleven bands’ major label debuts. As you can imagine from the back cover stating the albums covered in the book, not all of these records were major label success stories. In fact, only a handful of them could be considered to be the record that put those bands on the map and would change their lives for the better (or worse). The book is incredibly entertaining, well-researched and Ozzi lives up to the hype of describing himself as “America’s Only Music Writer.”

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Interview: Right On, Kid

Right On, Kid

Recently I was able to catch up with the band Right On, Kid for an interview about their new album, Life is a Movie, as well as a music video (that feels like a movie) for the song “Stay Close.” In this feature, I asked thew band about how their touring regimen has been going, the band’s core influences, as well as what the rest of the year looks like for the band. Be sure to check out their new music video for “Stay Close” linked in this article.

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Divided Heaven – “Burn Me” (Video Premiere)

Divided Heaven

Today I’m thrilled to share the worldwide premiere of “Burn Me” by Divided Heaven. The band is comprised of Jeff Berman, and the band’s upcoming album Oblivion is slated for an early 2022 release date via A-F Records. Berman shared this about the great new single, “‘Burn Me’ is a punch thrown at the self-aggrandizing internet trolls. ‘Burn Me’ aims to counter the all-too-prevalent cultural pessimism and cynicism with the most raw and vicious song Divided Heaven has ever released. It’s not always easy to put your art on public display and to open yourself up to criticism and bullying (I’ve had my fair share, and then some). ‘Burn Me’ is a tribute to the artists that push the boundaries of their genre, dive into the androgynous, dabble in the dirty, all in the face of vitriolic social commentary. Produced by the great Charlie Stavish and a great way to kick-off this Oblivion-era of Divided Heaven!” If you enjoy this track as much as I did, consider pre-ordering Oblivion here, and international fans can pre-order here.

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Interview: Michael Gilligan of Fake Chapter Records

Fake Chapter Records

A couple of weeks back, I thought of a cool idea to start a small “series” of interviews taking a look at a few indie record labels and some of the unique facets of what makes them important in our scene. First up is Michael Gilligan from Fake Chapter Records, whose label is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year. To celebrate, the label has put together a compilation of 25 bands from the 25 years of the label. The compilation releases on November 11th, but you can secure your copy here.

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Dancing On Tables – “Riviera” (Video Premiere)

Dancing On Tables

The Scottish alternative rock band called Dancing On Tables have returned with their latest single called “Riviera.” In this high-energy performance video, the band showcase their musical chops that led to them gaining the coveted support slot on a recent Catfish and the Bottlemen touring stint. The song comes from their Play Play Play EP, and if you enjoy what you hear as much as I did, you can check out the brand new album here.

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Review: PLEXXAGLASS – Where Is Your God, Knowing What You Know Now?

Welcome to the world of Plexxaglass! This brooding collection of songs found on the singer’s debut is filled with raw emotion, great vocals, and killer production as well. Where is Your God, Knowing What You Know Now? is simply put an artistic statement to the boldest degree, as the nonbinary vocalist shines all over the LP. Led by the first song, “Lilith,” produced by Mike Shinoda, it becomes crystal clear that this artist is here for the long haul. The ultra-talented vocalist sways from one song to the next with veteran poise not normally seen this early on in a career.

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Interview: Dan Ozzi

Dan Ozzi

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to schedule a Zoom interview with the extremely busy, Dan Ozzi. In this interview, we discussed his unique writing process for his new book called Sellout, some unique stories of his time working in the music industry, advice he would give to other writers, as well as his process for preparing for an interview. Be sure to check out Sellout, which is available for purchase here.

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Pass Away – “Oreo” (Song Premiere)

Pass Away

Today I’m thrilled to premiere the single for “Oreo” by Pass Away. This Brooklyn, New York band formed in 2013 in what began as a side project from members of I Am The Avalanche and Crime In Stereo, Pass Away has become a powerful songwriting force in the scene. The band shared this quote about the new single, “This song is named after Oreo, a black cat that I woke up with sleeping on the top of my head on a very early Lower East Side morning. I was in a strange place, laying next to a stranger who a few years later ended up being my wife. I didn’t think I was worth a shit or worthy of any kind of love or partnership at that point in my life. This song is about knowing when to pump the brakes, chill out on the self abuse and let the good stuff happen.” With great hooks and impressive songwriting, Pass Away are truly onto something great here. The track comes from their new album, Thirty Nine, and pre-orders are now up.

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Interview: Keep It A Secret

Keep it a Secret

Recently I was able to catch up with the band Keep It A Secret before they released their latest single, “Middle With My Thumbs Up.” In this Zoom interview, I asked each of the band members about their core influences, their dream show on what bands they think they would be best to open for, as well as some of the back story on how they became the band they are today. The band has been steadily releasing new material, and is considering an EP at some point soon.

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