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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Review: Incubus – Morning View

It’s amazing what a little visual perspective can do for a band. While many of the 90’s Alt-Rock and nu-metal scene were sledging away in the studio, Incubus decided to create an environment most conducive to the music they wanted to create. The band decided to live in a large, spacious house in Malibu, California. This would be the last record made with bassist Alex “Dirk” Katunich, and he described in interviews that the band, “tried to do that for at least the writing portion of Make Yourself, but we didn’t have enough clout at the time. The idea was to not feel as if you were driving [somewhere] to work on a record. You could just get up and it was a natural extension of your day.” Vocalist Brandon Boyd shared that sentiment in other ways by saying, “every time we’d pull into the street we had the view of the ocean and Pacific Coast Highway. I got a big creative boner every time I’d show up to the house.” And from that, Incubus would give birth to the record now known as Morning View. If Make Yourself was an introduction to the sound that the band would start to round out their repertoire for their career, Morning View was them becoming true artists in every sense of the word.

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Neutral Snap – “Sleeves” (Video Premiere)

Neutral Snap

Today, I’m pleased to share the new music video premiere of “Sleeves” by NOLA pop-punk band Neutral Snap. The song comes from the band’s new album, out this Friday, called Tell Me How I Feel. The band shared this quote about the great-sounding single, “The “Sleeves” music video follows a guy who is totally fed up with the world and everyone around him. We based this idea off of our own feelings of how we went stir crazy during lock down. “Sleeves” is about becoming self-aware with the fact that you are not going to please everyone. People suck, the world is on fire (literally), but this song is super fun and it highlights the fact that we are human and we make mistakes, but that doesn’t make us any better or worse than anyone else.” With so much going on in the world, Neutral Snap may have just delivered the song to help us cope with everything.

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Review: Sweep Echo – Moments Before The Wind

The New Jersey based emo band called Sweep Echo is really onto something great on Moments Before the Wind, an EP that was just released and is filled with stylistic, brooding hooks and that sound that is inescapably familiar for those who grew up during the emo boom of the 00’s. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Dan Holden, guitarist Eddie Flynn, bassist Vince Mannino, and drummer Ty Perle, Sweep Echo does a great job of putting the best parts of the genre into a three song collection filled with purpose.

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Review: Smallpools – Life in a Simulation

After countless stand-alone singles, EPs, and relentless touring, Smallpools have finally returned with their proper sophomore release called Life in a Simulation. The pop-rock band consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Sean Scanlon, drummer Beau Kuther, and guitarist/producer Mike Kamerman released their debut, Lovetap! in 2015, which seems like forever in regards to following up a popular debut. The marketing strategy for Life in a Simulation was fairly unique in that many of the singles released from the record slowly trickled out over the last year or so, including a great collaboration with Morgxn on the song “Slowdown.” While I feel the best may still be to come for Smallpools, this album definitely feels like a rebirth and a celebration of the uncertainty to the days that lie ahead.

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Interview: Michael Kamerman of Smallpools

Smallpools

Recently I was able to connect with Michael Kamerman of the pop rock band Smallpools before he and his bandmates embarked on a comprehensive U.S. headlining tour. In this interview, I asked Michael about the songwriting process evolution with his band, the material found in Smallpools sophomore record Life in a Simulation, as well as what’s he’s most looking forward to with getting back on the road. Life in a Simulation will be released this Friday on all of your favorite streaming services.

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Review: We Are Scientists – Huffy

After recently celebrating the anniversary of their debut album, With Love & Squalor, with a comprehensive and successful tour of the states before the pandemic hit, We Are Scientists have returned with their seventh studio album. Huffy sounds like a band refreshed, re-focused, and re-energized for the future that lays in front of them. Filled with lush pop hooks and brilliant harmonies, We Are Scientists are doing their best to use this momentum to continue to stick around in the limelight. If this band can capitalize on this great-sounding record, it may be time for more of us to put our trust back into scientists.

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Review: Dave Grohl – The Storyteller

Dave Grohl - The Storyteller

Dave Grohl is a fucking legend. That’s not hyperbole. He literally has made some of the most recognizable rock songs in my generation, and still continues to crank out memorable tracks, whether it be with Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, guest spotting with Queens of the Stone Age, or releasing an opus of instrumental bliss under his own name, called Play. New to the stage is Dave Grohl the author, who has crafted an equally brilliant memoir entitled The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music. What you may not know about Mr. Grohl is his ability to convey such a wide range of emotions in his writing. From the heartbreaking loss of close friends in his life, to the exuberant highs of getting married and having three daughters, all mixed in with his unique ability to write about his time in music with such fervor and passion for being a part of music history. I was not planning to read this memoir in one sitting from cover to cover, but that’s exactly what happened. And much like the stories outlined beautifully in The Storyteller, everything packs purpose, and lessons are learned along the way that makes the journey more important than the end or the start.

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Review: New Found Glory – Radiosurgery

Coming off of the moderate success of their sixth studio album, Not Without A Fight, the veteran pop-punk rockers chose trusted producer Neal Avron to oversee these sessions that would become Radiosurgery. New Found Glory released this album under Epitaph Records and would be their last studio album with their disgraced, original guitarist. Radiosurgery, for whatever reason, seems to get unfair treatment when comparing it to other NFG albums in their discography. While most wrote it off as standard fodder from the Florida pop-punk band, there really are some true gems on this album that is a satisfying listening experience from start to finish. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, but only sold under 11,000 copies on the Billboard 200 charts (opening at #35). Radiosurgery would eventually peak at #26 on the Billboard 200 charts, and still contains many set staples in NFG’s live performances due to its upbeat nature.

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Review: The Way Down Wanderers – More Like Tomorrow

Coming off of the success of their 2019 breakthrough record, Illusions, folk rockers The Way Down Wanderers have returned with their sophomore effort entitled More Like Tomorrow. This five-member band from Peoria, Illinois have made an album worthy of the heart that they affectionately used to cover this collection of ten songs brimming with purpose and professional poise. The band is unique in that they have two lead songwriters/vocalists in Collin Krause and Austin Krause-Thompson, and yet their combination of tackling core themes like addiction, relationships, and living life to the fullest never seems forced or appear to be a struggle between the two core songwriters. More Like Tomorrow is a nice encapsulation of this period of time in our lives where we search for our “true north” and let go of the outside noise that distracts us from living our best lives.

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Interview: Isa Holliday of Slow Crush

Slow Crush

Today I’m happy to share the interview I conducted with the lead vocalist of a band called Slow Crush, and Isa Holliday and I’s conversation on the band’s new album Hush, that will officially hit the streets on October 22nd. In this interview, I asked her about the contrast between the two singles the band has released including “Swoon,” the differences in their approach to performing as an opener versus a headlining stint, Slow Crush’s songwriting process, and what her and bandmates look to for inspiration in their music. The band plans to headline the United States next spring in April and May.

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Review: PHNTMS – “Paper Flowers”

PHNTMS - "Paper Flowers"

I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to PHNTMS, a great female-fronted pop-rock band from Philadelphia, PA that seems poised for breakout success. Their latest single, “Paper Flowers,” is a bombastic blast of alternative rock with a pop polish that is ready for radio dominance. The band has opened for huge bands like Kings of Leon, The 1975, and Bastille, and it’s clearly evident of why these bands would chose PHNTMS to get their crowds ready for a great night. Their yet to be announced EP should only further solidify the direction the band is going for on this great-sounding song.

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