Review: The Lillingtons – Can Anybody Hear Me? (A Tribute to Enemy You)

There is no denying the power that music can have in bringing us all together, especially in times of tragedy. Shortly after the death of David Jones, lead vocalist of Enemy You, tributes came pouring in from all over the globe of bands who appreciated his band’s music in ways they couldn’t even begin to describe. Enemy You ruled the 90’s melodic punk scene, and left a remarkable footprint for other bands to follow in wake of this tragedy. The Lillingtons have lovingly re-imagined several songs from Jones’s catalog for the Red Scare Industries covers EP called Can Anybody Hear Me? In these six songs that comprise this record, you can hear the magic of David Jones’s legacy all over these carefully crafted covers. In a recent interview for the publication, Brooklyn Vegan, The Lillingtons’ vocalist/guitarist Kody Templeman (Teenage Bottlerocket) added, “We were fans of David Jones’s music before Enemy You, but he was at his peak as a songwriter during that time. Those albums have always been special to us. David will always be special to us. We’re proud and honored to be releasing these songs along with Ken and Chris.” The record has been pressed to vinyl with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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Interview: January Jane and Matt Pinfield

January Jane

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom interview with BMG’s newly signed pop rock band from New York City, called January Jane. The band is comprised of vocalist Pat Via, guitarist Mitch Mitchell, and keyboardist Peter Scialla. This great new band was discovered by music scene legend, Matt Pinfield, and in this interview I learned how January Jane got started and the crazy circumstances that led to Pinfield working closely with the band. I asked January Jane about their strengths as artists, their songwriting process, and how they would describe their live show. The band released a new music video today for their single ”Versions of You” off of their upcoming EP Your Drug, that will be released everywhere music is sold this summer. Read our full conversation where I describe January Jane as being one hit song away from being at the tip of everyone’s tongue.

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Review: A Story Told – I Don’t Mind (To Get A Little Hurt Sometimes)

The latest single from the Charleston, West Virginia pop rock band A Story Told is taken from their upcoming album, American Made (out everywhere on July 16th), and has a great bounce to it in the same vein of bands like Twenty One Pilots, Smallpools, and the electronica-tinged brilliance of AWOLNATION. “I Don’t Mind (To Get A Little Hurt Sometimes)” is a great re-introduction to a band who are trying new and interesting elements in their sound to keep themselves on the cutting edge. The band is comprised of vocalist Alex Chaney, guitarists Josh Allen and Jason Lieser, bassist Zach Holley, drummer Casey Hardman, and their new sound feels ready to explode into the mainstream sooner rather than later.

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Review: Lilith Czar – Created From Filth And Dust

There’s a lot to like about Lilith Czar. She does her best to fight misogynistic behavior in an industry filled with so much of it, adds another voice to the female empowerment movement, and still cranks out well thought out anthems worthy of the early praise garnered. Lilith Czar (formerly Juliet Simms) “killed” off her old identity in the track “All American,” in an attempt to distance herself from a person she no longer identified with as an artist. On Created From Filth and Dust, Lilith Czar channels her inner rock queen to deliver an album filled with dark tones, heavy synth-laden beats, and with just enough silver linings to ensure that the material doesn’t get too heavy. With so much new momentum going in her favor, it’s hard to not buy in to the controlled chaos she presents on this record.

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Review: Ash – Free All Angels

Ash - Free All Angels

The Northern Irish band Ash doesn’t seem to get a lot of love here in the states, but I’m hoping by revisiting certain album landmarks such as the 20th anniversary of Free All Angels more will come to appreciate their music. This third studio album from Tim Wheeler (vocals/guitar), Mark Hamilton (bass), Rick McMurray (drums), and Charlotte Hatherley (guitar, backing vocals) is the one record I make sure to have on steady rotation when spring turns to summer. I started this tradition unconsciously back in the days of organizing my CD collection (in those big Case Logic binders) by making sure Free All Angels would be the first record I’d see in the front when school finally broke for summer vacation. From the opening lyrics of “Walking Barefoot” where Wheeler sings, “Your beauty took my breath away / In awe all day / Your company was so relaxing / Easy going ways / We saw the first signs of summer and springtime change / Walking barefoot along the sand / I hadn’t planned to stay / Yeah, we’ve been walking barefoot all summer / It’ll be sad my friend / To see it come to an end / Why can’t we just quit,” it marked a laid back transition in my mind of turning the page of the care-free days of what summer means in our youth.

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Review: Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate

When I first examined the curious case of Greta Van Fleet, I sat on the positive side of the review field when Anthem for the Peaceful Army hit the streets. With so many reviewers piling on the negative words and takes on their debut record, I could see where these writers were coming from, but I didn’t feel like the comparisons were fair. Sure, the obvious connections to sounding like Led Zeppelin come with its own set of risks for paying direct homage to one of the most legendary and creative rock bands of all time. However, these young musicians, made up of three brothers and their drummer Daniel Wagner, were making the music they loved and wanted to share with the world. This fruitful path led to several sold-out tours worldwide, multiple TV appearances, and with those accolades came a brighter spotlight shining on them to deliver on their sophomore effort, aptly titled The Battle At Garden’s Gate.

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Review: David Cook – The Looking Glass

David Cook - The Looking Glass

On the latest EP from the former Season Seven American Idol winner, David Cook takes bold new steps in re-imagining the way he approaches his songwriting and music. The Looking Glass EP has a certain swagger to it from an artist who feels like he’s getting his footing back, honing in on his strengths as a songwriter, and yet discovering new ways to tell his story. This is the first release of new music since 2018’s Chromance EP, and David Cook sounds as re-invigorated as he’s ever been. When I first heard the lead single, “Reds Turn Blue,” I wrote about this exciting new direction is his music, and I’m glad to say David Cook continues to cover new ground on this latest collection of heartfelt songs.

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Review: Waxflower – We Might Be Alright

On the debut EP from Waxflower called We Might Be Alright, they strike a nice mix of paying direct homage to emo heavyweights like Jimmy Eat World, Saves the Day, and The Maine while bringing their own unique package of vibrant guitar hooks and soaring melodies. What the band does well on this record is to re-package tried and true pop elements into refreshing new guitar-driven songs that are structured around the band’s strengths. While the music doesn’t stray too far away from their direct influences, there is plenty of ear candy to enjoy on this debut.

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Review: Thursday – Full Collapse

Thursday - Full Collapse

It seems like just yesterday I was discovering this “new band” my college roommate told me about called Thursday. The first song he played for me was “Understanding in a Car Crash,” and I was immediately drawn into the world of the post-hardcore/emo blend of magic that Thursday were able to accomplish on their sophomore record, Full Collapse. This album seemed destined to be huge, and had so many things going for it upon its release. For starters, the album was released during the so-called “golden age” of emo, with so many legendary bands releasing music during this time period. Secondly, Thursday were graced with a talented, energetic, and captivating front-man in the form of Geoff Rickly, who is now seen as a bona fide legend in our scene. Lastly, Thursday were brilliant at creating larger than life guitar hooks courtesy of their dual-attack by Tom Keeley and Steve Padulla. Rounding out the band were the ultra-talented bass player Tim Payne, and drummer Tucker Rule who were all up to the task of stepping up to the plate to create this legendary album. Full Collapse is a raw, visceral, post-punk blend of hardcore elements packaged for the masses, while still remaining endearing enough for longtime fans of Thursday to reminisce on discovering this band they had in their back pocket. This album would launch Thursday directly into the mainstream of emo bands on the tips of every tongue mentioning an influential band during this time period, and not to mention record executives falling over themselves to sign them to a major label. As much as has been written about the labels associated with Thursday, its more important to look at how the music from this album has stood the test of time.

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Review: Wild Truth – Drift

I’d like to introduce you to your next music obsession: Wild Truth. With well-crafted hooks, vibrant guitars, and the vocal styling reminiscent of other pop-rock bands like Fall Out Boy, Walk the Moon, and The Maine; this band has a little bit of everything to capture that “lightning in a bottle” feeling of discovering an artist ready to break out in a big way. The Richmond, Virginia-based band formed in 2017 and consists of Will Beasley (bass/guitar), Clayton Sargent (drums) and Nick Gargiulo (vocals/guitar). The Drift EP is definitely one of those records that grabs you from the first listen.

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Interview: Brett Detar of The Juliana Theory

Juliana Theory

This week I was excited to connect with Brett Detar (vocalist) of The Juliana Theory to discuss what went into making their expansive re-imagining of past songs called A Dream Away, out everywhere today. In this interview I asked Brett about the longevity of the band and its legacy, what stood out from the recording process of these songs that made the album, as well as the band’s relationship with their new label Equal Vision Records.

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Review: The Juliana Theory – A Dream Away

The Juliana Theory - A Dream Away

On the first taste of new music from The Juliana Theory in over 15 years, the band was ready to step back into the spotlight with a collection of re-imagined songs from previous records known today as A Dream Away. The project was inspired by their 2019 acoustic tour where they stripped back several of their classic songs in the style of a MTV Unplugged atmosphere. This process of thinking about the unique layers to these tracks inspired this album, and reinvigorated their fan-base by remembering why they fell in love with this band in the first place. The Juliana Theory leave no stone unturned in their exploration as they expand upon the realm of possibilities for what these songs were, and what they can be.

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Review: Dashboard Confessional – The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most

Dashboard Confessional - The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most

Who would’ve thought the lyric from “Saints and Sailors” of, “Wandering this house, like I’ve never wanted out / And this is about as social as I get now” would take on new meaning during these strange times? But alas, we’ve come to the 20 year anniversary of the breakthrough emo classic record by Chris Carrabba, better known for his affectionately titled project Dashboard Confessional. Flashing back to this time period brings back a flood of memories of bands just waiting to explode onto the mainstream. What gets lost among the shuffle of the bad haircuts, skinny jeans, and ultra-tight t-shirts is the fact that the music coming out of this time period has stayed the test of time. Dashboard Confessional was not the loudest band out there, not the flashiest, but damn if Chris Carrabba couldn’t write a hook that would stay in your mind for days on end. The mostly acoustic guitar-based project was a tough sell initially since most touring bands didn’t know how to properly market a solo singer-songwriter in this scene. However, Chris consistently won over crowds night after night and it was clear that Dashboard Confessional was immediately going to be the marquee band that others would have to open for.

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Review: Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest

Middle Kids - Today We're The Greatest

You would be hard pressed to find a harder-working band out there than Middle Kids. The band, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Hannah Joy, bassist/producer Tim Fitz, and drummer Harry Day shine throughout this collection of songs that find them at their most confident. Today We’re The Greatest feels more like a badge of honor or a playful mantra for the band to acknowledge that they are at the top of their game, and are still having a blast dedicating their talents to their craft. Coming off of a stellar debut in Lost Friends, and an EP of New Songs For Old Problems to tide their fans over in the meantime, Middle Kids had a lot of momentum breaking in just the right way for their proper sophomore follow-up record. These 12 songs are deeply authentic, personal, and only further showcase the courage the band has in stepping into the role of a breakthrough artist.

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Review: Record Heat – 1

Record Heat - 1

The Brooklyn-based indie pop band, Record Heat (formerly Spirit Animal), are back with a new EP called 1. For those unfamiliar with the group, they are right in the same vein as bands like AWOLNATION, Portugal. The Man, and Glass Animals. This collection of three new songs expands upon the thematic elements introduced on their full-length debut (2018’s Born Yesterday) and offers a playful take on their genre-bending songs that are otherwise hard to define. The band is poised and ready for taking the next steps in their evolution towards making a mark on the music scene.

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