Today is a great day to share the latest single and music video from Tearing Up called “Highway Bandits.” Tearing Up comes from the mind of Graham Caldwell and his creative energy that he puts into this new project is felt far and wide. On the name of the band, Caldwell shared, “Growing up, I loved punk bands that sneered in the face of authority, demanding their voice be heard. They made me feel like I was stronger than I was. I was the kind of person who avoided conflict since I’d lose every fight I’d end up in, but there’s still a part of me that itches to get its hands dirty, hence the name: Tearing Up.” The single comes from the recently announced debut EP called Billy Is Dead, out everywhere music is sold on October 14th.
Read More “Tearing Up – “Highway Bandits” (Video Premiere)”Review: Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
The legendary record, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, by Dead Kennedys has recently been remastered by Chris Lord-Alge, and has officially been re-issued as of last Friday. Given this recent exciting news, I figured I would take a walk back through the band’s debut studio album to see how it sounds through some fresh ears. Lord-Alge shared, ““Revisiting Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was such an inside peek at a band packing so much excitement onto tape for every song. The style and playing has such drive and spirit. The big challenge for me was keeping it honest to its original sound and not letting it become modern but improving the separation and clarity. A major chapter in history for Dead Kennedys.” With such steadfast dedication to making each and every song come alive again, Dead Kennedys can look back fondly on this reissued set that packs a nice new shiny punch to it.
Read More “Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables”TVOD – “Alien” (Song Premiere)
Today I’m ecstatic to share the latest single from the talented Brooklyn-based band TVOD (Television Overdose). The new track is called “Alien” and features a great mix of sounds that blend together in a crowd-pleasing package. The band’s vocalist, Tyler Wright shared, “This was a song I came up with while sitting on the floor of my practice space feeling sorry for myself. I was having a lot of feelings of self doubt and jealousy at the time and for some reason I could not stop painting this mental image that there was a little envious martian man slowly eating my brain and trying to take over my life. It’s amazing what some painful emotions and a couple catchy guitar riffs can become.” If you’ve been looking for that next exciting band that makes you feel a little less alone, TVOD have come to your rescue.
Read More “TVOD – “Alien” (Song Premiere)”Kelsey Magnuson – “Anna’s Song” (Song Premiere)
Today is a great day to share the latest single from talented singer-songwriter Kelsey Magnuson for “Anna’s Song.” On this track, Magnuson channels heartfelt lyrics and upper echelon songwriting. She shared, “I was so drawn to her range of sound, from plucky guitar songs to heavier riffs, and how it flowed so well through one album. But I’d also be a phony if I didn’t mention my real life inspo-from-idea-man-confidant-and total lyrical genius, Anna McClellan.” If you’re ready to discover quite possibly your next favorite artist, look no further than Kelsey Magnuson.
Read More “Kelsey Magnuson – “Anna’s Song” (Song Premiere)”All Things Go Festival Creator Summit: Interview With Bartees Strange
Over the weekend, I was in attendance for the All Things Go Festival and specifically the “Creator Summit” that featured several key interviews of All Things Go artists like Bartees Strange, and Empress Of. I was able to record the full interview session of NPR’s Marissa Lorusso’s “Fireside Chat” with Bartees Strange, where he shared his unique story that led to his critical acclaim and commercial success. The event took place in the heart of Washington D.C., at the Eaton Hotel’s Beverly Snow Room.
Read More “All Things Go Festival Creator Summit: Interview With Bartees Strange”Review: Good Charlotte – The Young and the Hopeless
The sophomore effort from Good Charlotte was by far their most successful record, selling over 3.5 million copies in the United States alone. The Young and the Hopeless features plenty of crisp pop-punk production, courtesy of veteran hit-maker Eric Valentine, and the band spent nearly three months crafting the recordings. While many critics panned the new material, fans of pop-punk and fans of their earlier material were able to find plenty to enjoy on the album. The record rips into a introductory track called “A New Beginning” and the hard-nosed guitar parts in the instrumental song signaled a cosmic shift in the direction Good Charlotte were taking their sound. The leaning towards darker material in their songs showed that the band were not comfortable with simply re-hashing the same sound on every album or song, and it would open them up to several new artistic opportunities.
Read More “Good Charlotte – The Young and the Hopeless”Spain – “Her Used To Been” (Song Premiere)
Today is the perfect day to share a blast from the past. Spain have returned with a new single and video for their latest song called “Her Used To Been.” The song comes from the band’s new LP entitled World of Blue, out everywhere music is sold today. On the latest single, the band shared:
In the late 1980s, I worked as a music librarian at KCRW while taking college classes at Santa Monica College. One of the perks of the job was taking home lots of great music. The music director let me keep a Bessie Smith box set, and I listened to those discs all the time. ‘Her Used-To-Been’ is paraphrased from a Bessie Smith song about how the protagonist goes back to her abusive ex-. In my version, I’m the protagonist and I’m telling Bessie to not go back.
Step right up if you’re ready to experience some music that makes you feel something magical in its delivery.
Read More “Spain – “Her Used To Been” (Song Premiere)”Review: Alice In Chains – Dirt
Dirt was the second studio album from grunge heavyweight hitters Alice In Chains, and ended up being the band’s best-selling record to date, selling over five million units in the US alone. It would end up being the last record with all four original band members in the group, as their bassist Mike Starr was fired shortly after the touring support of the album. The songs found on Dirt are brutally honest, heartfelt, and deal with the themes of addiction, depression, and the fragility of relationships. The majority of the album was written by lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell, with the exception coming from two solo songs from Layne Staley in “Hate to Feel” and “Angry Chair.” The album would peak at #6 on the Billboard 200 and make Alice In Chains a household name in the crowded Alt Rock and grunge scenes in general.
Read More “Alice In Chains – Dirt”J. Graves – “Fortress of Fun” (Album Stream)
Today is a great day to share the brand new album from post-punk trio, J. Graves, a day early called Fortress of Fun. The band would be perfect for fans of artists like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, and Interpol. The band is clearly excited for everyone to hear what they cooked up:
Say it: “Fortress of Fun is here.” Fortress of Fun is here – it’s surreal, unreal, and a little hard to believe. Maybe it’s just another dimension of our story, a different choice, and somewhere I’m actually still chanting “Fortress of Fun is coming!” This time last year J. Graves and our amazing, talented family of artists, film makers, musicians, stunt people, and loved ones were at the Oregon coast filming the music videos that would make FOF’s choose your own adventure visuals. It was this time last year we all donned the cursed chain-mail, faced our deepest fears, only to break its nefarious spell with love, acceptance, and a whole lot of help from our friends. And FOF has been just that – support from our loved ones and from the talented folks who played integral parts in bringing this adventure to life. Fortress of Fun IS here, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.
If you’re enjoying the early album stream, please consider purchasing the album starting tomorrow.
Read More “J. Graves – “Fortress of Fun” (Album Stream)”Fujiya & Miyagi – “New Body Language” (Video Premiere)
Today is the perfect day to share the latest single and music video from Brighton popstars, Fujiya & Miyahgi, with their great new track called “New Body Language.” On this latest single the band shared, “‘New Body Language’ is probably the most instant and accessible song on the record. We took a lot of our current listening habits and put them in a blender till it turned out like us.” The song comes from their new LP called Slight Variations, available tomorrow here.
Read More “Fujiya & Miyagi – “New Body Language” (Video Premiere)”Review: PHNTMS – “Rather Be Lonely”
The latest single from pop rockers, PHNTMS, is a cool blast of rock energy that pulsates along in the best way possible. The track features some cool synths, 80’s-esque guitar tones, all paired with their powerhouse of a vocalist in Alyssa Gambino who commands the song from the opening notes. The lyrical material discusses the pitfalls of being stuck on social media, watching the world go by, and the dangers of losing that personal connection with the people around us. The band does a nice job of never letting the heavier lyrical material bog down the overall pop sheen of the single.
Guitarist Adam Jessamine and bassist Mikal Smith each have their own standout moments on “Rather Be Lonely” that allows the song to expand upon what the band was going for on their previous singles of “Body Language” and “Paper Flowers.” While the song doesn’t explode into each chorus the way I was expecting on my first few listens, the band’s ability to reel things in at times pays off in the long run as they continue to craft out material that showcases the depth to their songwriting.
Eva Rose – “Final Girl” (Song Premiere)
Today I’m thrilled to share the new single from talented singer-songwriter Eva Rose called “Final Girl.” The singer likens the theme of the song to the horror genre with pleasing results. As Rose mentioned:
Even though the story line of the song is fictional (I’m lucky to have never been involved with an actual serial killer), the song has a thread of reality in it. I think many people have experienced a similar emotional arc of being naive in the beginning of a relationship, believing the other person will spare you of their bad behavior if you can prove you’re ‘different’ from the rest. Then eventually after enough red flags have presented themselves, the rose colored glasses fall and you see the person for who they really are.
If you’ve been looking for that next great pop artist that makes you feel you’re a part of something bigger, Eva Rose is delivering the goods.
Read More “Eva Rose – “Final Girl” (Song Premiere)”New Age Affair – “Paradise White” (Album Stream)
Today I’m thrilled to share the early album stream from melodic punk rock quartet, New Age Affair, for their new LP called Paradise White. The band is signed to the legendary indie punk label Manic Kat Records, and they are making their name better known with a sound that drifts somewhere between MxPx and Masked Intruder. If you’re enjoying the album stream, please consider purchasing the record tomorrow.
Read More “New Age Affair – “Paradise White” (Album Stream)”Parris Mitchell – “Your Only” (Video Premiere)
Today is a great day to share indie-pop star, Parris Mitchell, and his new lyric video for “Your Only.” This New York-based singer-songwriter channels the best parts of the pop genre in this crowd-pleasing new single. On the track, Mitchell shared:
I wanted this song to feel like the tension before a kiss. Being in between who you were before and after it. Not love gained or lost but the middle child of the two. I had the most fun writing this one, the songs that pour out immediately usually are. There’s a lot of elements to this song that excite me, especially the ripping saxophones paired with the 80’s-esque drums. I love this song deeply and I hope you can hear that through its soaring vocals and production.
If you’re ready to take the next step in joining Parris Mitchell in his musical evolution, there’s no better time than now. I was also able to catch up with the artist for a brief interview.
Read More “Parris Mitchell – “Your Only” (Video Premiere)”Review: No Devotion – No Oblivion
There’s a lot to be thankful for when one of your favorite bands decides to give it another go and release a proper follow-up to one of your favorite albums of all time. Before I started writing for this site, I was obsessed with No Devotion and their debut record entitled Permanence. It ended up being my favorite album to come out that year, if not one of my favorites for that entire decade. Catching up with lead singer Geoff Rickly was surreal in many ways. Hearing first-hand how his band in No Devotion crafted their follow-up, entitled No Oblivion, as well as some of the background behind Permanence was too cool for me to even begin to describe. So how could No Devotion, which is also comprised of Lee Gaze and Stu Richardson, possibly top what they were able to accomplish on their debut. No Devotion would answer that question in a thunderous encapsulation of everything they did well on Permanence paired with even more artistic brilliance found on No Oblivion.
Read More “No Devotion – No Oblivion”