Review: New Found Glory – Listen Up!

New Found Glory - Listen Up!

With nearly 30 years of band experience under their collective belts, New Found Glory feel like they’re out to prove they still belong in the upper echelon of pop-punk royalty. Listen Up! was produced by Steve Evetts (Simple Plan, The Wonder Years), and the lyrical topics of the new LP are shaped around guitarist Chad Gilbert’s battle with metastatic cancer and the friendship he has created with his bandmates. The riff-heavy record has that classic NFG sound to it, while adding in some contributions from now-permanent touring member/guitarist Dan O’Connor of Four Year Strong, and the album showcases what the band is capable of crafting when they hone in on their strengths as a unit. The ten-song effort is a model of New Found Glory’s gritty work ethic and professional consistency as a band that shows little signs of slowing down anytime soon.

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Interview: Alex Cherney & The Brothers Nylon

Alex Cherney & The Brothers Nylon

Recently I was able to connect with Alternative Rock band, Alex Cherney & The Brothers Nylon, to discuss the news surrounding their fourth full-length record, MAGNETIZED. While the album drops on July 10th, today the band is sharing the lead single, “Good Life Crisis,” that is a great encapsulation of what this band is capable of creating. If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-saving MAGNETIZED here.

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Chris Garneau – “In Reverse” (Video Premiere)

Chris Garneau

Today is a great day to share the news that dream pop artist, Chris Garneau, has returned with a new single and video for the title track from his new album, In Reverse. “In Reverse” tackles the topic of love and what it means to fill this rich emotion. Garneau shared: “‘In Reverse’ is a love song — a missive. It holds past hurt next to a love that bends around time: calm, patient, awake. It’s a quiet victory, without chaos, performance, or the need to fix anything. There’s no dramatic surrender — only recognition, like remembering what love is supposed to feel like, already written into the body.” If you’re enjoying the single and video, please consider streaming the album here.

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Mylo Bybee – “Revisions” EP (Album Stream)

Mylo Bybee

Today I’m so excited to bring everyone an exclusive early listen to the new EP from Mylo Bybee called Revisions. The Alt Rock band is from Boise, Idaho and has a sound similar to Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie. If you’re enjoying the EP, you won’t have to wait long to listen to it on your favorite streaming service, as the record drops tomorrow via Gold Ship Records.

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The July Crowd – “Like Home” (Song Premiere)

The July Crowd

Today I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to a band making waves in the alternative/pop-punk scene, The July Crowd. “Like Home” combines building guitars, poignant song writing, and soaring melodies in a style similar to bands like Real Friends. Speaking on the new track and subtle directional shift, lead vocalist Dom Walters explains:

’Like Home’ signals a significant music shift for us. Personal life, and the past few difficult years have crept into the way we usually write songs, creating something much more cathartic, emotional, and expressive. I’ve been writing songs because they help me work through major events in my life. This time around, on ‘Like Home,’ I’ve been able to work through something I’ve been suppressing for a while now. Maybe others can find comfort, solace, or understanding in growing up in, or living in, a broken home.

The July Crowd recently signed to Manic Kat Records, and 2026 is poised to be a big year for the band. If you’re enjoying the early listen, please consider supporting The July Crowd here.

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Review: Charli XCX – Wuthering Heights

Charli XCX - Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is the second soundtrack album from Charli XCX, and it acts as a solid companion piece to the film of the same name. While a dramatic departure from her last international breakthrough LP (Brat), there’s a cool groove found throughout Wuthering Heights that highlights this artist’s willingness to dive headfirst into a different world and let different mediums of art influence her music. The majority of the music found here was co-written by Finn Keane, and they do a commendable job of capturing the essence of the screenplay and film in a bit of a gritty escape to the sound that made Charli XCX a household name. Charli XCX was in a self-described rut of feeling “stuck” after Brat, yet she turned to film to re-capture her imagination and burn a new flame of creativity. A sound that feels more like Brat meets Bridgerton, Wuthering Heights takes some big risks and showcases Charli XCX as a more complex artist than many give her credit for.

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Interview: Tyler Schlagenhauf of Mylo Bybee

Mylo Bybee

Recently I was able to connect with Tyler Schlagenhauf (lead vocalist/guitarist) of Alternative rock band Mylo Bybee ahead of the band’s release of their Revisions EP. With a sound that fits somewhere between the anthemic moments of Manchester Orchestra, paired with the emo sensibilities of Death Cab For Cutie, Mylo Bybee are onto something great here. If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-ordering Revisions here.

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Review: Story Of The Year – A.R.S.O.N.

Story Of The Year - A.R.S.O.N.

It’s hard to find a more consistent and hard-working band than Story of the Year. The band has steadily cranked out six previous albums that each have their own personality and highlight Story of the Year’s ability to convey a wide range of emotions through relatable topics. The band shared, “In a lot of ways, A.R.S.O.N. picks up where Tear Me To Pieces left off. We used the same team – Colin Brittain producing again, with the main objective of simply writing great songs. Nothing was forced, no trends were chased, it was simply about getting to the essence of what makes SOTY sound like SOTY: Big guitars, snappy drums, and Dan’s ability to seamlessly oscillate between screaming & singing songs about desperation, loss, and the complexity of relationships.” This encapsulation of the sound Story of the Year were going for on A.R.S.O.N. makes a lot of sense, as the band continues down a familiar path, but with a more hard-hitting urgency. With the incorporation of heavier riffs and a more profound focus on screamed vocals when it makes sense for the songs, their seventh studio album is arguably their hardest-hitting record since In The Wake of Determination.

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Scarboro – “Save Yourself” (Song Premiere)

Scarboro

Today is a great day to share the newest single from NYC-based punk rock band, Scarboro, called “Save Yourself.” Formed
in 2012, the band draws inspiration from classic 80s hardcore, skate punk, and the East Coast DIY ethos, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and fiercely original. The band shared, “‘Save Yourself’ is about being a parent who suffers from mental illness struggling to be there for your child when they draw the exact same genetic lottery. It’s an apology letter to my first daughter for falling short as a father unable to reach her through my own fog, while also recognizing her inner strength and resilience that would eventually pull her out of it. It’s also about realizing you can’t always fix everything as a parent, but you can always extend a hand and go through the darkness together.” If you’re enjoying the latest single from Scarboro, please consider pre-ordering the band’s new album, Hate Season, here.

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Review: PONY – Clearly Cursed

PONY - Clearly Cursed

It’s one thing to have a string of bad luck, but to be cursed…that probably feels like forces beyond our control are swaying things towards the negative. As Sam Bielanski (founding member/singer-songwriter) explains, Clearly Cursed is directly inspired by their first visit to a psychic at the age of 21. “She read my tarot cards and told me boyfriend was cheating on me,” Bielsanki says. “That was true. She also told me that I had a dark spirit attachment which she could easily vanquish if I paid her $1500. That was obviously out of my budget, so I left and decided I would have to coexist with this dark spirit for the rest of my life.” PONY take it all in stride on their third full-length record, an album that wears their core influences of power pop, indie rock and post-punk on their collective sleeves. Joined by Bielanski is guitarist Matty Morand, who leans into a more polished sound on this latest effort that highlights the duo’s complimentary playing style. PONY may be Clearly Cursed, but this album shows that this band is bound for big things from this point on.

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Review: Zaq Baker – “Victorious”

Zaq Baker - "Victorious"

Zaq Baker is a talented singer-songwriter who is passionate about many causes. While the majority of his music topics range from love (“Bri”), mental health, and growing up (“Treadmill”), his latest song of “Victorious” takes dead aim at the heartbreaking ICE takeover going on in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Baker could’ve gone in a multitude of directions on this protest song, but he chooses to focus on the human element and the neighbors who will be joining together to stand up for each other in the wake of fascism. On this five-minute song, that dives deep into the horrors that Baker and others have witnessed, his instrument of choice is an upright piano that evokes strong emotions with each chord.

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Review: Matchbook Romance – Voices

Matchbook Romance - Voices

After touring for nearly a year and a half on their debut LP, Stories and Alibis, Matchbook Romance buckled down in Long View Farm studios in Massachusetts to write the follow-up to their breakthrough onto the emo scene. Voices features a departure from the sound of their debut, and charted at #43 on the Billboard 200 upon its release on Valentine’s Day in 2006. Based on the strength of the lead single, “Monsters,” Matchbook Romance proved that they were capable of being much more than just your “stereotypical emo band.” Instead, Voices led the band down a darker path and expanded their audience along the way. The set was produced by John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab For Cutie) and the artwork was designed by Shawn Harris of The Matches. Voices is a record that I found immediately gripping and urgent, and I’m so glad that Matchbook Romance took this big risk on their sophomore effort.

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Pete Fij – “Cuckoo” (Video Premiere)

Pete Fij

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the new single and video from Pete Fij (originally from the 90’s Brit-pop band Adorable) called “Cuckoo.” Pete Fij shared about the inspiration behind the single/video by saying:

I’m a cold war kid, whose parents escaped from behind the Iron Curtain (my dad was sent to Siberia by the Soviets but managed to escape through Afghanistan, whilst my mum used forged papers to slip over the western border to escape from Communist Poland), and perhaps it’s this background that has led to my fascination with the murky world of espionage. One of my favorite films of recent times is David Leitch’s 2017 spy thriller ‘Atomic Blonde’ with Charlize Theron kicking traitors’ butts in late 80’s neon-lit Berlin. Cuckoo is my take on the spirit of that film, with Siouxie Sioux driving the getaway car as Phil Oakey from The Human League aims a nighttime telescopic viewfinder. The lyrics are made up predominantly of espionage terms, though as the song progresses, they get mixed up to create their own code.

If you’re enjoying the new video, please consider supporting Pete Fij here.

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Iguana Death Cult – “I Like It, It’s Nice” (Video Premiere)

Iguana Death Cult

Today is a great day to share with everyone the latest single and music video from art punk band Iguana Death Cult, called “I Like It, It’s Nice.” On this slick new song, Iguana Death Cult showcase their continued improvements as a band. The band is also announcing their next record, called Guns Out, that will be released on April 10th. If you’re enjoying the music, please consider pre-ordering Guns Out here.

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Interview: PONY

Pony

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Canadian power pop band, PONY, to discuss everything that went into their new album called Clearly Cursed. I asked the band about the meaning behind key songs on the new LP, their upcoming touring plans, and much more. At the time of the interview, PONY had to cancel almost all of their U.S. tour dates due to Visa issues, but the band has since announced some additional dates supporting Phoneboy and Heart Attack Man (dates below). If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-ordering Clearly Cursed here.

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