Interview: Craig Mabbitt of The Dead Rabbitts

Adam Grundy Mar 30, 2022

Recently I was able to catch up with the lead vocalist of Escape the Fate and The Dead Rabbitts, Craig Mabbitt, before the release of the latter band’s third studio album called Rumination. In this interview I asked Craig about the differences between writing music for both bands, the touring plans for each project, working with veteran producer John Feldman, and he also shared about his recent sobriety that allowed him to see his career path in a much better light. I enjoyed my conversation with Craig as he shared insight on the writing behind both bands, and The Dead Rabbitts’ latest album, Rumination, hits the streets this Friday (April 1).

Adam Grundy Mar 29, 2022

The latest offering of music from Telltale is a solid mix of impactful, hard-hitting songs that still have plenty of substance about them to make you continue to think about the lyrical material. The band tackles themes like mental health, self-doubt, and other more global issues like the climate crisis to round out this EP. Telltale shared this about the new record, “This record is our viewpoint on being a part of the apocalyptic generation. We obsess over zombie films, live in fear of the daily news, and constantly foresee the end of the world. Or rather, the world as we know it. A generation written off as lazy and self-centered, we’re taught to think that something broken can’t be fixed from within.” With interesting guitar parts and uplifting vocals, this band would perfect for fans of bands like Sleeping With Sirens, Hawthorne Heights, and Set It Off.

Adam Grundy Mar 28, 2022

The latest offering from Philadelphia’s own Riverby finds the artist on solid footing and tinkering with an aggressive rock sound to pair with their abrasive lyrics. Riverby entered the studio with veteran hit-maker Jim Wirt (Jack’s Mannequin) to craft the album that would become known as Absolution. The band shared this about the concept behind the material, “It’s about ending fear with mortality and finally coming to solutions with your shit, closing the door on things that have been festering: your history and yourself, and making peace with God. I don’t even believe in God, but on the off chance He’s fucking real, I’d like us to be cool.” The band is able to capitalize on their hard-nosed material with one of this year’s most immediately gripping records to date.

Adam Grundy Mar 25, 2022

It’s pretty amazing to think of just how much the music scene has changed in a short 20 years time. During the “emo boom” of the early 00’s, it seemed like every major label was falling over themselves in order to sign the next big thing in music and cash in on the interest in the punk/emo scene. There seemed to be a bigger buzz online in several key music website communities that you could sort of feel, or at least get a basic pulse, of when that next band was poised to make a big splash on the music landscape. As much as has been written about the tumultuous relationship Victory Records had with their bands and their contracts, I figured I’d focus the majority of this retrospective on the beauty of the music that Taking Back Sunday has left us with. Tell All Your Friends was one of those electric records that was destined to be huge, immediate, and make the listener feel like they were a part of something that belonged to them. I remember hearing of Taking Back Sunday for the first time in college when a friend of mine had just “discovered” a new band that he described as a mix between hardcore, punk, and anthemic pop that he thought I’d be into. What I wasn’t expecting was for this band to open up a gateway of possibilities of where my music tastes would gravitate towards for the foreseeable future.

Adam Grundy Mar 23, 2022

Today I’m excited to bring you the latest taste of new music from the Bay Area’s own punk rock band, One Armed Joey. The new single is called “Numbstruck,” and is taken from their upcoming new album called Happiness, To Me out on May 27th via Sell The Heart Records. One Armed Joey is perfect for fans of melodic punk rock bands like MxPx, Goldfinger, and The Ataris. The band shared this about the new track:

”Numbstruck” is about the anxiety brought on by watching the world and everything around you continuously change, but getting to the point where you’re numb to it all and would rather feel something rather than nothing. I feel like whenever I’m overwhelmed, I look back on simpler times and wish for that naivety, but then realize how selfish that can be. Dealing with significant life changes is a challenge, but accepting and embracing those life changes is even harder.

There couldn’t be a better time to discover another great punk band to add to your collection. If you’re enjoying what you hear, please consider pre-ordering Happiness, To Me here.

Adam Grundy Mar 22, 2022

The latest offering from the pop rock band called Stress Dolls, the solo moniker of Chelsea O’Donnell, is a solid slab of guitar-driven rock with a steady heartbeat towards self-discovery. The EP, entitled Forward, was co-produced by O’Donnell and Marc Hunt, and features an eclectic mix of heartfelt songs. The record opens with “Alone,” a track about the complexities of relationships and when you just need a moment to breathe from the weight of the world. Chelsea sings, “Whenever I’m alone I get this feeling, it’s happening once again / I’m at half a glass without you, drowning in a whirlpool on the shallow end / But whenever you’re around I am a fever, a hot flush in your face / The vermin in your garden, overgrown yet trying to pick up the pace / So I’d rather be alone,” and her lower vocal delivery offers an interesting take on the pop rock genre. The opener features some well-placed synths in the background and adds to the overall texture of the song.

Adam Grundy Mar 21, 2022

Just when you think the days of surprise album releases are over, Oso Oso comes through in the clutch to deliver to their fourth studio album called Sore Thumb. This collection of 13 cohesive songs flows brilliantly from start to finish, and features a variety of tempos, feelings, and emotions throughout the record. The band is just coming off of their most successful (both commercially and critically) album to date in 2019’s Basking in the Glow, and had a lot of positive momentum going in their favor leading up to this album cycle. However Jade Lilitri, the only permanent member of the band, experienced a heartbreaking loss around this time last year when his touring guitarist Tavish Maloney passed away tragically at the age of 24. Lilitri does his best to honor his late contributor with one of this year’s best emo records, and one of this year’s best artistic statements to date.

Adam Grundy Mar 17, 2022

Today I’m really excited to bring everyone an exclusive early listen of the new Audio Karate album called ¡OTRA!. The set of songs was produced by Bill Stevenson (The Descendents) and Trever Keith (Face to Face), and it includes rare and unreleased music from the band in a career-spanning set. Jason Camacho shared this about the new record:

While working with Mike Jimenez on the remixes and such on Malo, there were three songs (“Care Carelessly,” “Black Covering,” and “Lovely Residence”) that didn’t fit and that we were generous with overdubs, which was something we did not want for Malo. We had “Do You Miss Meaning Everything to Me” from Space Camp that never saw the light of day, and “Segway,” a Lady Melody outtake that never was released. Seemed fitting to put it out, sort of a like The Smiths Louder than Bombs…not really an album but an album never the less and an essential listen for fans. ¡OTRA! is essential listening for AK fans in my humble opinion, and something that I like quite well.

If you’re enjoying the early album stream, please consider pre-ordering the record here.

Adam Grundy Mar 16, 2022

Today, I’m excited to bring you the latest single from LA’s Alternative/Pop band, Animal Sun, for their song “Chasing Shadows.” The track comes from their sophomore album called Generation Waiting, that will be released this Summer. The song was produced by Kenny Carkeet and Aaron “Zeus” Zepeda, and it has a nice groove to it. The band reminds me of a mix between Waterparks, Set It Off, and One OK Rock with some great anthemic moments thrown into the mix. Lead vocalist, Steven Blake, shared this about “Chasing Shadows,” “‘Chasing Shadows’ is all about living in the moment. We want to remind our listeners to stop chasing a perfect existence at the cost of missing what’s right in front of them.” If you enjoy what you heard from Animal Sun, the single will be hitting streaming services this Friday.

Adam Grundy Mar 15, 2022

The latest single from punk rockers, Proxy, is a great blast of crunchy guitar-driven punk rock in the same vein as Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals and the heavier elements of New Found Glory. Proxy is the solo moniker of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ryan Stolinski, and he’s onto something pretty cool on “Don’t Let Me Die In New Jersey,” a song taken from his self-titled EP. Stolinski shared this about the new single, “‘Don’t Let Me Die In New Jersey’ is about the longing feeling of wanting to grow past where you have been your entire life. Feeling bored of the old and needing new experiences. I wrote it from the perspective of someone who wants to die somewhere more beautiful and pleasant looking than a place they are no longer bound to. It’s the age old pop punk theme of hating your hometown with a morbid spin.” The next punk rock song to add to your playlist as you skateboard around town has arrived.

Adam Grundy Mar 14, 2022

The latest EP from southeast Michigan’s own PlainView, is a nice emo throwback that revisits the glory days of the punk/emo boom of the early 00’s, with just enough new tricks thrown into the mix to keep things interesting. The band is comprised of Steven Dechausse (vocals), Aaron Rush (guitar/vocals), Andrew Momeyer (bass/vocals), Chris Parker(guitar), and Zach Schroeder (drums) and Nightlife was produced by Mike Martenson (Boys Of Fall). This set of songs that make up the EP features great guitar work, anthemic vocals, pulsating beats, and a little bit of everything you’d come to expect from a band heavily influenced by bands like Bayside, Silverstein, Aiden, and The Used. Guitarist Aaron Rush shared this about the EP, “Nightlife was written through 2020 and 2021 which I think were pretty demanding years for a lot of people. I was surrounded with a lot of stress and uncertainty after a close family member passed unexpectedly. This EP deals with a lot of those feelings but also acknowledges the growth and relationships that come out of dark places.” The band appears poised to take the next dramatic step forward after this great collection of hard-hitting songs.

Adam Grundy Mar 10, 2022

Today I’m excited to share the lead single from Chicago-based band The Dead Licks for their song “With A Bottle of Whatever You’re Having,” taken from their debut LP In Disguise that hits the streets on May 20th. The band reminds me of the magic found on early Coldplay albums with a steady heartbeat of a familiar-sounding vibe that is comforting to the ears. The Dead Licks shared this about the new single:

Written during the pandemic, and one of the first songs written around a beat made on the drum machine. We sent Jimmy the drum machine/main riff and he came up with the high energy ending to the song. The song structure came about eventually, after we wrote/jammed the song for months.

If you’re enjoying what you hear, the song hits all streaming services tomorrow.

Adam Grundy Mar 4, 2022

The first studio album in three years from the “Pop Punk Queen,” Avril Lavigne, delivers on all of its potential. Her seventh album in total, Love Sux was produced by veteran hit-maker John Feldman (among others including Mod Sun and Travis Barker) and has a ton of aggressive and hard-hitting songs that are sure to grab your attention. In a recent interview with NYLON Magazine, Lavigne shared this about the direction of the new record, “This is the first one that’s just rock all the way through. There was a point in music where the label was like, ‘Radio don’t want to hear guitars anymore.’ Live drums went away. Live electric guitars weren’t getting played. There’s always been that fine line that I’m going to make my music that I’m feeling but also you have a company behind you who influences what you’re doing.” This dedication to making the music she was driven to create makes for one of her most accessible and rewarding albums to date.

Adam Grundy Mar 3, 2022

Recently I was able to catch up with GOON before the release of their new EP Paint by Numbers to provide a cool track-by-track about their new record, that came out today. The LA-based band effortlessly sways from shoegaze pop to a more straightforward rock/grunge approach on this EP that is filled with several great moments. GOON’s Kenny Becker provided these answers based on each song on Paint by Numbers.

Adam Grundy Mar 1, 2022

When I last checked in with PHNTMS, the pop-rock band had just released their single called “Paper Flowers” and was preparing for a few upcoming shows. I’m pleased to announce that the band is back with another great single called “Body Language.” The song rallies around a great riff from lead guitarist Adam Jessamine that builds to an anthemic chorus courtesy of vocalist Alyssa Gambino, who channels her soul influences to make for an excellent-sounding hook. The single’s lyrical material is largely based on the complexities of relationships and the longer we’ve been with a person, the easier it can be to tell when something is wrong. Bassist Mikal Smith keeps the song grooving along with veteran ease, and the tail end of the track features a well thought out guitar solo from Jessamine.

After hearing this great new song, I knew I needed to connect with lead guitarist Adam Jessamine to hear about the background between this songwriting session that led to this single. In the interview below, I asked Jessamine about how he directed the music videos for the band, how the band has been doing the majority of their songwriting during the pandemic, as well as what the band is most looking forward to with getting back on a regular touring schedule. Jessamine also shared the reasons behind scrapping a full-length record that was ready to be released, as well as other interesting details about what keeps the band inspired.

Interview: Craig Mabbitt of The Dead Rabbitts

Review: Telltale – Lie Your Way Out

Review: Riverby – Absolution

Review: Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your Friends

One Armed Joey – “Numbstruck” (Video Premiere)

Review: Stress Dolls – Forward

Review: Oso Oso – Sore Thumb

Audio Karate – ‘¡OTRA!’ (Album Premiere)

Animal Sun – “Chasing Shadows” (Song Premiere)

Review: Proxy – “Don’t Let Me Die In New Jersey”

Review: PlainView – Nightlife

The Dead Licks – “With A Bottle Of Whatever You’re Having” (Song Premiere)

Review: Avril Lavigne – Love Sux

GOON – Paint By Numbers (Track-by-Track)

Interview: Adam Jessamine of PHNTMS