I’d like to introduce you to a great pop, rock and rap-based band out of L.A. called Tempoh Slow. The band, who reminds me the emo-tinged rap/rock of Twenty One Pilots and the atmospheric feel of The Neighbourhood, are onto some great things on “Villains In Love.” The performance-based music video features vocals from LUNA AURA, and the band rallies around the catchy chorus to make for a memorable single.
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Today I’m thrilled to share the latest single from Los Angeles’ own Broken Field Runner, for “Save You.” In this great sounding track, that sounds like a blend between Jimmy Eat World and Hey Mercedes, the band explodes out of the speakers with an emotive force not usually seen with this much urgency. Vocalist/guitarist Tony Bucci shared this about the new single:
‘Save You’ is one of the best songs I’ve ever written. Every so often I write a song and every song I write after it I’ll ask myself, ‘When am I going to write another <fill in the blank>?’ ‘Save You’ is an example of that. It’s one of the only songs in the trilogy of releases that we were able to play live before the pandemic hit, and it has an urgency and energy to it in the live setting. I wrote it for two good friends of mine who experienced a devastating loss and when I shared the demo with them it brought them to tears. In fact, when I sent initial mixes of the song to Dane at Jetsam-Flotsam he replied, ‘If the rest of Runner sounds like this, I’m going to lose my shit.’ It also includes some of my favorite recent lyrics at the end of the song: ‘You are the sun in my horizon / the moon is a lighthouse watching over the cliff / there’s a shore / in the distance a few miles more / called acceptance.'”
If you’re digging this song as much as I think you will, consider pre-ordering the trilogy here.
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Recently I was able to chat with a band from Annapolis, Maryland called Again In May, whose new EP Feels Like Home came across my inbox and I was immediately hooked. The band consists of vocalist Liam King, guitarist Daniel Contreras, bassist Sean Anderson, and drummer Noah Doney, and their sound is similar to a mix between Saosin and the pop sensibilities of The Format. In this interview, I asked the band about their goals for their music, what other artists they look to for inspiration, and the rapid, grassroots feel of winning their audiences over one show at a time. Feels Like Home is available now on your favorite streaming service.
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A few weeks back, I had the chance to chat with a band called The Maguas, who recently premiered their single “Release Me” with us. The band is comprised of Erik Miller (Vocals), Luke Prusinski (Bass), Matthew “Jenks” Jenkins (Lead Guitar), Daulton Rissinger (Rhythm Guitar), and Brandon Ossont (Drums). In this conversation, I asked about the band’s songwriting process for the new single, the music influences they bring into their group, as well as the lessons they have learned from being best friends making music together. In this interview we also discussed the band’s goals for the future and where they see themselves in this music landscape.
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The changing of lead vocalists almost never works for a band. Lucky for us, Zebrahead are all too familiar with shuffling this key cog in the band machine, and sound as re-energized as ever with their third lead vocalist, Adrian Estrella (formerly of Assuming We Survive), who has this beloved band back on the right track. When I last chatted with Adrian and Ali, you could tell that they were sitting on a great collection of music that they have since aptly branded III to mark the third chapter in their storied history. With such a refreshing take on their sound, it’s no wonder why it’s easy to get excited for what the future holds for Zebrahead.
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In a music landscape filled with some odd band names, Hoobastank may have taken the prize for strangest moniker. On their self-titled major label debut, the band came roaring out of the gate with a strong debut single in “Crawling in the Dark” that rose as high as the top three on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. One thing that many people don’t know about the band is that this record is actually their second full-length record with the independently released They Sure Don’t Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To, that featured a horn section and not too much material within the same realm as Hoobastank. I discovered this band in a similar way as others, by seeing their first music video on MTV2 and then promptly buying my first concert ticket to see them at the 9:30 Club. Their live show was filled with pulse-pounding drums (courtesy of Chris Hesse), the brilliant riffing from guitarist Dan Estrin, and anthemic vocals from Doug Robb. During this concert, they played two tracks from their independent debut, “Earthsick” and the song closest to the sound they would go for on their Island Records’ debut on “Stuck Without a Voice.” This concert made me a life-long fan of the band, and they would go on to achieve remarkable success on their subsequent record called The Reason, where the title track made them a household name. This meteoric rise made the radio ready rock band Hoobastank something that ironically everyone would know exactly what you’re talking about.
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Recently I was able to chat with EJ Olson of the band 09 (pronounced “oh-nine”) to discuss his band’s great collaborative record called Lost Years. The new album features 12 songs with 12 different vocalists ranging from marquee names like Kellin Quinn and Marty Mullins to lesser known names looking to take advantage of the spotlight. In this interview, I asked EJ how the album came together with his bandmate, Chancelor Reeder, as well as the key artists 09 looks to for inspiration in their music. Lost Years is a record that should not be missed and I’d highly recommend everyone checking it out sooner rather than later.
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Those kids grow up fast, don’t they? Snarls have knocked all of the expectations for their band out of the park on their great new EP called, What About Flowers? On this Chris Walla-produced effort, this young band have absolutely floored me with their growth as songwriters, musicians, and people in general. When I last spoke with the band, they could hardly contain their excitement in discussing their new EP that comes shimmering through the speakers on its first listen. While their debut, Burst, found the band exploring what would “stick” best in their sound, What About Flowers? finds Snarls at their most focused and driven.
The first single released from this effort is the almost out of place song, “Fixed Gear,” that has a different guitar tone than the rest of the material that follows. In retrospect, it may have made more sense for this song to be a stand-alone single rather than kick-off this collection of songs, but it’s still a song I’m glad Snarls have birthed into this world. It features a great, driving beat, and is rounded out by complex guitar parts and beautifully harmonized and layered vocals. While the band was worried about more fans clinging to this sound of this track, rather than the rest of more synchronous material that follows, it’s still very much a song Snarls should be proud of creating.
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Today I’m excited to share the latest single, called “Wild Heart” from Philly’s Riot Grrl band, Full Bush. In this blazing single, the band is able to grasp the spirit of early Riot Grrl bands and put their unique stamp on it for today’s audiences. Kate shared this about “Wild Heart:”
Learning to embrace what sets you apart and how you can embody those parts of yourself that perhaps you were told weren’t socially acceptable for one reason or another is what ‘Wild Heart’ is all about. I wrote it at a time when I was struggling to find answers to why I was stuck repeating habits that weren’t serving me, and beginning to do inner child and shadow work helped make sense of the cognitive dissonance I’d been experiencing. The culmination of the song’s message is to stop fighting the lies you tell yourself and instead listen to and feed the pieces of yourself that are screaming to break free and embrace the wildness of who you are without fear.
If you’re still rocking out to this song, their new EP is out on December 3rd, and pre-orders are available here.
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Recently I was able to chat with the band Snarls before they embarked on a comprehensive US tour supporting The Happy Fits and their label mates M.A.G.S. In this interview, we discussed what it was like recording their new EP What About Flowers? with producer Chris Walla, their direct influences in their sound, and what makes the direction they took on their new EP so exciting. What About Flowers? will be hitting all streaming services on November 12th, and different vinyl options are still available at their Bandcamp store here.
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Lindsey Jordan sounds like a young woman possessed. Possessed with purpose, direction, and a more rounded out sound than what came through the speakers of the bedroom pop classic debut album, Lush. Snail Mail, which is also comprised of bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown, sounds like a band pushing the boundaries of the “bedroom pop” label, and breaking down the damn door in the same process. Jordan has been put in the same vein as other artists like Soccer Mommy, Phoebe Bridgers, with even some comparisons to Fiona Apple, yet Snail Mail has found a way to break free of these similarities and created a lush (no pun intended) and rounded out sound on Valentine.
The Ellicott City, Maryland based artist is ready to explode out of the indie rock scene, and has already collected several high album ratings for Valentine from other music publications (and rightfully so). From the initial chords on the title track as Jordan croons, “Let’s go be alone / Where no one can see us, honey / Careful in that room / Those parasitic cameras, don’t they stop to stare at you,” it’s almost as if Snail Mail is making the conscious choice to leave that “room” that trapped her in the bedroom pop label, and leave that scene far behind as Jordan establishes herself as one of the better artists in the indie pop realm. As Jordan explodes into the chorus of, “So why’d you wanna erase me, darling valentine? / You always know where to find me when you change your mind,” it becomes crystal clear that she has the songwriting chops to elevate her game at just the right time.
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Today I’m excited to premiere the latest single from the emo/alt-rock band called The Maguas, for the track “Release Me.” The Maguas shared this about the song, “‘Release Me’ holds a very special place in our hearts as a band. We feel this song helps to portray that feeling of hopelessness one faces when their heart is broken after the loss of a loved one. This song is our interpretation of that internal struggle to let go or move forward from the fear of losing someone so dear to us. This song was conceptualized following the loss of our drummer’s grandfather and is a tribute to Brandon’s coming to terms with his grandfather’s passing.” If you’re rocking out to this song, please consider purchasing the single at your favorite streaming service starting tomorrow.
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When I last chatted with author Dan Ozzi about his book called Sellout, I asked him, “What does the word “Sellout” mean to you today?” And the author barely blinked by telling me, “Probably nothing!…And so I saw that word still out going around a lot recently, but I don’t see it as much for musicians anymore, because there’s no money in music now, right? How do you sell out?” What I wasn’t expecting from that answer was for Dan Ozzi to be completely on point with his description on the state of the music scene in this comprehensive look at eleven bands’ trajectory into dipping their toes into the major labels’ waters.
The book is carefully and thoughtfully organized into 11 succinct chapters following each of the eleven bands’ major label debuts. As you can imagine from the back cover stating the albums covered in the book, not all of these records were major label success stories. In fact, only a handful of them could be considered to be the record that put those bands on the map and would change their lives for the better (or worse). The book is incredibly entertaining, well-researched and Ozzi lives up to the hype of describing himself as “America’s Only Music Writer.”
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Recently I was able to catch up with the band Right On, Kid for an interview about their new album, Life is a Movie, as well as a music video (that feels like a movie) for the song “Stay Close.” In this feature, I asked thew band about how their touring regimen has been going, the band’s core influences, as well as what the rest of the year looks like for the band. Be sure to check out their new music video for “Stay Close” linked in this article.
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Today I’m thrilled to share the worldwide premiere of “Burn Me” by Divided Heaven. The band is comprised of Jeff Berman, and the band’s upcoming album Oblivion is slated for an early 2022 release date via A-F Records. Berman shared this about the great new single, “‘Burn Me’ is a punch thrown at the self-aggrandizing internet trolls. ‘Burn Me’ aims to counter the all-too-prevalent cultural pessimism and cynicism with the most raw and vicious song Divided Heaven has ever released. It’s not always easy to put your art on public display and to open yourself up to criticism and bullying (I’ve had my fair share, and then some). ‘Burn Me’ is a tribute to the artists that push the boundaries of their genre, dive into the androgynous, dabble in the dirty, all in the face of vitriolic social commentary. Produced by the great Charlie Stavish and a great way to kick-off this Oblivion-era of Divided Heaven!” If you enjoy this track as much as I did, consider pre-ordering Oblivion here, and international fans can pre-order here.
Read More “Divided Heaven – “Burn Me” (Video Premiere)”