Review: Broadside – Hotel Bleu

Usually when you check into a new hotel, it has a funny way of changing your outlook and mindset for the days to come. Whether it’s settling down in a hotel for a vacation, work trip, or just a weekend getaway, these places tend to have their own unique personality attached to them. Broadside have this concept well on the top of their mind on their fourth full-length record, called Hotel Bleu. The interesting thing about this album is that it finds Broadside tinkering with their sound and exploring the depths of their songwriting. While their last effort, Into The Raging Sea, took listeners on a journey through the darkest of thoughts, Hotel Bleu may just be the polar opposite. The latest LP by Broadside (Oliver Baxxter [vocals], Domenic Reid [guitar], and Patrick Diaz [bass]) is vibrant, lush, and as colorful as the name implies.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today is a great day to share the new single and video from Canadian alternative band, Autopilot, called “Unwound.” In the last 14 months, the Saskatchewan rockers have released four singles while consistently touring North America, and their following seems to be growing after each electric live performance. If you’re enjoying the latest single from Autopilot, please consider purchasing an album from their Bandcamp page.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today is a great day to share the new single from Chris Garneau called “Millions.” On this collaborative song with Garneau’s boyfriend, Marc Briz, a lyricist/fiction writer, Garneau channels the love they share into a vibrant single. Co-produced by Garneau and Dan Marcellus, “Millions” takes the listener on an enjoyable and thrilling ride. The song comes from Garneau’s new EP, Out of Love, that will be out everywhere is sold on December 8th. I was also able to catch up with Chris Garneau for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone a great new single by emo/rock band Observe the 93rd, called “We Are Already Dead.” With a sound that fits somewhere between Three Cheers-era of My Chemical Romance, and early Panic! at the Disco, Observe the 93rd are well on their way to making a name for themselves. Band member Derek Henry shared, “‘We Are Already Dead’ is the intro track and sets the stage for the main theme of the album- everything has already happened and also is happening, simultaneously. The past, present, and future are all equally real, and we are already dead.” The band will be releasing their full-length record, Eternalism, on December 15th. If you’re enjoying the early listen to this great single, please consider purchasing something from their merch store here.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone the latest single and video from Canadian indie-folk band, MOONRIIVR, that comes from their new LP, Volume I, out everywhere music is sold on November 8th. “Flowers on the Fire Escape” takes the listener on a great journey, where in the video the band are performing the track outside of a crowded antique shop, showing off their outsider tastes and veteran musical instinct. I was also able to catch up with this talented band for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Recently I was able to connect with Lily Meola for a Zoom interview to discuss her uplifting new single called “Without You.” I asked Lily about her music upbringing, how she stays motivated as an artist, how she measures success as well as her breakthrough single “Daydream,” and what next year has in store for her promising musical career.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with lead vocalist Nathan Willett, of Cold War Kids, to discuss the band’s latest self-titled album that dropped today. In this interview, I asked Nathan about how the band goes about crafting a setlist at this point in their career, the key upcoming album anniversary plans, and Nathan offered some great nuggets of information about the band’s songwriting approach. Cold War Kids self-titled album can be purchased/streamed here.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today is a great day to share the news that Allen Ginsberg has returned with a new single called “Don’t Grow Old.” The newly reissued double album of The Lion For Real is available starting today. With equal parts spoken word, jazz, rock, and ambient, this beautiful record was originally produced by Hal Willner, and features musicians like Mark Bingham, Bill Frisell, Kramer, Arto Lindsay, Marc Ribot. I was also able to catch up with one of the collaborators, Kramer, for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

There’s a lot to be said when a band takes a hiatus, re-shuffles their lineup, or just takes a breather to reset their focus on their music. 152 is the first album by Taking Back Sunday in seven years (with their last effort coming in 2016’s Tidal Wave), and arguably their best one yet. The album anniversaries of Tell All Your Friends and the upcoming 20-year mark of Where You Want To Be may have had a hand in TBS re-focusing their attention on their songwriting craft. There is also something to be said of the magic that happens when lead vocalist Adam Lazzara and guitarist John Nolan get in a room together to pen songs. 152 is a career-spanning love letter to the legacy Taking Back Sunday have built over their eight-album tenure, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today is a great day to share the new single from Oakland garage rock band, The Helltones, called “Don’t Waste My Time.” Much like the title implies, The Helltones get right down to the business at hand with a spiraling, nearly five-minute song that takes listeners on a thrilling ride. Primary songwriter Darwin Siegaldoud shared:

I co-wrote ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ with Victoria, the singer/organ player. She came up with the concept, and wanted to write a song about having her time wasted by an indecisive lover. As we’ve performed it, it’s taken on a wider meaning to me. We’re constantly having our time wasted by advertisers, scammers, or people who just don’t know what they want. This song is hers, and our message to those people.

The Helltones might just be the next most interesting band to take the music scene by storm.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

The debut LP by rock band Crossing I’s Dotting T’s is a grunge-filled love letter to bands like Deftones, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots. I Used To Be has a variety of song types, and more often than not, it hits its intended target. When I last sat down with the lead vocalist from the band, I could tell that his core influences would likely bleed into the band’s debut album. From the soft-loud dynamic found on a Deftones-esque track, called “Far Away,” to the collaborative single with Have Mercy on “Cheap Beers & IOUs,” Crossing I’s Dotting T’s make a memorable first step in the music scene.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today is a great day to share the new, jazzy single from Brad Stank called “I Belong To You.” On this quick song that tugs on all the right heartstrings, Stank displays a rich confidence not usually seen in the music scene. He shared:

A short but sweet song influenced heavily by the Love Unlimited band. Rhythmically kinda awkward and drunken, expressing how it can feel sometimes to be vulnerable to somebody. The title is pretty Gospel-esque but lyrically quite romantic, towing that line again. Lydia Kitto on the gorgeous backing vocals. Really doubling down on the romantic vibes here, and one of my favorite songs on the record.

I was also able to catch up with Brad for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Today I’m excited to bring everyone an early listen to punk rapper, Hollow River, and his fulfilling, and vibrant new single called “Self Esteem (Everyone’s Leaving).” This artist shared:

The intro is a recording of a message I got from an old friend who had dreams of being a rapper ever since he was a teenager. He took it particularly hard when I started to pursue my music career full time, and even harder when I found success with rap myself. Instead of being happy for me he sent me aggressive messages that kept escalating with anger to the point where I had to cut them off. I had to remind myself that someone who couldn’t be happy about me pursuing my dream wasn’t a real friend and I was better off without them. Musically it’s really fun -like a release after a period of stress with some awesome drums parts!

The single comes from Hollow River’s EP, We’re Going To Be Ok, which officially drops today.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

The momentum that Boys Like Girls had going into their fourth studio album, Sunday At Foxwoods, was probably a bit more positive than the band could’ve expected. Having not released any music as a band since 2012, Boys Like Girls could’ve gone in a number of ways, creatively. The Night Game was keeping lead vocalist Martin Johnson busy with a project after Boys Like Girls went on a hiatus, and this 2023 version of the band feels like a marrying of styles and sounds between everything the band members have done (both as solo artists, and as a creative unit). Sunday At Foxwoods is a thrilling return to form for a band that found some early success with their self-titled debut, peaked commercially with Love Drunk (that had a key song feature with a young artist known as Taylor Swift), and they experienced some creative growing pains on Crazy World. The vinyl reissues of Boys Like Girls and Love Drunk seemed to reinvigorate fan interest in the band’s fourth studio album, known as Sunday At Foxwoods, that is kicking off the next phase of this talented pop-rock band.

After a brief, atmospheric introductory song on the title track, Boys Like Girls rock with veteran poise on “The Outside.” It features a stomping, anthemic chorus of, “It’s okay, it’s alright / Baby welcome to life on the outside / Sleep all day, ride all night / Yeah we’re living it up on the outside,” that reminds longtime fans of the band of the magic that happens when these four musicians get together to create music. While longtime lead guitarist Paul DiGiovanni is no longer a part of the band, Jamel Hawke does the band justice by taking over the reins on guitar.

Adam Grundy Oct 27, 2023

This past week, I was able to chat with Chase Tremaine to discuss his deluxe reissue of Accidental Days. The deluxe edition of the album has been re-released today on Bandcamp, and it features ten new bonus tracks, plus commentary on the ten main album songs. I continue to be impressed by Chase’s extensive work ethic, and I hope this track-by-track sheds some light on his creative process.

Review: Broadside – Hotel Bleu

Autopilot – “Unwound” (Video Premiere)

Chris Garneau – “Millions” (Song Premiere)

Observe The 93rd – “We Are Already Dead” (Song Premiere)

MOONRIIVR – “Flowers on the Fire Escape” (Video Premiere)

Interview: Lily Meola

Interview: Cold War Kids

Allen Ginsberg – “Don’t Grow Old” (Song Premiere)

Review: Taking Back Sunday – 152

The Helltones – “Don’t Waste My Time” (Song Premiere)

Review: Crossing I’s Dotting T’s – I Used To Be

Brad Stank – “I Belong To You” (Song Premiere)

Hollow River – “Self Esteem (Everyone’s Leaving)” (Song Premiere)

Review: Boys Like Girls – Sunday At Foxwoods

Chase Tremaine – Accidental Days (Deluxe Edition) Track-by-Track