Review: Zaq Baker – Unspectacular

There’s a lot that can be said about novels that are filled with sharp wit, cheeky dialogue, and relatable storylines to maintain key connections to the material. Zaq Baker has recently released his debut novel, called Unspectacular, that takes a look at a character named Mae Strand who is somewhat pursuing a career as a vocalist. One particular line in the middle section of the novel states, “Some people say water maintains memory, holds it inside, safeguards it, can transport it across places and peoples. This is how I feel about music – recorded music especially. Albums, after all, live forever.” This nice quip is easily relatable for me, personally, but I feel a lot of music fans would also identify in quotes like this. Baker’s ability to mix just the right amount of believability and characters similar to many in the music industry may have come across makes for a memorable reading experience.

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Review: Anberlin – Never Take Friendship Personal

Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal

Because time is a cruel beast, Never Take Friendship Personal has turned 20 years old and yet it still packs that same urgency of a band hungry for more. More exposure, more fans, and plenty more music! The record itself is as gripping as they come, especially in a scene where so many emo bands were exploding out of the gate and into the pages of magazines like Alternative Press. What set Anberlin apart from the pack was their ability to lean into the genre’s best parts: anthemic and heartfelt vocals, searing guitar parts, and well-constructed songs that made a lot of sense and still had a lasting impact on the listener.

I think the first time I heard the band name Anberlin was when I saw the young band take the stage in Baltimore, Maryland opening for Bayside. This must’ve been close to 2005, because I can vividly remember their set comprised almost entirely of material from Never Take Friendship Personal. I was instantly hooked on lead vocalist Stephen Christian’s energetic stage presence and his vocals were top-notch that evening. Later on that same weekend, I traveled to my local Best Buy to pick up a CD copy of the album, and I was immediately transported back to that fateful evening in Baltimore where I would discover one of my favorite bands of all time.

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Review: L.S. Dunes – Violet

After a band as talented as L.S. Dunes is crafted their stunning debut album, Past Lives, the pressure was compounded for them to deliver once again. Luckily the “supergroup” of drummer Tucker Rule and bassist Tim Payne (Thursday), guitarist Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), guitarist Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria) and vocalist Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin) are well up to the task at hand on Violet. The set was once again produced by veteran hit-maker Will Yip and showcases the subtle improvements the band has made to their already dynamic sound. The record is filled with several ambitious moments that hit the listener in the feels right away. Look no further than the opener of “Like Magick” that starts off with Green doing his vocals a cappella before the rest of his bandmates join in on the mix.

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Review: Strategies – “Presence”

Formed remotely during the pandemic, the band called Strategies is back with a new single called “Presence” that reminds me a bit of the softer elements of emo rock bands like American Football and Further Seems Forever. The band begins the song with smooth sounding vocals paired with a lush instrumental background to help set the stage for the track. The single showcases the band’s ability to let the music flow right through them and create unique art with their inspiration. Clocking in just under the three-minute mark, this quick song is sure to remain in your headspace long after the last note is played out. The future looks bright for Strategies.

Review: Le Big Zero – “How Very”

On the latest single from Brooklyn, New York punk band, Le Big Zero, called “How Very” they channel their love for big pop hooks and cool instrumental breakdowns in an interesting delivery. The lead track from their forthcoming EP titled How To Use a Semicolon, the dual vocals of songwriter/guitarist Michael Pasuit and singer Carolina Aguilar mesh well as they harmonize throughout the electric song. The track begins with an old school drum beat supplied by Lukas Hirsch, before breaking into some uncharted territories with an electric bass line from Ben Ross to get the song moving in the right direction.

What starts off as kind of a Weezer-stylized, or the fictional band The Wonders, type of track, Le Big Zero expands on their musical approach quickly. The song takes the listener on a wild ride and leaves the anticipation high for the other two songs on their new EP.

Review: The Backfires – This Is Not An Exit

Formed in 2018, the NYC and London-based band, The Backfires are Alex Gomez (vocals), Harry Ruprecht (guitar), Max Wanduragala (drums), and Matt Walter (bass), and their debut LP titled This Is Not An Exit is a thrilling mix of dance-able indie rock. When speaking on the cover art and LP title, Alex Gomez shared, “We took the name from this white sign with big red letters that’s backstage at the Mercury Lounge. I don’t know what’s behind that door, but I know wherever this record leads is deeper inside. This record is a culmination of our years going back and forth between shows, between continents. It’s the end of a chapter, and the start of an era.” What is found on This Is Not An Exit is an entry point to a solid combination of artistic styles that quickly resemble the anthemic pop-rock of The Killers, the working-man pub rock of Catfish & The Bottlemen, and the beats of Franz Ferdinand, all put on blend in a crowd-pleasing concoction.

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Review: Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)

There’s a lot for the Atlanta-born vocalist Teddy Swims to be proud of these days. From the speedy success of his debut album called I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1), to the chart-topping smash of “Lose Control”, paired with a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, plus the wonderful news that his girlfriend Raiche Wright and him are expecting their first child together, leads to the assumption that Teddy Swims must feel like he’s walking on air. The second part of Teddy Swims’ journey in the music world picks up right where he left off, offers stunning vocal performances, and a more optimistic outlook. Teddy Swims shared, “I thought that I was in such turmoil and heartbreak on the first one and it was nothing but questions and there was no real closure. So I thought that was important, especially with the title, I wanted to go into finding love again, learning how to move on, going to therapy and showing the healing process. Like, ‘Here’s me on the other side of all that mess.’ I’m so happy to be here on the other side of that mess, because it’s lovely.” You can feel the passion behind each lyric, each note, each precise beat, as everything clicks succinctly into place on this wonderful sophomore album.

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Review: Crossing I’s Dotting T’s – “You, In Everything”

The latest single from Alt Rock band Crossing I’s Dotting T’s, called “You, In Everything”, recalls the days of when grunge and post-rock dominated the radio airwaves, albeit with a modern twist. The single was produced by Max Dickenson and Lars Deutsch, and showcases the improvements made in the band’s sound that keeps the vocals front and center, while adding in some interesting guitar sounds similar to bands like Deftones, Superheaven, and Hum.

The song builds around the chorus of, “Tell me what it means / See you in everything / Tell me what it means,” that feels like 90’s Alternative magic and recounts the singer’s tortured feeling of visualizing a person they can’t seem to get out of their head. The bridge features shouted vocals paired with heavy power chords and plenty of fuzz pedals to round out the sound they were going for here. Crossing I’s Dotting T’s plan to rally around this lead single bodes well, and their forthcoming EP this Spring should garner some extra attention.

Review: The Maine – Dyed (2008

The surprise new album from The Maine dropped mid-week, just as many fans of the band were en route to the 8123 Fest, taking place between January 16-17th in Mesa, Arizona. This new LP, called Dyed (2008 – 2023), features several re-worked demos/ideas from every era of The Maine’s discography, and yet it plays out much better than any other “compilation” of collected B-sides ever would. The reason why it works so well is that The Maine have the confidence to go in any direction they please, as was displayed on their 2024 single “Touch”, and further cemented on this latest record. The band have been no strangers to reinvention, as documented in their dynamic nine-album discography, and yet this album that touches on each of their past recordings showcases what The Maine are capable of creating when firing on all creative cylinders. While it may have been easier for the band to simply dust off these old demos and release them as-is, taking the easy road simply isn’t in The Maine’s DNA. Dyed brings the listener back to where it all started, offers a cohesive journey through their past work, all while still sounding like the band we have known and loved over time that continues to get better with age.

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Review: All Systems Go – “Everything Going Well Is A Bad Thing, Right?”

The new lead single from NJ pop-punk band, All Systems Go, comes from their recently announced EP Finding Closure, and is a solid slab of heartfelt punk rock filled with great guitar breakdowns and passionate vocal performances. “Everything Going Well is a Bad Thing, Right?” was produced by Gary Cioni (Crime in Stereo, Hot Mulligan) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (New Found Glory, Senses Fail), and All Systems Go have really developed a professional and poised sound on this track. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Pezza shared, “This song is about how poor communication leads to people being on different wavelengths. In context, the ‘remember me when you’re famous’ line is essentially a substitute phrase for communicating ‘this isn’t going to work out’. But no one knows that until it’s actually stated a couple lines later. There’s a reason why people always say ‘communication is key’ – not just in dating but in working relationships, friendships, etc. It’s always better to be direct; mean what you say and say what you mean.” The song is reminiscent of the starry-eyed pop-punk of The Starting Line, paired with the complex guitar parts of Four Year Strong, and put on blend with a bit of the band’s own flavor.

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Review: AFI – Andi Coulter

AFI Book

The latest book by Andi Coulter, called AFI, takes a comprehensive look at the meteoric rise of the legendary punk band AFI whom have been no strangers to reinvention throughout their storied musical career. While Coulter mentions in the Prelude that this book is “not an all-encompassing narrative” on the band, AFI still serves as a gripping tale of a band with a clear vision for their music, style, and ethos. From the early days of AFI finding their footing in the underground punk scene, to their breakthrough into the mainstream on Sing the Sorrow, everything flows with great pacing and intricate details that even the band’s most dedicated fans will devour. In an easily-digestable 130-plus page effort, Coulter does a fantastic job of getting to the core of what made AFI such a key major label “catch,” while offering clues as to why certain records didn’t resonate as firmly with their fans. It’s a book that you won’t be able to put down, and can easily swim through in one sitting.

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Review: Lauren Mayberry – Vicious Creature

Lauren Mayberry - Vicious Creature

Albert Einstein once said, “A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it is built for.” Lauren Mayberry takes a brave step forward on Vicious Creature, the debut solo project from the front-woman of CHVRCHES that features a fun mix of pop anthems filled with thoughtful lyrics and great beats. Mayberry mentioned in a Rolling Stone interview leading up to their release of this record that, “So much of this process has been an exercise in empowering myself to listen to my own intuition — something I really trained myself out of. That’s ultimately why you start making things — because you felt a feeling, and you wanted to articulate that somehow. I think it was important for me to relearn that kind of independence, and recognize what I bring to any table I choose to sit at.” By crafting an album different than what she has grown accustomed to creating with her bandmates, Mayberry solidifies herself as someone willing to take creative risks to grow as an artist.

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Review: Battleviews – Two Ghosts

The sophomore effort from Battleviews, composed of husband and wife duo Ryan and Natalie Raichilson, is a heartfelt collection of songs that have a lasting impact on anyone who takes the time to listen to it. Two Ghosts was recorded in Ryan and Natalie’s home in Metuchen, NJ, and the LP was mixed and mastered by Steve Sopchak (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless in White). The themes range from the unbridled joy of parenthood, the heartache that comes when the realization sets in that your kids won’t stay young forever, to the feelings of loss plus a slight detour to an 1800’s ghost story. The warm vocals from both Ryan and Natalie are filled with a love towards Indie/Americana music, with some slight nuances to their songwriting to keep things fresh and exciting. Two Ghosts is a record you can put on as you sit by the warm glow of the fireplace during the winter season and ponder your next steps in life. The soundtrack that these two musicians have created here is a glowing testament to their dedication put towards their craft.

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Review: Career Day – I’ll Always Be This

The debut EP by Queens, New York-based emo band, Career Day, called I’ll Always Be This tackles a wide variety of themes such as the current working environment, substance abuse, mental wellness, and dealing with it all one day at a time. During the span of four crisp songs that span just twelve hard-hitting minutes, Career Day quickly highlight their band’s strengths with a sound that strays somewhere between The Starting Line, Motion City Soundtrack, and Hawthorne Heights. The band is Ryan Maguire (drums), Robbie Levin (bass), Jacob Cutler (guitar), and Desmond Zantua (vocals) and were formed during the pandemic. By leaning into their core influences, Career Day are starting their musical journey on the right foot.

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Review: Bush – Sixteen Stone

The 6x Platinum debut by English rock band, Bush, is getting a comprehensive vinyl reissue today in honor of Sixteen Stone’s 30th anniversary. You probably know the hits by heart. “Everything Zen,” “Little Things,” “Comedown,” “Machinehead” and “Glycerine” were the five massive singles released from this album that still stand the test of time today. The album was recorded at Westside Studios, London with producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, and marked the breakthrough of legendary Alt Rock frontman, Gavin Rossdale. Through his gritty vocal performance throughout Sixteen Stone, Rossdale captivated audiences far and wide on this record that if you didn’t own it yourself, you likely knew someone nearby who did. Bush had recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sixteen Stone with a comprehensive Greatest Hits tour that coincided with a singles compilation and put their decades-long career back into focus.

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