Half a decade too late to cash in on the emo revival, Macseal must instead release good music if they want anyone to pay attention to them. Luckily for them, and for us, their latest EP Map It Out might be their most promising release yet.
Post-punk group Ancestors Index will release their sophomore album, Ghost, on November 16th, but today I’m excited to premiere the album’s lead single, “Check My Pulse.” If you like the song pre-orders are up on Bandcamp.
Read More “Ancestors Index – “Check My Pulse” (Song Premiere)”
Bakersfield, CA, post-hardcore band If It Kills You will release their debut LP Infinite Hum on October 27th, but I’m excited premiere the album’s opener, “We Don’t Belong Here,” today. Check it out and below and, if you’re into it, be sure to pre-order the album.
Read More “If It Kills You – “We Don’t Belong Here” (Song Premiere)”
Typesetter recently signed to 6131 Records and announced their sophomore record – it’s called Nothing Blues and it’s a masterclass in anthemic punk rock. I spoke to Alex Palermo, bassist/vocalist, and Marc Bannes, guitarist/vocalist, about writing the album and what the band did in the four years since their debut. Nothing Blues is out October 26 and is available for preorder through 6131’s store.
In March, Spanish Love Songs put out my favorite album of 2018 so far, Schmaltz. While they’ve spent the entirety of the year since touring in support of the album, I didn’t get the chance to catch a show until Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018, but it was well worth the wait.
With the demise of her old band Dollys, Natalie Newbold could’ve bowed out and decided she’d had enough of gig life. After all, it’d been nearly five years she’d spent with the band. Instead, she decided to start over, forming Well Wisher, and their debut is proof she made the right choice.
Today we’re excited to bring you New York indie rock band Elephant Jake’s newest single “Kjerstin.” If you’re a fan of bands like Modern Baseball or Nervous Dater, you’ll want to check out this ear worm of a track. Guitarist/vocalist Sal Fratto had this today about the song:
The song’s about the melancholic feelings associated with a troubled relationship. Disagreements, distance, and dissension take a toll on both parties, and both must move forward with a positive mindset and aspirations for the future. I needed a two syllable name for the chorus, and thought of a woman I consider to be another mother to me, Kjerstin. She is the mother of my high school best friends, my mother’s best friend, and the amount of love that she spreads is incomparable. Thank you for everything that you do for me. I realized that the song expresses a sense of distaste and anger, but those are the opposite of what anyone can feel toward Kjerstin. I think that’s funny.
Check it out below.
When you think of Philadelphia, you most likely don’t think of folk music. Well, Philly native Shannen Moser is trying her damnedest to change that, as her latest LP I’ll Sing is one of the genre’s best offerings of the year. Hell, it’s one of the best albums of the year in any genre.
Late Bloomer is about to release their third-full length album, Waiting. I caught up with the band — bassist Josh Robbins, guitarist Neil Mauney, and drummer Scott Wishart – to talk about how things changed writing this album, which is out June 29th via 6131 Records, and available for purchase through their webstore.
In a year full of promising debuts, Mighty’s self-titled LP stands out. It captures the gritty energy of the debuts by fellow southern indie rockers All Get Out and Microwave – look no further than lead single “Safe and Sound” – but with a charm all its own. Last week I had the chance to speak to bandleader Angelo Fiaretti about writing this album. The album is out this Friday and if you’re interested you can pre-order it through their label.
After listening to Illuminati Hotties’ first single, “(You’re Better) Than Ever,” it would be reasonable to assume the project’s debut album would be full of similarly jaunty vaguely-surfy indie pop songs. That’s maybe half-right. Kiss Yr Frenemies is about a fifty-fifty split of bright fuzzed-out jams and moodier, slow-burning ballads.
If the lead single represents the former category, then second single “Cuff” is probably most indicative of the latter. It’s ambient and atmospheric, and even its blown out chorus feels restrained compared to the loudest moments on the record, Sarah Tudzin’s voice never rising above a plaintive croon. It doesn’t even sound like the same band as “(You’re Better) Than Ever,” let alone like it belongs on the same album. And this is a trend throughout Kiss Yr Frenemies; nearly every single song brings something entirely different to the table. There’s an “ooh-ooh-ooh” backed chorus on the sugary gem “Paying Off the Happiness,” there’s a noisy, brassy climax to the meditative “For Cheez (My Friend, Not the Food),” there’s the raw singalong energy of “boi,” and none of it feels out of place.
Austin, TX, math rock band Honey and Salt will be releasing their sophomore album, Honey and Salt, next week via Spartan Records. I got the chance to sit down with vocalist/guitarist Wade Allen and bassist Austin Sears about the writing of the record, fighting nihilism, and the best band that ever was, Fugazi.
Seattle, WA, leftist punk band Slow Code will be releasing their new LP Wastelayernext month. I recently spoke to the band about the politics of the record and a shared respect for Mark Fisher.
I wrote about Animal Flag at the beginning of the year for our most anticipated albums of 2018 and predicted their new album being “a stunner.” Now they’ve announced that album – it’s called Void Ripper and it comes out on April 13 via Flower Girl and Triple Crown Records – and I can assure you it’s a stunner indeed. I recently had the pleasure of speaking to frontman Matt Politoski about the writing of the record and the break away from Christianity that inspired it.
When Out of Service burst onto the scene last year with What We Bring With Us, it was the sound of a band indebted to the sounds of the early 2000s. Bands like Jimmy Eat World, Cartel, and Taking Back Sunday had left fingerprints all across the EP, making for a pleasant if not entirely unique introduction to the New Jersey band. Still, the energy and talent on display were undeniable, and thankfully, on Morning, Out of Service have come into their own.