Victory Kid – “No Brakes” (Video Premiere)

Adam Grundy Dec 19, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the new single and lyric video from Victory Kid called “No Brakes.” This high-energy new single capitalizes on the momentum gained from their previous LP Discernation, and was recorded with Mike Pepe (Taking Back Sunday). Lead vocalist Harrison Nida shared this about the blazing new track, “The song is about ditching doubt, toxic thoughts, and anything else that may hold you back. Recognizing those as they come up and releasing them to become the best version of yourself.” By putting their best foot forward, Victory Kid are keeping excitement in their band high as we turn the page on 2022.

Jason Tate Dec 18, 2022

A mini-vacation behind, a holiday ahead. And, hey, who could have guessed it? Things are going great over on the bird site! As always, a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed this week is also included, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Jason Tate Dec 10, 2022

This week’s newsletter has me mostly frustrated with credit card fraud. There are also some thoughts on music I’ve been listening to, an app I don’t think I’ve recommended before, and various other tidbits. As always, there’s also a playlist of ten songs I liked, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Dec 9, 2022

Today I’m excited to bring everyone a stream of the recently reissued LP by The Co Founder, called Gymnasium. The reissue of Gymnasium, previously released in 2018 on Slang Church, features two live acoustic versions of the singles from the record that were recorded and released by Slang Church via their Brunch Tunes sessions. The band will also be recording new music next month with producer Jordan Krimston (Oso Oso, The Obsessives, Weatherbox). I was able to catch up with songwriter Hayden Eller for an exclusive track-by-track look at this reissue. If you’re enjoying the LP, please consider purchasing it here.

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2022 Gift Guide

Jason Tate Dec 8, 2022

The holiday season is upon us!

I’ve once again collected a list of things that I’ve personally used, enjoyed, and think make pretty good gifts. I have recommendations posts that I update regularly for software, headphones, and miscellaneous stuff, so this list is more focused on things not included in those posts and geared towards stuff I’ve come across in the past year or so that I like.

I used my Amazon affiliate link when the product showed up there, which gives our website a slight percentage back if you make a purchase and therefore helps fund our continued existence.

If you’d like to get me a gift, becoming a supporting member or gifting another user a supporting membership for a year would mean the world to me. And, if you’re looking for something in just about any price range with a Chorus.fm or AbsolutePunk.net logo on it, check our merch shop.

Adam Grundy Dec 8, 2022

Today I’m excited to bring everyone the new single from The Mortal Prophets called “Death Letter.” The single comes from the band’s debut LP, Me and the Devil, that hits all music platforms on December 9th. The Mortal Prophets’ John Beckmann shared this about the direction of the material, “Life is about unknowing yourself and so it is with making music. It’s about the journey, and I know that will be discernible in the music as new songs and new albums are released over the next few years.” If you’re ready to join The Mortal Prophets on their musical odyssey, you’ve come to the right place. I was also able to catch up with Beckmann for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy Dec 7, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the new music video from folk rock/Americana band Under The Rug. The great-sounding new single is called “Lonesome & Mad” and features a guest contribution from Ariel Posen. For those new to the band, they are comprised of guitarist Sean Campbell, vocalist/guitarist Casey Dayan, and drummer Brendan McQueeney. Dayan shared this about the new track:

”Lonesome & Mad” was the first song we wrote for this record, and, unlike the other songs—which we mostly wrote on the road—this one came together in our dilapidated little mobile at a time when we were feeling alienated from the rest of the world. Between everything that was happening politically in this country, to the kinds of effects-heavy movies and television that had become so popular, to the way people seemed to treat each other in a crowded grocery-store aisle, we felt out-of-touch and unmoored. Nothing was wrong, but something was really wrong. That’s why we wanted the video to feel very home-made, and it’s also why we show our little mobile home at the end. Of course, getting to have Ariel on the track brought the whole thing home in this pop-irreverent, rootsy, Americana way. It all just came together so neatly.

The song comes from Under The Rug’s forthcoming LP, Homesick For Another World, that will be released everywhere music is sold on February 17, 2023. If you’re enjoying the direction the band took here, you can pre-order the vinyl here.

Adam Grundy Dec 2, 2022

Today I’m excited to bring everyone a look at Hunter Daily and her new single/music video for ”Skeleton Key.” For those unfamiliar with this talented artist, she would fit in well for fans of Maggie Rogers, Lorde, and Mitski. Speaking on her new single and the inspiration behind it, Hunter shared:

’Skeleton Key’ is about a relationship that inevitably has to come to an end because you are no longer a match, like a broken lock and skeleton key. No matter how much you love that person and want to make it work, sometimes the damage is irreparable…sometimes the only thing left to do is to walk away. Originally, my sister and I wrote this song about her relationship ending, but later on, the meaning of the song changed for me…it became more about the falling out my sister and I had after we decided to no longer be in a band together, and at the time, it felt like the death of a part of me.

If you’re ready to discover your next favorite artist, you’ve come to the right place.

Adam Grundy Dec 2, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the new single from Tearing Up called “Said Something.” On this lyric video, Tearing Up channel the emotional part of the new single in a heartfelt visualization. The band is the solo project of Graham Caldwell, and he shared:

Billy Bragg’s ‘Sexuality,’ Dixie Chicks ‘Wide Open Spaces,’ Andy Shauf’s ‘My Dear Helen,’ Cindy Lauper’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Carey’… Even writing this list makes me misty. At the real root of it, I think I just wanted to write music that could make someone cry. Just something that would make a person feel something, realize something, or remember something they thought they’d forgotten. I hope I’ve done that with this record.

The track comes from Tearing Up’s debut LP, entitled Heavy, that will be released in the early part of 2023.

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Interview: Robot Monster

Adam Grundy Dec 1, 2022

Recently I was able to connect with a band named Robot Monster to discuss their new single, called “Out.” The band is comprised of singer/guitarist Will Brennan and drummer Logan Sidle, with their sound drawing comparisons to rock bands like Fuel, Stone Temple Pilots and Rage Against the Machine. In this interview, I also asked the band about their core influences, as well as any dream collaborations that they would love to make happen one day.

Adam Grundy Dec 1, 2022

Today I’m excited to bring everyone a brand new holiday single and video from Seth Swirsky called “Christmas Eve.” Speaking on the material of the track Swirksy shared:

The origin of this song is funny: I met a lovely woman at a Christmas party in New York City awhile back named Eve. We hit it off but she told me she was leaving the next morning to go back to LA, where she lived. I said, ‘I guess I have to wait till next year to see you at this Christmas party again, huh?’ And, for the next 3 years, that is when I saw Eve: on Christmas Eve at that annual party. She was literally my ‘Christmas Eve!

If you’re ready to fall in love with Seth Swirsky and his swooning Christmas-themed single, you’ve come to the right place.

Adam Grundy Dec 1, 2022

Today is a great day to share the latest single from R&B and rap artist, Tireek, called “Baby Boy.” On this song that fits somewhere between the styling of Frank Ocean and SABA, Tireek makes his unique stamp on the music scene. He shared, “I based this song off of my personal experiences as well as the experiences of those around me. Growing up where I’m from can be very traumatic because there’s a lot of negativity, violence, lawlessness and more. The song talks about how that environment plays a role in the way you view the world and others around you.” You may have just discovered the music game’s next big name.

Adam Grundy Nov 30, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the latest single from The Pinkerton Raid (solo project of singer-guitarist Jesse James DeConto), called “Blood In My Eyes.” The song, which comes from the upcoming album entitled The Highway Moves the World, tackles the theme of disintegrating friendships and not knowing where to turn to next when picking up the broken pieces. DeConto shared this about the new single:

”It’s a paradox—to tell a good story, you need all the messy details, but how do you do it without airing other people’s dirty laundry? ‘You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.’ Anne Lamott wrote that, though I don’t totally agree with her, so I won’t name names. I feel more protective of the people I care about, or once cared about, or that I just know have feelings of their own—even if they might have hurt me. Two wrongs don’t make a right, you know? My mom taught me that, and it’s at the core of “Blood in My Eyes.” It’s easy to name hurt, but it’s much harder to identify the causal chain that led to it, much less assign blame and start handing out punishment. One of the reasons I write songs is to express the pain in a healthy way. With this particular song, I was trying to capture something I think we all experience: We all feel hurt; we have a pretty good idea who hurt us; but we’re also pretty sure we share some of the blame; so we don’t trust our own experience of the situation—we’re blinded by our own pain. Deep down—more than vengeance or anger—what we really want is for things to go back to how they were before. And holding on to that hope is a lot more difficult than being mad about what went wrong. With “Blood in My Eyes,” I suppose I’m trying to manifest that kind of hope for you, me or anybody else who needs it. Forgiveness is good for its own sake, whether or not there’s any reconciliation with whoever it is that hurt us.

If you’re ready to take the next dramatic step with The Pinkerton Raid, they’re waiting for you to join the ride. You can also pre-save the track here.

Adam Grundy Nov 29, 2022

Today is the perfect day to introduce everyone to a new, London-based band called MYNK. On their debut single, “Boundaries,” the band channel the best parts of brooding indie rock with pop sensibilities into an anthemic package. On this debut single, MYNK shared:

The track is about the boundaries we set in order to function in different situations/relationships; the crossing of sacrifice and habit meets somewhere in the middle to maintain a connection. It’s about the relatable internal questioning of ‘do I/don’t I?’ and where that takes you, and how you can lose yourself in it.

If you’re ready to be swallowed whole by this great-sounding single, you’ve come to the right place. I was also able to catch up with the band for a brief chat about their new music below.

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Liner Notes (November 27th, 2022)

Jason Tate Nov 27, 2022

Welcome to a lazy holiday version of the newsletter. This week I tweak my task management system, revisit some bands I haven’t listened to in a while, and break out the holiday/feel-good movies. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I think are worth your time, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Victory Kid – “No Brakes” (Video Premiere)

Liner Notes (December 18th, 2022)

Liner Notes (December 10th, 2022)

The Co Founder – Gymnasium (Album Stream)

2022 Gift Guide

The Mortal Prophets – “Death Letter” (Song Premiere)

Under The Rug – “Lonesome and Mad” ft. Ariel Posen (Video Premiere)

Hunter Daily – “Skeleton Key” (Video Premiere)

Tearing Up – “Said Something” (Video Premiere)

Interview: Robot Monster

Seth Swirsky – “Christmas Eve” (Video Premiere)

Tireek – “Baby Boy” (Song Premiere)

The Pinkerton Raid – “Blood In My Eyes” (Song Premiere)

MYNK – “Boundaries” (Video Premiere)

Liner Notes (November 27th, 2022)