Interview: Dominick Fox of Bad Luck.

Bad Luck

Recently I had the chance to catch up with the frontman of NY-based pop-punk band Bad Luck. As Dominick Fox and I chatted about the upcoming new music from his band, it became apparent that his confidence level in what his band is cooking up could take a lot of people by surprise. We discussed everything that went into the recording of the band’s last album, Summer of Pain, their difficulties with touring in a pandemic, as well as what the future holds for the direction of the band’s music.

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Pine Barons – “In The Air” (Song Premiere)

Pine Barons

Today I’m excited to share the latest single from Philadelphia’s own Pine Barons, called “In The Air.” The song is a cover of The Fishmans’, a Japanese pop group that stormed their scene in the 80’s and 90’s. The song reminds me of lush dream pop meshed with psychedelic rock. Imagine if Beach House and Phish ever collaborated on a song; it might sound a lot like this. Lead vocalist Keith Abrams had this to say about the cover:

”In The Air” has such a haunting quality to it, both in the lyrics and the way it moves, and I get such a strong emotional response when I listen to it, like I can feel my heart breaking. The first version I had heard was the live performance off Otokotachi no Wakare. From this sort of cosmic meditative intro, like leaving the earth behind as you enter the upper atmosphere, and out comes this creeping hypnotic pulse with the bass and drums. The progression, as simplistic as it is, feels somehow ahead of its time, and it blew me away. As the last Fishmans single to be released in 1998, it was an important one to include on this album. I wanted to marry the essence of the live version with the studio version, with a slight deviation from the structure. When it feels like it might come to an end, it sort of blasts off into this other realm where you might forget you’re listening to the same song.

By putting a new spin on a classic, Pine Barons are off and running towards being your next key musical discovery.

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Jude Flannery – “Quiet By Your Side” (Video Premiere)

Jude Flannery

Today I’m happy to share the latest music video from Jude Flannery for his song “Quiet By Your Side.” Flannery enlisted Matt Barrick (The Walkmen), Robbie Bennett (The War on Drugs), Quentin Stoltzfus (Light Heat) to both play on and produce the new record, and form a supergroup of sorts. Flannery shared this about the new single:

I wanted to write a song about what it means to be comfortable. For me, that is the ability to quiet my mind. The more I thought about this song, it also feels like my relationship with music – it’s always nearby, it moves me and lulls me into a state of listening calm. It’s funny but I think that ended up happening when we recorded the song as well – we immediately felt what the song needed and just played it. I started with the acoustic guitar and vocals and Quentin laid down the bass line from the control room as I was recording it. Matt added drums on top of that in what seemed like a single take and Robbie’s keys filled in the rest quickly.

If you’re enjoying the new song/video as much as I think you will, his full-length record will drop this September.

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Interview: Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor

It’s release week for Joyce Manor’s sixth album, 40 Oz. To Fresno and vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson is thinking about how it’ll be received. “I care about the reviews, I don’t know why I care about the reviews, but I do. So, if we got bad reviews it would really hurt my feelings. But so far everything I’ve read has been really positive. So, that’s a huge relief.” It’s refreshing to hear that kind of honestly from a musician, as it’s typical for artists to say they avoid (or pretend to) the critiques on their art. But Johnson isn’t like most artists, his self-awareness shining through during the entirety of our Zoom session. His band’s latest collection of emo-leaning power-pop punk songs look back on past eras of Joyce Manor while staying true to the natural progression the band has made since 2011’s self-titled record. The 9-track 17-minute album features some of the band’s most explosive work yet (“Gotta Let It Go,” “NBTSA,” and “Secret Sisters” being the main culprits) along with the band’s incredible knack for creating inescapable melodic mid-tempo tracks (“You’re Not Famous Anymore” and “Did You Ever Know?”) – making 40 Oz. To Fresno the Joyce Manor record for Joyce Manor fans. Below Johnson and I chat about the origins of this record, trying to take a break from the Joyce Manor machine, working with Tony Thaxton, the big Long Beach show in 2023, and more.

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Scotchka – “Corinthians” (Song Premiere)

Scotchka

Today is a great day to share the latest single from pop-punk band Scotchka, who hail from Albany, NY, and are gearing up for the release of their full-length record this August. The new single is called “Corinthians” and reminds me a lot of Say Anything paired with Motion City Soundtrack. The band shared this about the latest track:

We’ve made a habit on this coming record to hyperinflate the ordinary and this song is one of the better examples. Corinthians is a culmination of life events, put into the most dramatic light possible. Trying to explore every facet of a relationship, processing a friend telling us they are considering suicide, always trying to find out where something went wrong and building from there.

If you’re enjoying the vibe of the latest single, be on the lookout for a pre-order notification on the band’s Bandcamp page here.

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Chris Garneau – “Ballard” (Song Premiere)

Chris Garneau

Today I’m excited to share the latest single from singer-songwriter Chris Garneau called “Ballard.” The track is the first song to be released from his upcoming EP, that will be released this Fall, and reminds me of a bit of the style of Rostam paired with the flamboyance of Adam Lambert. Garneau had this to say about the inspiration behind the new song:

I wrote this song after a vivid dream I had last summer where I met and fell in love with a vampire. We agreed he could drink the blood from my neck, turning me, but two days later he disappeared. I never saw him again, not in my dreams not in real life. Even though it all happened while I was sleeping it stuck with me for a while, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for months until I finally wrote the song to get it out. I felt like I was hallucinating sometimes, like that it really happened. It was bizarre. Sort of hot, kinda fun, but also felt fucked up. Ultimately I was relieved to let go of the feeling.

If you’re enjoying the direction that Garneau took on the first single from his upcoming EP, you can purchase the song starting tomorrow here.

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Aunt Kelly – ‘Remember’ (Album Premiere)

Aunt Kelly

Today I’m thrilled to share the album stream of power pop/rock band Aunt Kelly called Remember. The band is comprised of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Kelly Hannemann, bassist Dan Gianaris and drummer Sarah Weddle, and their great musical chemistry is felt over the seven-song effort. With a sound that strays somewhere between Beach Bunny and The Aces, Aunt Kelly have crafted a great debut record that should dominate your summer rotation. Hannemann shared this about the new record:

Remember is made up of songs written over several years through periods of despair, euphoria, depression, and mania. The title-track is about the fear of losing memories. There is something really comforting to me about being able to live in the past whether it’s through good or bad memories. I thought it was fitting for that song to be the title-track since all these songs hold a very specific feeling and will always make me think of that moment in time.

By looking back on key memories and staying true to who they are as people and musicians, Aunt Kelly will make you remember their name. If you’re enjoying the early album stream, please consider pre-ordering Remember here.

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Liner Notes (June 5th, 2022)

Lights

This week’s newsletter has early first impressions of the new The Dangerous Summer album, some thoughts on other music I listened to over the past week, and my usual rundown of entertainment commentary. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed, 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.

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TWINS – “Something About Alice Coltrane” (Song Premiere)

Twins

Today is the perfect day to share Berlin-based Alternative Rock band, TWINS, and their latest B-side single, a jazz-infused song called “Something About Alice Coltrane.” The song comes from the mind of TWINS band leader, Miro Denck, and Miro shared, “This recording is my humble tribute to one of my greatest sources of artistic and spiritual inspiration, the sublime music of the great jazz mystic Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda. It would be presumptuous to think there’s even a way to get anywhere near the powerful talent unified on the original recording, ‘Something About John Coltrane’ of her 1971 album, Journey in Satchidananda, which includes Pharoah Sanders, Cecil McBee and Rashied Ali, let alone as a single musician. Rather than that, to me this is a very personal meditation on life, loss and the endless comfort I find in her music.”

If you’re enjoying this latest slab of experimental rock music from TWINS, their full-length record called The Human Jazz will be hitting music streaming services on June 29th via Earth Libraries. Additionally, I was able to catch up with Miro Denck for a brief interview about this new single.

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Bonsai Trees – “Not Better” (Song Premiere)

Bonsai Trees

Today I’m thrilled to share the latest single from Bonsai Trees, led by the charismatic lead vocalist James MacPherson, “Not Better” is a song about finding ways to improve your outlook on healing. MacPherson shared:

”Not Better” is about healing at your own pace, healing from trauma is a non-linear rollercoaster of a process that requires support, love and understanding from the people around you. When the people in your life want to control you and create the idea of you that they want to see, they’ll lead you down the wrong path, tell you what’s good for you, when only YOU know what you need to heal. For me this song is about taking back my independence and becoming a more true version of myself in the face of a lot of adversity. Overcoming the control others think they have on you is crucial to your authenticity.

By preparing for healing while still maintaining their artistic credibility, Bonsai Trees may very well be on the cusp of self-discovery. If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider pre-ordering the band’s new EP called Mine here.

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State of the Secretary – “Astray” (Video Premiere)

State of the Secretary

Today I’m excited to share the latest music video from indie rock band State of the Secretary, for their single “Astray.” The band comes from the brain-trust of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Isaac Anderson, and he uses his fondness for music by The Cure and The Smiths to create songs that linger somewhere between the modern flair of The Killers and The National. Anderson shared this about the latest track from his upcoming full-length record:

“Astray” was a bit of a departure from my typical songwriting. It was written, recorded, and mixed in my bedroom, over the course of a few hours. I knew it had a feel that I loved, and it is one of my favorites on the album. The video is also very special to me. I collaborated with director Griffin Davis to create something that captured the song’s message/feel. I’m so excited for it to be out in the world!”

With his sets sight on creating music that makes the audience feel something, State of the Secretary are one of those bands to keep a keen eye as the year unfolds.

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Interview: Yours Truly

Yours Truly

A couple of days ago, I was able to catch up with the lead vocalist of alternative rock band, Yours Truly, to discuss everything that went into the writing of their upcoming EP. Mikaila and I also chatted about her and the band’s core influences, their touring plans, as well as the message the band hopes will resonate with their fans both new and old.

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Bahjat – “I’m Here” (Video Premiere)

Bahjat

Today is an excellent day to share electronic pop star Bahjat’s new single and music video for his comeback single, “I’m Here.” Bahjat had this to say about the new song that’s a blend between a K-Pop sound paired with a modern flair seen in the most popular music today:

I wrote ‘I’m Here’ during quarantine in 2020. Not only was it such an uncertain time in our lives in general, but I was also getting a lot of pushback from people in the industry who were questioning my vision and my decision to mix Arabic & English lyrics. It’s kind of my ‘comeback’ song in a way, because it captures the moment I got fed up with all the criticism and decided to carve my path on my own terms. Sonically, I wanted to pay tribute to the K-Pop community and the sound of the artists’ debut songs, because I feel like I’m debuting all over again with my new take on global Arabic music, which I’ve been calling ‘A-pop.’

With his sets sight purely on global domination, don’t blame me if you find yourself dancing through to the weekend, courtesy of Bahjat.

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