Today is a great day to share the new single called “Falling” from Chayla Hope. This singer is from Cleveland, Ohio and would be perfect for fans of Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa. In fact, the song was mixed by 10-time Grammy Award winner Josh Gudwin (Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny). On this latest song, Hope evokes an emotional response to falling in love.
Read More “Chayla Hope – “Falling” (Song Premiere)”
Today I’m thrilled to share the latest music video from Katrina Ford, a great singer and songwriter who will be releasing her debut solo and self-titled EP this Friday via Violin Films. For those unfamiliar with the artist, Ford channels the creativity of Fiona Apple paired with the earnest hooks of Purity Ring into a package that feels refreshing and unique at the same time. On this single called “I’m Found,” she shared, “”Home in my heart at last! This song was written as one thought over the course of a few hours, later the details fell into place. It’s about finally feeling safe in your heart. Feeling a connection to Creator. After much adversity and a long hard few years, we finally felt like we had found level.” I was also able to catch up with Katrina Ford for a quick chat about her music.
Read More “Katrina Ford – “I’m Found” (Video Premiere)”
Today I’m excited to share the latest single from electronic pop artist D’Arcy for her new song entitled “Ecstasy.” The artist recently released her debut EP Hard To Kill last year, and has since earned over 1 million streams on Spotify. Her unique brand of bedroom pop paired with frenetic beats showcases the breadth of her abilities to convey wide ranges of emotions through her music. On this latest song, D’Arcy shared, “Ecstasy’ is about the fine line between pleasure and pain; the concept for the song derived from the feeling of being at a party and wondering what everyone else there is trying to escape from, if anything at all.” If you’re enjoying the direction she took on this track, you can pre-save it here.
Read More “D’Arcy – “Ecstasy” (Song Premiere)”
Recently, I was able to catch up with AJ Perdomo and Matt Kennedy of The Dangerous Summer for a Zoom call to discuss everything that went into the band’s upcoming full-length record. I asked the band about their new partnership with Rude Records, including some insight on the type of deal they signed, and we also chatted about the band’s legacy and what they feel they can still contribute to the music scene at this stage in their careers. The Dangerous Summer are scheduled to release their second single from the new album on June 17th, with the LP scheduled to be released this August.
Read More “The Dangerous Summer”
Today is the perfect day to share the latest single from Santa Barbara indie rock/folk band Plastic Harpoons, a great Americana-styled song reminiscent of Bob Dylan paired with the modern sheen of accomplished songwriters like Brian Fallon and Brandon Flowers. Lead vocalist Taylor Casey shared this about the new single:
”Diamond Wings” is a story about a modern day Icarus – a man obsessed with climbing higher, disillusioned by the life that he leads. He separates himself from the masses, via drugs, material possessions, and shows of wealth. Eventually, he loses perspective, ignoring the advice of his own father along the way, leading to dire consequences. I think unintentionally the song is also a metaphor for my thoughts on the current state of modern man. The song, originally just played on acoustic is filled out with snappy slide guitar, jangling piano, a grounding and pocketed baseline, and no-nonsense drums, paired with a rambling Dylan-esque vocal.
If you’re enjoying the new and exciting direction Plastic Harpoons took on this track, their full-length record will be out on October 21st via Lolipop Records.
Read More “Plastic Harpoons – “Diamond Wings” (Video Premiere)”
Today I couldn’t be happier to share the latest single from the synth-rock band from Philadelphia, named Crozet, for their great new song called “My Racing Heart.” The track comes from their upcoming full-length record, Suburbia, which will be self-released on July 1st. This band reminds me of the dripping nighttime synths of M83 paired with the pop sensibilities and quirkiness of Toro y Moi, but really they’re well on their way to having a unique sound that is simply Crozet. The band shared this about “My Racing Heart:”
During the height of the pandemic I dealt with the worst anxiety I’ve ever experienced in my life. I never expected to be living in the city again with nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to see. I know I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. I was in fact fortunate enough to have the creative outlet of Crozet to allow me and Sean to continue collaborating on music remotely. During that time period I was listening to a lot of music produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in an attempt to keep my spirits up. Producing a track in this style was definitely a new experience for Sean and I. We tried to keep the sounds of the synths, guitars, bass and drums true to the style of a Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis track. Lyrically this was one of those songs that kind of wrote itself once I started getting into it. I hope people can relate to the feelings the lyrics speak of.
If you’re enjoying the direction that Crozet went with here, please consider pre-ordering Suburbia here.
Read More “Crozet – “My Racing Heart” (Song Premiere)”
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.
Read More “Dominick Fox of Bad Luck.”
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.
Read More “Pine Barons – “In The Air” (Song Premiere)”
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.
Read More “Jude Flannery – “Quiet By Your Side” (Video Premiere)”
This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on the announcements at this year’s WWDC, some thoughts on music and entertainment I enjoyed this week, and the usual ten-song playlist of tracks I think are worth your time. 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.
Read More “Liner Notes (June 11th, 2022)”
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.
Read More “Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor”
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.
Read More “Scotchka – “Corinthians” (Song Premiere)”
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.
Read More “Chris Garneau – “Ballard” (Song Premiere)”
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.
Read More “Aunt Kelly – ‘Remember’ (Album Premiere)”
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.
Read More “Liner Notes (June 5th, 2022)”