Today is a great day to share the latest music video from Wormy, the moniker of New York-based songwriter Noah Rauchwerk, called “27 Days.” On this vibrant single from Wormy, Rauchwerk showcases the vulnerable side of his music, paired with great songwriting. If you’re enjoying the video, please consider pre-saving his new LP, Shark River, here.
Read More “Wormy – “27 Days” (Video Premiere)”
Today I’m so excited to bring everyone the latest music video from Chicago punk band, The Brokedowns, called “Let’s Tip The Landlord.” On this great-sounding single, The Brokedowns channel their love for big hooks paired with slick musicianship. The band shared:
Forty-five years after the Dead Kennedys rudely sneered, ‘Let’s lynch the landlord,’ The Brokedowns offer a softer, less pointed, rejoinder—one of reverence over rebellion: Let us pray for the landlord / Let us venerate the landlord / But above all—Let’s tip the landlord. Picking up where Crypto Dave left off in “In Praise of the Pedestal,” we now find him drawn into the mysterious wolf cult first hinted at in the previous episode. Does Dave have what it takes to withstand the trials of passive income? Is he the chosen one as prophesized in the alpha scrolls? Or is he another beta grifter, doomed to an eternity of cuck Lycan worship?
If you’re enjoying the music video, please consider supporting The Brokedowns here.
Read More “The Brokedowns – “Let’s Tip The Landlord” (Video Premiere)”
It’s 3am on the morning of November 6, 2025, and I’m still at work. One of the less desirable things about being a local journalism professional is that, on election nights, you’re up until all the precincts in your area report out their numbers and you can start projecting winners for things like county board seats or township administrators. At this point in my career, I’ve pulled the election night graveyard shift four or five times, and I typically don’t mind it much. I usually just put on a movie around 10:30pm and wait until the numbers start rolling in and I can write up my report so that the results are there in our subscribers’ email inboxes the next morning. In this particular case, though, the election night shift is the stuff of nightmares, because it involves writing the following words as my lede:
“Former president Donald Trump looked likely to win the presidency as of 3am Wednesday morning, defeating Democratic challenger (and current vice president) Kamala Harris.”
I haven’t been shellshocked a whole lot of times in my adult life, but I was truly at a loss for words watching the results come in on election night last year. With every passing hour, I could feel my heart sink a few more inches, until I finally punched in that sentence at 3:00 in the morning, turned off my computer, and tried to get some sleep. There was no movie that night, nothing pleasant or fun to kill the time as I waited for the moment when I’d have enough information to write up my local election report. Instead, I spent the better part of five hours obsessively refreshing my election maps, social media feeds, and Chorus.fm forums, looking for some sign that the growing feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach was an overreaction.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 35: “World Spins Madly On” by The Weepies”
Each year I put together a small gift guide post full of things that I think make great gifts and are a lot of fun to give or receive for the holidays. Everything on the list is something I’ve used, enjoyed, and recommend. I have recommendations posts for software, headphones, and miscellaneous stuff around the house, so the things on this list will be more focused on stuff not included in those posts and geared toward things I’ve come across in the past year or so and think would make good gifts.
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 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.
Read More “2025 Holiday Gift Guide”
Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone an exclusive track-by-track by punk band Dirty O’Keefe, for their new EP called Heavy Water. Dirty O’Keeffe was formed in 2020 by Lagwagon’s Dave Raun. Raun collared Stone Sour’s Christian Martucci, Faith No More’s Billy Gould and Steve Shepard from Cali punk crew Trash n Privilege. Looking both to blow away the cobwebs of the pandemic but also bring attention to the hard-working crews impacted by lockdown, the four released “Brick or Bucket” in 2020. If it was COVID that brought the quartet together, it was the friendships that reunited them five years later for debut EP, Heavy Water. The 4-track collection is a gritty & resonating punk rock collection, with a metallic edge and a splash of influence from each member’s full-time group. If you’re enjoying the feature, please consider streaming the EP here.
Read More “Dirty O’Keefe – Heavy Water (Track-By-Track)”
Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone an early listen to the new single from Philadelphia psych rock band, Kewl Haze, called “Used To Have It All.” The two-piece band is Dan Scott Forreal and Derek Sheehan, and this artist is somewhere in the same realm as other bands like Tame Impala and Beck. Sheehan shared about the direction of the music Kewl Haze took on their debut LP, Suburban Sherpa:
’Used to Have it All’ was one of the early songs we wrote for the album. We started demoing this song at my home studio in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia back in 2021 after Forreal and I moved him back across country from LA. The song came together pretty quickly. I started strumming the chords for the verse and chorus, we put a drum beat to it and added bass, synth and lead guitar for the verse/chorus. We pretty much finished the instrumental demo that night. Forreal later laid down a vocal take at his home studio and I loved the direction. The lyrics were about a recent break-up/post break-up bender. The narrative of the song is hilariously devastating and self-deprecating while also poking fun at modern dating culture. We went to Retro City Studios in Germantown and recorded drums and I wrote lyrics and tracked vocals for the bridge. With that, the song was wrapped. We then brought the song for final mixing to Matt Barrick (The Walkmen, Jonathan Fire Eater) and re-amped guitars and added some additional synth and percussion at his studio Silent Partner Studios in Germantown. Matt’s good friend and co-owner of Silent Partner, Quentin Stoltzfus (Light Heat, Mazarin) mastered the track. We are super excited to officially share our first single with the world. Enjoy!
If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider pre-ordering their new record here.
Read More “Kewl Haze – “Used To Have It All” (Song Premiere)” I just kept replaying it.
On the morning of Saturday, November 23, 2024, as I ran circles around my neighborhood in the rain, I found myself double-tapping my AirPods every three and a half minutes to restart the song. I wanted – no, I needed – to hear it again. It was the one thing keeping me from spiraling out of control. For that run, and that day, and that weekend, this particular song was my force of gravity. If I just kept playing it, then I could keep the things I held dear from floating off into the ether.
I am not the type of person to replay songs ad nauseum. Even the songs I love most have rarely had me reaching for the replay button more than two or three times in a row. So why was it that, on that November morning, the only thing that felt appropriate was listening to a mostly-forgotten album track from country-soul singer Brett Eldredge 10 times in a row?
That morning, I’d woken up to the kind of text messages you never want to see on your phone screen. “I know you won’t see this until the morning but please give me a call whenever you can.” My sister-in-law had sent that text at 2:08 in the morning. Another message, from a mutual friend of my brother’s, said “PLEASE know I’m thinking about you and the family. I’m here for whatever you guys need.”
I have never popped out of bed faster.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 34: “Brother” by Brett Eldredge”
A couple of days ago, I was able to schedule an in-person interview with Teppei Teranishi of Thrice in Baltimore, Maryland to discuss the band’s excellent new record called Horizons/West. In this interview, I asked Teppei about the writing process of a few key songs on the new LP, the vinyl reissue plans of key albums like The Alchemy Index, and much more. Thrice are currently wrapping up their fall tour, and tickets are on sale here.
Read More “Teppei Teranishi of Thrice”
Today is a great day to share the final music video from the Iris sessions from indie pop band, Ruby Sparks, called “Here With You.” Ruby Sparks is the solo project of Jake Sternberg, and he enlisted producer Collin Desh (of LA band Low Hum), Phil Joly for mixing (The Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Daft Punk), and Dave Cooley for mastering (Tame Impala, Spoon, M83) on his new record that released on November 5th. Sternberg shared:
’Here With You’ was the last song written for Iris. I knew the album wouldn’t be complete without a penultimate, bombastic love song that could live alongside the tender, minimal title track. It’s a song about learning to fall in love with both the simple blissful moments as well as the complexity and uncertainty of a relationship. I knew as soon as I wrote the ‘Grey skies of May finally burning to blue’ line that I wanted this image to represent the song and my relationship to my now fiancé, Joanna. Life and love contain similar dualities, the cool somber spring LA mornings that gradually transform into the most gorgeous blue skies you’ve ever seen, or the days where the grey seems to never let go. This song, album, and music video represent the intersection of my relationship and my art, and I wanted to give fans a glimpse into a slice of my life. Massive thanks to Brian Callaghan, who helped bring the vision to life, and to Joanna for hanging out with me while we melted in the sun together for 6 hours.
If you’re enjoying the music video, please consider purchasing Iris here.
Read More “Ruby Sparks – “Here With You” (Video Premiere)”
Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone a cool cover of a Judy Carter classic, by an artist known as Wallette, for “Listen to the Music.” On this re-worked version of the classic 1983 single, Wallette quickly showcases why she’s one of the brightest young stars in today’s music scene. Produced by veteran hitmaker Damien Quintard, Wallette shared her experiences of working with him by stating, “Working with Damien and his whole team was nothing short of magical. He’s so in tune with every inch of the space it made collaborating effortless and so much fun. It was a truly heartwarming and inspiring journey. I’m so grateful for the amazing team and the freedom the studio gave us to experiment and create without limits. Safe to say we all had a really good time! Everything about the experience reflected what Rabanne is all about. Art, freedom, and staying true to who you are. It’s changed my life and I’ve never been more ready for what’s to come next.” If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider supporting Wallette here.
Read More “Wallette – “Listen To The Music” (Song Premiere)”
Today I’m so excited to bring everyone an early listen to art rock/post-punk artist, Luke MacRoberts, and his new LP called Escapism. The record officially releases tomorrow, and is perfect for fans of Radiohead, paired with the crisp songwriting sensibilities of Elliott Smith. Luke shared, “This record is about the artist’s struggle — about being an outsider, about determination and hard-headedness. It’s about wanting contradictory things in life: comfort vs. excitement, stability vs. recklessness, and always wanting to be where you are not, both literally and metaphorically. It’s the most concise record I’ve made. I’m thrilled to finally put it out and feel a great weight lifted in letting it go. Hopefully it can offer some comfort or inspiration to anyone who might listen to it and relate.” If you’re enjoying the album, please consider supporting Luke MacRoberts here.
Read More “Luke MacRoberts – “Escapism” (Album Stream)”
Recently I was able to schedule a quick phone call with an artist named Twin Shadow before he played a concert at Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Theatre opening for Neon Trees, in support of his upcoming record called Cadet, that will be released everywhere on November 20th via Dom Recs. In this interview, I asked this talented artist about key tracks from his seventh studio album, plus where he finds most of his inspiration for his art. If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-ordering Cadet here.
Read More “Twin Shadow”
Today is a great day to share the debut single from Erin Shea Hogan, a songwriter from Boston, on her lush cover of Sandy Denn’s “By The Time It Gets Dark.” Erin shared, “In light of all that we are facing in the world, I often find myself wishing for a different past and hoping for a better future. I offer this song as a prayer — a way to bring comfort amidst the uncertainty of our lives. I came across this song at a time when I needed it most. As an interpreter and champion of Sandy Denny’s work, I feel that many people are in need of this message amid the noise of our world, to live moment to moment, and to take each day as it comes.” If you’re enjoying the new solo work from Erin Shea Hogan, you can support this talented songwriter here.
Read More “Erin Shea Hogan – “By The Time It Gets Dark” (Song Premiere)” “All my friends are here.”
Those were the words pumping out of my AirPods as I took off from the start line of my second-ever marathon.
Wind back the clock a decade ago and show me the words I just wrote, and I would not believe they were genuine. Despite being a long-time distance runner, the idea of facing down the grueling task of running 26.2 miles without stopping didn’t just sound unpleasant – it sounded stupid! But the pandemic reoriented a lot of things for me, one of which was my dedication to distance running. And so, on May 27, 2023, I laced up my racing shoes and gave the marathon distance my second try, despite some excruciating memories that were still fresh in my brain from having run the same distance on the same course just one year earlier.
The running community has mixed feelings about racing with music, especially marathons. There’s this belief, in some circles, that music is a crutch, or even a distraction. Having tried racing a marathon since that second one without headphones in my ears, I can definitely understand the appeal of leaving yourself open to hear the world around you – conversation with other runners, cheers from the crowd, snippets of whatever songs spectators happen to have blaring out of their Bluetooth speakers as you run by – not to mention the sharp focus you can lock into when there’s nothing in your head but the miles. For my first five marathons, though, I did run with music, and during that second one, it helped carry me off to a level of serenity I had never achieved before and have never returned to since.
A lot of that, I think, had to do with the song I chose to kick off marathon attempt number 2.
The day before that race, Matchbox Twenty released Where the Light Goes, their fifth album as a band and their first one since 2012. Matchbox Twenty had been one of my favorite bands in the world growing up. Starting with their hit-filled debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You from 1996, this band and their angsty, melodic songs were a platonic ideal for me of what music could be. I still can’t hear tracks like “Real World,” “3AM,” or “Push” without flashing back to car rides to school when I was in first grade, my brother’s copy of the Matchbox Twenty debut spinning in the CD player. Later, as I started governing my own music listening, 2000’s Mad Season and 2002’s More Than You Think You Are were some of the first albums I truly fell in love with. The former was, for a time, my very favorite album ever.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 33: “Friends” by Matchbox Twenty”
Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the latest single and music video from DC punk band, American Television, called “Witches!”. On this Halloween-themed video American Television re-created the original video, shot-for-shot, for their key single from their new EP, You Are Not Alone, for the spooky holiday. The band shared, “Steve has been talking about doing a Halloween version of a music video for years. Since our EP dropped in September, we thought, ‘what better time to indulge his intrusive thoughts, than to come back around a month after the EP release with a witchy version of ‘Witches!’?’ With a little extra effort at the shoot, we were able to create this near shot-for-shot recreation of the original – strangely enough, the final cut of this video was cranked out after 3am, better known as the witching hour.” If you’re enjoying the new video, please consider supporting this punk band that is signed to Smartpunk Records by checking out their new EP here.
Read More “American Television – “Witches!” (Video Premiere)”