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Interview: Ben Jorgensen of Armor For Sleep

Armor for Sleep
Drew Beringer

Even though it’s been 15 years since Armor For Sleep released a new full-length, Ben Jorgensen never buried the idea of another record from the New Jersey emo-adjacent legends. After a handful of successful 15 16-year anniversary shows for their second record What To Do When You Are Dead, Armor For Sleep reunited with Equal Vision Records to release the band’s fourth album The Rain Museum, a 12-track collection that pushes the signature AFS sound to new boundaries. I recently sat down with Jorgensen to discuss the origin of the record, working with Equal Vision again, the emo revival, and the lasting legacy of What To Do When You Are Dead.

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Interview: John Feldmann of Goldfinger

Goldfinger
Adam Grundy

This past week I was able to catch up with the ultra-busy leader of Goldfinger, John Feldmann, to discuss the band’s recent re-release of Never Look Back (Deluxe). In this in-depth interview, John and I discussed the legacy of Goldfinger, as well as what lessons he has learned over the years of being a veteran producer. Never Look Back (Deluxe) features great re-worked versions of Goldfinger classics like “Superman” ft. Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) and “Here In Your Bedroom” ft. Avril Lavigne, among many other great tracks in the 19-song set. Never Look Back (Deluxe) is available everywhere music is sold/streamed today.

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Beverly Crusher – “Gimmie The Power” (Song Premiere)

Beverly Crusher
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to Beverly Crusher, a new anthemic alternative rock band that tugs on your heartstrings of classic rock nostalgia. On the song, “Gimmie The Power,” the three musicians channel the best parts of the genre into a crowd-pleasing package. The band is comprised of lead vocalist/guitarist Cozell Wilson, bassist Max Stiles, and drummer Sam Stiles, and their sound strays somewhere between college rock and club-ready bands like The Struts and Incubus. On the latest single, Beverly Crusher shared, “‘Gimmie the Power’ is an anthem that takes many forms. Sometimes it’s a chant for revolution, sometimes it’s a call to the after world asking for for unworldy help, but always, it’s about Cozell’s irrational fear and obsession with Chucky (the doll from Child’s Play).” If you’re ready to drift into the murky waters of this new rock band, Beverly Crusher are happy to supply the soundtrack.

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Coma Girls – “Keep All Of Your Happiness” (Song Premiere)

Coma Girls
Adam Grundy

Today is the perfect day to introduce everyone to Coma Girls, a shoegaze/indie folk artist that appear poised for your playlists. On their latest single, entitled “Keep All Of Your Happiness,” Coma Girls channel the best parts of synth-heavy rock with pleasing results. The track comes from Coma Girls’ album No Umbrella For Star Flower, which will be released on September 2nd via Baby Robot Records. The creative driver for Coma Girls, Chris Spino, shared this about the upcoming album, “This record was my one escape, the one thing that kept me from going off the rails. It’s a pandemic record, a relapse record, a break-up record, and a recovery record. This was the thing that was keeping me sane.” If you’re ready to join in the world of Coma Girls, look no further than this single.

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Liner Notes (July 30th, 2022)

Palm Trees
Jason Tate

We are back!

This week’s newsletter is filled all the way up with thoughts on music from the past few weeks, including some Butch Walker first impressions, commentary on life with COVID, and all the stuff I’ve listened to and watched since we last talked. There’s also a playlist of ten songs 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.

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Beach Bums – “WAR” (Song Premiere)

Beach Bums
Adam Grundy

Today is the perfect time to hit play on the single from Beach Bums called “WAR.” This LA-based experimental rock band crushes out this synth-heavy, electronica-infused song with professional poise. On this latest track, Beach Bums shared, “This single, ‘WAR,’ is a candle provided by god to help light the way through the dark, secretive, and extremely personal journeys that we continue to face (and/or may later face) in our lives. I hope this song leads you to the ashes of all your wars.” If you’re ready to take the next dramatic step forward in your musical journey, Beach Bums will accept all who follow.

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Interview: Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Anberlin
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to catch up with the lead vocalist of Anberlin, Stephen Christian, for an in-depth interview about the band’s new EP entitled Silverline. We chatted about the legacy of Anberlin, the memories Stephen has from visiting each city as they go on tour, as well as what the band learned about their storied discography through each of their livestreams during the pandemic. Silverline will be released July 29th via Equal Vision Records.

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Interview: Oh Lonesome Ana

Oh Lonesome Ana
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to catch up with a talented alternative rock band called Oh Lonesome Ana right after they released a new record. This band would be perfect for fans of Jets to Brazil, The Weakerthans, and Pedro the Lion, while still adding a unique twist to their own music. In this interview, I asked the band about their core influences, what continues to keep them motivated as artists and musicians, as well as how their songwriting has continued to evolve.

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Trick Gum – “Tim Dillon” (Video Premiere)

Trick Gum
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to share the latest music video from Trick Gum (comprised of Justin Raisen and Jordan Benik) for their new single called “Tim Dillon.” The song takes its inspiration from comedian Tim Dillon, and as Raisen shared, “As far as the ‘Tim Dillon’ video goes, besides being the one of the funniest comedians on the planet, we also wanted to see him look like Jagger.” I was also able to get more insight from Trick Gum in a short interview below.

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Up Is The Down The – “Memento” (Song Premiere)

Up Is The Down The
Adam Grundy

Starting your day off on the right foot, an art-rock/experimental band called Up Is The Down The are sharing their latest single called “Memento.” The four-piece band is from Boise, Idaho and take their influences on established artists like Andrew Bird and Them Yorke to a new level with this great-sounding track. The latest single comes from their LP entitled Pulling the Wool, which will be fully released on August 12th via Earth Libraries. I was also able to catch up with the band for a short interview about this single that takes its inspiration from the Christopher Nolan film of the same name.

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Greyed Out – “Broken Like An Arrow” (Song Premiere)

Greyed Out
Adam Grundy

Today is the perfect time to share the new single from melodic punk band Greyed Out called “Broken Like An Arrow.” The band features four former members of This Time Next Year, and this new unit will be releasing the two-sided single starting this Friday, July 22nd via Negative Progression Records. On this latest single, vocalist Pete Dowdalls shared, “There is solace in solitude. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Isolation builds character and there is nothing more important in this world.” With a sound that strays somewhere between Social Distortion and Four Year Strong, Greyed Out are ready to be added to that perfect punk rock summer playlist.

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San Fermin – “Someone You Call Baby” (Song Premiere)

Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share the latest single from San Fermin called “Someone You Call Baby,” a heartfelt, yet rare ballad taken from their upcoming EP entitled Your Ghost, out September 9th via Better Company Records. San Fermin took a very collaborative approach on this song, as well as their upcoming record, with several key outside contributors paired with vocalist Allen Tate’s work at the helm as producer. The band leader, Ellis Ludwig-Leone, shared:

Since Allen took over producing, my writing process has really changed. I wrote this one at the piano and it came out almost like a ballad, which I never usually write. The song had three distinct sections we really liked, but we couldn’t figure out how to piece it all together, til we finally landed on a version where the first half of the song is a relaxed acoustic guitar groove, which sets up this big cathartic build at the end. Allen and I argued about this one a lot, but often those end up being the best songs.

With a larger than life sound paired with heartfelt lyrics, San Fermin are ready for their next big artistic step forward.

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MuMu – “Wrapped Up” (Video Premiere)

mumu
Adam Grundy

Today is the perfect day to share the new performance video from indie singer/songwriter, MuMu, called “Wrapped Up.” The songwriter is from Harlem, New York and tackles the difficult theme of unexpected pregnancies, given the recent news breaking all around women nationwide. The artist shared:

When I was a little girl, I didn’t fully understand the term ‘pro-choice’ I thought that meant I would be ok with having an abortion if the time came. One of my older sisters delicately explained to me that pro-choice isn’t about personal choice, it’s about acknowledging that everyone has the right to choose for themselves. A simple shift in perspective made all the difference. As I got older, I realized that not everyone has a wise family member or friend to help them gain perspective. It’s difficult to determine what’s fair or just when we’re inundated with misinformation and skewed personal agendas.  But it’s not my place to tell you that you’re wrong. I just tell stories – real stories about living, breathing women who have been overlooked and under-heard.

I also got a chance to catch up with the band for an exclusive interview about this live performance video.

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Nick Leng – “Easy” (Song Premiere)

Nick Leng
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to share the latest single from the ultra-talented singer/songwriter, Nick Leng, called “Easy.” The song comes from his vibrant second LP entitled Spirals, out everywhere July 22nd via SOTA Records, and is a good reflection of Leng’s use of color imagery to describe a vast range of emotions. With so much anticipation building towards his sophomore effort, it’s about time we all engulf ourselves in Leng’s musical odyssey.

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