Liner Notes (February 20th, 2021)

Jason Tate Feb 20, 2021

I hope everyone had a good week.

This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on the current state of technology and how I feel about it all as I get older. Then I share thoughts on the Manchester Orchestra video performance and new single, plus some other commentary on music I enjoyed this week. And there’s the usual entertainment thoughts and a playlist of ten songs I think are worth your time. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

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Zac Djamoos Feb 19, 2021

Big Loser put out one of the most underrated albums of last year, Love You, Barely Living. Mixing punk and Americana a la The Menzingers or The Gaslight Anthem, Big Loser catalogued struggles with addiction and relationships coming to an end. But through it all Love You, Barely Living is positively anthemic. The band is getting ready to press the album to vinyl for the first time, nearly a full year after its release. To celebrate, we’re proud to premiere an acoustic session by frontman Chase Spruiell in which he performs “Post-Almost-Overdose” and a performance of Billie Eilish’s “I Love You” acoustic. Stripped down, “Post-Almost-Overdose” takes on a whole new level of melancholy, while his take on “I Love You” retains the haunting atmosphere of the original.

Check those out below, and if you like what you hear, pre-order Love You, Barely Living on vinyl..

Mary Varvaris Feb 15, 2021

There’s that beep. There’s that panning over Asheville, North Carolina. The Manchester Orchestra logo. It’s all so familiar – we’ve seen the trailer for this film. We are subsequently cast to Echo Mountain Recording Studios, NC, where the band recorded their greatest album to date, A Black Mile to the Surface. We’re not here for an anniversary show, nor are we here upon release of the album. No, it’s been four years since Andy Hull (vocals, guitar, producer, all-around legend), Robert McDowell (guitar, keyboards, vocals, producer, engineer, all-around legend), Andy Prince (bass, another all-around legend) and Tim Very (drums, legend) released their fifth album into the world.

We are here – over 6.5 thousand people watching this live stream at 8 pm EST/12 pm AEST – watching an exceedingly special performance of Black Mile played in its entirety right from our living rooms. In a statement, Hull shared that the band was excited to share this concert, for free, to everybody: “This album and your reception to it has exceeded our expectations, and we felt this the best way to thank you all for supporting our music.” This presentation invited speculation: after all, Andy did say that this would be more than a concert. It’s also the beginning. Of what, exactly?

Jason Tate Feb 13, 2021

It’s a snow day here in Portland.

This week’s newsletter has my thoughts on Big Sur, thoughts on Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity performance, thoughts on music I listened to this week, a few articles I found interesting this week and have been on my mind, and some random thoughts on entertainment and other musings. 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.

Jason Tate Feb 8, 2021

Last month we shared our favorite albums of 2020, and as we’re ramping into 2021 it’s a good time to look at what we’re anticipating throughout the year. What records do we think we’re going to fall in love with over the next few months? What albums can we just not wait to hear? A bunch of contributors have written up blurbs about the albums and artists we’re most excited about, and we’d love to hear what’s on your most anticipated list as well.

Jason Tate Feb 6, 2021

This week’s newsletter is pretty music heavy with thoughts on the new releases from Hayley Williams, The Night Game, Pale Waves, and discovering Matt Maeson. There’s also my usual commentary about the entertainment I consumed last week, 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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Interview: Brian McTernan of Be Well

Adam Grundy Feb 2, 2021

Recently I had a chance to talk with Brian McTernan (producer, vocalist) of Be Well. McTernan has a storied past of producing legendary records from bands such as Thrice (Illusion of Safety, The Artist in the Ambulance), The Movielife (Forty Hour Train Back to Penn), and Senses Fail (Still Searching, Life is Not a Waiting Room). These are just a few of the many producer credits to McTernan’s name, and we discussed his process for producing bands as well the advice he would give to young producers looking to make their unique stamp on an album. Not to be lost in the shuffle, Brian McTernan also released a solid album from a project called Be Well this past summer, and he shared his favorite tracks from The Weight and The Cost, and what he’s most looking forward to once its safe to tour again.

Jason Tate Jan 30, 2021

This week’s newsletter has thoughts on the new Foo Fighters and my usual commentary about music and entertainment I experienced last week. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed this week, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

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Mighty – ‘You Deal With the Trash’ EP Track-by-Track Breakdown

Zac Djamoos Jan 25, 2021

Mighty has finally properly followed up their 2018 self-titled debut. The following year they dropped the “David’s Park Bench” single, then last year saw the release of a b-sides EP, but now, at long last, they’ve put out their true studio EP followup, You Deal With the Trash. It’s a continuation of the grimy alt-rock sound explored on Mighty, and in many ways also both a refinement and an extension thereof. Angelo Fiaretti, frontman of Mighty, walked us through the EP track-by-track.

Jason Tate Jan 23, 2021

This week’s newsletter has early thoughts on the new Jetty Bones album, some commentary about a few new apps I discovered this week, and the usual thoughts on music and entertainment I consumed. And, as always, there’s a playlist of ten songs worth your time, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

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Camp Trash – ‘Downtiming’ (Album Premiere)

Drew Beringer Jan 20, 2021

Much has been made about if Camp Trash is a real band or not. Sure, we’re heard rumors of such a band existing – hell we’ve even heard a few songs from the mysterious quartet. Today, however, will hopefully serve as evidence that “Camp Trash” is actually “a band” that plays a style of “emotional rock and roll” in the vein of scene staples like The Get Up Kids, Oso Oso, and the like because we are premiering their debut release Downtiming. The four-track extended play will hit streaming services this Friday, January 22nd, via Count Your Lucky Stars Records but you can exclusively stream it here this week (and then smash that pre-order). And just like Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster, you’ll find your ears believing in the legend of Camp Trash.

Jason Tate Jan 16, 2021

This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on The Starting Line’s streaming performances and the usual commentary on music, movies, and TV shows I’ve been enjoying recently. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I liked this week, 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 Jan 8, 2021

I’m just saying I woulda banned him way earlier. 🤷‍♂️

This week’s newsletter looks at the end of the year feature and shows some of the stats behind the top fifty, plus some thoughts on the Series 6 Apple Watch, and the usual commentary about music, movies, and TV shows. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed this week and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

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Chorus.fm’s Top 30 Albums of 2020

Jason Tate Jan 4, 2021

Um. So, that was quite a year.

We’ve been publishing some version of our favorite albums of the year since at least 2005, and the past twelve months have been unlike anything I’ve ever been through. It’s a year that will leave an indelible mark on all who experienced it, and I worry it will be years before we will be able to best understand and cope with the collective mass trauma. It was a year of uncertainty, a year of isolation, and a year of reshaping even the little routines that make up our lives. Tasks as simple as a trip to the grocery store are now measured risks, and going outside includes masks and a social construct with those around us to keep a safe distance. And I don’t know about you, but I found it very comforting to have music to turn to this year. It’s been such a constant in my life, and I often found myself reaching for it like a comfort blanket. As a way to regain a shred of normalcy, or as a way to connect with others across the internet as we shared a moment or discussion about a new song.

Before we reflect on the music that was released last year, I wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who read this website this year. We all went through this together, and I’m as appreciative as ever for having an outlet to write about things I’m passionate about and share with likeminded readers. Thank you.

Now let’s rank things.

Jason Tate Jan 1, 2021

This week’s newsletter looks back at 2020 and the year from hell. I also share some articles I read this week that I found interesting, share thoughts on the music I’ve been checking out that I missed throughout the year, and talk a little about the bad movie I saw (Wonder Woman) and the good movie I saw (Soul). And as always, there’s a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed this week, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

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Liner Notes (February 20th, 2021)

Big Loser – “Post-Almost-Overdose” and “I Love You (Billie Eilish)” (Acoustic) (Video Premiere)

Manchester Orchestra Is the Best Band in the World

Liner Notes (February 13th, 2021)

Most Anticipated of 2021

Liner Notes (February 6th, 2021)

Interview: Brian McTernan of Be Well

Liner Notes (January 30th, 2021)

Mighty – ‘You Deal With the Trash’ EP Track-by-Track Breakdown

Liner Notes (January 23rd, 2021)

Camp Trash – ‘Downtiming’ (Album Premiere)

Liner Notes (January 16th, 2021)

Liner Notes (January 8th, 2021)

Chorus.fm’s Top 30 Albums of 2020

Liner Notes (January 1st, 2021)