Frontman Nathan Henry discusses the return of Sherwood and their first record in seven years Some Things Never Leave You, along with the hard work of doing music on your own, the self-doubt and toughness of getting older, and how the experience of being in a band never fully goes away.
It’s hard to put into words the effect of Mitski’s music. Her voice is as clear and sharp as a knife, and the instruments wrap around you with the warmth of a blanket on a cold day. Even though the name of her new album, Puberty 2, sounds like a cheesy American teen movie a la American Pie, Mitski reminds us that life is messy, the question of where you belong is complex, and we can’t always have the things we want. I had the pleasure of talking with Mitski during the lead up to this new album about everything from the music to the in-between.
If I recall correctly, this “Throwback Thursday” gallery comes from the first time I ever photographed The Starting Line at the Roseland Ballroom in Portland, OR. I am pretty sure it was also their first national tour, and they were the opening band on a bill with New Found Glory, RX Bandits, and H2O.
It’s been interesting as I continue my deep dive into what seems like a never ending abyss of images; I sort through these boxes and struggle with where to even start. This week, when I came across these rolls of film, I realized these images would end up being a pretty sizable milestone for myself as a photographer. A few of the images from this night ended up being used on the album cover for The Starting Line’s release of The Early Years (We the People Sessions). You’ll find the full gallery below.
Royal Teeth are a six-piece indie pop band from Louisiana that have been pushing their way into the scene since around 2010. Today I’m excited to bring you a video interview with the band that discusses life on the road while supporting their first album, Glow, and the band’s current work on recording a EP after signing with Elektra Records.
On Friday, May 13th, JANK performed at Everybody Hits in Philadelphia for a special vinyl release show for their new album, Awkward Pop Songs. Today we’ve got the professionally shot video footage from this incredible show to share with you. You’ll be able to find that below. Enjoy!
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This week’s episode of Encore looks at a lot of the music that’s come out in the past few weeks, specifically: The Hotelier, PUP, Thrice, and Saosin. We also look at the new music from Descendents, Sum 41, Yellowcard, and A Day to Remember. Plus, there’s a nice tangent all about Less Than Jake, because those guys are still somehow not given enough credit for how awesome they are. This is a fun one! We hope you like it.
If you’ve ever told someone they’re a fucking moron for liking band X more than band Y, or for otherwise disagreeing with your obviously superior musical opinion, then Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me is the book for you. Written by Steven Hyden, a former contributor for Pitchfork, the AV Club, and Grantland (RIP), Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me is a thoroughly entertaining excavation of artist-versus-artist pissing contests. The subtitle says the book will teach us What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life. Hyden’s thesis is that, depending on which side you take in any given pop music war, your choice says something about you. Something like Oasis vs. Blur might seem pretty trivial for anyone who wasn’t actively paying attention to Britpop in the 1990s, but in the pages of Hyden’s book, these battles mean everything.
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In case you haven’t heard, it’s been an interesting week for Brand New. The band just kicked off their Canadian headlining tour as the start of a packed schedule of summer concerts. And in typical Brand New fashion, the start of that tour was overshadowed by their cryptic messaging of t-shirts and stage banter and upside down flower crosses. I’m glad I was given two years notice that Brand New were hanging it up, because it’s going to take me at least that long to prepare my tear ducts for that final tour. Because they’ve been on our minds this week, I decided I should probably devote one of our ultimate setlist playlists to the band.
A few weekends ago, I was able to attend Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to being held in one of the best cities I have visited on the East Coast thus far, Shaky Knees also had the added benefit of putting on the most killer festival lineup this side of Riot Fest. With fantastic sets across all of the days and stages from the earliest Sunday doldrums (more on that later) to the main stage headlining acts. Below you’ll find my 10 favorite things from the festival along with some photos I took over the weekend.
Bassist Joseph Karnes talks about feeling more confident and at ease on Fitz and the Tantrums’ self-titled third album, always keeping the live show in the back of the mind, and building success inch-by-inch.
Over the past 12 months, as one of its primary proponents, I have spent a lot of time thinking about call-out culture. Or, as some industry heavyweights have phrased it, the trend of “witch hunts” that has been plaguing our scene as of late. I have spent a lot of time frustrated by the perpetuation of the idea that says the call-outs are the problem, instead of the abuses that said call-outs address. I’ve been upset because we know that statistically when an accusation is finally made, they are are overwhelmingly true; however, the opposite manages to live on in the minds of so many. It’s a problem, because as long as the focus is on whether or not call-out culture ought to exist, the real problems and abuses plaguing our scene fail to get properly addressed. As such, it’s a problem I want to solve.
A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to attend the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a high-energy weekend filled with great bands (both up-and-coming and established). One of the best bands I saw was Polyenso, who played an early Saturday set on the Buford Highway stage. Afterward, I got to sit down for a bit and chat with the band about their new record The Pure In The Plastic, what they’re anticipating most from their upcoming tour with PVRIS, and how their songs change in a live setting.
Today I’m excited to feature the latest in the “member compilation” series that has been taking shape in our music forum — a tribute to summer. Below you’ll find a stream and free download of cover songs by our forum members that remind them most of summer.
A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to attend Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. While there, I got a chance to catch The Front Bottoms on Friday afternoon. Their set was one of the best I saw all weekend, and after, we got a chance to sit down and chat with them about a variety of topics (including a possible The Front Bottoms craft beer).
For this week’s playlist I’m honored to be continuing the recent trend of “Ultimate Setlists” with one of my favorite bands: Bayside. Last year Bayside celebrated their 15th anniversary and this year they’re bringing us a brand new album titled Vacancy — due out August 19th. To commemorate the release the band is heading out with The Menzingers and Sorority Noise on what promises to be one of the best tours of the summer. So what better time to really dive into Bayside’s expansive catalog?
