Ben Folds on Hayley Williams’s Fallon Performance

Ben Folds
Jason Tate

Ben Folds has a newsletter and he recently wrote about Hayley Williams’s performance on Fallon:

Something that’s striking from the start of “True Believer” is Hayley radically singing in her lower register. It ain’t indie baby voice and it’s not rock chick affectation.  It’s assertively at the bottom of her speaking range.  She’s not hiding.  She’s serious. This is a human being speaking her mind without blinking – taking ownership for what she’s saying.

In terms of musicality, in a world where we all assume it must be all dumbed down, especially when it’s taking up valuable ad time(!) Hayley brought the eloquence of a proper string section (arranged by Doug Peck), but she didn’t use them as props.  They occupied their own space (there were blocked upstage of her.). They had a voice, and a turn to be featured.  They weren’t buried or used like a synthesizer.  In 2025 when each symphony orchestra still might only have a small handful of black musicians (until the 80s it was ALL men, no women), this stunning section of black and brown players was as good as you’ll ever hear.

Interview: Alex DeLeon and Alex Marshall of The Cab

The Cab
Adam Grundy

This past week I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Alex DeLeon and Alex Marshall of The Cab to discuss what went into their thrilling new EP called Road To Reign: A Prelude, which is their first taste of new music in over ten years. I asked the two band members about what brought them back to playing music together again, their memories surrounding their previous albums of Whisper War and Symphony Soldier, and their upcoming tour dates with All Time Low. You can stream Road To Reign: A Prelude here.

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Review: Wolves At Bay – Dissolve

Wolves At Bay - Dissolve
Adam Grundy

The first new taste of music in more than ten years from Connecticut post-hardcore band, Wolves At Bay, showcases the band’s sense of urgency in re-capturing the magic from their earlier material. Dissolve is an eight-song album that adds in some textural and electronica sounds to round out the band’s attack and approach to their songwriting. Wolves at Bay shared: “This chapter marks a true rebirth. The connection between us has only grown stronger with time, and that bond is felt in every chord and lyric. Dissolve isn’t just about returning—it’s about starting again with purpose.” By putting a strong step forward in their “rebirth”, Wolves at Bay waste little time in returning to the rock scene at full speed ahead.

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Ryan Key Talks Band Reforming

Yellowcard
Jason Tate

Ryan Key of Yellowcard talked with V13.net about the band’s recent album:

One of the things, one of the challenges that we faced with this record, particularly for me when writing lyrics, was how do we make a record at 45 that sounds like we’re 25, but we don’t sound like we’re trying to be 25. It’s a tough thing. Grounding myself in family and my past and the mistakes that I’ve made along the way. It’s funny because the song doesn’t really have this happy ending or positive turn or turn to it. It’s really more about living in that feeling of that time in your life, and that feeling of being young, and that it’s gone and it’s not coming back. Again, it was a tricky thing to try to dig up some of those themes and not have it sound forced.

Andrew McMahon Developing TV Series

Andrew McMahon
Jason Tate

Paris Hilton and Andrew McMahon are teaming up for the romantic comedy series Aught to Be.

Amazon is currently developing the romantic comedy series “Aught to Be,” Variety has learned exclusively. 

The half-hour series hails from the Tornante Company, with Paris Hilton attached to executive produce under her 11:11 Media banner. Andrew McMahon, the front man of bands like Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate, will also executive produce, as the show is inspired by his hit song “Konstantine.”