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LATEST ARTICLES - PAGE 18

Review: The Early November – The Early November

The Early November - The Early November
Adam Grundy

The latest studio album from The Early November is a great encapsulation of all the styles, vibes, and feelings they have brought forth over their career. As front-man Ace Enders put it in an interview I conducted with the band, “It’s the exclamation point, versus the period, of where we are in our career.” It’s hard to not agree with this sentiment as The Early November features everything that the band has been known for, while still moving the needle forward in their creative process as this LP may just be their finest hour. From the crunchy opening chords of the Futures-esque “The Empress” to the tender acoustic guitar bliss of “It Will Always Be,” this record is filled with breathtaking moments from front-to-back that makes the journey for longtime fans of The Early November that much sweeter.

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Review: The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

Adam Grundy

The ninth studio album from The Decemberists, titled As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, is a thrilling walk through the woods of indie-folk lore that firmly highlights the strengths of the band. The Decemberists recently wrapped a tour that acted as a teaser to the songs that would be on this LP, and the music found on this record translated extremely well to the live setting. The band has never been shy of expanding upon the roots of folk music by adding in rich context to their songs, creating unique characters, and telling vivid stories through their music. Truly the band’s first double album, this particular record puts all of their assets on full display in a marvelous accomplishment of artistic achievement, and it just may be the band’s finest, and most complete work of music to date.

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Interview: Snarls

Snarls
Adam Grundy

This past weekend, I was able to schedule an in-person interview with Snarls before their show at DC9 in Washington, D.C. The tour stop was during the band’s first headlining tour of their young career, and was in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore record, With Love. In this interview, I asked the band about key moments during the writing/recording process of their new album, the songs that are translating best to the live setting, and much more.

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Interview: The Early November

The Early November
Adam Grundy

This past week, I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Ace Enders and Jeff Kummer of The Early November to discuss everything that went into the band’s new self-titled record that released today. In this interview, I asked the band about the creative process behind key tracks like “The Empress” and “The Fool,” their best memories of growing up through the Drive-Thru Records era of music, and what they’re most looking forward to on their upcoming tour.

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Review: Underoath – They’re Only Chasing Safety

Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety
Adam Grundy

It’s pretty amazing to think just how captivating Underoath were on their fourth studio album called They’re Only Chasing Safety. The album was first released on June 15, 2004 via Solid State Records and was produced by James Paul Wisner, and surprisingly enough, only had two official singles released from the set in “Reinventing Your Exit” and “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door.” The LP has since been certified Gold, and remains one of the most influential records in the emo/hardcore scene. After their third record, The Changing of Times, nearly half of the band members had changed for this “version” of the band, now considered to be the “classic” lineup. They’re Only Chasing Safety, to this day, remains an adrenaline shot to the ears with its mix of post-hardcore, emo, electronica, and punk rock. The album features a creative blend of clean/screamed vocals by Spencer Chamberlain and drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie, while the rest of the band members make their presence felt in several different spots on the record. They’re Only Chasing Safety, and their subsequent album of Define The Great Line, are consistently pointed to by fans of Underoath as their best work, and the band can look back on this 20th anniversary proudly knowing that they captured lightning in a bottle at just the right moment in time.

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Review: Charli XCX – Brat

Adam Grundy

”I went my own way and I made it” are the opening lyrics on Brat, the sixth studio album from Charli XCX, and they triumphantly back the pop artist’s claim of solidifying herself in the crowded genre. This record is filled with club ready anthems about falling in and out of love, while still leaving room for showcasing her vulnerable side as well. Coming off of the success of her fifth record, Crash, in addition to several key movie soundtrack contributions, it would’ve been easy for Charli XCX to simply just ride the popularity wave and not add anything new to her repertoire. Brat instead is a remarkable achievement in artistic freedom, and comes armed with frenetic beats, soaring hooks, and breakneck tempo changes. While pop music has changed quite a bit over the last half decade, the ability of Charli XCX to stand out from the pack remains her greatest asset.

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Review: Twenty One Pilots – Clancy

Adam Grundy

The seventh studio album from Twenty One Pilots, called Clancy, brings closure to the near decade-long conceptual series that began with Trench. In many ways, Twenty One Pilots are challenging their audience to go on this ride with them as they navigate through the waters of rap, alternative, punk, and indie rock, while still looking for new and innovative ways to express the right emotions in their music. Clancy is the character that the band first introduced in Trench, and this record of the same name pulls out some additional thematic elements to bring rich context to the story. After some hard to hear radio chatter on the beginning of the opener, “Overcompensate,” a voice comes on to set the tone by stating emphatically, “Welcome back to Trench.” By taking a brief detour to where they’ve been, while still trying to advance the music forward in their repertoire, Twenty One Pilots have crafted an album worthy of multiple repeat spins and reward listeners willing to take deep dive into the world of Clancy.

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Fake News – “Time & Place” (Track-by-Track)

Fake News
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone an exclusive Track-by-Track by Queensland pop-punk band, Fake News, for their new EP Time & Place. With a fist-pumping blend of catchy hooks, punchy lyricism and exhilarating riffs, Fake News have honed an unabashed and expressive brand of modern punk rock. The Queensland outfit have cut their teeth supporting some of punk’s most iconic names, from Pennywise to Lagwagon, and debut LP Everyday Warrior garnered them a wave of support across Australia and beyond with its fresh but nostalgic delivery. Last month, the band dropped lead single “Moving On,” and have picked up international tastemaker press support from the likes of Idobi Radio and New Noise Magazine as they build towards Time & Place. You can also check out a stream of the record below.

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Review: Wallows – Model

Adam Grundy

While creating their new album, Model, Wallows vocalist/guitarists Braeden Lemasters, Dylan Minnette and drummer/guitarist Cole Preston reunited with the Nothing Happens producer, John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten), to craft what would be the songs for their third studio album. The band let the music flow right though them by allowing the songs to become the best version of themselves, while not forcing the direction. “Every song started with the three of us playing live in a room, keeping it very simple and sticking with our instincts as much as possible,” says Minnette. “We ended up leaving in a lot of the mistakes and flubs, so even though it’s the most slick we’ve ever sounded it’s also the most honest.” By sticking to their comfort zones, while still adding new elements to their sound, Wallows have made a memorable artistic statement on Model.

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Interview: AJ Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer

The Dangerous Summer
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with AJ Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer to discuss the band’s new record, called Gravity. In this interview, we chatted about the direction of the new LP, how AJ envisions balancing out his band’s setlists with so much new material, as well as the art that he is inspired by. Today, The Dangerous Summer released their latest single and video for “Pacific Ocean.” Gravity will be released via Rude Records on June 21st, and pre-orders are on-going here.

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Review: Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft

Adam Grundy

Billie Eilish has had quite the run of fortune recently. Having picked up major accolades, including her second Oscar for Best Original Song for her contribution to the Barbie movie for the heart-wrenching “What Was I Made For?”, to multiple Grammy awards for her continued collaboration with her brother, Finneas, Eilish seemed poised to deliver an album that felt like the truest form of her identity. Hit Me Hard And Soft is an album that feels like the more logical successor of Eilish’s breakthrough, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and she shines all over the record. While the “knock” on Billie Eilish has been that she “doesn’t sing, she whispers,” that all gets put to bed once in for all on this third studio album that has some of the best vocal moments in the young artist’s career to date. Having chosen to not release any singles prior to the album launch, Billie Eilish was daring her fans to embrace the album format and listen to it, traditionally, from front to back. She accomplishes that goal in more ways than one, by creating her most cohesive and daring work of art to date on Hit Me Hard And Soft.

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Review: New Found Glory – Catalyst

Adam Grundy

Flash back to the year 2004 for a bit. Several pop-punk, emo and hardcore bands have been signed to major label deals, CDs are still selling in waves, and it’s an ultra-exciting time for this scene of music. New Found Glory came in riding a major high after their most successful record, Sticks and Stones, blanketed the pop-punk scene with great singles like “My Friends Over You” and “Head On Collision” getting some airplay on MTV’s popular Total Request Live (TRL). Enter Catalyst. The record was set up for success as well with a bulletproof lead single of “All Downhill From Here” that wasn’t going to do anything to dissuade longtime fans of NFG from liking the new material. Catalyst had a harder edge to it, starting with the hardcore-esque gang vocals of “Intro” that bled into the lead single, while the guitars just felt heavier in general throughout the LP. While this album had a mix of styles and sounds that were brought forth, and musically it’s a bit all over the place, it’s hard to not admit that this is still one of the band’s strongest albums to date.

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Review: Cold Years – A Different Life

Adam Grundy

The third studio album from the Aberdeen punk band, Cold Years, called A Different Life takes a hard look at life around the band, while still maintaining a worldly view of growing up in this era. Much like their breakthrough sophomore LP, Goodbye To Misery, this album features a great blend of a sound similar to Green Day, The Gaslight Anthem, and Social Distortion. As lead singer Ross Gordon shouts along with his bandmates on “Roll With It,” “I’m dead, ’cause I want a different life!,” it’s hard to not rally around his words of wanting change. Recorded at The Barber Shop Studios in New Jersey by producer Brett Romnes (Hot Mulligan, Boston Manor, The Movielife), the mindset of capitalizing on the best/most emphatic sections of their last record, mixed with a steady eye towards the future, leads to Cold Years continuing their momentum here on A Different Life.

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Review: Be Well – “A Tap I Can’t Turn Off”

Adam Grundy

The latest two-track single from Baltimore punk/hardcore band, Be Well, is an electric-charged artistic statement that demands to be taken seriously. Led by fearless frontman Brian McTernan, “A Tap I Can’t Turn Off” and “Without A Compass” rock with an immediacy to them that put a firm focus on why this band is so dynamic. Starting with “A Tap I Can’t Turn Off,” the heavy opening riffing sets the tone for the lyrics of, “There is an overwhelming sense of doubt / That’s spent a lifetime occupying my mind / The things that I’ve done to block it out / Have corroded the rest of what’s left over time,” that showcase McTernan’s conflict within his own mind. The track explodes out of the gate with a rare sense of urgency, and ends with the pain in the lyrics of, “But I still lack confidence / And sometimes I feel like shit.”

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