Recently I was able to connect with talented songwriter, Shayfer James, and his management to discuss everything that went into his excellent new record, Summoning. Learn about each song through these deep dives in this exclusive track-by-track, and you can stream the new record here.
Read More “Shayfer James – Summoning (Track-By-Track)”
“I’ll believe it exists when I’m holding it in my hands.”
For six months, I repeated those words to myself like they were a self-help mantra. I was talking about the supposedly brand-new album from Counting Crows, which was set to drop on March 25, 2008 after a long, long hiatus. The band had teased the LP the previous fall with the release of “Cowboys,” a loud, bitter, rip-roaring rocker that sounded like the reincarnated version of their 1996 cult classic Recovering the Satellites. I loved that sound and how energized it felt, but then again, I probably would have loved anything coming out of the Counting Crows camp at that point. In the moment, the band’s newest song was “Accidentally in Love,” the Oscar-nominated hit from 2004’s Shrek 2, and their newest album was 2002’s Hard Candy. They had, in other words, been away for a while.
I was convinced that I’d somehow cursed the Crows. As a kid, “Mr. Jones” was the first rock song I’d ever loved, and the band’s moody, melodic roots rock, for me, became synonymous with growing up. But I’d fallen head over heels in love with their music with the 2003 best-of collection Films About Ghosts, which recontextualized those ‘90s hits in exciting ways and unearthed a series of rich, remarkably written deep cuts – songs like the searching title track from Recovering the Satellites, the epic “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby” from 1999’s This Desert Life, or the simultaneously sad and funny “Holiday in Spain” from Hard Candy – that made me realize there was probably a lot more to this band than what got played on the radio.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 12: “Come Around” by Counting Crows”
How exactly does a band that has blown up as much as Turnstile has these past four years follow up the breakaway success of Glow On? By simply going bigger, bolder, and recognizing that there is Never Enough Turnstile music in this world. Never Enough is now the fourth studio album from the Baltimore-based hardcore band, and the set was produced by lead vocalist Brendan Yates, veteran hitmaker Will Yip, and the English record producer A.G. Cook. You can feel a bit of each producer’s stamp on this record, with Yates’ influence coming in the strongest of the three. The promotional period of this new era of Turnstile kicked off in March when billboards around Los Angeles were donned with the album name of Never Enough paired with the sky-blue aesthetic of the cover art. The band announced a release date shortly thereafter of June 6th, 2025, and also recognized guitarist Meg Mills as a permanent member of Turnstile. Much like many other key artists have done recently, Turnstile accompanied Never Enough with a feature-length visual companion that hit theaters yesterday. While some of the highs of this record are not quite as breathtaking as what was found on Glow On, Never Enough re-solidifies Turnstile as the most creative band in the hardcore genre. The possibilities seem limitless for this talented artist who continues to find new and interesting ways to convey the right emotions and messaging through their unique music.
Read More “Turnstile – Never Enough”
A couple of weeks ago, I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Sarah Rose of Sarah Rose Project to discuss everything that went into her debut self-titled solo record that is being released via Say10 Records. In this interview, I asked Sarah about the differences in writing solo versus with Sarah and the Safe Word, the stylistic choices made on key songs on the new album, and her ideas for the solo tour this summer. Sarah Rose Project is available on vinyl here.
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This past week I was able to connect with Josh Epstein of the band JR JR to discuss what went into their latest album called Back To The Land. In this interview, I asked Josh about some of the lyrical concepts/themes present in the new LP, the band’s approach to their dynamic live performances, and the freedom they feel in releasing their music. Back To The Land released last Friday on all streaming services, and there is also a vinyl pressing available here.
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”If I had to describe this album in one sentence it would read, ‘Musical Heaven for Theater Kids.’ Whether or not you identify as such this album will make you an honorary theater kid by the end of it,” shared Adam Gecking of Say10 Records about Sarah Rose Project and her self-titled solo record. Armed with a plethora of stylistic choices, vibes and key cameos from artists that Sarah Rose has worked with and respects, Sarah Rose Project plays out like walking into a dirty jazz bar from the 80’s and being instantly captivated by the music. For fans of Sarah and the Safe Word, you will likely still connect with the material found in this solo venture, as the music is still in the vein of cabaret, paired with some old school singer-songwriter craftsmanship. Sarah Rose shimmers and sways all over this record that is filled with lush self-production and breathtaking moments.
Read More “Sarah Rose Project – Sarah Rose Project”
On the latest offering from indie pop rock band, JR JR, the band sets the tone early on “Domino” that opens with the all-too-relatable lyrics of, “The world is a commercial for things I shouldn’t buy / Some days I can’t tell what’s dead from what’s alive.” The depth the band goes into on Back To The Land only speaks to the true artistry that JR JR put into their music on a daily basis. For those unfamiliar with the band, they are comprised of the duo of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein, and they used to be called Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (simplified to now JR JR). After their last LP, the sprawling 2019 double album called Invocations / Conversations, JR JR hone in on their songwriting with a concise ten-track effort on Back To The Land. Throughout the latest record, JR JR go through a lot of themes, topics, and thoughts that are brimming with great musicianship and insight.
Read More “JR JR – Back To The Land” Look, I know what you’re thinking, but let me explain! This is the one song that, for just a couple of weeks, made me feel like a pop star.
By day, I was just another 11th grade high school student. I rolled out of bed every morning at 6am to make it to school on time for my zero-hour AP Biology block, then muddled through the rest of my classes. Most aspects of my day-to-day life felt, at best, mundane.
But in the evenings, for two weeks in November 2007, I felt like a legitimate, big-deal famous person. The stage, the spotlight, the recognizable songs, the photo in the newspaper, the “sold out” stickers on the posters, the extremely loud cheers from the audience, the autographs, the flowers and other tokens of appreciation from fans. It all added up to this little taste of how it feels for everyone to adore you, and it was intoxicating.
“Breaking Free,” for those not familiar, is the climactic song and most famous moment from High School Musical, the 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie that somehow morphed from a Friday evening special aired in the middle of January to an absolute cultural phenomenon. There had been dozens of Disney Channel Original movies before, but none of them had ever broken containment like this one did. The High School Musical soundtrack album moved 3.7 million copies in 2006 alone, becoming that year’s top-selling album. For some perspective on how big that number is, no Taylor Swift album has never had a bigger calendar year sales tally in the United States than High School Musical did in 2006.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 11: “Breaking Free” from High School Musical”
When I first heard about Miley Cyrus’ plans for her ninth studio album to be loosely inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall, I was immediately excited about the premise. Something Beautiful is an ambitious take on experimental music, and was promoted with a complete visual companion to coincide with the record as well. While I was expecting a big rock record similar to the style Miley Cyrus went for on her excellent Plastic Hearts album, this album leans much closer into the pop realm with only splashes of bombastic rock. The set was co-produced by Cyrus and Shawn Everett (Kacey Musgraves, The Killers), and this album has a nice sheen to it that plays out well from front to back, and still challenges listeners to take deeper dives on subsequent spins. Miley Cyrus sounds like a million bucks in her vocal approach on key singles like “End of the World,” while she ultimately comes up a little short in her ambitions for creating the next “classic.”
Read More “Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful”
The fourth studio album from pop-punk band, FRND CRCL, called JRSY FRSH is a solid mix of nostalgia paired with some creative takes on the genre to keep it from feeling like a retread. The South Jersey band pays tribute to the area that they’re from, while still expanding upon what made their previous record (Suburban Dictionary) so charming and infectious. With a fresh sounding mix of eight new pop-punk tunes that clock in just under the 30-minute mark, JRSY FRSH will likely be a consistent part of everyone’s summer music rotation.
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When you attend a concert early, you open yourself up to new opportunities to discover artists that you may have not have ever come across otherwise. Such was the case this week when I attended a concert in DC for Eliza & The Delusionals and witnessed a charming opener by the name of Grace Gardner. Throughout her set, she captivated the audience with sultry vocals, great poise, and excellent stage presence with her bandmate Lonnie Davis. The setlist included several songs from her new record, After Knowing, as well as an on-point cover of Lady A’s “Need You Now.” Grace Gardner has a warm approach behind her vocals, and that comes through well live, as well as on her record that finds the artist in the same realm as Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers. After Knowing is a great introduction to this indie artist who has all the makings of a star.
Read More “Grace Gardner – After Knowing” It’s occurred to me in recent years that, had I been born just a couple years earlier, my music taste would likely have been entirely entirely different. Maybe I would have formed a connection with the grunge craze of the early ‘90s, or maybe I would have become infatuated with that decade’s budding indie rock scene. Instead, I came to music listening consciousness when the radio waves were ruled by brightly melodic pop-rock bands, and that has absolutely defined my musical value system ever since.
I broached this subject a little bit in the chapter about Creed, but there’s not much that’s as pure as loving music with absolutely no cynicism. I think that’s why, for most of us, the music we loved when we were young remains the defining music of our lives. As a child or a teenager, you come to songs and albums and artists with enthusiasm and curiosity, but maybe not a lot of knowledge or context. And as a result, you welcome that music into your heart, mind, and soul in a different way than you will in adulthood. I firmly believe that the greatest period in any person’s musical journey comes between “awakening” (the moment that makes you consider music more seriously and deeply than you did before) and “awareness” (the moment where you start letting other people’s opinions or narratives influence how you feel about something).
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 10: “Truth Is” by Sister Hazel”
A couple of weeks ago, I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Aymen Saleh, better known as Holy Pinto. In this interview, I asked Aymen about what went into his forthcoming new album that features some collaborations with Bartees Strange, among others. We also chatted about the key inclusion of voice memos in this record that helped shape the narrative between songs, as well as much more. Today, Holy Pinto has released the piano version of “NOLY” here.
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Crimson had all the makings of a big rock record. It had great production (courtesy of Jerry Finn), larger than life art and imagery in the music videos and record packaging, a great narrative throughout the album, and improved songwriting from Alkaline Trio. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that this classic record didn’t get certified as gold by the RIAA. Crimson was the fifth studio album from Alkaline Trio, and would be the last time that the band would work with Jerry Finn before he passed away in 2008. The set would spawn three singles in “Time To Waste”, “Burn”, and “Mercy Me” and the album is still adored by many Alkaline Trio fans and even casual fans who got wind of the music through compilations and more. The album was recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, California and even had an early album title of Church and Destroy. The band would continue to gain a loyal following of fans in key support tours with My Chemical Romance, Rise Against and others during the promotional period of Crimson. The LP still holds up to this day with its slick songwriting, big hooks, and a stellar vocal performance from Matt Skiba.
Read More “Alkaline Trio – Crimson” It’s August 1, 2006. I’m 15 years old. I’m on vacation with my family at a secluded, off-the-beaten path vacation spot on the shores of Lake Michigan. My brother, his best friend Frank, and I have tickets to see Butch Walker play a show this evening. We’ve got a three-hour drive straight across the state ahead of us before we can walk through the doors of a sweaty, rundown club right in the heart of downtown Detroit for some loud-as-fuck rock ‘n’ roll. Oh, and it’s the hottest damn day of the year.
Such is the setup for my first-ever concert experience.
Butch Walker isn’t a household name, though I’d wager that just about everyone with a pulse has heard a song he’s written or produced. In the broader context of the music world, Butch is best known as a collaborator, and for the role he’s played in songs and records by everyone from Avril Lavigne to Weezer to Fall Out Boy to Katy Perry. In the context of my musical journey, though, Butch might be the single most important figure of all. From the moment I heard his 2004 album Letters in the winter of my eighth-grade year, nothing was ever quite the same again. Butch had this singular ability to exude not-to-be-fucked-with attitude, approachable wisecracking wit, and heart-on-the-sleeve emotion, all at the same time. To my eyes and ears, he was the coolest guy in school and the soulful poet, a guy whose tatted-up arms and long hair made it all the more surprising when he hit you with a wrenching piano ballad or a smart, insightful breakup song. Letters changed my life because it showed me how versatile songwriting could be. The songs were funny, rousing, self-deprecating, heartbreaking, and 100 percent honest, and I loved them more immediately than I’d ever loved any other music in my life.
Letters was the closest I’d ever come to hearing someone turn their diary pages into music, and that authentic realness drew me to Butch and made me a fan for life. Soon, I was delving into Butch’s back pages. There was his previous record, 2002’s Left of Self-Centered, and its crunchy, sarcastic, ultra-melodic pop-punk-leaning songs. There was his former band, Marvelous 3, who’d made candy-colored power-pop songs in the ‘90s and then pivoted to skyscraping arena rock at the dawn of the new millennium. I even dug into his live albums and b-sides, devouring every scrap of music I could get my hands on. In particular, I loved This Is Me…Justified and Stripped, an acoustic live record he’d recorded in the leadup to Letters that made him sound like the most entertaining showman on the planet. I’d never been to a rock concert in my life, but I knew very early on that seeing a Butch Walker show had to be on my bucket list.
When that opportunity came along in the summer of 2006, it was even more special than I ever could have imagined. But to explain that part of the story, I have to rewind a bit.
Read More “My Life In 35 Songs, Track 9: “When Canyons Ruled the City””