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Review: Charlotte Sands – Can We Start Over?

Adam Grundy

It’s a little hard to believe that Can We Start Over? is the debut album by Charlotte Sands. Why? For a myriad of reasons. Charlotte Sands has been on the tip of the tongue for several marquee artists like The Maine, Taking Back Sunday, and Sleeping With Sirens for lending her vocals in guest spots on their singles. Additionally, Sands has been self-releasing music since 2018, and with her electric charged debut finally arriving this year, this blue-haired warrior shows little signs of slowing down anytime soon. Coming off of the success of her last EP, called Good Now, Sands is poised for sustainable success by adding ten bulletproof songs on Can We Start Over? to her repertoire.

Sands shared, “The inspiration behind the title can we start over? came while writing a song for the album about the idea of restarting a relationship, and the idea of beginning again or reintroducing yourself to someone. I’ve changed so much over the last few years personally and in my career and I love the concept of starting over as who I am now with the information and knowledge I’ve gained. It’s not about forgetting the past or regretting our choices but more so letting go of the previous version of ourselves and meeting each other where we are at this moment in the phases that we’re currently in. I think this album for me represents exactly that, standing firmly where I am as the person I am today.” By putting her strongest and best foot forward, Charlotte Sands is taking full advantage of her moment.

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Review: Green Day – Saviors

Green Day - Saviors
Adam Grundy

The 14th studio album by pop-punk legends, Green Day, called Saviors, lives up to its title as it very well may have saved the band from going down the unfortunate path that has haunted so many other legendary bands in their careers. While some bands have had trouble living up to the legacy of their past work, Green Day were getting dangerously close to this label after a bit of floundering after American Idiot. Sure, there were a few nuggets of gold to be found every now and then, but looking at the large body of work after American Idiot was a bit of a mixed bag. You had the strong 21st Century Breakdown record, followed by the hit or miss trilogy of ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!, then 2016’s decent Revolution Radio, only to be succeeded by arguably the weakest LP in Green Day’s discography, 2020’s Father of All Motherfuckers.

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Interview: Sean Scanlon of Smallpools

Smallpools
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Sean Scanlon, the lead vocalist/keyboardist of Alt Rock band, Smallpools, to discuss everything that went into their great new single called “Night Shift.” In this interview, I asked Sean about how the band typically does most of their writing, his favorite songs in Smallpools’ discography, as well as the upcoming touring plans. Smallpools will be touring the U.S. with Grayscale starting this April and tickets are currently on sale.

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Review: Definitely Maybe – “Are We Having Fun Yet?”

Adam Grundy

The latest single from Chicago pop-punk band, Definitely Maybe, called “Are We Having Fun Yet?” embraces the chaos of chasing your dreams head on. The band found moderate success with their last single, “One More Night,” and Definitely Maybe continue the momentum gained on this electric track. Singer/lyricist Courtney Clinkert remains as captivating as she’s ever been on this single that sounds reminiscent of the sound that Charlotte Sands and Yours Truly have gone for recently, with equally pleasing results here. The band shared, “’Are We Having Fun Yet?’ is a relentless exploration of the toll ambition takes on the soul. Delving into the highs and lows of chasing dreams, it offers an unfiltered look at the exhaustion and self-discovery that comes with the journey.”

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Review: Cassie Dasilva – “Part of the Club”

Adam Grundy

It’s always nice to hear new voices in the music scene. Whether it’s a new band taking the world by storm, or in the case of Cassie Dasilva, an indie-pop artist that has a sugary sweet delivery to make you take notice. “Part of the Club” is a great introduction to the sound and world that Dasilva is creating with her music. As she puts it, “‘part of the club’ is my anti-love love song. I’ve always had an aversion to conventional relationships – specifically marriage – but this song is about finding the person who makes you stop and think, ‘I can see why people might do all this.’” By taking a long hard look at why relationships can be so complex, Cassie Dasilva makes a memorable step in the right direction with her latest single.

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Interview: 2:00 AM Wake Up Call

2am Wake Up call
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule an interview with 2:00 AM Wake Up Call, the solo project from Micah Leith, to discuss the band’s latest single called ”No Nostalgia.” In this interview, I asked Micah about what went into the process for creating the visualizer video for the new track, how Micah does most of the songwriting for this project, and the opening of 2:00 AM Wake Up Call’s new merch store. If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider supporting this artist here.

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Interview: Barely Civil

Barely Civil
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with one of my favorite up-and-coming emo bands in this scene, Barely Civil, who are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated third LP. The record will be called I’d Say I’m Not Fine, and it was produced by Chris Tetti. In this interview, I asked the band members about the exciting new direction they took on this new LP, what they looked towards for inspiration, and much more. I’d Say I’m Not Fine will be available on March 22nd via Take This To Heart Records, and pre-orders are live.

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Review: Collective Soul – 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001

Adam Grundy

The latest greatest hits collection from veteran Alternative Rockers, Collective Soul, called 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001 is a fitting and nice introduction to the band’s best work during this time period. It has all the major hits that you’d want in a compilation, from “Shine” and “Heavy” to more reflective songs like “The World I Know,” there truly is a little bit of everything to be found here. The set was produced by lead vocalist Ed Roland, and he carefully sequences the songs found on this greatest hits album in a way that makes sense for the listener to best consume it. The album was originally released on September 18, 2001, but it never found its way to the vinyl format until last month, via Craft Recordings. The vinyl packaging is a bit on the simplistic side, with a standard weight LP that is encased in a full-color sleeve with lyrics on one side, and some band photography on the other. The reissued set includes “Next Homecoming” and “Energy” for the first time in this package, and neither song feels out of place when listening to it front to back. Collective Soul were one of radio rock’s biggest bands, and they deserve another moment to relish in their best work.

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Interview: Pat Kirch and Garrett Nickelsen of The Maine

The Maine
Adam Grundy

Recently, I was able to catch up with Pat (drums) and Garrett (bass), of The Maine, before they played a show at The Fillmore Silver Spring. In this interview, I asked the band about their range of emotions with putting together the Sweet 16th Anniversary Tour, how they’d rank their albums in their discography, the status of several key vinyl reissues, and some fun facts about each of the band members.

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Interview: Chris Dudley of Underoath

Chris Dudley
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to catch up with composer/Underoath keyboardist, Chris Dudley, to discuss his recent scores for films like the Screambox exclusive, Night of the Missing, that is currently available for streaming. In this interview, I asked Chris about some of his favorite scores of all time, his process for making his scores for films he’s assigned to, how music can feel different when listening to it in different environments, and he also offered up some news about Underoath’s new album progress.

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Review: Uncle Lucius – Like It’s The Last One Left

Adam Grundy

The fifth LP from roots rockers, Uncle Lucius, is a solid slab of blues-driven guitar rock that hits its mark more often than not. Like It’s The Last One Left is the band’s first album since 2018, and their song “Keep The Wolves Away” was featured on the hit TV show, Yellowstone, recently that helped reinvigorate an interest in the band. Flash forward to 2023, and Uncle Lucius have returned with a record worthy of the legacy that they have built before them. The album was recorded to analog tape, with everyone playing together in real time, and you can really feel the energy of the band coming back together here. Uncle Lucius is back for all the right reasons, and I think we’re all better off for it.

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Interview: Nick Woolford of Have Mercy

Have Mercy
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Nick Woolford (bassist/backing vocals) of Have Mercy to discuss the band’s latest full length record called Numb, that releases today via Rude Records. In this interview, I asked Nick about the band’s process for crafting the songs on this LP, the chemistry with their new drummer, how Taylor Swift’s Midnights led the band to some creative discoveries, and their favorite bands/venues in the Maryland area. Numb is available today here.

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Review: AJR – The Maybe Man

Adam Grundy

There’s something to be said for a band who knows how to make a well-crafted, thought out, and carefully mapped out  album. AJR may have just made their early-career masterpiece on The Maybe Man, a record that is brimming with purpose, an ultra-personal touch, and better structurally organized than any of their previous four LPs. The Maybe Man finds the three brothers (Adam, Jack & Ryan Met) at a crossroads: they’ve just made their most commercially and critically successful record in 2021’s Ok Orchestra, the band recently announced their first arena tour, and yet the material found on this record is dripping with self-doubt. For a band that got famous with songs like “Bang!” “Weak” and the ultra-viral “World’s Smallest Violin,” the opening song/title track finds lead singer, Jack pondering vulnerably, “Wish I was a stone so I couldn’t feel / You’d yell in my face, it’d be no big deal / But I’d miss the way we make up and smile / Don’t wanna be stone, I changed my mind,” while getting into heavier material (lyrically) with “God Is Really Real” that comes to terms with their father, Gary’s, untimely passing. As close as I am to my dad, I can’t imagine going through life without my own mentor, and I commend AJR for tackling this concept head on with grace on The Maybe Man.

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Review: Daniel Donato – Reflector

Adam Grundy

The sophomore set from alt-country up-and-comer Daniel Donato, called Reflector, is a colorful collection of songs that are brimming with lush textures and shimmering guitars. From the vibrant opening bars of the song “Lose Your Mind” to the closing, near 6-minute opus of “Dance in the Desert Pt. 2,” Donato leaves his musical blueprint all over this record that showcases his unmistakable talent. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter describes his new record as “Cosmic Country” and it fits well within the same realm of artists like The Lumineers, Lord Huron, and the crisp ,country twang of Zac Brown Brand. When speaking on his new LP, Donato shared, “I think ‘Cosmic Country’ is a tale as old as time, really. It’s yin and yang in a musical form. It’s three chords and the truth, and then on the other side it’s exploration and bravery. I really went through a lot of years of grinding, and still am, to achieve this sound which is a vehicle for my personality, and the personality is a vehicle for my soul. So (Reflector) is more that than any other record I ever put out.” Daniel Donato is quickly climbing the ladder of notoriety on Reflector.

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Review: Blink-182 – [Untitled]

Adam Grundy

It really does feel like yesterday that I was just unwrapping the CD of this Blink-182 classic, known to many as their [Untitled} fifth effort, and grinning ear to ear about the sound that was about to surround me for the next two-plus years of a standard album cycle. Little did I know, this would be the last studio album Blink-182 would record for eight (!) years, until they returned with 2011’s Neighborhoods. This studio effort was a flawless execution of slick pop-punk hooks, experimental rock, hip-hop beats, and a top-notch collaborative song with The Cure’s Robert Smith. While some longtime Blink fans were disappointed with the final result of this record (that succeeded the bulletproof pop-punk classic, Take Off Your Pants & Jacket), almost all of these fans now point to this album as a seismic shift in the band’s songwriting and offered glimpses as to where they would take their sound for the foreseeable future. This fifth LP was produced by Jerry Finn, and it would also end up being their longest album to date, clocking in at a little over the 49-minute mark. Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker should be looking back fondly on this momentous album today that would find Blink-182 breaking down the silos of what a pop-punk band should sound like, and blow the doors off the hinges in the process.

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