Recently I was able to connect with New York City indie rock band, Gamblers, to discuss everything that went into the writing process for their new single called ”Agita.” I also asked them about the aesthetic behind their music video for the track and what they hope their fans will feel when listening to the new single. Gamblers’ latest LP, Pulverizer, is out now wherever you stream your music.
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Recently I was able to connect with psych/folk songwriter, Arthur Ahbez, to discuss his new single called “Sister.” In this interview I asked Arthur about his band’s new LP, Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez, his key influences and inspirations, and what the future has in store for his band. The new LP will be available wherever you stream your music on November 6th.
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Recently I was able to catch up with synth/electronic artist, Erev, to discuss everything that went into his new single called “Sandbar.” Erev is the project of songwriter and composer, Matthew David Olerio. Besides chatting about the new single, I also asked Erev about what the future has in store for this project.
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Trauma can come in many forms. Whether it’s watching a loved one going through a tough time, or experiencing the difficulties in our own lives, this trauma is never easy to face head on. Deryck Whibley bravely comes forward in sharing his multiple instances of trauma on his gripping new memoir entitled Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell. Whibley is a gifted songwriter, and while most of us know him for his lifelong work in Sum 41, I was surprised to hear just how deeply involved he was as the primary songwriter for the band. He mentions several times in the book instances where he recalls many fans and critics alike crediting Dave “Brownsound” Baksh as the main writer of Sum 41’s material, when that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Whibley remains poised and positive as he weaves an epic tale of the rise of Sum 41, the backstage shenanigans, key relationships he made in his life, all with an overarching narrative of the alleged abuse of his band’s former manager Greig Nori. The memoir is told in chronological order, while Whibley hints at the future tales that led to his highest of highs (Heaven) and the most dramatic of lows (Hell). Much like a Ying and Yang, Whibley needed to experience both polar opposites in order to determine what he values most in his young life that is starting to regain momentum for the next steps in his blossoming career.
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In the Yellowcard discography, Lift a Sail is the oddity. It’s not a pop-punk album, for one thing – not really even close. There are arena rock songs on this record, and songs inspired by ‘90s alt-rock, and songs with a whole lot of electronic flourishes, and songs that are experimental and minimalist. There are arguably zero songs that sound like the Yellowcard of old: the band with big, bright choruses, and lyrics about summertime, and triumphant electric violin solos, and rapidfire, double-time drums. And speaking of those drums, this record marks Yellowcard’s first without drummer Longineu “LP” Parsons III, whose technical acumen behind the kit was always a strong selling point for many listeners.
For all these reasons and more, Lift a Sail was a tough pill to swallow for a lot of Yellowcard fans when it arrived 10 years ago. I remember the AbsolutePunk.net forums in the days after the album came out, and the divide in the Yellowcard threads about whether it lived up to their legacy. Plenty of fans loved it, and found the departures the band made from their signature sound to be refreshing and invigorating. But another segment of listeners – if we’re being honest, a larger segment – was baffled by what they were hearing. The phrase “sell out” was definitely bandied about, as if no pop-punk band worth its salt could try on electropop flourishes without going artistically bankrupt. A lot of fans missed the pop-punk, missed the summertime vibes, missed the big choruses and the bigger drums. I definitely remember a few users saying that, if LP wasn’t going to be a part of the band’s universe anymore, then they didn’t want to be, either.
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Recently I was able to catch up with Canadian musician/producer, Devarrow, to discuss his latest single called “Lightning Bolt.” I also asked this talented artist about what went into his debut LP Heart Shaped Rock and what he hopes listeners to his music will most connect with. Heart Shaped Rock will be available wherever you stream your music tomorrow.
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I’d like to introduce everyone to a cool new indie rock band called October Man. The band features Ethan Bodner (guitar), JD Leidersdorff (guitar/vocals), Ian Neill (bass), Anthony Abboud (keys/drums), and Joey Murphy (keys/drums). Most of the band has been playing together for nearly a decade, with Neill being a recent addition. Their latest single, called “Dandelion” is a catchy blast of indie rock that would be perfect for fans of The Strokes, Cold War Kids, and the guitar groove of Franz Ferdinand.
The song opens up with a steady beat courtesy of Anthony Abboud while the dual-guitar attack embraces the groove of the track with a poise not usually seen in a band this young. Vocalist JD Leidersdoff has a great croon throughout the song and he remains as captivating as possible. October Man have created the perfect launch pad to success in the indie rock genre with this song that is sure to be added to many playlists for the foreseeable future.
Over the course of music history there have been several cases of a band not being happy with the material they are creating, and then in turn deciding to scrap that material in favor of a different direction. This exact situation happened to Hippo Campus. The band were sitting in the green room of a sold-out amphitheater show at the start of the Summer of 2023 when they realized their fourth LP simply wasn’t good enough. This realization led to them re-thinking their approach to what would be the sessions for Flood, their latest studio effort that comes pouring through the speakers with the most polished, professional, and ultimately most complete version of the band to date. Hippo Campus had reportedly penned over 100 songs during the five-year span between LP3 and Flood, with only the best material making the cut for the 13-track fourth studio album. What we’re left with is a completely realized vision for the band’s music that shimmers as much as it makes their audience think about what they’ve listened to. Flood is an appropriate title in that it took a complete brainstorm of ideas all at once to see what stuck and the aftermath is a brilliant collection of songs that play off of each other in a cohesive work of art.
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Recently I was able to schedule an interview with a talented artist named Nicholas Michaux who is releasing a cool, indie rock-stylized single called ”Peace of Mind #2.” In this interview, I asked Nicholas about his forthcoming LP Vitalisme that releases on October 18th via Capitane Records, his songwriting process and more.
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This past week I was able to schedule a Zoom call with “DANGO” Cellan of Amber Pacific to discuss the band’s returning single, “Young & Reckless.” We also chatted about the legacy of the band and their key albums, their plans for touring, key memories from the band’s height, and what the future holds for Amber Pacific. The band were recently signed to Manic Kat Records and more new music appears to be on the horizon.
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Black Gives Way To Blue proved that grunge was still alive and well in 2009. Alice In Chains decided to reboot themselves after the tragic death of original lead singer Layne Staley (in 2002) by beginning to play shows again in 2005 and start crafting what would be the material found on the band’s fourth studio album. Now getting the 15th anniversary vinyl re-press treatment via Craft Recordings, Black Gives Way To Blue gets another fresh makeover as audiences new and old can rediscover what made this band so legendary. The record was the first one to feature co-vocalist/guitarist William DuVall and he does a nice job of complementing the lead vocals from founding member Jerry Cantrell. The set would spawn four singles, with two of them earning Grammy nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance. Picking up the pieces after losing a band member is sadly all-too-common in the music industry, but Alice In Chains were able to honor the legacy of Staley in this vivid collection of songs that still highlight their staying power to this day.
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The latest single from Sophia Dashing featuring Manda Malina, called “Raindrops (On Your Pillow),” has that classic 90’s pop sound that is reminiscent of Destiny’s Child paired with TLC. The track was produced by Jason Quinones and co-written between Malina, Dashing and Quinones. The collaboration pulls off as each artist/writer shines on the track that is built for those heartfelt evenings of longing for a better relationship.
Sophia Dashing commands the song throughout her dynamic vocal performance while Manda Malina adds in some great vocal takes of her own. The song reminded me a bit of the style of TLC’s “No Scrubs” and hits its intended target more often than not. The final bars of music highlights the two vocalists trying to outshine each other through some great vocal highs that mesh well together for a crowd-pleasing pop single.
Consistency is hard to come by in the music industry. Times change, sounds change, and stylistic choices over time can evolve into something completely different than what was popular a decade ago. The great thing about music, however, is that if you can write good songs you can find sustainable success in the music business, regardless of genre. Neon Trees have been one of the most consistent pop rock bands since they debuted in 2010 with Habits, and found early success in singles like “Animal” and the karaoke favorite of “Everybody Talks.” Having now released their fifth studio album, called Sink Your Teeth, Neon Trees’ sound still feels as refreshing as ever as they return to the music scene. The band released the first taste of the new record back in June of 2023 with lead single “Favorite Daze.” As great as Neon Trees are at writing a catchy chorus, this particular single features some of the best verses of their career to date. The rest of the material that surrounds the track feels like a sonic evolution of the band that continues to showcase their staying power in the pop rock scene.
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There comes a time in all band’s musical trajectory when they realize when things were lacking a bit of the magic they found early on in their career. That feeling of being “locked in” when the band is firing on all creative cylinders can provide the spark they need to carry on. Smallpools found early success with their debut self-titled EP that had a legendary single called “Dreaming” that was as infectious as it was refreshing. “I feel like our debut EP was a definitive body of work…we were dialed in,” vocalist Sean Scanlon muses. “With this project <Ghost Town Road>, we’re dialed back in.” Guitarist Michael Kamerman views it less like a sequel and more like a franchise reboot as he mentioned, “The other music exists and you’re free to revisit it. But we’re back and we mean it.” Ghost Town Road was preceded by an EP <Ghost Town Road (East)> and while the original songs that were released from the EP are still here, and remain strong material, the other tracks that round out the vision that Smallpools were going for define a band completely locked in creatively. The band appear re-energized and poised for the next big leap in their musical career.
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Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Peter James, the owner of indie label Manic Kat Records, to discuss his label’s upcoming 10th anniversary. I also asked Peter about what qualities he looks for when signing bands/artists to his label, the best practices he’s learned in the music business, as well as how he sees the state of vinyl production today. Manic Kat Records has a roster that includes Ryan Cabrera, The Anchor, Along Came A Spider, and Todd Morse.
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