Review: Zaq Baker – “Victorious”

Zaq Baker is a talented singer-songwriter who is passionate about many causes. While the majority of his music topics range from love (“Bri”), mental health, and growing up (“Treadmill”), his latest song of “Victorious” takes dead aim at the heartbreaking ICE takeover going on in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Baker could’ve gone in a multitude of directions on this protest song, but he chooses to focus on the human element and the neighbors who will be joining together to stand up for each other in the wake of fascism. On this five-minute song, that dives deep into the horrors that Baker and others have witnessed, his instrument of choice is an upright piano that evokes strong emotions with each chord.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

After touring for nearly a year and a half on their debut LP, Stories and Alibis, Matchbook Romance buckled down in Long View Farm studios in Massachusetts to write the follow-up to their breakthrough onto the emo scene. Voices features a departure from the sound of their debut, and charted at #43 on the Billboard 200 upon its release on Valentine’s Day in 2006. Based on the strength of the lead single, “Monsters,” Matchbook Romance proved that they were capable of being much more than just your “stereotypical emo band.” Instead, Voices led the band down a darker path and expanded their audience along the way. The set was produced by John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab For Cutie) and the artwork was designed by Shawn Harris of The Matches. Voices is a record that I found immediately gripping and urgent, and I’m so glad that Matchbook Romance took this big risk on their sophomore effort.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Canadian power pop band, PONY, to discuss everything that went into their new album called Clearly Cursed. I asked the band about the meaning behind key songs on the new LP, their upcoming touring plans, and much more. At the time of the interview, PONY had to cancel almost all of their U.S. tour dates due to Visa issues, but the band has since announced some additional dates supporting Phoneboy and Heart Attack Man (dates below). If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-ordering Clearly Cursed here.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

There’s a lot to love about the direction Ratboys took on Singin’ To An Empty Chair, the Chicago-based indie pop band’s sixth studio album. While the title of the record and artwork seem to imply that there’s an element missing, instead it is the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one lead vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer/lyricist credits for the clarity found in the lyrical material that is a vivid investigation of self-reflection and the importance of healthy relationships. While some of these conversations had within Singin’ To An Empty Chair may feel difficult, messy, or at times even bleak, Ratboys take it all in stride and leave signs of hope and clarity in the end. “It’s not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.” By putting her full self into this album, Steiner and her bandmates live up to the hype surrounding this band that continues to get better on each release. If The Window was Ratboys telling the world, “We’ve arrived,” Singin’ To An Empty Chair emphatically states, “We’re here to stay.” I promise it will be worth the visit, and this wonderful record exceeded all of my expectations.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

A couple of weeks ago I was able to schedule a Zoom call with the lead vocalist of Story of the Year, Dan Marsala, to discuss the band’s newest album, A.R.S.O.N. that releases on February 13th, 2026 via SharpTone Records. In this interview, I asked Dan about the songwriting process on key tracks from the new LP, where the album title originated from, and upcoming touring plans. If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-ordering Story of the Year’s seventh studio album, A.R.S.O.N., here.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

I had almost made peace with the fact that The Format would likely never make music again. The statement put out by the band on February 4, 2008 hit like a gut-punch from one of my favorite indie bands of all time, and now, almost 18 years to the exact day of the indefinite hiatus, The Format have returned. The roadmap that led to The Format making new music featured a few detours. fun. had formed shortly after the announced hiatus and would make a household name of vocalist Nate Ruess, and earn him his first Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the unstoppable “We Are Young.” The Format’s other half, Sam Means, would release a solo album called 10 Songs (which is definitely worth a listen if you never checked it out), while he watched his bandmate blossom in fun., and Nate’s own solo album entitled Grand Romantic. Much like the Interventions + Lullabies song of “On Your Porch,” Sam Means and Nate Ruess have always been drawn to making music together. The lyrics of, “So, now here I sit in a hotel off of Sunset / My thoughts bounce off of Sam’s guitar / And that’s the way it’s been / Ever since we were kids, but now / Now we’ve got something to prove,” feel a bit more emphatic now that The Format have reunited and released their third studio album of Boycott Heaven. Nate mentioned that he started to teach himself guitar during the pandemic, which seemed to unlock a key ingredient in the catalyst that brought him back to Sam. Shortly after the band had planned to reunite for a few returning shows, they re-discovered their love of creating art together, and I’m so happy The Format are back in full swing now.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

The aptly titled ninth studio album from ska-punk legends, Goldfinger, features a litany of guest spots and a recharged, yet reflective sound from the band that is releasing their first taste of new music since 2020. Nine Lives was produced by band leader and scene stalwart, John Feldmann, who rounds out this era of Goldfinger with a powerhouse lineup of Charlie Paulson (guitar), Mike Herrera (bass), Nick Gross (drums), and Moon Valjean (guitar). The set was preceded by two great singles in “Freaking Out A Bit”, that featured Mark Hoppus, and “Chasing Amy.” The result is a pleasing collection of songs that showcase Goldfinger show little signs of slowing down and hit the listener with a blast of Summer vibes.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

On the surface, Lights and Sounds had all the makings of a big rock record. Yellowcard paired up with a trusted producer in Neal Avron, who also worked with the band on their breakthrough, Ocean Avenue. The album had an incredible lead single out of the gate with the aggressive title track, and was mixed by veteran Tom Lord-Alge. What left fans most perplexed by what their heard from Yellowcard was the near abandonment of the sound that made the band a household name with Ocean Avenue. Instead, Yellowcard leaned into a darker-tinged alternative rock approach to their music that led to a bit of confusion and lukewarm critical reviews of the material. Lights and Sounds would debut at number five on the Billboard 200 charts, and would eventually achieve Gold certification from the RIAA in March of 2006. My memories surrounding this particular album were the polarizing affect it had on Yellowcard’s trajectory as an artist, how it would lead to confusion in the band’s fanbase, and then the biggest of swings back in the right direction with the 2007 successor of Paper Walls. At the end of the recording process, lead guitarist Ben Harper would leave the band and would be replaced with the now-permanent member of Yellowcard, Ryan Mendez. This rollercoaster of emotions surrounding Lights and Sounds would’ve been enough to break the spirit and desire of most bands, but luckily for us, Yellowcard would take this detour in stride and rise once again.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

Greywind is the brother and sister duo of Steph and Paul O’Sullivan, and they prove that emo was never just a phase on Severed Heart City. Their latest full-length record was produced by Sam Guaiana (Neck Deep, Silverstein), and features a very professional sound, rich with big hooks and solid musicianship all around. When I last chatted with Greywind, the band shared, “We’ve always wanted to create our own world that people can escape into. Severed Heart City is basically what we went through in the last few years after being dropped <by a record label> to losing family members to health issues It’s a lot of all of that pain. But then it has the positive of, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” While their last EP of Antidote was the band figuring out what worked well in their sound, Severed Heart City finds Greywind at their most confident, and they are successful at fulfilling their most complete vision for their music.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

This past month I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Irish emo band, Greywind, to discuss their upcoming new album called Severed Heart City. The band has a sound similar to the style of My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, and Paramore, and their quickly catching on with audiences worldwide. I asked the band about timing the vinyl with the digital release, their writing process on some of the key singles released so far, and how they’re staying grounded given the viral success of so many of their music videos. If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider pre-ordering Severed Heart City here.

Adam Grundy Nov 26, 2025

Record Store Day Black Friday is this Friday and this year’s celebration of indie record stores occurs on November 28th, 2025. With a fresh slate of new vinyl reissues, exciting exclusives, and in some cases, the first pressings of many key titles, the observance comes with a lot of excitement on the biggest shopping day of the year. The full list of RSD Black Friday releases can be found here, but be sure to check in with your local indie record store to see what they will be carrying this Friday. In this preview, I’ll be diving into some of the most sought after releases and offer some tips for newcomers to secure these titles.

Adam Grundy Nov 25, 2025

Recently I was able to connect with a high-energy rock band, called Run The Riot, that has a slick punk sound paired with a little bit of a metal edge to their approach to songwriting. In this interview I asked the band members about their core influences, how they formed and wanted to play music together, and a dream concert lineup that they’d jump at the chance of making happen. Run The Riot is Nick Rubright (Guitar), Bradley Klein (Bass, backing vocals), Billy Waas (Drums), Vlad Odiiak (Guitar, backing vocals, production), and Joe Voccia (Lead vocals), and they’re ready for their moment. If you’re enjoying the interview, you can check out all the streaming and related links to the band here.

Adam Grundy Nov 24, 2025

The first new music from Hit The Lights in nearly a decade, called Tomorrow’s Gonna Hurt, is a solid collection of four songs that highlight the band’s slick approach to pop-punk. Released in part as a tribute to their bandmate Kyle Maite, who tragically died in September 2022, Hit The Lights do their best to honor their past legacy while leaving the door open for where they could go next if they continue to march on. The set features two guest spots, the opener has guest vocals from Jay Pepito and the third track features Hit The Lights’ original vocalist Colin Ross. While the band doesn’t cover too much new ground on this EP, there’s still plenty to enjoy in these songs that will hopefully rejuvenate Hit The Lights in making even more new music soon.

Adam Grundy Nov 21, 2025

The latest taste of music from Spanish Love Songs, called A Brief Intermission in the Flattening of Time, is a guest-heavy, moody and reflective romp of well-written songs. The set was collaborated with producer Arun Bali, and each of these vibrant tracks feature a guest artist/friend of the band. On the key song of “Cocaine & Lexapro” that features Kevin Devine, frontman and guitarist Dylan Slocum shared, “I’ve been trying to work with Kevin for a while now. We have a good number of mutual friends but had never met up until this. The reasoning was simple — our band doesn’t exist without Kevin Devine, so when he agreed to sing on a song, he got to sing on a song. He took what I had demoed as an angry, contrarian second verse and turned it into something delicate and full of pathos. It absolutely floored me the first time I heard his vocal tracks dropped in.” By working with four great artists on this EP, Spanish Love Songs reinvigorate their passion for writing songs filled with uncertainty in the days that lie ahead of us, but with a beating heart of hope that things can and will get better.

Adam Grundy Nov 19, 2025

Recently I was able to connect with singer-songwriter Izzy Mahoubi to discuss her new single, called “Good.” In this interview, we chatted about the direction of her new music, her music upbringing, and how she is tailoring her setlist for her current tour. If you’re enjoying the interview, please consider streaming “Good” here.

Review: Zaq Baker – “Victorious”

Review: Matchbook Romance – Voices

Interview: PONY

Review: Ratboys – Singin’ To An Empty Chair

Interview: Dan Marsala of Story Of The Year

Review: The Format – Boycott Heaven

Review: Goldfinger – Nine Lives

Review: Yellowcard – Lights and Sounds

Review: Greywind – Severed Heart City

Interview: Greywind

Record Store Day Black Friday 2025 Preview

Interview: Run The Riot

Review: Hit The Lights – Tomorrow’s Gonna Hurt

Review: Spanish Love Songs – A Brief Intermission In The Flattening Of Time

Interview: Izzy Mahoubi