Review: Swae Lee – Swaecation

Tommy Monroe May 8, 2018

Swaecation is the debut solo album by Swae Lee, member of the rap-duo Rae Sremmurd. On Swaecation, Swae Lee keeps the features to a minimum and recruits Young Thug as the sole guest on the album. Swae Lee is a great creator when it comes to delivering hooks on songs. As a hook-Smith, he has found his way onto several big collaborations with other artists and his impact has been felt on top-charting songs like “Burn Slow,” “Unforgettable,” and “Don’t Judge Me.” Although, Swae Lee has never released a track alone, this album is filled with enthralling hooks.

Review: Rae Sremmurd – SR3MM

Tommy Monroe May 7, 2018

From “No Flex Zone” to “Black Beatle,” it’s been clear Rae Sremmurd knows how to make hit songs. And, based on the quality of their previous albums it’s always a safe bet that their albums will contain some nice tunes. SR3MM is an addition to the “Sremmlife” series. This is a triple album which includes solo albums by Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi. Swae’s album is titled Swaecation, while Slim Jxmmi’s is titled Jxmtro. Shortly after the success of their debut album, there were rumors about Swae Lee going solo. Many people who are familiar with their discography know Swae Lee is more of a singer and delivers most of the hooks. Slim Jxmmi is a rapper and he likes to spit, not sing. That’s what influenced the formation of solo albums. A better option than a split.

Review: Middle Kids – Lost Friends

Adam Grundy May 4, 2018

As indie rock continues to evolve, and a growing number of bands keep getting lumped into that genre, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for bands to stick out from the pack. Such is not the case for a relatively new band called Middle Kids, as their brand of indie pop rock flourishes right from the first listen. The group, from Sydney, Australia, are comprised of lead singer/guitarist Hannah Joy, her husband and bassist Tim Fritz, and drummer Harry Day. The group has taken full advantage of the excitement that comes with releasing their debut full-length album by showcasing just how talented this trio truly are.

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In the Spotlight: 50 Bands You Need to Hear in 2018 (Part Two)

Jason Tate May 3, 2018

Today we’re happy to bring you part two of our “In the Spotlight” feature. We’ve got another group of artists that we think are worthy of your time and ears. Our contributors have made their picks, put together blurbs, and pulled out recommended songs.

If you missed part one, you can find that here.

In the Spotlight: 50 Bands You Need to Hear in 2018 (Part One)

Jason Tate May 2, 2018

Last year we brought back, and re-branded, one of my favorite features from the AbsolutePunk days: the “Absolute 100.” And as we enter May and the weather finally starts to turn around a little bit, it’s the perfect time to once again team up with our contributors to bring you a whole bunch of new music to check out.

Just like years past we’ve compiled a list of 50 artists we think are worth your time. Some of the artists recently released their debut albums and some have been around for a while now but have flown under the radar. However, the one thing they all have in common is that we think they should be in the spotlight and are worthy of your ears. You’ll find the first group of 25, along with blurbs, recommended songs, and sounds like comparisons, below.

Review: Anne-Marie – Speak Your Mind

Tommy Monroe May 1, 2018

Speak Your Mind is the debut studio album by British pop singer, Anne-Marie. The 27-year-old singer has attained several charting singles on the UK Singles Chart and she was also featured on Clean Bandit’s “Rockabye,” which peaked at number one. Ever since the release of her first single, “Alarm,” she has been a consistent sensation in the pop world. Every single she released to support the album has charted. Based on that record, it is safe to say that Anne-Marie is a hit maker.

The British singer takes us through 17-tracks as she tries to mask a heartbreaking experience in electro-pop sounds. From “Cry” to “Bad Girlfriend,” she revisits her previous relationship while exposing the deceit and infidelity her ex-lover brought to the relationship. On “Then” and “Alarm” she tells the story of a man who ungratefully ignored the love she had for him while cheating on her.

Review: The Voidz – Virtue

Adam Grundy Apr 30, 2018

The Voidz, led by The Strokes’ front-man Julian Casablancas, have gone through a few housekeeping changes since their debut album Tyranny. For starters, they have dropped Casablancas’ name from their moniker, probably for the intention of making it known that they are a true band, rather than just a side project. Additionally, the band has used their second album as an experimental canvas on which to paint with all types of styles. While their debut album came across as abrasive and hard to digest, Virtue brings out the best in this crew and if you can stomach the variety of approaches used on this record, it’s quite a fun and trippy ride.

Review: Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Tommy Monroe Apr 27, 2018

It’s been more than ten years since Janelle Monáe launched her first project. She has since been identified by her unique sound. Being from a hard-working family and a musically bland city, she has always highlighted the under-appreciated and the outsider with her lyrics. Incorporating an unbelievable range of musical influences, she continues to innovate her own unique sound with her friends in the Wondaland Arts Society – a musical collective of rising artists she oversees. Prior to Dirty Computer, she’s been nominated for six Grammy Awards, of which she won none. However, Janelle’s consistency is a reminder of why this is a promising project.

Review: Thirty Seconds To Mars – America

Adam Grundy Apr 26, 2018

On Thirty Seconds to Mars’ fifth album, titled America, Jared Leto and his bandmates experiment with big U2-type choruses, patriotic themes, and the deeper meanings of life. The band has long-since been known for their anthemic choruses and there are plenty of those to go around on America, as well as great production and a polished sound fit for a major label and radio outlets alike.

The album itself is front-loaded with the previously released singles “Walk on Water” and “Dangerous Night.” The one-two punch of these tracks play off of each other well, with the latter being the more memorable of the two. Leto sings on the chorus that it’s a “dangerous night to fall in love/don’t know why we fight what we’ve become.” The themes of loss, heartbreak, and longing for a change in the status quo run rampant throughout the album.

Review: The Longshot – Love Is For Losers

Adam Grundy Apr 25, 2018

Side projects, in general, are healthy for the long-term well being of a band as it allows the multiple band members to experiment with new sounds and ideas that may not be best suited for the main unit. That being said, it’s hard to find too many differences between Billie Joe’s new side gig, The Longshot, and Green Day. Billie Joe sounds just as confident as ever on the new LP and it initially reminded me of the sleek and polish of another recent side project (Foxboro Hottubs) but with more production sheen on The Longshot’s debut album.

The Longshot is comprised of guitarist Kevin Preston, drummer David Field, and bassist Jeff Matika (who has toured extensively with Green Day). “Love is for Losers” spans over 11 easily digestible tracks, with a total running time of 32 minutes. Kicking off the set with “The Last Time” Billie Joe croons, “I’ll give you all my blood, til it’s a waste of time/If that’s not good enough, you’re always on my mind.” These tongue-in-cheek lyrics are what we have grown to expect from our fearless pop-punk leader, yet it’s also a good album disclaimer of “take it or leave it.”

Interview: Eight Years Down: Cary Brothers on His Long-Awaited Return

Craig Manning Apr 24, 2018

As listeners, we typically assume that a debut album is an artist’s mission statement. Simply put, an artist’s first album is supposed to establish what that person or band sounds like. It’s supposed to lay the foundations for the rest of their career and give listeners some idea of what to expect later on down the road. But what happens when a debut album proves to be an anomaly? When the first record establishes a sonic identity that the artist doesn’t want to chase on future releases?

For more than a decade now, Cary Brothers has been asking precisely that question.

Brothers burst onto the scene in 2004, with a December release called All the Rage. It wasn’t until the next year, though, that he got his big break, thanks in large part to the Garden State soundtrack. Brothers’ beloved contribution, the song “Blue Eyes,” had already been a Hotel Café favorite when Zach Braff scooped it up for his quirky coming-of-age dramedy. Garden State took the song and immortalized it for listeners and movie fans who were of a certain age at the time. While the song gave Brothers the kind of boost that just about any songwriter would kill for, though, it also meant that he got the musical version of typecast. “Blue Eyes” was a singer-songwriter song, and Brothers’ full-length debut, 2007’s Who You Are, was a singer-songwriter album. You could hardly blame early Cary Brothers fans for making the assumption that he was an acoustic singer-songwriter, period.

Review: Lord Huron – Vide Noir

Adam Grundy Apr 23, 2018

Lord Huron, the indie rock group from Los Angeles, have had quite a few years to grow into their trademark sound of atmospheric landscapes and wandering journeys. Vide Noir, the third studio album and their first on a major label, was mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips) and self-produced by front-man Ben Schneider, in which he has crafted his early career masterpiece. Schneider recently credited this album to a new habit of taking nighttime drives around LA and the “search for meaning amidst the cold indifference of the universe,” according to his recent social media posts.

Straight from the album opener, “Lost in Time and Space,” we are immediately transported to a dark yet clear night landscape with subtle sounds of buzzing lights, background whispers, a harp, and eventually the folk strumming of Schneider’s acoustic guitar cuts through the soft noise. In the track, Schneider admits, “I don’t know who I am, I don’t know where I am,” and the listener is immediately pulled in to go on this journey with the band.

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Review: From Ashes To New – The Future

Adam Grundy Apr 20, 2018

Change can be difficult, sometimes it feels like it is the most painful concept to deal with. That being said, the Central Pennsylvania rap-rock group, From Ashes to New, have dealt with the replacement of their clean vocalist Chris Masser, in favor of Danny Case, semi-seamlessly. In addition to Masser’s departure, the band has a new drummer in Matt Madiro. The band is able to retain the sound that they introduced through two EPs (Downfall and S/T) and a full length LP, Day One, with an effort that should be worthy of an occasional spin.

Review: Donovan Woods – Both Ways

Craig Manning Apr 19, 2018

There’s a song on the new Donovan Woods album Both Ways called “Next Year,” about the very-human tendency to put things off. “We’ll do it next year,” Woods sings—five words we’ve probably all spoken a time or two before. Those words could refer to a lot of different things, depending on your situation. They could be about a trip you’re going to take, or a renovation you’re going to do on your house, or something fun you’re going to do with your kids. Too often, though, next year never becomes this year. It’s just always next year, always tomorrow. And eventually, all those things you were going to do pile up and you realize that you’re running out of time to actually do them. That’s what happens at the end of the song, where Woods sings about an ailing father and his wish to see the Grand Canyon. Instead of making plans for later, the dad and his son just get in the car and drive. Because, as Woods states, “There ain’t no next year.” The sand in the hourglass is almost gone. It’s now or never.

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Review: The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl

Adam Grundy Apr 18, 2018

When looking back at the accomplishments for Indie Rock mainstays, The Decemberists, one may think that they have little left to prove on their eighth album. However, this group has never been afraid to make the music they want to make, and bring their loyal fans along for every thrilling and unique chorus. I’ll Be Your Girl finds The Decemberists not only comfortable with who they are, but also as an artist willing to paint with new and vibrant colors.

The flowery cover art and liner notes fit the content of the music well as the album shines brightly and helps paint the story on a canvas that fans of the band have grown accustomed to. The first single and album opener, “Once in My Life” starts the listeners’ experience on the LP on a high note with the familiar strumming of an acoustic guitar and the warm, anthemic vocals of singer Colin Meloy who puts everyone on notice that all is not well in the world. Given the current state of the political climate and the honesty portrayed in The Decemberists’ catalog, it’s easy to tune in for the ride the band takes us on for this album.