Review: Yellowcard / Hammock – A Hopeful Sign

Remix albums can be a bit of a mixed bag. They exist sometimes to fulfill a contractual agreement between an artist and a label, to give new takes or perspectives on songs, or in the best case scenarios, to re-imagine songs in a way that makes it feel like you’re hearing the tracks for the first time all over again. Yellowcard have paired up with the ambient music duo of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson, better known as Hammock, to re-imagine some of their classic hits, as well as some noteworthy deep cuts, for a compilation affectionately titled A Hopeful Sign. Given the fact that Yellowcard’s latest EP, Childhood Eyes, featured several key collaborations, it makes perfect sense for them to continue down this path in their musical journey. Ryan Key shared, “Yellowcard is in a new place where we are collaborating with other artists more than ever before. I have found Hammock in my top three most played artists every year for nearly a decade now. Hammock are one of the defining and most pioneering artists in the post rock and ambient space. We have taken so much inspiration from their work over the years so first becoming friends, and then unexpectedly getting to work together on new music were dreams come true.” By taking a brave step forward in their partnership with Hammock, Yellowcard remain “top of mind” in these re-imagined tracks that breathe a new and fruitful life into some of their most beloved songs.

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

Leading up to the release of his latest offering of music, called BEACON, MORGXN felt a burst of creativity. With over 100 songs written, this talented pop artist began pairing them down, to the ten most powerful and meaningful songs found here, with the help of producer Marshall Altman. MORGXN explained, “This album is a journey, and a reminder that we’re always on that journey. Where I’m at might be the end, but it’s actually the beginning.” This Nashville-based artist has transcended genre lines and has toured with noteworthy bands like X Ambassadors, Skylar Grey, and Smallpools, all of which he’s learned something along the way that he can put back into his own music. BEACON is a remarkable achievement of creativity that showcases MORGXN’s dedication to his craft.

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

I can vividly remember my excitement for the fifth studio album by Incubus called A Crow Left of the Murder… since the band was on a legendary run of successful records. The started to break through in the nu-metal scene with S.C.I.E.N.C.E., established themselves as Alt Rock heavyweights on Make Yourself, and showcased their experimental side on Morning View. Even after the departure of longtime bassist Dirk Lance, in favor of Ben Kenney (The Roots), it seemed like nothing could derail the trajectory of one of my favorite bands of all time. A Crow Left of the Murder… found Incubus working with veteran producer Brendan O’Brien, whose credits include some of the biggest rock bands of all time, and their trust in his style paid off on this record that still sounds as refreshing and exciting as I remember from 20 years ago listening to it in full for the first time.

While some critics thought that Incubus were getting ultra-experimental, for the sake of being adventurous, after the success of their earlier albums, guitarist Mike Einziger clarified in a 2004 interview that, “we’ve never felt we didn’t have that freedom. We’ve always done what we wanted. It’s kind of self-serving, but that’s how we do it. We try not to pay attention to anything but each other.” By putting that trust back into their musical product, Incubus delivered the goods on what I consider to be some of the best work to date.

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

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

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

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.

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

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.”

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

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.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

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.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

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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Review: AJR – The Maybe Man

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

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.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

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.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

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.

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

Usually when you check into a new hotel, it has a funny way of changing your outlook and mindset for the days to come. Whether it’s settling down in a hotel for a vacation, work trip, or just a weekend getaway, these places tend to have their own unique personality attached to them. Broadside have this concept well on the top of their mind on their fourth full-length record, called Hotel Bleu. The interesting thing about this album is that it finds Broadside tinkering with their sound and exploring the depths of their songwriting. While their last effort, Into The Raging Sea, took listeners on a journey through the darkest of thoughts, Hotel Bleu may just be the polar opposite. The latest LP by Broadside (Oliver Baxxter [vocals], Domenic Reid [guitar], and Patrick Diaz [bass]) is vibrant, lush, and as colorful as the name implies.

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Review: Taking Back Sunday – 152

Adam Grundy 6 months ago

There’s a lot to be said when a band takes a hiatus, re-shuffles their lineup, or just takes a breather to reset their focus on their music. 152 is the first album by Taking Back Sunday in seven years (with their last effort coming in 2016’s Tidal Wave), and arguably their best one yet. The album anniversaries of Tell All Your Friends and the upcoming 20-year mark of Where You Want To Be may have had a hand in TBS re-focusing their attention on their songwriting craft. There is also something to be said of the magic that happens when lead vocalist Adam Lazzara and guitarist John Nolan get in a room together to pen songs. 152 is a career-spanning love letter to the legacy Taking Back Sunday have built over their eight-album tenure, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Review: Yellowcard / Hammock – A Hopeful Sign

Review: MORGXN – “BEACON”

Review: Incubus – A Crow Left Of The Murder…

Review: Charlotte Sands – Can We Start Over?

Review: Green Day – Saviors

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

Review: Cassie Dasilva – “Part of the Club”

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

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

Review: AJR – The Maybe Man

Review: Daniel Donato – Reflector

Review: Blink-182 – [Untitled]

Review: Broadside – Hotel Bleu

Review: Taking Back Sunday – 152