Review: The Maine – The Maine

Adam Grundy Aug 1, 2023

The ninth studio album by The Maine is a self-titled effor that was produced by Colby Wedgeworth (the same producer who oversaw four other The Maine albums), and it’s easy to see why the band considers him a “sixth band member.” Having produced landmark records like Lovely Little Lonely and XOXO: From Love and Anxiety In Real Time, this self-titled album seems like the logical sequel to Lovely Little Lonely, so it’s only fitting for Wedgeworth to be at the helm. The new album also bears extra significance with the “8.1.23” street date, and showcases the band’s continued growth as songwriters. The first taste of The Maine came with the lead single, “Blame,” that even got the attention and adoration of The Jonas Brothers on Instagram. The pacing on the new record is electric and frenetic, while still allowing a few songs to brood in the darkness to fit the overall mood and aesthetic of the black & white album artwork. Having released two other singles leading up to today’s release date, “How To Exit A Room” and “Dose No. 2,” The Maine have a bulletproof record on their hands that is filled with a plethora of single-worthy songs that only prove the point of the band being on the top of their game, and quite possibly the world.

Adam Grundy Jul 21, 2023

Much like seeing an old friend that you thought you’d never run into again, reunions bring back a flood of memories that make you realize just how important these people are in your life. When Yellowcard announced that they would be playing a show at Chicago’s Riot Fest in 2022, the band realized that there was still a lot of positive energy that happens when they get together. When I last chatted with lead vocalist, Ryan Key, he mentioned that there was a feeling within the Yellowcard camp that their last two albums, Lift a Sail and their self-titled, were made “more for them” in the band and that this latest EP, Childhood Eyes, would have the potential of getting longtime fans of the band excited in the direction they’re taking. Key mentioned in a different interview, “We knew we were writing an EP which meant we only got five songs, so we had to really make them special. And I think there was an immediate sense of bringing it back to Paper Walls—the idea that we need to make something that we’re proud of, but also something that gets Yellowcard fans excited about what we’re doing. So at that point, we picked up the guitars and started demoing and, honestly, I think these five songs could have just been on that record in 2007. And I love that.” By getting that familiar, yet glorious feeling of reinvigorating their passion for playing music together again, Yellowcard have made a dramatic collection of songs that not only lives up to the legacy they built, but hints at the possibility of more music in the future.

Adam Grundy Jul 20, 2023

The meteoric rise of Greta Van Fleet has not been over-exaggerated. Most bands would give their right arms for the attention that they garnered since they stormed onto the music scene in April of 2017, having introduced themselves with the Black Smoke Rising EP. The Led Zeppelin comparisons, the snarky takes on the band’s style choices, all coincided with the band’s ability to take it all in stride, and their perseverance led to them delivering their most cohesive and best album to date with Starcatcher. While I felt that The Battle At Garden’s Gate was a bit of a mixed bag of quality tunes and bloated song structures, the 2023 version of this band has my undivided attention. The latest LP was produced by veteran hitmaker and Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), and he does a tremendous job of accentuating the best parts of this artist. Through Cobb’s attention to detail, he gets the best performance out of each musician on these ten songs brimming with purpose and reigniting the fire in this ultra-talented young band. Guitarist Jake Kiszka shared, “We didn’t really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual. If anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians.” Through this process of sticking to their musical instincts and getting back to the basics of early days of the band, Greta Van Fleet are creating their own lane and driving themselves down the highway of rock & roll immortality.

Craig Manning Jul 19, 2023

It’s the night before my first day of high school, and I’m feeling some feelings. Anxiety. Curiosity. Nostalgia for what I’ve left behind. Excitement for what’s to come. Just 12 hours from my first day in a brand-new school, I don’t know whether I should be scared shitless about diving into the deep end, or reveling in the anticipation of everything that comes with a new start. I know I might lose myself in the great big unknown I’m journeying into. But I also know that there’s opportunity for growth and reinvention and self-discovery waiting somewhere out there. And so, I’m staring down the first day of the rest of my life and trying to sort out the good from the bad. It’s enough to drive any 14-year-old boy mad. Thank goodness, then, for the soundtrack, which might just be the only thing keeping me sane.

I’m fond of saying that my favorite traditions are music-related traditions. I love marking different points of the year with different songs, or albums, or playlists. Holidays; anniversaries; seasonal shifts; specific runs or drives; daytrips to certain places. All these things, for me, can be tied to specific musical cues that become rituals or traditions. Every year when it gets warm enough for a windows-down car ride, for instance, I am, by personal law, required to take a drive with Jack’s Mannequin’s Everything in Transit playing very, very loud. It can’t be summer until I’ve done precisely that.

My favorite musical tradition of all time dates back to that Labor Day evening in 2005, right before I headed off to high school for the first time. I’ve always held that there is no melancholy quite like the melancholy of the last day of summer when you’re young. It’s a bit like the peculiar sadness of a Sunday evening, when you know that you have to head back to work or school the next day, but wish the fleeting freedom of the weekend could last a little longer. Except for that, in summertime, as a kid, the freedom does last a little longer – so long that it seems it might last forever. I’d felt that peculiar melancholy before – the mix of sadness at summer’s end and anticipation for the start of something new. But I’d never felt it quite as strongly as I did that day, when it seemed like I might be at the end of what constituted my true “childhood.” It felt momentous in a way, and it needed a soundtrack to capture what I was feeling: the end-of-summer ethos, the melancholy, the finality, the excitement. No one album felt fitting, so I made a playlist.

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Review: PVRIS – Evergreen

Adam Grundy Jul 18, 2023

Coming off of the rocket-fueled success of 2020’s bulletproof album, Use Me, PVRIS (the solo project of Lynn Gunn) returns with her latest effort, Evergreen. On her fourth studio album, Gunn again collaborated with co-producer JT Daly, as well as introduced some new blood, with Carrie Karpinen. Gunn described Evergreen as “a reclamation of control in our post-pandemic culture, posing a complex discussion on fame, technology, spectacle, and female autonomy,” and her laser-focused approach to her songwriting pays off in eleven songs dripping in purpose. The set has already spawned five singles, with the lead one being the dual-attack of “Animal / Anywhere But Here,” that was released last October. With the majority of the tracks clocking in under the three-minute mark, PVRIS delivers an accessible, albeit condensed version of her songwriting prowess. Having teased these songs that became Evergreen for so long, it must feel refreshing for this artist to finally unleash the full picture onto the world now.

Adam Grundy Jul 17, 2023

The second full-length studio album by The Japanese House, called In The End It Always Does, is a rich display of emotion from Amber Bain who continues to explore the depth of her music. The set was produced by Bain, The 1975’s George Daniel, and Chloe Kraemer, with each of the talented artists leaving behind their musical blueprint on it. Having not released any music since the 2020 EP, Chewing Cotton Wool, The Japanese House could have gone in a number of directions with the proper follow-up to 2019’s Good At Falling. The latest studio effort relies less on atmospheric elements and sounds, and instead highlights Bain’s musical development with a more indie rock feel to the song structures and sonically it breathes new life into the allure of what makes this artist so special.

Adam Grundy Jul 17, 2023

Typically when most bands decide to make an acoustic record, it’s to re-record some of their old hits or re-imagine the possibilities of where they could take their songs in their discography. Out of Service is not like most bands. When the time came for lead vocalist Mike Capuano and guitarist Teebs Williams to begin thinking about their fourth album, they were unsure if the songs that they were writing would be best suited for this project. The tracks they were cooking up were largely based in the acoustic style, and yet through their picturesque storytelling and song structures, they all seemed to fit the continued narrative of the band. By the time that bassist Brian McGovern and drummer Ken Bond had heard what would become the bones of Reflections & Refractions: Volume One, they were convinced that these songs belonged under the umbrella of Out of Service. With everyone on board, the band spent nearly three months carving out these songs and recording them Perkins Center for the Arts, a nearly 100-year old building. The recording process was done in the living room that had wooden boards that helped accentuate the reflective and refractive sound of these songs. While the acoustic side of some bands feels a little forced and lacking of theatrics, Out of Service embrace this challenge head on and continue to explore the limitless possibilities of their music.

Adam Grundy Jul 14, 2023

When Queen first took a break in the early part of 1983, Brian May decided to use this extra time in his hands to get some of his closest rock band friends for what would become the Star Fleet Project. This mini-album features Edward Van Halen (guitar), Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass) and Fred Mandel (keyboards), with May taking the reins of lead vocals and guitar for a crowd-pleasing set of three songs that have been reissued on a remastered vinyl collection released today. In addition to the vinyl single, the box set includes a thrilling 23-track CD filled with previously unreleased material. Brian May shared, “It’s all here. ALL of it. Every note we played on those two days is right here, on show for the first time. I will take you behind the scenes into that studio with us for two unforgettably exhilarating days.” This dedication to the project that took place on April 21-22, 1983 is remastered in pain-staking detail and care, and pulls back the curtain on one of the most beloved classic rock recordings of all time.

The record launches off with “Star Fleet,” that has a sound somewhere between the classic rock sheen of Boston, paired with the memorable guitar riffing from May. Brian May’s vocals sound as brilliant as they’ve ever been on this remastered mix and it really makes the music shine out of the gate. The other song on the A-side, called “Let Me Out,” is a bluesy rock song that is sure to make even the most skeptical music fan a believer in the chemistry May had with these legendary musicians. Not to be outdone by their early work, the back half features a gargantuan, 13-minute blues rock song on the aptly titled “Blues Breaker,” that further highlights the impressive back and forth wailing between Van Halen and May. Even without any vocals on the instrumental closing song, it remains a captivating listening experience that was meant to be played on a turntable in all its glory. The Star Fleet Sessions is getting another worthy moment in the sun, and I think we’re all better off because of this.

Review: The American Hotel System – “Tripping”

Adam Grundy Jul 14, 2023

Right off the coattails of a success single, called “Seattle,” the rock band known as The American Hotel System have returned with a more vulnerable side of themselves on “Tripping.” The Grand Rapids, Michigan band has opened for marquee acts like Bon Jovi, earned the Grand Champions of Music Prize in 2022, and it’s easy to see why they’re making such a big name for themselves early on in their career. Lead singer Jacob Betts shared, “I believe we all experience pushes and pulls in life—events from our past that propel us forward and aspirations for the future that draw us toward tomorrow. As I progress in therapy, the pain from my past has become a source of joy, pushing me forward even during the darkest moments when I feel like I’m falling…that is at the heart of ‘Tripping.'” With a sound that fits well within the realm of Switchfoot, The Fray, and Goo Goo Dolls, The American Hotel System may just be the next great rock band to take the music scene by storm.

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Review: Charlotte Sands – Good Now EP

Adam Grundy Jul 12, 2023

”No I’ll never be all right, but maybe I’ll get close…” Charlotte Sands sings vulnerably on the single “Alright,” as she now has a true home for the great song on the Good Now EP. Sands stormed onto the music scene by being at the tip of the tongue of bands, like The Maine and Sleeping With Sirens, with key collaborations on singles such as “Loved You A Little,” and she continues her trajectory in the right direction with this latest collection of songs found here. The EP finds Charlotte Sands exploring the realm of possibilities that she can take her music next, and makes all the right moves on arguably her most dramatic and immediate record to date.

Adam Grundy Jul 7, 2023

Flash back to the year 2003. Emo and punk bands are gaining traction in the mainstream in a way that had never been seen before, and hair metal bands seemed to be all but forgotten. So what was a band like The Darkness to believe in when record labels seemed largely disinterested in signing a band that was such an unashamed throwback to the 80’s hair metal era? The Darkness stormed onto the music scene in the fall of 2003 with a single that made major traction called “I Believe In A Thing Called Love.” The music video was hilariously ridiculous, but the music that accompanied it was a blast of guitar-driven rock & roll that sounded different than anything else on the radio. The single did so well in the United States that the band was able to book a headlining tour of major clubs that largely sold out across the country. The beauty of The Darkness’s debut, Permission To Land, was that the band never took themselves too seriously, and was willing to go all out in their love for the hair metal genre, and re-capture the spirit of the 80’s in an entirely different decade.

Adam Grundy Jul 5, 2023

The fourth full-length record from alternative rock band, Mercy Music, shows a lot of growth in the band’s musicianship, and is filled with slick hooks, rip-roaring guitar solos, and accessible vocals that make you want to join in on the fun. What You Stand To Lose finds the Las Vegas-based band tinkering with their punk rock roots and they have made an album worthy of your time. The set of songs was produced by Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, Descendents) and mixed by Jason Livermore (NOFX, Hot Water Music), and it tackles relatable themes like heartbreak, trusting yourself, and refusing to conform to the status quo. Lead singer/guitarist Brendan Scholz shared, “”What You Stand To Lose is about coming face to face with one of your worst fears, learning from the experience, and hoping you come out the other side a better person.” With a sound that strays somewhere between The Explosion, The Ataris, and The Bouncing Souls, Mercy Music may have just made your next favorite album to add to your collection.

Adam Grundy Jun 30, 2023

It’s a great feeling when a band you’ve followed from the beginning of their early days makes a record that seems so fully realized and impactful to their legacy. Anberlin had just released a stellar EP last year, called Silverline, that found them returning to releasing new music for the first time in eight years, and now we’re all treated to some new tunes from the rockers with Convinced. With a sound that reminds listeners of why they became so enamored with the band in the first place, Anberlin still moves the needle of creativity further down the right path. The EP was self-produced by the band, alongside help from their friends Tim McTague (of Underoath), Chad Carouthers, and JJ Revell. At this stage of their career, Anberlin could have become content with releasing “safe” music that satisfies their fans, but there’s something different in the musical DNA of this band that is evolving at an alarming rate. Instead, Anberlin may have just convinced themselves into exploring just how far down the rabbit hole they’d like to navigate.

Adam Grundy Jun 23, 2023

Quite simply, I had never heard anything quite like The Mars Volta. I heard rumblings of a new project from former At The Drive-In members, Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, but my expectations for the music that this band would go on to release would be blown out of the water. De-Loused in the Comatorium is based on a short story by Bixler-Zavala and sound manipulation artist, Jeremy Ward, that imagines a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on rat poison and morphine. The record was produced by Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes) and showcases a band taking extreme risks in their progressive-rock sound that exceeded any expectations that their label could have hoped for when they signed the band. The album was both a commercial and critical success that would eventually be certified gold in the United States.

From the quiet opening of “Son Et Lumiere” to the explosion of sound on the lead single, “Inertiatic ESP,” The Mars Volta would bend the minds of all who put on a pair of headphones and sat down to listen to De-Loused in the Comatorium. The band would go on to seven studio albums, with their latest being a self-titled release after a ten-year hiatus, and re-set the bar for what prog-rock could be and become a beacon for music creativity for the foreseeable future.

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Review: Beach Fossils – Bunny

Aaron Mook Jun 21, 2023

For years, it started to feel like Beach Fossils were going out on top. It’s been six years since the release of their last proper album, Somersault – an album I called “near-perfect” and “a breath of fresh air” on this very site. Six years isn’t quite Modest Mouse time, but it’s enough to make you wonder if a band may have simply run out of steam and rode off into the sunset. And if they did, who could blame them? Beach Fossils has amassed a stronger body of work in seven years than many other bands do in a lifetime.

We got to have some fun on the interim – piano versions of their own songs and a Yung Lean cover leaned into the band’s penchant for sparse beauty, something they’ve played with to this day. But it was the release of lead single “Don’t Fade Away” and the announcement of their fourth studio album, Bunny, that really caught fans’ ears. Beach Fossils were back, and with an instant classic that harkened back to 90s jangle-pop (Gin Blossoms, anyone?) under their wing, it felt like they never left. And that’s a feeling that defines Bunny, an album that ultimately feels like an amalgamation of the band’s previous work. Put simply, it’s a greatest-hits record comprised of entirely new material.

Review: The Maine – The Maine

Review: Yellowcard – Childhood Eyes

Review: Greta Van Fleet – Starcatcher

Review: Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue

Review: PVRIS – Evergreen

Review: The Japanese House – In The End It Always Does

Review: Out Of Service – Reflections and Refractions: Volume One

Review: Brian May + Friends – Star Fleet Project

Review: The American Hotel System – “Tripping”

Review: Charlotte Sands – Good Now EP

Review: The Darkness – Permission To Land

Review: Mercy Music – What You Stand To Lose

Review: Anberlin – Convinced

Review: The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium

Review: Beach Fossils – Bunny