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

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.

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

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.

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Review: Brian May + Friends – Star Fleet Project

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”

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

”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.

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Review: The Darkness – Permission To Land

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.

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Review: Mercy Music – What You Stand To Lose

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.

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Review: Anberlin – Convinced

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.

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

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

Beach Fossils - Bunny

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.

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Review: Where Are Your Boys Tonight? The Oral History of Emo’s Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008 – Chris Payne

On the book debut by established music writer, Chris Payne, he weaves a tangled web of quotes from bands/artists, writers, and other personalities who made the emo explosion such an exciting time period. Through his exploration of what made this scene so popular through its early days, all the way to the eventual fizzling out of most of these band’s mainstream popularity, he takes this monumental project all in stride with veteran ease. The best way to describe this time period was through the lens of people who were most closely surrounded in this scene, and that’s exactly what Payne did through his vast number of interviews. Where Are Your Boys Tonight? tackles a familiar topic, and yet there’s plenty of stories in these pages that I had never heard anywhere before. From placing the scene juggernauts, My Chemical Romance, on the cover to naming the book after one of Fall Out Boy’s biggest songs, everything clicks perfectly into place through this 464-page opus.

Chris Payne level sets in his introductory essay about the meteoric rise of key bands and personalities in this scene, and makes a few brief remarks in the epilogue and acknowledgement sections, but other than that, he allows these stories to come to life for themselves. Payne could have interjected his voice throughout this oral history to bring additional context to the series of interviews, but he instead chose a more difficult path forward of trying to connect these quotes in a way that invited the reader closer into “the rooms where it happened.” In the end, this choice was the right one, and makes for an ultra-enjoyable reading experience.

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Review: Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

The concept of death is something I’ve never really been comfortable with, and I often have a difficult time discussing the topic with others. The reality is that it’s a part of life, and when it comes, it can rip through the very fabric of our well-being. On the eleventh studio album from Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl found himself at an uncomfortable, but yet all-too-familiar crossroads where he would be faced with the death of a band member. He and his bandmates have crafted an incredible tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins with a record that he surely would have been proud of. The album was produced by the band and Greg Kurstin, who was at the helm of three other Foo Fighters records. But Here We Are tugs on all the right heartstrings and recognizes that the most important step after a tragedy is the one moving forward.

On the opening song and lead single, “Rescued,” Grohl sings still in utter shock with the lyrics of, “It came in a flash / It came out of nowhere / It happened so fast / And then it was over.” His ability to keep his composure through the comprehension of his enormous loss of a great friend makes this tragedy seem larger than life itself. The build up to the chorus is equally remarkable as Grohl admits, “We’re all free to some degree / To dance under the lights / I’m just waiting to be rescued / Bring me back to life.” The band rallies around their fallen drummer and makes a memorable opening statement.

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Review: Jason Isbell – Southeastern

Jason Isbell - Southeastern

I needed to hear something new.

That’s how I felt in the summer of 2013, when I was just a few months out of college and already felt like I’d fucked up my whole life.

My first post-graduation “job” had been an unmitigated disaster, and my lack of employment (not to mention my dwindling bank account) had me feeling like a crash-and-burn failure. I’d felt so confident coming out of school, so sure I was bound for success. But the economy was still in tatters from the Great Recession, and jobs were hard to find – especially jobs for a green wannabe professional writer whose resume consisted solely of student jobs and internships. Days of sending out job applications and cover letters yielded no payoff, and I could sense that my girlfriend – a year ahead of me in school and already securely and gainfully employed – was getting worried about my prospects.

It was a low time in my life, made lower by the fact that the one thing I’d usually turn to during times of crisis – music – didn’t seem to be working like it used to work. Every song or album just reminded me of better times, times when I’d felt more hopeful, more happy, more alive. Every familiar artist that had once felt like an old friend now felt like someone who was mocking my ineptitude at finding a way to get on with my life.

So, I needed to hear something new. I needed to discover artists who would be new companions for this particular chapter of my life, artists whose music would help inspire me for a new fight without reminding me so much of where I’d been. I was a “grown up” now – whatever that means – and my new movie needed a different soundtrack from the old ones. Who would be the artist to break down the wall and make me feel something again, other than a bitter-tasting pill of nostalgia?

Enter Jason Isbell.

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Review: Another One Down! – A Bitter Descent

The deluxe version of A Bitter Descent by Providence, Rhode Island-based band, Another One Down!, offers a nice glimpse into the maturity shown in the band’s dedication to their craft. “A Bitter Descent means a lot to us because it marks growth and progression for our band. For a long time we felt like we were seen as sort of a throwaway easycore act and we really wanted to prove that we have so much more to offer with this record,” the band shared. “One of our main goals going into the writing process was to tackle more mature subject matter, primarily overcoming mental health issues which is something each member of the band has struggled with in the past and we feel is important to discuss. Another goal was to explore a wide variety of sounds and vibes while still creating a cohesive record. We’ve always been inspired by bands who are not afraid to give individuality to each song rather than write the same song 12 times, especially when they’re able to do that and still create a well-flowing record. We truly believe that we achieved these goals with A Bitter Descent and we are so proud of how the record came out.” The sound of the band fits somewhere between The Starting Line, Midtown, and Allister, with the punchy production of Hit The Lights. By honing in on their songwriting, while still remaining committed to putting their best foot forward, Another One Down! have made a great, hard-hitting pop-punk record just in time for the beginning of Summer.

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Review: STMNTS – “Handpainted” (featuring Patrick Williams)

STMNTS (pronounced Statements) is a 5-piece emotive pop-punk outfit from Baltimore, Maryland. Formed in 2022, the band consists of vocalist Liam King, rhythm guitarist Jamie Black, lead guitarist Drew Chiodo, bassist Josh Pelc, and drummer Shawn Smyth, and their band chemistry is already firing on all cylinders. With a sound that can be found somewhere between the hardcore guitar groove of Four Year Strong, the wonderful lyrical wordplay of The Wonder Years, and the emotion of Bayside, STMNTS are making a solid name for themselves on their debut single “Handpainted.” The single comes from their upcoming EP Tendencies, and features a guest collaboration from Patrick Williams.

What the band does well on this single is to keep the song emotionally charged throughout and still allows for the melodic parts to come through in the mix to make for a memorable track. The crunchy guitar riffs in the verses are complemented by Liam King’s crisp vocal cuts to keep the song balanced in its delivery. The last gasp of a scream on the final lyric of “I feel so alone” finds the band tinkering with a great combination of emo, screamo, and the melodic elements of pop-punk. STMNTS may have just lived up to their name by making a welcomed invitation to the genre.