Review: Cartel – “Oxy Moron”

Coming hot off the re-recorded version of Chroma, Cartel have officially dropped the first taste of new music from their yet to be announced new album, with this single of “Oxy Moron.” The blast of pop-punk energy comes through the speakers in the early-going and rarely lets up. The first few verses find front-man Will Pugh at his most self-deprecating as he sings, “Maybe I’m a loser / Maybe not / Maybe I’m a loner / That hangs out a lot.” The combined, full-sounding guitars from Pugh and Joseph Pepper bounce off of the speakers warmly as Cartel get their sea legs back in the crowded and resurgent pop-punk scene.

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

The newest single from indie rock band, Wealthy Jane, called “Judy Wept” is a solid mix of swooning rock that recalls the booming alternative rock scene from the 90’s. Some may recognize the singer from his previous project, called Broken Field Runner, and he does a nice job of commanding the mid-tempo track with the same charm that I remember from the aforementioned other band. “Judy Wept” walks the listener through a difficult time in a person’s life where it feels like everywhere you look, reminders of the mess you made are prevalent.

Wealthy Jane share on the second verse, “Happiness by prescription, extended release / It helps her dance when people visit, keeps her time traveling / Now she’s back inside her kitchen smoking 100s,” to paint a vivid picture of this person’s mental health and how she’s dealing with her setbacks. The chorus reassures the fallen individual with, “No matter the mess that you made / It’s okay.” We could all use a friend like this to have when times get tough, and Wealthy Jane recognize this feeling with great poise and precision in their indie rock attack here. A worthy addition to that playlist you’ve been crafting, “Judy Wept” brings out some raw emotions lyrically, and highlights what this band is capable of creating.

Review: Teenage Joans – “Bandits”

Adam Grundy 3 months ago

Every now and then you come across a song that restores your faith in what the young bands are doing in this scene. “Bandits” is one of those songs. From the pop-punk duo known as Teenage Joans, “Bandits” has a country-tinged sound to it that is similar to the style of Taylor Acorn paired with the slick pop sensibilities of Michelle Branch. The band shared, “We really wanted to blend a country vibe with our classic pop punk. The song is about feeling an intense connection to someone, so much so that you would do anything for them and rule out the worst because you love them so much.” The song is filled with twists and turns, vivid lyrical imagery that recalls the days of Bonnie & Clyde, and leaves the door wide open to the possibilities of where Teenage Joans can take their sound next.

The song opens with a quietly strummed electric guitar that helps with setting the tone of the single in the verse, while the chorus of, “Call my name in the dead of the night / I got a bad feeling you’re one of a kind / I see your face on a wanted sign / But I keep coming back,” is absolutely powerful and shimmering in its delivery. Teenage Joans are one of the more interesting pop-punk outfits to come out of this scene in some time, and I look forward to seeing how they use the success of a key song like “Bandits” to further develop their already dynamic sound.

Review: Zaq Baker – “Victorious”

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

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 May 16, 2025

”Would it be better just to cut you out, become a ghost and never speak to you again?” are the haunting words in the chorus of the latest single from Safari Room called “Cut Out.” The song is largely about falling head over heels in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same way. Safari Room is the solo project of Alec Koukol and he quickly showcases his songwriting improvements on this acoustic single. The song comes from Safari Room’s new forthcoming EP, Kindling, and the campfire-esque delivery of the track hits its intended target in its delivery.

The song reaches its crescendo on the pointed-bridge of “You’re like a never ending siren / You are famine and you are feast / You’re the monster underneath my bed, a mosquito on a leash / A bad penny always turning up / I will never shake you loose / I’m a ticking bomb when you’re around / You’re the match, and I’m your fuse / You’re like a tattoo on my mind,
you are the one that I can’t have / Every time I think I’m healing, you’ll find me picking at the scab.” It’s really hard to not be impressed by the songwriting found here, and it reminded me a lot of Thrice front-man Dustin Kensrue’s solo work, with equally-pleasing results. Safari Room is developing his sound in such a majestic way, and I’m really excited about the direction this solos project took here.

Review: Cellar Dwellar – “Digital_Drive_By”

Adam Grundy May 16, 2025

The latest single from experimental/prog-rock band Cellar Dwellar scratches that itch for fans of bands like The Mars Volta, NIN, and Stabbing Westward. “Digital_Drive_By” takes the listener on an epic journey over its plus six-minute running time that the Columbus, Ohio based band expand upon the possibilities of their unique music. The band shared, “The lyrics of the song come from the current political climate of queer people being targeted by the state along with my heavy interest in the Act Up movement during the AIDs crisis of the 80s and my personal connection to family who were impacted during that time.”

Cellar Dwellar have started to gain a loyal following in the Ohio area, and have opened for bands like The Jesus Lizard, among others. “Digital_Drive_By” is a cool mix of styles that demands be listened to on a good pair of headphones to fully wrap your head around all of the sounds being pulled into the mix.

Review: The Ataris – “Car Song”

Adam Grundy May 2, 2025

The new single by The Ataris, called “Car Song”, is a touching tribute to Kristopher Roe’s late father (William Roe), who passed away in 2014 due to complications from alcoholism. “My dad was always the biggest supporter of The Ataris. He was a regular on our original website’s message board, sending out VHS bootlegs of live sets he would film and interacting with everyone—everyone knew him. He truly lived and breathed our music,” Roe shared. The song has a feeling of a band being re-energized and re-focused on unlocking the magic that the band captured on their earlier material. “Car Song” opens with the vivid lyrical imagery of “Now you rest amongst the rust of these roadside monuments / In all their former glories / The drive-in nights that came and went / You fought on hard through rain beaten nights / Past the shadows of state lines / Now this victory dance, it belongs to you and I,” as Roe’s vocals remain warm and passionate.

Adam Grundy Apr 17, 2025

After taking a year and a half hiatus from music after a family tragedy, Joeyglo has returned with a vibey new single called “Galaxy” that honors his late wife, Angela. The song is a passion project from the songwriter/producer, who admitted to started writing this song nearly five years ago. The guitar parts in the track were performed by Samuel Clayton, and Cory Kassmeier mastered the single. Joeyglo shared, “This is a special song to me. Took me a long time to even want to work on music again after losing Angela and Indie…She didn’t believe it was for her initially because the lyrics (at the time) mostly talked about bending time and black holes. Ya know…nerdy shit.”

With a songwriting style that fits somewhere in the realm of Glass Animals, paired with the smooth R&B of The Weeknd, and put on blend with a crisp vocal performances similar to Mac Miller, Joeyglo has crafted something truly special here on “Galaxy.” By putting a brave step forward by releasing new music, Joeyglo is honoring his family in the best and most honest way possible with this gorgeous song about connecting with that one person who makes our universe seem a little less alone.

Review: IOTA CENTAURI – “Lullaby For A Dying Sun”

Adam Grundy Mar 7, 2025

If you’ve ever wanted to explore the vastness of space through a great-sounding ambient track that fits somewhere in the realm of Thrice’s Vheissu, paired with the sprawling rock of band’s like Caspian, IOTA CENTAURI is your next obsession. With the release of the project’s new single called “Lullaby For A Dying Sun,” IOTA CENTAURI have also announced their debut LP called Supermassive. IOTA CENTAURI is the solo moniker of TJ Fulfer, and the new album explores themes of love, loss, tragedy, and the growing distance between two people, expressed through the vastness of space, the mysteries of the universe, and the weight of darkness—all woven into sweeping soundscapes and deeply evocative melodies.

The latest single features some guest vocal spots from Ken Pendola and Meg Zahora to help round out this band’s approach to songwriting. The epic final chorus of, “And when it vanishes / Nothing is remembered / Only an emptiness / Where light once lived,” takes the concept of traveling alone through the depths of space and still hones in on the human element of what makes us all want those key connections to others.

Review: STMNTS – “Sinking In”

Adam Grundy Mar 7, 2025

The latest single from Baltimore pop-punk band, STMNTS, called “Sinking In” is a passionate blend of styles similar to The Wonder Years, Bayside and the guitar-crunch of Four Year Strong. Formed in 2022, STMNTS consists of vocalist Liam King, rhythm guitarist Jamie Black, lead guitarist Drew Chiodo, bassist Josh Pelc, and drummer Shawn Smyth. The single was produced, mixed and mastered by Jeff McKinnon, with some additional production contributed by Evan Seeberger. STMNTS are coming off of the success of their well-received 2023 EP called Tendencies, and have released their second single since that last record came out with today’s “Sinking In.”

Adam Grundy Feb 14, 2025

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Zaq Baker has returned with a nice ballad about falling head over heels in love, called “Bri.” The song is filled with some sweeping instrumentation, swooning synths, and cool atmospheric elements added into the mix to ensure it tugs on the right heartstrings. As Baker opens with, “I think I understand those love songs / At least the sensations they describe / I never thought I was above it all” you can tell that he is connecting deeply with the person that makes him feel most complete.

The track was produced by Hunter Sinclair Hawthorne and was mixed by Alec Ness. The latest single is perfect for fans of bands like Hellogoodbye, Owl City and MUNA, as Baker finds just the right vibe that sounds familiar, yet utterly unique to him.

Review: Strategies – “Presence”

Adam Grundy Jan 31, 2025

Formed remotely during the pandemic, the band called Strategies is back with a new single called “Presence” that reminds me a bit of the softer elements of emo rock bands like American Football and Further Seems Forever. The band begins the song with smooth sounding vocals paired with a lush instrumental background to help set the stage for the track. The single showcases the band’s ability to let the music flow right through them and create unique art with their inspiration. Clocking in just under the three-minute mark, this quick song is sure to remain in your headspace long after the last note is played out. The future looks bright for Strategies.

Review: Le Big Zero – “How Very”

Adam Grundy Jan 31, 2025

On the latest single from Brooklyn, New York punk band, Le Big Zero, called “How Very” they channel their love for big pop hooks and cool instrumental breakdowns in an interesting delivery. The lead track from their forthcoming EP titled How To Use a Semicolon, the dual vocals of songwriter/guitarist Michael Pasuit and singer Carolina Aguilar mesh well as they harmonize throughout the electric song. The track begins with an old school drum beat supplied by Lukas Hirsch, before breaking into some uncharted territories with an electric bass line from Ben Ross to get the song moving in the right direction.

What starts off as kind of a Weezer-stylized, or the fictional band The Wonders, type of track, Le Big Zero expands on their musical approach quickly. The song takes the listener on a wild ride and leaves the anticipation high for the other two songs on their new EP.

Review: Crossing I’s Dotting T’s – “You, In Everything”

Adam Grundy Jan 24, 2025

The latest single from Alt Rock band Crossing I’s Dotting T’s, called “You, In Everything”, recalls the days of when grunge and post-rock dominated the radio airwaves, albeit with a modern twist. The single was produced by Max Dickenson and Lars Deutsch, and showcases the improvements made in the band’s sound that keeps the vocals front and center, while adding in some interesting guitar sounds similar to bands like Deftones, Superheaven, and Hum.

The song builds around the chorus of, “Tell me what it means / See you in everything / Tell me what it means,” that feels like 90’s Alternative magic and recounts the singer’s tortured feeling of visualizing a person they can’t seem to get out of their head. The bridge features shouted vocals paired with heavy power chords and plenty of fuzz pedals to round out the sound they were going for here. Crossing I’s Dotting T’s plan to rally around this lead single bodes well, and their forthcoming EP this Spring should garner some extra attention.

Review: All Systems Go – “Everything Going Well Is A Bad Thing, Right?”

Adam Grundy Jan 2, 2025

The new lead single from NJ pop-punk band, All Systems Go, comes from their recently announced EP Finding Closure, and is a solid slab of heartfelt punk rock filled with great guitar breakdowns and passionate vocal performances. “Everything Going Well is a Bad Thing, Right?” was produced by Gary Cioni (Crime in Stereo, Hot Mulligan) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (New Found Glory, Senses Fail), and All Systems Go have really developed a professional and poised sound on this track. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Pezza shared, “This song is about how poor communication leads to people being on different wavelengths. In context, the ‘remember me when you’re famous’ line is essentially a substitute phrase for communicating ‘this isn’t going to work out’. But no one knows that until it’s actually stated a couple lines later. There’s a reason why people always say ‘communication is key’ – not just in dating but in working relationships, friendships, etc. It’s always better to be direct; mean what you say and say what you mean.” The song is reminiscent of the starry-eyed pop-punk of The Starting Line, paired with the complex guitar parts of Four Year Strong, and put on blend with a bit of the band’s own flavor.