Right Here is the first track on Pick Ups and Put Downs, immediately having Merit Maker kick things into high gear. This introductory salvo builds upon the trends of pop-punk acts from Blink 182, MxPx, and The Vandals. Two minutes go by in the blink of an eye, as the band moves on to False Starts. False Starts opens up with sick bass lines and splashy drums. There’s a surprising…
Jessie-May K’s Do What We Want is a hopeful track that blends pop sensibilities with a decidedly retro sort of instrumentation. Keys feel as if they are pulled from 1980s new wave while there’s a hopeful confidence that brings in hints of mid-1990s alternative (eg Elastica, Natalie Cole). The production imbues the track with a crispness that delineates it from the bulk of music put forth. Do What We Want…
In an indie music scene dominated by various genres and experimental sounds, it is rare to stumble upon a band that seamlessly blends the infectious rhythms of funk with the introspective nature of indie music. Noshows, the indie outfit fronted by producer and songwriter Max Satow, breaks the mold with their latest single, “Slow Up (feat. AUD).” This funk-infused gem not only showcases their undeniable talent but also highlights the…
The weight of the instrumental prowess is certainly familiar, as is the elegance of the arrangement that will soon come together before our very ears, but in its totality, there’s something very different about both Giorgia Fumanti and the song “Quand on Prie La Bonne Etoile” as they’re presented together in the new album Cinema Collection. As you might be able to guess, Cinema Collection is a record full of cover songs handpicked…
Iowa’s Big Grove Brewery has created a decidedly-dangerous brewery with their current vintage of Richard the Whale, a Russian Imperial Stout. Clocking in at over 12% ABV, Richard the Whale is able to bring the heat while showcasing some of the most sublime smoothness that we’ve ever experienced with that style. The RIS pours with a dark brown, mahogany-ish coloration and with only the slightest amount of tannish head. There’s…
North Richland Hill’s False Idol Brewing has released their Nine Realms, a Baltic Porter. The beer is a gem which tantalizes the taste buds with its rich and complex flavors. As a beer enthusiast that loves all forms of dark beer styles, I must say this one stands out among the crowd. With a moderate 7.5% ABV, it strikes a perfect balance between potency and drinkability, making it a must-have…
How much thought did you put into the visuals for “I Hate My Ex”? How did you want them to look? It was a spur of the moment video. We were shooting video for “Someday” and we had all the models and the location. I just was like, “fuck it” – I knew I wanted to make a video for “I Hate My Ex.” It was really on-the-fly vibe. A…
Band Announces New Tour Dates with Rehab and Scotty Austin Columbia, MO based Heavy Rockers Dark Below have delivered their powerful new single “Make Believe”. What began as a humble trio making music for their friends in the Midwest has grown into a promising force on the national scene. LINK TREE: https://linktr.ee/darkbelow The song features a massive, wall of sound vibe – Thanks to award-winning producer Malcolm Springer (Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Fear Factory, Josey Scott). The…
Rockers Mainland Break can be very conceptual when they want to be, and while I enjoyed every bit of what their rivals have had to say in the past few months, I don’t think it prepared me for what I was going to review this summer in One Way Ticket to Midnight. URL: https://mainlandbreak.com/ Just looking at the album cover of One Way Ticket to Midnight alludes to a contemporary surrealism so many…
Great music is at the center of culture, no matter the genre we’re talking about or the audience keeping it alive. In this spirit, Kaitlyn Kohler’s new single “Everywhere I Go” sounds and feels like it was tailor-made for the contemporary era, wrapping around us like warm arms in a much-needed embrace from a friend we need to make. Kohler enters the mix with a voice as smooth as velvet,…
Over the last few years, finding Backwoods Bastard has been a difficult feat to the point that this eedition is the first time we’ve been able to procure a bottle. Backwoods Bastard is Founders’ Dirty Bastard (a Scotch ale) that has been placed into oak barrels for a year. The time spent in these barrels boosts the overall ABV from 8.5% to 11.2%. Backwoods Bastard pours with a rich, deep…
Will Rainier’s status as a fixture in the indie music singer/songwriter community isn’t a stroke of luck. It’s a result, first and foremost, of an unquestionable work ethic that’s propelled his prolific output. He has nine albums to his credit with his wife Jen Garrett under the moniker Stuporhero, one solo album, and another release with his band Will Rainier & The Pines. He has kept high standards throughout those…
What was it like adopting a new genre? It’s actually very different and fun. It feels very normal because it’s a genre of music that I’ve always wanted to do. Your lyrics in “Love Language” are very vulnerable, can you speak more to that, and how you had the courage to speak from your heart? I’ve always wondered how I could get the thoughts of how I felt in a…
Rob Alexander’s new album, Young Man’s Eyes, is a heartfelt and introspective journey that solidifies his position as a gifted singer-songwriter in the rock music landscape. Spanning thirteen tracks and approximately fifty minutes, this album showcases Alexander’s ability to craft captivating narratives and deliver unforgettable melodies. With poignant lyrics and a dynamic sonic landscape, Young Man’s Eyes is an album that demands attention and rewards listeners with its depth and…
Step into room, and you will see Henri Cainglet’s work. The Filipino native has an undeniable, visual aesthetic that inspires both delightful bewilderment, and a sense of all-encompassing, wild-eyed immersion. There’s something refreshingly modern about his style, whilst simultaneously displaying a kind of timelessness. Mr. Cainglet’s mixture of his cultural roots with elements of key American painters creates this kind of uncanny valley viewing experience. You feel like you are…
Led by its ethereal melody, entirely muscular in substance and yet capable of drawing us closer in the same way a much softer instrument would, “Feel That” has all the guts and glory of a lead-off track like “Ship of Fools” or “Best Friends,” but as a deep cut in the new EP Chroma Crawl, it proves how much depth Helen Kelter Skelter has as a heavy rock act in 2023.…
What is your favorite lyric from “It Takes Two”? My favorite lyric in the song is, “It takes two, baby, to make a dream come true.” What has been your favorite memory in regards to your career? My career spans over 50 years… so to pick a favorite moment is almost impossible. There have been so many memorable moments. One was performing in front of Princess Diana and then Prince Charles.…
How has the music industry changed from when you first began your career up until now? The music industry has changed so much and so quickly as technology has advanced. On one hand, the big label gatekeepers have lost much of their power. Technology has leveled the field quite a bit, allowing any person on earth to create their own music & videos, and put it out there for all…
Jaye Madison’s new EP MIRЯOR: Vision is a luxuriant and expansive collection with impressive scope despite its brevity. Twin sisters Madison and Jordan Skinner accomplish in four tracks what takes many other bands and solo artists upwards of ten to twelve songs to realize. Anyone looking for rollicking honkytonk or pop rock with a cowboy hat will find the sister’s material lacking. This doesn’t mean the Texas natives look askance on writing…
When it comes to making a rock song that transcends generational barriers between one subgenre and another, there’s no right way to hit the mark – but there are plenty of wrong ways. King Falcon avoids pretty much all of them in “Ready Set Go,” their meteoric new music video and single, but not without giving us a lesson or two in what constitutes a modern rock rhythm. Right from…