Album Review: Taking a journey through Los Angeles with Dan Croll’s ‘Grand Plan’
Dan Croll’s relocation to Los Angeles three years ago changed the tone and direction of his music in a beautiful way. The current result is Grand Plan, a stellar indie record that brings the listener along for Croll’s journey through navigating the often treacherous waters of the music industry in Hollywood. Grand Plan is a […]
Album Review: Ghetto Kumbé’s colorful rhythms bring the beat on debut album
Try sitting still throughout Ghetto Kumbé’s self-titled debut album. It’s simply impossible. The trio hails from Colombia’s Caribbean coast and draws heavily from traditional west African and afro-colombian rhythms, infusing hard-hitting percussion into each track and weaving electronic samples throughout the album. Describing their aesthetic and sound, Ghetto Kumbé sum it up succinctly: “a psychedelic […]
Album Review: KIDS take a journey into proverbial space on ‘Lost Cities’
The best thing about indie rock is that it never needs to reinvent the wheel to be excellent. Florida group KIDS already has that figured out on their latest album, Lost Cities. A self-described group of “sadboys”, KIDS is taking their sound and sending a message and a motto to everyone listening- strive for authenticity […]
Album Review: Will Wood’s ‘Normal Album’ pushes through absurdity to reach a broader message
The Normal Album is anything but normal. Instead, Will Wood’s latest LP is a genre-less collection of wacky tracks that will leave you confused but acutely aware that normal doesn’t necessarily mean good. It digs up long-lost genres like doo-wop (“I / Me / Myself” especially) and new wave to prove its point, adding layers […]
Album Review: Lamb of God returns with commanding self-titled record
Despite not releasing music in the last five years, Lamb of God has remained heavily active in the metal scene, touring extensively around the world. Today, the well-respected group is back with their eighth album, a self-titled effort exploding with impeccable instrumentation and vehement lyrics. Vocalist D. Randall Blythe begins the 45 minute record with […]
Album Review: Nik Bruzzese explores vulnerability and loss on Casa Loma debut
Listeners may arrive at Casa Loma with the expectation that Nik Bruzzese’s solo endeavor will be an extension of Man Overboard and come away pleasantly surprised. This Is Coping is music driven by the pain of loss, the hope of moving forward and leaving a legacy within the lyrics. Bruzzese was driven to create this […]
Artist Spotlight: Arrested Youth makes history with first ever fan-made album
Ian Johnson, the mastermind behind alt-rock project Arrested Youth, loves his fans so much that he created an entire EP co-written by them. Over the last two months as the world has come to a halt, Johnson hosted songwriting sessions via Instagram where supporters of his project collaborated on music and lyrics for the first […]
Album Review: Palaye Royale are ‘The Bastards’ you’ll be rooting for on biting new record
Palaye Royale are back with their third album, The Bastards, to be released on May 29. The self-described “fashion-art” rock band has delivered a tenacious record that brings the emo wave into 2020. One thing’s for sure- the My Chemical Romance comparisons have been noted and the mantle has been taken up. Lead singer Remington […]
Album Review: The Wrecks’ debut album perfectly captures their whirlwind journey
After years of anticipation, The Wrecks unveiled their debut album on May 1. Infinitely Ordinary is anything but ordinary and will fulfill all the hopes and dreams of longtime fans chomping at the bit for new music from the band. The Wrecks have been through the wringer of constant touring, watching their career expand and […]
Album Review: Dead Lakes crafts bold, earnest sound on ‘New Language’ EP
Seattle’s own multi-genre band Dead Lakes released their latest EP, New Language, on May 1. The five tracks that make up this EP bring together the band’s wide range of influences into a stellar conglomerate of songs that both complement each other and tell a story. The post-hardcore thread that ties Dead Lakes together is […]