independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Attending SXSW in Austin is quite the experience, one that will test the boundaries of your lack-of-sleep threshold, challenge your patience for traffic issues, and stretch the imagination as far as music-making goes. At a venue at 11:30pm waiting for a show that was set to begin at midnight, my inner old person was fighting... Continue Reading →
Philadelphia rockers Vacationer are drawing listeners in with their groovy 1960s-inspired, synth-driven single, “Magnetism.” The first release since their sophomore album Relief back in 2014, it’s safe to say Vacationer made it well worth the wait. Lead singer and bassist Ken Vasoli reveals the song came about easily and quickly, rejuvenating his joy for making... Continue Reading →
The Lonely Biscuits are no stranger to funky guitar riffs, quirky love songs and Napoleon Dynamite vibes. The Universe in You, the indie-rock band’s latest album, is no exception to these characteristics. With its upcoming March 30th release, you’re going to want to crank this one up for the upcoming sunshine and warm weather. The... Continue Reading →
New England indie rocker Merritt Gibson writes songs that are deeply personal and unflinchingly honest as she seeks to understand the world and how she fits into it—a quest to which we can all relate. College freshman Gibson, however, displays perspective and observation that is beyond her years. On March 30th, she will release Eyes... Continue Reading →
“I really started my new year with a whimper,” laughs Texas-based pop rocker Walker Lukens. “I played on New Year’s Eve outside in the 21-degree weather, woke up on New Year’s day, and slowly declined into sickness,” he says. “The flu was all around us.” Even so, that whimper is a minor dip in the... Continue Reading →
With grey skies and chilly winds serving as a constant reminder that it’s still winter, The Wombats come roaring forward with enough catchy riffs and waves of high-energy synth to thwart the bleakness of the season’s five o’clock sunsets. While a close listen to the lyrics on the band’s new album Beautiful People Will Ruin... Continue Reading →
After their sophomore release, Afterglow, in March 2016, Nashville-based pop-rock trio Samecity has spent a relentless year and a half on the road touring across the country. Today, the band unleashes their new album, Lowlands, into the digisphere. The five-song EP features a satisfying blend of harmonies from front folks Justin Bowersox and Hannah Bowersox,... Continue Reading →
“We’re so excited that the cult is spreading,” declares Adam Weiner, the charismatic frontman of Philadelphia-based piano rock outfit Low Cut Connie. “We’re not one of these bands who is all of a sudden going to be on the cover of some super hip magazine or something. It’s a slow creep. What I’m most proud... Continue Reading →
An unstoppable musical force who has released captivatingly catchy tunes since 1986, iconic pop rock band They Might Be Giants has been an integral part of my lifelong personal soundtrack. From singing along to their “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” theme song when watching television as a kid, using “Istanbul” in sixth grade history class to learn... Continue Reading →
"I was playing in bars at age 12,” reveals Los Angeles-based artist Cobi, whose tour with explosive alt-rock duo Black Pistol Fire concludes at Nashville’s Basement East on Friday, December 8th. “We’d play blues covers from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., that’s how I got started. I grew up in a really small town, there... Continue Reading →
