independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
“It might never again feel like it’s the right time/If it’s the end, well, let’s cross that line/Let us step into the darkness,” sings Said The Whale’s Ben Worcester, in “Step Into The Darkness,” the opening track of the band’s new release, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide. These introductory lines of the Juno... Continue Reading →
One year ago, British pop rock foursome Amber Run was facing hardship and struggle—dropped from their label, the band was in a creative rut and down one member. Rather than wallow in defeat, they forged ahead through one of their darkest times as a band, and chronicled the journey in For A Moment, I Was... Continue Reading →
If The Beatles were correct and all we really need is love, then The Heights, the long-awaited and much-anticipated debut album from Arkansas-based pop rock outfit Knox Hamilton, is the cure for what ails you. At 13 songs strong, the album’s offerings are sweet but never saccharine, and showcase frontman Boots Copeland’s nicely-honed lyric-crafting sensibilities. The... Continue Reading →
German duo The Picturebooks stare down convention and defy its limitations. When singer/guitarist Fynn Claus Grabke and drummer Philipp Mirtschink started making music, neither of them could play an instrument. While recording their new album, Home Is A Heartache, they took the term garage band literally, using the same space where they repair and customize... Continue Reading →
Los Angeles-based coolest of the cool soul outfit Chicano Batman has put their collective foot down, and made a bold lyrical and musical statement with their new album, Freedom is Free, set for release on March 3rd via ATO Records. Known for their unique ability to blend Latin American, psychedelic, and soul music into a... Continue Reading →
Should you need a reminder of your humanity, open your ears and prepare your hearts for anything created by Polaris Music Prize nominee and veteran songcrafter Donovan Woods—his forthcoming EP, They Are Going Away, set for release on March 3rd via his own label, Meant Well, is a prime example. A follow-up and companion to his 2016 acclaimed... Continue Reading →
Take a breath, and lean in closely for a very important announcement: Great rock n’ roll isn’t dead, it’s just under-appreciated and under-promoted in the mainstream media. At East of 8th, we love good rock’ n roll, we’re here to appreciate and promote it, and we are currently under the spell cast by All Them... Continue Reading →
Hippo Campus’ forthcoming album landmark, set for release on February 24th via Grand Jury Music, is a winter treat for indie rock lovers counting the days until summer festival season; landmark is a fitting title for the St. Paul, Minnesota-based group’s debut full-length—however, the title bears a deeper meaning. In landmark, we experience the band’s evolution... Continue Reading →
Increasingly, I find myself, a dyed-in-the wool alt-rock aficionado, lured into the realm of indie pop; while others have baited the hook and cast the line, Nashville-based songstress Trella has reeled me in, and I have fallen for her debut EP, Vapor, hook, line, and sinker. “I was living in the pretense...I’m standing up, I’m... Continue Reading →
With their forthcoming album, Detroit-based folk pop outfit Frontier Ruckus invites us to “enter the kingdom”—however, in their world, that kingdom is set in the crumbling remains of the Motor City, and provides insight into the hardships endured in realizing that permanence is sometimes an idea instead of a fact. In this kingdom, old neighborhoods... Continue Reading →
