independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Hitch, the third studio album from alt-rockers The Joy Formidable can be described in three words: massive anthemic rock. Â Since their debut release in 2010 of A Balloon Called Moaning, the Welsh trio has grown into a force to be reckoned with. Ritzy Bryan (lead vocals/guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass), and Matthew James Thomas (drums) decided... Continue Reading →
Los Angeles-based four-piece indie rock band DreamVacation, comprised of Ray Silva (vocals), Gerry Matthews (bass, backing vocals), Morgan Terrinoni (guitar), and Noah Alexander (drums), released their self-titled EP recently; the band members’ personal stories over the last three years have been rife with hardship—they’ve endured breakups, living out of rehearsal spaces or cars, marriages falling apart, and family... Continue Reading →
It is apparent after a first listen to Alex Dezen’s premiere full length album, that he has crested the highest mountain tops and trudged though painfully deep valleys in his life—his art reflects aural scars transmuted via guitar chords and lyrics. He expresses anguish through melody and memory, in a highly personal and straightforward manner, via... Continue Reading →
First impressions are important. This is especially true in the disjointed music landscape in the United States at present. At the age of 9, I was introduced to the Blues Brothers, an initial early formative foray into popular music for me. Hearing Jake, Elwood, and the boys tearing it up on Briefcase Full of Blues is a... Continue Reading →
Sometimes I hear an album that feels so genuine and unique, it refreshes my musical palate, bringing new flavors I didn’t even know I liked.  My musical experience had been missing something for a while, but I didn’t know what--until my first listen to John Fatum’s debut LP, Locked Up in My Mind, due for release... Continue Reading →
Have you ever heard a song that grabbed your heart, invaded your soul, held onto both for dear life, and made you feel things you forgot you could even feel? Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have created an entire album of songs that do exactly that, a self-titled debut on Memphis, Tennessee's renowned label Stax Records, home of... Continue Reading →
By: Joshua Hammond "Life is a song that must be sung," Langhorne Slim growls gruffly, in the company of beautiful brass and a straightforward, vintage sound. One could argue that the music of "Life's A Bell",  the opening track of Slim's 7th professional release, The Spirit Moves, seems more fitted for the "Country Music Time" radio program than a Spotify... Continue Reading →
Minneapolis-based indie dream pop trio ON AN ON released their second full-length album, And The Wave Has Two Sides, today via Roll Call Records.  The song "The Hunter" from the band's 2013 debut album Give In hooked me with its synth-y vocoder-y goodness, and I've been a fan ever since.  Needless to say, I was a tad excited when I... Continue Reading →
