independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
With their heritage in Jackson, Mississippi and their adoption of Nashville as homebase (a mutual adoption if you ask Nashville music lovers), it is easy to see why The Weeks have a well-deserved reputation as a “southern-rock band.” While creating their upcoming album, Easy, the group focused on simply making music knowing that their roots... Continue Reading →
From its opening build to its lingering final note, the latest offering from New York City indie rockers Born Cages sweeps us away on an synth-filled musical voyage. Exit Signs In A Burning Building is a delightfully symbiotic blend of frontman Vlad Holiday’s magical guitar work riding a wave of epic bass and keys from... Continue Reading →
“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 →
Ha Ha Tonka—Heart-Shaped Mountain Forged in the Missouri Ozarks in 2004, Ha Ha Tonka unveils their fifth studio album, Heart-Shaped Mountain, today via Bloodshot Records. The band’s new record is a triumph—in more ways than one. After weathering a massive studio hardware crash that deleted everything they’d recorded, they regrouped, steeled themselves, and emerged with a 10-song collection... 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 →
