independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Beloved readers, the countdown to the big show continues! In order to get you pumped up for the TRUETT show on Wednesday, July 27th at The High Watt, our dear TRUETT has personally handcrafted a Spotify playlist to help you get your mind right. TRUETT says these songs are some of his favorites from artists... Continue Reading →
 Up The Chain,  a super tight jam rock outfit from the City of Brotherly Love, released their latest LP, The Prison Break, in March, and even features the guitar stylings of fellow Philly native Dan Schwartz of Good Old War. The band's bolder, more unfettered sound can be attributed to its new form as a quartet with... Continue Reading →
Andy Ferro, gifted writer, musician, and lead guitarist of Nashville rock band Ranch Ghost, is releasing his debut solo album, Muirhead, on Friday, February 26th via Rough Beast Records.  The seven-song, lo-fi, psych-folk gem is largely a solo effort, with a few sonic contributions from keyboards/sound-effects guru Mitch Jones (Fly Golden Eagle, Thunderbitch, Majestic).  East of 8th recently caught up with... Continue Reading →
East of 8th caught up with New Mexico alt-rock band Great States, whose debut album, Gatsby, is set for release on January 29th.  The band was inspired by the uniqueness of their surroundings, and also drew lyrical inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  It seemed only fitting to ask the guys, "If you could... Continue Reading →
What a great year it's been! With so many amazing artists creating tons of quality music to dazzle and delight us in 2015, it was hard to narrow it down. Â I've created a Spotify playlist for you so we can relive the magic together: spotify:user:1215818426:playlist:0M4t1sqFHsccEGeFLUSUt0 Feel free to check out my previous playlists... Continue Reading →
Austin-based indie folk band Wild Child released their third and latest album, Fools, this year; the record, which shows the group stretching the boundaries of what they've done before, is amazing in its entirety--and y'all, that's not something I say very often about a whole album.  It was difficult to choose a favorite for the list, but... Continue Reading →
This year I was introduced to Detroit indie pop band Two Cheers, who released what I firmly believe is one of 2015's best records, Splendor, their debut.  With glistening guitar licks, simmering basslines, pop-tactic drum rhythms, and frontman Bryan Akcasu's Cure-esque vocal stylings, this song will create a confetti party between your ears. There's just something about the easy... Continue Reading →
The next song on the list is from blog favorite Big Data's debut album, 2.0, released earlier this year.  Big Data, a.k.a. producer Alan Wilkis, enraptured the  universe with his first big hit, "Dangerous", a commentary on the dangers of electronic voyeurism.  He is successfully riding the "paranoid electronic music" wave he created, but told me... Continue Reading →
It's that time of year again; the needles have all fallen off of the Christmas trees, wayward tinsel drifting like tumbleweeds down the path from the front door to the curb.  The dreidels have stopped spinning, the itchy scarves have been regifted, and folks are finally in recovery from their food comas.  While it's customary to set... Continue Reading →
It's been a hot minute since I posted a playlist (and when I say "hot minute" I'm not joking, we're all melting here). Â I've been listening to a variety of music lately, some new songs, some oldies, and all have helped me endure this oppressively hot Tennessee summer. Â I hope that you enjoy the playlist,... Continue Reading →
