Latest Posts

Increased Damage – Spark

August 7, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Increased Damage – no, we’re not talking about min/maxing your latest MMORPG build, we’re highlighting the songwriting vehicle for Cleveland-based artist Robert Carrick. His latest offering is called Spark, a ten song album full of blistering pop-punk layered with tinges of emo, alternative, and pop. Sugary, spicy, and energetic, Spark is reminiscent of the great music that came out of the late ’90s and early ’00s. Since most of us are now viewing that era through rose-colored glasses, Spark comes at a perfect time, bringing to mind bands like The Starting Line, Blink 182, and Saves the Day without completely aping their signature sounds. Produced over a nine-month period, the album is an introduction of sorts for Carrick – he’s “finally found [his] sound,” and now, “it’s time to find [his] tribe.” Here’s a bit about Spark from Carrick himself: “I write music that is familiar but also evokes emotion. Lyrics that[...]

The Singer and The Songwriter – Dreams! The Dead! Ghost! Future

August 2, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Oakland, CA probably isn’t the first city that comes to mind when you think “modern folk,” but The Singer and The Songwriter (TSTS) seem to be the type of act to eschew categorization. This award-winning, queer, mixed-race duo, composed of singer Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran, specialize in songs inspired by “grief, late-stage capitalism, and their enduring 18-year friendship.” Their latest offering is the 12-song Dreams! The Dead! Ghost! Future; the title of which was inspired by an abandoned storefront in McDermott, NV. This album often feels desperate in a hopeful way, but also feels like home, cataloguing loss, love, dreams, hope, and everything in between. The album opens with “Dreams,” and immediately we’re introduced to the backbone of TSTS’s sound. Make no mistake, this is barebones folk at its finest – raw, gentle, and heartfelt. There is no distortion to hide behind, no wall of sound to disguise any[...]

Modern Wildlife – Cost of Living

July 30, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Minneapolis-based act Modern Wildlife formed in the summer of 2023 – they craft simple but intriguing songs that range from dark and moody to energizing and fast-paced. Their debut album is called Cost of Living, a 10-song offering that looks at the various anxieties and woes that plague our collective existences. As a trio, the group outputs a surprising amount of sound, opting to utilize unique chord structures and ear-catching bass in their own personal versions of punk rock, post-punk, and the spaces in between. Opening song “Another Place” rings strongly of Big Muff-soaked guitars a la Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins. The three-piece keep things simple and digestible, with a pleasant ride-cymbal-driven beat, fun bass licks, and the aforementioned fuzz sputtering pleasantly in your ears. While the entire album doesn’t smack of early 90s grunge glory, “Another Place” certainly does… Billy Corgan would be proud of this one. Even the longing[...]

You Fool! – What is the Meaning of This?

July 28, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Newly-minted indie rockers You Fool! come from Washington D.C. Their debut album is called What is the Meaning of This? (WITMOT moving forward) and it spans the complete spectrum of indie rock, ranging from effervescent fun and danceable indie pop; all the way through post-rock; and even some dark, synth-pop moments. Between their exclamation point-laden band name and the could-only-be-an-inside-joke album title, it’s clear the fourteen (!) songs offered here come from a group of musicians who love what they are doing and are having fun doing it. After all, they started after an impromptu jam session inspired by karaoke performance of “Colors in the Wind” from Pocahontas. Guitarist and songwriter Josh Ryan explains the meaning of their album title below: “The album title has sort of a double meaning… On the one hand, it reflects the introspective and contemplative nature of some of the tracks on the album. But[...]

Kayze – Decadence

July 27, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Decadence (n.) – moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury. Arizona-based Kayze is back with his fourth official release, the seven-song offering Decadence. As the spiritual successor to his previous releases Mutually Assured Destruction and Katharsis, Decadence is a cool blend of trap and hip-hop that takes aim at instant gratification, AI, digital culture, and our increasingly online-lived lives. “No Tomorrow” opens the album as a perfect demonstration of Kayze’s instrumental and vocal stylings. Tight electronic drums are bolstered by twinkling guitars, whistling synths, and a late-night drive vibe that begs for midnight cruising below neon lights. Kayze’s delivery is closer to a monotone drawl than a full-fledged rapper – think the disassociating drawl from Wicca Phase Springs Eternal/ex-Tigers Jaw frontman Adam McIlwee. Lightly autotuned, Kayze drops surprisingly catchy melodies with inspired rhyme schemes that touch on deeper societal issues. Track two, “For a Night,” has[...]

Brock Davis – Everyday Miracle

July 17, 2024 Nick Sessanna

“… there’s a beauty and power in wrestling with the mystery of life, and in the yearning for there to be something bigger than ourselves. I don’t claim to know what’s out there, but I’m fascinated by songs about a greater purpose in life, like love and art, that try to answer the essential question of why we are here.” It’s not often that you find a positivity-packed album labeled as “agnostic gospel,” but that’s exactly what Santa Cruz-based singer/songwriter Brock Davis has created on his latest offering, the 13-song Everyday Miracle. Backed by a smattering of world-renowned, Nashville-based session artists, Davis’ work is a blend of folk, country, rock, and pop stylings with a refreshing and uplifting message. Subtitled Backstage Sessions – Part 1, these 13 songs consist of the first half (!) of a set of songs that Davis laid down over a grueling two-day recording session. Prolific, positive, and[...]

Restroyer. – Restroyer.

July 9, 2024 Nick Sessanna

When thinking of Salt Lake City, what typically pops into your mind? The 2002 Olympics? Great big salty… lakes? At any rate, punk rock wasn’t my first thought (and it probably isn’t yours either)… That may change, however, with a listen to the new album from Restroyer. The SLC-based quartet specializes in the punk rock that you may remember from the late nineties or mid-aughts – think a mixture of the political approach of Anti-Flag, the upbeat skate punk of Lagwagon, and a bit of grizzled Rancid energy. It’s tied up in an aggressive but digestible ten-song package that highlights its crusty punk rock roots without sacrificing a studio quality that begs for repeat listening. The album opens with the upbeat power chord onslaught of “Rager.” Immediately, Restroyer. hits you with the hallmarks of their sound – chunky power chord buzz, octave-based guitar leads, huge percussion and bass presence, and[...]

Extra Space – Green Season

July 5, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Extra Space is one of those literal and figurative band names – the Brooklyn-based duo of Joey Puleio and Chris Kyle got together to de-clutter and re-situate their shared practice space. Lo and behold, when two musicians get together in a room with common goal, you can expect a little more than generic cleaning to get done. The two songwriters developed a unique chemistry and their friendship and musicianship both grew significantly over time. We’re now blessed with their debut album, Green Season, a seven-song offering informed by twinkly Midwest emo meanderings and the sighing steel guitars found in twangy folk music. “Puddles” kicks off Green Season with a splash of heart-on-your-sleeve acoustic energy. Immediately, nimbly-picked guitar work rings out, backed by a vocal take laden with gentle vibrato. “Puddles” (and much of the rest of the album) brings to mind the work of Mike Kinsella, specifically Owen, matching ultra-descriptive lyrics[...]

Baby Said – Who Gives A Rock EP

June 26, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Portsmouth-based sister duo Baby Said have just released their debut EP, Who Gives A Rock. The Punjabi/Italian sisters, teenagers Veronica and Jess Pal to be specific, offer a fiery blast of pop rock energy reminiscent of Paramore, Olivia Rodrigo, and their favorite act Måneskin, from who they borrowed their namesake. Rock comes and goes quickly at just nine minutes, but it’s full of chunky power chord guitars, bombastic drum energy, and a particular limelight on the duo’s feisty vocals. A grungy bass guitar plucks out the initial notes of standout single “Panic Attack.” Ghostly effects help to give this a mysterious beginning before launching into one of the catchiest moments on the EP. The sisters lay into dramatic effect as they audibly gasp before the chorus, giving a tangible flavor to what it truly feels like to have a panic attack. Moreover, the song itself crescendos purposely, as they tried their best to[...]

a boy named fox – Áine

June 16, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Scotland’s a boy named fox recently released Áine, a four-song concept EP about the metaphorical relationship between a crow and a fox. Reminiscent of acts like The World is a Beautiful Place, Radical Face, and Anathallo, you can expect twinkly, guitar-driven songs with an emphasis on emo, folk, and lo-fi songwriting. The mystique surrounding Áine already feels like the beginning of something legendary – intended to be released anonymously, these songs feel intensely personal and curiously specific. Here’s a bit more background from a boy named fox (henceforth referred to solely as “fox”) about what inspired this collection of songs: “This is a concept EP that is hopefully going to be part one of three, that tells the allegorical story of a fox and a crow in a desolate landscape inspired by the Scottish Highlands and British Columbia. Particularly, it draws on a mix of Gaelic and Indigenous American myth, and[...]

Bromsen – Brothers in Mind

June 9, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Bromsen is a Berlin-based duo composed of two brothers, Richard and Karlo Bromsen. These bros have been performing music together since the mid aughts – like a phoenix, their love for music reignited and rose from the ashes of their previous endeavors. Brothers in Mind is the result of their passions, an impressive, synth-soaked offering that embodies the icy synth pop you’re probably expecting from a couple of German synth enthusiasts. With mechanical arpeggiations, fiery guitar theatrics, and genre-appropriate baritone vocals, Bromsen has conjured the spirit of the 1980s through the lens of 2024-era songwriting. Falling somewhere in place between 80s synth pop (think Men Without Hats or Naked Eyes) and 00s era acts like The Knife or The Faint, there’s plenty to enjoy here… As long as you like synths, that is. “One By One” is a perfect introduction to Brothers in Mind – a robotic synth flagellates as it crescendos into[...]

Flamy Grant – “S.P.R.K.L.”

June 6, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Just in time for pride month, songwriter and acclaimed drag queen Flamy Grant hits us with the divine pop-funk of “S.P.R.K.L.” Full of uplifting messages and anchored by a fun funky vibe reminiscent of Bruno Mars or The Bee Gees, “S.P.R.K.L.” urges us to be our true selves and rub it proudly in the faces of all of our haters. The lyrics here perfectly embody the ebullient vibes that Flamy so perfectly encapsulates – their powerhouse vocals carry this song, which is saying something, as there is also a true in-the-pocket groove to be found here. Check out “S.P.R.K.L.” via Soundcloud below or add it to your favorite feel-good Spotify playlist. Flamy Grant · S.P.R.K.L. feat. Ricky Braddy

Scott Clay – Jade

May 29, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Scott Clay is on his sixth (!) LP. Jade is a collection of eleven “complex but uncomplicated” songs that offer a thorough exploration of the genre of Americana and all its intricacies. Driven mainly by acoustic guitar, these songs meander, float, and occasionally sizzle with flourishes of whistling organ; electric guitar crunch; pianos; harps; and anything else you can probably think of. Atop it all sits Clay’s down-home voice, baritone, twangy, and powerful in its delivery. The album kicks off with one of its best offerings, the slow stomp of “One For The Road.” A dirge-like tempo is offset by the sheer longing that can be heard in every chord strum – every swirling organ texture, mandolin pluck, and crunchy guitar chord feels completely intentional here. Scott’s soulful vocals paint a beautiful picture of a simpler, slower-paced life somewhere idyllic: Out here today driving again All the others speed[...]

wellthen – The demo EP

May 24, 2024 Nick Sessanna

“Just a couple of Chicago dudes in their 40’s playing indie rock tunes while the world falls apart” Evidently, Chicago’s wellthen have been around the block a few times. Speaking to all the fellow musicians out there, being in a band is tough and thankless. As you grow older, interests change, children are born, spouses are married, and all of a sudden, you find half your band gone. Such is the case for this duo, who are making lemons out of lemonade and forging forward into new territory as a powerful two-piece. The two musicians, Aurelio Damiani and Christian Fields, have been playing together for two decades, and they’ve channeled their energies into a new, five-song EP, simply titled The demo EP. It’s informed strongly by 90s greats like REM, Pavement, and the Promise Ring – think jangly guitars, neurotic and shuffling drumbeats, and lots of oh-oh-oh melodies to sing[...]

Niamh Regan – “Music”

May 22, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Niamh Regan has been cementing her place as one of the most captivating Irish songwriters around, clearly evident on latest single, “Music.” Bolstered by a shuffling drumbeat, plunking piano ambiance, and Niamh’s soulful vocals, “Music” is reminiscing of the mid-90s Lilith Fair crowd while still feeling distinctly 2024-flavored. The emotion here is palpable, enveloping you in a warm aether that refuses to let go. About the song, she says: “Music is one of my favourite songs on the record. I was listening to a lot of Wilco while making this record and this song is like a nod to that with regards to production. It’s the first song that I wrote where I thought this might be an ear worm, and just had lots of fun with the lyrics and melody and I hope that comes across in the recording now.” Check out the video for “Music” via the YouTube[...]