There’s always a certain electricity in the air when it comes to live music—that buzzing mix of excitement, passion, and energy. At music festivals, that electricity doesn’t just hum, it surges. For three days, Shaky Knees lit up Midtown Atlanta, bringing with it stacked headliners, four stages of nonstop music, and an undeniable current of energy. This year marked the festival’s first time in Piedmont Park after moving from Central Park, and thousands flocked to the grounds.Continue reading
Alkaline Trio proudly unveils the brand spanking new single “Oblivion,” the first of three songs recently recorded with producer Travis Barker of Blink 182. The first Alkaline Trio studio recording to feature drummer Atom Willard alongside guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba and bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano, “Oblivion” is a devilishly hooky new number that continues the relentless creative tear that kicked off with the January 2024 release of the band’s 10th album, Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs (Rise Records). Available now across digital platforms, “Oblivion” will also be released as a limited edition D2C exclusive vinyl 7-inch. The b-side on the vinyl will be the demo version of the song which will be exclusive to the vinyl and not available digitally. Also unveiled today is the official “Oblivion” music video, directed by Mark Eaton. Watch here:
Hailing from Bristol, in the United Kingdom, fifteen years ago, Idles has built a reputation on stellar, high-energy live performances. Bringing their A-game to their own headline day of the on-going Release Fest in Athens, in terms of songcraft and entertainment value, the band engaged the massive crowd as if they were still in a tiny club, leaping off the stage to be one with the crowd. Frontman Joe Talbot is masterful at controlling the crowd and bending them to his will. Playing a lot of tracks from their most recent album Tangk (Partisan Records), new fans and old-heads alike enjoyed the band that at times leaves behind their early rawer Punk sound and more recent post-Punk style to transcend the genre entirely.Continue reading
The Cure’s Songs of a Lost World was my favorite album of 2024, so hearing it remixed by 24 different artists gave me pause. It’s not the first time Robert Smith has loosened his notoriously tight grip to allow artists to remix his work. With Mixes of Lost World (Fiction Records), it’s obvious Smith was in control of curating who he trusted with these songs. There are the obvious culprits who you almost expect having their hand in a re-mix album like Paul Oakenfold and Oribital, then he handed it over to bands in his close circle like tour-mates The Twilight Sad and Mogwai to not just prep the songs for the dance floor but applied their instruments into their reworkings which were both very true to the creative spirt of the band. Continue reading
As a genre, Indie Rock hit its peak in the mid-2000s, as bands like Arcade Fire and Death Cab for Cutie became mainstream, thus causing bands to branch off into the post-punk branch of punk rock. Activity’s new album A Thousand Years in Another Way (Western Vinyl) takes you back to the last great days of indie rock. The album opens in a tense, more brooding mood than their previous work. They balance this out with the fragile plea of the pained tenor vocals. The trembling urgency of this vocal approach brings Radiohead to mind.Continue reading
I have always loved to say that I liked Alternative Rock back when it was. Somehow, in the 2000s, the American music scene began making the music I loved boring and colorless and popular. Grunge became the be-all, and joy left the party.
So, it is always with some caution that I approach albums like Moonback Stage‘s Echo Process (L’Autre Distribution). It is always with pleasure that I’m rewarded for the effort.Continue reading
The 1990s brought a little Lawrence, Kansas band by the name of Paw, who put out two full-length albums 1993’s Dragline (which featured the catchy singles “Jessie” and “Couldn’t Know” that got moderate rotation on MTV as well as featuring in the computer game Road Rash) and 1995’s overlooked Death to Traitors. There were a couple of final releases in the shape of the Home is a Strange Place EP and the Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself odds and sods collection before the band’s eventual 2000 split. Continue reading
ISLEPTONTHEMOON is an anonymous solo project based in Atlanta, Georgia. Only The Stars Know Of My Misfortune (Bindrune Recordings) is their third full-length release.Continue reading
Hailing from France the Dirty Shades upholds the country’s legacy of birthing powerful atmospheric rock. Their new album Stuck in Motion (Modulor Music) offers a post-Hardcore punch to the dynamics as their sound swirls around you. They step on the gas at a few points in the opening track “Cannon Fodder” to keep the dynamics varied. Lead singer Anouk Degrande is backed by shouted accents where she allows her voice to wander off the swells of the guitar. The bass line anchors the second track “Mine,” as the ambiance thickens to a palm-muted groove buried in the layers. They build the song up into a heavier punch not unlike how Tool once commanded dynamics during the nineties. Continue reading
Pontiac is a northern suburb of Detroit known for having colorful nightlife and last Tuesday evening proved why. Their downtown was a buzz with streets closed and stages set up. The Crofoot, an acclaimed entertainment complex, was hosting a community concert series with hundreds of locals gathered. The venue was also hosting Norway’s own Leprous who is on a headlining tour promoting their new album, Melodies of Atonement (InsideOut Music). Having provincial rap acts perform outside and having a hot, progressive band play inside showed off the versatility and innovation of the beloved music venue. Continue reading