ALBUM REVIEW: Pvris – Evergreen


 

Evergreen (Hopeless Records) is a very ambitious album and frankly by far the most thematically well-rounded and best effort from Pvris yet. Lyndsey Gerd Gunnulfsen has seamlessly planted a flag on the moon here, showing it was her that made this project special all along. Not only a queer champion, Gunnulfsen is a top-notch creator and performer who can back it up with grade-A material with startling philosophical depth amidst the beats and hooks. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Used – Toxic Positivity


 

From the album title alone, it is evident that The Used are just as sincere in their art as they’ve always been over the last two decades. Nine albums deep into their career, the emo quartet have graced us with the blunt Toxic Positivity (Hassle Records). The record calls out the detrimental mindset of suppressing negative emotions, addressing how it worsens one’s mental health over time due to ignored bottled-up feelings. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Can’t Swim – Thanks But No Thanks


 

New Jersey is a rock, emo, and pop-punk music mecca, so it comes as no surprise that rock/pop-punk champs Can’t Swim would hail from the same. They’ve dabbled in a couple of genres on past albums like hardcore and indie before settling into more of the pop-punk vein which fits like a glove for the group. The quartet is gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Thanks But No Thanks (Pure Noise) as it drops the same day as their US-wide tour kick-off supporting Free Throw

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ALBUM REVIEW: Paramore – This Is Why


 

After almost six years since releasing music and an indefinite hiatus, beloved trio Paramore have returned with their sixth studio album, This Is Why (Atlantic Records). Much like their last two albums, this is another one that is best experienced with no expectations…meaning it is no Riot! Part 2 or even After Laughter – the sequel, and hoping so will set you up for disappointment. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Pierce the Veil – The Jaws of Life




Thanks to TikTok trends resurrecting decade-old (and older) pop-punk and emo hits and spreading them like wildfire to a new surge of listeners, there has been a nostalgic Noughties emo revival. Between the majorly sentimental lineup of the When We Were Young Fest and bands like My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Thursday, Blink-182, Sunny Day Real Estate, and others, snapping out of hiatus and flooding stages once again, it should come as no surprise that Pierce the Veil is rejoining the ranks.

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When We Were Young Music Festival Cancels Day One of Their Festival Due to High Winds


My Chemical Romance - photo credit Devin Sarno 2022

The highly anticipated destination music festival aimed at Punks, elder Emos,  and millennials, When We Were Young Festival featuring My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Avril Lavigne has been forced to cancel day one of their sold out event. The cancellation was announced at 10 AM PST, just an hour before gates were to open at Las Vegas Festival Grounds. due to high winds. Winds were forecasted for up to 30-40 MPH which increases the safety hazard for an outdoor stage. The fest is still expected to take place tomorrow and again next weekend; on October 29th, 2022.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Austin Meade – Abstract Art Of An Unstable Mind


 

A singer-songwriter from Texas, Austin Meade’s new album Abstract Art Of An Unstable Mind is his second with Snakefarm Records. It is a concept album of sorts, with each track encapsulating a little stories of life and growing up – these episodes are broken up by the occasional short clip from the fictitious radio station LMAM. It is a varied record that gels together well, even if the radio clips do disrupt the flow somewhat – although ‘LMAM What’s Your Problem’, with its flat-earther style spin off, does raise a smile. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: The Dangerous Summer – Coming Home


 

Maryland rockers The Dangerous Summer‘s new record Coming Home (Rude Records) starts with the evocative title track – with its hypnotic piano riff and prominent Pixies influence. This is TDS’ sixth album, and it is a rockier affair than its three-year-old predecessor, Mother Nature.

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EP REVIEW: Have Mercy – Have Mercy


After the worldwide lockdown began in March 2020, Baltimore indie emo quartet Have Mercy decided to throw in the towel for the band four albums deep into their career. Seeing the world through a fresh lens, frontman Brian Swindle’s life then took a whole new turn. After getting sober and engaged, he started writing songs that would reintroduce the band and their growth through some of the craziest years in recent history. The new self-titled EP via ZODHIAC Records showcases Swindle’s progression with a more upbeat sound.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Beddy Rays – Beddy Rays


 

It feels like day 666 of blazing sun in the year of our dark lord 2022, as Satan’s domain continues to take control and roast our planet (climate change, what climate change?), yet finally, and oh so sweetly timed as we hit holiday season, in the words of The Undertones ‘Here Comes The Summer!’ And, boy, do we have the perfect sunshine accompaniment in the form of the beer-and-beach party punk rock of Beddy Rays and their self-titled, self-released debut. And the aforementioned Undertones smash isn’t a bad place to start in terms of the style and sound of this joyous album teaming, like rock pools with crustaceans, with ear-worms and great tunes. Continue reading