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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
I like a good challenge. Every so often, I fire up my ol’ NES and give Battletoads another go. I don’t think I will ever complete the hoverbike level but I still manage to have a good time. So when my editor suggested I review the new album by Dance Gavin Dance, a band that is far outside my usual fare of extreme metal, I happily accepted the challenge.
I must be a sadist.Continue reading
On the right night, if you walk out from North Quincy Station, past the “brutalist McDonalds,” following the funk towards Wollaston Beach, you might come across a house that seems to be pulsing. On a night like that, if you fight your way through the mass of burly beards, skateboarders, and pitbulls and take a sonic blast to the face, you’ll find yourself in Ugly Robot Studios, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be treated to a front-row performance of Fracture Type. Continue reading
A contemplative, but serene gaze out of the window, as a hazy half-smile plays on the corner of the lips. Half a memory aligns with the story that is playing in the ears, but it has its own shade and hue, something the same but different, but definitely and absolutely connected. ‘Me and Mine’, the second song in a breathy, intimate, quietly sung middle of the album causes pause to reflect. A simple song about children, how being a parent as your kids grow up can be, it’s about closeness… And it is genuine.