Belgium’s Brutus has returned with Unison Life, an album that incorporates Bjork-like vocals into the kind of post-rock music that often is presented as instrumentals. Drummer/vocalist Stefanie Mannaerts and bassist Peter Mulders discuss the album’s journey, teenage favorites, and the rare mistake on stage.
Author, musician and TV/film editor Eric Beetner shares his five favorite classic crime authors.
‘OUTOFBODY’ is a kaleidoscopic combination of sunny ’60s pop hooks and gritty ’90s alternative rock guitars that feels thoroughly modern.
a-ha guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savory reflects on the band’s 40-year-career, the overnight success of “Take On Me,” and the band’s newly-released eleventh album, True North.
Art pop band Elk City presents their new album ‘Above the Water’, opening a new chapter in the Montclair, New Jersey band’s evolutionary story. Vibrant, raw-edged and bold, it showcases a new guitar-rich lineup featuring members of Versus, Luna and the Psychedelic Furs side-project Feed.
Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) discusses her tenth solo album, If It All Goes South
Manchester -based art-rock quartet Weimar recently released their debut album Dancing On a Volcano via German Shepherd Records. Embracing a blend of post-punk, no-wave, cabaret, psychedelia, alternative folk and gothic rock, these 12 tracks (three years in the making) take the listener on an unpredictable excursion through the socio-political and personal challenges of our modern age.
With her 4th album, Austin to Houston out and a successful European tour behind her, I sat down with Marina Rocks to find out about her musical journey, what the new album is all about and where things go from here.
Songwriter Brooke Annibale talks about her mental wellbeing journey and how it influenced the songs on her fourth album, Better By Now.
LA-based collective Beauty In Chaos recently released the Behind The Veil LP in multiple formats via the label 33.3 Music Collective and a new video for the single “Afterlife”, a lush atmospheric track featuring angelic vocals by Tish Ciravolo.
Recorded, mixed, and produced by Grammy-nominated producer Michael Rozon, This all-female featured collection brings back three BIC alumni – Tish Ciravolo, Cinthya Hussey and Betsy Martin – as well as new family members Whitney Tai, Elena Alice Fossi and Pinky Turzo. Apart from six originals, this release features diverse reworkings by such renowned music visionaries as Tim Palmer, MGT, John Fryer, Statik, Tommy Hatz, Julian Shah-Tayler and Rozon himself.
Billy Duffy of The Cult checks in on the eve of the band’s new album, Under the Midnight Sun, to share his thoughts on his lengthy career, meeting audience expectations, the influence his band has had on music, and splitting time between L.A. and the UK.
Jan Radder’s excellent new memoir, ‘Immature Loser Punk,’ is a coming-of-age story about a misfit kid whose life was saved by punk rock and horror movies.
2nd Grade’s third album, ‘Easy Listening,’ is a shining example of modern power pop at its best.
“We’ve had a weird year of trying to figure out what we want. Sometimes a consistent band sounds great but other times I think we want all the control. Right now though, we’re going on 4 months of being a 3 piece. It’s been cool because I never thought that could work but it’s proven to be really fun. I like the space.” – Brendan Dyer
Kate Clover’s album, ‘Bleed Your Heart Out,’ combines punk energy, rock and roll snarl and more than a few heart-stopping hooks.
Singer/songwriter Derek Hoke shares thoughts about the Nashville music scene, maturing as a songwriter, his new album Electric Mountain, and hosting $2 Tuesday at The 5 Spot for over a decade.
“… the freedom to really convey the visual aspects that reflect the sort of chaotic melange of technique and eclectic influence whose collage results in the sparkling squalor and mesmerizing mire of our chaotic glamour steeped in swooning sentimentality is my childhood dream realized.” – Catalina Gallegos
“There are so many genres and labels people give themselves. I think when the word “shoegaze” is used, people automatically get this mind picture of what they’re about to hear… the usual dreamy, reverb-y, washy sounds which are all of the sounds we typically try to avoid.” – Rocky Maldonado
Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin frontman shares his favorite Government Issue songs to play when he was in the band in the early ’80s.
The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess discusses his ambitious latest solo album, Typical Music
Portland-based singer/songwriter Mo Troper is back with his fifth solo album, ‘MTV.’
The long-awaited debut full length by LA’s Dear Boy is a Brit pop fan’s dream come true. Singer/guitarist Ben Grey shares stories recording the album, discovering punk music, being on an ongoing text thread with Richard Butler (The Psychedelic Furs) and Tim Booth (James), a memorable (but strange) encounter with Rivers Cuomo and having an unlikely pen pal as a child.
With a new single out, “One Margarita,” a full-length album on its way, and miles of touring under their belts, I spoke to Keela from *Bonzai about where the band has been, what they are working on now, and, more importantly, what the future holds for them.
Trapper Schoepp discusses his single “I Am a Rider” (and its video co-starring Leroy, the Boston Terrier)
Fast-rising and mesmerizing Belgian-Egyptian songwriter, musician, and singer Tamino generously took part in a Q&A while visiting NYC to promote his contemplatively compelling upcoming 2nd LP, Sahar.
Freedy Johnston discusses Back on the Road to You, his tenth studio album (and his first in seven years)
Daniel Kelley of Moral Panic discusses new album Validation, influences, films, NYC and more.
Recently, post-punkers London Plane released their sophomore album Bright Black via the Declared Goods label. This six-piece collective is made up of David Mosey (guitar and vocals), Jessica Cole (vocals), Bryan Garbe (drums), Grant Parker (bass), Julian Tulip (synths), and Kristofer Widholm (guitar). Their roots trace back to 2014 backstage at a tribute show to the recently deceased Lou Reed, when Psychedelic Furs’ Joe McGinty introduced David to Jessica, who were both performing.
With a commanding performance and stage presence that feels like a cross between Bauhaus’ Peter Murphy and John Malkovich, frontman David Mosey took the time to speak with us about the new album.
Since 2015, Pinc Clouds has been infusing the streets of New York City with a punk-tinged, DIY, joie de vivre. From their heartfelt songs to their quirky style, Pinc Louds just might be the most genuine act you’ve ever seen. Fresh off a European leg of the Punk in Drublic tour, I spoke to Claudi about all things Pinc Louds.
I sat down to talk to legendary guitarist Brinsley Schwarz last September over Zoom to talk about his recently released 2nd solo album Tangled. During the course of our hour-long chat, we covered everything from the heady days of touring with Parker in the early ‘80s to his recent solo albums along with musings on topical issues such as COVID and even Steely Dan and James Bond.
“I was writing it across multiple years and going through a lot of different influences which I think it’s easy for that to bleed through a bit. I feel like it was mostly just my emotional state. I was going through some sad stuff in my life for a bit, there’s not a lot of happy songs on the record for that reason” – John Cudlip
Having emerged on the Irish music scene in, a lot has already been said and written about Dublin synthpop / synthwave artist CIRCUIT3. Die-hard fans of OMD, Pet Shop Boys, Thomas Dolby, New Order and Vangelis find themselves deeply familiar with this music, but the lyrical content and themes explored are somewhat ‘out there in the sense that the subject matter explores the universe, cosmic truths, high tech issues – this is futuristic in nature while being rooted in the musical underpinnings of the early 1980s. Peter Fitzpatrick aka CIRCUIT3 took some time out to speak about his new album Technology For The Youth.
Vanilla Bloom is a psychedelic pop music project founded by Jacob Cloutier. The debut album, “Promise”, utilizes an immersive coming-of-age narrative which explores the progression of the inner child.
With her own music turning heads both critically and with consumers and a chance to contribute to the recent* Chicago* album, it is safe to say that things are going well in Joanna Pearl’s world. It seemed the perfect time to sit down with her to find out more about how she got to this point and where it all goes next.
With their latest single, “Fever Dream”, due out on 5th September and the band’s profile rising fast within the South West of the UK, It seemed the perfect time to sit down with Jake O’Brien to find out all about Kicking Edgar, past, present and future.
Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik discusses the band’s 13th album, Chaos in Bloom
Goon’s founding member Kenny Becker shares how new band members contributed to the band’s latest release, Hour of Green Evening, being creative through both music and art, the joy of making videos with friends, and encountering celebrities in Los Angeles.
Malaysian musician Eugene San (Kojira, Gene Shanzo, Mint Cherry) soars to the stratosphere with scintillating alt-/dream-rock sonic propulsion as new project Go With Strangers.
Ramesh Srivastava is guardedly optimistic about Voxtrot’s future. Reuniting for the first time since 2010, the Austin-based band has reissued two albums worth of older material (EPs, B-Sides, demos) and has a short tour coming up this fall. If nothing else happens, it will have been worth it but Srivastava envisions more touring and potentially writing new music with his bandmates.
Grunge Pop Records is spearheading the grunge revival with an impressive list of up-and-coming artists. We discussed the need for real rock music, the sound of grunge and how it has evolved over thirty years, the international reach of the genre, and the future of Grunge Pop Records and its roster of soon-to-be world-famous bands.
Carré Callaway’s life story may be as interesting and wild as her latest album, Couples Only, released under the Queen Kwong moniker. Callaway discusses both in this in-depth conversation.
Austin TX based hardcore/punk band The Bearer rages with heavy and ferocious riffs, pounding drums, complex time changes and vocals with the same intensity as the music. I was pleased to get a chance to speak with drummer/vocalist Colton Siegmund about the new record Chained to a Tree, available now via Silent Pendulum Records.
There’s a chance The Deslondes extended hiatus may have lasted longer had John James Tourville (fiddle/pedal steel) not proposed getting the band back together during the pandemic. Riley Downing (vocals/guitar) talks about the band’s reunion, it’s new album, Ways & Means, life on the road and more.
ABC frontman Martin Fry discusses COVID’s effects, and what comes next for the band
Thanks to support from the PRS Foundation and Help Musicians, UK artist Pit Pony was afforded the opportunity to record it’s blistering, melodic-punk debut, World To Me, during an otherwise daunting time in world history. Jackie Purver, Garth Purver, and Andrew Jones discuss how living in Newcastle helps shape the band’s sound.
Beth Arzy is well known for her sweet vocal work in Aberdeen/Trembling Blue Stars/The Luxembourg Signal, Lightning in a Twilight Hour, and now the excellent UK band *Jetstream Pony.
Spacey Jane’s sophomore album, Here Comes Everybody, follows close on the heels of the Australian band’s debut which came out in June 2020. Singer Caleb Harper talks lyrical inspirations, mental wellbeing, and seeking Jeff Tweedy’s approval on the album title.
With a sound rooted in folky and dreamy psychedelic-pop, Haunted Summer’s third album, Whole, proves you can judge a band by it’s name. We catch up with wife-and-husband duo Bridgette Moody and John Seasons as they happily return to the touring lifestyle they put on hold for the last two years.
JB Dunckel – half of the celebrated electronic band Air – discusses his new solo album, Carbon
‘Generation Riff’ founder Rob Janicke shares his five favorite non-fiction rock books.
After experiencing a whirlwind career-starting single, “No Roots,” (which currently has been streamed over 1 billion times worldwide), Alice Merton is learning to slow down and enjoy whatever life throws at her. Her new album, S.I.D.E.S., is the result of purging two years worth of dark thoughts and emotions as a form of therapy.
