Author Archives: Jack Mesenbourg

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About Jack Mesenbourg

Jack Mesenbourg is a writer, musician, photographer, and artist from Minneapolis. He has spent his years hopping around the country, scribbling notes & scratching pictures in poorly organized journals along the way. Traveling with him have been his passions and distractions such as music, gardening, baseball, cooking and finding good local beer. Hopefully his projects provide you with some insight, provoke some thinking or at least give you a little amusement.

Release Alert! Katie Knipp – Dance Me

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A stylized photo of a woman singing into a microphone.

I am always a fan of artists who take a chance and step out of their usual style or genre to give some other sounds a try.   Knipp has long been a great talent (mostly in the blues / rock space) going all the way back to her first album Midnight Mind.   She has displayed other chops along the way (speaking of that first album check out “Someonewherelse” which is a piano driven number and a fav of mine).  Some other highlights from the past to check out include “Santa Cruz Blues” (off Take It With You), “The Gospel of Good Intentions” (The Well and also a great performance on Live at the Green Room Social Club) and “Outlaw Doc” (Me).  One of the things I appreciate the most (other than the great band she always has with her) is her ability to write piercing lyrics that kind of sneak up on you sometimes…you can just be listening along and she will turn a phrase or a sharp line on you unexpectedly.   So, all of that being said, when I started seeing her release some “re-mixes” as singles I had a “what the heck is this all about moment?”  Not to worry though as Dance Me, which she proudly proclaims as “my first ever electronica record!” is an interesting and worthy addition to her catalog.  

This new album, featuring re-mixes of eight of the ten songs off of 2024’s Me, hits a range of grooves in that electronica space.  These include a club-bopping version of “Vampire”, the slow and slightly breathless funk of “Go” and a dreamy and stark reggae influenced take on “Stillness.”  You can definitely dance to these but they are also pretty cool to listen to just sitting around and pondering the world.   

If you check these songs or the album out…please think about purchasing as streaming does not pay well even times a thousand.

You can check out more music and info at either link below:

https://katieknipp.bandcamp.com/music

https://katieknipp.com/home

And please remember to support all of your locals…that community out there is a pretty cool place 🙂 

Release Alert! The Chesterfield Kings – Loose Ends: 1989 – 2004 Rare, B-sides & Unreleased

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Five men, all musicians, are gathered around a bass drum. Four of them are holding guitars while one sits on top of the drum. They appear casual and relaxed.

I wanted to get a quick post out about this very cool news – Wicked Cool Records just released this ten track set on October 31st and it is worth picking up right away.  I had the good fortune to be able to preview the music and was impressed not only by the songs themselves but also by the production quality.  This album sounds great – loud, clear and just as boisterous as anything else the Chesterfield Kings ever put out.  My personal favs are “Pictures of Matchstick Men” (a bit on the psychedelic side) and “Rosalyn” (just a killer rock n’ roll tune) but there is a lot to like here.  

Five men, two who are sitting on a bench, look out toward the viewer. They are dressed in the style of the late 1970's and appear serious.

If you are new to this band you might have to work a little harder than usual to get a full feel for their sound as it goes all the way back to 1982’s Here Are The Chesterfield Kings (if you ever see this on vinyl…please get hold of me!) and spans 11 albums and a wide collection of singles and EP’s.  There have also been a good number of musicians in and out of the group over that time period but the music has stayed consistently good and accessible.  If you want a quick tour through the years I would suggest that first album (if you can find it), Drunk On Muddy Water (with a pretty cool version of Robert Johnson’s “I Got Ramblin”), 2007’s Psychedelic Sunrise and their most recent album, We’re Still All The Same.

Once you check it on your usual places and see what you think! 

Album Review- Seahaven- Winter Forever

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Four men standing in a dark place with a pale, single source of light above left. They are also dressed in dark clothing giving the image an eerie quality.

Yes, yes, I know…this is an album from quite a long time ago…15 years to be exact.  I had not listened to it for a good stretch of time either when the press release from Earshot Media hit my inbox announcing that Seahaven was headed out on a special tour.  This short run (which will span eleven dates in January and February 2026) will feature them playing the album in full.  Considering that Winter Forever contains a really great collection of emo / pop-punk songs this sets up to an event worth attending.

Back in the day (2011) when I first heard the album I was struck by a few things:

  • The unique voice of Kyle Soto (who also plays guitar) which adds a layer of texture to every song; kind of a heartfelt, ironic, slightly cheeky overlay that will stick with you.
  • Interesting and varied arrangements; these range from the change-of pace groove of “Goodnight” to the hammering choppiness of “Thank You” and on to the simple, stripped down “Honeybee.”  There is a lot of musical talent going on within these tracks. 
  • Very cool guitar sounds – I have always liked the tone on this album – a simple thing but notable to me. 

Musicians on this (other than Soto) are: Cody Christian (guitar), Mike DeBartolo (bass, piano) and Eric Findlay (drums).

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

There is also a pretty cool acoustic EP on Bandcamp that is worth checking out (including a version of “Goodnight “ which is also on Winter Forever) – link below: 

https://seahaven.bandcamp.com/album/acoustic-sessions

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Half Dizzy- “Darkest Days” off the upcoming album Yard Sale

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Five people, two women and three men, sit on a staircase looking at the viewer.

Very nice to see this track drop on October 17th (via Punkerton Records) which follows the release earlier this year of “Turn This Up” which I reviewed here back in July. 

This new single is a great follow-up and starts on a quick drum fill backed up by powerful guitar riffs and a pulsing bass accentuating every beat.  Lead singer Dizzy Doll’s vocals, snarly and soaring all at the same time, punch through the music nicely and there is also a ripping guitar moment around 2:08.  A really good, melodic punk style tune with plenty of volume and power!

These two singles definitely have me eagerly anticipating Yard Sale which is set to come out on December 12th.  Described in the Earshot Media press release as a “raw and reflective punk rock scrapbook — a record built from the pieces of a life lived loud, lost, and learned the hard way,” I believe this one should be well worth the wait.  

Musicians (in addition to Dizzy Doll) are: Daniel Marchelewski (guitar, vocals), Mason Cohen (drums), Mitchell Rhein (lead guitar) and Mina Maziekis (bass). 

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

https://ffm.to/halfdizzy_darkestdays

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Album pre-orders here:

Half Dizzy "Yard Sale" [Vinyl] (Pre-Order)

Your community and all of its people are super cool….check them out when you have a chance!

Song Review- Bitters and Distractions- “The Threads”

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Two casually dressed men are looking toward the viewer. They are standing on a brick sidewalk.

This group is a new one to me and they just dropped this single October 17th on Sell The Heart Records.  The press release from Earshot Media noted that the group channels “the energy and urgency of punk rock through stripped-down, acoustic-driven arrangements.”  Well, that sounded pretty interesting so I gave it a listen and was impressed. 

It definitely has a spare and grassroots vibe right from the start; a couple quick, bare guitar chords and then a raw and edgy vocal that spells out some pretty basic life moments and experiences such as “trying to figure out what our body has left.”  That general groove stays true throughout the song which also features some dual vocal parts that feel anguished and hopeful all at the same time.  This is a good tune in the tradition of punk but with the interesting acoustic style and arrangement.  

Musicians on this are: Jeremy Quitko and Travis Johnides 

This should be out there to listen to on your favorite channels now.  

And if you have the inclination…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

More info at these links: 

www.bittersanddistractions.com 

www.selltheheartrecords.com

Support that local community – we all need each other! 

Album Review- Bill Scorzari – Sidereal Days (Day 1)

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A bearded man holding a guitar in his lap is looking to the right

Ever since I reviewed the early single “All This Time” from this album I had been (patiently?) waiting for my pre-ordered copy to arrive.  It finally did show up last week and I have been happily listening to it since then.  

One of the best things about Sidereal Days (Day 1) is that it sounds awesome.  Every selection just breathes like it is alive and takes you on a sonic journey to the setting of each story Scorzari is telling.  Making a record that has such great quality and depth of sound across all instruments and vocals takes a lot of patient planning, careful execution and talented production work – much appreciation to the group of people that brought this album together.  

There are ten tracks including three extended play selections (“And Carries Me Away” at 8:10, “Endgame” 7:31 and “Grace” 7:14) that are quite notable for the fact that they do not feel strung out at all.  Instead, they incorporate diverse instrumentation, engaging composition and Scorzari’s simple yet so very real-to-life lyrics to create these interesting and evocative short stories.  I have hit repeat on the CD player multiple times after each of these comes to an end just to go through that experience again.  

The other songs on this album are more traditional in length and there is one (“From Your Heart”) which I think may be the shortest Bill Scorzari tune of all time at 2:21 in length.  It is a powerful 2+ minutes though with a simple guitar melody supported by haunting strings and pedal steel, wistful mandolin, a faint piano and a few magical dobro moments.  A couple other favorites of mine are “All This Time” (my prior review here) and “Did We Tie.”

“Tie” is a slow-paced song with a few notable elements; an organ that adds some subtle but poignant texture, percussion (including some muted cymbal crashes) that peeks out at just the right moments and a deliberate pacing that almost seems like a slow march.  Also, the mix on this track is wonderfully subtle and intricate – get those good headphones on if you have them, sit back and just let this one come alive for you.  I also have to use this track as an example of why I think Scorzari’s lyrics are so unique and powerful.  One line of this song goes like this: “Who’s the bigger fool between you and I.” That would be enough for many songwriters but then there is a little stop after which he adds, “or did we tie?”  It is a simple thing really but it is those kinds of extra little add-ons that caught my attention early in my experience with his songs and I think it is pretty cool.  There are plenty of other examples of this on the record and on his others but “Endgame” here is a great one for a full introduction to his lyrical style.  

A set of great musicians play on this album other than Scorzari including: Brad Talley, Neilson Hubbard, Michael Rinne, Chelsea McGough, Danny Mitchell, Megan McCormick, Cindy Richardson Walker, Joshua Britt, Marie Lewey, Juan Solorzano and Eamon McLoughlin.

You can check out more of the music and information here: 

https://www.billscorzari.com/

Your community – us and you and everyone else – is powerful…remember to support and engage.

And please think about purchasing this album after you listen –  I think it is a worthy addition to every collection.  

Let me know you think! 

Album Review- Time Thieves – If You Survive

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Three men and one woman stand outside a shop that looks like a convenience store. They look happy.

Let’s briefly jump back in time to 2020 when I picked up on this band due to Ryan Young’s (Off With Their Heads) involvement with their album Space.   I believe that was their debut recording although they had been around a few years before at that point so I may be incorrect.  It is a worthy set of eleven songs in the pop punk space with more synthesizers than you might expect…but it works really well.  A few highlights off that album are “Canned” and “You Should Know.”  It is still available for digital purchase on their Bandcamp page.  Since then they have released a series of singles including a groovy cover of  “Major Tom” (Peter Shilling) and an EP called Come Home (check out the title track which is a full-power loud guitars and hammering drums rocker.) 

This new EP has five songs that lead off with “Fool’s Gold” which has a great guitar intro that sets up the power vibe for the track.  It settles down in a few places but always returns to that pulsing guitar and a heavy rhythm groove.  That is followed by “Stare at the Sun” and “Anymore” which are good power pop tracks that have some interesting lyrics.  A change of pace happens with “Dirge (If You Survive)” a song that does have a funeral feeling to it but one played at high volume and with a lot of distortion.  It is a pretty darn good listen if you ask me.  The final track is “Offer What You May” which is a spare, quiet song that is short, to the point and a good end cap for this EP. 

Overall, this album is a really good follow up to Come Home and worth picking up for your collection! 

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://timethieveschicago.bandcamp.com

Your community – us and you and everyone else – is powerful…remember to support and engage.

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Album Review —Terry Klein – Hill Country Folk Music

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A man in a flannel shirt looks toward the camera.

I have to admit that prior to the press release from Broken Jukebox Media hitting my inbox I was not familiar with Terry Klein.  Based on that lack of knowledge I was not sure what to expect from an album titled Hill Country Folk Music.  It is set to drop November 7th but I had the good fortune to get a sneak peek.  There are many avenues down the folk highway so I hit play to find out which one this album was traveling along. 

The lead-off track here is “Try” which comes in nice and easy with country music slow-dance vibes and a catchy mandolin accompaniment.  Klein’s vocals are earnest and direct, telling a simple but poignant story of keeping on through adversity.  It almost has a defiant tone about overcoming challenges.  There is also an alternate version of this song (“Try Again”) as the final selection on the album which changes the energy from hopeful to weary and worn out.  It is an interesting study in the ways a tune can be molded by an artist though musical composition and vocal delivery.  

That song is followed by “I Used to Be Cool” which is the first single and already available to stream.  It has a different style than “Try” with guitars right away and a subtle drum – kind of an alt-county feel.  The topic here is what you might expect (getting older and associated things) but told with some heartfelt nostalgia.  

Nine more tracks follow and one of the most interesting things about all of them collectively is that these range in style, tone and pace.  You get a good mix of the two styles already mentioned above along with some Americana, bluegrass and one that could easily fit in a pop song rotation.  I think it is mission accomplished for Klein who is quoted as saying this about how he thinks is regard to song mix on his albums: 

“I scrupulously avoid making my records all one thing, all one sound.  Dynamics are important.”

This is an engaging album that keeps you on your toes throughout and delivers good songs while telling stories about real people, their lives and experiences.  

Check that single out on your favorite streaming channel – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

You can keep an eye out for any pre-order / pre-save info that might come out via Klein’s website terrykleinmusic.com

Remember all of the cool things about your own local community!

Release Alert! The Bobby Lees – “Napoleon”

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A slightly sunburned person (seen from behind) appears to be looking at a large seafood menu. The name of this band is also sunburned into their back.

Good news recently as it was announced that this great band (whose decision a couple of years ago to go on hiatus was understandable but still lamented by me) has signed to Epitaph.  They also dropped this new single “Napoleon” which was described by singer Sam Quartin on the labels’ website:

“This song is about wanting to change and no longer being interested in complaining about a problem or situation. It’s about trying to live in the solution.”

The track is a solid comeback for The Bobby Lees and it is very nice to hear some new music from them – looking forward to what comes next! 

Musicians (in addition to Quartin): Macky Bowman (drums) and Kendall Wind (bass). 

Check it out here and let me know what you think.