Category Archives: Music Reviews

Release Alert! Overstand- “Short Fuse State” from the upcoming album Take Control 

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I know it will be awhile until you can take a listen to this (the single on 7” is set to drop September 5th, with the album to follow October 3rd), but you should definitely put this on your radar.  

Overstand formed back in 2020 and have an early eponymously titled EP that came out in 2022.  It is a really good hardcore set of 7 songs that blast away with intensity and purpose.  A great track to check out from this release is “Cracks in the Mirror.”  It has a simple message about how to live life, ripping guitar riffs and a pretty cool change of pace right after the midway point. 

Having been able to check out Take Control I can say that Overstand have only gotten better.   The guitars are still fierce, the bass is thundering, the drums have enough energy to light up the night and the vocals are edgy and powerful.  All of that is not surprising given the pedigree of the musicians involved but it is awesome to hear it all come together so well.  Check out “Short Fuse” (which also includes a guest vocal from Puerto Rican Myke of Skarhead & District 9) coming up in September and you will have a good idea of what is in store for the album.   There is an absolute ferocity in this song.  Also, according to the press release from Earshot Media, the backside of that 7” will be a cover of Bomber Zee (Agnostic Front).  You can ponder that until September 🙂

Song Review- Tess & The Details – “Take Me Alive”

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You may or may not recall the stellar debut from this band.  It is called Runaway and made quite an impression on me when it was released back in 2023.   Throughout the album there was just a little bit of grittiness and unpolished edge showing through that made it even better…in my opinion anyway.  That touch of roughness happens on a lot of opening releases of course but it is not always a good thing and it does not always add positive energy to the songs…but it worked really well on Runaway.  A good example to check out there is “Take a Number.”

On this new single release that original edge is gone but hey, that happens also and is not a drawback here.  The band is in fine form on this song and have evolved their sound away from mainline pop punk toward a more rock vibe.  Opening on a blistering and heavy rhythm section that quickly drops off for some vocals from Tess Stevens, the track climbs to some anthemic heights.  The lyrics are pointed and relevant to our modern day online craziness.  As Stevens remarked in the Earshot Media press release for this single: “The song is about rejecting the stupidity we see online, unplugging ourselves from the things that cause us self doubt. It’s about telling the world to ‘take you alive’ as you truly are.” On the way out at the end you can hear some nice guitar work before Tess bids us all ‘bye.

Video to check out here: 

If you go out and give “Take Me Alive” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

That local community that surrounds you is awesome – remember to support them!

Song Review- Stray View “Vivid”

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So, this is a new band for me and I happened to come across them as I was browsing through the Hopeless Records website on a check for some new sounds.  As a side note, Hopeless has a great collection of artists with some killer music – to name just a few; All Time Low, Tigers Jaw, Sincere Engineer and the Used.  Direct link here and they have it set up so it is pretty easy to do a quick listen if a band catches your fancy: 

https://www.hopelessrecords.com/artists

After I did a first listen through to this song I was initially intrigued by the vocals.  I have a conflicted relationship with some of the stylistic elements of vocals that edge over into primal screams and guttural exclamations.  Sometimes I really like it, sometimes not really – I think it has a lot to do with the quality of the singer and the way those harder vocal elements are woven into the song.   Stray View have a great singer in Dave Escamilla and the mix here is a good one from my point of view.   

This track starts on a soft, quiet note and then builds slowly to a full power feast of steady, loud drums, soaring guitars, and an ominous bass.  The bridge (opened up by a unique drum solo) is quite the volume experience with some hard but tightly controlled energy delivering a nice punch.  

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://hopelessrecords.bandcamp.com/track/vivid-1

If you get time, take a little walk around and meet your local businesses – community is powerful! 

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

Song Review- Katie Knipp “Go” (Electro-Funk Remix) 

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Photo by Phil Kampel

Well, when you review a remix of a song (this one is off her 2024 album Me)  you have to say which one you like better…right?  So you have that to look forward to later anyway 🙂 

It is no secret that I (and plenty of other people judging from the recognition and awards she has received) know that Knipp is a fantastic musician and one of the rising but still under-appreciated musicians in the blues music scene today.  Just as a personal observation, I receive a lot of comm from musicians and hers always comes across as very sincere, heartfelt and “on the cuff’ – meaning that she comes across as real and authentic.  

When Me was released I was impressed with the depth and layers of the songs on that record and my favorite track was Outlaw Doc which is reviewed here: 

Song Review- Katie Knipp “Outlaw Doc” from the album Me

“Go” was a strong track also off that album with an interesting spoken word opening over piano and some very pointed lyrics.  It has a nice, slow bluesy groove running through it and comes across as a pensive reflection on complicated relationships.  This electro-funk remix keeps a soft opening with a slow drum-driven and punchy bass tempo with Knipp’s vocals riding right along the top of the rhythm.  The guitar solo around the 3:00 mark and gospel-style chorus that follows are great moments that fill out this song and really make it noteworthy.  This version seems more personal than the one on Me…and yes, I like it more than the original.

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

Your locals need you so keep them in mind always – community is powerful! 

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

Song Review- Lot Lizards – “Broken Parts” from the album The Horrors of Adulting

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A quick jump backwards before we get to the review  – the first song I heard from this group was back in late 2021.  “Exploding Heart Syndrome” from their eponymous debut album struck me right away with its energy.  It suffers a little from a slightly buried vocal track but the content of those lyrics has a story to which we can all relate – stop being fake and don’t be afraid to be your whole, real self.  Now…if we could only get more people to listen to that message…  

Anyway, onward to the present day…

Lot Lizards have their new album The Horrors of Adulting set for a July 25th release and this track is a preview for that album.  

A loud and raucous all-in start to this song holds you for about 25 seconds before the vocals from Jon Barnes kick in to tell a pretty tough story.  As Barnes noted in the press release from Earshot Media, “It’s about my father, who is struggling with Parkinson’s disease. It’s heavy and deeply personal, but there’s also catharsis in facing that reality head-on.”   There is a great outro that starts around 2:25 that slows this song down a bit with some searing guitars and a booming drum & bass line…before it fades off into goodbye.  

Streaming available at your preferred service – quick link here: 

https://found.ee/lotlizards_brokenparts

And you can jump on the album pre-sale from Punkerton Records here: 

Lot Lizards

If you go out and give “Broken Parts” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

All of us should support each other – community is powerful! 

Release Alert! Bill Scorzari – “All This Time” 

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As I already am a big fan of this artist I had been tracking his posts about the development and production of his upcoming albums, Sidereal Days (Day 1) & Sidereal Days (Day 2).   This single is the first one off the “Day 1” album.   You can catch some of that behind the scenes info on YouTube and through various other press and social media. 

The making of these albums has been a long process for him as noted in the press release  from Dreamspider Publicity:

“Bill self-recorded his instrumentation and vocals for this song—and the entire double album—at his New York studio, First Thunder Recording. It was there that, starting in July of 2022, Bill laid out all of his parts and fine-tuned his compositions over two years’ time before bringing those recordings to Skinny Elephant Recording in Nashville in August 2024 to continue with engineer Dylan Alldredge, with Bill and Neilson Hubbard co-producing.”

“All This Time” has the kind of simplicity that tends to be a hallmark of Scorzari’s most memorable music.  A soft guitar melody on nylon strings gets things started and is accompanied by an understated acoustic bass that gives just enough texture to the music.  There are also some poignant cello and violin strings here.  The piano comes in to provide a hopeful air to the otherwise melancholy vibe of this track.  

Standby for the album releases currently slated to start in October of this year.  You can stream this one now  (easy access link below):

https://billscorzari.hearnow.com/all-this-time

Once you check it on your usual places please consider a purchase as streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand.  

And if you want to hear what I consider to be his best full album released to date, give a listen to The Crosswinds of Kansas, one song of which I had reviewed here: 

Song Review – Bill Scorzari “All Behind Me Now” from the album The Crosswinds of Kansas

Album Review – What Do You Know About Ska Punk Volume 1 

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As I happened to come across this on Bandcamp the other day I thought I would put out this short bit about it…sort of a public service announcement I guess, or just a recommendation to check out this classic and noteworthy collection.  

At some point in 2020 I had picked up another edition of this (Volume 4) which, in addition to having a cosmically cool cover, had really given me a nice tour around ska punk at the time.   That set of CD’s had even more songs (165!) than this first volume (134) as hard as that may be to believe.  

Volume 1 has it all in terms of how the ideas and sounds of ska & punk were being interpreted and fused together at the time.  Some favorites of mine; Tangerine Drive (from Backyard Superheroes), Walk Away (Rude King), In My Head (Mad Dog & the 20/20’s), and Here We Go Again (The Taj Motel Trio) – a short list to start with but there are so many good songs on here.  

And yes, there is a Volume 5 not to mention 2 and 3 of course – many props to the people at What Do You Know About Ska Punk who also put out other releases you can listen to and pick up when ready.  

You can check this and more info / music  on their Bandcamp page https://whatdoyouknowaboutskapunk.bandcamp.com/

As always, please go out and support local art and music – community is powerful 🙂 

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

Song Review- SUNBENDR – “Stick Up”

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After getting a release note from Earshot Media on this one I had to check it out.  It mentioned that this band is powered by some notable names from the alternative / indie rock sector including Chris Cote (Kut U Up), Frank Dixon (Nancy, Sister Juanita), Brandon Parkhurst (Kut U Up, Yovee) and some helper vocals from George Perks (Mogwai, Doves).  All have put out some music in the past that I thought was pretty darn good.   

No disappointment on my expectations when I hit “play” as you get a powerful drum knock-around right away that is soon followed by a groovy and strong bass line.  Once the guitar fills out the sound everyone is in fine form by the half-minute mark.  They take the time to develop a nice foundation and then the vocals punch in at 1:03.  The vibe flips to a bit of a sing-a-long groove for a bit before powering back on and the vocals trade off nicely between Cote and Parkhurst.  I thought five minutes might be a little long when I started listening but it keeps your attention all the way through.  

Cool side note that this was produced and mixed by Perks at Tom DeLonge’s home studio 🙂 

Steaming in all your usual places – quick link here:

https://onerpm.link/StickUp

If you go out and give “Stick Up” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful! 

Song Review- TRUSS – “Concession Stand” from the album Fluorescence

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Before I get to my favorite track on this album I definitely want to shout out this DIY effort from these Cleveland rockers.   As mentioned by Eric Kennedy (guitar & bass) in their release info, “The entire project was DIY – written, recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered in our own homes.”  All efforts at self-sufficiency deserve to be applauded in my opinion and this one is a solid example of what can be done by dedicated musicians.  The production quality here is very good and the sonic atmosphere they deliver on these tracks really sets a great vibe for the entire album.  

In several places in the press release there is mention of nostalgia and I have to agree that the songs definitely brought me back a few decades.  TRUSS certainly have a handle on that tone and groove some bands of the mid-90’s / early 00’s were bringing to the table.  For me “Concession Stand” really hit that the best and I found myself clicking “repeat”…well, repeatedly.  

A soft guitar melody starts this off with just a little bass overlay giving way to a tight, rising drum and then dipping back down to mellow vibes with great sonic atmosphere.  The vocal parts on this that dart in and out of the drum line have a nice dreamy effect that kind of sticks with you.  

Available via your usual streaming places of course.  You can also check out the first single from the album (“Numb”) here:

If you go out and give “Concession Stand” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful! 

Song Review- Useless ID “Too Late To Start Over” from the album No Vacation From the World 

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When I heard that this classic (and great!) 2003 album from UID was being re-released I knew it was going to be a good day.  Note that you can get this gem on yellow vinyl & CD via Bandcamp (link below) or other outlets.  My first exposure to them came through their  association with the late great Tony Sly as he was involved in this album and I picked up on that from some article in some magazine I was reading at the time.   This is one of those “CD’s that got away” from me in my moving around and I had never gotten around to replacing it.  I believe on that original release the 15th track was un-credited on the song listing for the CD?…somebody correct me if I am off on that – here it is titled “Talk” but still has info I cannot compute as I do not speak the language.   

I originally was going to review “Same Story Someone New” for this post as it really gives me those SoCal punk / alt-rock vibes that I like so much.   In the end though I picked “Too Late To Start Over” as it really has some power and a notable composition.  This song delivers a nice punch right away off a loud drum intro and soaring guitar riffs.  It drives along at a good pace (with a vocal track slightly obscured by the instruments) until the 1:25 mark, when it ascends to a remarkable and different place that lasts the remainder of the song and has it all: squealing  guitars, booming drums, punchy bass line and an arrangement that manages to  be chaos and composed all at the same time.  I did not remember this track being so good…but it has been a long time.  

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

Locals – we all need each other – community is powerful! 

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