Category Archives: Release Alert

Release Alert! Ultrabomb – “Artificial Stars” off the upcoming album The Bridges That We Burn

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Three men dressed in black t-shirts (with lettering) look out at the viewer. They appear to be pretty happy.

This band has been one of my favorites since they first joined forces around 2021 and although the lineup has changed slightly since then all the music has been great.   Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü) has remained the front man throughout and seems to have a special talent for both finding skilled musicians to play with and also for pulling them from bands that I have spent a lot of time listening to over the years.  In this current version of Ultrabomb he is joined by Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion, D.I. and Adolescents) and Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum).

For me the best thing about this track is the overall tone and sound that it has – there is something just a little bit vintage and throwback about the whole thing and I find it awesome.  I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Minneapolis music scene of the 80’s and there are echoes of the energy and urgency from those days coursing through this song.  These three musicians are tight and seamless in their playing with driving drums, a punchy bass line and the kind of melody work that sticks in your head.  

You can check this out on your streaming channels (quick link here): 

https://ffm.to/ultrabomb-artificialstars

The album is scheduled to release April 3, 2026 on DC-Jam Records / Virgin Music Group

Keep an eye out for any pre-save or pre-order info that surfaces out there as this one is going to be a hot commodity 🙂 

Release Alert! Jaguero – “Lit

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Four casually dressed men, front lit as the scene is dark, stand in a field looking forward the viewer.

This just released single is from a band that is new to me, in this case hailing from the Italian alt music scene.  After giving this one a few listens I also jumped back in their catalog and gave their 2022 EP Worst Weekend Ever a spin.  It is a good one with a few different vibes and sounds going on that keep you interested.  You can check it out as you wait for the expected upcoming new album from them.  

“Lit” is loud right from the start with drums and nice little squealing guitar clips in a couple places as it leads into the vocal track.  It keeps the guitar sound at the front throughout and has a supersonic bass that really fills a lot of the back space with buzzy goodness.  This song moves along at a nice pace and has an engaging energy that makes it memorable.  

You can check this on your usual streaming services and catch it here also: 

There is also more info and music at their Bandcamp page https://jaguero.bandcamp.com/

…and if you can, think about purchasing this after you hear it as streaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.

Support that local community when you can 🙂 

Release Alert! Bicycle Inn – Long in the Tooth 

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Back in September I had the opportunity to preview the single “Longsword (4th Place)” off of this new album.  I enjoyed that track especially the harder guitar riffs and some of the subtleties of the melody.   This full set just dropped on November 21st and is a really solid collection of edgier-than-usual emo music.

Right from go the lead-off song “In the End, It’s Just Starting Again” brings much energy from a cycling, buzzing guitar riff and a prominent but simple drum line.  That track also features a really nice down-tempo moment right around the 00:40 mark before rising into some anguished vocals.  Other stand-outs on this for me were “Ordinary Hell” (cool drum / bass interplay) and “I’d Bet My Life On It”” (nice, subtle guitar melody and a bit of a sonic buzz groove).

You can stream it in all of your usual places and if you have the inclination please think about purchasing it as streaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.  

Release Alert! Six Going On Seven – “Jack Jones” from the upcoming album Human Tears

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Single black and white images of three men. The two on the left are looking at the camera while the third man, in the middle, stares off to the left while drinking from a coffee cup.

Well, twenty-four years between albums is admittedly a long time but I was pretty interested when I received the press release from Earshot Media.  I was not aware of this band back in the late 90’s and early 00’s when they were actively putting out three albums in five years.  Instead I had run across them during one of those Apple Music rabbit holes where you start clicking on “Similar Artists” (I think back then it was “you might also like…” or “other artists like…”?) and eventually cross paths with some interesting bands.  I believe that particular chase had started with Samian but however it started, I ended up on Self-Made Mess (1997) from Six Going on Seven.  The music on that album was unique in its sparse lyrics and the arrangements woven around those words.  “Flu Season” and “Getaway Car” are two stand-out tracks on that release.   They had a couple more after that with Heartbreak’s Got Backbeat and American’t (Or Won’t) before they dropped off the scene.  Josh English (vocals, bass) released some solo work after that (“Great like Ghosts” is a favorite of mine) and I am unfortunately not aware of what James Bransford (guitar) and Will Bartlett (drums) have been up to in the interim.  

The new album is set to come out January 9, 2026 via Spartan Records and this single is the first one available to check out their current sound.  It opens up soft and slow and sets a kind of wistful tone that is joined by a little piano before filling out to a more full sound a little after the one minute mark.  The song from that point on is defined by a fairly linear drum track which sets an excellent framework for the music. It is enhanced by bass guitar that adds sonic texture and guitar that jumps through at some moments like a lonely scream. The vocals are clear and assertive, delivering lyrics that have a definite story to tell. This track, which shows the band is back and already going strong, is a good listen and hopefully a sign of a lot of good things to come on that album.  

You can check out the video for this one here on YouTube:  

You can pre-save the album (and yes, this does help:) here: 

https://orcd.co/humantears

And get a pre-order in for the vinyl here: 

Six Going On Seven

Let me know what you think!

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! 

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.

Release Alert! Treasure Pains & Spares  – Split EP

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Five men wearing t-shirts & standing in front of a grey building looking toward the camera.

Yes, I did just cover Treasure Pains new single “Left To Give” back on August 31st, a track that is actually part of this upcoming EP.  I am less familiar with Spares although I had heard their song “Stalemate” off their eponymous EP which came out earlier this year.  I thought it was an interesting bit of music with an eerie rhythm and melody joined by clipped vocals.  

I had the good fortune to be able to preview this split EP in full and it is definitely a nice set of four songs.  Other than “Left To Give” Treasure Pains also contribute “Strike,” a driving, fuzzy guitar, jumpy drum, screaming vocal piece on the harder side of pop punk. 

The two songs from Spares are “Joke” and “New Indignities.”  That first track has a really cool atmospheric tone with a lilting melody.  It runs 6 minutes and gets a little dense at points but keeps your attention with some jumpy pace changes and interesting lyrics.   The second one is a quick 2:42 of blistering guitars, non-stop vocals and an interesting synth accompaniment.  

This is set to drop from Wiretap Records / Council Records on September 26th and pre-orders can be placed here: 

https://council-records.bandcamp.com/album/split

A couple videos are out (one from each band) if you want a preview of this music:  

three men and one woman toward the camera. Three are resting against a back wall while one man is closer to the viewer.

Your local community needs you –  Get out there and meet some people 🙂

Release Alert! Mercy Music and Danger Days Split 7″ 

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Just thought I would put out a quick notice for this dynamic upcoming release from Double Helix Records.  

I do not quite remember when I first heard Mercy Music but I do remember the name of the album – When I die, I’m taking you with me.  That title just struck me and has stuck around in my head.  There is a song on there (“Painless”) that warrants a listen also if you ever get a chance.

Danger Days is new to me although the members are a collection of musicians from other bands; The Rabble, Movin in Stereo, Millencolin and Flirting with Disaster. 

This release is a nice combination of talented musicians with the two songs fitting well together.  Mercy Music has “Big Fucking Mess” which I really like for the pacing changes throughout the song.  It starts with a call out on the song title and then cuts back and forth with some choppy, slow moments augmented by thrashing high points.  Danger Days fires off right away on “Wasted Time” and keeps a hammering clip going all the way to the end.  It is a tight, fast track that will have you singing right along.  

This drops tomorrow but you can do a pre-save here: 

https://ffm.to/presaveddmm

Take a listen on your usual streaming places and then maybe hit the Double Helix Records store for some hard copy 🙂 

https://www.doublehelixrecords.com/

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 🙂