Release Alert- Bill Scorzari – “I Stayed”  from the upcoming album Sidereal Days (Day 2)

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a black and white image of a man with a long beard looking off to the left and upward

Having spent plenty of time listening to Sidereal Days (Day 1) since it came out I was excited to see the press release from Dreamspider Publicity on January 23rd that this new single had dropped.  Also, even though the actual release date for the full Day 2 album is currently September 25th my understanding is that there will be a single out each month until then…so definitely something to look forward to along the way.  

You only have to read the list of musicians (below) to understand you are in for a treat and pushing play brings that thought to life.  The music here is delicately crafted, gentle in tone but with a sharp acoustic melody poking through like pinpricks of pain.  The big acoustic bass plays so well in this song also, a heartbeat offset by the drum line.  Like all of Scorzari’s lyrics the ones here are right from the heart, raw and stark as they weave a story of love lost.  

This is a great first single to hear off of Sidereal Days (Day 2) and I will be looking forward to more music from the album soon. 

Musicians on this are: Bill Scorzari (acoustic guitar, vocals), Erin Rae (harmony vocals), Marie Lewey (backing vocals), Cindy Richardson Walker (backing vocals), Juan Solorzano (pedal steel), Danny Mitchell (piano, Hammond B3 organ), Chelsea McGough (cello), Eamon McLoughlin (violin), Michael Rinne (upright acoustic bass) and Neilson Hubbard (drums, percussion). 

Give this one a listen here: 

https://billscorzari.hearnow.com/i-stayed

Please let me know your opinion also in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.billscorzari.com/

https://www.instagram.com/billscorzari

His song “When Will My Time Come Along” also appears in my 5 To Spin playlist for 06.30.2025

https://bandcamp.com/jackmesenbourg/playlist/06302025

Prior Reviews: 

Song Review – Bill Scorzari “All Behind Me Now” from the album The Crosswinds of Kansas
Release Alert! Bill Scorzari – “All This Time” 
Album Review- Bill Scorzari – Sidereal Days (Day 1)

Just a few ideas if you have the time:  purchase music when you can as streaming does not pay much even times a thousand, support and get to know your local community, live well and be a good neighbor 🙂 

Song Review- ghostbells – “Immortal Lovers”  from the album Catacouture

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Two people (one sitting on a cot and one standing) inside a prison cell, both of them looking toward the viewer. The person on the bed has a musical device on their lap.

Sometimes it can be very cool to step back into a musical moment from your past and re-experience a bit of those special rhythms, grooves and beats.   This new single from ghostbells has some good fresh energy to it but definitely throws back to the electronic dance sounds of the 80’s.  The first couple of times listening to this song I had a few flashbacks to some rather interesting times in Tijuana.  All of those nights were fueled by entrancing waves of bass and synthesizer played loud and accompanied by those wonderful flashing stage lights.  This track has all the heavy rhythm you could want blended well into a relentless techno framework.

This band was new to me and they have a pretty cool back story on getting to this point in their journey.  As detailed in the press release from Earshot Media: 

“ghostbells’ rise has been anything but conventional. After spending nearly two years writing, recording, and filming videos before approaching labels, the band signed to Out of Line Music in June 2025 with nearly two albums’ worth of material already completed. Just weeks later, with no released music and newly launched social media, they made their live debut at Poland’s Castle Party Festival.”

I have also recently heard that this full EP is going to be out February 5th via Out of Line Music.   You can get a pre-order for the CD here:

https://www.outoflineshop.de/ghostbells-catacouture-cd.html

And pre-save the album (which really helps!): 

https://ghostbells.lnk.to/Catacouture

The video for “Immortal Lovers” can be viewed here and is certainly quirky enough to be worth a view: 

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://ghostbells.bandcamp.com/music .

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Just a few ideas if you have the time:  purchase music when you can as streaming does not pay much even times a thousand, support and get to know your local community, live well and be a good neighbor 🙂 

Album Review- Mylo Bybee – Revisions 

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Four men stand in front of a cement wall.

Having had a chance to preview the first single off this album (“Time Machine”) I was excited to see the press release about this upcoming EP which is set to drop February 20th on Gold Ship Records.  I was definitely curious about what the rest of the music would sound like and was not disappointed when I gave Revisions a listen.  

Opening on “I Wish You Well” (which is also the second single and out now) the EP starts soft and slow with a gentle guitar melody.  That leads into some prominent drums which sound heavy but manage to retain a little lightness…kind of an emotional beat.  That general tone carries through the first 2:20 of the song accompanied by an airy vocal.  The bridge has a faster rhythm to it with a kick drum and bass guitar giving an impression of running out toward something.  Then the vocal comes back in and it all crashes gloriously to a rising finish.  

“Surrendered Notions” (a bouncy, energetic blast with soaring guitars later in the song that feel like they touch the sky) is followed by “Liar” (a mellow but infectious track complemented by more great guitars) and then the previously released “Time Machine.”

The fifth song “Misinformed” is a nice change of pace from the general tone of this EP.  It has a  bit of an alt-pop groove that runs along nicely for the first two and a half minutes before switching gears to a booming finish that has a bit of controlled chaos about it.  The album then finishes on “Scaredy Cat” which might seem long at 5:20 but I found it to hold together well all the way through.  Overall, the six selections on Revisions make up a memorable set of alternative rock music especially if you like it served with well-crafted sonic guitar moments.  

Musicians on this are:  Tyler Schlagenhauf (vocals, guitar), Tim Fahlen (guitar), Tony Caruso (bass) and Jason Guadalupe (drums) 

You can stream their new single “I Wish You Well” here:

https://ffm.to/iwyw26

And check the video:

Just a few ideas if you have the time:  purchase music when you can as streaming does not pay much even times a thousand, support and get to know your local community, live well and be a good neighbor 🙂 

Please let me know your opinion also in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://mylobybee.bandcamp.com/

See my prior review of their “Time Machine” single here: 

Song Review –  Homebase “Nuff Said”

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Five young men, casually dressed and standing in front of a music stage, look out toward the viewer.

This group’s first single “Bold” (out in 2025) was an energetic, guitar heavy song right in the middle of the pop punk space and a solid debut.  Even though it has only been a short time since that first release this new track (set to drop on January 23rd) shows some added refinement and growth for this young band and a lot of promise for the future.  

“Nuff Said” opens on some nice, loud guitars that are soon joined by a very heavy rhythm section that booms out in front of this song all the way through.  There is such a lively pace to the music that I was a bit surprised when it finished to realize it was a little over 3:30 in length.  There is also a dual vocal here and they play well off of each other with some clever phrasing in the lyrics.  And standby for the last 45 seconds as it is quite a finish!  A really good song and we can hope for some more from Homebase in 2026 and beyond.  

Musicians on this are: Chris Ochoa (drums), Dave Caruso Josh (bass), Antonio Valentino (vocals), Arturo Cordova (guitar) and Matt Valentin (guitar) 

Pre-save this song here (yes, it helps a lot!) 

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/homebase2/nuff-said/

Please let me know your opinion also in the comment section below 🙂 

Interested in more info on this group?

https://homebase.band/

https://www.instagram.com/itshomebase

Just a few ideas if you have the time:  purchase music when you can as streaming does not pay much even times a thousand, support and get to know your local community, live well and be a good neighbor 🙂 

Album Review- Sam Bergquist – Devils & Doves

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A man dressed in a patterned, long sleeve shirt and famed by an autumn tree looks toward the viewer. He is holding an acoustic guitar.

Up until I received the press release from Adam with Broken Jukebox Media for this upcoming album (set to drop March 13th) the only song I had heard by this artist was “Do Things Different” off 2023’s Wiser Then.  That track had several of the elements I have always liked about the good singer-songwriters; simple, down to earth lyrics and arrangements that are fairly straightforward but have special little touches that make them very memorable.  Prior to his most recent releases (in 2023 and 2025) Bergquist was part of the Boston band Loose Change who have some cool songs you can still find out there if you poke around (“Caroline” is a good starting place).  

Devils & Doves is definitely a solid set of ten tracks that mirrors Bergquist’s own words: 

“This album is a reflection of my interest in all kinds of music,” he says, “and I was lucky enough to have some wonderful musicians help me fold those influences into the sound.”

It opens up with “Envy Blues” which has a folksy groove to it with a nice mandolin accompaniment and a shuffling rhythm.  A few tracks later you will find “In a Box” with its down tempo pacing, clear vocals that impart a sense of yearning and just a touch of the fiddle for a little bit of mournful wailing.  This song also has a really well placed bass line that adds to the feeling of heaviness that travels throughout the music.  

On the second half of this album “Redwood Tree” has a much different feeling, carefree and happy with a very bright melody.  Bergquist got the inspiration for the lyrics on a walk through some Redwoods and, having had the good fortune to take some of those walks myself, the words on this one really hit home.   The album closes out powerfully on “New Day” which is one of those songs that has tons of optimism and good vibes running through it.  With an upbeat rhythm and guitar work along with some nice pedal steel this is a hand-clapper that will leave you feeling pretty darn good about things.  

You get a nice range of sound, arrangements and styles on Devils & Doves and it is an album that definitely deserves a place in your collection.  

Although there is no pre-save / pre-order info available on this album that I could find, you can check out some of the songs from this album on his Bandcamp page (link below) and I am sure the full album will be there on release day.  

https://sambergquist.bandcamp.com/music

You can also check out his website at: 

https://bergquistmusic.com/

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below 🙂 

Just a few ideas if you have the time:  purchase music when you can as streaming does not pay much even times a thousand, support and get to know your local community, live well and be a good neighbor 🙂 

Release Alert! Seahaven- “Long Goodbye”

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Four men standing in a dimly lit area. They are all dresses in black.

You may remember I had written about this band and the upcoming tour to support the 15th anniversary of their Winter Forever album.  That tour kicks off January 21st in Santa Ana, CA and news just dropped about this new single.  I gave it a spin and was pleased to hear the energetic rhythm, smooth vocals and a soaring guitar solo that comes in around the 1:30 mark.  This track is a nice blend of the energy of Seahaven’s early work and the polish they added on later releases such as Halo of Hurt. 

You can catch this one on streaming in your usual places  –  easy access link below: 

https://lnk.to/seahaven

Also, if you want to get jazzed up a bit for that Winter Forever music there is a very nice acoustic version of “Understanding” offered up here by the band:  

A quick note that this tour now looks to be eighteen US dates and six over in the UK and is selling out so if interested…it might be a good idea to jump on some tickets soon.  

And keep that awesome community around you in mind always 🙂 

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 🙂 

Album Review- Sue Foley –  Live at the El Mocambo

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A woman in a pink leather jacket, a guitar strapped around her shoulder, looks slightly off to the left of the viewer.

I was looking around for some good blues guitar to listen to and managed to cross paths with this release which just came out in early December 2025.  I had previously heard her 2021 album Pinky’s Blues which has a great song on it (“Stop These Teardrops”) which also appears on this El Mocambo record.  

There are those artists who put out good albums and then you see them live (or in this case heard a recording) and that just elevates your appreciation of their craft.  Foley has a great voice to begin with but it gains a special edge and depth in this live environment.  

The twelve tracks on this are solid all the way through from bluesy groovers like “Sue’s Boogaloo” to the meditative “Mediterranean Breakfast” and rippers like “Hurricane Girl.”  There are some great jam moments along the way as well which is always a high point for me and the final track “Lightnin’ Boogie” closes it out just that way and in good style.  You can spend a very happy hour or so listening your way through this album.  

Musicians on this are: Sue Foley (guitar, vocals), Jon Penner (bass, vocals), Corey Keller (drums, vocals)

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://suefoley1.bandcamp.com/album/sue-foley-live-at-the-el-mocambo

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!

Please remember to support that fantastic community you have all around you 🙂 

Album Review – Helene Cronin – Maybe New Mexico

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A woman, dressed in a black jacket, jeans and tall boots, sits against a red brick wall. She is smiling and looking slightly off to the viewers left.

Yes indeed…I am late in getting around to this album (and I mean really late….more than 9 months!).  I was fortunate to have Adam Dawson from Broken Jukebox Media send out an end-of-year “in case you missed it” email with this and other releases included.  There are some others that were also detailed within that comm which I hope to get to soon but I started with this one as I recognized her name from an interview I read several years ago.  

The album leads off with “Copperhill” and a great opening guitar riff that sets a little bit of an edgy vibe for the song.   There is a punchy drum that drives the music and it is joined by the nice interplay of several guitars.  The lyrics really set the scene for the story here and are delivered by Cronin in a voice that has strength and feeling behind it.  

Another favorite of mine on this is the title track which has a wistful tone to it which evokes New Mexico in a way that is hard to explain if you have not found yourself wandering around that slightly mystical state.  The guitar on this song is subdued with a slow bass line that complements the reflective mood set by the vocal delivery.  

There are ten other tracks on Maybe New Mexico which range from the uplifting power of “Maker’s Mark” to the therapeutic “Dear Life” and the immersive storytelling of “Rifleman.”  All of the songs on this album as well-arranged and highlight the skills of the musicians involved  (who I unfortunately could not find a definitive list of anywhere).  Cronin’s voice is also a major feature of course and she delivers these songs with clarity, emotion and an openness that is sometimes startling in its depth.  

You can find this on all of your streaming channels of course (and if you do please think about purchasing when you can :).  You can also check out her website here:

https://www.helenecronin.com/home

And support your locals – community is powerful!