Tag Archives: California

Song Review- AJ Lee & Blue Summit  –  “Bedside Window” from the album City of Glass

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5 people, 4 men and one woman, standing in front of a warehouse style window

I caught the sound of this band a bit late after stumbling across their version of “Tear My Stillhouse Down” (which is an early release off their upcoming Cover to Cover V1 album and also features Lindsay Lou).   That was enough to get me looking into their other music which lead to giving City of Glass a listen and I was impressed.  These five musicians have good, fresh energy in their music that fits into the Americana genre but with some definite country and folk vibes along for the ride.  Listening through other selections from their catalog I found that their covers of other artists songs pay tribute to them while also adding something new.  It makes for a nice listening experience.  

I was tempted to select the eponymous title track from City of Glass for this review but eventually decided on “Bedside Window” as I was pretty familiar with that track from the California Honeydrops.  That original version that I heard on Like You Mean It has a starkness to it that gives it a real empty, sorrowful tone; a simple, subdued guitar plays lightly in the background to accompany Lech Wierzynski’s lonely-hearted vocals.  If you have heard versions of this song played live by the Honeydrops it does have a more full musical background but that one off the album was always my favorite.  

So, what do you get from this version by AJ Lee & Blue Summit?  There is more instrumentation here  that adds some volume and depth while still maintaining a pretty sorrowful tone.  I think it is just a little bit bouncier than the Honeydrops version and it works well.  The muted mandolin and fiddle are prominent as is a slow, powerful bass line.  Some of the stark quality I liked on that original Like You Mean It version is missing but this track is lonesome enough to deliver the message.  

Musicians on this are: Scott Gates (guitar, vocals), AJ Lee (vocals, mandolin), Jan Purat (fiddle), Sullivan Tuttle (guitar, vocals) and there is a bass player but I had a hard time chasing down the name for certain…so my apologies to that musician and I will happily update this post if I get good info on it.  

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://ajleebluesummit.bandcamp.com/album/city-of-glass

Pleas remember to support your local community 🙂

If you want to check the video for the “City of Glass” song on this album (it is filmed at the Grand Ole Opry!), see below:  

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! 

Sleep Pod Two- “All That We Have (Is Each Other)” from the upcoming album Rehearse Your Future

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Four male musicians looking toward the camera

When I read the Earshot Media press release about this one I was not familiar with the group or most of the musician’s associated acts.  I had heard of Gameface but even there it was in a limited way (a song called “Daylight Savings” that had been put on a mix tape for me back in the 90’s that was mostly full of Buffalo Tom songs). I went back and gave that track a listen and it was pretty cool.  I also had to give some props to my old bud who made that mix tape…Gameface definitely fit the groove for that collection.  I did go back and pick up that entire digital album (Three To Get Ready) that had “Daylight Savings” on it.  If you have a couple spare moments you can check it here: 

https://gamefacerock.bandcamp.com/album/three-to-get-ready

Back to this Sleep Pod Two release “All That We Have (Is Each Other)” which is a solid single all on its own.  Nice loud guitars right away, this one is fast paced and energetic with a slowdown about midway through that provides just enough space in an otherwise “wall to wall” flurry of sound.  The song goes out in a frenzy of guitar and drums that will leave you looking for more.  

Musicians on this are:  Guy Julian (bass, vocals), Chris Whyte (vocals, guitar), Todd Trout (guitars), Wal Rashidi (drums) 

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

https://orcd.co/allthatwehaveiseachother

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 check out the pre-order for the EP (via Mindpower Records) here:

https://sleeppodtwo.bandcamp.com/album/rehearse-your-future

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Empired- “Blood on the Ceiling”

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5 male musicians

There was a band from way back in the day (mid 00’s in this case) called The Twilight Transmission that was pretty good.  They fit somewhere in the alt-punk space with a bit of hard core mixed in.  It was only one album that I ever heard back then (and checking Discogs and others sources it still is the only one I find listed) but they did not have a “one-off sound.”  The members of that band (Colin Buis, Brendan Murphy, Jae Hansel, Brian Balchack and Brian Manry) played well and wrote songs with interesting arrangements.  If you get a chance check out their Bandcamp page here and give The Dance of Destruction a listen – well worth it.

https://thetwilighttransmission.bandcamp.com/album/the-dance-of-destruction

Interest in that band led me to Outspoken, Hansel’s former endeavor that released music mostly in the 1990’s and I became a late-comer fan of that band also.  And then I promptly lost track of him until Empired released Finding Calm in the Chaos back in 2024.  So, now that we are all up to date…

It was great to be able to get a chance to listen to this track and it is indeed a good one!  There is much good melodic punk energy and strong vocals running throughout with screaming guitars, a bit of a groovy bass, and a steady, clean drum sound.  I also found the keyboard action intriguing as it punched through the guitar sound at various times to add a nice layer to the overall composition of this track.

Empired has a new album coming out (Strikes Back!) and you can pre-order today from Hey!Fever Records right here:

https://www.heyfeverrecords.com/

The vinyl is set to come out August 29th with streaming on September 5th. 

Musicians on this track are: Jai Hansel (bass, vocals), Ben Harrison (keyboards), Bruce Zebal (guitar, vocals) and Danny Baeza (drums). 

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Hoist the Colors- “Documentation” from the upcoming album Dear Wanderlust

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Hoist the Colors band members in front of a white warehouse

Well, sometimes you get a press release about a band and suddenly realize you managed to forget about a pretty darn good band somewhere along the way.  This particular moment was inspired by an email from Earshot Media with news about this single being dropped a few weeks ago.  The band name caught me as familiar so I dug into the collection and found a digital song called “Second City” and pressed play.  A boisterous and well-played Irish punk song was the result, good enough that I figured it could not possibly be the only track from Hoist the Colors that I had laying around…but in the end, it was all by its lonesome self.   After checking into it they have a few others out there that are worth your time including Miles To Go Before We Sleep, Mourners and When Daylight Breaks. 

You can tell right from the start of “Documentation” that this group of musicians has grown and expanded their influences since the sound of “Second City.”  A pretty cool guitar riff starts this one off with a melodic bass line joining, slowly building up a little tension before a lively mandolin kicks in.  The fiddle provides just enough bluegrass flavor to set the mood and the vocals are strong (and tell a pretty human and relatable story).  The blending of genres here is sophisticated and very successful.   

You can catch the video for this here: 

Also, their album will drop in October and can be pre-ordered from Hey!Fever Records starting August 30th! 

And if you have the inclination …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- Plague Vendor “Run”

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Right off the top…you need to check this band out in concert the next time they cross your path.  I just saw them as the front end for Social Distortion and they are electrifying.  There is enough boisterous energy wrapped up in Luke Perine, Brandon Blaine, Jay Rodgers and Michael Perez to last you the entire night.  It is a band you will not forget.  

Although the releases for Plague Vendor stretch back to 2014’s “Black Sap Scriptures” (still one of their best songs in my opinion) and Free to Eat I first heard “I Only Speak in Friction” sometime in 2019.  This track (which also features producer Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion) has this great opening guitar riff and a driving power that runs the entire 3 minutes of the song.  From there I was hooked and have found their music to be a great way to hype up my energy.

“Run” has some buzzy bass guitar to start and a shuffling drum beat that kind of floats you into the low-key vocals.  This song seems a little sleepy at first listen but there is a cathartic energy that lies underneath, kind of a subdued pulse that collects force as it rolls along.   A good listen that can fit into a quiet day of reflection or the start of a night out on the town.  

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

When you have a minute…go out and explore that local community wherever you are 🙂 

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

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- 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- 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- Sledges – “Fading”

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You know, sometimes when I hear a band tagged as “shoe gaze” I wonder what I am going to get as that genre tends to span a rather wide range these days.  After reading through the press release from Earshot Media on this one I checked it out and was impressed.  

There is a dreamy start to this song which lasts about twenty seconds before punching up to nice guitars and drums with volume and attitude accompanied by strong vocals.  The arrangement on this one sets an interesting pace, alternating fast / loud with slow / subdued that gives it a unique tone.  You would be hard pressed to pigeonhole this track into a genre and that is a good thing.  

Sledges have an EP coming in June also (unnamed as far as I know) that will include this single.  I am  looking forward to listening to that and seeing if they maintain this creative mix across those other tracks.  

Video here to review if you wish 🙂 

As always – just a reminder to support your locals – community is powerful! 

Song Review- Spark of Life – “Better Keep It To Yourself” from the album: Plagued By The Human Condition

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So, I have to admit that when I received the news from Earshot Media that this group was set to release a new album (Plagued By The Human Condition)…well, I had lost track of them a long time ago.  I think the last time anything by them had been played by me it must have been way back in my Michigan residency era.  As it turns out, they had in fact dropped out a bit and only truly reformed a few years ago.  That is great news for me!

This song is short and to the point clocking in at 2:33 for time and opens up with a nice fuzzy melody line before filling out with drums forward.  It can lull you a little bit into a “swaying with the beat groove”…and then comes an awesome vocal scream right after the one minute mark (and another right after two minutes).   Overall, this is a thumping, punk-edged song with a bit of attitude thrown in.  

This single should be out there for you to listen to now (and consider purchasing :).  The album is set to drop May 30th from New Age records.  You can get a pre-order in here along with some gear if you are so inclined:

Spark of Life

Quite the quirky video also available if you want to do a quick check:  

Take a bit of time to support your locals (& to be kind to your neighbors:) – community is powerful!