Tag Archives: California

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! 

Song Review- The Manic Standstill – “Bulletproof”

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Thanks to the good people at Earshot Media who sent a press release and introduced me to this band…always good to find new sounds out here in the listening-verse.  This group features the talents of Adam Bones, Eddy Hewitt and Brad Dickert, aided on this song by Aixa Vilar and Michelle Rangel (both from Go Betty Go) who really fit together nicely and this track is a testament to that fact.  

“Bulletproof” has driving rhythm right from the start and a nice in-the-front bass overlay that gives this track great depth.  Backed up by the guitar work of Bones and lyrics written by his wife Megan (with a backstory that bears reading about if you get a chance) you can put this one in regular rotation for sure.  

There is a colorful video you can check out here: 

As far as I know this track is just on steaming right now but watch for the upcoming album from this band as an item to purchase.    It is set for release later this year and features a quality list of guest musicians including Packy Lundholm (I Fight Dragons), Ian Fowles (The Aquabats), Kody Templeman (Teenage Bottle Rocket, The Lillingtons) and many more 🙂 

Please remember to support your locals – they need you and much as you need them – and community is powerful 🙂 

Album Review- Annie Dolan with Joel Paterson – “Sorry Charlie” from the album Atta Boy Girl

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I was intrigued to see this set come out in advance of Dolan’s upcoming album release of her own material and gave it a good listen…enjoyed all of it but this track stuck out to me as a favorite. 

This song starts out with a bit of rockabilly toned guitar and bass and hammers along in that vein accompanied by some nice lyrical work from Dolan.  The guitar solo around the 1:15 mark is right on point and crisply played.  Really good production on this with well-blended instruments and vocals…keep that toe tappin’! 

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

Your locals would love to see you out and about  – please support them 🙂 Community is powerful! 

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

Album Review- Wiretap Records  – 10 Year Compilation

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I am not going to run through all 81 songs on this monster compilation…that would be quite the read for you and I would get sidetracked about 100 times along the way.  Suffice it to say that Wiretap Records is one of the best labels out there for getting those up & coming punk artists released into this world and you will be blown away by the music on this album.  Just cue up “Spanish Love Song” by Concrete from the top of the list and you will get a taste of the awesomeness.   Every band here deserves a direct mention but I am going to limit it to a few suggestions that are just personal favs: Wolves&Wolves&Wolves&Wolves, Aree and the Pure Heart, Elijah Newman & the SideEffects, Avenues, Camiches and Lovebreakers.  Really though, buy it and get your own favorites list going – you will not be disappointed! 

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

As always…remember to get out and support your local artists – community is powerful 🙂

And please think about purchasing this song (or better yet…the entire album and maybe for more than the very generous $5 minimum they put on it) after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…