Tag Archives: Earshot Media

Song Review- Hyper Minds “Sink or Swim” 

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Four casually dressed men standing in front of a gate an heavily graffitied wall.

Band photo by Angel Alcala

This being a new band to me (thank you Mike at Earshot Media!) I was wondering what to expect and ended up being pretty impressed.  The track comes in on a little jangly high-hat offset by a booming, distorted bass and then jumps off into a fast, infectious groove driven onward by a very prevalent drum line.  The vocals are delivered at a breakneck pace but still manage to deliver a comprehensible message (which is not always true of the lighting vocal attack of some bands).  There is a nice little step-down bridge piece around 1:25 which works nicely to offset the speed of the rest of the track but gives up nothing in volume.   This was a really fun song to listen to and put a little jump in my step for awhile.  I will be standing by for their full album to drop which is coming but the release date is currently unknown (to me anyway).  They also have three other singles out there  (“Nailbiter,” “M.I.T.M,” and “Nacho”) that you can check out when you have the time.  

Hyper Minds are currently signed to DC-Jam Records distributed by Virgin Music Group.

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this are: Roland (guitar, vocals), Robert (lead guitar), Juan (bass) and Omar (drums).

Check the video here: 

Streaming link:

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/hypermindsband

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- Time Spent Driving “She’s the One” from the upcoming album Lost Leaves

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Four men around a small fire pit in a rural setting.

Band photo by Rob Cattivera, album art by Jon Cattivera (Sleepless Media)

I first picked up on this Santa Cruz, CA band back in 2016, just a little bit after the release of their album Passed & Presence.  A song on that album, “Weight of the Water” really struck me at the time.  It has this slightly haunting melody line woven through a slow-tempo rhythm section that is kind of of yearning and pleading all at the same time.  It stayed with me after I listened to it and still does today. 

This new single, which is out in advance of the full album release August 21st on Thirty Something Records, opens up at full power with an atmospheric guitar and hard-hitting drums. It has an infectious groove running along throughout accompanied by a clear and strong vocal line.  It stretches out to five minutes in a good way, aided by a subdued and moody bridge midway through the track.  I really enjoyed listening to it and will be checking out the full album very soon. 

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this are: Derek Pabich (guitar), Kem Gallione (drums), Jon Cattivera (vocals, guitar, keys) and Steven Borella (bass).

Streaming link:

https://found.ee/TSD-shestheone

Pre-save / pre-order 

https://found.ee/tsd_lost_leaves

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

Website link https://timespentdriving.com/

https://www.instagram.com/timespentdriving

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- Mad Tab “Stock Itch” from the upcoming album Alas! The Bomb Voyage…

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Four men standing around a classic convertible automobile. The background is dark with low lighting in the foreground.

It was very cool to hear about this single which just dropped Friday courtesy of Innanuttshell Reekordingz.  I had jumped on their prior release (reviewed here) which was a great intro to the band for me and this new track did not disappoint as a follow-up.  

This song cuts in on a nice rhythm bass line which stays fairly prominent throughout and gives a nice, smooth reggae groove to the first forty seconds of music.  It then flashes over into a faster, punk-edged section that packs a nice guitar punch and a hammering drum line.   Those two styles trade back and forth in good order accompanied by a strong vocal that delivers a message that is very relatable to me – as Gram Tab stated in the press release from Earshot Media: 

“‘Stock Itch’ metaphorically draws comparisons between our natural, given rights and the ways we abandon those rights for the convenience of unnatural materialism and codependency,”

I found it to be a very good track – it kind of takes you along on an alternating wave of grooviness and edginess – a nice combo! 

That full album is due out this fall so save up for a purchase if you are feeling the groove.

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this are: Dave Tab, Gram Tab, Scott Beattie and Rob Wheeler

Check the video here: 

Streaming here:

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/mad__tab

Prior review links 

Song Review- Mad Tab – “Awake” from the upcoming album Alas! The Bomb Voyage…

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- RxGhost – “Subway” from the up coming album Upkeep

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An out of focus color image of four people (three men and one woman) front lit by an orange light and looking toward the viewer.

It was very nice to be able to give this single a listen as I was not familiar with RxGhost before pushing play on “Subway.”  The song comes in on a nicely textured bass which, along with a well appointed drum line, remains the center-point of the arrangement all the way to the end.   Combined they set a stable but kind of dark tone.   Things are not all spookiness and doom though as the lead guitar playing is subtle but very effective in adding a bit of lightness as it rides along that rhythm wave.  There are several different sonic experiences within this track that I found pretty impressive and the lyrics are thought provoking for sure.  

Per the press release from Earshot Media this album is due out sometime in the fall so keep an eye out as it is being released on vinyl and cassette. 

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this are: Jen Kean (guitar, vocals), Chris Smead (bass), Justin Brooks (drums) and Josh Thomas (vocals, guitar). 

Streaming link:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/rxghost/subway

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/rxghostband

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-Tornado Lobster Killer – “Rhya” off the upcoming album Lobsteria

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Four men stand in front of musical equipment on a stage.

cover artwork by Nora and Croma

This is a new band to me and it is always cool to hear good music coming from other countries.  This group is out of Italy and they have a back catalog that I checked out on Bandcamp of one album and four singles.  Their 2022 self-titled LP is a nice ten song set with my favorite being “Rainy Days.”  It has the rough edges and raw feeling of an early release while showing a good musical foundation.  

You can hear the growth, both in song composition and overall sound, that this group has gone through in these past four years when you hit play on “Rhya.”  It comes out loud and fast with a heavy drum presence framed by a groovy guitar riff.   The song keeps that rhythm forward mix going all the way through with the vocals in a lighter tone that give a little lift to the overall feel.   The track gave me kind of a punchy but dark feeling and the lyrics are meaningful and worth a little reflection.  I enjoyed this song and will be interested to hear what mix of sounds they offer up on the new album.  

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Streaming link:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/tornadolobsterkiller/rhya

Cool video here:

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 🙂 

Darryl Jenifer –  Song Review “Sacred Love II” off the upcoming album The Weather Channel

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A man with a short beard is looking upward towards the viewer.

Ok, we are obviously here to talk about this new single from Jenifer and there is plenty of good things to say about it in a minute.  First though, a quick piece of informational content / PSA for your musical enlightenment.  If you are not aware, Jenifer is part of the groundbreaking group Bad Brains who came blasting out of the Washington D.C. scene in the late 70’s.  You could easily call that band punk but that label does not really tell the whole story.  I know that the first time I heard their 1986 album I Against I it was basically a mind-bending experience. I would encourage you to take a ride down their discography – it will be a fantastic adventure.  

This first single off the upcoming release is actually a redux of the Bad Brains song “Sacred Love” off the above referenced album.   That original has a very memorable rhythm section and that stays true on the reimagined version. It comes in on a brief rat-a-tat and then a full bass blooms out, prominent but with some soft edges that give it kind of a comforting feel.  The drums throughout are also key to the foundation and contribute some subtle but important light touches.  The keys play in several different tones along the way and, along with some nice guitar interludes, provide the melodic highlights and variety.  When I first hit play I was definitely feeling the lingering vibes of the original but by the midway point this song had expanded beyond that inspiration and become its own composition.  I think that is the magic of it and this is a very enjoyable, well-crafted track in the jazz fusion space.   This is out now to add to you collection and the full album drops July 17th via Org Music.  

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this album are: Darryl Jenifer (bass, melodica), John Medeski (keys), Ben Perowsky (drums, percussion), Karma “Chogyi” Marco (guitar) with appearances by Jack DeJohnette and Karl Berger.

Streaming link:

https://bio.to/darryljenifer

Pre-order the vinyl here (both the single b/w F.A.LS. and the upcoming album): 

Darryl Jenifer

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://jeniferventures.com

http://www.instagram.com/badbrainsofficial/

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- Chaser – “Three Little Birds” 

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Four casually dressed men sitting on some tiered bench seating. They seem to be happy.

It goes without saying, and I have said it before anyway, that not every attempt to take a song from one distinct genre and mold it into a song for a different genre is successful.  Fortunately this is a case where it all worked out very well for the redux of this classic Bob Marley song.  

It starts off with a nice stylistic change, converting the well-known synth melody line to guitar and hitting a tone that sets the music in that alternative / punk space right away.  The bass provides some very cool buzz to that intro chorus.  Right as the first verse kicks in this track takes on a jumpy groove driven by a spirited drum section.  The vocals  are delivered with a pep that definitely brings some extra energy to the performance.   The band stays on that path for most of the song although there is a nice slip down into a brief reggae moment right after the two minute mark.   This song in its original classic version by Marley always left me with a “just chill out, it’s cool, you are going to be ok” feeling.  It always brightened up my mood.  Chaser’s version does a really great job of amping up that message to “Yes! You are totally going to be ok – we all got this!”  I enjoyed the heck out of listening and will be looking forward to the release of their two track EP Gonna Be Alright on May 29th.

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this are: Jesse Stopnitzky (bass, vocals), Bill Hockmuth (guitar), Davey Guy (drums) and Mike LeDonne (vocals)

Streaming link:

https://chaser.hearnow.com/three-little-birds

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/chaserpunk

https://chaser.bandcamp.com/music

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- Horace Pinker / Raging Nathans Split EP

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Four men stand on a music stage backlit by the spotlights.

Horace Pinker band photo Dee Dee Kohl

Now this is a great idea for a split EP and I was happy to hear about it from Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media.   I have previously reviewed Horace Pinker and as mentioned there they have released some music which still remains on my favorites list.  If you have not checked out Copper Regret yet well…there is a mission for you.  I have also heard that their 2022 album House of Cards just got a physical re-release from People of Punk Rock.  As for The Raging Nathans, they run quite a ways back with me also.  I believe I heard parts of Losing It early in 2015 and songs like “Free Parking” and “How To Validate Anything” are high points there.  Rad Girlfriend Records re-issued that album in 2024 although I have not listened to that version.  Their self-titled EP from 2012 is also a great 7-song set including what I consider to be the best version of “Going Down” (which also appears on Losing It).  They have an extensive catalog which you can check out on their Bandcamp page.  

The first two tracks on this release are from the Nathans and they start off with “Running in Place” which has a fantastic and buzzy guitar intro that is soon followed by fast, heavy drums.  That rhythm section keeps up a relentless energy that defines the sound and vibe of this song.  Next is “The Devil’s Watch” which has a pretty groovy cyclical beat and a few interesting vocal moments.  

A black and white photo of four male musicians playing music on a stage.

Horace Pinker starts their set with “Another Way” which jumps out fast and does not slow down.  The final thirty seconds on this song were the highlight for me, kind of a musical breakdown / crash out that mirrors the lyrical theme.   They close out the EP with “Redeemer” which features a prominent rhythm line as the drums and bass weave in and out to provide a punchy texture.  The guitar provides the lighter side of the sound here, kind of an echoing, shimmering vibe that rounds out the tone very well.  

Put together these four songs make for a solid release featuring these two standout bands.  

This split EP (on Red Girlfriend Records) is out now! 

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Streaming link:

And you can order this right here: 

https://radgirlfriendrecords.bandcamp.com/album/split-6

Check this video for Horace Pinker’s “Three Against Me” which is not on this EP but was part of their Now and the Future album from last year. 

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/horacepinker47/

https://horacepinker.bandcamp.com/music

https://theragingnathans.bandcamp.com/music

https://www.instagram.com/theragingnathans/

Prior review links 

Song Review- Horace Pinker- “Call It a Day” from the album Now and the Future

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- Belvedere – Crimson from the upcoming album Seven Years of Bad Luck

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Four casually dressed men stand in front of a tall fence and a wall with colorful graffiti.

Photo by Dominic Gendron, album artwork by Seb Theriault (SterioDesign) 

This great band from Calgary (Alberta – Canada!) goes way back to the mid 90’s although I did not pick up on anything from them until either 2016 or 2017.  This would have been their album The Revenge of the Fifth which was released in early 2016 and first heard by me on a now defunct Internet radio station.  Several songs from that album (“Years,” “Red Pawn’s Race” and the tittle track) still remain in various rotations and playlists for me to this day.   Getting the heads up that this single dropped on April 21st and that a new album will follow was definitely good news.  

This track has a nice loud start before dropping into a strong vocal offset by a sharp drum line.   Throughout the song you get a healthy dose of buzzy guitars and an aggressive bass that has a few prominent moments all to itself.  Belvedere’s sound is a little more refined than prior releases but they give up nothing in regard to energy and maintain the sense of a real driving purpose behind the music.  This is a really great melodic punk song and the full album will be released on June 19th via Thousand Islands Records.  

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Musicians on this are:  Casey Lewis (drums, vocals), Dan Wollach (guitar, vocals). Steven Rawles (vocals, guitar) and Ryan Mumby (bass, vocals).

Streaming and pre-order here! 

https://bfan.link/belvedere-crimson

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://belvederepunkrock.com/

https://www.instagram.com/belvederebandofficial

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- Gottlieb – “I Started Carrying a Knife Today” from the upcoming album The Far Fallen Fruit

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Four casually dressed men stand under a bridge.

Band photo by Alex Webster

Although I had heard a few bits and pieces of info about this band prior to getting the chance to preview this single (thanks to Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media) I had not given their music much extended listening time.  The one prior release I had spun a few times was “Sidewalk” (2024) and that was a pretty dense song, both in tone and message…good but heavy.  

Gottlieb is known as a political band but this new track definitely is a personal one with a deep message centered quite literally on the song title.   Although the music starts off with a little bit of a peppy bounce it is quickly covered by some tense, tight guitar playing and a thundering rhythm section.  Accompanied by an urgent and angry vocal this song is tempestuous as hell, a 2:27 minute release of coiled energy.   

The full album is set for a May 1st drop via Quite Panic.

Vote here to nominate this for my best of 2026 list: 

Streaming link:

https://orcd.co/istartedcarryingaknifetoday

Pre-order some limited edition vinyl right here:

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/gottlieb_punk/

https://gottlieblosangeles.bandcamp.com/

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 🙂