Tag Archives: Earshot Media

Release Alert – Big D and the Kids Table – Whiplash – from the upcoming album The Good Ole American Saturday Night

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Six men stand and are looking slightly upward toward the view. Most of them are dressed in black and are set against a black and white checkerboard background.

Band photo by Alacrity Photography

If you have previously heard any music from this epic ska-punk band (legends I would say) you may be as pumped as I am to hear about this upcoming LP.   It has been awhile for sure (five years since Do Your Art) and I had been wondering when we might be getting some new music.  This single drops today and will be followed on June 12th with a full album release via SideOneDummy Records.  

Musically this track lives up to its name twenty seconds in as a slow-paced, light and melodic intro turns abruptly on a nice sound explosion at that mark.  All the energy, powerful beats and clever mix of instruments that have been trademarks of the band are present here in spades.  I would even say they sound edgier and a little more pumped up than what they delivered on Do Your Art.  This song is a great preview and I will be looking forward to when that full LP drops in June. 

If you have some time and the inclination you can also check out the album that introduced me to this group back in 2011.  For The Damned, The Dumb and the Delirious is an eighteen song set that is full of ska-powered fun, a little humor and much energy.  

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

You can check a cool video (shot and edited by Mike Rickshaw) for this here on YouTube:

Pre-save the album (this helps out a lot!):

https://bigd.lnk.to/whiplash

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

Homepage DYA

https://www.instagram.com/bigdandthekidstable

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- Homebase – Close To Something

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Five young men, casually dressed and sitting against a brick wall. Two of them hold stringed instruments.

The new EP from New York / New Jersey alt-punk upstarts Homebase comes after the release of their prior singles “Bold” (2025) and “Nuff Said” (2026) which was the first song I had heard from them.  I reviewed that one here in January of this year.  Both of those tracks are part of this EP and they are joined by three other solid tunes that have a lot of energy and style.  

“Close To Something” leads off with a bit of an off-mike rhythm solo before dropping into a hammering groove with the drums and bass upfront and on-point.  The arrangement stays just a little off the expected path also which I thought was pretty refreshing and interesting.  Joining up with that song on the cool and different path is “Start Over” which is a two-part experience.  The first forty-five seconds are full of loud, distorted guitars and heavy rhythm.  It then drops out into an atmospheric, slightly hollowed out strumming guitar and plaintive vocal for the second half of the track.  It took a few listens to appreciate the message but it was worth it.  

The previously mentioned “Nuff Said” and “Bold” are next before the EP closes out with “I Feel.”  This track has a fuzzy, overdriven, pulsing beat that makes it quite the sonic experience. It is a non-stop heavy hitter all the way through.  

I definitely enjoyed listening to this EP and especially appreciate the range of style and method that the band brought to these songs.  They are definitely in that modern punk space but carve out some unique grooves and sounds that have me looking forward to their next steps.  

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

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

You should be able to get this now in your usual places for a listen or a purchase as it just dropped yesterday. 

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://homebase.band/home

https://www.instagram.com/itshomebase

Prior review links 

Song Review –  Homebase “Nuff Said”

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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 – Gucci Chain Letter EP

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A black and white graphic of the band name

This is the first album from this band which was formed by members of other punk / hardcore groups from Alberta and Vancouver (Canada of course).  That info came to me courtesy of a press release from Earshot Media that also mentioned some of those associated bands.  Although I had not heard of most of them (Daggermouth, This Is A Standoff and Precursor to name a few) there was one which was familiar.  At this point I do not remember how I came across Counterfeit Jeans (Bandcamp maybe? Or Spotify?).  The name was just one that stuck with me.  I had to go look up the track I had heard and after some research I found it!  “Nervous Wreck” was a single released back in September of 2018 and it also appears on the 2019 album Good Morning.  I had a little listening session at that point for a refresher on the song (a very interesting piece of punk / alternative music with heavy drums and a unique guitar sound) and that LP (“Self Doubt” and “Material Beings” are a couple stand-out tracks).  If you have time check those out for yourself on Bandcamp for some prior Tyler Bedford music. 

This new EP hits the ground running with “Sorry Doesn’t Cut it” which has a nice, energetic lead-in on some bouncy drums and a sonic guitar riff.  The vocals are delivered with an urgent, demanding tone that reflects the message in this song.  “Every Word I Never Said” has a slightly hypnotic rhythm groove for the first 30 seconds and several different vocal styles mixed in that add a nice complexity.   The final track is “Winfield,” a melodic punk style track that changes pace a couple times…super cool.

Stylistically this album is very interesting with musical compositions that are thoughtful and which show a strong range of talents from these accomplished musicians.  Although there are only three songs on this EP I think they are a nice showcase and opening act for this band.  Hopefully there is more to come from them in the future.  

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

Musicians on this are: Stuart McKillop (vocals), Tyler Bedford (drums), Nick Kouremenos (bass), Shawn Kilgrain (guitar)

Streaming link:

And you can also listen here on YouTube:

Please let me know your opinion in the comment section below

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://guccichainletter.bandcamp.com/album/ep

https://www.instagram.com/gucci_chain_letter_/

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- The Dollyrots – “Attention Span”

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A man and a woman lit with a spotlight and goofing off.

Band photo by Jen Rosenstein 

I have definitely been swirling around the fringes of this band for awhile – hearing their music in various places, missing chances at a couple shows, breezing through a few articles…so aware and disconnected I guess.  I do distinctly remember hearing their Arrested Youth EP (years ago…maybe 2015?) and thinking that they had a pretty cool energy and a bit of an eclectic sound that was a mix of punk, pop and rock.  It was a band that sounded authentic to me so kind of a bummer that I did not stay up on them over the years.  

They have released a lot of music since that time and you can check their Bandcamp page to pick up a few songs or albums if you have the inclination.  I got the heads up on this new single (out March 13th on Wicked Cool Records) from Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media and really like the way it kicks off with rowdy guitars and big crashing drums.  It then jumps into the strong vocal track that is carried along on some nice bass textures.  The guitar sound and tone do a great job of giving this pop-punk song a little bit of an extra edge.  This single is an engaging track that deserves a spot in your collection.  

The band also just jumped on tour for most of March and have a slot on the Van’s Warped Tour June 13-14 (Washington DC – Festival Grounds at RFK Campus).  

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

Musicians on this are: Kelly Ogden (lead vocals, bass), Luis Cabezas (guitar, vocals) and Simon Hancock (drums).

Pre-save:

https://orcd.co/dollyrotsattentionspan

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

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.dollyrots.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thedollyrots

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- The Crash Years – “Afterlife”

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Five cartoon style images of men look out toward the viewer. The men appear content.

I just received the news that this new single had dropped a few days ago and it had been a very long time since I heard anything about this band.  Long enough in fact that I had to go back and try to figure out what songs I may have listened to from them in the past.  That search took me to the 2013 album Disposition and the track “Therapy” which rang a familiar bell.  It holds up after all of this time and is worth checking out on their Bandcamp page.  My research also brought up mention of a couple EPs that I tracked down on Apple Music (2014’s Cope and 2015’s In Search of Better Places) which look to be the most recent releases from the band other than a couple of singles in the late 2010’s.  The song “Stay Dead, Stay Down” off Better Places really struck me due to its stark musical composition and lyrics.  

This new single “Afterlife” comes in mellow with a catchy melody over a heavy drum and bass giving a bit of a solemn feeling that echoes the lyrical message of loss in the first verse.  The song does not stay in that somber groove though as the chorus has an energetic message of hope and reunion.  The bridge is a soaring crescendo of vocal and guitar that crashes over into prominent but desolate keys that ride out the remainder of the track.  This is an interesting and engaging song that marks a solid comeback for The Crash Years.  

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

Musicians on this are: Joel Cox (vocals, keys), Will Watkins (drums), Tyler Brantley (guitar), Clinton Reed (guitar, bass), Clayton Welborn (guitar)

Streaming link:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thecrashyears/afterlife-2

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

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/thecrashyears

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 – Ryan Hamilton “The Come To Jesus Moment” 

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A man wearing a hat and denim jacket looks out toward the viewer. He is also holding a guitar that is pointed toward the camera.

If you run back in time to 2006 you can find a song called “Taking Its Toll” from Blue Roses by Smile Smile.  I am not sure how I ever came across that song but it has this wonderfully slow, melancholy kind of vibe that made an impression on me.  That band was a joint project between Hamilton and Jencey Hirunrusme that also released a couple other records between 2006 and 2012.  After that Hamilton went on to other endeavors including Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts.  Their album This Is The Sound is a solid 12-song set from 2019 with my favorite selection being “All Fall Down” and the title track a close second.  

This new single (just out on February 20th via Wicked Cool Records) has a short little organ intro before bumping up quickly to a pretty groovy alt-rock style that gets you toe-tapping along right away.  The vocal track is front and center with lyrics that mange to wrap some humor around a deeper theme of struggling with faith and what to do about it.  This is a nice preview also for an expected upcoming album from Hamilton.  

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

Streaming link:

https://orcd.co/cometojesusryanhamilton

The b/w on this is a cover of Billy Joel’s “You May Be Right” which you can check out here:

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

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://ryanhamiltonmusic.com/

https://ryanhamilton.bandcamp.com/

https://ryanhamiltonwcr.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 🙂 

Song  Review- Melonball  “The Static”  from the upcoming album Take Care

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Four men and one woman sit in what looks like an older style living room setting. They are looking out toward the viewer with neutral expressions.

Band photo: Manual Wieslhuber

This band traces back to 2023 for me when I heard the song “Sicker” off their debut album Breathe.  That track was full of some furious guitar work and a heavy, thundering rhythm groove.  I have not followed along in their progress as closely as I probably should have but I did get a chance to hear their 2024 EP eup•nea which has some very nice acoustic versions of five selections off that debut album.  

Although much of Melonball’s music has political overtones and foundation (which everyone can have their own opinion about of course) the solid musical arrangements of the songs and skills of the musicians are always on display.  This particular track (part of their upcoming album Take Care) is a step away from their more prominent themes as it centers specifically on personal relationships.  The song has a classic clean vocal intro with a simple backing melody that feels very exposed and unguarded.  After about forty seconds it jumps into a fast, drum heavy cycle that is like a rush of hectic adrenaline.  Oli’s vocals are as powerful as ever throughout the song and do a nice job of alternating between vulnerability and boldness.  Overall, this is a great rocker with a bit of a punky edge to it.  

Album to be released via Thousand Islands Records / Rookie Records on February 27th

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

Musicians on this are: Oli (vocals), Tommy (drums), Basti (guitar, backing vocals), Jens (bass) and Vik (guitar, backing vocals)

Check this video for the song:

Pre-save the album here: 

https://bfan.link/melonball-take-care

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

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/melonball.punkrock/

Bandcamp page https://melonball.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 🙂 

Song Review – Crimson Riot “Cross The Line”  from the upcoming album Third Time’s A Charm

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One woman and two men stand against some a wall with busy wallpaper. The woman is looking at the viewer while the men look up and off to the left and right.

Getting the email from Mike at Earshot Media about this single dropping on January 20th was one of those strange coincidental moments. I had actually been listening to Classy Punk for Trashy People (Crimson Riot’s 2019 album) a few days before it arrived.  That all came about courtesy of yet another Apple Music “chase the next suggested band” session after I had started with the great Minneapolis group Banner Pilot (jump on Collapser when you get a chance).  After a couple more turns I arrived at Classy Punk and was pretty impressed both with the unique quality of Gunn’s voice and also the straightforward direction and clarity of sound that only a talented three piece band can deliver.  I picked that album up on Bandcamp and had looped through it a few times when I got the chance to hear this new release.  

“Cross The Line” has one of those great soaring guitar beginnings that gets you pumped up right away.  It steps down just a little bit for the verse bars although the rhythm groove from a very punchy bass and choppy drum line keep much energy flowing.  The vocals are delivered with Gunn’s characteristic strength and edginess to round out a well-crafted alt-punk song. 

One more quick recommendation about this band – check out “St James Gate” (off 2020’s It Took An Apocalypse) …yes, it is another song about Guinness and related stuff but this one is quite good…have not heard the entire album yet but I will be hoping to get to it soon.  

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

Musicians on this are:  Chris Reject (bass, vocals), Roxy Gunn (guitar, vocals) and Ryan J (drums)

Stream this now in your usual places and check the video: 

The full album (via Leg Lamp Records) is due to drop March 20th – Pre-order for Third Time’s A Charm now open here: 

Home

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

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://www.instagram.com/crimsonriotband/

https://crimsonriot.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 🙂 

Album Review- SkyTigers – …Injustice For All

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One woman and three men, all casually dressed, stand in a long hallway looking out toward the viewer.

My first exposure to this band was back sometime in 2018 or 2019 when I heard “Casualty Friday” off the 2015 album Appetite for Reconstruction.  That song was highlighted by a very heavy rhythm groove that lent a bit of a doom vibe to what is already some great thrash metal sounds.  That track, and the entire album itself, has a bit more of a stripped down feel to it and lacks (for better or worse depending on your POV) some of the added chaotic refinement of their later work.  Another song (which I consider to be one of their all-time best) on Reconstruction is “Knuckleduster” and includes the fantastic lyric:

“So pardon me for choosing sides, I put the I in team, It’s amazing how jealousy can turn self- preservation into vanity.”

The upcoming album from SkyTigers …Injustice For All is set to drop February 6, 2026 (on Sound Investment Records) and I had the good fortune to preview it through Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media.  To describe this album as twenty-five minutes of unrelenting fury would be a severe understatement.   The first single “Immortelevision” is available now and you should check it out (see below) for an introduction to what this band is bringing to the table this time around.  The energy comes from all sources here with passionate vocals, driving drums, loud distorted guitars and a power-packed bass line.  The nine songs are a bit chaotic for sure but it has structure and definition also…a good balance that gives you all the power without becoming a jangled up mess (…and we know…it can happen if you are not careful…).  A couple other favorites of mine on Injustice are: “Rubble Without a Cause” (cool sonic opening moments and the guitars are just fantastic) and “Spared No Expense” (clear, prominent vocal line and very nice guitar solo included).  They also bring back “Casualty Friday” here and it is a nice redux (even though I prefer the original but I am always stuck in vintage land as we know…).  

You can stream “Immortelevison” here:

https://show.co/Fm1TEiN

And check out this cool video for the song:

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

Pre-save on Spotify and pre-order the vinyl via these links:

https://show.co/uuqqnW1

https://www.soundinvestmentrecords.com/shop/p/skytigers-injustice-for-all

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

Interested in more info on this Artist?

https://skytigers.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/skytigers_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 🙂 

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 🙂