Tag Archives: Earshot Media

Song Review- Bicycle Inn – “Longsword (4th Place)”

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5 young men, casually dressed and standing in front of a body of water similar to a lake. They are looking out toward the viewer.

The only song I had heard by this band prior to being able to check out this new single was “Clear My Head” off a 2018 release (that you can still get on Bandcamp) called opening doors for strangers.  In addition to a pretty cool bashing drum start it has some simple but poignant lyrics which is all good; however, the thing that made it more interesting was the change of pace right at the end.  It goes from a classic emo groove to a heavy, scream-out vibe which makes a difference if you ask me.  It works pretty well but also felt a little bit forced coming all in the final few seconds.   They have released other music but that was my reference point when I hit play on the new release.  

“Longsword (4th Place)” has a bit more of a pop feel mixed in with the general emo-centric musical composition.  I think that styling decision works well as does the harder guitar riffs.  This track keep that change of pace and feel I liked in “Clear My Head” but does a better job of incorporating it into the overall flow of the music.  If you get those good headphones on (or zen out in a quiet space) you will also find some intriguing nuances of melody and rhythm on this song.  Overall, a cool one to listen to and hopefully a preview of more music to come.  

Musicians on this are:  Noah Aguiar (guitar, vocals), Josh Giaquinto (percussion), Declan Moloney (bass), Gilmar Perez (lead guitar) and Dylan Ilkowitz (guitar, aux vocals) and Ryan O’Rourke from Innerlove. adding some guest vocals 

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

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

That local community around you is full of interesting people – take a minute to get to know them 🙂 

Song Review –  Mugger – “This is Ours” off the upcoming album Want the World 

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A black and white photo of two women and two men in front of a convenience store.

To go back in time first (as I am prone to do so often) let’s revisit sometime in late 2015 (maybe early 2016?) when I first stumbled upon the band Creepoid and an album called Cemetery Highrise Slum.  You know those moments when you are merrily clicking your way through the used CD’s and muttering to yourself…magical times for sure.  In this case I was out in Santa Cruz having a grand old time of things.  Anyway, I stopped short on this one mostly because of the title as I do like an interesting string of words.  I had never heard of the band but of course purchased it anyway.  It took a bit after that for it to make it to “play” position in my stack of CD’s and vinyl but when it did it was quite the interesting listening session.  It is music that is hard to put a label on and psychedelic-groovy-alt-punk is not really close but let’s go with that for now.  It is still available on Bandcamp (including a 10 year anniversary re-issue of the vinyl).  

All of that to say – Anna (vocals) and Patrick (drums) Troxwell from Creepoid are currently part of Mugger and lend their talents to this early single from the upcoming EP.  There is a heavy vibe to this track with some grungy, distorted guitars & bass and a nice hardcore style with just a touch of heavy metal mixed into the sound.   Clocking in at a quick 1:27 it is a purposeful and direct blast of energy.  

Other musicians on this are: Lisa Alley (bass) and Daniel Fried (guitar). 

You can pre-order this EP (due October 24th from Quiet Panic) here:

https://mugger-tx.bandcamp.com/album/want-the-world

And please remember to support your local community 🙂 

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

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Three men stand in an alleyway looking toward the camera. They are dressed casually and look slightly defiant.

Some bands really do just keep on being able to being energy, power and great sound to their music and Horace Pinker has been proving that for quite awhile now.   Being able to preview their new album (it will be out by the time you read this) was very cool and much appreciation to Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media for that opportunity. 

Way back in 1995 I had heard most of what I believe was their first full length album Powertools.   I later picked it up myself and songs like “Punker than GBH” (which includes a rolling name check of some great bands including MC5, TSOL and etc) and “No Thoughts” became regular parts of my rotation.  

They have released a bunch of music since then with Copper Regret and House of Cards being favorites of mine.  You can check out their Bandcamp page to sample some of those other songs.  

https://horacepinker.bandcamp.com/

Now and the Future (brought to you by the great People of Punk Rock Records) has ten songs that all bring volume and energy, representing three musicians who are fully in the groove with their music and each other.  I chose “Call It a Day” (the lead track on the album) for this review because it really caught my attention right away, which I guess means it works well as a #1 track!  Buzzy guitars and drums lead off with a pulsing bass line riding over the top and that spirit continues through the entire song.   In the press release Horace Pinker describe it quite well themselves, saying that it:

“refines melodic punk and hardcore influences into a two-and-half minute blast of sonic energy”

If you want to give this song a listen you can check it here:

Musicians on this are:  Scott Eastman (guitar, vocals), Bryan Jones (drums) and Greg Mytych (bass, vocals).

You can order the album here (and the vinyl looks pretty darn cool) along with some other HP swag and merchandise:

Horace Pinker

Go out and talk to your neighbors – community is powerful 🙂 

Album Review- abandcalledlove- Thriving Season

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Five men standing together in an urban setting under a bridge. They look like they are close friends.

One of my favorite things about listening to all kinds of music is that moment when I hear an album and as the last few notes play out my reaction is, “Well, hmmmm…interesting…very interesting.”  You have to picture me with a slightly quizzical look on my face, staring out my studio window with one eyebrow raised.  In those moments I know that I have experienced some sounds that I need a few extra moments to analyze and process.  The why’s of that are many but in the case of this EP from abandcalledlove it was the stylistic mix and range of the five songs that took a few more listen-throughs to grasp.  

The lead track here “love” is a short 39 seconds of breathy vocals over a hammering but subdued keyboard and a bass you can feel.  It builds into a swell of atmosphere before clipping out perfectly as the second song “INFINITE” drops right into place.  That one is a power-pop anthem through and through with soaring guitars, tight drums and strong vocals that set a tone of hopeful anticipation.  

Then along comes the middle track “A Liar!” which has much more of a rock feel to the music but opens with an almost spoken word vocal over a prominent drum line.  That vocal style carries through much of the song although the chorus is full-blown modern rock.   The bridge outro also builds up a glorious amount of noise before buzzing out on static.  

On my first listen to this EP the next song “The Love I Can’t Let Go” started playing and I was instantly transported to the 80’s…I half-expected a Simon LeBon cameo…it was a cool start for sure.   Much of the style of the music stays in that retro pop-rock groove and the piano at the end if a perfect counterpoint to the rest of the song. 

Closing out on the ballad “untitled / new year theme” is a nice finishing touch.   There are some very thoughtful lyrics set against a quiet, slightly nostalgic feeling musical composition.  After you listen through a few times the melody sticks with you and the meaning of those lyrics can change a bit depending on your mood.  

So, I did manage to sort that all out and it was a pretty nice journey.  This is a very good EP (coming out September 26th via Valiant Sound Co.) with a range of styles played and sung by accomplished musicians that are in great form.  I know that they have been garnering much positive buzz and this release should add to their momentum.  

“A Liar!” is the first single off of this EP and you can check it here on YouTube:

And you can do a pre-save for the album here:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/abandcalledlove/thriving-season-2/

Musicians are: Ryan Chandler Love (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Blake Aldridge (guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion), Austin Yagle (drums, percussion, keyboard, vocals), Ian Joshua Riley (guitar, keyboard, vocal) and Brooks Roberts (bass, vocals). 

Please remember to support your local community artists, bands and businesses! 

Song Review- 84 Tigers – “Two Rivers” (featuring Rocky Votolato) from the upcoming album Nothing Ends

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Three men in dark clothing, standing in front of a backlit window and brick wall, looking at the camera

Back in the days when Small Brown Bike was a fairly active band (late 90’s to mid 10’s…and maybe a little longer as I did lose track of them around that time) I had a conflicted relationship with their music.  They had insightful lyrics, bare bones and very real much of the time, that could really get you thinking.  For me songs like “Just Bones” (off the album Fell & Found) and “A Declaration of Sorts” (The River Bed) are powerful music.  At times though they had some distracting arrangements that left me a little puzzled (…which could well have been my own issue but still…those was my thoughts at the time).  Anyway, I still liked the band and listened.  On a side note there is a pretty cool release called Recollected (on the Old Point Light Bandcamp page) that has a lot of their music on it including demos, B-sides, some covers, etc.

84 Tigers features two of the members of Small Brown Bike (Mike & Ben Reed) along with Jono Diener from the Swellers.  A good starting point for music from that Michigan band is their 2012 album Running Out of Places to Go.  

84 Tigers had a release back in 2022 called Time in the Lighthouse that I totally failed to pick up on apparently so this “Two Rivers” track was my entry point for their music.  It is also a tribute to Travis Dopp (Small Brown Bike) who passed away in 2023.  Mike Reed commented on this track in a recent press release from Earshot Media:

“‘Two Rivers’ is a tribute to Travis Dopp (Small Brown Bike). Some of his lyrics are quoted in the song. When Rocky and I realized that we had both written songs with the word ‘River’ in the title separately, it was cosmic fate that brought him into the song. I had no idea what it would become, but he took it to new heights and I still get choked up when I hear it.”

The song begins on a cycling drum and guitar riff and keeps a quick beat accompanied by a strung out lyric line before slowing way down for a reflective moment.   It keeps that tandem sound throughout, kind of a rushing feeling toward the brief spaces of quiet.  A nice combination with sincere lyrics that are a fitting tribute to Dopp.

You can get a listen to this track on YouTube here:

You can pre-save the album (scheduled to drop October 17th on Spartan Records) here:

https://orcd.co/tworivers

Or pre-order at the Spartan Records website: 

84 Tigers

And support your locals – community is powerful

Song Review- Midnight Peg- “Swallow” from the upcoming album Skinnin

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2 women and 3 men, dressed in black, looking at the camera. In general they look either happy or defiant.

Having previously reviewed another release from this upcoming album (“Thirstland” on June 2nd) I definitely wanted to check this one out.  Given the energy and power of that earlier song I was curious to hear if those levels were sustained and how they both might give a sense of what that album will be like.  Well the answers to that would be: Definitely! And Skinning is very likely to be a real powerhouse record! 

“Swallow” breathes a little bit at the beginning, a gentle pulse rising and falling for about twenty seconds…you might find yourself getting into an introspective groove.  It then cuts abruptly to booming guitars, bass & drums before a vocal charged with fury joins up.  The bridge, which comes around 1:22 steps the tempo down and brings back that breathing space for a moment, a break that works nicely among the volume and speed of the rest of this track.  

Musicians on this are: Eric Neilson (guitar, vocals), Raquel “Rocky” Mann (vocals, lyrics), Brian Lin (bass), Jeffrey Sterling Brannen (drums), Jasmin Molnar (guitar). 

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

https://bfan.link/MidnigthPeg-swallow

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!

Album Review- Pulley & Fire Sale – Split Personality – split 7 “

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Five men (two sitting and three standing) looking at the camera with one man staring slightly off the viewers left. They look content and at ease.

I definitely do not need a second reminder to review any new music from Pulley as songs like “Cashed in” (from Esteem Driven Engine) and “Empty” (Together Again for the First Time) have been part of the mixtape of my life.  And…speaking of tapes, here is another one of my requests for you:  There was a promo cassette that had three songs from Esteem Driven Engine on it that was out sometime in the late 90’s.  If you ever see one…give me a shout please.  Pulley is a great band live also although it has been awhile since I saw them.  I know less about Fire Sale but the associated bands of the musicians (The Ataris, 22 Jacks, No Use for a Name and Ann Beretta among others) are some favorites of mine.  I had previously head their song “A Fool’s Errand” and found it pretty groovy.  

The Pulley songs on this new 7” split (“Write a Note If You Leave” and “Torn Apart by Time”) are right in that melodic punk space.  These tracks have tight instrumentation and a refined composition accompanied by some straight-forward and heartfelt lyrics.  There is much to enjoy between the hammering drum line, booming bass and some screaming guitar moments.  I would pick “Torn Apart by Time” as my personal favorite on this album. 

There is a bit of a different tone and feel to the Fire Side songs “An Archaic Construct” and “Call of the Void.”  These are a little more raw and edgy, backed up by a wall of distortion and buzzy energy.  That distortion drowns out a little bit of the other instrument sounds in a couple places but it all works out really well overall.  You can catch some nice guitar moments on these songs also.

The four tracks on this release fit well together and represent both bands creative approach and high energy.  You can listen to these on repeat for awhile!    This music is coming out on Negative Progression Records on September 5th and you can get a limited edition vinyl right here:

https://shop.negativeprogressionrecords.com/

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- For Closure- “Take Two”

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Well, cool things sometimes happen and as you may recall I had just reviewed Sleep Pod Two’s “All That We Have (Is Each Other)” earlier this month…and then along comes another band with Wal Rashidi on the drums.  Although I was aware of some of the other associated bands from this group of musicians I had not heard about For Closure much prior to this release.  

The guitar tone at the start of this is very cool and a bit of a throwback for me to somewhere in the 80’s – it is a groovy riff that sets the mood right away.  As the volume and sound build from there it takes you along on a wave of melody and soaring vocals that give a broken love story a slightly defiant vibe.  Short and to the point, the track drops right off the edge at the 2:13 mark. This is a good song in the power-pop tradition and a nice listen for a Sunday afternoon.  

Musicians on this are:  Luis Estefania (guitar), Gizz Lazlo (vocals), Steve Brown (bass), Marc Maxey (guitar) and of course Wal Rashidi (drums).  

The full EP (also titled Take Two) is set to drop September 12th on Mindpower Records.  It is going to include a cover of “In My Head” by the Doughboys which I will be interested to hear.

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/forclosuretaketwo

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- The Boy Detective- “Beth Truss” from the upcoming album Disco Lunch

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A group of mostly happy looking people, some sitting and some standing.

As a long time fan of ska (in all of its various iterations and sub genres) I first heard this band covering The Get Up Kids song “Forgive & Forget.”  That was off Sklarity, their 2021 collection of ska-styled covers of ten songs which also included “Hands Down” (Dashboard Confessional) and “Photo Booth” (Death Cab for Cutie).  On that album and also on the 2018 album Dorkus Malorkus their sound is an interesting mix of ska, punk and just a bit of hard core.  If you want a side mission check out “Is Alfredo There” from Dorkus for an interesting cross-genre experience and sound explosion.  They also have another release called Art Theft which I have not listened through yet.  

Their upcoming album Disco Lunch is set to drop on November 7th and “Beth Truss” will release as a single on August 15th, all courtesy of Punkerton Records.  The song, as described by the band’s vocalist Benny Capaul: 

“…was taken off the shelf, dusted off, and reformatted to sonically invoke singalongs and brain-eating choruses and gang vocals, in the only way The Boy Detective knows best.”

I would have to agree that this one is a sonic explosion.  It comes in on a short drum intro quickly followed by energetic horns that give you a bit of a marching groove.  At that point you are firmly in a ska state of mind and happy to be there.  It then drops into a more guitar & drum / alt-punk section that still brings the energy while adding some restless edginess to the vibe.  That back-and-forth continues through the song and the overall result is some odd kind of angry happiness. 

This should be out on your streaming channels soon and you can pre-order Disco Lunch (vinyl) here:

The Boy Detective "Disco Lunch" Vinyl [Pre-Order]

And pre-save the digital version here: 

https://ffm.to/theboydetective_discolunch

And support your locals – community is powerful

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!