Tag Archives: Earshot Media

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

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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. 

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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/

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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

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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

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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). 

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Song Review- JJ Braves- “Fix for a Broken Heart”

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Black and white image of an electric guitar player on stage

Hearing about the release of this single on July 25th my interest was peaked by this part of the press release: 

“JJ Braves is the throwback rock project of LA-based artist Joshua Keever, blending synth-driven hooks, classic rock theatrics, and deeply personal lyricism. Drawing inspiration from the power-chord heroics of Queen and Weezer, the slick pop swagger of Huey Lewis & the News, and even the animated bravado of the Transformers theme song, JJ Braves channels those influences into anthemic, emotionally resonant songs”.

That is an interesting group of influences so I fired it up and was met right away by some grungy guitar tones combined with an 80’s synth groove and some vocal styling {“Ooh, baby do you got somewhere to be tonight”) that fits into that same era.  I gotta say that I had an Outfield flashback…in a good way.   This track does not stay in that lane though which is one of the coolest things about it.  Combining some groovy but varied rhythms, several different guitar tones, well-placed keys and good vocals it feels like a bit of a trip through some vintage musical moments of my life.  This song has a healthy exuberance about it that makes you want to turn it way up and drive down the strip.  

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

Braves also has an upcoming full-length album so keep your eyes and ears out 🙂  

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- Stay The Course – “Post Traumatic”

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I just head about the early release of this lyric video (available on YouTube of course) via an Earshot Media press announcement and was intrigued by this outtake:  

“Serving as the second single from Red Flag, the song marks a sharp left turn from Stay The Course’s usual mix of melodic breakdowns and punchy hooks. This time, they set aside distortion in favor of acoustic instruments, added string accompaniment courtesy of Meador’s wife and eldest daughter, and handed lead vocal duties to Munn.”

When bands step away from their usual sound I always have respect, regardless of the results, as just taking that action requires some guts and helps keep music fresh for all of us.  The results here are quite good with those aforementioned strings (cello + violin = very cool) really setting a slow, reflective tone.   The vocals are a an interesting mix of pleading and sentimental.  Songs like this sometimes end up feeling fragile but this one retains strength throughout – a good listen with a message. 

Musicians on this are: Colby Munn (vocals, guitar), Kylie Meador (cello), Londyn  Meador (violin), Joseph Meador (backing vocals). 

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂   They also have an album coming soon (Red Flag) so keep an eye out. 

https://found.ee/staythecourse_posttraumatic

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

As always – remember to support all your locals – community is powerful!