Tag Archives: Earshot Media

Song Review- KRÖNA- “Take ‘Em All”

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This Caribbean punk group just started a tour in North America and “Take ‘Em All” dropped right before they were heading out.  This is a new group to me and I was impressed by the energy that comes bursting through on the track.  The press release from Earshot Media put it this way: 

“Blending breakneck punk, hardcore fury, and syncopated reggae grooves, KRÖNA brings an unmistakable Dominican flair to the global punk scene.”

PSA: Before you push play on this one brace yourself if you are faint of heart…

Heavy drums and bold, squealing guitars hit right from go and kick you along for about 30 seconds before the strong, defiant vocal roars in.  Other than a rather long fade out at the end, there are no moments of peace and quiet on this track – it rips all the way through.  

It sounds like we can expect another single to drop soon which will be followed later in the year by their debut album Dead Air Diaries.  I have to check these guys out live also as I fully expect that to be quite the event.  

You can give this one a listen here: 

If you go out and give “Take ‘Em All” 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- Len Price 3 – “Emily’s Shop”

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Ok, so sometimes I do stop the train and just take in a little scenery from a different land.  I have taken this particular stop, parked next to a nice British Pub in my mind, before with The Len Price 3.  That was back around February 2023 when I gave their Ip Dip Do album a go around and was impressed with the sound.  Songs like “Waiting for the Trouble to Come” and “She Came From Out of the Sun” have a kind of dreamy vibe offset by poignant guitar sounds.  On a different side of the coin are songs like “Charlie” which manages an anti-drug message over very loud guitars and a hammering drum beat.   I think some folks put them in the “garage rock” genre, I tend more toward “Brit Power Pop Revival” but I supposed we can argue about that later.   

This track (with a b/w called “I’m a Fake”)  is  a bit of a preview for their upcoming Wicked Cool Records release Misty Medway Magick.  Starting off on a little “Do, Do, Do…” vocals that will give you some nostalgic feelings, “Emily’s Shop” builds up to a nice volume with guitars and bass to the front and a slightly subdued drum in most places.  As they have in the past, The Len Price 3 show us again how much power three instruments & accomplished musicians can bring to the party.  

The Len Price 3 are: Steve Huggins (bass), Glenn Page (guitar & vocals), and Neil Fromow (drums).

You can check this out on streaming here – let me know your thoughts!  

https://orcd.co/lenprice3emily

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

Also – in case you want a cool addition to your vinyl collection they have a limited edition 7” you can pick up here: 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/136031435566?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=hW9BmIpPS_W&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=hW9BmIpPS_W&stype=1&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Record Thieves- “Cause and Effect”

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When Jim Wilcox left Authority Zero back in 2012 I was definitely disappointed as I was a big fan of his work on the drums for that band.  Songs like “Revolution (off Andiamo) and “Memory Lane” (12:34) are marked by his controlled but still feisty playing.  At the time he left I was not sure (or had missed a memo) on what his next stop might be and was pleasantly surprised when he popped up with Record Thieves.  That was back in 2020 (at least when I found them) and they had just released their strong debut Wasting Time.  Some notable tracks there are “Sacrifice” and “Daily Revolver.”  Currently, the other members of Record Thieves are: Allen White (guitar), Michael Waterhouse (vocals), Chad Gilbert (bass) and Christopher Livesay (guitar).

The vocals from Waterhouse lead off here with a nice distorted guitar riff in the background.  A punchy, thumping drum joins soon after as the lyrics weave a story about trying to break loose from our usual processes and patterns (…”if I could just get out of my own way”).  The bass line here is just a little bit subtle and adds some really interesting texture to the track, kind of a hopeful yet melancholy vibe.  This song is a promising teaser for their upcoming album release which will also be on Thousand Island Records. 

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/RT-cause-and-effect

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- Showoff  – “Get Home” from the album Haverstraw 

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In case anyone wants a random mission…I give you this.  Showoff has a very good early album (it might have been their first?) called “Around the Corner Fudge is Made” (and no, I have no idea what that is all about) that was on cassette.  I at least never saw it in any other format.  If you are picking your way through any random sale bins out there and see it…pick it up and shoot me a message – I’ll be happy to pay up to get it.  They came across my radar back in the last 90’s when they were on tour with Goldfinger…which seems like a really long time ago.  

Their last release that I knew of was “Midwest Side Story” but I learned in checking things out while I was writing this that they also released a single (“Bitter Pill”) in 2023.  The lineup has evolved along the way and now consists of Chris Envy, Evan Thorne, Mickey Molinari, Steve Envy and Brian Steinseifer.  This new album on Manic Kat Records just dropped recently and after giving it a listen I can say…they can still bring it!  Their energy is still very present and the sounds are good!  

They recently released a video for “Crimson”, the first track on this album and you can check that out below.  Personally though my favorite song is “Get Home” which opens on vocals and thumping rhythm.  The chorus develops into a great sound mix with guitars punching through nicely.  This track stays driving and energetic all the way through to the end.  

Check out that “Crimson video here:  

Easy streaming link for the album here:

If you go out and give “Get Home” or any (or all!) parts of this album a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Your local community and you are powerful! 

Song Review- Half Dizzy – “Turn This Up”

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Remembering back to when I heard the song “Broken Down” playing in the pre-set music for a bar band in 2023 I recall being pretty impressed by the blistering pace of the music and the “you can’t beat me down” message.  That track was from the first release Half Dizzy had on Punkerton Records and since then they have also released The Faceless (with quite interesting cover art) and now this single that dropped on June 20th.  

A decent amount of people and reviews have mentioned in the past that Half Dizzy evokes some Rancid vibes.  Although I tend to stay away from those direct comparisons in general, on this new track it is hard to avoid.  The  composition, tone, vocal style and great energy all combine to definitely have you reaching back to your best Let’s Go moments.  That being said (and in a positive way for sure) these musicians have talents and grooves that set their own high standard.  Solid guitars playing off each other, a rumbling bass line, busy & sharp drums and shared vocals that are boisterous and clear.  Overall, an uplifting, power-for-you anthem for the upcoming summer.  

Quick streaming link here: 

https://found.ee/halfdizzy_turnthisup

If you go out and give “Turn This Up” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Check out your local community – it can be a pretty cool place:) 

Release Alert! Mercy Music and Danger Days Split 7″ 

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Just thought I would put out a quick notice for this dynamic upcoming release from Double Helix Records.  

I do not quite remember when I first heard Mercy Music but I do remember the name of the album – When I die, I’m taking you with me.  That title just struck me and has stuck around in my head.  There is a song on there (“Painless”) that warrants a listen also if you ever get a chance.

Danger Days is new to me although the members are a collection of musicians from other bands; The Rabble, Movin in Stereo, Millencolin and Flirting with Disaster. 

This release is a nice combination of talented musicians with the two songs fitting well together.  Mercy Music has “Big Fucking Mess” which I really like for the pacing changes throughout the song.  It starts with a call out on the song title and then cuts back and forth with some choppy, slow moments augmented by thrashing high points.  Danger Days fires off right away on “Wasted Time” and keeps a hammering clip going all the way to the end.  It is a tight, fast track that will have you singing right along.  

This drops tomorrow but you can do a pre-save here: 

https://ffm.to/presaveddmm

Take a listen on your usual streaming places and then maybe hit the Double Helix Records store for some hard copy 🙂 

https://www.doublehelixrecords.com/

Release Alert! Overstand- “Short Fuse State” from the upcoming album Take Control 

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I know it will be awhile until you can take a listen to this (the single on 7” is set to drop September 5th, with the album to follow October 3rd), but you should definitely put this on your radar.  

Overstand formed back in 2020 and have an early eponymously titled EP that came out in 2022.  It is a really good hardcore set of 7 songs that blast away with intensity and purpose.  A great track to check out from this release is “Cracks in the Mirror.”  It has a simple message about how to live life, ripping guitar riffs and a pretty cool change of pace right after the midway point. 

Having been able to check out Take Control I can say that Overstand have only gotten better.   The guitars are still fierce, the bass is thundering, the drums have enough energy to light up the night and the vocals are edgy and powerful.  All of that is not surprising given the pedigree of the musicians involved but it is awesome to hear it all come together so well.  Check out “Short Fuse” (which also includes a guest vocal from Puerto Rican Myke of Skarhead & District 9) coming up in September and you will have a good idea of what is in store for the album.   There is an absolute ferocity in this song.  Also, according to the press release from Earshot Media, the backside of that 7” will be a cover of Bomber Zee (Agnostic Front).  You can ponder that until September 🙂

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- Lot Lizards – “Broken Parts” from the album The Horrors of Adulting

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A quick jump backwards before we get to the review  – the first song I heard from this group was back in late 2021.  “Exploding Heart Syndrome” from their eponymous debut album struck me right away with its energy.  It suffers a little from a slightly buried vocal track but the content of those lyrics has a story to which we can all relate – stop being fake and don’t be afraid to be your whole, real self.  Now…if we could only get more people to listen to that message…  

Anyway, onward to the present day…

Lot Lizards have their new album The Horrors of Adulting set for a July 25th release and this track is a preview for that album.  

A loud and raucous all-in start to this song holds you for about 25 seconds before the vocals from Jon Barnes kick in to tell a pretty tough story.  As Barnes noted in the press release from Earshot Media, “It’s about my father, who is struggling with Parkinson’s disease. It’s heavy and deeply personal, but there’s also catharsis in facing that reality head-on.”   There is a great outro that starts around 2:25 that slows this song down a bit with some searing guitars and a booming drum & bass line…before it fades off into goodbye.  

Streaming available at your preferred service – quick link here: 

https://found.ee/lotlizards_brokenparts

And you can jump on the album pre-sale from Punkerton Records here: 

Lot Lizards

If you go out and give “Broken Parts” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

All of us should support each other – community is powerful! 

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!