Tag Archives: minnesota

Release Alert! Ultrabomb – “Artificial Stars” off the upcoming album The Bridges That We Burn

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Three men dressed in black t-shirts (with lettering) look out at the viewer. They appear to be pretty happy.

This band has been one of my favorites since they first joined forces around 2021 and although the lineup has changed slightly since then all the music has been great.   Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü) has remained the front man throughout and seems to have a special talent for both finding skilled musicians to play with and also for pulling them from bands that I have spent a lot of time listening to over the years.  In this current version of Ultrabomb he is joined by Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion, D.I. and Adolescents) and Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum).

For me the best thing about this track is the overall tone and sound that it has – there is something just a little bit vintage and throwback about the whole thing and I find it awesome.  I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Minneapolis music scene of the 80’s and there are echoes of the energy and urgency from those days coursing through this song.  These three musicians are tight and seamless in their playing with driving drums, a punchy bass line and the kind of melody work that sticks in your head.  

You can check this out on your streaming channels (quick link here): 

https://ffm.to/ultrabomb-artificialstars

The album is scheduled to release April 3, 2026 on DC-Jam Records / Virgin Music Group

Keep an eye out for any pre-save or pre-order info that surfaces out there as this one is going to be a hot commodity 🙂 

Song Review- The Modern Era- “Dear Anyone”

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Five men standing in shadow beneath some vines.

Somewhere back in 2013 a friend of mine had seen this band at the Fine Line in Minneapolis and gave me a heads up to check them out.   It took some poking around but I did eventually find their EP The Holiday (although I never did find their debut EP The Swag back then…eventually tracked down on Bandcamp years later).  That Holiday album had a pretty cool song on it that I liked called “Everyone We Know Is A Ghost.”   They do have a few other releases out there and if you want a nice set that covers music from some of their other albums I would suggest picking up Too Loud? Too Bad!  A really nice rocker on that is “Citizen Zero” or you can slow it down with “Where Was I? (When I Needed Me)”.   They faded away in 2016 but are back now with a new single!

The Modern Era style of music has always been a little bit hard for me to explain – it is definitely rock-style but has this unique mix of punk and classic and sometimes almost anthem to it that keeps it pretty interesting.  This new offering starts with some steady drums and quite prominent bass before adding great screaming electric guitars that bring the attitude way up before dropping down into a more subdued vocal track.   Those vibes trade off throughout the song before finishing on a sweet extended fade out.  This is a solid track, full of energy and well produced, and a nice teaser for the anticipated full album in 2026.  

Musicians on this are: Jack Swagger, Josh Ripley, Ben Pelowski, Nick Pelowski and Chris Fister.

There is a video for this but when I checked it was time locked to 11 am December 28th…but maybe you will have more luck 🙂 

Steaming on your usual places and if you can please think about purchasing it – streaming music does not pay well even times a thousand.  

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Release Alert! Dillinger Four- “Like Sprewells on a Wheelchair”

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Four men in jeans and black t-shirts walking toward the camera - one has his shirt pulled up over his face. They seem to be enjoying themselves.

This song just dropped and as D4 is just a terrific band I wanted to put the word out right away. This is an old one and the last place I remember it being available was on a Rock Against Bush release – Volume 2 as it turned out once I checked Discogs.  

As usual, this track brings all the loud guitars and bass, crashing drums and vocal fury of a lot of Dillinger Four’s music.  There is also a bit of melody hanging out in there, just enough to keep things moving along nicely.  It has a nice long lead in before the lyrics and then it drives hard right to the end – awesome! 

Musicians on this are: Eric Funk (vocals, guitar), Patrick Costello (bass), Billy Morisette (guitar, vocals) and Lane Pederson (drums). 

You can give it a listen here (and maybe think about purchasing it if you are so inclined):

Song Review- The Last Revel –  “Static” from the album Gone For Good 

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Having been patiently waiting for the release of this album the moment finally arrived last week!   This group has long been a favorite of mine and I definitely consider them as a top Americana / alt-county operation (..and awesome live…check them out if you can as they bring some really good energy to every show:).

I have listened through the entire album several times and there are good songs throughout.  Although I picked “Static” for this review I also really liked “Go On” (a feisty, quick-paced number), “Simple Wheel” (great, punchy rhythm and crafty lyrics) and “Tall Grass” (just a perfect example of how these three musicians can blend their instruments together to create memorable music).  

“Static” has a subtle dreaminess to its tone right from the start, leading off with guitar that is joined after about 30 seconds by a gentle fiddle and soon after by a nice banjo melody line.  The lyrics here tell a familiar story but have some nice turns like, “”Break a day, get fixed at night, you always say we’re doing it right.”  

Musicians on this are:  Vinnie Donatelle (fiddle, vocals), Lee Henke (vocals, guitar) and Ryan Acker (banjo, vocals)

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://thelastrevel.bandcamp.com/

Remember to support your awesome community 🙂 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Song Review- Dan Murphy & High On Stress  –  “Tethered” 

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When I saw this post from Nick Leet on Instagram:

“This is a public service announcement with guitar…and piano.  Today we are releasing our first new song in 2 years. Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum / Scarlet Goodbye) & I wrote this song to share our frustrations.”

… I knew I had to check it out right away…which ended up meaning five days later…but life, ya know.    

This track starts with a simple elegance; a fairly straight-forward rhythm and melody offset by a few discordant moments…that I suspect are on purpose.  It is like anger layered over thoughtfulness.  That background makes the message in the lyrics stand out well and you can definitely hear the mentioned frustrations coming through clearly.   There is also a poignant piece about midway through, full of climbing guitars and bass, that gets you like a scream from a rooftop.  In my opinion this song, in tone, lyrics and arrangement does a great job of delivering the message I believe Leet, Murphy and High On Stress meant for it to convey.  

Musicians on this are: Dan Murphy (vocals, electric guitar, piano, keys and bass), Nick Leet (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar), Chad Wheeling (electric guitar, backing vocals, engineering & mixing), Mark Devaraj (drums) and Kayla Wheeling (backing vocals).

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://highonstressmpls.bandcamp.com/album/dan-murphy-high-on-stress-tethered.

Your community – us and you and everyone else – is powerful…remember to support and engage.

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…( side note – per the release posting all proceeds here will be donated to the ACLU).

Let me know you think! 

Song Review- Two Harbors “What You’re On About” from the album Can’t Shake This Dream

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This album dropped on May 9th but it took me a little bit to get around to listening to the full set.  Two Harbors has been a force in the Twin Cities music scene going back quite a ways.  They worked with Ed Ackerson for multiple albums on Susstone and this album is dedicated to his memory and legacy.  

This one has a bit of a sonic vibe right from the start, with a swinging rhythm  and some atmosphere on the guitars.   It manages to be mellow and loud at the same time with nice guitar bridges and a quite prominent tight snare chopping along all the way through.  The abrupt ending is perfect.  

Overall, this album is very consistent and does not have a bad track on it.  Two Harbors also have a nice back catalog if you feel like checking it out – two recommendations would be their 2009 release All The Places We Would Rather Be and The Natural Order of Things from 2014.

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://twoharbors.bandcamp.com/

Community is powerful – you know this 🙂 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Song Review- Nick Leet “Edge of Town” from the album Detours

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Ok, so I know that I mentioned High on Stress in my last review (of the Gentlemen Rogues single “Half Empty, Half Fool) but I swear this follow-up on the HOS front man’s release is a coincidence.  

This song of course has a bit of the HOS vibe with Leet on the vocals but it has its own personality.  There is a slow, melodic pacing right from the start with a nice clear acoustic guitar guiding the way.  Andrew Hyda (of Billy Pilgrim and Smokin’ Novas among other projects) lends some nice ebow magic along the way.   Overall, a nice, straight-forward track that makes for good listening. 

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page /highonstressmpls.bandcamp.com

As always, give some support to your locals as they need you and community is powerful! 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Album Review- Jordan Car – Bender EP

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It is not a surprise that I was happy to hear about some more music being released by this under-appreciated songwriter and his great band and associated musicians.   I have previously reviewed their Rail Vodka release and that one is worth your time also …give it a listen:) 

This EP features some previously released material but is still a good collection and an entry point if you have not heard any of of Carr’s music prior to this album.   “Party Town USA” came out as a single release in 2021 and has a nice, clean vibe to it with an airy atmosphere and a strong drum beat through the middle of the track.   “Ronnie” is up next and this song has seen several versions over the years (although I still prefer the original from “Reinventing the Dumbass”…but hey, I am a vintage-style person after all).  How did it take me this long to understand the line about Third Eye Blind?  I always wondered what “melted ice and Third Eye Blind” even meant…but hey…I hear it all loud and clear now!   The third track is “Just South of Heaven,” and is the version from 2021 which is mixed & produced in a much more mainstream fashion than what was on the 2020 EP Neapolitan Man.  This later take is definitely more accessible but that 2020 edition, which is much slower and has a disquieting yet comforting metronomic feel to it, is my preference.  This album closes on “Being Zack Morris” and is a version that I do not think I have heard before…it is a strong one, a well developed song with a nice piano accompaniment. 

As always Jordan Carr delivers direct, pointed songs of life, love and the general messiness of living with much heart and strong arrangements…I always feel like he sings song for and about folks like me:) 

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://jordancarr.bandcamp.com/album/bender-ep

As always…please remember your local artists and businesses – community is powerful! 

And even though this EP is not a buyable item on his Bandcamp page… check out the other music and think about purchasing something 🙂 

Song Review- Double Grave “1991” 

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This might not be my favorite song from these musicians (for that please see “western world” off their echinacea album…a strangely haunting song with a great bass line) but I wanted to put it up here as DG is calling it done after all this time.   Even during times when I was trying to puzzle out exactly what they were up to I always found the sonic experiment they offered up to be very interesting.  

This one leads off with a nice guitar part (that evoked a little Smashing Pumpkins in me) and heads into the lyrics covered by a subdued drum beat before picking up a little atmosphere mid-song.   That sonic buzz sticks after that with several nice distortion clouds cutting in..and then it drops right off…good-bye.

Thanks to Double Grave for the very interesting ride over the years and best wishes for your futures:) 

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://ggrraavvee.bandcamp.com/

As always…remember your locals – community is powerful 🙂 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Song Review- Alliance “Wingspan” from the album Alliance

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What can I say…give me some great saxophone and I am hooked from go. 

This track is their take on a Mulgrew Miller original from an album of the same name released in 1987.  I really enjoy the way the saxophone comes right in at the beginning and maintains a place near the front for the first half of this composition.  It has a slight edge of the frantic about it (to me anyway).  The piano section that starts around the 1:40 mark is a nice counterpoint, a little less edgy but not lulling anyone to sleep for sure.  An engaging drum solo clears the palate for about thirty seconds and then everyone comes back together to finish this track out.  The clarity of the individual moments on this song, combined with the great skill of the musicians together, really make for a good musical memory:) 

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://shiftingparadigmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/alliance

As always, please get out and support all of your locals – community is powerful:)

And please think about purchasing this song from them after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…