Tag Archives: Thousand Island Records

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!

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- Midnight Peg – “Thirstland” from the album Skinning

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This single is an early release from the upcoming album.  

So, before you push play on this just be aware – you are about to be blown away!  This experience kind of reminded me of the time I was chilling out at the bar, awaiting GBH to take the stage later, when Niice walked out and slammed into my mentality.  That was a damn good moment and this track has that same vibe and energy.  

A hot opening guitar riff here, a nice little 10 seconds of space and then the vocals from Mann (nicely supported at some points by call backs from Neilson) drop in to set a fiery tone for the remainder.   The fast pace set down by a deep bass line and thundering drums is nicely played against by guitars on high distortion.  Yes it is loud and in your face…and awesome!

This should be out there to check out on all of your usual streaming places.   

Remember to support your local bands – community is powerful! 

Song Review- Walt Hamburger – “Insolence”

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I saw the press release for this song and instantly realized that any music advertised as “A gritty, heartfelt, and infectious punk jam that will resonate with fans of Joey Cape, Jon Snodgrass, Frank Turner, Bryan Walstrom and Tim Barry,” …well, these people are talking my language!  The supporting cast on this is awesome and includes Snodgrass, Neil Hennessy, Asher Simon and Mikey Erg.  And that equals Boom!

This track is right in the wheelhouse of a great bar jam with a rat-a-tat opening, punchy rhythms and a little fuzz on the front end.  To no one’s surprise this group plays tight & strong all the way through and the production here is nicely balanced.  

A big release to be on standby for is the coming album from Hamburger (…And Louie!) which is currently slated for June 20th.   You can pre-order that (CD & vinyl) here:

Walt Hamburger – …And Louie!

As always…support those locals – community is powerful!