As a music nerd, it’s fun to listen to new releases and try to figure out where an artist’s influences come from. However, it takes talent and real musical ambition to not just seem like an admirer of certain inspirations with nothing original to say. Inside Out, the new album from Florida-based singer-songwriter Jason Montero, wears its influences on its sleeve yet keeps things fresh with new ideas. It’s a record clearly worshiping a lot of classic rock but focusing deeply on grooves, shared chemistry between band members, and varied instrumentation to be a consistently enjoyable listen.
Montero, a guitarist and longtime performer in bands local to the Phoenix area (Honey Child, The Limit, The Wood Band), explained that this album specifically resulted from dusting off some late-80s/early-90s songs he never ended up recording. For the studio recording sessions, several old bandmates and friends from his life helped to contribute parts, and everyone’s enthusiasm for the project clearly shines through. Every song sounds like a portion of a fun afternoon jam session, with the backing band getting ample opportunities to contribute, whether it’s for rhythm or simply texture and atmosphere.
The first half of the album surprised me with how danceable and almost funk-driven it was. Songs like “No James Dean”, “Criss Cross”, and lead single “Thorn” all have delightful swinging grooves that’s toe-tapping fun throughout their entire runtime. The emphasis on hand drums and shakers during certain tracks turns what could be simple bar band blues-rock into something more worldly and cultured than expected. Sometimes the songs reminded me of Paul Simon’s Graceland or even Vampire Weekend’s early world music excursions. A song like “Conclusive Illusions” has layers of sounds to it, but each instrument develops tightly together into complex polyrhythms. It’s impressive at the level of musicianship present during certain songs.
The second half of Inside Out is less upbeat, introducing elements of folk and psychedelia. “Marvel at the Rainbow” and closer “Her Majesty’s List” are sweet and earnest, mainly featuring Montero with soft and gentle acoustic guitar playing. Speaking of which, his acoustic and electric guitar work are consistently great, with the latter getting to shine on heavier songs like “Gomorrah” and “Rebecca”. Montero’s vocals, like a lot of classic rock singers, are more about their grit and gruffness than necessarily their technical ability, and they complement the bluesier songs well enough. He also produced the album himself, and the sound of the production fits perfectly. It’s very natural and rural sounding to match the vintage influences and shines during the more acoustic sections of the record.
Inside Out isn’t perfect and may rely too much on classic rock conventions for some, yet that’s part of why it works. Going back to these old songs written decades ago was clearly a nostalgia-driven exercise for Jason Montero, and that passion shines through in every song. If he had rewritten and updated them from the work of a less experienced singer-songwriter, the initial appeal of recording the songs, to begin with, would be lost. As it is, Inside Out is a time capsule of songs that aren’t confined to the decades originally written from.
The headliner of night 1 at Boulevardia 2024 was Milky Chance, a band the event’s organizers had been trying to contract for years. They were giddy as they introduced them, as the night set in on the streets of downtown Kansas City. The band was as fun as ever and the music created an entirely standalone vibe in the main stage. Milky Chance kind of sprinkles magic where they go with their feel-good energy. Photos below to prove it.
Love them or hate them, bands that were popular at the turn of the century are making a comeback. And Hanson? They never really went anywhere. After going indie when their label failed them professionally, the three-brother band has maintained a brand – with multiple creative endeavors within it, including a beer company, tiered fan club membership, collaborative fan community, and more – that has continued to serve them and their growing family over the years. They have consistently toured, continuously contributed to nonprofit funding efforts, and continue to deliver new music as a sibling project year after year.
On Friday, June 14th, Hanson entertained a large crowd gathered in front of the Visit Missouri main stage at Boulevardia in Kansas City, Missouri. There, they announced the release of their new peach cider venture – that comes in honor of the 20th anniversary of “Penny & Me” – that they would be pouring themselves at the Taps & Tastes event the following day.
taylor hansonisaac hansonzac hanson
Boulevardia draws thousands to the Kansas City area every Father’s Day weekend for an interactive beer and music festival, with local makers and food vendors galore.
Every Father’s Day weekend – for years now – Boulevardia has taken over a crucial area of Kansas City, bringing the best taps, tastes, and tunes to the metropolitan area. (And region, if we are being honest.) The relocation to Crown Center a handful of years ago made the festival a little more central — though no less sweltering hot.
I arrived later on Friday, making it a point to get there in time to see Pom Pom Squad. Frontwoman Mia Berrin introduced the band as Hanson – who was coming up next on the Visit Missouri main stage – and then proceeded to rip our faces off. Berrin’s dynamic vocals serenaded us through a breezy, hot Midwest sunset. A few fun photos below.
Another band I’ve seen pop up in my socials a bunch is the band grlztoy of the DMV area, made up of Theo Zamani (lead vocals, guitar) and Molly Izer (drums). Their EP green!, released last June, is an assured and confident debut I think is worth listening to for anyone into indie pop/rock.
For a release that’s only 12 minutes long, grlztoy easily establishes themselves with just six tracks. The opener, the title song, is only a minute long but still establishes a calming, slightly psychedelic mood through the guitars and slightly echoed drums. It’s ultimately just an intro to the EP, but it still feels complete. Each song carries the same vibe established in the intro title track, creating a hazy, colorful, summer night atmosphere.
The next three songs, “spring (untied shoes)”, “say when”, and “wavelength” are all a showcase to both members’ talents. Throughout the album, Theo’s singing is wonderful, clearly inspired by both a lot of 90s and 2010s indie singers, but she still almost equals those obvious influences in her abilities. Her voice is sweet and soft, but is still expressive when it needs to be. She carries a song like “say when” by sounding sweet and romantic in a way that’s earnest and never anything but genuine. Molly’s drumming is also consistently great, giving each song a fun, up-tempo groove. Her style varies neatly from cozy indie rock (“teenage dirtbag”), sort of bluesy (“keychain piano”), to garage power pop (the totally killer “wavelength”).
Admittedly, the band is still very new and occasionally some songs could use more substance (ex. “keychain piano” being clearly a mess-about band jam but still entertaining) or space to breathe. Still, despite having room to grow, green! is a kind of first release that makes you excited to see where the band will go next.
If you didn’t know who Goose was already, then you could have gotten the full run-down from any man found within a 4 block radius of The Midland on Tuesday evening. “Do you know who Goose is?” a man in a gray tie dyed shirt excitedly asked me as I walked up to the box office to nab my photo pass. “Yes, I’m photographing them.” (And I do know their music. And they’re fantastic.) “Oh.”
But I didn’t have to worry about taking this man’s shine for too long. Almost immediately, he turned to a woman walking from the other direction and excitedly asked, “Do you know who Goose is?” She didn’t, and he was aghast. Immediately he launched into a tale about a young jam band that he and his friends championed from the beginning. I laughed at her expression, got my pass, and went inside.
But that’s what Goose does – they fire up the crowd. They are, in essence, a feel good band with an open, excitable fan base. Walking in, it felt like I was headed to camp. Everyone was complimenting each other’s shirts and looks, asking about strangers’ favorite songs, taking photos with signs and posters.
And that’s another thing… I’ve never seen so many banners and posters in this venue before. I’ve never felt the nostalgia of summer camp inside a venue in Kansas City. In my life. And I’m a native.
That was the vibe they brought. With an enchanting stage set, some quirky accessories (hello stuffed Luigi on a keyboard), and a crowd that was ready to be best friends, Goose brought everyone together on a perfect 70 something degree evening in the midwest.
