by Meredith Schneider | Aug 23, 2019 | albums, review
Today, Dallas-based rock collective The 40 Acre Mule releases their latest full-length, a 10-track album titled Goodnight & Good Luck. Filled to the brim with incredible chord progressions, guitar riffs that will melt your face down to your teeth and cheekbones, and an undeniable energy that just simply will not quit. Their musical prowess has them dipping the journey into a smooth, natural slow roll a couple of times – how else can you do bluesy ballads like “Be with Me” and “Hat in Hand”? – but for the majority of this release, we spend our time checking our increasing heart rates.
The band – comprised of J. Isaiah Evans (Vocals/Guitar), John Pedigo (Guitar), Tim Cooper (Bass/Backing Vocals), Robert Anderson (Drums), Chris Evetts (Bari Sax/Percussion), and Chad Stockslager (Keys/Backing Vocals) – effortlessly blends the sounds of their great predecessors (Chuck Barry, Little Richard) and modern influences (J.D. McPherson, Nathaniel Rateliff) to create a sound that is simply undeniable, and truly one all their own.
If you’re looking for album favorites, we’re very into the clear nostalgia that rolls through us while listening to “Shake Hands with the Devil”, and are thoroughly drawn to the title and danceability of “Bathroom Walls”. Perhaps both songs present the sense of a thrill for a moment, thematically tying us to the album as a whole as it takes us on a thrilling ride.
Peep Goodnight & Good Luck below, and be sure to nab your copy soon!
Keep up with 40 Acre Mule here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 21, 2019 | albums, premieres
On Friday, lo-fi garage pop musician Balue is set to release his new album Suburban Bliss. We’re lucky enough to have your first listen to the release in its entirety, starting with the sound bites that intro the title track. Jam packed with leisurely tunes perfect for your next road trip, Suburban Bliss leads you on a sonic journey that both urges you to open your mind and keeps a moderate tempo that tends to keep your emotions at bay. Moments of 70’s-inspired, glittery soundscapes are nestled amongst futuristic chord progressions and reverb for miles. It’s beautiful and fun and quirky, all wrapped into one wonderful collection that will easily make the “summer to autumn” transition with you.
Get your first listen below, and keep your eyes peeled for that album release on the 23rd!
Keep up with Balue here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 14, 2019 | premieres, videos
Today, indie pop musician Nicholas Altobelli releases the music video for his track “Tell Me What I Got To Do”. A leisurely pace and a sincere host of lyrics give this song impact, as Altobelli lays vulnerable his desires. The video is interestingly shot, with warmth applied as if you’re viewing the world with rose colored glasses. But the subject matter is much more melancholy, matching the pace and composition of the track.
Get your first peep below, and let us know what you think on Facebook!
Vertigo was released August 2. Keep up with Nicholas Altobelli here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 23, 2019 | albums, premieres
Rhode Island plays host to some pretty stellar acts, but who knew it would be the home of one of our latest favorite alternative rock acts? Wild Sun – a trio comprised of Glenn Kendzia, Paul Fazio, and Padraic Fazio – has a brand new, 9-track release titled Closed Door Talks and it’s one of those albums that is best enjoyed from beginning to end. We’re not saying don’t check out a song here and there right now, at your desk at work. (We won’t tell anyone!) What we ARE saying is, it’s truly an impact album full of a slew of psychedelic instrumentals that give the already edgy vocals a heightened sound. We’d consider cozying up with a nice glass of {{insert favorite summer beverage here}}, a starry sky, and your loved ones to enjoy this one. You’re in for quite the ride!
Keep up with Wild Sun here.
by Kira Cappello | Jul 19, 2019 | premieres, singles
Rolling, bright and temperate: “Looking for Anyone” is the newest single from self-described “easy listening” group Common Hours, and it’s perfect for a back porch at twilight.
This track invites us in with warm shoegazey strums met by a texturizing, Southern-esque guitar leads from guitarist Dillon VanBuren. A steady kick drum and ride cymbal, via August George, effectively secure infectious head-nodding throughout. Backed by sugary harmonies from Ariel Roxanne Cook, lead vocalist Adam Black’s croons hazily illustrate the smooth, mono-mood of “Looking For Anyone”. Cook’s bass parts are pleasantly present in the mix, supplying a satisfying foundation for the floatiness that is a marker for this track; as lead guitar mimics the chorus melody, providing a predictability that is comforting but not cliché. The lyrics are distant enough to allow for objective interpretation, but personal enough to relay Black’s qualms about rushing into love to quickly, weighed down by lingering anxieties from previous relationships. “Looking For Anyone” is about anything but, as Black wonders aloud: “I’m not just looking for anyone. Can I get you to know that I need your love?”
This single is Common Hour’s newest release since a 2018 EP titled A Life Worth Living.
Keep up with Common Hours here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 14, 2019 | premieres, singles
Detroit-based pop musician Julie Haven has put an intense amount of emotion into her latest single, as clearly indicated in its title “See Me Cry”. The first track of her upcoming EP hits the airwaves today, and we have your exclusive first listen! With a theatrical sense to it all, Haven has drawn from 80s and 90s influences to create a soundscape that will have you belting the lyrics out your window any day now.
Check it out here!
Keep up with Julie Haven here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 6, 2019 | premieres, singles
We’re talking about reminiscing a lot, and it’s no different with Jacqueline Harvey‘s new single “Came Around”. The pop singer utilizes her signature sultry vocals to address a past love interest, as the instrumentals usher in a dance floor vibe. It’s truly a sonic delight to experience, and we think you’ll agree.
Keep up with Jacqueline Harvey here.
by Meredith Schneider | Apr 17, 2019 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Electro-pop artist Nix is coming at all of our emotions with new track “Playing With Fire”, which premieres right here with iF. From the first stream of lyrics, her incredible and vibrant vocals draw you in, the instrumentals only holding up her vocal range as she croons about a toxic relationship. Incredibly relatable and full of soul, this is the type of song you’re going to want to belt when you’re ready to establish your own boundaries. Now is the time.
Keep up with Nix here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 6, 2019 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Nashville-based rock collective Damsel and Distress has a flare for the dramatic, and is fronted by Alisha Lynn on powerful lead vocals. A true anthem for people who have been crushed by egos in relationships, their new track “Not Your Type” premieres today. The track is something you’ll want to belt out alone sometimes (a la Kelly Clarkson and Celine Dion, but not in the same style), most likely in the shower or while driving. It really provides the necessary edge we’ll be needing for our week.
Explains Alisha Lynn of the single:
There was a time—and there have been several times like it—where a guy was so very sure that I was going to come crawling after him just because of who he was. He had this mentality that every girl seemed to fall right into his hand if he wanted them and he figured that, surely, I would do the same. But oh, no. I don’t quite work that way. I wanted to write a song about how I wasn’t his type—the type to just follow him home or go along with his weird ego mind-game. When I brought the idea to the band, we wrote it as an anthemic and powerful “no.” So I guess now he’ll get the point.
“Not Your Type” officially drops on February 8th. Keep up with Damsel and Distress at www.DAMSELANDDISTRESS.com.
