A frontman breaking out from his band to do a solo album is nothing new, but sometimes a risk. For I Am The Avalanche’s Vinnie Caruana, this move was a long time coming, having played shows with just him and a guitar whenever he seemed to have some downtime. The result is City By The Sea, a 6-track EP filled with gruff vocals and personal lyrics encircled by lush layers of sound.
Seasoned indie rockers Fake Problems and up-and-coming punk band You Blew It! have teamed up to prove make their home state proud with the aptly-titled split Florida Doesn’t Suck.
Matt Pond’s first official solo release The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hands brings a lighthearted and soft-rock/alternative feel to the generally optimistic lyrics. The album is good overall, but the listener is left feeling unsatisfied with overly simple melodies and lackluster lyrics.
A Gentle Reminder strings together fourteen fairly cohesive tracks into a statement from The Jealous Sound: they’re back and they have a new perspective, even on their previously-released music.
Blink-182 have proven through their latest EP that, while they may not be as angsty or unruly as they were a decade ago, they are still the same musicians, simply growing up and moving forward with their sound.
With a traditionally-rooted sound, varied instrumentals, and fired-up vocals amplifying the soul of this much-loved genre, the Dropkick Murphys have a sound all their own. But as inspiring and avant-garde as this variation of simple American punk is, it is safe to say that this band has played all of their cards.
After parting ways with the five former members of You, Me, and Everyone We Know, Ben Liebsch has released the three-song Great Big Hole EP solo under the same band name. The songs, though few in number, bear some of the classic staples of You, Me, and Everyone We Know: witty, sometimes biting lyrics and enough energy to propel the songs firmly into the consciousness of listeners.
Artist vs Poet’s latest effort Keep Your Secrets is a light pop album that perhaps should have been released in early May, as it is ideal summertime music.
Lost in a never-ending cacophony of American-inspired guitar squeals, hammering drum beats, and amped-up vocals, the third release from the Swedish-based Her Bright Skies is an angsty young adult power piece whose volume is fit for an arena but whose calamitous structure and predictable composition should be left in the garage.
In a world bursting at the seams with cookie-cutter music acts, twenty | one | pilots have managed to craft a truly unique record, brazenly blending a plethora of genres and pushing the envelope on what constitutes pop music.
