When we lose someone we love, we can feel a million different emotions simultaneously: sadness, anger, denial, and everything in between. While the technical term for it is called “grief,” it is a far more complex emotion and process than these five letters make it out to be. Alt-pop songstress Lauran Hibberd does her best to bluntly explain the stages of grief in her grunge-infused new single, “I suck at grieving.” Writing about the loss of her father, Hibberd opens the floodgates of her emotions and declares that she does not know how to navigate her feelings. Finding her voice… Read more »
At this year’s Riot Fest, a manifold of performers showed up and showed out at the Chicago-based punk festival. From Taylor Acorn and Death Cab For Cutie to Sleep Token and Death Grips, there was a fabulous set for every kind of alternative fan. Of course, the fest closed out with a 2.5-hour, career-spanning headline performance from The Cure on Sunday, September 17. Playing tracks from Japanese Whispers all the way to Disintegration and Pornography, fans were treated to top hits and B-sides alike, including an eight-song encore. If you’re feeling a bit of FOMO, this setlist definitely won’t cure… Read more »
Demi Lovato is a chameleon. The powerhouse vocalist successfully outdoes herself in every genre she touches, whether it be pop, R&B, or somewhere in-between. These days, Lovato is dazzling her fans with rock performances, and is diving further into her alternative roots with the release of her new album, REVAMPED. The 10-track collection of songs takes tracks from each stage of her career and rearranges them for a grittier, punk-infused sonic experience. REVAMPED proves that Lovato not only has a seat at the alternative/rock genre’s table but deserves a throne. There are a few standout collaborators on the record, including… Read more »
Broadside is officially back in action! After dropping their latest hit “Bang,” featuring Magnolia Park’s Joshua Roberts, Broadside is infusing their lush sound alongside Honey Revenge‘s Devin Papadol on their collaborative track, “Lucid.” Their latest offering, as well as their previous releases “Bang” and “Cruel,” will appear on their forthcoming full-length album, Hotel Bleu, set to release through SharpTone Records on November 10. As the song kicks in, “Lucid” intricately weaves together ethereal, breathy vocals courtesy of frontman Oliver Baxxter and a kaleidoscope of neon-hued synthesizer melodies that glide atop an upbeat, pulsating beat. The delicate interplay between Baxxter’s vocals,… Read more »
Are you ready to discover your new favorite band? Up-and-coming band Not A Toy is ready to introduce themselves to listeners across the United States this fall as the opening act for Beauty School Dropout. The 26-date run kicks off October 15 in Phoenix, AZ, and goes all the way to the East Coast before ending on December 9 in San Francisco, CA. Recently signing to Fearless Records this year, Not A Toy is ready to get on the road and allow their fans to experience their recently dropped album PRBLMS in a live setting.. “We’re so excited to be… Read more »
Olivia Rodrigo is a way bigger punk than we thought. In her Rolling Stone cover story, the “vampire” singer credits Rage Against The Machine as one of her major songwriting influences on her sophomore record, GUTS. Her new record, which dropped last Friday, is chock-full of gritty guitars and witty spoken-word lyrics that cut like a knife alongside the songstress’ blunt wordplay. Rodrigo says that Rage Against The Machine is the major influence behind the opening track, “all-american bitch.” “I have been listening to so much Rage Against the Machine this year,” Rodrigo shares. “That’s my favorite band right now.… Read more »
September 8 is a spectacular new music Friday for alternative fans. Between Olivia Rodrigo launching her brand-new sophomore album GUTS and Motionless In White releasing the deluxe version of 2022’s Scoring The End Of The World, it’s fair to say we will be busy streaming new songs all weekend. Beyond the deluxe album, Motionless In White shared a new music video for the track “Sign Of Life.” The new music video sees Chris Motionless adding a pop of color into the dark metalcore world of the band with spiked, vibrant purple hair. True to the song’s name, the video depicts… Read more »
Have you ever felt like the bad guy in a breakup? Not My Weekend expresses the complex emotions that come with that situation in their new single, “OtherSide.(Break.Up.Song).” The guitar-driven track blends the nostalgia of your Myspace era with today’s pop-punk sound. From a Hellogoodbye-esque autotune effect in the bridge to a clean, plucky verse riff, “OtherSide.(Break.Up.Song)” finds the balance between nostalgia and new. Vocalist Patrick Gilchrist sings, “Long nights in the rearview mirror/Like sugar on my tongue/This is how it goes when it all goes wrong/Now I’m on the other side of a breakup song.” This vulnerability, paired with… Read more »
Olivia Rodrigo has impressively managed to successfully outdo herself once again with the release of her sophomore album GUTS. The album is officially out just in time to ride as an emotional rollercoaster through all of your fall activities. These songs are sure to be the soundtrack of leaves changing, campfires, pumpkin spice coffees, and hoodie weather. It’s one of those records that when you revisit it in ten years, you’ll be transported back to the memories you made this autumn season. Olivia Rodrigo has managed to expand her iconic sound on GUTS. While her first record SOUR boasted mostly… Read more »
A year and a half following the sudden and tragic passing of their vocalist, Keaton Pierce, Too Close To Touch have issued their new single “Hopeless” featuring The Word Alive’s Telle Smith. This track not only serves as a tribute to Keaton but also stands as one of the last recorded works featuring his unmistakable vocal delivery. Additionally, “Hopeless” represents the group’s first new single since the release of the “Complain” remix in 2021, and it arrives as a poignant posthumous birthday gift to Keaton, who would have been 34th birthday on September 3. The band, with heartfelt sincerity, shares… Read more »
