EMI GRACE: Heart In A Cage venerdì, 11 aprile 2025 18:00 by madseason
Emi Grace - Heart In A Cage

22-year-old rock artist Emi Grace has released Heart In A Cage, the first single from her upcoming debut EP, out this summer. This hard-hitting track describes a pivotal moment of recognition when the singer ultimately realized she was the one who held the power to escape from a toxic relationship. Emi Grace turns the page from her previous pop/dance sound to making her presence known in the rock world with Heart In A Cage, now available to stream and download via her label, Platoon.

Produced by Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco, Simple Plan, All Time Low) and written alongside Kanner (Katy Perry, Blackbear, Set It Off), this single sets the tone for Emi Grace's debut EP with a new sound that is sure to captivate audiences while still showcasing her guitar skills. From start to finish, Heart In A Cage is a rollercoaster, both musically and emotionally. Sonically, the track's foundation lies in Emi Grace's driving guitar riff that drives the entire story forward. At the core of the single is a punchy electric solo that's accompanied by Grace's rich vocals. With lyrics like, "I got your heart in a cage / I hear you screaming my name / Baby make no mistake / I'll look the other way…," and, "I know that it's a little twisted to let you feel the things I don't / But baby I just can't resist it you really should've known…," Grace takes listeners on a journey through the ups and downs of one-sided relationship, as they hear in real time how she gains back control of herself.

Emi Grace was raised in Southern California and eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she currently resides, to further pursue her musical journey. She has pulled from numerous influences, such as Tom Morello, No Doubt, and Van Halen, blending rock, electronic, and guitar elements to craft her unique sound. Founder of Trashy Tone Thursday, weekly social media snippets of the singer jamming out and freestyling on the guitar, Grace's talent has helped her garner millions of views and build a name for herself as a musician. Her head-banging riffs have landed her praise from Guitar World Magazine, Guitar Girl Magazine, and more. Additionally, the artist has opened for the Fitz & the Tantrums, Winnetka Bowling League, and K.Flay as well as performed shows at School Night, Red Rocks Amphitheatre alongside it's murph, and The Troubadour. 

"Heart In A Cage is the start of a very exciting new chapter for me," explains Emi Grace. In support of her new single, Emi Grace will also be touring alongside Ava Maybee on the Gold Star Sticker Tour, playing in Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Phoenix, and more. Heart In A Cage is now available to stream, and stay tuned for her EP out this summer on Platoon. To hear more from Emi Grace and keep up with her US tour dates, follow her @EmiGrace on Instagram and @emigracew on TikTok.

THE MODBEATS: The Passers-Bye giovedì, 3 aprile 2025 18:45 by madseason
The Modbeats - The Passers-Bye

Rock quartet The Modbeats have just released their latest single, The Passers-Bye, a thought-provoking reflection on the routine nature of modern society. The track challenges listeners to consider the inner lives of those we pass daily; are they lost in thought, chasing ambition, or simply existing without question? Now available on all major streaming platforms via Mayleen Records, The Passers-Bye is a striking addition to the band's growing catalog.

Co-written with J. Vincent Vassallo and featuring The Gaslight Anthem's Bryan Haring on piano, The Passers-Bye explores the everyday movements of people from all walks of life. The Modbeats pose a thought-provoking question: "What is really going on in the minds of regular people just moving about their business? Perhaps there is nothing there, but maybe there is? For some, there is bliss in not questioning anything or perhaps wanting more or thinking deeper about life…just being a passerby…" Described by the band as a collection of "musings and observations of daily life in the modern world," the track took shape at Lake House Studio in Asbury Park, New Jersey. As the lyrics and soundscape fell into place, it became clear they had something special. Engineered by Nick Semanchik and featuring Santo Rizzollo on drums (before Fizz joined the permanent lineup), the song came to life with a rich, moody intensity. Drawing inspiration from legendary English rock bands like The Kinks and Oasis, the song's chord progressions contribute to its rich, layered sound, seamlessly blending vintage influences with a modern perspective. With a bridge inspired by The Doors, The Passers-Bye carries an overarching darkness, particularly in its introspective midsection. Lines like, "The passersby don't blink their eyes / When on the way to the nine to five… The passersby never wonder why…" challenge listeners to break free from autopilot and consider the why behind their daily routines.

A New-Jersey based, four-piece band, The Modbeats first got together in 2023, when Scott Matison (bass), Fizz (drums), Joe Mandia (guitar), and Philip Dunn (vocals, guitar) decided to begin recording original music. With foundations in rock and roll and mod stylings, and influences of surf, jangle-pop, power-pop, folk, psychedelic, blues, rockabilly, alt-country, and soul, The Modbeats beautifully captures the essence of revival rock, adding their own unique twist. The quartet has quickly carved a path in the music scene, making waves with Ballad Of A Starving Artist, their June 2024 debut single that was featured on WXPN Radio's Power Pop Extravaganza. Their most recently released original singles, Fairweather Friends, and The Setting Sons, earned numerous accolades in outlets such as The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rock at Night, Powerpopaholic, and Digital Tour Bus. The Modbeats has also made the cut onto Music Connection's Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists and Bands of 2024 list.

Filled with psychedelic guitars, piano, and vintage analog-sounding vocals, The Modbeats' new track is sonically packed from the 0:00 minute mark, leaving fans begging for more. The Passers-Bye is now available on all streaming platforms. To keep up with the band's musical journey, follow them @TheModbeats on Instagram and visit their website TheModbeats.com for their upcoming live dates throughout the Northeast. 

DEEP SEA DIVER: Billboard Heart sabato, 1 marzo 2025 15:12 by madseason
Deep Sea Diver - Billboard Heart

In the middle of July 2023 in a Los Angeles studio, Deep Sea Diver mastermind Jessica Dobson took a guitar solo but somehow felt nothing. Just days earlier, her Seattle band played a series of semi-secret shows for devotees at a hometown bar, de facto rehearsals for cutting a new record. The sets had gone well, but, almost immediately, the sessions didn't. The songs' essence seemed muddled, Dobson's conviction lost somewhere in the 1,000 miles between Southern California and the home studio she shares with partner, drummer, and frequent cowriter Peter Mansen. On that first night in Los Angeles, she broke down, wondering what she was doing there, what her band could do to fix it. For the first time ever, Deep Sea Diver retreated, heading home without an album. Did they need to scrap it all, to begin again with new material?

Not at all: Following a brief break, Dobson found a renewed sense of self, a trust in her vision for her band and songs and her ability to capture them. After that Los Angeles hiccup, longtime collaborator Andy Park asked Dobson how the new stuff was going over an early fall dinner. She admitted she needed help. In that humbling confession, she soon found ways of working that helped her reimagine and reinvigorate Deep Sea Diver and led directly to the power and brilliance of Billboard Heart, Deep Sea Diver's fourth album and first for Sub Pop. It is a coup, a triumph over self-doubt in which what first felt like failure became an opportunity to find new freedom, belief, and strength. You can hear it in each of these 11 songs, the beating heart that makes everything here feel like a new anthem for finding your own way forward.

The cocksure Bad Seeds swagger of Shovel, the tender mercies of Loose Change, the serpentine machinations of Let Me Go, where Dobson tangles with fellow guitar dynamo Madison Cunningham: Billboard Heart immediately puts Deep Sea Diver in the company of St. Vincent, TV On The Radio and Flock Of Dimes, bands that have found newly ornate and magnetic ways to make indie rock by discarding notions of how it must sound or what it must say. Dobson punches through her past here. As she howls during Billboard Heart's rapturous title track, she is "welcoming the future by letting go of it."

From end to end, the material on Billboard Heart is astonishing. The title track is the one song Deep Sea Diver actually finished in Los Angeles. It's a radiant and magnificent thing, the billowing synths of member Elliot Jackson and tunneling pedal steel of guest Greg Leisz pushing up an anthem for fearlessly advancing into the future, as best you can. Emergency links hardcore's famous vim to electroclash's instant allure, Dobson's italicized voice racing like a gust of wind. Her brief guitar solo at the end is an all-timer, a few hiccupping notes suddenly moving like a sports car in terrifyingly tight corners. Tender and vulnerable, Tiny Threads is a sweeping anthem for anyone trying to hold anything together—life, love, themselves.

Billboard Heart is the best Deep Sea Diver album yet, a defiant and brilliant exclamation mark at the end of a long period of wandering.

OF LIMBO: Joke's On You venerdì, 14 febbraio 2025 18:30 by madseason
OF LIMBO - Joke's On You

Long Beach, CA based Rockers OF LIMBO have released their new single Joke's On You, an acoustic ode to gaslighting in relationships. It's the first track from their upcoming Unplugged LP, which will be released this fall.

The song was self-produced and recorded at the band's home studio in Long Beach. The opening guitar line starts out with a slinky and contemplative tone and builds into righteous, smoldering anger driven by hand claps and intense, plaintive vocals. 

The band's Jake Davies says "Joke's On You is about recognizing gaslighting techniques in a relationship. You see the person feigning tears and storming off expecting you to chase after them. Most of us are all too familiar with these kinds of manipulative tactics by now. But when you first start to really recognize it, it's a relief and kind of empowering. Because you realize it's not you… It's all them.

The band shot the video for Joke's On You entirely on an IPhone 14 at a park next to their mom's house in Australia, armed with nothing but a $20 LED from Amazon and a six pack of tall boys. Jake explains "We filmed this in the moment, just going with the flow.  he red and blue color overlays are meant to be a representation of being two faced."

The band has announced their first 2 tour dates in California, and will be playing a more extensive tour in support of the new music this summer. The band plans on playing live shows through the rest of 2025 into 2026.

OF LIMBO are brothers Jake and Luke Davies: raised in Melbourne, Australia, but relocated to Long Beach, CA to further their music career in the states. The band pride themselves on making every show a party with their unique take on Heavy Rock N' Roll. Kevin Martin of Candlebox says "OF LIMBO is the last dangerous Rock N' Roll band you f*&^rs will ever see live". OF LIMBO play 100+ shows per year, and have toured nationally with Wolfmother, Hinder, Candlebox, Buckcherry, Joyous Wolf, and Blue Oyster Cult, among others.  Their high-energy performances create an electric atmosphere that is infectious, making it impossible not to have fun.

JIMMY & THE VEIL: Weightless mercoledì, 15 gennaio 2025 23:49 by madseason
Jimmy & The Veil - Weightless ft. Andrew Wells

Alternative rock artist Jimmy & The Veil explores themes of regret and self-forgiveness in his newest single, Weightless featuring Andrew Wells of Dance Gavin Dance. The emotionally charged single grapples with mental health and the journey of accepting oneself despite past mistakes.

Jimmy & The Veil delves into the raw essence of the human experience with Weightless, a poignant track that explores the universal struggle of grappling with regrets and the path toward self-forgiveness. "I think we all have regrets that we wrestle with—those lingering feelings that no amount of forgiveness can fully erase," says James Wright, the artist behind Jimmy & The Veil. "To me, that defines the human condition. It's proof of an innate sense of morality and goodwill." Through this single, Wright encourages listeners to extend the same compassion and understanding to themselves that they would offer to others. Collaborating with Andrew Wells of Dance Gavin Dance brings an extra layer of artistry to the song. "I was stoked to have Andrew work his magic on this track with me," Wright shares. "He's one of my heroes in the scene—a true artist and an incredibly hard worker." The result is a powerful, introspective song that resonates with anyone navigating the complexities of self-reflection and personal growth.

Jimmy & The Veil, the solo project of Virginia-based artist James Wright, delivers raw emotional depth to the indie alt-rock scene, uncovering life's genuine truths behind its facades. Inspired by artists like Kurt Travis, Jimmy Eat World, and Moxy the Band, Wright channels personal battles with mental health, societal challenges, and faith into introspective, relatable music. His journey began as a high school lyricist and evolved through college as he honed his guitar skills, but it wasn't until adulthood that he fully committed to his craft. After playing in various bands, Wright launched Jimmy & The Veil in 2023 as a passion project, quickly gaining recognition with his debut single, Diamonds. With further praise from Kill The Music and New Noise Magazine, and most recently being named one of the Hot 100 Artists of 2024 by Music Connection Magazine, Wright's heartfelt storytelling and mature, sometimes cynical outlook position Jimmy & The Veil as a rising force in the scene.

Weightless ft. Andrew Wells reflects on the anxiety of past mistakes and the importance of self-forgiveness as part of the human experience. Stream and download Weightless now on all platforms, and follow Jimmy & The Veil on Instagram @JimmyAndTheVeil.

BLURRY PAIGE: Reaper mercoledì, 4 dicembre 2024 09:03 by madseason
Blurry Paige - Reaper

Blurry Paige is releasing the official music video for her latest single, Reaper, a rock track that blends funky instrumentation with bold vocal performance, celebrating individuality and challenging societal norms.
The Reaper music video highlights Blurry Paige's ability to merge raw vocals with dynamic rock sounds, using playful visuals to amplify the song's message.

"This is a carpe diem song," Blurry explains. "My vision for the video was to portray Death living life in a theme park." True to the song's spirit, the video captures an adventurous and spontaneous vibe, enhanced by impromptu scenes.

Blurry Paige is a captivatingly talented multi-instrumentalist and producer whose soulful melodies and poignant lyrics have set her apart from the crowded soundscape of today. With a voice that effortlessly blends raw emotion with a subtle elegance, Blurry paints relatable stories through her music, inviting listeners on an intricate journey into the depths of her personalized human experience.

As a young artist in an ever-changing industry, Blurry Paige is unafraid of pushing boundaries while challenging traditional conventions. She believes that music is a powerful platform for growth, and she uses her voice to amplify messages of empowerment and self-discovery. In a world that continually seeks to categorize and file everything away into convenient little boxes, Blurry and her music are certainly the exception.  Her music is often described as gritty yet soft, approachable yet defiantly unapologetic. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of styles and genres, she molds her influences into a message that is distinctly her own by combining raw authenticity with an almost surreal delivery.

Blurry's musical journey is a testament to the transformative power of music, reminding us to be unashamed of who we are and to always stay true to self. That while sometimes chaotic, beauty can be found in the harmony of melody and emotion. She is an open book whose tattered pages and evocative storytelling leave an indelible mark in the minds of those fortunate enough to experience her artistry firsthand.

WORLDWIDE PANIC: Break Me Down venerdì, 1 novembre 2024 15:48 by madseason
Worldwide Panic - Break Me Down
Hard Rock/Alt.Metal band Worldwide Panic have released their furious new track Break Me Down. It's the first release from the Los Angeles, CA based band's upcoming sophomore LP, which is slated for release in the first quarter of 2025. The song was produced by the legendary Bob Marlette (Seether, Airbourne, Saliva, Rob Zombie) and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, Demon Hunter, Rob Zombie). The track is a rant against authority figures who try to break you down and control you through mind games.
Break Me Down starts off with a middle-eastern flavored sitar line, and then explodes into an ominous down-tuned rhythm, bolstered by crunching guitars and thunderous drums that sounds like equal parts Disturbed, Rammstein and Rob Zombie. The earworm chorus lingers long after the track has ended – making for a compelling anthem of frustration.
 
Worldwide Panic frontman Lane Steele says "The song - like almost all of our songs - has a rich backstory. We were looking for producers to hire to work on our new material. We met with a famous producer at a multi-million dollar studio. We were told that our material wasn't good and "Where's the hook" - when its staring you in the face the whole time. We left and simply said to each other "Why should we work with someone who wants to break us down, just to build us up again?" And then the song was written within the next 48 hours. We recorded the song with a legend, Bob Marlette. He and his family poured their hearts and souls into this track. It helped make Worldwide Panic sound bigger than I could ever imagine. The experience was great and I am super proud of this track."
The video for Break Me Down was directed by Andre Brown and filmed @ Monarch Film Studios in Los Angeles. The performance piece is raw and expressive, and conveys the emotion of the song.
 
With influences that range from Rammstein, Rob Zombie, and Disturbed, Worldwide Panic has a heavy Alt.Metal sound, with an industrial tinge. They released an eponymous LP, Worldwide Panic in early 2023. The LP was mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, Demon Hunter, Rob Zombie). The release made inroads at Active Rock Radio, charting with the singles I Tried (#23 on the Billboard Rock Indicator, #11 on the SMR Chart ) and Falling Apart (#25 on Billboard Rock Indicator and #6 on the SMR chart).
Worldwide Panic brings a unique theatrical experience to its live shows - their performances are packed with dynamic energy and excitement. Fans across the hard rock and metal spectrum find their music fresh and engaging. They have toured with Flaw, Smile Empty Soul, Hellzapoppin', Mushroomhead, and The Convalescence, among others. The band has done several headlining tours in the last 5 years.
They recently completed work on their self-produced 2nd full length LP, which was again mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris. The album is slated to be released in the 1st quarter of 2025. Tour dates are in the works to begin in late spring of 2025.
THE WILD FEATHERS: Sirens venerdì, 4 ottobre 2024 18:30 by madseason
The Wild Feathers, Sirens

How would you define The Wild Feathers? Some may immediately check a box for Americana –and they wouldn't be wrong. Others may lean on a version of rock: country-rock, folk-rock, heartland rock. They'd all be right, too. Blues? A Southern flare? Occasional punk attitude? It's all in there. Now, it's time to hop on the bus and sing along.

The longtime Nashville band returns this year with Sirens, a new LP of road-worn, sharply-woven tales chronicling a life worth living, love worth holding and the hard-earned lessons found along the ride.

"As a band, we feel like Sirens has captured the musicality of the band more than any other record. In a time where there are very few bands in general, this album sounds like 5 people creating a collective vibe. Where each member has moments to shine and can't be replicated without the time, place and personnel"

To cut the follow-up to 2021 album Alvarado –the band's debut on independent label New West Records– The Wild Feathers decamped from Music City, U.S.A., to Los Angeles for sessions with producer Shooter Jennings (known for his work with Brandi Carlile, Turnpike Troubadours and Tanya Tucker, among others) at Dave's Room in North Hollywood.

Listen intently and without genre in mind. Because when the so-called Sirens make their sound on this new album, don't worry about how to define it. Just enjoy the ride.