Mike Mains & The Branches returned April 5 with the band’s most intimate record to date, titled When We Were in Love. It’s a personal account of marriage and the rough patches that come with it, and it is made all the more volatile by the fact that Shannon and Mike Mains, two members of the … More Album Review: Mike Mains & The Branches – When We Were in Love
Songwriter Ames’ debut EP, My Name Is Ames, achieves a strikingly intimate disposition across its six alternative pop tracks. Out Friday, April 5 on Mateo Sound, My Name Is Ames strikes a clean balance of moving lyrics and upbeat synth instrumentals on an EP with overall near-flawless production. The EP opens on a highly emotional note: “Old Hero”, … More EP Review: Ames – My Name Is Ames
Columbus alternative-pop artist Sam Craighead expertly balances reality and sardonic wit on his new EP, Self-Portrait w/Fries, released March 22 on Head2Wall Records. His sound may be lighthearted and upbeat, but Craighead utilizes lyrics that are both humorous and reflective to create a jarring contrast, covering content from eating at a fast-food restaurant to masculinity. The musical … More EP Review: Sam Craighead – Self-Portrait w/Fries
International alt-pop band DOMI released its debut single and music video earlier this year and is quickly making a name for itself; “Let Me Follow” is catchy and full of energy, and its shimmering hooks are borderline irresistible. It’s low, modern and poppy all at the same time as the band draws inspiration from their … More Q&A: DOMI details band’s history and debut single
Indie pop four-piece Foundlings has had an exciting two years of existence: the group formed in October of 2017 and wasted no time making a name for itself. 2018 gave the band a nationwide tour, a few single releases and many gigs, so for the past year, the band has been setting the stage for … More EP Review: Foundlings – Foundlings EP
After spending three years writing, rewriting and recording a sophomore album, New York indie pop-rockers Here’s To You returned February 15 with their first release since 2015 and the first EP in a series of three that will eventually make up the band’s second record. This first installation, titled Wonder/Wander: Phase I, is a four-song foray into the … More EP Review: Here’s To You – Wonder/Wander Phase: I
Columbus alt-rockers Something Else have produced yet another self-titled work, released on January 4, 2019, though this one seems to be a reworking of some of their older music. A few songs are familiar, and this time around, they are also more mature. The sound of Something Else‘s seven tracks is an unapologetic, emotional one, and the polished … More EP Review: Something Else – Something Else
“Sibling pop duo” Klashing Black, out of Northwest Ohio, dropped their debut full-length album, Who We Were. Who We Are. last Friday, August 17. Smooth lyrics deal with nostalgia, growing up, and the classic and ever-constant theme of change as the background is filled with either rich synth or mellow guitar picking and ’80s-inspired drum beats. … More Album Review: Klashing Black – Who We Were. Who We Are.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of EXNATIONS‘ Tiny Sound In The Dark EP, due for release tomorrow, is not its classic synth or its poppy melodies; it is the EP’s impressive cohesion, despite the fact that all three band members were rarely in the same place at the same time. According to the band’s bio, frontman … More EP Review: EXNATIONS – Tiny Sound In The Dark
The SIR band, hailing from Denver, kicked off the new year with a thrilling new indie pop-rock album, “So Cold”. The lyrically-relatable album was released on the very first day of 2018, and it shifts back and forth from soft and smooth to heavier rock ballads. The SIR band, despite a somewhat formal name, is … More Album Review: the SIR band – So Cold
