Hard to believe this 4 piece band has been entertaining audiences for 20 years. The New Jersey natives, who alternate lead vocalists, have come back with another album of catchy songs full of addictive melodies and harmonies. From the opening title track to the culmination “Bright Lights”, you feel upbeat and like you can't wait to hang out with friends and enjoy a beer. Although known to play a few covers during their live shows, their original material shows that they don't need to rely on it. The song “Me and You” is a personal favorite. The band has a slight 10,000 Maniacs feel to it that makes it an easy listen. And let's face it, we need that right now.

Review By: Amy Breaux​

Brazilian rock trio Stone Sea have released their single “Slice of Depth”, a song saturated with the grunge of the 90s. You can hear the Alice in Chains influence permeate throughout the entire song, which the band has decided to be mysterious about. If you are a fan of the grunge of the early 90s, which I am, this is definitely for you. This song has the melodic darkness that favored bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden. Very stripped down , the song displays the grittiness and raw emotion that seems to be a trademark for lead vocalist and guitarist Elvis Suhaolnik Bonesso, bassist Jonathan Parminter, and drummer Connor Middleton. 

You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZI3Gnx5cb0 ​

Photo By: ​Sandro Alencar Mrowinski
Review By: Amy ​Breaux

​Sleep House are a four piece alternative pop band natives of New-Jersey. The band released their latest single ‘Stephanie’ on Valentine’s day, taking us on a journey of losing the person you love and having to accept living without them. 
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‘Stephanie’ is a slow song with clean vocals, upbeat instrumentals and riffs. The song feels melancholic and joyful simultaneously whilst the lyrics take us on a journey of pain, acceptance and dealing with the difficulties of being in love. ‘Stephanie” has a catchy chorus that will get stuck in your head making you want to play the song on repeat 

You can check out Sleep House on the following: 
Website: https://www.sleephouseband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SleepHouse/?ref=bookmarks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleephouse/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepHouseMusic

Review By: Sarah Perry

​James Lanning is a Maryland-bred solo artist tackling mental health with music. James has spent the last 10 years living in New York getting inspired by storytelling and hip-hop which influence his tracks turning him into a brilliant lyricist that captures emotion. James shares his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts with the world to comfort those who are facing similar issues and to tackle the stigma around mental health and how it is treated. The rapper has recently released his latest single Berlin Blue.

Berlin Blue starts off with a repetitive radio sounding voice that eases you into James’s voice. The lyrics are raw, you can feel his pain and experience his feelings with him throughout the song. Berlin Blue keeps the same slow beat paired with James’s tone of voice and lyrics which gives the listener a melancholic feel. 
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Lanning recalls, “I don’t remember writing it, though I do remember the time surrounding it; plodding around Berlin in February hoping to find any way to stop the infinite loop of the same few thoughts that would consume every second of every day for over half a year.” This single is short but will leave you feeling emotional and wanting to listen to more of James’s work to enter his mind and understand the difficulties surrounding mental health.

You can follow James Lanning on the following:
Website: http://jameslanning.com/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/jamesslanning
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesslanning/

Review By: Sarah Perry

​The Weekend Run Club are a five-piece alternative / indie rock band from the Chicagoland area. They have recently released their debut album ‘ZOO' containing 12 tracks full of joyful tunes. ‘ZOO' gives you a summery and feel-good vibe while presenting you with lyrics that will make you feel. The album starts off with ‘Always', a slow song that builds up to surprise you with a burst of energy setting the scene for the next song “Beck" and the rest of the album.

Every track on the album is full of passion and energy making you want to dance and sing along. As the tracks go on they get more and more intense really giving the listener that full immersive experience. ‘Tired’ has some beautiful guitar riffs and sounds bouncing off  each other that make the instrumentals of this track stand out the most.  Each song is paired with clean vocals and soft tones as well as instrumental part producing beautiful riffs. ‘ZOO' finishes on a high with ‘Overwhelmed’ which is how you will feel after the first listen of this album before you start to play it on repeat. The Weekend Run Club have set the bar high for the Indie scene with their first album so we cannot wait to see what they bring to the scene next.

You can follow The Weekend Run Club on the following socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theweekendrunclub/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/weekendrunclub
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weekendrunclub/​

Review By: Sarah Perry
Photo By: Alex Zarek

UK Indie rockers Insolace just dropped their third single within the last six months. Titled “Not Alright”, singer Millie Cook and the boys tackle the burden many people feel in the expectations put on them by societal norms while aching to break free of those same chains. The single is hypnotic and melodic and let's face it, incredibly timely. The hope they offer their listeners is the strangest mixture of subtle and obvious.  There are some songs you can just play over and over again and not get tired of it. “Not Alright” is destined to become one of those songs. 

Review by Amy Breaux

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​Jamie Cullum is an English jazz-pop singer-songwriter who recently brought his sweet vocals and his seven piece band to the Armadillo in Glasgow. The night was going to be more of a relaxed one with some smooth jazz and singing while we listened from our seats in the fourth row. They all entered the room and stood center stage for a acapela themed "Write Off Man Kind" accompanied minimally by a cello. It was a soothing start to the night and I was enjoying the mix of voices and string. He hit it off with his new single "Taller" as the beat began to pick up the pace and he played the piano faster than I could ever manage, whilst singing, what a talented man. He paused in between sets to show off his new suit that he had bought for this tour but the trousers were still stretching out, he explained, so they were super tight and uncomfortable but he was going to play on despite this. "Get it your way" and "The man were next to be played, followed by "Drink" (which I really enjoyed live) and "I Get A Kick Out Of You" which he last played in Glasgow 20 years ago which was the first time he had played in the city and it was live on air. My personal favorite was played "What A Difference A Day Makes" which is his classic song in my opinion but was glad it was played as I thought that he was going to miss it out. I enjoyed the evening and wish him all the best as he has suspended his tour currently due to unfortunate circumstances but I am sure he will continue it as soon as he is able to.

Review/Photo By: Tyler Sams

Kicking up a storm with their headlining UK and EU Tour, Kid Kapichi found their way to the Garage (Attic Bar) in Glasgow on the third night of the tour. The Hastings based rock group brought their explosive sound to our ears and their reputation of performing ferocious live shows was upheld that night. Front man Jack Wilson cam on stage sporting a black ski mask which could have been seen as intimidating but their fans were expecting as such as the room was filled with their screams of joy, not fear. Their opening song "Thug" is their number one song on Spotify currently which made it only right for it to be the opening song - which made sense of the ski mask as it features heavily in their music video and album art. They kicked up a storm that night in The Garage, their electric energy fueled the crowd as they created their own mosh pit in the center of the room and they sang other songs from their latest released EP's and albums which created an epic night. The band consists of four members: Jack Wilson and Ben Beetham (joint lead guitar/vocals), George MacDonald (drums) and Eddie Lewis (bass). These guys are going places and have already been featured on BBC 1 radio's playlist with "Glitterati" and Death Dips". Keep an eye on these guys, don't let them out of your sight!

Review/Photo By: Tyler Sams

​Glasgow was in for a night of old-school garage, dance and hip hop music as music legends attended the SSE Hydro on their tour around the UK. Fans were taken back to their childhoods with songs from the 90s. The show started with some UK Garage artists who warmed up the stage for the host FatmanScoop who was incredible as he managed to keep the energy going throughout the show. At one point he disappeared only to reappear in a blue tartan kilt and proceeded to go "taps aff" in front of hundreds of fans.
Blue Cantrell was the first of the line up to grace us with her melodies as she sang "Make Me Wanna Scream" and "Breathe" which had the crowd joining in for the most part. Following this act was Mya who was sporting an all glitter play suit, stunning her fans with her shinning light, and supported by her DJ and back up dancers. 

There was a mystery act advertised on the poster and we were all waiting with anticipation to find out who this could possibly be. She blasted onto the stage with her reggie vibes and sang us her new song - it was EVE. Celebrating international Woman's day, Eve had a special shout out to all the women in the house (venue) and they equally gave
her an even bigger shout out back.

Next onto the stage were the iconic duo - Salt N Pepa. They came in charged with energy and graced us with some "Push It" and "Let's Talk About Sex" which are songs that almost everyone would have been listening to in those dance halls. Now one of my favorite acts from the night, singing songs such as "Boombastic" "Oh Carolina" and the very best "It Wasn't Me" - Shaggy. He also made a speech referencing International Woman's day along with his song "It Wasn't Me". The last act for the night was the incredible Nelly. He was accompanied by Ali and City Spud and two amazing dancers who were doing moves I wish I could perform. He belted out "Ride Wit Me" and closed his set with "Hot In Herre" and "Dilemma". The fans that had filled the Hydro wanted more, they weren't content until they had one more song from Nelly and so he came back on to cheers from the crowd to sing "Just A Dream" which seemed like a perfect end to the night.  

Review/Photo By: Tyler Sams

Tove Lo brought her sold-out Sunshine Kity Tour to San Francisco. Even though Tove Lo broke her foot earlier in the tour in New York, it did not stop her from finishing out her shows. It was her second to last show, and she could not have picked a better city to have it in. She talked about how San Francisco was the first major city she came to when she began performing. To start the night, she performed “Glad He’s Gone,” the first single from her latest album Sunshine Kitty. Throughout the night, she also had backup dancers, and somehow, Tone Lo was still able to keep up with the choreography. The crowd-favorite of the night was obviously “Talking Body” from her debut album. 

Tove Lo talked about how she has been planning this tour since October to make sure it was perfect. During her song “Moments,” she played the keyboard even though she said not very good at it, and everyone held up their flashlights on their phones to help set the mood. Her set ended up being almost two hours, and Tove Lo was able to dance on a broken foot and not stop once for a break. If that’s not dedication and love for her fans, then I don’t know what is.

​Review/Photo By: Justine Willard

Coming all the way from Copenhagen, Danish-born singer, rapper, and songwriter Aston Fenly dropped his debut single “Sunrise” on February 21st, 2020.  At 14 years old, Aston began to attend music festivals with his friends which then led him on the path to becoming a songwriter himself. Originally, the songs Aston wrote were in his native tongue which got him on the radar of Universal Music Group Denmark. Several years later, Aston is now an english songwriter living in the heart of the music industry, Los Angeles. Now thousands of miles from home, Aston is proving himself to not be just another sheep lost within the Hollywood herd of creatives. In fact, it seems Aston could be a bit of a shepherd for those who are feeling lost. His single “Sunrise” aims to connect with those feeling lost in their personal journeys.
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In his own words Aston explains his meaning behind the lyrics: 
 “I think, as an artist, sometimes you can have this period where there is not a lot going on for you and it can be really hard … In those moments where you start doubting yourself and having these thoughts...you can really dig yourself into a hole and have these escapism thoughts… It's this thought that crushes your mind and I think a lot of people have thought that for a second.” 

The lyrics are accompanied by a familiar style guitar melody meshed with distant echoed vocal samples that resonate with the style of those like Juice WRLD. It's a very relatable story and sound which takes the listener along for a ride as the song builds into an uplifting conclusion. It certainly feels like just the beginning of what's more to come from Aston Fenly and I highly advise you to check out the video to accompany the song.

​Photo By: Maddie Deutch
Review By: Dylan Yesenofski

Picture this....it’s Warped Tour circa 2009...you, and every other person in sight is wearing three year old black vans with the white stripes on the side, you know the classic O.G.s. You just chugged a monster and lit up a cigarette before catching the A Day to Remember set. Life is good. 

Well, listening to Second Opinion’s newest album is essentially the same vibe. Nostalgic bliss. Second Opinion is a Belgium based punk rock band influenced by legendary names in punk, such as Sum-41, Rise Against, and State Champs. Second Opinion released their first full length album "Another Day" on February 24th. Formed back in 2014, with an EP in 2016, Second Opinion brings back the sounds we used to love back in the 2010's with a modern twist. Second Opinion started off 2020 by releasing, 'Alone', the first single from their debut album, 'Another Day'. Finding your purpose in life, uncertainty, self-doubt, and mental health are just a few of the main points of the album, topics that the band members are hoping to raise awareness about, and hold close to their hearts. 

They weren’t lying when they said they’re bringing back “the sounds we used to love back in the 2010’s with a modern touch.” Any early-2000s punk kid will love this album, no doubt. Truth be told, I cracked a smile after the first few seconds of the first song. The album is packed with classic upbeat, anthem-style tracks with simple, catchy, and relatable lyrics. What I loved about the album is that it really does embrace the classic punk sound that we all fell in love with, encompassing the anthem-style, catchy, tracks. But as the album progresses, you hear it evolve into the modern age sounds that we hear from our favorite bands today, with a heavier, darker, and more refined sound. The album has a great balance of both styles, and I think it’s kind of genius to weave each style into one album. There’s even a ballad thrown in there, that totally gave me, Remembering Sunday or If It Means a Lot to You vibes, and of course, a slightly humorous track referencing Harry Potter. Punk done right...nice work my friends. Overall, the album is done well. If bringing back the early 2000s punk rock vibe is what they were aiming for, they certainly achieved it, while adding their own style into the mix. 
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Album: https://open.spotify.com/album/3IqepzMGxO7w84ten7oTcX?si=u3mc0-8XSh6GgWN_GGg9CQ 
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/SecondOpinionBand/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondopinion_band/ ​

Review By: Maddisen V.

​Jonas Blue kicks off his Blueprint Tour this week in Glasgow at the SWG3 studio warehouse. This show was greatly anticipated, with queues of dedicated fans lining all the way along the street outside the venue in the pouring rain. As soon as the doors opened the crowds eagerly rushed in and headed straight to the barriers, eager to be at the front row of the show. The support act "Good boys" arrived and appropriately pumped up the crowd with their act, so we were now ready for the main act. 
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It wasn't long until the lights dimmed again and one by one we could see shadows walking across the stage, then there were floodlights as Jonas Blue himself walked on stage to the screams of his fans. Everyone was ready for his dj set which was accompanied by singers from his various tracks. He mainly played songs from his album "Blueprint", which made sense since it is the "Blueprint Tour" but that didn't harsh the jam at all. The venue was bouncing from the very start until the very end but even then the crowds continued singing as they were walking out of the venue, unwilling to let go of the night even though it was a Monday night and most had to go back to reality the next day. I loved the show, the performances were unforgettable and the music was even better live (as it always is). If you haven't seen him yet and he is coming to a town near you, go see Jonas Blue, you won't regret it!

Review/Photo By: Tyler Sams

On Saturday Dashboard Confessional brought their 20th anniversary tour to Pittsburgh’s north shore. The show opened up with supporting act The Get Up Kids, they came on stage and brought their enthusiasm with them. They were getting the crowd up and singing, they overall had a great stage presence. After they played there was an hour-ish between sets that allowed the crowed to grab a bite to eat or grab another round of drinks. Then Dashboard Confessional was set to take the stage. The show opened with a nice acoustic song to set the mood. Immediately following the whole band came on stage and jumped right into a fast-paced song and got the whole crowd hyped to the fullest extent. The show was sold out so image the place pact person to person singing their little hearts out. That was the constant vibe the whole show. My favorite part of the whole night was seeing three younger girls jamming out from behind the barricade center stage. Its always a warm sight to see the next generation of music lovers rocking out to their favorite bands. 

Review/Photo By: Cheyenne Simmons

In 2018, death metal band, Beneath The Massacre announced their return from a 6 year hiatus. Now 2 years later, they have released their fourth full-length studio album, “Fearmongerer”. If the listener seeks a brutal and over the top listening experience, look no further. This album is extreme death metal at its finest. The guitar work is impressively shreddy and attention grabbing. The songs do lack structure or something repetitive to refer back to, but this simply forwards positively chaotic sound. “Fearmongerer” is a smart, technically sound, strong return for Beneath The Massacre. You can see them on tour in the US this March and April. 

Review By: Julia Peterson

The night started with Static Dress taking the stage as people started to file in, despite only releasing music and playing shows as a band for around 6 months they managed to draw people in and began to fill out the space by the stage. With the room beginning to fill up, Chamber took the stage and began projecting their own energy they had on stage towards the crowd, drawing more people towards the front and getting people moving. Can't Swim was next and including some very enthusiastic fans at the front you could see more people get engaged singing back the lyrics and they did a great job at warming up the crowd for Counterparts. When Counterparts took to the stage the room was filled, and it was very easy to tell this was a sold out show, the energy was high with multiple crowd surfers and stage divers, with vocalist Brendan taking brief moments to critique peoples techniques. Both the band and the crowd kept up the energy until the end of the set. 
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Review/Photo By: Ciara Wilkinson (Guest Contributor)

On Friday February 21st, new Indianapolis emocore band, Karma Kids made their debut. They played their release show for their first EP, Dystopian Dream Part One: American Mind at local DIY venue, Healer. Healer is an “immersive art and live music venue dedicated to freedom of expression and creative exploration”, as stated on their website. Upon entry is wonderland-esque room filled with odd trinkets, entertaining art displays, and dazzling lights. Healer’s unique atmosphere was the beginning of a memorable experience. 

The first band on the support lineup, Indy locals Setting Color opened with night with their newest single “Failure With Time” which debuted in December. This was their first show of 2020, and first time playing their single live since its release. Setting Color was followed by Ohio natives, I Fight Fail and Morning In May who are currently on a co-headlining tour together. I Fight Fail’s ambient and melodic sound was a perfect pairing with the venue, making their set a fully immersive and entertaining experience. Morning In May did their show stopping with their ever energetic and theatrical stage presence. Vocalist, Jake Bartolic suffered from a nose bleed mid-set, and simply ignored it, and continued his crowd-captivating performance. 

As Karma Kids took the stage to begin closing the night with songs from their debut release, it was clear they were facing technical difficulties with their mixer and backing tracks. As they huddled in the back corner of the stage trying to work with their equipment, the crowd was patient and encouraging. The anticipation over the room could’ve been cut with a knife which made the relief and excitement when the set finally did start, that much better. Their performance, while cut short due to the time loss, was strong nonetheless and gave a promising insight as to the new band’s overall sound and what to expect going forward from them. 

​Review/Photo By: Julia Peterson

Tove Lo brought her sold-out Sunshine Kity Tour to San Francisco. Even though Tove Lo broke her foot earlier in the tour in New York, it did not stop her from finishing out her shows. It was her second to last show, and she could not have picked a better city to have it in. She talked about how San Francisco was the first major city she came to when she began performing. 

To start the night, she performed “Glad He’s Gone,” the first single from her latest album, Sunshine Kitty. Throughout the night, she also had backup dancers, and somehow, Tone Lo was still able to keep up with the choreography. The crowd-favorite of the night was obviously “Talking Body” from her debut album. 

Tove Lo talked about how she has been planning this tour since October to make sure it was perfect. During her song “Moments,” she played the keyboard even though she said not very good at it, and everyone held up their flashlights on their phones up to help set the mood. 

Her set ended up being almost two hours, and Tove Lo was able to dance on a broken foot and not stop once for a break. If that’s not dedication and love for her fans, then I don’t know what is.

​Photo and review by Justine Willard

Noise metal pioneers, Today Is The Day, are touring in support of their new album “No Good To Anyone” with doom metal pioneers The Obsessed. If you are into the music of the 90’s noise and post-hardcore scenes then you are in for a treat. 

This tour took Brooklyn’s Market Hotel by storm last Friday night. It was a night of psychedelic sludge, grindy noise, and swaggering hard AF rock.

Today Is The Day is such a big band to digest. Their music is impossible to define, it’s noisy and aggressive, but has sweet melodies occasionally, sometimes grindcore, sometimes folk, always a bit misanthropic. Frontman/mastermind Steve Austin takes you on a journey through his fury live. From melancholy dirges to furious grindy metal and sweet ballads the crowd is in the palm of his hand. A lot of bands owe a lot to Today Is The Day, they are a force.

They’re supported by The Obsessed, legendary doom/stoner band from Maryland. This is a pretty rare occasion to catch them, even better that the crowd seemed heavily peppered with diehard fans. Scott Weinrich still has a mean ass growly delivery that set the bar for a lot of bands that came after. They played their thick doomy rock, and everyone settled into a nice heady groove.

Brooklyn locals, Somnuri opened with a set that was super sludgy and psychedelic and I was super into it. This was my first time seeing and hearing them and it hit me square in the place that loves super swampy heavy metal. 

This tour only has a few more US dates into April, so be on the lookout. You’ll experience catharsis.

Photo and review by Billy Devine

On February 2, the London based alt. rock/indie duo, Plastic Barricades, released their second single, Optimist, from their upcoming LP “Self-Theories”. With Dan Kert behind the genius of the vocals, guitar, bass, and lyrics, and Paul Love holding it down on drums, percussion, backing vocals, and keyboard, this is clearly a powerful and dynamic duo with talent out the wazoo. The song was written, recorded, and mixed in a Backyard Shed Studio in North-West London, um hello, how cool is that?! And, was mastered by Andy “Hippy” Baldwin at Metropolis Studios. This song has a really unique sound and personality to it. It almost gave me, like, a modern Beatles vibe, mixed with a new-era indie style, super vibey, and super catchy. 

Living up to its name, Optimism is a song encouraging our society to embrace the power of positive thinking. The lyrics focus on the enlightenment of being optimistic, and how being pessimistic is a choice that we make. To see the brighter side is a learned habit, that ultimately leads us to a fulfilled life. “Find the light, don’t curse the darkness,” was a line that really stood out to me, as it takes the opposite approach of how most people would handle sadness. It makes you think about the way you approach your problems, as most people tend to focus their energy on the negatives, instead of trying to build a life of positivity. Another interesting line was, “what if you could find pleasure in the journey? Redefine what you really want...” What an amazing message to be putting out into the world. I feel like they are really using their voice as artists to promote positive thinking. 10/10 love this band, guys, for real. 

Now, what is possibly even more interesting than the song is the music video. Created by PB art director Elina Pasok, and filmed in a bedroom, as described by the band themselves, it is a DIY music video with, “8 houses, 8 cars, plenty of glassware, some benches and trees, a crowd of exactly 300 cast members and around 20 buckets of water.” If you don’t get it, go watch the music video, it’ll make you giggle. If you aren’t inclined to watch it, rest assured that, “none of the 300 cast members were harmed during the shoot, although one house and one car were destroyed in the end.” 

All in all, the song was executed perfectly with a music video to match. The duo clearly put a lot of heart and passion into the song, and that shows. I love how much personality shines through in both aspects, as it makes you feel a connection to the duo and the lyrics of the song. Well done, mates. Can’t wait to see what’s next for you! Don’t miss the release of their new LP, follow them on social media! 

'Optimist' music video link: https://youtu.be/IHOLEtYj7oM
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7D7bbXxMiGtIDtfX2nC46U?si=8-cZhFyqS6-V--hA28WYYA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticbarricades 

​Review By: Maddisen V