The Bend, Oregon-based hard-rock band, Leadbetter Band, showcases their heavy instrumentation and prolific songwriting that spans heavy rock, blues, and roots. The album is titled Howl out now on all major platforms.

Last August, Leadbetter Band opened for ZZ Top at the Britt Amphitheater in Jacksonville, Oregon.

“The depth of the music is always important to me, having songs that challenge or comfort the mind and inspire the heart is what I strive for. Howl definitely delivers that.” – Eric Leadbetter

The opening track, “Waterdogs,” is a heavy hitter with fantastic instrumentation from the drums to the guitars. It’s not for the faint of heart for sure.

The following track is a great song titled “Snake Oil” with excellent instrumentation from the guitars.

On “Doesn’t Change a Thing,” the band really brings in the guitars full force, and they really sound great. They really remind me of Gov’t Mule.

The band slows things down on “Time Waits.” The gentle guitar strums are layered over folksy vocals, opening the track which opens up into a wider song. He sings “where has all the time gone?”

If “Doesn’t Change a Thing” reminded me of Gov’t Mule, “Feedin The Landlord,” really does! It is heavy rock with an Americana/country-tinged flair. The guitars are epic in this track; the guitarists really know how to shred and put on a show.

“Find Your Love Again” is a smooth ballad about finding love again after feeling lost, lonely, and alone. The track showcases Eric Leadbetter‘s vocal range really well, too.

“Habits” showcases the band’s ability to write sonically catchy songs with terrific lyricism. Their musicianship is fantastic and really shows off on this track.

The next track, “Middle Man,” opens and reminds me of a little bit of Gov’t Mule and a little bit of Aerosmith in its melody. But this track hits hard, and I mean, hard. The guitars, the drums, everything just hits hard. This is an all-out rock song. If you want to rock out, this is the song for you!

Overall, this album is a terrific rock album for any fans of artists like Gov’t Mule, ZZ Top, and more. You’re going to love the Leadbetter Band!

Take a look at their video for their song, “Waterdogs,” below!

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There is something to be said about when you listen to a record and each time it makes you feel differently.

Alt-J has skillfully done just that with their newest album, The Dream. If you don’t know who Alt-J is, they are a three-piece band from the United Kingdom, to be exact, which consists of Joe Newman on guitar and lead vocals, Thom Sonny Green on drums, and last, but not least, Gus Unger-Hamilton on keys. They have released three studio albums and this will be their fourth.

In addition, they are Grammy-nominated artists from their album, This Is All Yours, which debuted in 2014. Alt-J has no problem with creating music that requires listening rather than thinking as well and looking outside of the box. This musical trifecta has created their own lane and made sure they will never be pigeonholed, especially with The Dream.

Imagine tones of Elliott Smith, Iron and Wine, as well as Portugal. The Man and you kinda have an idea of how The Dream sounds with their indie-rock nature. Within this 12-track album, each and every song couldn’t be more different from the next.

At first, when listening to it, I was extremely confused and frustrated because none of it made sense. Listening to The Dream makes you feel like you did a ton of acid and the only thing you want to do was go lay in a field and roll around. Hell, at one point I felt like I was already in a field and I was the main character in Across The Universe who needed to do some psychedelics! Either way, I was extremely confused and baffled at the fact Alt-J didn’t sound like what I was picturing in my head. It took about two hours of intense listening to finally understand the album and how brilliant this record truly is.

Right off of the bat, you get drawn into “Bane” and at first, have no clue what the hell is happening until mid-way through you get sent some smooth sexy vocals that remind you just who you are listening to. Each song tells a tiny piece of a bigger story from start to finish. The album is clearly written about one thing but is left up for your own interpretation, which means Alt-J did their job.

As it plays on, you hear the story coming together with its poetic lyricism and groovy, yet dramatic melodies. This album is a magnificently written record with an underlying theme of dramatics sprinkled with groovy instruments and sounds. There isn’t just one song that stands out from the rest on this album. Each and every single song tells its own story exactly like it was intended to do.

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The current band lineup features musicians John Stirratt, Jeff Tweedy, Glenn Kotche, Mikael Jorgensen, Nels Cline, and Pat Sansone, and will celebrate the album’s milestone by performing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in its entirety (plus a mix of concert favorites and rarities) in two limited runs at New York City’s United Palace and Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.

These unique performances precede Wilco’s North Adams-based Solid Sound Festival in May and will offer fans a rare chance to celebrate the original masterpiece and prepare for the archival Yankee Hotel Foxtrot re-releases coming later this year.

Tour dates and ticket availability can be found at their site here.

Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Anniversary Shows:
Fri. Apr. 15 – New York NY @ United Palace
Sat. Apr. 16 – New York, NY @ United Palace
Sun. Apr. 17 – New York, NY @ United Palace
Tue. Apr. 19 – New York, NY @ United Palace
Fri. Apr. 22 – Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
Sat. Apr. 23 – Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre

Additional 2022 Wilco Tour Dates (Now on Sale):
Fri. May 27 – Sun. May 29 – North Adams, MA @ Solid Sound Festival
Sat. Jun. 11 – Oslo, NE @ Loaded Festival
Mon. Jun. 13 – Copenhagen, DK @ Amager Bio
Fri. Jun. 17 – Zeebrugge, BE @ Zeebrugge Beach Festival
Sat. Jun. 18 – Kent, UK @ Black Deer Festival
Wed. Jun. 22 – Barcelona, ES @ Poble Espanyol
Sat. Jun. 25 – Murcia, ES @ Plaza De Toros Murcia
Mon. Jun. 27 – Madrid, ES @ Noches Del Botanico
Mon. Aug. 28 – Martha’s Vineyard, MA @ Beach Road Weekend

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The Chicago-based, alternative-rock outfit, Letdown., has signed with Big Loud Rock, the brand new alternative/rock imprint of Big Loud Records.

Officially launched in 2020, Letdown. is the brainchild of songwriter Blake Coddington and has spent the better part of two years writing songs that plan to see releases through the year 2022 and beyond.

The “Empty” video was filmed in Nashville at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

“I struggle a lot with my mental health, it’s tough for me to put a smile on for everyone else,” Coddington explains. “I write music not only as therapy for myself but for others who feel they are spread too thin, falling short, or just not good enough.”

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‘Antonio’ Album Artwork

Written by Lauren Rosier

The alternative rock/indie rock musician, Louise Aubrie, is thrilled to share her fifth studio album, Antonio, released via Carrot Bone Records out now.

The creation of the album was truly a transatlantic affair being written in New York, recorded in London, and mixed and mastered in Los Angeles.

Louise Aubrie explains the album’s title more:

“The title is inspired by a line from the Jacques Brel song ‘La Chanson De Jacky’: “Même si on m’appelle Antonio” – “My name would be Antonio”. It’s a brilliant fantastical song about fame being fleeting, and imagining how life might be in the future: being washed up, reflecting on the glory days!! Marc Almond did a brilliant cover of it – one of my favourite songs – and I created a vision of who Antonio might be: an aging European lothario going round the clubs.  A lot of the songs were inspired by that image – I don’t know anyone called Antonio in the real world!”

The 10-song set opens with a track titled “Ours” that contains elements of Irish rock a la Dolores O’Riordan, with an excellent, upbeat melody. It doesn’t quite hit the right spots, however, to be a full-blown, radio-friendly single, I don’t believe.

The next track, “Bang,” is an indie rock song with elements of 80s rock, punk, industrial rock, and more, to create something like I can’t say I’ve heard before.

The following track, “Last,” serves as her title track, as she sings about ‘Antonio’ and wonders why she was with her current lover. She sings ‘the plot is thickening all the time / it’s hiding our perfect crime…” Then, she sings ‘from everyone, you’re not just anyone /.at last / at last…”

The track, “Lost,” opens with a stampeding drum beat, as Aubrie sings more about her beloved, Antonio. I begin to wonder who this Antonio is throughout these songs as I listen to songs more and more.

I really enjoyed the song, “Take.” It had a very pop-friendly and radio-friendly opening, and then the chorus was super strong and the melody was very catchy. However, I found it difficult to understand the lyrics when listening to the song.

Overall, this album is a decent alternative/indie rock album by an independent artist that deserves all the recognition. Louise Aubrie is a terrific musician and I look forward to what she plans on doing in the future.

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The Florida-based alternative/grunge rock band, Blueanimal, drop their third single, “What Does It All Mean?,” from their forthcoming full-length album, Figment That Was Me, due out June 4.

The album addresses themes of mental health and the band finds themselves in an introspective mode on the track, “What Does It All Mean,” kind of searching for answers in a place where there are none.

From the artist:

“‘What Does It All Mean’ is the 6th song on the album. It marks the start of the ascent out of the darkness and the climb up from the bottom realized in our first single “Rock Bottom.” The work is about the realization that you’ve hit bottom and that the climb out is going to take you finding some meaning or purpose. This track represents the point in the character’s journey at which he realizes he was letting external forces determine his happiness. A pursuit that was doomed to fail in bringing the peace and validation he craves. For many people one of the many struggles with depression and mental wellness is the constant struggle to maintain a sense of peace and happiness the originates from within. It is very easy to let the outside world determine our happiness and leave us wondering ‘what does all this mean?’ when we are left dissatisfied or feeling a lack of purpose. Many times it is only through the centering of happiness within ourselves that true happiness can be realized.”

Blueanimal originally began as a side project for Luke and Matt, but then, as time went on, their small side duo grew into something bigger, and Blueanimal was born. They began writing their debut album, Hippies & Beauty Queens, which was released then in 2015. The album was well-received and featured two singles, “Free,” and “Dark Places,” both of which did well.

Following that release, the duo moved to fill out the band for live performances. Two willing participants in two engineers, Ry Kovacevich, joined on lead guitar and Aaron Gandia on the drums. Once the lineup was finalized, the group was able to start making plans to work on two records simultaneously, with the first release of the project, “Hollow Heart,” debuting in 2018. “Hollow Heart” delivered a 90s rock feel with an eclectic, Blueanimal tone, and the song, “Follow The Hard,” was well-received by bloggers and playlists.

The band’s next album, Figment That Was Me, is more about “a character’s struggles with depression and the topics surrounding that struggle.”

Blueanimal is Luke Elms (lead/background vocals, rhythm guitar), Matt Lube (bass guitar), Ry Kovacevich (no longer with the band, but plays lead guitar on the record), Luis Rexach (current lead guitarist), and Aaron Gandia (drums).

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The alternative rock band, Holding Absence, shares their fantastic new album, The Greatest Mistake of My Life, which was inspired by a song of the same from an actor and singer named Dame Gracie Fields.

The band began in 2015 in Cardiff, Wales, and features members Lucas Woodland (vocals), Scott Carey (guitar), Benjamin Elliott (bass), and Ashley Green (drums).

After discovering that the song was covered by Woodland‘s great uncle during the ’50s from his grandmother, the band decided that the “the poignancy of its words was worthy of titling Holding Absence’s next record.”

“This album is about telling stories that are presented through the lens of hindsight, regret, and looking back,” The band shares. ‘There are songs that celebrate life when faced with death, and others that speak to the choices we make about how we live our lives. The fear of love, newfound respect for life, and the covering up of depression are all subjects that rear their head.

I’ve got a new track for you… this artist is phenomenal. Her voice is beyond her years.. This is the Toronto-based alternative artist, Delyn Gray, with a new somber, yet timely message in her new single and music video, “Ghost Town,” available now on all DSPs. Delyn‘s voice is so versatile and she’s able to sing such sobering, dark themes with simplicity and honesty.

“I wrote this song two days into quarantine. Feelings of helplessness, shock, and disbelief became suffocating. Funnily enough, this is probably the only ‘uplifting’ and ‘unifying’ song I’ve written. The world is in turmoil. That can’t and should NOT be ignored. We have to do our part in taking this seriously. Use your voices. Not to delegate or to sway opinions, but to optimize this opportunity to share, connect, support, and heal. Don’t hide behind your screens and wait for someone else to make the difference, find the answers, and feel the feelings,” Delyn explains.

The track opens with haunting piano, as her vocals delicately sing about the people in the “ghost town.” Her lyrics so descriptive, so eerily reflective.

She says about the song: “These are desperate times. We watch individuals, towns, cities, and countries so harshly impacted by the unknown, and will continue to until the storm settles. May we support each other, may we embrace this opportunity to learn, to heal, to seek answers. Be kind to your neighbors. Be sensible and prudent. Be hopeful.”

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The Moscow, rock exports, Apache Rose, are thrilled to deliver their latest LP,  Attention!. Inspired by American and British bands from the ’70s through the ’90s, Apache Rose creates their own blend of rock and alternative music.

Attention! opens strong with the track “Easy” – a truly solid song with fantastic guitars and vocals. This track has a real classic 90’s alternative vibe.

The overall sound on the record almost has this Stone Temple Pilots vibe to it. In some songs, I heard elements of Muse and even other 2000s alternative rock bands as well.

“We wanted to make an album like the ones we love, the one you could listen to on repeat. Like Aerosmith‘s Rocks, Metallica‘s Kill’em All, Sex Pistols‘ Nevermind the Bollocks, Nirvana‘s Nevermind, Soundgarden‘s Superunknown, Stone Temple Pilots‘ Core, Arctic Monkeys‘ first album. We hope we succeeded,” the band explained.

On the track, “Hit Me,” it begins with a very psychedelic vibe. It shows how versatile the band is; the different vibes and sounds they’re able to play showcases their musical abilities. At about 1:51 into the song, it intensifies and becomes this incredible, larger-than-life song.

Take a look at the video for “Easy” below and check out the band’s social media links at the bottom.

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The alternative rock outfit, The Neverlutionaries, are sharing their newest self-titled debut LP album. Leading this alternative rock and shoegaze-inspired sound is multi-instrumentalist songwriter, Christopher Harold Wells. Other moving parts include collaborations with regulars at San Fran’s Hyde Street Studios (home of recordings for the Grateful Dead, Santana, and Creedence Clearwater Revival) like Chris McGrew (Pamela Parker’s Fantastic Machine), Kenny Olson (Sheryl Crow, Bootsy Collins), Jonnie Axtell, and even #1 Billboard charting producer, Jaimeson Durr (Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani).

“The only parameter that I set for myself is that, at some point in the process, I got to get some kind of goosebumps,” Wells explained. “That’s like the cosmos’ way of letting you know you’re onto something. The longer you write, the more you kind of dial yourself in and hopefully come into what your sound is to be, but with my sound, there are so many parts that make it up because I dig a lot of different kinds of music.”

The opening track, “Ticking Away,” immediately pulls us in with the iconic psychedelic and alternative rock sound that immediately makes the listener feel alive. Wells shares that this song is an “ode to people who hate other people because of who and what they are,” and that “as the time of that mindset is running out, there’s a new movement of positivity as the Age of Enlightenment is upon us.”

The next track, “Ariana,” is a song filled with such intense energy and movement that it makes it unforgettable. Wells shares that his use of “delayed trippy guitars” is fully inspired by his love of shoegaze music. Wells shares that he wants to capture how one would feel meeting their soulmate, and says that “Ariana” is all about capturing that concept of dream love.

Wells describes his next track, “Hopped Up On Crazy,” with the phrase “it’s the God and the Devil thing.” The track, “Hopped Up On Crazy,” has a ton of energy that does a great job of mixing classic rock with modern influences that make the track relatable and inviting.

The next song on the record, “As It Burns,” is another energetic and explosive song with a ton of great instrumentation that keeps the listener engaged from beginning to end.

“Everybody’s Losing Their Minds” is Wells paying homage to the genre that has hugely influenced his entire life: funk. There are so many incredible guitar riff and sick solos that make you wish you were at a rock concert right now!

The next track, “Precious Eyes,” is moving and captivating, and even more so because of the driving force behind it. Wells shares that this track is about his friend who took her life. “I was really thinking about her a lot because she was so wonderful and seemed happy that I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. I started writing the music and the words just wrote themselves. It was a spiritual and healing experience for me.”

Wells also had his friend, Nick Baglio, help with the drum section to which he added his “special stamp on this one.”

Another emotionally involved track is “Save Yourself,” which talks about a friend of Wells who was suffering from substance abuse. “He was always telling me what to do even though he was in a way heavier and darker place. He was really just trying to save me but I didn’t understand.”

“Stardusted” is a great staple for the self-titled album because there is just so much fun, energy, and good vibes all wrapped into one great song. It takes pleasure in exploiting the not so serious relationships, the ones where Wells shares that “love isn’t a requirement; it’s all about the fire, passion and the oneness that occasionally occurs. The stardust is that feeling personified.” The energy he creates in this song is catchy and infectious, and the sexual nature of the song just adds another side to his already broad tacklings as a musician.

Another favorite of the album is “Unconditionally.” The soft and crispness of his tone mixed with different washy and ambient elements create a ton of emotion that I grew incredibly attached to. Wells shares that this song is about “someone who understands someone else’s plight and wants to rescue them because they can’t save themselves,” which was originally written to get on the good side of some pretty lady at a party, but nonetheless, an impressively moving song.

Starring as his the first song that he ever wrote on the piano is “Stumble.” “They have this beautiful piano at Hyde Street Studio C,” Wells shares. “and it plays so well that it practically plays itself. The day we tracked it, I was a bit melancholy as I just lost a dear friend the day before. We turned the studio lights down for some ambulance – I mean ambiance – and I tried to channel my pain into that take.” This is another highlight for the album as it showcases a more acoustically and emotionally rooted idea that blossoms into a beautiful recording.

Their final song, “Ellis Stress Stomp (Bonus Track),” has the most unique story of them yet. “One day while walking to Hyde Street to do some work on the record, laying on the sidewalk was this beautiful girl. I wondered how in the hell did it get to this? She was very haggard and obviously on a lot of something but she had this slight look of hope and peace about her that was beyond her buzz. When I got to the studio, I couldn’t shake her out of my mind. I see that kind of stuff all the time in the city but she had this look in her eyes. Once in the studio, my dear friend, drummer, and cohort Chris McGrew cued up this killer groove that he’d been working on. It sounded like the city. It sounded like her. After the first playback and feeling the definitive power and sultry groove of the track, I cut my vocal relatively quickly.”

The Neverlutionaries has cultivated a beautiful arrangement of music that can appeal and relate to a lot of different people. “Write what is in your heart and stay true to who you are,” Wells concluded. “I’m not singing from my ego as I once did. Music is very sacred to me and I feel you have to honor it by letting it come from a real place inside of you.”

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