This week’s You Should Be Listening update features a rock band from Italy — Aimless. You can listen to the full playlist here on our Spotify. 1) Aimless GENRE: Rock, Pop Punk WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Italy SONG I RECOMMEND: let me live 2) Cheyenne Dan GENRE: Surf/Garage Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Central New Jersey, USA SONG I RECOMMEND: Happy Days 3) Wallows GENRE: Post Punk, Bedroom Pop, Alternative Rock, Surf Punk WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Los Angeles, California SONG I RECOMMEND: Scrawny 4) The Regrettes GENRE: Punk Rock, Riot Grrl WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Los Angeles, California SONG I RECOMMEND: California Friends 5) Waste Youth GENRE: Punk WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Toronto, Canada SONG I RECOMMEND: Scythe 6) Halsey GENRE: Pop, Alternative WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Los Angeles, California SONG I RECOMMEND: Nightmare 7) Kid Sistr GENRE: Indie, Pop, Alternative Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: New York, USA SONG I RECOMMEND: Please Dump Him 8) YONAKA GENRE: Alternative Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Brighton, England SONG I RECOMMEND: Rockstar 9) The Pretty Reckless GENRE: Hard Rock, Post Grunge, Alternative Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: NYC SONG I RECOMMEND: Heaven Knows 10) Quick and Painless GENRE: Garage Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Southern Wisconsin, USA SONG I RECOMMEND: Not Her Type

Sex, drugs, and Rock ‘N Roll! — the myth we all heard when we first got into rock music. We’ve been force-fed since childhood a rock ‘n roll fantasy that is simply that: a fantasy. A fantasy that people take to heart and try to make real, whatever the cost and no matter how much pain they create doing so. “Sex, drugs, and Rock ‘N Roll” is a outdated motto. It’s not safe and it’s not okay — it’s on the same level of “Boys will be Boys.” People in the music industry have gotten away with all sorts of cruelty under the name of “Sex, drugs, and Rock ‘N Roll” and we need to stop that from continuing. As a woman who has loved a different band in almost every year of her 22 years on this Earth, I’m tired. Every single month, now it seems like every week, I wake up to another favorite band of mine being exposed as sexual predators. It is mentally draining for me as a supporter of these bands, but I will never be able to feel how much worse the victims feel. How bad I feel is a small amount to what they feel, but I understand their pain and I wish they were treated better. I’m tired of feeling this way, of feeling upset, heartbroken, and angry. Tired of my heart hurting for girls who are just like me — girls who loved the music, who loved and trusted a band that turned out to be cruel, and I wonder if anything like that could happen to me. I wonder if there's anything I or anybody else can do to make all of this stop from ever happening again. Recently, with the truth coming out about The Buttertones and SWMRS, people are finally starting to pay attention to what we’ve been saying and talking about all along. The message is simple: don’t be a sexual predator, don’t abuse women, don’t degrade women. But it’s a message that historically, men in (rock) music have been unable to hear, unable to understand. The message is simple: don’t be a sexual predator, don’t abuse women, don’t degrade women. We need to keep challenging toxic masculinity, keep calling out misogyny, keep fighting against disgusting, criminal behavior that so many rock bands, so many scenes put up with. In the past, there's been so much of this and I think it’s well beyond about time for us to work together and end this toxic culture. There's not much you can do about the past other than be aware of it and learn from it, to do better from it. Rock has never been a safe space for women, and even less so for non-binary people. Too many cis-gendered men have dominated what seems like all the scenes, have controlled so much of the music, have had so much power and it’s not right. We need to end blindly worshiping a guy in a band just because he might be talented or good-looking. Musical skills matter, yes, but character and morals should be on a much higher level. Everyone knows and loves Led Zeppelin, a rock band who made a remarkable impact on rock history & the world, but they’re just like the rest. Led Zeppelin had a member who was a sexual predator just like the ones being called out now — Jimmy Page. There’s no denying the facts – he dated (‘dated’ used lightly here - it’s actually called statutory rape) a 14-year old girl who at the time, was called a “baby groupie” in 1972, named Lori Maddox when he was 27 years old. It might have been the social norm back then, but we can clearly see now that it wasn’t okay or right. You can’t like Led Zeppelin and think they’re a perfect band, not after you know this, because they’re not. That behavior should have been as unacceptable back then as it is now, and it’s a shame that it wasn't. There’s not much you can do about artists of the past but be aware of it, be a conscious listener. You can learn how they’re problematic, be aware of who you’re supporting right now that is active, you can choose to believe women over a song if you can. We can’t de-platform Led Zeppelin, we can’t call out Jimmy Page, what he did has been done, but what we can do now is make sure the bands that are thriving now aren’t made up of members like him. Members who are men that abuse young girls who support and love them, men that abuse and bask in the power imbalance they have over others, men that think they’re gods & nobody can touch them, men that are narcissistic, egotistical, that are creeps, rapists, molesters - horrible men who shouldn't have a platform or a part in the music. It should be about the music first & always, and keeping things safe & good should go hand in hand with that. This isn't only about the men in bands, or even just the men at all – this is about every man in the music industry, every man in every scene in any part of it who perpetrates this toxic mentality and culture, and the women & non-binary people in the music industry who take part in perpetrating this toxic culture as well. Women & non-binary people can rape too, women & non-binary people can do and say horrible things too, we should hold everyone of every gender just as accountable as we hold men. This will never end if we place all the blame on one specific gender, but, we should start with holding men accountable because they’re the main ones creating all of this pain. We started the conversation talking about men, but we cannot let the sentence stop there if we want things to be safer and better for everyone. This is a burden we all have to carry and work together to heal & recover from. We need to create safe spaces in whatever scene we’re in; we need to have zero tolerance for predators, for creeps, for abusive, sexist language & actions, for all of this and more. We have to keep talking about it, keep educating ourselves and others, keep addressing it, keep calling it out or it will never end. The change starts with us. It should have started decades ago but what’s done is done, and we can only move forward and work to make things better now. Some resources for fighting against sexual abuse and gender inequality in the music industry: Girls Against! Safe Gigs For Women (UK) Amplify Her Voice safer scenes OurMusicOurBody

Last week, I started the ASK AN: series, this week I'm starting something entirely different. You Should Be Listening, a weekly list of ten artists that are good & deserving of attention, published each Sunday, handpicked by me. With every artist, I'll tell you about what genre they play, where they're based, and what song I recommend — songs you can find in a playlist on our Spotify account, right here. Note: The song "Sweet Little Devil" by Perfect Strangers is not included on the Spotify playlist because it is currently only on Soundcloud. 1) Nova Twins GENRE: Alt-Rock, Rapcore WHERE THEY'RE FROM: London, England SONG I RECOMMEND: Taxi 2) Crown Lands GENRE: Psych-Blues Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Oshawa, Ontario. SONG I RECOMMEND: Mountain 3) The Suede Hello GENRE: Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: NYC SONG I RECOMMEND: Fame, Fortune, and Torture 4) Alliteration GENRE: Indie Punk Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Poughkeepsie, New York SONG I RECOMMEND: Spinn 5) DE'WAYNE GENRE: Alternative, Rap, Punk WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Houston, Texas SONG I RECOMMEND: National Anthem 6) The Happy Fits GENRE: Alternative, Indie WHERE THEY'RE FROM: New York, New York SONG I RECOMMEND: Go Dumb 7) levitation room GENRE: Psychedelic Rock, Lo-fi, Indie WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Los Angeles, California SONG I RECOMMEND: Quarantine 8) Big Joanie GENRE: Punk Rock, Post Punk WHERE THEY'RE FROM: London, United Kingdom SONG I RECOMMEND: Used To Be Friends 9) BONES UK GENRE: Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Camden Town, London SONG I RECOMMEND: Pretty Waste 10) Perfect Strangers GENRE: Rock WHERE THEY'RE FROM: London, England SONG I RECOMMEND: Sweet Little Devil

Haim is a three-piece pop-rock band made up of sisters Este (bass guitar and vocals), Danielle (vocals and guita), and Alana Haim (guitars, keyboards, and vocals), from Los Angeles, California. Women in Music Pt. III is their third studio album, released on June 26th, 2020. It's known that each of the sisters have faced a personal struggle after touring for their previous album and brought it to the studio — Este's struggle with Type 1 diabetes, Alana's grief from a best friend passing away at age 20, and Danielle's deep depression after her partner Ariel Rechtshaid was diagnosed with cancer. This album is undeniably personal to the sisters, which is why it feels almost wrong to review it, it feels like a look inside a personal journal, but it is out there and the lyrics are in a way that anyone can understand and feel them too. This album is, in my opinion, their best so far. I love so much, so many of these songs I feel so deeply inside of me. These songs are about depression, being alone, being broken-hearted & recovering from it, second chances, what it's like to be a woman in music & face misogyny, about love and more 1) Los Angeles This sound, this is what summer feels and should sound like. I love this song so much, although I can't relate in the exact opposite way — I'm from New York, I love this state & the city with so much of my heart. "These days, these days I can't win / These days I can't see no visions / I'm breakin', losin faith," I feel this so much. One of my top tracks from this record. 2) The Steps This song is about a changed relationship — one in which her partner doesn't understand her independence, doesn't understand her or why she doesn't need help. She makes money for herself by herself, she's independent and strong, and to her partner, this isn't okay — which is wrong. At the end, the lyrics signify they break up — "If I go right / And you go left / Hey, I know we'll meet up again," but leaving hope that they'll meet in the future when they're both better people, when they've grown. This song is empowering, it tells the listener that it's okay to be an independent person and some people you meet won't understand that on some levels, and it's okay, "That's just life sometimes." 3) I Know Alone This song is about depression — about that particular symptom of it that makes you isolate yourself from the entire world, that makes you unable to get out of bed or even try to do such. It's that feeling when you're so deep down in it and everything feels the same; nothing changes, nothing is interesting, all you feel is an empty grey shell of yourself. You don't want to talk about how you're feeling because it's so hard and heavy. Nights are long and hard and everyone expects you to just bounce back — "When Sundays comes they expect me to shine," but it's just never that easy, that simple. You can't pick a day when you're going to wake up and be completely out of the fog, if it were possible, I'm sure all of us would be happier people. 4) Up From A Dream My favorite from the entire record. I love this song so much that I can barely communicate my love for this in a way that makes sense and fully expresses it. The guitar in this, WOW. It's got a bit of a Shania Twain feel, that twangy-pop rock country music sound she had in the 90's. "Something you see wakes you up from the dream / Wanna go back to sleep but now you're up from the dream / Walk into the kitchen, pull the dishes from the sink / And you have changed in the blink of a eye." I've spent one too many nights waking up from bad dreams or not even falling asleep until very late because of bad thoughts running through my head and ending up fighting these feelings sitting on my kitchen floor, eating a breakfast food and thinking, writing about it. I can't say if doing so has made all that much change in me, but definitely has done quite a bit. 5) Gasoline It's a slow, a very lust-filled track. It's not my thing, but it's not bad. It's about going back to a lover but you're a bit of a mess still, and a bit sad, both of you are toxic to each other but you're back with each other. I can't quite figure out who's the gasoline and who's the flame in this song — is it the singer, is the lover? Either way, very toxic, very lust-driven. 6) 3am This song is about avoiding calls and messages from an ex — you don't want to talk to them, you don't want to go back to them again, but you entertain the thought because you can't help it. It's hard to move on from people who left your life and meant so much to you at one point, it truly makes your head spin. 7) Don't Wanna This track's about not wanting to let go of a toxic relationship. The other person was clearly bad for her, but she doesn't want to give up, to throw it all away — maybe there's a chance to make it better, after all, they're both to blame, "Well, we both had nights wakin' up in stranger's beds." 8) Another Try This song is about giving thought to the idea of giving a relationship just one more try — you've both been bad, you've both hurt each other, but feelings are still there and you can't just move on, so why not give it another try? And if it doesn't work, if "...it's luck that's not on our side," she wishes the best for the next relationship her ex has. 9) Leaning On You The Fleetwood Mac vibes are strong with this track, you could literally find this track on one of their early records and you wouldn't find anything out of place. This song is about being a bit of a mess but you have someone to lean on, someone to help you through it, someone that will push you to take care of yourself and handle all the big, heavy emotions and experiences that life brings, and hopefully doing the same for this someone back. It's about a best friend. 10) I've Been Down Another track about depression and trying to live through it; about feeling lost and confused in life and asking someone to help you figure it all out, to be with you through it. 11) Man From The Magazine This one talks about the sexist, inappropriate questions the sisters have faced in & outside of interviews regarding their place as a woman in music. It's only a glimpse of what women in music face on a daily basis — women get their music knowledge & love tested, picked apart and analyzed, gets their skill & talents diminished and pushed aside, made into a joke, sexualized to no end. "I don't want to hear / It is what it is / It was what it was...You don't know how it feels / You expect me to deal with it / 'Til I'm perfectly numb / But you don't know how it feels." Men expect us to stay quiet, to shut up and laugh at their cruel jokes and inappropriate sexual comments, at every microaggression they put out, at everything they say and do to women in music without question because that's how it has always been, but it's wrong and it shouldn't be like that. Women should have a louder voice in all genres and places of the music industry, we should be able to call out mistreatment and sexism without fear of having our careers ruined and sent death threats, without being attacked. . 12) All That Ever Mattered This is about having a relationship but having what feels the whole world to look into it and feel like they have a right to make comments on it, but you don't care about them, you only care about your partner. Your partner didn't see that it was only them that mattered to you, however, so it ended, and this song is making it clear on what ever actually mattered. 13) FUBT This one's about loving a toxic person, about loving someone who's hurt you. 14) Now I'm In It This is about finally accepting that you can't be friends with your ex, that you want them and you can't move on from it. It's about fighting for a love you know will be good, a love you believe in and don't want to give up on. 15) Hallelujah This song is emotionally the heaviest off the whole record. It's about grief, it's about losing a loved one and knowing that you will be able to feel okay again someday, without them here on this planet. Musically, it sounds a lot like Fleetwood Mac's Landslide, it has that entire vibe. 16) Summer Girl The final track from this record, a bonus track as it was released over a year ago. It's funky and fresh, it's one of my favorites. It sounds like summer, just like the first track, Los Angeles, does, so it finishes off the album in a very full-circle, uplifting way. You can stream Women In Music Pt. III on whichever platform you prefer, and buy merch and physical copies of the record here, and follow Haim on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

Two weeks ago, my interview with realism NRM (New Rock Mafia) artist Xan Tolbert was published and today a different kind of interview is up — ASK AN: Artist. It's a normal interview but, instead of me dreaming up the questions, all of them were submitted by friends of The Cheetah Press. This is the first in a series I hope becomes common on our site - ASK AN: ___, the blank being the profession of whoever I'm lucky enough to interview. 1) If you could change your medium, what would you change it to? Definitely acrylic paint. If I was better at character design and less into realism that would totally be my thing. 2) What is the hardest part about making art? Overall? Art block. It takes me so long to work on a piece because a lot of the time it feels forced. Besides that it's getting frustrated with replicating little details. 3) Do you plan on selling more XT shirts in the future? Yes!! Probably toward the end of the year. 5) What's your favorite part about shows? I love love being able to watch all the little things that go on on stage that make the music. I like looking for details in a lot of things and shows are no different. I like watching people play, I like seeing how everyone communicates, I like seeing how into it everyone is. If I've learned a song on my own that I'm seeing played live I like to compare my technique to theirs. I could go on and on. 6) Pros/cons about being an traditional artist? Pros: - "It looks just like me!!" - Clothes, I love drawing wrinkles - Facial expressions are kind of in between, the TINIEST thing can make someone look angry when they're excited, but they're fun to nail - Hands Cons: - Mouths and feet - Being constantly worried that it looks NOTHING like the person I'm drawing - Actually practicing 7) Has quarantine affected your art in any way? Absolutely. I feel like I've put a lot more pressure on myself to get pieces done and out there just because I have more time, but then I get burnt out so easily and don't wanna work on anything at all. I'm still trying to find that happy medium. 8) What makes you "love" a song? What's the main factor? What's your criteria for awesome music? This is a long one. I feel like there's a lot that could go into this. I've been doing music in some way for the past 12 years (choir and voice lessons mainly) so things really start to stick, things become predictable (which I find most in pop music). I listen to the radio and hear a new song and can guess exactly where it's gonna go, what's gonna happen next, lyrically and musically, it gets boring. I like not knowing what comes next, being completely caught off guard. Like when I have to pause the song and say "what the fuck." (See Paralysis, bernard trigger, anything by alt-J). I guess this is also why I think silence in music is just as important as sound. Sudden stops can be more effective than constant noise. I like bridges that are a contrast from the rest of the song, I like lyric patterns that aren't necessarily structured (chorus, verse, chorus, verse). Lyrically, I like things that stick with me for whatever reason it may be. "I committed the crime around 10:15" from Now by Joywave. "Ran down my brain stem and out my fingers" from Acid Rain by Robert DeLong. I like lyrics that make me go back after the first listen and think "holy shit, does that mean what I think it means?" I could go on and on about the music theory shit that makes up the sound I like in a song but I won't because I have no idea what I'm talking about. 9) Which piece of yours is your favorite? Do you have a favorite? For a while now I've been saying that it's that piece of cleopatrick I did a while ago but I think recently it's been the one I did of Luke Gruntz crowd surfing for his birthday. It's the only one I've hung up on my wall. 10) What impact do you want your art to have? I'm not entirely sure. I hope at least that I can inspire SOMEONE to do art themselves. In broader terms though I really love how excited people get whenever I draw them; it's always so heartwarming that something I've created myself can make someone else so happy. You can find her art on Instagram, @xtdraws, and buy her prints here.

In 1961, Robert Zimmerman moved to New York City, a young folk singer in pursuit of a new identity and stardom. Changing his name to Bob Dylan, he became a spokesperson of his generation, personifying the youth’s sentiments on war, humanity, and culture, amplifying the voices who were going otherwise unheard while making himself an icon in the process. His new album, Round and Rowdy Ways, proves his unwavering, iconic figure in music history, while being unapologeticlly candid in his views of life, death, and everything in between. Track by track, I take you through Bob Dylan's 39th studio album. Side A 1) I Contain Multitudes This is a slow, somber opener for the album. Dylan’s lyrics are riddled with pop culture references, from the song’s title - taken from a Walt Whitman poem - to comparing himself to “them British bad boys, The Rolling Stones.” Being asked about the song, Dylan’s reply was, “The song is like a painting, you can’t see it all at once if you’re standing too close. The individual pieces are just part of a whole... It is my identity and I’m not going to question it, I am in no position to.” I see the song as a bold statement in defense of Dylan’s character, as he weaves together juxtaposed characters and concepts that he claims mirror himself. Infamously mysterious and private, “I Contain Multitudes” is perhaps the most Dylan has shared about himself, cloaked in metaphors and references that only few will understand. 2) False Prophet “False Prophet” is basically a song dedicated to Dylan’s ever-heightened ego (rightfully so). He rejects the notion of ever being “false,” instead claiming his now-revered title in a genuine, earnest way. Dylan states that he just “knows” and “says,” alluding to the idea of him being a “prophet” in regards to his almost-instant icon status. In his height of popularity in the 1960's, Dylan’s character was idolized, becoming a spokesperson of his generation; “False Prophet” acknowledges such beginnings and defends it, owning his influence that has spanned the last almost sixty years. He professes, “I’m first among equals / Second to none / The last of the best / You can bury the rest.” If that lyric doesn’t scream Bob Dylan, I’m not sure what does. 3) My Own Version of You This is the Gothic anthem from Bob Dylan that I never knew I needed. Dylan drawls about building a person from collected body parts, an obvious borrow from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He wants to create someone that fits his ideal image, who embodies the values that he holds, pushing and teaching him to be his better, true self. The premise of the song and its lyrical content show Dylan’s ease when it comes to questioning society, as he alludes to theorists Freud and Marx (infamous for their radical theories regarding humanity), and poses an array of rhetorical questions contemplating right and wrong. This song is a yearning for someone good and pure, and as Dylan wishes to resort to create someone of his own, he pushes the narrative that there is nobody who fits his image, as he sets to combine qualities from himself into his perfect companion. 4) I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You This is a love song filled with devotion and longing. It’s simple, but reflective and meaningful, as Dylan reminisces on his experiences, but still manages to always come back to this one person. The stand-out lines for me were: “I traveled a long road of despair / I met no other traveler there / Lot of people gone, lot of people I knew / I've made up my mind to give myself to you.” I see this song as a contemplation of Dylan’s fame, him being on the road, meeting millions of people, yet as many other musicians have professed as well, he still felt a void that has stayed empty all these years. Now, Dylan is content with his life and all that he’s done, deciding to now settle with his memories. 5) Black Rider This song seems to be prophesying on Dylan’s life, specifically his mortality. Alluding to the effects of fame and fortune, he contemplates death after years and years of living a large-scale life. It is seemingly Dylan’s way of showing his comfort in finally being able to truly rest, though a sad concept to think about nonetheless. As he sings, “My heart is at rest, I'd like to keep it that way,” Dylan is candid in his desire towards peace, content with how his life has gone. It’s a beautifully morbid song that teeters between life and death, all the more poetic told through Dylan’s point of view. 6) Goodbye Jimmy Reed Perhaps the most “upbeat” song on the album so far, “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” is an ode to the legends that preceded Dylan. Filled with Biblical references, Dylan holds blues musician Jimmy Reed on a pedestal, as he narrates his fame being “thrown” at him while attempting to hold onto his values, rooted within those who came before him. This song is yet another reiteration of Dylan’s seemingly complex relationship with his fame and stature, as “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” contemplates such in comparison to those in which Dylan looked up to. 7) Mother of Muses In “Mother of Muses,” Dylan calls upon a muse of his own to guide him. This song portrays the recurring theme of Rough and Rowdy Ways, in that Dylan is recounting his life: those he’s encountered, those that have passed on, and his own life as it’s changed over the years. It seems that Dylan’s relationship with divinity is heightened with “Mother of Muses,” as he does not hesitate to question love, humanity, and heroic figures that have evidently shaped his character. And for as poetic and eloquent as we know Dylan to be, this song shows that he does not, in fact, have all the answers to life, and questions such just as much as we do. "And for as poetic and eloquent as we know Dylan to be, this song shows that he does not, in fact, have all the answers to life, and questions such just as much as we do." 8) Crossing the Rubicon This song seems to be an extended metaphor of approaching the gates of Hell, as he “abandons all hope” and crosses the Rubicon “three miles north of Purgatory.” It seems that the song is Dylan’s way of accepting his life’s course, the good and the bad and everything in between, holding no regrets and embracing what has come to him. Yet, the song repeatedly highlights the lack of “happiness” in where he’s traveling, perhaps showing his inescapable discontent. He sings of “...these dark days I see / In this world so badly bent / I cannot redeem the time,” assumedly comparing the state of the current world to the afterlife, regardless of where he may end up. The song is a brilliant contemplation of mortality, yet again, with Dylan being admirably honest in his uncertainty. 9) Key West (Philosopher Pirate) Dylan equates the Floridian island of Key West to a sort of holy land in this 9½ minute song. He sings “Key West is the place to be / If you’re looking for immortality,” portraying Key West as the place that holds all the answers to his many questions (those of which majorly contemplate his own mortality). Key West has been home for many artists over the decades, including Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, and Tennessee Williams, and it seems that this song is a subsequent elegy to the greats that preceded Dylan. Therefore, it is no surprise that he reveres the land of Key West as an artistic mecca, glorifying its powers and influence in calling it “fine and fair,” “enchanted,” and “the gateway key to innocence and purity,” to name a few. Side B 10) Murder Most Foul At almost 17 minutes long, “Murder Most Foul” begins with Dylan singing about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and turns into a long-winded contemplation of American culture both before and after the event. Similarly to “I Contain Multitudes,” the song is composed primarily with popular culture references, from allusions to conspiracy theories relating to the assassination, to listing of an array of songs Dylan is asking to be played. A masterful, artistic vision of Dylan’s sentiments regarding JFK’s assassination and the societal frenzy that followed, “Murder Most Foul” is a blatant commentary of the times, artistically critical and direct. There is no denying Bob Dylan’s brilliance, a consistently emblematic figure in rock ‘n’ roll. Rough and Rowdy Ways, in its lyrical genius, not only heightens Dylan’s talents, but proves his role as the king of folk rock. It is a thoughtful, honest album, as Dylan balances his ego and his naivety to showcase his image for all it is worth, maintaining his now-iconized figure in the process.

Xan Tolbert is a 20-year old traditional artist from Kansas City, MO. She creates realism portraits of bands such as Ready the Prince, Fury in Few, cleopatrick, Twenty One Pilots, and more. Her artwork is as beautiful as she is kind. Down below is an interview with the artist herself: 1) Where are you based? I like to say Kansas City, Missouri but in reality it's more like an undisclosed location about 40 min away. 2) What genre does your work fall into? I'm a traditional realism artist! 3) Who are your biggest influences? Well for one, my friends, old and new. They're all so supportive and caring and creative and talented, I love them so much. Cassie (@cassiehw) is a big one though. I've always looked up to her in a way even though I'm 98% sure she has no idea who I am haha. But her art is phenomenal and I feel like seeing what she put out in the world really got me into wanting to draw the way I do now. 4) How long does a piece normally take you to create? A full realism piece takes anywhere from 10 to 40 hours which can take weeks or a month. Full sketches take about 5 to 15 hours, they only take a day or two or a week. 5) What bands do you listen to and love? Oh god, I could write a novel. My favorites right now are hometown & young, Captiva (who are a lovely little KC band), Bay Faction, Ready The Prince (of course), and Dead Poet Society. 6) Do you sell prints of your art? Yes!! On Etsy. I make them all myself and just recently I feel like I've finally gotten into a groove with making my prints look JUST LIKE the original drawing, I'm very proud of them. 7) When did you start drawing in this style? Probably about 3 years ago. My first "realism" piece was of Patrick Stump in 2015 and it was on a grid. The first free-hand one I did was on Bryan Dechart in 2018 I think. But the one I really credit for getting me into my style with the thick outer lines and dramatic shading is the one I did of Brendon Urie later that year. It's still my most popular piece on IG. 8) What are your top four comfort albums — albums you put on repeat when everything is bad, albums that give you a sense of safety and calmness? Now, Not Yet by half•alive is a huge one for me. It always makes me feel like I'm not alone in whatever I'm feeling and that where I am right now is where I'm meant to be no matter how hard it seems. After that are... This Is All Yours by alt-J, Origami by Vinyl Theatre, and Vessel by Twenty One Pilots. 9) Where would you like to go with your art? Honestly... I have no idea. Up until some time last year I didn't even consider myself an artist, it's not something I wanted to do let alone pursue, I didn't even consider it an option. So who knows!! I'm not entirely sure yet!! 10) Lastly, what inspires you to create? Pretty much anyone who makes the music that I've fallen in love with. It does a lot for me and keeps me going so I feel like drawing these people who create is kind of like paying them back. Also Steve DeCiantis like as a person. You can find her artwork on Instagram, @xtdraws, and buy her prints here on Esty. Also, listen to the guest playlist she made for us here, on our Spotify.

Grandson, 26, is a Canadian raised Alt-Rock artist currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. He has never been one to shy away from making stabs at the current political climate in his music, and his newest release Identity is no different. This track was released June 26th, 2020 after fans had been teased with cryptic hints Grandson dropped for weeks after taking a short hiatus from all social media avenues. Members of his fan-base from around the world spent this time digging for clues and waiting on pins & needles for the release of this new single, which seems to be the birth of a new era for the artist and is expected to lead up to the eventual release of a full length studio album. The track Identity opens with a distorted, melancholy guitar riff that echoes through the duration of the song. After a slow intro, Grandson drops in with the line “Nobody ever cared so it never really mattered/It never really mattered so it never really happened” and continues through the verse, touching on ideas reminiscent of searching for hope in a seemingly hopeless atmosphere; one of broken promises and pipe dreams. "...touching on ideas reminiscent of searching for hope in a seemingly hopeless atmosphere." A brief pause boils with a chord hanging on the last line of the verse, then suddenly the chorus drops with the line “One false move you’re Kennedy,” yelling out over a rugged guitar and gnarled electronics. There’s no longer any question as to whether this is another one of Grandson’s quintessential political anthems. While the track touches on mainstream politicians such as “The fake tan on the TV,” and corrupt policies & practices of people in power referenced in the second verse, there is still the underlying theme of searching for an internal sense of meaning through all that’s going on externally. The next verse is a potent rap, one that’s laden with references to current events. There’s no room for debating what side of the political spectrum the artist falls on, and the way he makes eloquent digs at amoral power holders is commendable. The lines “I just wanna be optimistic/My sanity’s gone off ballistic” wrap back around to the dichotomy of trying to find your own opinions and standpoints in the midst of a world attempting to blatantly control so much of your life. With the melodic intro, a cutting chorus, a potent rap verse and the electronically charged bridge that threatens to take your breath away, it’s evident that this song is incapable of being bound by one genre. From alternative to hip hop, Grandson attracts listeners with expertly crafted sound, but, he keeps their attention with his poetic way of putting into words what so many of us are feeling, in a way that’s easy to identify and resonates across borderlines and backgrounds. While the song builds up to a captivating climax, it drops off abruptly. Whether the track is intentionally met with such a blatant end to leave us wanting more, or simply to leave room for the next single, dedicated fans are chomping at the bit to see what comes next in this new age of music from Grandson that seems to be driven by desire for political revolution and attempting to find oneself in the midst. Grandson has more than left his mark on fans after his Modern Tragedy installments, and this upcoming era is off to a well founded start. You can stream the track on Spotify and all other streaming platforms, and follow Grandson on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

The Scent are a Nash-Aussian rock duo made up of Kurt Lowney (vocals, guitar, drums) and Mika Nuutinen (bass guitar). Their debut EP Follow, released on June 24th, 2020, is fresh rock ‘n roll through & through, from their sound to their style, if you’re a fan of classic rock, you’ll dig what this band has going on. The duo moved from Sydney, Australia to Nashville, Tennessee, making home in the Music City. Hailed by Bebe Buell, legendary friend of rockstars, as to be “fresh and exciting,” I have to agree — The Scent really do seem to have something special within their music, within them. Track by track below, I take you through The Scent’s EP Follow. 1) L.A. x N.Y. Strong guitar riff, that's what you first hear, and I love it. I love the singer’s voice so much as well, he has such an addictive, brilliant voice. This track is relatable for anyone who’s been torn between two places; two thrilling locations but which have equally its negatives. 2) Canyon Blues This one’s my favorite. This track references Laurel Canyon, a historical place in rock ‘n roll history — Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles was a place that back in the mid 1960’s held home to many rock musicians such as Jim Morrison of The Doors, the band Buffalo Springfield, singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, and many, many more. It was a place full of free love and psychedelic drugs, a place full of freedom of expression of the complete self in all ways, majorly through music. Laurel Canyon has lasted throughout the decades as a place of inspiration, a place for creatives commonly in the music industry to gather and thrive, and this track touches on that concept. 3) Dry Sherry This track is one of my top favorites, everything about it screams rock ‘n roll, mentions of California & sherry — rhyming with cherry, a fruit that is commonly featured in the rock ‘n roll aesthetic. It’s a great song and constantly on repeat. 4) Popstar The first single off the EP, a fiery beginning. It pokes fun at the pop genre and its chaotic happenings, at the stereotypes of acting in that genre as a figure in the spotlight. It’s got a killer sound, sure to be a song you’d want on your playlists this summer. 5) Don’t Ask Me This song is where you get to hear who they are, what they’re about. They’re saying, “Be honest. Be unmerciful to me. I don’t have time for anything else.” They’re also saying, “I’m not who I used to be, and that’s okay. But who are you, what’s wrong with you?” I love this one, you can tell they’re real, and the sound is fresh and so, so good. The Scent’s Follow overall is fantastic. There’s not a single track I don’t like, not a single track where they falter. It’s all very strong, guitar-pushing rock ‘n roll, and that’s exactly what I love so much. They’re a brand-new band and I’m so excited to see where they go in the future. You can listen to their debut EP here on Spotify and on other streaming platforms, featured here. You can keep up with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.