FOR FANS OF: Flyleaf, Arcade Fire, Lorde Moni Grace, a 23 year old singer-songwriter based out of Boston, MA, released her debut album earlier this year on January 24th, 2021, called Safer Under The Covers. The record is an emotional journey for your ears, exploring themes of violence, self love, and forgiveness. It's punk-pop soul, and it's a beautiful, heart-wrenching album. It's raw, honest, and real, and I love it. Safer Under The Covers is the end of a coming-of-age movie. It's growing up, it's healing, it's taking yourself away from your teenage years into the strange, mysterious land of adulthood. My favorite tracks off of it are "Winter Break Is Over," "Drunk in the Snow," and "Coffee Table." Quite frankly, I'm obsessed with this record. Moni Grace's voice is warm and familiar, and the story told throughout the album is vibrant and real. Moni has something very special, very honest and open that she captured amazingly throughout these 16 tracks. She put all the good parts & the bad parts of your teenage years & early 20's into one record, as if it was a memoir, and it's so good. This record is one that I'll listen to over and over, discovering something new about myself with every listen. I truly love Safer Under The Covers, it's amazing. It's essential listening if you're young and a little bit broken, bit tired - Moni Grace gets it. Stream on Spotify here | Follow Moni Grace on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

A series taking you through rock n' roll literature. For as long as musicians have been creating rock music, people have been writing about it — whether they're telling their own story themselves, or if they're a supporter telling it as they saw it behind the stage. This series will introduce you to some of my favorite rock n' roll books, such as biographies, memoirs, and more. Disclaimer: I haven't read every rock n' roll book, just a little bit over 50 of them, so this list isn't definitive. Starting off with a biography about the band whose song my name came from, The Runaways. 1) Queens of Noise: The Real Story of the Runaways by Evelyn McDonnell SUMMARY: This book is a biography about one of the first all-female rock n' roll bands, The Runaways. They faced sexism on stage and off stage, however even so, they prevailed and were one of the most iconic rock bands of all time, despite their brief journey. REVIEW: This book was one of the very first that I read when I first became obsessed with rock music. It's raw and as real as it gets, it digs deep into the reality that these women faced, women who were just teens at the start of their musical career. This book is a must-read. The Runaways paved the way for other hard rock, all-female bands. 2) Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction by Jason Porath and Marc Canter SUMMARY: Reckless Road is half a photography book, half a memoir. It's full of pictures taken by Marc Canter, who set out to photograph his friend's rise to fame - that friend being Saul Hudson, or better known as Slash, the guitarist of Guns N' Roses. REVIEW: This book is a great place to start learning about Guns N' Roses. It offers pictures of them throughout their early years. It's up-close and wild, a great read if you're already a fan of GNR or not. 3) Shout!: The True Story of the Beatles by Philip Norman SUMMARY: The story of The Beatles, from their childhoods to the end. REVIEW: It's a heavily detailed, serious, biography on The Beatles - from their childhoods, their rise to fame, the middle of it, and to the end of the band. It's not light reading, but definitely worth it if you want to learn about one of the biggest rock bands of all time. 4) Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis SUMMARY: An unauthorized biography of Led Zeppelin, one of the biggest, legendary rock bands. REVIEW: It's not the most accurate or true, but, it's at least entertaining. The surviving members of Led Zeppelin have criticized it heavily, so take the stories in this book with a grain of salt. 5) Babes in Toyland: The Making and Selling of a Rock and Roll Band by Neal Karlen SUMMARY: A look into the story of Babes In Toyland - an all-female, rock band of the 90s, about what made them. REVIEW: I love this book. If I had to chose a favorite from this list, it would definitely be this one. It's so real, so vibrant. It makes you feel like you're right along with the band, touring with them. 6) Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana by Michael Azerrad SUMMARY: A biography about Nirvana, one of the biggest rock bands of the early 90s, from their childhoods to the middle of their stardom. REVIEW: Required reading for any Nirvana fan or just any grunge, 90s rock fan. An accurate, honest insight on the band, with interviews included. 7) Beatles Vs. Stones by John McMillian SUMMARY: A look at what made The Beatles and The Rolling Stones become so well-loved. REVIEW: It's almost like two biographies in one. Decades ago, "Beatles or the Stones?" was a common question among rock music fans, and this book makes you get to know both bands for who they really were off the stage, and what made them so attractive onstage. 8) Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors by John Densmore SUMMARY: A biography on The Doors' life as a band. REVIEW: This book is not only informative, but is a platonic love letter to Jim Morrison, who had passed at age 27 prior to the writing of this book. A heartbreaking and enthralling story. 9) The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band by Motley Crue SUMMARY: An autobiography by Motley Crue, a hard rock band of the 80s. REVIEW: This is the worst book on this list. It's terrible, it's gross, it's shocking, it's really horrible. It's filled with stories that are more fiction than otherwise. But, it's worth reading if you like Motley Crue - however it's definitely not recommended for those under 17. There's a Netflix film adaptation of this book as well, which is much better, way easier to swallow than this book, so if you want to skip this one and head straight to the movie, I'd support that 100%. 10) So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead by David Browne SUMMARY: A biography on the Grateful Dead. REVIEW: There's so many books on the Grateful Dead - a hippie, rock band formed in 1965 who amassed a cult following, known as Deadheads who are still devoted to this day. So Many Roads is a great start on your journey of learning about this well-loved band. This band is also where "A Long & Strange Trip" part of this series' title comes from.

FOR FANS OF: Haim, Joan Baez, Hozier Julien Baker, a singer-songwriter from Tennessee, released her third studio album, Little Oblivions, on February 26th, 2021. Her music is often autobiographical, speaking of her life as a young woman who was raised in a devout Christian household, who struggled with addiction and recovery. Little Oblivions is a new chapter on Baker's road to full recovery, and it's a beautiful, melancholy, and comforting record. The tracks on Little Oblivions are full of lyrics that speak of pain, of the pain we subconsciously and sometimes consciously inflict on ourselves and others, specifically during recovery. Julien Baker's voice is soothing, almost heartbreaking, over soft post-rock instrumentals. I love this record so much. My favorite tracks are "Heatwave," "Relative Fiction," and "Bloodshot." I'm unfamiliar with her past records, so I can't compare it to them, but, Little Oblivions is, to me, simply so breathtaking and beautiful. It's a record I want to listen to over and over, finding solace and reassurance in it. It has such a huge emotion pull on me, it makes me feel how Haim's Women In Music Pt. III did last summer – seen, as if my own emotions and being was put to music and written in words far better than I could ever write. Little Oblivions is everything I could want in a record and more. It's authentic, it's real, it's comforting, it's honest. It's definitely one the best records of 2021. Follow Julien Baker on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

FEATURED ARTIST: The Ones You Forgot. Each month, you'll get a wrap-up playlist of 10 tracks released during the previous month curated by someone new, and a post on here of why they chose each track. Keep scrolling to find out about this month's wrap-up playlist for the previous month. 1) The Ones You Forgot - Desensitized Genre: Pop punk, emo rock Why I Picked This: It's a great song. Personally for me, it has that nostalgic pop-punk sound, one that reminds me of 2013, of listening to bands like Tonight Alive and You Me At Six. It reminds me of being young and feeling like nobody knew what I was going through, you know, typical teenage angst. I love it. 2) Bad Waitress - Pre Period-Post Blues Genre: Punk Why I Picked This: I love Bad Waitress' music. This track is their first release since their single "That Sedative" in 2020. It's angry and loud, it's my favorite style of punk music. 3) Faith & Majesty - Premise Genre: Indie rock Why I Picked This: "Premise" is a beautiful song. Their voices, the instrumental, the lyrics - it's all so beautiful. It's a bit sad, a bit heartbreaking, and absolutely worth listening to. 4) boys cruise - Room For Reason Genre: Indie Rock Why I Picked This: I like it because it's honest, it's real. It's almost like social anxiety in a song. 5) Mile End - Burn The Wise Genre: Punk Why I Picked This: Who doesn't love an angry punk song? It's so good. Some of the best punk music right now comes from Canada, and Mile End are one of the many great examples of that. 6) Sterling Press - Very Fun Times Genre: Indie Punk Why I Picked This: It's catchy and it's got a good, vibrant guitar sound in it. It's got a sound that's like "driving down the highway with the windows down," and I just love it so much. 7) Dead Poet Society - .getawayfortheweekend. Genre: Rock Why I Picked This: Dead Poet Society make songs that are strong, so intense, that I'm often left speechless, and ".getawayfortheweekend." is no different. I love this song, I love this band, and I cannot wait for their album -!- that's dropping later this week. 8) Meet Me @ The Altar - Garden (Acoustic) Genre: Pop punk Why I Picked This: Meet Me @ The Altar are amazing, "Garden" was already one of my favorite songs, and the acoustic version of it made me love it even more. It's a beautiful, warm song and this version of it is lovely. 9) ZIG MENTALITY - What Weighs on You Genre: Stoner rock Why I Picked This: I've been waiting for ZIG MENTALITY to release something slow, after hearing their acoustic set on Youtube, and this definitely didn't disappoint. It's a great song, it's loud and comforting in the way that I find Nirvana's Live At Reading record to be - the bass is strong and it has the almost same level of fuzz. I really love this track. 10) Dirty Honey - Last Child Genre: Hard Rock Why I Picked This: To be honest, I had no idea that this track was a cover. I'm unfortunately unfamiliar with Aerosmith - I don't know everything about rock n' roll yet, but I'm trying - and having now heard the original, I can confidently say that Dirty Honey definitely do Aerosmith justice. It's a fantastic cover, Dirty Honey have that classic rock n' roll sound down perfectly.

FOR FANS OF: Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Queens of The Stone Age ZIG MENTALITY are a stoner rock, DIY band from Ottawa, Canada, consisting of brothers Jig (lead vocals, bass guitar), Liam (lead guitar), and Quinn (drums, vocals) Dube. They released their debut EP The Sesh last April, and followed it at the end of the year with single "Best Direction." So far this year, they've released single "Triggered Emotion," and as of last week, "What Weighs on You." Personally, they're one of my favorite bands. ZIG MENTALITY are incredible at what they do, their music makes me feel alive, and as shown in this interview, they're very well-spoken, smart, and passionate. Read on to get to know a little about them in their own words. 1) What were your favorite parts of 2020? Jig: My favourite part of 2020 was having the opportunity to interact with my brothers in a way I haven’t experienced in my life before. We explored each others personalities and have grown quite a bit as a result of us being locked down together. Strangely fantastic. I also really enjoyed the 2020 the UFC’s content, pretty much all year. 2) What do you miss most about touring? And, what's an unforgettable moment from any tour you've been on? Jig: I miss the discomfort of touring. Being forced to operate on a strict timeline, with like no sleep, but having a duty to see to it that you put on a good show, on time. It’s good for the soul. That’s absolutely the kind of thing we’re craving being locked up at home all the time. The mosh as well, damn, I miss the mosh. 3) What's your plans for 2021? Quinn: We are already working on making a ton of new music. I am going tree planting in the summer but that's not stopping the train. We are excited to experiment with all kinds of new ways of making music, and see where our sound goes as we write these new songs. 4) Who are some of your biggest musical influences? Our influences range from bands like Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, to bands like Show Me the Body, to artists and producers like KAYTRANADA or Stephan Bodzin. We try to infuse our music with the unique elements from each of our favourite artists. 5) Name 3 of your favorite releases from last year. Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth - Black Keys Plain Jane - BLikeBrett Regicide - Ready The Prince Good Grief - Cleopatrick Baby Girl - Bryce Vine 6) What are the hardest parts of being in a band with your brothers, and what are the best parts? The hardest part of being in a band with your brothers is sometimes you wish you weren't in a band with your brothers because it's business, and that means all kinds of other bullshit interferes with the actual personal brother to brother relationship. But we have seen and experienced a lot as brothers under the umbrella of this band and we know where we're at. The best part is you get to experience travelling, sharing a creative vision, and being part of a team that is of closer bonds than with random people. These experiences lead to learning more about one another and ourselves at the same time. The experiences within the band are in large part what deepens our relationships as brothers, outside of the band, that's just a blessing. 7) How has your sound changed over the many, many years you've been a band? Well, in many ways, the sound has been subconsciously looming for a long time. I remember discussions dating back years from now about how we gotta blend X with Y and create Z but since we’ve gotten comfortable recording ourselves more and more, we kinda just let our intuition take control of things and takes its own life. We love and respect that. What it produces tends to naturally feel great to us. So that’s the sound, the relationship between our individual ideas, put on an audio canvas, and it kinda seems to have its own life, so we’re expecting a continuous flow of new sounds. 8) If you could tour with anyone in the entire world, who would it be? Ultimately there is nothing we would love more than to do a New Rock Mafia tour. Cleo and RTP are always great guys to be around, it's just too bad the world is taking an L right now. Show Me the Body has some pretty sick shows, the place is always going nuts. They would be dope to tour with. 9) How do you measure success, and do you feel you've reached it? Trying to figure that out every day of our lives, so far I feel we’ve been at least successful at that, trying. 10) What do you love about music? I love the idea that music teaches us to see things from a broader perspective. A BMF sounds best in contrast to a soft verse. We like when things repeat, because it causes physical reactions within our body. Only because we are able to listen to something as a whole, to perceive, note 1, the silence that follows it, note 2 and so on. This is of course a language we humans seem to naturally grasp, that’s so cool. Follow ZIG MENTALITY on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

February was a cold month, but the songs I discovered weren't. Hey, it's March! It rained yesterday morning, and all I could think about was the fact that Spring's on it's way. It'll be warmer weather, flowers blooming, birds chirping - a season I can't wait to have come. Some of my favourite albums that were released this past month were Velvet Skyline's What We Have In Common, Riot Course's Maybe I'll See You Next Year, Julien Baker's Little Oblivions, and Sydney Sprague's maybe i will see you at the end of the world. All female-fronted artists, which wasn't even intentional - women just make the best rock music. I don't have much to say, February was a slow month. Truth be told, I found myself in a depressive episode mid-month, and that's why posts on here faltered off. It'll end, I'll feel better soon, this happens almost every single month for me, but when it happens it's hard. It's been so hard, almost too hard to write about music. Mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder type 2, is something I've battled for a decade, and if anything I've learned from it is that I'll be alright. There's a quote from a book I love called Ordinary People by Judith Guest that I try to remember when the world gets too heavy for me to handle: "It is not necessary to pull the whole world in on top of you, it is only necessary to finish with Tuesday night." I believe in that quote so much. To me, it's a reassurance that it'll be okay, you just need to finish with one night, not solve all of your pain at once, because tomorrow's a new day, a fresh new start to try again. March will bring more sunshine and reviews & other posts on this site. There's so much music that I'm excited for to be released this month, and so much from last month that I'll write about as well. Speaking of last month, for now, here's my top ten favorite tracks from February: 1) What Weighs on You - ZIG MENTALITY 2) Only Wanna Be With You - Post Malone 3) i refuse to die - Sydney Sprague 4) Gasoline (feat. Taylor Swift) - HAIM 5) Pearls - Riot Course 6) Echoing - Kings of Leon 7) Rock and Roll Heaven - The Pretty Reckless 8) Heat Above - Greta Van Fleet 9) Last Child - Dirty Honey 10) Relative Fiction - Julien Baker See you next month, and, I hope you stay healthy (and loud, always loud)! with love, Cherri Cheetah.

It's the band's tenth studio album. Rock gods the Foo Fighters have unleashed their much heralded new album, Medicine at Midnight. Medicine at Midnight’s release ends the wait that was first kicked off last year with the Mainstream Rock/Rock Airplay #1 “Shame Shame”and the epic ballad, arena sing-a-long ready, “Waiting on a War.” 25 years into their career, the Foo Fighters could easily get complacent and start phoning it in. Not so on their 10th studio album. They’re at their most upbeat and easily glide between genres. There’s a decidedly R&B influence on the stand out track “Shame, Shame” but this is decidedly rock and roll album. Medicine at Midnight is one of the best releases of 2021 and shows that the Foo Fighters have no intention of slowing down.

FOR FANS OF: Neck Deep, The Story So Far, Linkin Park Octopus Montage are a pop punk, metalcore band from Blackpool, England, consisting of brother and sister Dec and Davina Naylo, Alex Jennings, and Cain Dylan. They've released track "Voices" last week, and last month they released single "Dopamine." This interview focuses mainly on the workings behind "Dopamine," with all questions answered by Alex Jennings, the lead singer/screamer of Octopus Montage. 1) Okay I have to ask, how did you come up with your band name? I feel like there’s a great story there. I'm afraid there's nothing really to it! I think Dec was about 16 and just wrote a bunch of random words down in his notepad and boosh we're lumbered with this stupid name for the rest of our career! 2) What led you to choose the voiceover you have in the bridge of "Dopamine"? Well the song touches on all things to do with growing up and I think a big thing that comes from that is that whenever your brain isn't occupied by anything it can start to think about things like 'why are my friends so much further ahead in life than me' etc,etc and one the times your brain is most idle is when you're trying to get to sleep or can't sleep. Originally that part of the song was just instrumental but Dec suggested adding that voice over since it was 'super Pop-Punk.' As soon as I heard it I got Neck Deep vibes from it and it just worked due to the subject of what the guy is talking about - To this day I don't have a clue who it is or where it's from! 3) Is insomnia something any of you suffer from? If so was that something that inspired part of this song? Funnily enough no. I wrote the song when I was just in a bit of a lull about life in general. I was fresh out of college and all my friends had gone to university and I was still at home and I remember just thinking 'well, this is what life is now.' The song obviously touches on those sleepless nights that we all have but i wouldn't say it was the main reason I wrote it, although I love the fact that it's being interpreted in different ways! 4) “Dopamine” feels like a lighter song in comparison to others in your discography such as “A Shortcut” or “How Does It Make You Feel” both in terms of instrumentation and overall delivery. Is this indicative of what’s to come on your upcoming album or will we get a mix of these sounds? This is my favourite thing about this band. We have made it somewhat normal for us to release something ridiculously heavy and follow it up with something super poppy. In terms of the record, every song we have released since September is going to feature which I think sums up the vibe of the record, it doesn't stay in one space, or one style, for too long. 5) What’s a moment that makes the walls close in for you? Often quite menial things that my lovely brain turns into massive ordeals - Fun times! 6) Who is it that you’re trying to build the nerve to call? Originally the line was 'it means a lot to carry on and I don't know where it all began' but when I sent the song to Dec to start pre-production and stuff that was the only bit he pulled up and suggested we change it to what it is now. I think he went off 'disappointed with all my phone calls for that bit.' I was happy with it because it still fits with the theme of the song and made me think of someone I was trying to get over at the time, but there's an entire song on the new record about that. 7) You sound like you had a successful run of touring back in 2019, what are you most looking forward to when you’re able to get back out on the road again? It was fun yeah! Especially since I'd just come out of college, that was my first experience of being an 'adult.' Honestly, i can't wait to just be in the van, fucking around with my best friends that also happen to be my bandmates, wondering what each city will look like and where the nearest McDonalds is. 8) Are you able to tell us if the album has been wrapped up yet or is that top secret info? Dude, it's been done for so long, like we've been sitting on it since about June 2020. We spent some serious time looking into how to promote properly and coming up with a solid release strategy, of which I am happy to report has worked really well so far! 9) And what has been your favorite part of writing and recording a full length album? I'm not the biggest fan of recording music purely because of the monotony of it, I mean I started writing this record in the summer of 2019 if not before actually so it's been around for a long time but only now is it finished and ready to be put out. I think that's mainly because we were doing things slowly to make sure we got it right and it didn't help that we kept finding better recording techniques and upgrading equipment meaning that we had to re-record pretty much everything multiple times. To actually answer your question though, by far my favourite part is when the song drops and a piece of me is out there. As much as people can relate to the songs and develop their own understanding and interpret them, I relish in the fact that there are so many sentimental parts of me just out there hidden in plain sight, I think there's something beautiful about it. 10) What’s the plan after this album comes out? Can we expect a break or are you eager to get back in the studio? Music videos for every song and then more music and lots of it, it's already being written! Octopus Montage's upcoming album How To Live & How To Lose, will be out on April 2nd, 2021. | Follow Octopus Montage on Instagram and Twitter.

A story from Sonia Espiritu, a singer/songwriter who wrote track "ultra quiet" in response to artists from indie/alt/punk scenes who, over summer 2020, were exposed "...for predatory behavior, abuse, assault, rape, and pedophila towards fans, fellow musicians, and minors." Here’s something I’m not very proud to say: I used to be a huge fan of SWMRS. And Destroy Boys. And The Frights. And many other bands from the indie/alt/punk scenes that were exposed over the summer of 2020 for predatory behavior, abuse, assault, rape, and pedophila towards fans, fellow musicians, and minors. And no matter what makeup-less tearful IG live or Apple notes apology I heard from it, I just couldn’t accept, because these just weren’t things you could forgive anyone for. At least not now. I found myself dumbfounded, having to rearrange playlists, mute videos, and throwing away merch. Whatever sermons against these things these artists once used to preach religiously to the followers and fans had now felt like a lie-- many felt like they saw what they considered to be their idol-- their God-- fall off their pedestal and crumble into marble remains as evidence of a failed society. And with that, they left the great community we all believed this once was. I found myself feeling like an absolute fool. How could I let a lineup of artists-- mostly white, mostly cisgendered men, mostly heterosexual, and mostly came from families with money and connections-- represent what I believed. They didn’t share the same background as me, they didn’t share the same experiences as me. I mean, they didn’t even fucking look like me. I didn’t see many brown girls onstage with hair on their arms, flat noses, and a tour and/or education they had to pay out of their own pocket. They were there, but there weren’t enough because they didn’t have enough to buy back the community these artists had stolen from them. The DIY community became a commoditized look for the rich to steal and pose as when they have never known the feeling of scraping together the last $10 of your bank account from your two minimum wage jobs to get groceries for your college-issued apartment. And yet these artists couldn’t even prove to be decent people to the lowest of standards. How many people had to expose them in order for them to finally be caught on the one crime of sexual assault when they’ve also committed identity theft, perjury, plagiarism, and home invasion? Really, why did I let any of these artists speak for me? Why did any of us? After reading and hearing all the painful survivor testimonies and the half-assed and/or genuine apologies, I’ve had enough. In fact, some of these musicians never apologized and the rest (with the few exceptions like Kuromi and Small Crush) never came around to addressing the situation or reassuring the safety of their fans. It was the cherry on top to the years of betrayal the fans have experienced. In August of 2020, I forfeited my title as a fan and decided that the only person that was allowed to speak for me was myself. When my college permanently closed due to “misuse of funds” a week before the pandemic, I received a very small refund in comparison to what I paid (and am still paying) but it was enough for me to purchase a Macbook. In two days I wrote and recorded a song in my bedroom and produced it on Garageband. I used a picture I took when I was crowd surfing at Uncool Halloween in 2019-- the last concert I saw these artists play at as the single cover. I uploaded it onto Soundcloud and called it, "ultra quiet." I named it "ultra quiet," calling out the one band that I really, really used to love listening to-- in fact, I really miss their music the most. That band used to go by Mt. Eddy, but now take on the moniker, Ultra Q. Ultra Q still has yet to address the situation to this day. Fans still praise them for not being “problematic” or not engaging in predatory behavior but for me, that’s just not enough-- and for you, it shouldn’t be enough either. I never had any intention of cancelling another musician-- only of calling them out. I don’t like how polarizing cancel culture can be, but I believe there’s a power in call-out culture and taking accountability and action to correct your mistakes and uplift others. We are moving towards a society where we are starting to care more and more about a celebrity’s actions and moral beliefs over their talent and I find that really exciting and important because a person’s character should always come before their looks or money or (in this case) music. It should’ve always been this way. However, there’s no room for learning and growth in cancel culture, and how do we as a progressive and postmodern society move forward when we exempt others from doing so? I want to inspire others to speak for themselves and want more from the community. I decided to be the change I wanted to see and write songs about my experiences, and no one else’s and I hope others will feel compelled to do the same. I am not advocating for myself to be the one token brown girl artist-- I’m advocating for there to be more because I can’t be the only one, and I know I’m not. I’m advocating for more black, brown, female, LGBTQ+, those with disabilities-- more voices and narratives that are different than what we’ve seen and commonly overlooked. I still can’t bring myself to leave the indie/alt/punk/DIY community because I loved all that it originally stood for and the way it made me feel. A place where anyone was welcomed and accepted for who they are and a place where they’re free to be who they are-- a safe place, not a rich boy’s club. I want to rebuild it to what it should’ve been-- a community that supports and uplifts each other in all ways. And I hope one day we get there. Follow Sonia Espiritu on Instagram.

FOR FANS OF: Led Zeppelin, Rush, Grateful Dead Michigan natives Greta Van Fleet released their latest single "Heat Above" from their upcoming album,The Battle at Garden's Gate, last week on February 10th, 2021. Greta Van Fleet are a young rock band consisting of brothers Josh (lead vocals), Jake (lead guitar), and Sam Kiszka (bass, keys) and friend Danny Wagner (drums). "Heat Above" is the 3rd single off their upcoming album, following their previous releases of "My Way Soon" and "The Age of Machine." About the new track, Sam Kiszka said "There’s plenty of love left in this world, even though it may not seem like it. And that’s what 'Heat Above' is about, rising to the stars together." On the music video, Greta Van Fleet said "'Heat Above' is theatrical, eloquent, and exaggerated. This is a dream in the clouds, a moment of peace in the storm. Thematically, we are dead center in the cult of Heaven, surreal, strange and free." "Heat Above" is a good song, reminiscent of their previous releases, such as "Flower Power" from their second EP From The Fires and "You're The One," off of their first studio album, The Anthem of The Peaceful Army. "Heat Above" is about spiritually, rising to a higher place, a place of peace. To me, personally, it's about finding peace away from the chaos of the world, and that's a lovely seminment. "Heat Above" is a song I'll go back to over and over throughout this cold winter, finding hope in it and holding onto it. Their upcoming album, The Battle at Garden's Gate, is said to be Rush inspired. Rush were a three-piece Canadian progressive rock band, known for their musicianship, complex compositions, and lyrics that drew heavily from science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. Rush are a band that I love deeply, and so is Greta Van Fleet. I've loved Greta Van Fleet since early 2019. They were one of the first bands I became interested in after falling in love with classic rock. I heard "Highway Tune" first, and have followed their releases since then. I haven't been disappointed by their music, Greta Van Fleet are an extremely skilled, impressive band. But, with their last 3 releases - "My Way Soon," "Age of Machine," and now, "Heat Above," I have found myself wanting something more, something exciting, something that made me feel as "Highway Tune" once did. I want to hear originality from Greta Van Fleet, which I definitely believe they've been working on. I can hear it in these three releases, but not completely, and that's what I'm anticipating with their upcoming album - more originality, especially in their musical sound. I have high expectations for the rest of this record - I am very excited to hear new music from them that's Rush inspired; I hope that means songs that sound awe-inspiring and have lyrics that'll make me sit and think & dream, but I hope that above everything else, I hear Greta Van Fleet. I hope they've finally found their own, unique, special sound. I want to hear a Greta Van Fleet song and be reminded of Greta Van Fleet, not of anybody else that came before them. "Heat Above" is one track of 3 that's been released before their second LP, The Battle at Garden's Gate. I love "Heat Above" as much, maybe even more, as I love their previous two tracks, it is a truly beautiful, much-needed song, and I can't wait to hear the full record that it's from. The Battle at Garden's Gate is set to be released on April 16th, 2021. Preorder here. Tracklist: 1) Heat Above 2) My Way, Soon 3) Broken Bells 4) Built By Nations 5) Age Of Machine 6) Tears Of Rain 7) Stardust Chords 8) Light My Love 9) Caravel 10) The Barbarians 11) Trip The Light Fantastic 12) The Weight Of Dreams Stream "Heat Above" on Spotify here | Follow Greta Van Fleet on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

FOR FANS OF: Babes In Toyland, Paramore, Nirvana Riot Course are a brand new alt-rock band, out from Michigan. The trio consists of Kate Emrich (vocals, guitar), Spencer Haithcock (bass) and Sawyer Dupree (drums). They made their debut at the end of last year with single "Insecure," a furious and promising start, and released their first EP earlier this month, Maybe I'll See You Next Year, a 5-track EP that is brilliant and absolutely worth listening to if you're a fan of guitar-driven, alt-rock music. Scroll on to read the interview I did with the band. 1) Who are the members of Riot Course and where are they from? Kate Emrich is the founding member of Riot Course as well as the original writer, guitariast, vocalist and bass player. She is joined by bassist Spencer Andrew, and drummer Sawyer Dupree. Kate, originally born in California moved to Michigan and spent her years growing up in various different houses in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. Spencer was born in Michigan and resides in Ypsilanti. Sawyer is from and lives in Ann Arbor. 2) Where did you meet? Kate: I met Spencer in 2019 attending an Antighost show. We attended together and I knew him to have mutual friends. We ended up hitting it off and making some really great memories, and would go to some of the same shows. In September of 2020 we became roommates. I met Sawyer during the summer of 2020 at our local skatepark, and I had heard from a few friends that he was a talented musician as well. We discovered that we grew up attending the same music school as well, it felt like a good fit. 3) What’s the story behind your first single, ‘Insecure’? Written from a place of hurt and betrayal, the song focuses on Kate regaining her worth and power while she simultaneously watches the antagonist deteriorate, unable to manipulate her anymore. The song was written and recorded at the same time as the other tracks on the EP (that is pending release), but felt like the proper teaser for the project given its fervent and somewhat spiteful energy in which many can relate to when they feel wronged by a person. “As soon as Kate showed me this track over the summer I knew this project was going to be something special”, Spencer says. 4) Who are your musical influences? Kate: Each of us have considerably different taste in music, however with overlap between certain artists and subgenres. As for primary musical influences that influence the writing process, I draw inspiration from artists such as Dead Poet Society, Nothing But Thieves, and Microwave, although her overall taste ranges from 60’s 70’s psych rock to 8-’s metal to modern hardcore and post-hardcore. Spencer is a fan of Early 2000's pop-punk bands (like MCR, Fall Out Boy, Say Anything) 90's indie rock/midwest emo (like Sunny Day Real Estate, Mineral, Nirvana, Drive Like Jehu, Fugazi) to Alternative Metal (like Deftones, and System Of A Down). Sawyer says, "For drumming, I’d probably say Travis Barker is the most influential drummer on the way I play, I like playing a lot of pop punk and hardcore type beats”. He is a fan of a wide range of emo and indie acts. 5) How would you describe your sound? A combination of old-school emo music and New Rock Mafia influence, with hard-hitting riffs and powerful vocals. 6) Can you tell us a little about your debut EP? The process for Maybe I’ll See You Next Year involved about five months of writing, and the five songs on the EP were narrowed down from an original eight. It was written and performed by Kate and engineered by Mark Stewart of Raydon Studios who has also helped create fantastic records for some of our favorite Michigan bands. 7) What are your plans for the rest of 2021? Until we can play live shows, we will be focusing on writing primarily for the next bit, as well as connecting with new people and bands online. We really hope there is a chance 2021 will be able to host live music. 8) If you could tour with anyone in the world, who would it be? Microwave, Dogleg, the Arctic Monkeys, or members of NRM (New Rock Mafia, the Canadian collective made up of cleopatrick, Ready the Prince, and ZIG MENTALITY. 9) Is there any special meaning behind your band name? Is it a reference to the riot grrrl movement in the 90’s? The name "Riot Course" came from a poster Spencer saw in a downtown cafe, which depicted a student protester after being roughed up by the cops. The poster was meant to show the protestor in a negative light, but by reclaiming that image as activists, we like the statement that is made. (But also, we do love Bikini Kill) 10) What do you love about music? The catharsis, release, escape, community, and the creation of something greater than yourself that has the potential to impact someone’s life. We remember what it felt like growing up and finding the bands that shaped us. To be that for others is a fantastic concept. We love the emotion music brings out in people and the different energies that attract certain people to certain types of music. Follow Riot Course on Instagram and Twitter.

FOR FANS OF: Neck Deep, We Are The In Crowd, Mazzy Star Last Friday, February 5th, Velvet Skyline released their debut album, What We Have In Common. Their track "Circles" dropped the week before in January, and it hinted at what the rest of the record would sound like - a very grunge, prog-rock punk influenced sound, one that I love so much, and a overall musical coming-of-age story. Keep scrolling for a track-by-track review. 1) Burden "Burden" kicks off the album and it's a punchy track, sounds like the beginning of a late 90's-early 00's teen movie or TV show. It sounds like it came off of Buffy The Vampire Slayer's soundtrack, and I just love it so much. It's a fresh, great start. 2) Circles I LOVE this song. I previously wrote a review of it, all about how much I love it, which you can find here. It's a beautiful track, one of my favorite songs ever. 3) By My Side I love this one. It has the same vibe as "Burden," that same teen movie/TV soundtrack vibe. This song sounds like it'll be even better live, it sounds like it's a song you need to experience in person, not merely hear through your headphones. 4) Lost My Head Again It's good; not my favorite but it's good. It's about mental health; saying that it's okay to reach out when you're struggling. 5) Tracing "Tracing" is a slow, emotional track that builds up in passion and intensity as the song goes on. I like it. 6) Until I Met You This is slow track, even slower than the one before. It's a love song, it's one about meeting someone that brings light and motivation in your life. All you want to do is give up, you feel hopeless and lost, but then you meet someone: a friend, maybe a future romantic partner. "Until I met you, I couldn't wait for the day to be through," I'm personally experiencing that right now. Love & support comes in many forms, and as it's highlighted in this song, it's as easy as entering someone's life; being the sunshine peeking through the rain clouds. 7) Drown One of my favorites off of this LP. It's heartbreaking but lovely. 8) Panic Hour Anxiety and hope about moving past it in one song. I love it. 9) Monochrome Wasteland This album keeps getting better and better with each track. It's a very sad, solemn song, but I love it. 10) Paint Me Blue Happy chords behind bittersweet lyrics. It's the last track on the album, and it's about yearning that the one you love, loves you too. It's the ending of a coming-of-age movie like Lady Bird (2017), and (WARNING: VAGUE SPOILERS) maybe everything isn't alright at the moment, but you're resilient, it's going to be okay. What We Have In Common is a nostalgic trip. It captures that 90s to mid 00's rock sound so, SO well. It's definitely a record I'll go back to again and again. It's one that I'll keep finding parts of lyrics that I love and resonate with so much to scribble down in my notebooks like I'm back in middle school again, pen in my right hand & a lyric booklet from a Fall Out Boy cd in the other. Overall, I love it. A really beautiful record. Follow Velvet Skyline on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.