#alternative

PLAYING ATLANTAThe "Strange Motion" of Swallowed Sun

You know that feeling you get when you hear a band for the first time and think, "Hmm, they remind me of...someone?" Most of the time - for me, at least - I may never figure out who this brand new find reminds me of, but they have a hint of familiarity and, most likely, a nice little groove...

Luci Turner

INTERVIEWThe Blue Stones Confirm An Album Is On The Way

Hailing from Windsor, Ontario, alt-rock duo The Blue Stones performed at Bunbury Music Festival earlier this month after wrapping up their headlining North American tour. This year, vocalist / guitarist Tarek Jafar and drummer Justin Tessier have followed up their 2018 debut album, Black Holes,...

Victoria Moorwood

VIDEO PREMIEREEmily Jane Powers "Sullen Days"

With her latest video, Emily Jane Powers proves there's more than one shade of blue when it comes to feeling sad. The Chicago-based art rocker's clip for "Sullen Days" is an atmospheric meditation on the spectrum of emotions contained within a sullen or sad mood. The entire video was shot on an...

Sara Barron

PLAYING DETROITAM People Release 'Songs for The Mourning'

The record is a seamless collection of apathetic punk songs, running into each other like strangers at...

Sara Barron

PLAYING COLUMBUSStems Fearlessly Fuse Prog and Hip-Hop on Debut

In the past year, the group – which members describe as “prog-hop” – has released an EP, two singles, and an album; they’ve been featured by Columbus’ Mouth Mag and The Dispatch; and on...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING DETROITJonathan Franco Gets Inventive on Debut LP

photo courtesy Jonathan Franco Finally, someone has been able to put what it feels like to be a 20-something into words and music without sounding devastatingly hopeless. That person is Detroit songwriter, poet, and musician, Jonathan Franco. In his debut album, Swimming Alone Around the Room,...

Sara Barron

PLAYING DETROITHandgrenades "Tunnels"

Alt-indie five-some, Handgrenades delivered their sophomore LP Tunnels earlier this month, a diversified, hook-laden kaleidoscope that explodes with disciplined revelry.

Jerilyn Jordan

PLAYING DETROITGosh Pith "Gold Chain"

I first met Gosh Pith during their soundcheck last month at the Royal Oak Music Theatre while opening for JR JR. I remember walking across the stage and making a snap judgment on their appearance, assuming I knew what they were going to sound like (something I am guilty of time to time). I had...

Jerilyn Jordan

ALBUM REVIEWStove "Is Stupider"

Self deprecation abounds on Stove’s Is Stupider. It opens with “Stupider,” followed by “Stupid,” and later on, “Stupidest” and “Dumboy.” The record art labels Side A as “Side Stupid,” and Side B as “Side Beer.” But for Steve Hartlett, who wrote all the songs and played all of the instruments on Is...

Emily Daly

EP REVIEWRuen Brothers "Point Dume"

Sometimes when I listen to a band, I make a judgement: Are they Beatles or Stones fans? The Ruen Brothers answer that question in their bio, stating that, like I suspected, they prefer the Rolling Stones. Generally, a band that likes the Beatles is a little more delicate, concerned with love and...

Emily Daly

ALBUM REVIEWPalehound "Dry Food"

Palehound is Ellen Kempner, a former Sarah Lawrence student. Former meaning she dropped out, presumably because even if the school did have a 90s-inspired indie rock class, there wouldn't have been much left for her to learn; the 21-year-old played everything but the drums on her new album, Dry...

Emily Daly

ALBUM REVIEWMac DeMarco "Another One"

For some musicians, it'd be a bold enough move to wear their heart on their sleeve with lyrics like “Feeling so confused, don’t know what to do/ Afraid she doesn’t love you anymore” or admitting they’ll “Never believe in a heart like hers again.” On his latest album, Another One, Mac DeMarco goes...

Emily Daly