Home Blog Page 2

Acclaimed Philadelphia Songwriter Greg Mendez Releases New Album ‘Beauty Land’ Via Dead Oceans

Eric Alper
-
0
Acclaimed Philadelphia Songwriter Greg Mendez Releases New Album ‘Beauty Land’ Via Dead Oceans

Greg Mendez is back with one of his most affecting works yet. The Philadelphia singer-songwriter has released his long-awaited new album ‘Beauty Land,’ his debut LP for Dead Oceans, led by the single “I Wanna Feel Pretty.”

Across the record, we’re guided by a wry but forgiving narrator, an underdog who’s learned to balance cynicism and faith. These songs are self-effacing without self-pity, carefully built altars of imperfection channeled through pop melodies, shimmering but urgent guitars, and a voice reaching for choir-boy innocence.

Mendez has a clear vision for the shot-on-35mm video for “I Wanna Feel Pretty,” directed by Rhys Scarabosio. “I spent most of my childhood in the suburbs, surrounded by the American Dream. Grand and lonely, strip malls and housing developments,” he says. “The dream is close enough to smell but as soon as you reach out, your hand passes right through, a hologram of a promise. I hoped this video would feel like that.”

The bulk of ‘Beauty Land’ was recorded directly to tape, almost entirely alone in Mendez’s makeshift home studio in Philadelphia, a small room with no natural light. It’s his first full-length since his unexpected breakthrough self-titled album in 2023, a slow-burn success that followed 15 years of writing in relative obscurity. The new record picks up where he left off, plumbing the depths of grief, love, and addiction, but its intense, quiet clarity shows him at his songwriting best. As Pitchfork put it, “In less than two minutes, Greg Mendez can express a lifetime’s worth of pain, regret, and resilience.”

Mendez is taking his stark, affecting live show on the road this summer.

Greg Mendez Tour Dates:

June 13 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room

June 15 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop

June 16 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon

June 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry

June 19 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s Oasis

June 20 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

June 21 – Detroit, MI @ Lager House

June 23 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Garage

June 24 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall

June 25 – Portland, ME @ SPACE Gallery

June 26 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair

June 27 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom

June 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

July 1 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s

July 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church

July 31 – Durham, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room

Aug 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5

Aug 2 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberia

Aug 4 – Austin, TX @ 29th Street Ballroom

Aug 5 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada

Aug 7 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf

Aug 8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

Aug 9 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

Aug 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Sid the Cat Auditorium

Aug 12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

Aug 14 – Portland, OR @ Polaris

Aug 15 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza

Aug 16 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret

Aug 18 – Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club

Aug 19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

Aug 21 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake

Aug 22 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar

Aug 23 – St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway

Aug 24 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revival

Aug 25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket

Aussie Indie Favorites The Jungle Giants Announce New Album ‘Experiencing Feelings of Joy’

Eric Alper
-
0
Aussie Indie Favorites The Jungle Giants Announce New Album ‘Experiencing Feelings of Joy’

The Jungle Giants are entering a hopeful new chapter. Hot on the heels of their galvanising new single “Tell Me How It Feels,” the Australian indie favorites have announced their new album ‘Experiencing Feelings of Joy,’ out now.

The title fits both the listener and its creator. Careening from crushing personal loss to hopeful exuberance, it’s an album frontman Sam Hales could only write after thinking he’d never be able to write one again. “I’d overextended and kind of cooked it, but I really found myself,” he says. “That’s where the joy comes from, having this unwavering hope even after experiencing adversity. This record is what everything culminated in for me, because I’m so in love with it and I’m so addicted to music again.”

Lead single “Tell Me How It Feels” marks a sharp heel turn for the band and has already drawn strong praise. Rolling Stone called it “cathartic,” with a yearning chorus “destined for festival anthem status,” while The Note dubbed it “a new era for The Jungle Giants.” It’s a buzzing, self-aware introduction to a record built on resilience and renewed love for making music.

Greek Melodic Death Metal Act AMONGRUINS Unveil Cinematic New Video For “Into The Flame” Featuring Christianna Of Elysion

Eric Alper
-
0
Greek Melodic Death Metal Act AMONGRUINS Unveil Cinematic New Video For “Into The Flame” Featuring Christianna Of Elysion

AMONGRUINS are turning up the intensity. The Greek melodic death metal act have unveiled the official video for “Into The Flame,” a standout track from their newly released album ‘Advent of Chaos,’ out now via Theogonia Records.

Featuring guest vocals from Christianna of Elysion, “Into The Flame” merges the band’s crushing melodic death metal foundation with haunting atmospheres and powerful vocal interplay. The track shows off their knack for balancing aggression with emotional depth, making it one of the album’s most memorable moments. With searing guitars, thunderous rhythms, and a dark, immersive atmosphere, it perfectly captures the sonic landscape of a record that digs into destruction, transformation, and rebirth.

The accompanying video was directed and created by Haris Kountouris of HK Visual Creations, capturing the song’s dark emotional intensity through striking imagery, with filming by Dimitris Papadimitroulas and Dimitris Anastasopoulos for a cinematic visual approach that complements the song’s dramatic depth.

The video arrives as the band celebrates ‘Advent of Chaos,’ their most ambitious and emotionally charged album to date. Building on the momentum of their 2023 release ‘Land of the Black Sun,’ AMONGRUINS continue to carve their place in the modern melodic death metal scene with a sound that blends brutality, melody, and cinematic intensity. The album was mixed and mastered by Saku Moilanen at Deep Noise Studios in Finland, with artwork by Nikos Stavridakis. Fans of Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, Wolfheart, and Dark Tranquillity will find plenty to sink their teeth into.

Donegal Folk-Pop Newcomer Kevin Laughlin Introduces Himself With Debut Single “Play It Cool”

Eric Alper
-
0
Donegal Folk-Pop Newcomer Kevin Laughlin Introduces Himself With Debut Single “Play It Cool”

Kevin Laughlin is making his entrance. The Donegal singer-songwriter has introduced himself with his debut single “Play It Cool,” a warm, melodic track that pairs sincere songwriting with reflective lyricism.

Drawing inspiration from the timeless craft of artists like James Taylor and Paul Brady, the song offers an authentic first glimpse into Laughlin’s voice, thoughtful, relatable, and grounded in real-life experience. It explores the universal feeling of believing you’ve got life all figured out, only to realise that certainty is often an illusion, landing on a simple but powerful message: steady yourself, trust the journey, and keep moving forward.

Laughlin wrote it from a place he knows well. “This song came at a time where I really thought I had my life all planned out but quickly came to realise I had not,” he says. “So I wrote Play It Cool about just accepting that not everything will always go as planned in life or love. Sometimes you’ve got to just roll with the punches and play it cool.”

Produced by Ryan Sheridan, the single pairs polished production with emotional honesty, letting Laughlin’s vocal delivery and storytelling take center stage. A 22-year-old folk-pop musician influenced by Paul Brady, John Mayer, and Billy Joel, Laughlin has played music since the age of 14, sharpening his sound through years of live performance before turning to original material. It’s an assured, intimate first step in what’s shaping up to be a breakout year.

Isle Of Wight Indie Upstarts ugly ozo Share Unflinching New Single “overkill” Off Their ‘dive’ EP

Eric Alper
-
0
Isle Of Wight Indie Upstarts ugly ozo Share Unflinching New Single “overkill” Off Their ‘dive’ EP

ugly ozo are digging into uncomfortable truths. The Isle of Wight indie upstarts have shared their new track “overkill,” out now via REX RECS following a BBC 6 Music premiere from Huw Stephens, off their ‘dive’ EP, out now.

The ever-evolving vision of Jessica Baker, the band’s second EP marks a bold new chapter in their sonic diary, exploring the messy, unfiltered corners of the female experience. Joined by sister Boo Baker on bass and Tristan Northard on drums, ugly ozo blend raw vulnerability with electrifying hooks that demand attention, and have rapidly become one of the most talked-about acts on the emerging indie landscape.

Baker is unsparing about what drives “overkill.” “‘overkill’ tells the story of loving someone who you know, deep down, doesn’t meet your standards and doesn’t treat you right, but staying anyway,” she explains. “Not for romance or hope, but out of loneliness, laziness, fear, and the comfort of routine. It’s the truth no one wants to admit: sometimes we cling to the wrong person because being alone feels scarier than being unhappy.”

The EP follows the band’s acclaimed late-2025 debut ‘stargirl,’ lauded across DIY, Dork, The Line Of Best Fit, and Clash, with radio support spanning BBC 6 Music’s Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq, and Iggy Pop, plus John Kennedy at Radio X and Cheryl Waters at KEXP. Signed to REX RECS, the new label founded by producer Macks Faulkron, the EP was written and recorded at REX Studio, a creative hub that’s hosted Caroline Polachek, Confidence Man, and Daniel Avery. It’s a frank, electrifying step forward from a band becoming impossible to ignore.

ugly ozo ‘dive’ EP Tracklisting:

  1. hi, how are you?
  2. overkill
  3. jackpot
  4. godspeed
  5. MISERY

Slacker-Pop Newcomer Melanie Baker Laughs In The Face Of Expectation On New Single “HAHA!”

Eric Alper
-
0
Slacker-Pop Newcomer Melanie Baker Laughs In The Face Of Expectation On New Single “HAHA!”

Melanie Baker is having the last laugh. The Newcastle-based slacker-pop specialist has shared her new track “HAHA!,” the latest reveal from her debut album ‘Somebody Help Me, I’m Being Spontaneous!,’ out now via cult Danish indie label Tambourhinoceros.

Flipping the script on feeling stuck, “HAHA!” turns the Truman Show gaze of social norms into liberation, riding a mischievous wave of momentum. It builds toward a chorus driven by a signature guitar line and Baker’s gleeful chant of “HAHA!,” laughing straight at expectation. The playful, confident indie-rock offering digs deeper into her trademark style, sharpened by witty lyrics and magnetic vocals.

Baker is candid about what the song means to her. “I’m not trying to be liked anymore. This song is literally me laughing in the face of my oppressor. It’s a middle finger to anyone who tries to deny you the right to be yourself,” she explains. “I’ve found so much freedom and liberation in allowing myself to be silly and have fun again despite living in a world that still doesn’t want to accept Queer joy. I stopped masking my own emotions and let myself feel fully. Suddenly after many years of not knowing who I was, I felt like I was looking in the mirror and seeing myself for the first time.”

Recorded in a small, feverish cabin in rural Wales, the album is a wily exercise in cartoon realism, tapping into grunge, glam, riot grrrl, and indie rock inflections throughout. Baker has earned early plaudits across the press landscape and major support from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 1, and KEXP, and she’s already shared stages with the likes of Maximo Park and The Wytches. It’s a riotous, magnetic debut from one of the year’s most exciting new voices.

Melanie Baker LP Tracklisting:

  1. AAAAAHHHHHHHHH
  2. Sad Clown
  3. HAHA!
  4. Bored
  5. Why Would I Want To Be Like You?
  6. Cabin Fever
  7. My Head Fell Off Last Night
  8. Real Life
  9. City Strange
  10. Bye Bye, Loser Blues
  11. Slugs
  12. You’ll Get Better

Melanie Baker Live Dates:

June 26 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club

June 27 – Coventry, UK @ Central Library

July 9 – Gloucestershire, UK @ 2000trees Festival

July 24 – Cumbria, UK @ Gadabout Festival

Oct 23-25 – Rotterdam, NL @ Left Of The Dial

Punk Supergroup ULTRABOMB Featuring Members Of Hüsker Dü, Social Distortion And Soul Asylum Unveil New Single “no cap”

Eric Alper
-
0
Punk Supergroup ULTRABOMB Featuring Members Of Hüsker Dü, Social Distortion And Soul Asylum Unveil New Single “no cap”

ULTRABOMB are cutting through the noise. The punk power trio have unveiled their melodic, driving new single “no cap,” an anthem that balances urgency with hook-heavy punch. The track is a preview from their full-length album ‘The Bridges That We Burn,’ out now via DC-Jam Records / Virgin Music Group.

Built on soaring guitar lines, driving rhythms, and a chorus that lands with real force, “no cap” shows off the band’s knack for fusing melody with muscle. The song channels frustration with the modern noise cycle into something focused and forward-looking, less about shouting over the chaos and more about cutting through it. “There is a lot of noise to keep us distracted. Everyone has an opinion, informed, and not informed,” says Greg Norton. “I’m at capacity with all the bs, let’s start real conversations.”

The trio brings together underground legends and alternative stalwarts, with Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü on bass, Derek O’Brien of Social Distortion, Agent Orange, and Adolescents on drums, and Ryan Smith of Soul Asylum on lead vocals and guitar. Together they channel decades of punk and alternative history into music that feels immediate rather than retrospective. As Magnet observed, ULTRABOMB delivers “a swift blow to the sternum that harnesses both the speedy energy of Norton’s early Minneapolis days and the ragged hard-rock sensibility of Twin Tone-era Soul Asylum.”

‘The Bridges That We Burn’ was recorded at Creation Audio in Minneapolis and produced, engineered, and mixed by John Fields, with mastering by Justin Perkins. The album broadens the band’s dynamic range while keeping the tight, high-impact songwriting that defines them. With “no cap,” ULTRABOMB prove that conviction doesn’t require chaos, just melody and the willingness to say what matters.

Acclaimed London Trio Ebbb Share Euphoric New Single “Home Ground” Via Ninja Tune

Eric Alper
-
0
Acclaimed London Trio Ebbb Share Euphoric New Single “Home Ground” Via Ninja Tune

Ebbb are back with their first new music of the year. The London-based trio have shared “Home Ground” via esteemed independent label Ninja Tune, continuing to build a catalogue that’s as addictive as it is innovative. It follows November’s “Book That You Like,” which earned B-list rotation at BBC 6 Music.

The new single finds the band mining richly melodic ground. Building from Will Rowland’s contemplative, starkly adorned vocals, it blossoms into an early-hours banger that captures the euphoric high of the trio’s acclaimed live show, which So Young Magazine famously called “an almost religious experience.”

Rowland traces the song’s roots back a few years. “The lyrics explore overthinking and regret, contrasted with someone who lives free of shame or self-doubt,” he explains. “It actually started life as an instrumental we wrote a couple of years back. It never quite made sense back then but we revisited it recently and rebuilt the song from the ground up and suddenly everything clicked. It felt like a bit of a eureka moment where we unlocked what the song was always meant to be.”

Emerging from the same London scene that spawned Squid and black midi, Ebbb have landed on something singular. Fusing pulsing rhythms, immersive electronic production, sparkling melodies, and layered vocal harmonies with beats that veer from ambient to industrial, they’ve built an idiosyncratic hybrid the group themselves describe as “Brian Wilson meets Death Grips.” Comprised of producer Lev Ceylan, vocalist Will Rowland, and drummer Scott MacDonald, they’ve earned a coveted slot in NME’s 100 Essential Emerging Artists for 2025 and shared stages with the likes of The Smile, Shame, and PVA. It’s a thrilling taste of one of the UK’s most exciting new bands.

Ebbb Tour Dates:

Aug 9 – Neukirchen, DE @ Skandalos

Theatrical Indie Misfits Balancing Act Unleash Swaggering New Single “Loaded With Pearls”

Eric Alper
-
0
Theatrical Indie Misfits Balancing Act Unleash Swaggering New Single “Loaded With Pearls”

Balancing Act are turning up the drama. The Manchester-via-London theatrical misfits have unleashed “Loaded With Pearls,” a high-octane new single slathered in swaggering bravado, off their debut album ‘Who’ve You Come As? (Part 2),’ out now. The record follows Part 1, released in October 2025 to critical acclaim from tastemakers across the board.

The band knew exactly what they were chasing. “We wanted to achieve something very rhythmic and dynamic with this track,” they explain. “It started out as a sort of blues tinged desert rock groove that was inspired by Kai taking a drive from LA to Palm Springs, the verses stutter and strut their way along before you get a punch in the face chorus that we hoped would stick in people’s heads for a while. In a nutshell, it’s Trip Hop meets Stadium Rock all packed into under 3 minutes.”

Vocalist Kai Jon Roberts describes this second half as “a Jack Russell on a lead that has no patience,” pulling the sound in a new direction at an unsettling pace. Part 2 sees the band at their most playful and personal, refusing to be confined to one sonic space while keeping their tongue-in-cheek charm front and center.

Since forming in 2022, Balancing Act have built a world of nonsensical grandeur, basking in Tim Burton’s gothic allure while drawing on Father John Misty, The Marías, Richard Hawley, and The Walkmen. Most of both album halves were created at Allouette, a writing retreat studio in the western French countryside, with Kai’s lifelong musical partner Joe Woolf, before being shaped into a grander product by Dave Bardon and Oscar ‘Sholto’ Robertson of SFJ in East London.

Theatrics run through the band’s DNA, and that untamed energy bleeds into their live shows, which have seen them support The Amazons and Bad Nerves and sell out headline gigs across London, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam. Tipped across BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, Clash, Dork, and DIY, they’ve earned their spot atop plenty of ‘Ones to Watch’ lists, and there’s nothing they won’t do to make a show momentous.

Babylon A.D. Frontman Derek Davis Goes Solo With Funk-Driven Rock Anthem “Running Man”

Eric Alper
-
0
Babylon A.D. Frontman Derek Davis Goes Solo With Funk-Driven Rock Anthem “Running Man”

Derek Davis is channeling his creative energy into something all his own. Fresh off the back-to-back Babylon A.D. albums ‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day’ and ‘When The World Stops,’ the frontman has released an explosive new solo single, “Running Man,” out now via Apocalypse Records.

The funk-driven, hard-hitting rock/metal track delivers the angst and vocal punch Davis is known for. Lyrically and musically, it speaks to the frustration and passion of the forgotten man in a fast-changing world, with the AI evolution and political divide that shape our lives explored through Davis’s cinematic storytelling.

It’s a rock anthem at its core, built on an uptempo, fist-pounding, funkified bass line and searing guitar riffs where the hooks never stop. Davis’s blend of hard rock, old-school R&B, and funk is awe-inspiring and leaves you wanting more. Even more impressive, he played every instrument, mixed and produced the track, and edited and created the accompanying video himself, proving once again that he’s a true visionary force.

Davis has packed serious mileage into his career, with six studio albums, three live albums, and two EPs alongside Babylon A.D., plus solo records including ‘Revolt,’ ‘Revolutionary Soul,’ and ‘Resonator Blues.’ He’s amassed a catalogue of more than 200 original compositions and toured the United States, UK, and Greece. “Running Man” is the first taste of his next solo effort, another soul-inspired funk-rock album set for release in the fall.

123...3,794Page 2 of 3,794

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper