RYAN YOUNG: INTERVIEW

November 10, 2017

Ryan Young of Off With Their Heads is currently on a run for a handful of acoustic shows to support the band's acoustic album, Won't Be Missed, before heading out on a full band tour later this month. We had the chance to catch up with Ryan and talk about the album and upcoming tour! Make sure to check the band out on tour and see the tour dates below.

Your album Won’t Be Missed was recently released in October. How has it felt to receive feedback from it from your fans?

RYAN: "I don't really read anything about what I do or ask for feedback. Therefore, when I get it, it's unsolicited. I'm sure there is a lot of differing opinions about what we have going on. The truth of it is that I made this record to try something different and to get out of my comfort zone. Definitely accomplished the latter!"

What song on the album sticks out to you the most and why?

RYAN: "They are all just acoustic versions of older songs. It was cool to see them transform into bare bones. I would say Old Man was what really got me. It transfers styles really well. When I was doing the vocals for it, it reminded me that I still feel that way about its content. So that was all captured pretty well."

Why did you first want to do this handful of acoustic shows before the full band tour starts later this month?

RYAN: "Because when Tim Barry asks you to do a run of shows, you answer that call. Tim is one of the reasons that I got into music. He also happens to be an inspiration as why I stay in it. Watching him evolve into what he is now has been really cool. It's always great bumping into him from time to time, so four days of shows together might be the kickstart I need for a month of full band shows."

Do you personally prefer the intimate crowds of the acoustic shows or the more interactive crowds with full band shows?

RYAN: "They are both their own thing. I play the acoustic shows with one other band member. I like to include the guys in it as best we can. All of them have been with our guitarist John so far. He and I kind of turned the show into dark comedy / storytelling. Not sure if we will keep that up or not, but it has been fun doing that. Full band shows are a great energy release, and I need that."

What is your favorite part about touring?

RYAN: "I don't really like touring. I spent my entire adult life doing it. I like playing the shows and seeing my friends. The traveling gets to me though. I can only go to 'The World's Largest Truck Stop' so many times before it loses it's magic."

Is there a city you are most looking forward to performing in on this run?

RYAN: "Not particularly. I love every place we are headed with Tim. I work 14 hours a day running my own small business. So just walking away from that for a bit will make me stoked on any place!"

ACOUSTIC SHOWS

11/11 - Middle East Upstairs / Boston MA

11/12 - Rough Trade / Brooklyn NY

FULL BAND SHOWS

11/14 - Rebel Lounge / Phoenix AZ

11/15 - Soda Bar / San Diego CA

11/16 - Slidebar / Fullerton CA

11/17 - Recess Ops / San Pedro CA

11/18 - Thee Parkside / San Francisco CA

11/19 - Holy Diver / Sacramento CA

11/21 - Analog Theater / Portland OR

11/22 - El Corazon / Seattle WA

11/23 - The Cobalt / Vancouver BC

11/25 - The Buckingham / Edmonton AB

11/26 - Nite Owl / Calgary AB

11/28 - Park Theater / Winnipeg MB

11/29 - The Aquarium / Fargo ND

11/30 - 7th St. Entry / Minneapolis MN

12/1 - Subterranean / Chicago IL

12/2 - Neshaminy Creek Brewing / Croydon PA

12/3 - Knitting Factory / Brooklyn

12/5 - Hotel Vernon / Worcester MA

12/6 - Great Scott / Boston MA

12/7 - The Low Beat / Albany NY

12/8 - Brighton Bar / Long Branch NJ

12/9 - Metro Gallery / Baltimore MD

12/10 - Howler’s / Pittsburgh PA

12/29 - High Dive / Denver CO

JOYWAVE: ON TOUR

November 9, 2017

BY KAT VISTI

Joywave are going on tour! Their headlining tour will kick off in their hometown Rochester, New York on November 11th. The tour is called Thanks. Thanks For Coming 2017.

Joywave is composed of Daniel Armbruster (vocalist), Joseph Morinelli (guitarist), Benjamin Bailey (keyboard), and Paul Brenner (drummer). The band has returned from finishing up a national tour where they supported bands Young the Giant and Cold War Kids. They have previously toured with bands The Foals, The Killers, Metric and many more, as well as performing at some of the biggest music festivals of the year, Coachella and Lollapalooza, which has earned them high praise from The Rolling Stone and Billboard.

The band released their most recent album Content earlier this year. Their first single It's A Trip is becoming widely popular and is closing in on being one of the top 20 songs on alternative radio while the music video has 1.4 million views and counting. While on tour the band will be joined by guests The Aces, Maybird, and The Demos. The band likes to push the creative envelope and always aims to add their own creativity to anything they do. For more information on this high energy and electrifying band, their full list of tour dates is listed below:

Sat 11.11 - Rochester, NY @ Anthology

Mon 11.13 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

Tue 11.14 - New York City, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Wed 11.15 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at Fillmore

Thu 11.16 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar

Sat 11.18 - Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick

Sun 11.19 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi

Tue 11.21 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

Wed 11.22 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry

Fri 11.24 - St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird

Sat 11.25 - Kansas City, MO @ Truman

Sun 11.26 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues

Tue 11.28 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

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HIGHTOWER: INTERVIEW

November 5, 2017

INTRO BY KAT VISTI

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

Hightower is a punk rock band from Paris, France that on September 15th released a new album entitled Club Dragon. The band describes the album as "an ode to the 2000's." The band consists of members Attila (vocalist), Alexis (bassist), Benjamin (guitarist), Jérémie (guitarist), and Romain (drummer). Over at Unclear Magazine we sat down with Romain to get the scoop on the band and their latest album Club Dragon.

How did you all first come together as a band?

ROMAIN: "I always wanted to start a band with my cousin Jérémie, so we did it in late 2012. It was a bit hard to find the right line up but I think now we're good with Attila on vocals."

Sometimes when bands first come together they don’t click right away and have a bit of trouble getting used to each other – was that the case with you guys or did it go rather smoothly?

ROMAIN: "We grew up listen to the same bands so the writing process was easy. We just needed almost a year to find the good direction for Hightower."

Your new record Club Dragon was released in September – can you tell us what the process was like creating it?

ROMAIN: "Almost the same as for the first record! Usually Jérémie brings idea and structures then we jam a lot until we feel the song is solid. We usually throw away many, many songs before we think we have a good album."

How did it feel when you first heard the album in its entirety?

ROMAIN: "We always make demo songs before we hit the studio, so the difference is just with the production. But it always feels good to hear songs with a good production, thank you Steve!"

What does this album mean to you as a whole?

ROMAIN: "I would say that Club Dragon is an ode to the 2000's era."

Which song on the album would you say was the hardest to create?

ROMAIN: "Mmmmm... I'm sorry but I do not remember haha, the writing process was a long time ago now."

We heard that you may be releasing a new music video soon – is there anything you can maybe tell us about that?

ROMAIN: "We always had troubles with music video, let's see if this one happens or not!"

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'HOT STREAK' / FAULKNER: SINGLE REVIEW

October 27, 2017

BY MADDEN LEVIN

Hit band Faulkner has done it again with their new single, Hot Streak! The single was just released, so make sure to go give it a listen for yourself. Until then, here is what we think:

Like many Faulkner songs, Hot Streak begins with amazing instrumentals, creating anticipation for the perfectly thought-out lyrics. The alternative, almost synth-80’s pop sound, creates for a nostalgic sound mixed with modern elements, rallying in fans of all ages to enjoy the sound. The lyrics, nonetheless, are always something consistently stunning with Faulkner music. The repeating of, “I will stand by you,” in the chorus is a saying that will hold the emotions of any listener, without creating a somber tone. The band is known for creating music with an inspirational sound, maybe without even the intent of creating something like this.

Overall, Faulkner has created another amazing single with Hot Streak. This is the perfect song for in the car, driving around on a fall evening. Don’t believe me? Try it out!

Hot Streak is out now, so be sure to have a listen: https://open.spotify.com/album/4kdIemBLISLCEw01eGR1ur

And of course, make time to check out everything that is Faulkner on their social medias!

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NATALIE ALEXANDER: INTERVIEW

October 22, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

Country music is lucky to have this next artist taking the genre by storm. Natalie Alexander’s debut single, Cruel, along with her debut self-titled EP, were released during the summer, making them perfect songs to listen to to reminiscence on happy times with happy tunes! In our interview with Natalie we talked about what initially inspired her love for music and more! Be sure to take her word for it and follow her on all social media to find out more about the lovely lady that is Natalie Alexander.

What inspired you to start making music?

NATALIE: "I have loved music my whole life, partially because I grew up in such a musical family. I began playing piano when I was eight. Being involved in managing my brother's band inspired me to start pursuing music professionally myself."

How would you describe your music style?

NATALIE: "My music primarily falls into the country genre, although my single Cruel definitely has some pop elements. I'm looking to explore more of the pop-country cross genre, but I love a traditional country sound!"

Where do you take most inspiration from when creating music?

NATALIE: "My own life. While it's easy to draw from my own experiences because I know myself best, it's also difficult because I'm so close to it. I think it's that push and pull that makes music so compelling because the artist is able to make listeners feel in that emotion with them which can be a really special experience."

You recently released your self-titled EP – can you tell us a little about what the process was like creating it?

NATALIE: "I recorded it over a weekend last December. It was my first time in a studio so it was such a huge learning experience for me, but I really enjoyed watching the project evolve from start to finish. I'm really proud of what we created and I feel so fortunate that people love it as much as I do."

Of the songs on the EP, which would you say best represents you as an artist?

NATALIE: "I think Cruel is probably the most reflective of my style as an artist. I wanted the EP to be a sampling of what I'm capable of, but Cruel reflects who I am as both a person and an artist. It has a message that stand behind while being fun and loud. It's the kind of song you belt out while you're driving down the freeway with the windows rolled down."

Your second single I Don’t Want To Catch My Breath has started to gain some attention from major country radio stations – how did it feel when you first found this out?

NATALIE: "I couldn't believe it! It amazes me how well people have taken to the EP, particularly I Don't Want to Catch My Breath and Cruel. That song has also been playing in huge retail chains which has been so fun for me. I heard it in Best Buy recently which was really cool."

If you could collaborate with anybody, who would it be and why?

NATALIE: "Brett Young. I really want to work with a male artist because I love male and female voices together! His EP is amazing."

Is there anything we can expect from you in the near future?

NATALIE: "Performing and writing more music! I'm really excited for what's ahead. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @nataliealexandermusic, Twitter @nataliemusic, and like my fan page on Facebook so we can stay connected and I can keep you updated on everything I'm doing!"

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