If It's Too Loud...

Photo courtesy Cornelius Chapel Records If I find out a band is from Athens, GA, I'm going to give them a listen. They usually tend to be pretty great or at least interesting, and Hunger Anthem are both. The "indie-punk-pop" trio just released a new single, "Bloodsucker," that is a must listen if you're also a little obsessed with the Athens music scene. The song has a defiant punk edge to it, and it's quite noisy, but it still feels more like the indie bands you associate with Athens more than your typical punk song. As driving and as heavy as "Bloodsucker" is, there's almost an element that feels very 80's college rock to the song. I'm hearing a but of Husker Du meets R.E.M. at their 80's peaks determined to write a hit song. If you're not already pressing play on the song below, I don't even know what you're doing here. You can listen to "Bloodsucker" below. Lift is due out December 6 on Cornelius Chapel...

Photo by Tim Duffy Ernie Vincent has been on the New Orleans R&B scene since the 1970's with his band The Top Notes. He's flown mostly under the radar since, as he says, "I've always been the kind of guy who likes to work in the background supporting others rather than drawing attention to myself." Vincent has a solo album coming out in January, so expect to hear more from him. The latest single, "Mr. Good Daddy," certainly doesn't sound quite like anything else you've heard recorded in 2022. The song sounds like an unearthed lost soul/R&B classic from at least fifty years ago. It even has production that sounds classic. Vincent certainly doesn't sound like an artist in his late seventies. "Mr. Good Daddy" is as classic and vintage as it gets. You can listen to "Mr. Good Daddy" below. Original Dap King is due out January 13 on Cornelius Chapel Records. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Ernie Vincent, ...

Photo by Jared Swafford I keep seeing Janet Simpson's music compared to Lucinda Williams. It's an obvious comparison, but it's certainly not wrong. Her latest single, "Slip," sounds like vintage Williams, when she's trying to clean up her grit for mainstream consumption but always misses just enough to keep it Lucinda Williams. "Slip" might be one of the best country rock ballads I've heard this century. It has enough bass to give it a menacing groove that you know you should say no to, but how could you? And then Janet Simpson's voice kicks in, and there's no going back. This is the kind of song that truly defines the alt-country genre. You can't really say it's country, and you can't even say it's rock. It's just enough of each to repel those with a closed mind, but for the rest of us "Slip" is going to be impossible to resist. Although why would we want to? You can listen to "Slip" below. Safe Di...

Photo by Dustin Timbrook One of the more interesting discoveries we've had this year is Birmingham, Alabama's The Blips. The local supergroup just released another single off their upcoming album. If you loved their previous single, "Throw Me Around," you're going to be all in for the newest one. "Walking Home" is an impossibly jangly song that somehow combines pop punk and Americana/southern rock. It's pop punk with a near country twang, and just the slightest hints of late 60's British psychedelia thrown in there. It is filled with some of the sunniest vibes and killer guitar solos, which isn't typically a thing with pop punk. "Walking Home" may just be impossible to not love, even if you normally hate pop punk or anything even slightly country. You can listen to "Walking Home" below. The Blips' self-titled album is due out April 9 on Cornelius Chapel Records. You can pre-order the album here . For more on The Blips...

Photo by Justin Pembrook The Blips are a new band made up of members of established bands in the Birmingham, AL scene. (Members have been/are in Timber, Dead Fingers, Conor Oberst's Mystic Valley Band, Holy Youth, Bad Hops, etc.) The press release for their first single, "Throw Me Around," describes their music as pop punk. "Throw Me Around" isn't not pop punk, but it's hardly what you know as pop punk. There's a distinct Southern feel to the song, sounding like if Tom Petty went pop punk, or some of the Drive-By Truckers more straightforward songs. It might just be me, but I'm hearing some Brit pop around the edges, too. All descriptions aside, "Throw Me Around" is a killer rock song with unique vocals and killer guitar riffs. You can watch the video for "Throw Me Around" below. The Blips' self-titled album is due out April 9 on Cornelius Chapel Records. You can pre-order the album here . For more on The Blips, check them...

Photo by Jared Swafford A lot of artists do the country rock thing, but few do it as well as Janet Simpson. Her latest single, "I'm Wrong," is exactly what you want from the genre: It's a little too rock to be country, and a little too country to be rock. While it's hardly pop country, it nuzzles itself into the pop side of outlaw country, reminding me of other favorites of ours like Nikki Lane or Tristen. It's also the perfect song for this time of year, as we're all longing for winter to finally end and warm weather to return. "I'm Wrong" is the perfect summer driving song, where you do have someplace you're going but why rush to get there? In five months or so, this song is going to end up on a whole lotta playlists. You can listen to "I'm Wrong" below. Safe Distance is due out March 19 on Cornelius Chapel Records. You can pre-order a copy of the album here . For more on Janet Simpson, check out the artist's website .

Photo by William Joseph Johnson Bohannons have been around since 2005 and we're somehow just discovering them. It's exciting to have a new band to delve into the back catalog of, but also a bummer because we missed out on fourteen years of fandom. Hailing from Chattanooga, their latest single, "Sleep Rock," is a powerhouse combining country and indie/alt rock. I'd call it alt-country, but that doesn't quite fit as "Sleep Rock" isn't country enough even for that moniker. But, it's still decidedly country. It's a huge rock song with country roots but a punk/indie ethos, with hooks. The closest comparison I can come up with is Jason Isbell fronting a hybrid of Wussy and Sebadoh. You can listen to "Sleep Rock" below. Bloodroot , the latest album from Bohannons, will be out April 5 on Cornelius Chapel Records. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Bohannons, check out their website . Current tour dates are below the so...