If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes The latest from legendary alt-rockers Failure is an homage to goth legends. "A Way Down" is unmistakably goth. It might be inspired by early the 80's sound, but the song has some strong 90's vibes as well. While much of the goth sound comes from synths, this latest single is what grunge would have sounded like if it took a darker turn. If this had been released thirty years ago it would have been a shoe in for The Crow soundtrack. Failure have been reminding us why they're such an influential and important band, and "A Way Down" continues to show that side. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: "Musically speaking, ‘A Way Down’ is an homage to two bands who actually got me to pick up the guitar and try to write my own music: The Cure and Siouxsie & The Banshees, specifically their early 80s periods with albums like  Juju  and  Pornography.  I was captured by the angular guitar approach and the unapologetic dar...

Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes With their upcoming seventh overall studio album, the highly influential band Failure will have released more albums since reuniting in 2014 than they did during their first run. The first single from that album, "The Air's on Fire," shows the band expanding their sound while still being rooted in what has always made them great. The song is a dark and moody one that is always threatening to explode but never quite does. This is an example of 90's alt-rock meets art rock at its very finest. It's the kind of song that could easily have come out thirty years ago, but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. After the first listen, "The Air's on Fire" will sound like a killer alt-rocker from a 90's band that hasn't lost a step at all. The more you listen, the more complex Failure get on the single, and the more the song reveals itself to you. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: “That song is directly about my ...

Photo by Jimi Giannatti Alt-rock/emo vets Jimmy Eat World are about to issue a collection of their recent digital only singles on vinyl, and have a new single we can check out. "Failure" isn't exactly what you imagine when you think of Jimmy Eat World. This one is a midtempo ballad that possibly crosses the line into power ballad territory. It sounds more like mid 90's post grunge alt-rock than early 00's emo. The fuzz starts pretty much immediately in "Failure" and never quite goes away. Jimmy Eat World sound much more '96 than '01 on their latest. Regardless, "Failure" is a great song sure to appeal to their longtime fans, even the lapsed ones. Jim Adkins says of his band's upcoming EP: “By 2021, it felt like distancing restrictions were finally easing and we could get back on the road. Our  Surviving  album had barely been released before we were performing live again and reconnecting with fans. Coming out of the pandemic, it did...