Tag Archives: Album Review

Album Release

State Champs Return With New Album, “Kings Of The New Age”

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NY State’s own State Champs are here to stay with their new album, Kings Of The New Age and are proving they belong here!

With the same energetic pop punk sound with a fresh twist, the guys know how to write THE catchiest hooks that will stand the test of time. In classic State Champs fashion, they’ve put together a record that we want to blast in our car stereos as loud as we can crank it with the windows down driving around town all Summer long!

Featuring guest vocals from friends like Chrissy Costanza (Against The Current), Four Year Strong, Ben Barlow (Neck Deep) and Mitchell Tenpenny, the record draws you in and keeps you there with hooks so infectiously sweet – the pop punk greats of the past are already proud to hand the baton off to the guys.

Sprinkled in between tested and true fan favorites “Outta My Head” and the fun, kiss off track, “Everybody But You” (featuring Neck Deep‘s Ben Barlow) are stand out heartfelt love confessions in “Half Empty” and “Act Like That (ft. Mitchell Tenpenny)” showing the bands’ softer side.

“’Act Like That’ is the most ‘out of the box’ song for us on the album,” shares vocalist Derek DiScanio. “We had a lot of fun experimenting with some poppier elements, but it was challenging at first to bring the right level of SC energy to level it out. We hit a moment in the studio when we definitely found that balance, and we’re very excited to share this dance-y, rockin’, lyrically dynamic love song that makes you wanna jump around.”

State Champs’ duality of being able to write hooks that make you want to jump in the mosh pit and scream along to how much you love the person you’re with – or how much you hate them while still being super upbeat and sounding like the sunny side of life is what has set them apart and propelled them to the massive stages they deserve to be headlining with each record the release.

Watch the official video for the latest single, “Eventually” below!

Be sure to grab a pre-order of the new record, Kings Of The New Age, due out May 13th via Pure Noise Records and pre-save it on your favorite streaming platform!

Album Release, Artist to Watch, Music, Music Video

Album Preview: Yours Truly – “Self Care” Due Out September 18th

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Yours Truly are poised to have the greatest breakout of 2020 with their debut record, “Self Care” due out September 18th on UFND.

With the average age of 21, lead vocalist Mikaila Delgado, guitarists Teddie Winder-Haron and Lachlan Cronin, and drummer Bradley Cronan, thrust themselves into unraveling the biggest year of their career, from incessant touring, mounting imposter syndrome, and more to write the best debut album we could have imagined from the Sydney, Australia natives.

Titling the record, “Self Care,” the band are wearing their hearts on their sleeves using the record as a vital antidote to the whirlwind they lived in for so long.

Right off the bat, “Siamese Souls” grips you with a pedal to the metal intensity we haven’t seen in a long time and it’s exactly the kind of urgency that propels this record forward.

Early releases, “Composure” and “Together” spun well deserved noise around the new record as “Vivid Dream” paints the reality that Yours Truly were living in. Not being home for more than two weeks at a time takes a toll on you. “Vivid Dream” might be our favorite track on the record, complete with an acoustic drop that comes back in and hits you square in the chest with everything this record brings to the table.

Mikaila recalls how her long distance relationship broke down, how each member could barely hold down a job, and the fear of time and distance of touring would suck away her reality of home. Guitarist Teddie Winder-Haron adds that having just graduated high school, “While all of our friends started going to uni and getting ‘proper’ jobs, I could see I was going off in the complete opposite direction to everyone else.” That feeling of out of touch with his world back home eventually sparked the inspiration to write the record.

Yours Truly tapped producer Stevie Knight (Stand Atlantic and Between You & Me) and together they harnessed the collective power of the pop punk and turned it into an anthemic rock album that will cement the band’s rightful place in the scene.

Tracks like “Ghost” and “Funeral Home” display the clever, cathartic effort that lays any ideas that Yours Truly may not belong in the game, if not for anyone else, but the band themselves.

“Undersize” is a tender, heart on her sleeve track Mikaila wrote for a friend of hers trying to navigate the various obstacles in life, “I wrote this just to let them know that I’m here for them through all of that.”

“Half Of Me” and “HeartSleeve” are two super vulnerable tracks, letting light shine into the darkest parts of the band’s past year. The latter closes the record and stitches together a positive, uplifting blanket saying “you will be ok, take time out and be kind to yourself.”

The album cover art, designed by Sydney-based artist and photographer Georgia Maloney, further propels sentiment behind the title, “Self Care,” a crocheted human heart intertwining with the body while flowers grow from the veins. Mikaila recalls feeling only thinly stitched together at times and explains the style reflects feelings of holding the broken pieces together and intends to ignite a sense of comfort.

“We really learnt and lived a lot in one year, writing these songs allowed me to understand myself on a whole new level throughout it all,” she closes. “The experience was a true form of self-care that ended with me feeling stronger, smarter, enlightened and positive after a rollercoaster of emotions. For me, this album was my version of soaking in vanilla candles and that comforting taste of chocolate and red wine under blankets. We hope it brings solace to whoever listens to it and can relate too.”

Watch the official video for “Funeral Home” below!

Pre-orders are still available for Yours Truly’s debut album “Self Care” on UNFD’s official site or pre-save the record on your favorite streaming platform.

Be sure to follow Yours Truly and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your new favorite artists.

Album Release, Music, On Tour

Album Review: The Faim – “State Of Mind”

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Australia’s latest export, The Faim are kicking off a massive tour with fellow Aussie pop punk band, Stand Atlantic hitting cities across North America and both bands are poised to take the American scene by storm.  The Faim just dropped their hotly anticiapted debut album, “State Of Mind” today, Friday, September 13th via BMG and we can’t wait to see them translate these songs to their high octane live shows!

Consisting of lead singer Josh Raven, bassist/keyboardist Stephen Beerkens, guitarist Samuel Tye, and Drummer Linden Marissen, The Faim’s debut album brings together all of the elements they’ve showcased in previous releases like “Saints of the Sinners,” “Midland Line,” and “My Heart Needs To Breathe.” The record perfectly displays the band’s ability to seamlessly flow from big gang vocal choruses in “Humans” to arena sized tracks that would be right at home in MSG like “Buying Time” which echoes early Panic! At The Disco.

“We wanted to show the variety of skills between the four of us,” says Stephen. “We wanted to stick true to our roots and where we came from, which is essentially just us being able to explore the passion and love we have for music,” Josh adds. “But we also wanted to experiment and to have fun with the songs.”

The record also features tracks like “Tongue Tied,” which is a heart pumping radio friendly track along side piano driven, introspective tracks like “Infamous” and “Where The River Runs.”  The band’s influences are prominent and frequently displayed with co-writes from the likes of Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Ashton Irwin from 5SOS, and Mark Hoppus from Blink 182.

The title track, “State Of Mind” closes out the record with singer Josh Raven forecully begging the listener “take a seat and let me introduce myself…” and flows along like a burning river of emotion.  The track clocks in at 4:41 making it the longest song on the record with a searing guitar solo to finish out an incredible debut effort from one of the most promising new Australian bands.

Listen to “State Of Mind” on Spotify now!

The Faim are heading out on a co-headline tour this Fall with Stand Atlantic hitting cities across the US! Check out the dates HERE and get your tickets before they sell out.

Make sure you grab your copy of “State Of Mind” on Amazon or Apple Music and stream it on your favorite streaming platform so you can sing along on tour.

Follow The Faim and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more on your favorite artists.

Album Release, Artist to Watch, Music, Music Video, On Tour

Album Preview: Telltale – “Timeless Youth”

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Richmond, VA is proving itself to be a breeding ground for pop punk standing toe to toe with NY/NJ, Florida, and SoCal areas.  Telltale are releasing their second EP, “Timeless Youth” on Friday, April 26th through SharpTone Records.

Telltale’s sophomore EP draws inspiration from the likes of New Found Glory, Broadside, Neck Deep, and Blink-182 capturing the youthful angst of growing up in a small town and desperately wanting to leave.

“What We Life For” is packed with catchy riffs and a danceable bridge that will have you speeding down the freeway with the windows down all Summer long.  Followed up by “Letting Go,” Telltale introduce sachrine elements of country storytelling and cadance into their reportoire with an arena sized sound.

When asked about the record, singer John Carter said, “Growing into your late teens and early twenties, you lose a lot of friends in more ways than one. You take blame for mistakes that aren’t yours and you forget what it’s like to know the freedom of naivety. ‘Timeless Youth’ is about retaining a sense of wanderlust, even when you feel confined to a certain path.”

Telltale hit a comfortable stride with self depreciating, scream-along choruses in “Dazy” and “Rose” while closing the album with a slower introspective track, “Hereditary” that picks up and releases all of the built up tension and emotion in one fell swoop.

Telltale haven’t been around as long as some of their peers but they can teach them all a thing or two about catchy hooks and a live show that’s a force to be reckoned with.

Watch the official video for “Timeless Youth” now.

Grab a copy of “Timeless Youth” on iTunes and Amazon, or stream the album on Spotify!

Follow Telltale and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your new favorite artists!

Artist to Watch, Music

Album Preview: Broadside’s “Paradise”- Due Out June 16th

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Broadside’s sophomore album “Paradise” is being heralded as the ultimate Summer album and rightfully so!  Every track is filled with sunny riffs and soaring vocals urging the listener to chase their dreams and really embrace the good and bad things in their lives.   From the stark contrast between the upbeat music and the dark introspective lyrics, Broadside are balancing the two polar opposites in perfect harmony.

Singer Oliver Baxxter’s lyrics will hit close to home for many, frequently speaking out about anxiety on “Laps Around A Picture Frame,” online culture and feeling alone on “Summer Stained,” and self sabotaging thoughts on the sunny “Who Cares?” However, the best song on the album comes at the very end in the form of the island infused “I Love You, I Love You, It’s Disgusting.”  The ukulele driven love song is sure to be a favorite purely for its simple honesty.

When we sat down with Broadside just before the album release, Ollie spoke about his favorite song on the record, “Summer Stained.” “It’s about post-Warped Tour depression which I think will register well with people. And it’s half acoustic which is new for us.”  The song as a whole is a painful reminder that nothing good can stay like Warped Tour, which only lasts for the Summer.  The song can mean something different to every person who listens to it.

High points of the album include “Tunnel Vision,” charging full force about fitting in with your peers, and “Disconnect,” which tackles the attachment we have with social media “likes” that ultimately mean nothing.  Ollie asks “When’s the last time you felt alive?” begging the listener to disconnect, unplug your mind, and seize the day.  “Miss Imperius” might be our favorite track on the album solely due to it’s bouncy drum and bass lines in the verses and the ripping guitar solo!

Broadside have crafted the most sonically diverse and deeply pop infused record of their career so far and we can’t wait to see what’s in store because there’s no where to go but up from here! “Paradise” is due out June 16th through Victory Records.

Watch our interview with Broadside and get to know the guys a little better!

Pre-order “Paradise” on iTunes or Amazon now.  Pre-order bundles are still available through the band’s official website and include exclusive merch items like “Paradise” themed sunglasses and enamel pins.

Catch Broadside on tour with Trash Boat in the UK this September! Check out the tour dates HERE.

Follow Broadside and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your favorite artists.