alternative/indie

Album Review – Revolution Rabbit Deluxe: Control Freaks (2023)

November 19, 2023 — Leave a comment

Hailing from Wales, Revolution Rabbit Deluxe is a band with a sound that ranges from power pop and Brit rock to alternative/indie with strong punk overtones. This four-piece outfit has blended their many influences into a sound that brings the late 70s/early 80s punk rock and new wave movements firmly into the 2020s. (I was visited by heavy The Clash vibes.) This near seamless modern take on these genres is evident on the band’s latest album, Control Freaks.


Control Freaks was released on October 28, 2023. The record kicks off with the track “I’ve Got Nothing” and doesn’t relinquish its hold on the listener straight through to the finale. Within the twelve songs you will find everything from poppy, danceable bops, such as “Summer All Year Round,” to more socially aware (in true punk fashion) tracks like “Fabian Control Freaks,” which is extremely catchy and will have you singing along. Revolution Rabbit Deluxe even throws in a couple of slower, more heartfelt songs in “Mother and Child” and “The Girl From Irpin,” proving that this quartet can run the gamut of human emotion.


If you are a fan of old-school punk or alternative/indie rock, or if you simply want to lose yourself in something that is upbeat while making a statement, Control Freaks is a must-hear! The band’s promise that the album will “bring a smile to your face as we march headlong towards inevitable(?) oblivion” is more than delivered on.


Standout tracks: “Mother and Her Child,” “The Girl From Irpin,” “The Sweetest Things,” and “Glasgow Kiss”

Story of the Year: 20 Years of Page Avenue

October 6, 2023 — Leave a comment

Alt-rockers Story of the Year are celebrating twenty years of their debut album, Page Avenue, with a fall 2023/winter 2024 tour, and they will be playing the record in its entirety! Special guests include fellow alternative/pop punk acts Four Year Strong, We The Kings, and Youth Fountain.

Tickets/VIP: storyoftheyear.net

Fall 2023 Dates

  • 10/26 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom*
  • 10/28 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger*
  • 10/29 – Dallas, TX – Studio at Bomb Factory*
  • 10/31 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater*
  • 11/1 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theater*+
  • 11/2 – Tucson, AZ – Encore*+
  • 11/3 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues*+
  • 11/4 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park*+
  • 11/5 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl*+
  • 11/7 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades*+
  • 11/9 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom*+
  • 11/10 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo*+
  • 11/11 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Concert House*+
  • 11/12 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House*+
  • 11/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex*+
  • 11/15 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre*+
  • 11/17 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall*+
  • 11/18 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theater*+
  • 11/19 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club*+

Winter 2024 Dates

  • 1/5 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic Theatre*#
  • 1/6 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater & Ballroom*#
  • 1/7 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer*#
  • 1/8 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre*#
  • 1/10 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House*#
  • 1/11 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda*#
  • 1/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues*#
  • 1/13 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom*#
  • 1/14 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square*#
  • 1/16 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live!*#
  • 1/17 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa*#
  • 1/19 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground*#
  • 1/20 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Heaven)*#
  • 1/21 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz Ybor*#
  • 1/22 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live*#
  • 1/24 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl*#
  • 1/25 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s*#
  • 1/26 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall*#

* Youth Fountain appearing

+ Four Year Strong appearing

# We The Kings appearing

Boys Like Girls: The Speaking Our Language Tour 2023

September 14, 2023 — Leave a comment

Alt-rockers Boys Like Girls are embarking on The Speaking Our Language Tour this fall with State Champs. Presented by Emo Nite, this tour will also feature one of a list of special guests in each city: either Four Year Strong, 3OH!3, The Summer Set, The Ready Set, LoLo, Every Avenue, SayWeCanFly, and/or Max Bemis. Tickets available at boyslikegirls.com.

  • 9/17 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte☆
  • 9/18 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl☆
  • 9/19 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle☆
  • 9/21 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans☆
  • 9/23 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live☆
  • 9/24 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues☆
  • 9/26 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater☆
  • 9/27 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center☆
  • 9/28 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory☆×
  • 9/30 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren+
  • 10/1 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium+^
  • 10/2 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues+^
  • 10/4 – San Diego, CA – Soma+
  • 10/6 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic*
  • 10/8 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom*
  • 10/10 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom*
  • 10/11 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre*
  • 10/13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot*
  • 10/14 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium*
  • 10/16 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis*
  • 10/18 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee*
  • 10/19 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom*~
  • 10/21 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues*~
  • 10/22 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit*~
  • 10/23 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre*
  • 10/24 – Toronto, ON – History*•
  • 10/26 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway*
  • 10/27 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom*
  • 10/30 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia*
  • 10/31 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring*
  • 11/1 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz*

☆ Four Year Strong appearing

+ 3OH!3 appearing

* The Summer Set appearing

^ The Ready Set appearing

~ Every Avenue appearing

● SayWeCanFly appearing

× Max Bemis appearing

The Space Turtles Address Artificial Intelligence in New Song “Unplug”

July 14, 2023 — Leave a comment

The advances – and dangers – of AI have been a hot topic for years, but with the introduction of Snapchat’s My AI and all the AI-generated images on social media lately, this is a subject that now hits close to home for all of us. Indie grunge rockers The Space Turtles are no exception.

In their most recent single, “Unplug,” this Long Island based band writes about the extremes of our AI fascination and how it’s going off the rails. Reality has become twisted. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to discern between what’s real and what’s not. What do The Space Turtles recommend? Unplug, and live the simple life.

“We are living a lie/Dear God/Zeroes and ones, what have we done?/I need to unplug…”

“Unplug” is a warning wrapped in a funky, grungy melody and delivered with the frustration of our endless obsession with the digital world. Check it out on your favorite streaming service, or listen on YouTube below!