Tag Archives: rock

UMC20: Charging in Like a Lion (Mar. 5, 2024)

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Hyperpop? We’ve got it. Soulful hip hop? Yep. Americana and rock? Check and check. We even lead off with a new, disco-inspired cut.

Every week, we task ourselves with the responsibility of providing 20 fresh, interesting new tracks. Thanks to you, our job is never too difficult. These tasty jams — plus not one, but TWO episodes of our Official Podcast — should keep your ears, hearts, and minds satisfied all week long.

Track listing
Helena Hallberg – Surprisingly Disco
Titans of Siren – Daytrip
Game Changer – Just Sayin’
Spence Brown – Scotch Thoughts
Izzy Rage – Wreck
TsukiMai – Selenophile
Rose Starring – Violently Sad
Cardiac Half – Gloom
The Trampoline Delay – Excuses Excuses
Alisa Amador ft. Quinn Christopherson – I Need to Believe
Sam Gyllenhaal Band – Mary Does (Acoustic)
Sarah Gargano – Red Solo Cup
The Atomic Age – Heart
Sarah Free – Sober
Laney Jones – Stay at Home
Crow and Gazelle – Take It Away
Patrick Davis – Southern Roots
Brother Dege – Turn of the Screw
The Kentucky Gentlemen – Beg Your Parton
Mikayla Lewis – All is Well

UMC20: The Best of February 2024

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It makes sense that, in a year where February gives us an extra day, that we have a surplus of HEAT from which to choose as we compile the UMC Best of February playlist.

And so, even in a short month, it leaves us with some tough cuts to make. As you always do, independent artists of Earth, you brought your best to us this month. Here’s what we’ve got to show for it as a result!

Track listing
Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise – High Vibrationz
Jordyn Tareaz – Again
Malcolm DeWayne – Amethyst Nights
Lord Goldie – On da Line
Foundation Mecca ft. Ari Shavon – TKO
Spence Brown – 2024
Gangstagrass ft. Jerry Douglas – The Only Way Out is Through
Laura Mustard – Dirty Minds & Wild Hearts
The Steel Wheels – Sideways
Josh Fortenbery – Heirlooms
Ty Warner ft. Olivia Frances – This is Not Goodbye
Sarina Haggarty – Lipstick to Myself
Parker Barrow – Back to Birmingham
The Wandering Hearts – Letter to Myself
Aaron Lee Tasjan – The Drugs Did Me
Fuchsia – Backseat Blues
The Mad Sugars ft. Monte Mader – Dare Me
Olive Dares the Darkness – Not My Fault
Jasce – River
EMMI IIDA ft. Peachkit – Higher Self

On ‘Letter to Myself,’ The Wandering Hearts Honor the Innocence of Youth

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The thrill and innocence of youth is fleeting. Before we know it, we’re looking back at those years wishing we had treasured them more.

That is the sentiment shared by British folk-rock trio The Wandering Hearts, whose new single, “Letter to Myself,” reaches back in time recalling missed opportunities and days gone by. Listeners will immediately be taken by gorgeous three-part harmonies, which help us remember a time with nothing but blue skies ahead. Timeless piano chords march us forward like the passage of time, while skillfully layered acoustic guitar and organ tones add a solid helping of nostalgia into the sonic landscape.

“I was talking about my sister-in-law,” said vocalist Tara Wilcox, “Every time I saw her, she’d be like, ‘I just turned 21, and I’m turning 22 next year’. She’s always inches away from the next big milestone.”

“Letter to Myself” is included on the band’s forthcoming full-length album, Mother, due out everywhere on March 3. The album is described as “an exploration of motherhood and personal growth, which captures the little moments that assume a much greater significance.”

“I was pregnant when we started making the record, and Tara was pregnant when we finished it,” said vocalist and mandolin player Francesca “Chess” Whiffin. “During the process, we really found ourselves as a band. Motherhood has helped us grow and find meaning. It brought our writing and performing to a different level.”

Here comes a taste of the record! Check out the lyric video for “Letter to Myself” below.

UMC20: Fall in Love with These Tracks (Feb. 13, 2024)

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There’s a lot to love about UMC20 every week. But, with warm and fuzzy feelings in the air for those who celebrate Valentine’s Day, that sentiment feels even stronger today.

This is a powerful, dynamic lineup of songs, featuring styles across the musical spectrum. We start with rock, give you a heapin’ helpin’ of Americana in the middle, and then progress to pop, R&B, and hip hop to round it out.

Also, we have not one, but TWO bonus tracks: We just announced that we’re going to two weekly episodes of The Quinn Spinn this week, and our two latest interviews are included at the bottom of the playlist!

Track listing
Olive Dares the Darkness – Not My Fault
The Mad Sugars ft. Monte Mader – Dare Me
Fame & Fiction – Knuckles
Sugadaisy – Slip n Fall
Cole Gallagher – Lost Sounds
Ben Carr – Seventeen
The Wandering Hearts – Letter to Myself
The Dead South – Yours To Keep
Moonsville Collective – Helen Highway
The HawtThorns – Nothing But A Shadow
Tyler Ramsey – New Lost Ages
The Steel Wheels – Sideways
Laura Mustard – Dirty Minds & Wild Hearts
Spencer LaJoye – Someday You’ll Wake Up Okay
Sabrina Song – Okay, Okay
Jordyn Tareaz – Again
Jetta – sticky ickyKuf Knotz & Christine Elise – High Vibrationz
Foundation Mecca – Felt Like This
RAHMAT ALLAHGXDMC – Rain

RECAP: Sugadaisy w/ Mills at The Basement

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To see Sugadaisy live is to step into a dynamic live music experience hallmarked by an intriguing blend of influences. You’ll lose yourself in the band’s jam and psych-rock sensibilities, presented with rock and roll swagger. Simultaneously, you’ll also find tenderness in the Americana undertones present in different moments throughout their catalog. Without question, this quintet from Bowling Green, KY brings a fresh, multi-faceted musical perspective to the table that fans of bands like Dr. Dog and Goose will surely gravitate toward (assuming they haven’t already).

It’s no wonder, then, that they performed to a packed house in Nashville on Saturday night, loading up The Basement with fans who came from near and far to hang on every moment.

The band’s 50-minute set was a thrilling precursor to a big month ahead, as they head out on the road as special guests on St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ Angels in Science Fiction tour, with dates from Alabama to Vermont (and a good chunk of states in between).

Supporting Sugadaisy was Mills, a fellow Kentucky native who just returned from a five-year stint on the West Coast. Mills’ acoustic set showcased his own versatility; his infectious brand of acoustic pop delivered a raw honesty that endeared him to new fans, while the existing ones in attendance came ready to sing along.

PHOTOS: Absolute Silence, Keep The Eleven, and YEARB4 at The End

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This past Thursday, Nashville’s Rock Block certainly lived up to its name.

On this particular night, we had a stellar trio of homegrown bands to thank for that, as a steadily packed house at The End had the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of Absolute Silence, Keep The Eleven, and YEARB4.

Absolute Silence led things off, fresh from a cowboy-themed music video shoot. Their expansive set touched on a variety of styles, with elements of garage rock, punk, Americana, and even a little bit of pop blended brilliantly together into their set. (Plus, there was this epic drum solo, which we still haven’t gotten over.)

Keep The Eleven was up next. The Chicagoland natives kept the momentum going, bringing a dynamic, high-energy performance to the stage that showcased their unbridled creative spirit. From start to finish, this garage rock power trio didn’t relent, opening up their diverse catalog and building connections with an audience who hung on their every note and lyric.

Speaking of audience connection, it was clear to anyone in attendance that YEARB4 has mastered the art. The band’s collective stage presence — led by confident and charismatic frontman Lucas Blair — is the perfect complement to their swaggering brand of modern rock, and made clear why this band has enjoyed success from coast to coast.

Plus, they gave us a Creed cover, and I’m a sucker for a good Creed Bomb, anytime…

UMC20: Bringin’ the Energy (Jan. 23, 2024)

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Maybe it’s the New Year’s optimism that’s lingering late into January. Or, maybe it’s the fact that we’re excited to have escaped our ice fortresses after last week’s winter storm extraordinaire in Nashville. Either way, there’s a buzz in the air.

That buzz has its sonic representation on this week’s playlist. Many of the tracks here are on the high-energy side of the spectrum, keeping your blood pumping through any weather.

Bonus track: Our pal Ty Warner moved into a five-way tie for second place all-time for Quinn Spinn appearances, and we invite you to dig into that episode as an extra treat at the end.

Track listing
William Prince – When You Miss Someone (Roosevelt Remix)
Harris Hills – ACTION MAN
ROM COM – Mess You Made
Kabir Green – I See Gold
Marcus King – F*ck My Life Up Again
Earthquake Lights – Heartbeat
Kendra & The Bunnies – Manic Pixie Nightmare
Michael Daughtry ft. Tishmone’ – Save Me Some
Armchair Boogie – Gone in a Day
Kitchen Dwellers ft. Lindsay Lou – The Crow and The Raven (III)
J.Antonette – Run Girl Run
The Bones of J.R. Jones – My Hometown
Elise Browell – Remarkable
Tucker Woods – Are You Glass?
The Mighty Calm – Boardwalks
Rundown Kreeps – Big Bear
Mad Caddies – Baby
Keep the Eleven – Do You Wanna Change The World?
MONTE – Canna-Vision
Tommy Magik and the Wonderfulls – I Do What I Want

LISTEN: Marcus King Waits for Love to ‘F*ck (His) Life Up Again’

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You may arleady be familiar with Marcus King as a fourth generation, mega-talented guitar virtuoso. Today, you’ll hear him as you never have before.

King explores his potent soul and R&B sensibilities on the new, Rick Rubin-produced track, “F*ck My Life Up Again.” The anguish in King’s voice is palpable, and the emotion put forth is enhanced by gorgeous string arrangements, shimmering organ tones, and a signature King guitar solo given new life, thanks to Rubin’s glitched-up studio wizardry.

Thematically, “F*ck My Life Up Again” pulls no punches, as King reflects on his tendency to chase unhealthy, codependent relationships.

“I was hesitant to record a song with such a foul word in it given my southern, Christian upbringing, but there were no other words I could find to capture the emotion I felt,” King said. “The anger associated with missing someone you know is only going to bring you pain, missing a relationship that only hurts you, (and) feeling hopeless to the point of wanting them to come back, because the only thing worse than the co-dependent hell you created together is the profound loneliness you feel.”

The single is accompanied by a lyric video whose dark, contemplative mood speaks to the emotion of the song. Watch it below!

UMC20: Coming In from All Corners (Jan. 16, 2024)

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International artists? Rock and Roll Hall of Famers? What special occasion could possibly bring all of these incredible talents under the same roof?

For us, it’s just Tuesday.

Where else can you find a weekly indie music playlist that offers as many unique flavors as UMC20? We’ve got everything you need right here, pulled together every Tuesday from all corners of the musical landscape.

This week’s bonus track is our Quinn Spinn conversation with Zhaklina, whose new single, “M.D.B.M.,” is also featured early in this week’s playlist.

Track listing:
Chloe Stroll – Run (PINES Remix)
Zhaklina – M.D.B.M
NOANNE – White Glove
Fie Eike – The Nile
Intellect ft. Dave East – Too Many Losses
My Life Story – Running Out of Heartbeats
Aaron Lee Tasjan – Horror Of It All
Alex Jordan – Saving Grace
The Steel Wheels – Hero
Spencer LaJoye – How Are You
Mary McGuinness – Touchstone
Frontier Ruckus – Clarkston Pasture
Jobi Riccio – Whiplash
Teagan Stewart – New Nashville
Reid Haughton – Man Made Money
The Washboard Union – Neon Needs The Night
The Sleeping Souls – Scared of Living
Ricky Byrd – Rhapsody in Blues (One for Jeff)
The Blues Emergency – Quicksand
Campanula – She Said

LISTEN: On ‘Saving Grace,’ Alex Jordan Ain’t Too Proud to Beg

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Alex Jordan Saving Grace

Photo credit: Lauren Bettino

A love lost will lead a man to go to great lengths for redemption.

We see this story play out in the music video for “Saving Grace,” new single from Austin-based musical superhero Alex Jordan. Directed by award-winning duo Neilson Hubbard & Joshua Britt (John Prine, Jason Isbell), the video depicts a man trying to win back the love of his life by any means possible… while she consistently makes him aware that it’s too little, too late..

Despite the theme of heartbreak, the track itself is a timeless, lively slice of Americana. Produced by four-time GRAMMY-winner Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and mastered by seven-time GRAMMY-winner Jim Scott (The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Sting), “Saving Grace” features a glorious horn arrangement and Jordan’s powerful vocals. These elements — combined with lush keyboard, organ, and guitar layers — provide a bright tone to the affair, befitting the comedic elements contained within the video.

“Only a few weeks before we solidified plans to make the record, I recall sitting in my bedroom on a cool night and jamming aimlessly on my Taylor until a verse appeared,” Jordan said. “I worked out the remaining parts of the song over the next few nights. I spent perhaps the most time on this song with lyrical edits, working with Kevin Russell (Shinyribs), who served as my lyrical spirit guide for much of the record. Closing the record out with the strong horn section and wailing vocals felt incredibly satisfying. I knew from the first take that this record was going to be a blast to make.” 

As it turns out, “Saving Grace” is just as enjoyable a listen! And, in even more exciting news, it’s included on Jordan’s forthcoming full-length album, Queen Kerosene, scheduled to release on all streaming platforms on Friday, March 8.

Get ready for the big day with “Saving Grace” below!

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