Author Archives: Gerard Longo

LISTEN: You’ll Be ‘Better Off’ After That Breakup

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It can be tough to see at first, but the truth is, a lot of breakups are for the best.

New Jersey-based alt-rockers The Break Plans deliver that message in empowering fashion on their latest single, “Better Off” (released May 10). The tune combines scorching guitar work with an anthemic pop sensibility, providing a lift to anyone struggling with what comes next after a relationship.

“Heartbreak is really hard and can be incredibly lonely,” shares vocalist Colton Braun. “I wanted to talk about those experiences so many of us have had. What I’ve learned is that there’s a great deal of freedom that comes from finally letting go. Writing these songs with my band was the most cathartic thing I’ve ever done. I hope our listeners can relate and find comfort in it.”

The single — the first from the band’s debut EP, Mistakes Are a Friend of Mine (due Fall 2024) — marks a watershed moment in the band’s creative process, with guitarist Mikey Strawz noting that the band feels free to create music they love.

 “This is our third cycle of releasing new music, and we’re allowing each other total freedom to write the songs that we want to make,” Strawz said. “It’s completely uninhibited and has helped the writing process immensely. After working with so many talented producers (Carl Bahner -The Wombats, Rob Chiarappa – Gray Scale/Jake Miller, Corey Mouch-Knox) and keeping a keen eye on modern pop music, we have a clear direction of what works for us.”

All Poets & Heroes Want You to Make Something of Your Life

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A good friend can be the guiding force which leads us toward self-improvement.

All Poets & Heroes explore an unconventional version of this dynamic on their new tune, “Singlehanded.” Influenced by the slacker rock of the 90s and early 2000s, the band tells the story of a person with untapped potential, and the loyal stoner friend who witnesses him wasting away into oblivion.

“Centered around a bad day — and seemingly a wasted life — a person who was told they were ‘good as gold’ is finding that life isn’t turning out the way they had hoped,” said lead vocalist Rob McCall. “He visits his stoner friend and pisses away another day. However, it’s the stoner friend, who narrates the story, that sees this person clearly and is attempting to snap them out of there woes, urging them to claim their dignity by accepting that life is hard, and trying to get them to work at bettering themselves.”

“And for fun, there’s a reference to masturbation.”

Want even more reason for excitement? All Poets & Heroes will be a part of ARREIS’ and Local Nation’s Battle of the Bands, taking place June 12 at The End. Learn more about that here!

Leading with Love & Defying Expectations (ft. Alis Vibe)

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Alis Vibe makes danceable pop music that is loaded with intention. The Italian-born musician combines European influences with contemporary American pop sensibilities to deliver a message rooted in love, compassion, and boundless creativity.

On this episode of The Quinn Spinn, we learn about the journey that brought Alis from Milan to Nashville, and the deep inner work she’s done to show up as her most compassionate, creative self.

This episode of The Quinn Spinn was recorded and produced at Helping Our Music Evolve, Nashville, TN.

Opening theme: REVEL 9: All I’ve Become

Get to know Alis Vibe:
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The Quinn Spinn
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PHOTOS: Aaron Lee Tasjan at The Blue Room

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Aaron Lee Tasjan at The Blue Room (Nashville, TN)

Aaron Lee Tasjan is a performer’s performer; one whose love of art and experimentation combines in tremendous fashion with a distinct reverence for the rock and roll traditions which came before him. With a knack for storytelling and a sharp wit to match, he invites each member of his audience to make a personal connection with his music.

That’s what we had a chance to experience last Thursday at The Blue Room, and we were more than happy to take the ride!

Tasjan’s performance was in celebration of his new album, Stellar Evolution. Released on April 12, the full-length offering explores and shatters sonic boundaries, while offering personal takes on sobriety (“The Drugs Did Me”), the queer adolescent experience (“Horror Of It All”), and the state of American political culture (“I Love America Better Than You”).

Set highlights — aside from the aforementioned fan favorites — included special guest appearances by renowned guitarist, songwriter, and producer Butch Walker; indie rock standout Molly Martin (who opened the evening), and interdisciplinary musician and producer Lafemmebear on an exciting rendition of Lucinda Williams’ “Drunken Angel.” Walker and Lafemmebear stayed onstage to add their respective flavors to Tasjan’s 2021 song, “Up All Night.”

Of the new tunes, “Pants” brought funky, feel-good vibes to accompany a message empowering the audience to feel comfortable within their own skin. The beachy, romantic “Ocean Drive” brought a sense of serenity into the room, as it captured the essence of feeling at home with the one you love.

Tasjan even gave us a preview of what is to come post-Stellar Evolution by performing two new songs. “The Real” felt like a love letter to those in attendance; one which gave Tasjan a chance to showcase his guitar chops, with an emotive solo reminiscent of Richie Sambora at his most soulful. Immediately thereafter, “Punk Rock Joy” was a high-energy banger which made a statement — no matter what the world, society, or a government takes away from us, it can’t have what’s inside our hearts.

LISTEN: On ’26,’ Spence Brown Describes Feeling Lost

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Can we truly find ourselves if, at first, we aren’t lost?

Spence Brown explores what it means to drift through life as time slips away on his latest offering, “26.” The contemplative new single was self-written and produced, recorded in one late night session and presented as a raw antidote to burning existential questions.

“I wanted to keep it simple and just talk about how I feel, so I didn’t even write a hook. Just rapped,” Brown said. “Like most of the other songs I made for this project, this was made late at night all in one session, just me, a microphone and the stars.”

“26” is the third single from Brown’s upcoming album, slated for release this June. Brown notes that this single is one of the album’s most vulnerable moments, and stems from his own challenge to find direction and purpose.

“In my mid-twenties, I really kinda lost hope for a while. I felt like I was just floating in space, with everything that I wanted out of my reach,” Brown said. “It was a very empty and numb feeling and I put that all into this song.”

Navigating Your Vision Through External Changes

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In this Quinn Spinn Highlight, Adam Lawrence of The Mad Sugars discusses the importance of remaining true to your vision, even as circumstances outside of your control continue to change.

Stream ‘Personal Space,’ the new album, out now: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/album/1FXmc9xOr4RUuiCe6kHfWt?si=JX0Sizz2TJmA4In-GmNkqQ⁠

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

The Quinn Spinn
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Apple Podcasts⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/2tuvpzdh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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LISTEN: Mackenzie Shrieve, Jane Bruce Re-Imagine ‘Didn’t I Tell Ya’

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Sometimes, a track is so nice, the artist has to release it twice.

Brooklyn-based folk artist Mackenzie Shrieve released her album, In the While, in 2021. One of the songs, “Didn’t I Tell Ya,” captivated Shrieve’s audience so much that she teamed up with fellow folk singer Jane Bruce to give it new life.

“When I saw Jane perform for the first time, I was immediately enamored by her songwriting and vocal performance,” Shrieve said. “She is one of my favorite folk singers of all time. I knew that I wanted to re-release this song and I knew whatever Jane decided to do with it would be breathtaking – and I was right!”

“Didn’t I Tell Ya” was written as a “bittersweet reflection on the intricacies of a past relationship.” The song features a gentle fingerpicked guitar progression and a spacious, minimalist soundscape which allows its nostalgic narrative to shine. Shrieve’s earnest, Dylan-esque storytelling has won the hearts of her contemporaries, including Bruce.

“Mackenzie is an incredible writer and one of the hardest-working artists I know,” Bruce said. “I heard ‘Didn’t I Tell Ya’ for the first time while we were on the same bill at Arlene’s Grocery, and it stopped me in my tracks. It’s a perfect song! Simple, true, specific, and yet completely relatable. We’ve been fans of one another since then, and I was over the moon when she asked me to feature on one of her tunes. When I found out it was this one, my heart swelled.”

Soothe Your Nerves with Old Sea Brigade’s ‘Polygraph’

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Photo credit: Rebecka Wendesten

Today, we invite you to take a break from the chaos. Relax. Reflect. Cast your fears and worries away.

We’re happy to lend you a hand on this mission by offering “Polygraph,” the latest from Sweden-based Old Sea Brigade (the artist project of musician Ben Cramer). This mellow dreamscape features soothing piano tones on top of a calming acoustic foundation, giving us peace and perspective in times of uncertainty.

“‘Polygraph’ is a song all about the fear of the unknown and how that can manifest into anxiety,” Cramer said. “It’s about when you take a big step into a new phase in your life when those big changes actually happen, and you suddenly freak out and wonder… ‘was this the right step?’ but you feel bad for even thinking that. ‘Polygraph’ is about riding that out, letting it pass, and is meant to be an antidote to all that, to remind you… you don’t have to slow-dance with the next thought you have.”

Cramer is no stranger to the unknown. Born in Atlanta and previously residing in Nashville, he and his wife experienced a major life shift by relocating to Gothenburg, Sweden and welcoming their first child. Through “Polygraph,” Cramer illustrates how he found his own reassurance — and even provided us with some serene visuals, for good measure.

See what we mean below, and feel free to meditate on this one.

BETHLEHEM, PA: Here’s our June 21 Sounds of the Underground lineup!

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Now that our friends back home at ArtsQuest have unveiled their full Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks lineup — check out the full season here, courtesy of our pal John Moser — it’s time for us to hit you with our official Sounds of the Underground lineup, coming to the iconic Bethlehem venue on Friday, June 21.

As previously mentioned, Sounds of the Underground (co-presented by our friends at Your Next Favorite Band) will feature eight eastern Pennsylvania-based performers across two stages. The evening kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with a Nashville-style songwriters round on Levitt Pavilion, where you will get to experience a variety of genres, from folk and Americana, to indie rock and hip hop. Our performers are…

  • Alex Radus (Folk/Singer-songwriter)
  • Bren (Indie/Alternative)
  • Chelsea Mitchell of Dirty Dollhouse (Alt-Americana)
  • Greg Adams of TIOGA (Rock)
  • Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise (Hip Hop/Alternative)
  • Tye Vallone & Brie Emsee of The Groove Merchants (Blues/Rock/Soul)

Then, we kick the evening into overdrive at 9 p.m., right across 1st St. on the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square. There, we’ll be joined by high-powered, harmonic rock band The Beautiful Distortion, before closing the evening with Radus’ well-regarded alt-rock project, Hot4Robot.

Normally, this would be the part where we would link you to purchase tickets, but like the rest of this season’s Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks lineup, Sounds of the Underground is FREE, all-ages, and open to the public! Bring your lawn chair, grab a spot, and join us in Bethlehem on the first Friday of summer!

LISTEN: Paige Davis Lets Go on ‘The Stars & You’

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We can’t forge ahead without leaving some things behind.

Paige Davis examines this reality — trading love and the starry night sky for big city dreams — with her new single, “The Stars & You.”

“I had this idea when I first moved to Nashville—this is the first time I’ve lived in a city and not a small town. I looked up to the sky one night hoping to get some inspiration the way I used to and couldn’t see any stars,” Davis said. “I was thinking about how, up until that moment, whenever I was missing someone, I could always look to the night sky and find some clarity. For the first time, I didn’t have that comfort or reassurance. I brought this idea to some of my besties, and luckily, we were totally on the same page.”

“The Stars & You” is a warm summer night wrapped up in an ambiance not unlike early, pop country Taylor Swift. Davis’ earnest storytelling details the hard truth that comes with moving on, while also looking ahead to new experiences.

“My hopes are for people in a similar situation to connect with this song and understand that it’s okay to take the road less traveled,” Davis said. “Sometimes, that road can even lead you to some of the best experiences of your life.”

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