INTERVIEW: Catch Up with North Carolina Indie Rock Band Kicking Bird

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; March 24, 2025]

11 Short Fictions is the sophomore album from Wilmington, North Carolina band, Kicking Bird. Filled with the same jangly hooks and interwoven vocals that the band is known for, the record also dives into a soundscape and lyrical content  that is much darker and heavier. “I’ll talk when I’m ready,” sings Shaylah Paul on the blistering waltz "Too Much Talking," and it seems like the band is ready to talk. Subject matter like blood spots, black magick and boathouse rendezvous are layered with far out guitar licks and carnally violent drums.

INTERVIEW (with Shaylah Paul + Shaun Paul)

Q: In your opinion, what are the essential qualities that make a “good songwriter”?

Shaylah: They write good songs. No, just kidding. To me a good songwriter possesses the ability to organize language that evokes a feeling and creates a collective experience into a melodic and rhythmic structure that people will remember.

Shaun: I feel like the best songwriters are voracious consumers of media. Everything, books, records, movies, TV, horoscopes, all of it is great for generating ideas as well as having more vocabulary and point of reference. The more stories and imagery you have bouncing around your head the larger palate you have. That's why I love how much inclusivity there is in the Wilmington music scene. So many people are creating right now in this town.

Q: What is the basis for writing attention-grabbing music in this day and age?

Shaylah: In this day and age, music grabs peoples attention by making them want to dance, fuck, cry or they think they can make money off it. But isn't that how it's always been?

Shaun: I don't think it differs from age to age. It's always going to be music that relates to shared experience. Sometimes that is something topical and very on the dot for the moment, or sometimes it's a feeling or message that could have come from anywhere or anytime. The trick is when you can be that broad but still not be vague.

Q: Can you pinpoint some specific songs and songwriters that changed the way you write music?

Shaylah: It's hard to pinpoint any specific example that changed the way I write music, but over the last year or two I've started listening to more of a diverse array of genres, including a lot more pop music. There's a stigma a lot of musicians hold over pop - that it is inherently lacking in substance, but it's way harder to write a decent, memorable hook than you might think, so it always impresses me.

Shaun: I'm very inspired by sci-fi novels. I love Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert, and Alan Moore. Comic books are a regular part of my songwriting diet. As far as songwriters, I really love the classics. Dylan, Springsteen, Waits, Cohen, they are the greatest lyricists in American history. Nebraska, Blood On The Tracks and Death Of A Ladies Man should be required listening for anyone who wants to write lyrics. 

Q: Do you find it hard to be inspired by your peers? Can you name any new artists you find inspiring?

Shaylah: Not at all. I'm inspired by them and when I hear them write and perform a great song I'm happy for them, but then I go home and try to write something better, which I think is a healthy thing a lot of people do. Locally, I'm obsessed with Chloe Torres from Pearl, an incredible voice and stage presence. And I've always been humbled and driven by Shaun's songwriting. I can't write lyrics like he does. As far as on a grander scale, new artists I find inspiring are everyone, unless I don't like it.

Shaun: I'm pushed by my peers. It's always inspiring to see anyone who feels compelled to write and share what they have created. Wilmington has a wonderful musical community. The scene has quickly grown to include some really amazing artists. I saw Taylor from The Unbearable Lightness perform a song he wrote based off of a dream with just a harmonium for accompaniment and it brought me to tears. It was shattering.

Q: For your new album, what inspired the lyrical content, album title, and overall vibe?

Shaylah: For my three songs on this record, the throughline is that they were all written with a very specific memory, or experience, in mind and I tried to transport myself into that moment and pull things out of it: the colors, the details, the encounters, what I remember versus what other people tell me they remember, and amalgamate them into the song. There's a lot of sensuality, jealousy, vulnerability, and secret confessions in this record, thematically.

Shaun: This album is very much a collection of stories. We have sci-fi, horror, fantasy, erotica, and even comics. We wanted to put together an anthology of individual tales. 11 Short Fictions is exactly that, short snippets of time. 

Q: Do you find that you ruminate over writing songs and hold on to them for a long time before including them on a record? Or do you prefer to write them, release them, and be done with them? Do you ever re-visit old material to do a re-write or once it’s done it’s done?

Shaylah: For me, the best songs - or the songs that get shared with the band and make it onto the record - are written pretty quickly because something is an instant inspiration and then all the components fall together. If it takes longer, it usually starts to feel forced and contrived. From time to time, parts of an older song that never went anywhere get repurposed.

Shaun: I feel like we can tell almost instantly if a song is going to work for the band. Sometimes a phrase or concept will come back into a song in the future, but if they don't work we normally just toss them into the fire. We prefer to have the record be current music, once we write a song, we get stoked and want to share it as soon as we can.

Q: Were there any lessons you learned in the writing and recording process for your current release that you will take with you into your next project?

Shaylah: There's more of a sense of urgency in writing new material, as much as possible, and starting the recording process right away. Because the post-recording process takes a while. And, for this record, we partnered with local artists for the album and single art and I'd like to continue that for future records. It takes a lot of pressure off us as band members who aren't experts in those fields, and we love the collaborative spirit of partnering with artists in the community.

Shaun: The shorthand that we have with each other makes the process really rewarding. It's such an amazing experience to get to break these songs down to tiny parts and fill in cracks and add decorations. We have plans for a few different instruments and recording techniques that we are excited to try on the next one, but really we are just excited for 11 Short Fictions. It's something that we've worked really hard on and very much want to share.

LET'S DANCE on Saturday, April 5th at The Underfront Co.

LET'S DANCE on Saturday, April 5th at The Underfront Co. in Downtown Wilmington NC on Front Street.

LET'S DANCE is a Vinyl DJ Night, hosted by Fort Lowell Records, featuring a variety of music — Pop, Disco, Boogie, Indie, Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic, etc. — including the latest hits and spanning the past five decades. Dancing starts at 8:00pm and goes all night. A $5.00 cover charge will be collected at the door upon entry paid via Cash, Credit Card, or Venmo.

LET'S DANCE is held monthly at The Underfront Co. on the Saturday following every First Friday (RizzyBeats' Hip-Hop Fridays)

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

We've got two new records for your vinyl collection...

Kicking Bird 11 Short Fictions 

JPW + Dad Weed Amassed Like a Rat King

KICKING BIRD is for fans of: Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, Broken Social Scene, Blur, The Cardigans, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, The Dears, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, KISS, The Love Language, The New Pornographers, The Pixies, The Presidents of the United States of America, The Rolling Stones, Silversun Pickups, Surfer Blood, T. Rex, Two Door Cinema Club, Weezer

JPW + DAD WEED is for fans of: Amen Dunes, Barenaked Ladies, Calexico, Cornershop, Elephant 6, Flaming Lips, Gin Blossoms, LEN, My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, R.E.M., Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, U2, Wilco, Link Wray

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Will an Amazon Prime Video show provide a needed spotlight for Wilmington music?

The Runarounds

[Repost from StarNews Online; by John Station, March 24, 2025]

For decades, Wilmington's music scene, while vibrant, has rocked out in relative obscurity.

Even as venues like Live Oak Bank Pavilion and Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre have brought more big-name touring acts to town in recent years than ever before, for the most part Wilmington bands have struggled to gain much notice outside the Port City.

It's not for lack of talent or productivity, as one could easily create an hours-long Spotify playlist using only the best songs of Wilmington artists.

But with a Wilmington-shot TV series, "The Runarounds" — about a young band with an infectiously jangly sound trying to make it big — set to hit the Amazon Prime Video streaming service later this year, many have high hopes that the Wilmington scene could soon have something it's long lacked: lots and lots of attention.

Wilmington has had hit TV shows before, from "Dawson's Creek" to "The Summer I Turned Pretty," and fans still come to town to visit the place "One Tree Hill" was made. And while no one knows for sure whether "The Runarounds," will be a hit with viewers — it hasn't yet been given a release date more specific than "2025" — the signs are encouraging.

For one, show creator Jonas Pate, who lives in Wilmington and whose daughter, Lilah Pate, is one of the stars of "The Runarounds," has a proven track record with his Netflix mega-smash "Outer Banks," which will air its fifth and final season in 2026.

Pate said "The Runarounds" will feature music by Wilmington bands in the show and on its all-important soundtrack and playlists.

Veteran Wilmington indie rock band Summer Set, along with the poppy rock act Kicking Bird, both of whom have albums out on Wilmington's Fort Lowell Records, will have multiple songs on the show, Pate said.

Other Wilmington acts with music in "The Runarounds" include Tres Altman and indie-folk band The Paper Stars, and Max Agee of Wilmington band Lawn Enforcement and Wilmington's Suck Rock Records, something Agee called "a nice bit of validation."

Also with a song in the show is former Wilmington musician Kim Ware, who records for Fort Lowell.

The Runarounds have gigged at several Wilmington venues in the past couple of years — the band consists of William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Zende Murdock, Jesse Golliher, and Jeremy Yun — and they played an event for Amazon Prime Video on March 7 at the taste-making South by Southwest festival in Austin. Lilah Pate was there cheering them on.

They have a slot at Charlotte's massive Lovin' Life Music Fest May 3, and their next Wilmington gig is May 17 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater with another young rock band, The Stews.

Perhaps most important for Wilmington's music scene, however, not only will "The Runarounds" feature lots of Wilmington locations and some Wilmington-born songs, but its setting isn't some fictional place like Tree Hill, Capeside or Cousins Beach but Wilmington itself.

That's key, said Robin Wood of beloved Wilmington punk rock act Tercel, because "not only does it represent the Wilmington scene visually, but it puts the whole idea that there's a music scene in Wilmington out there on the screen."

With multiple talented bands packing out Wilmington rooms on a regular basis, from midtown rock club Reggie's to Fifth Avenue juke joint The Rusty Nail, "There's something to shine a light on," said Tercel singer Savannah Wood. "We have fans. There's an audience that wants music and is willing to go out and pay money to see it."

Robin Wood did some work on "The Runarounds" via Wilmington production company Lighthouse Films, whose founder, Brad Walker, is the show's director of photography. Tercel pedal steel player Chris Vinopal also works for Lighthouse (a pedal steel player in a punk band? Only in Wilmington), and Savannah Wood had worked with some of "The Runarounds" costumers on another locally shot show, "The Summer I Turned Pretty."

All those connections helped the band land one of their distinctive T-shirts — with an alligator screaming "Tercel!" — on Runarounds band member Jeremy Yun during a scene on the show's upcoming first season, Robin Wood said.

It might seem like a small thing for a band to have a T-shirt, or even a song, featured on a TV show. Then again, every little bit of attention can add up, especially if "The Runarounds" attracts an audience similar to the millions worldwide who watched Pate's show "Outer Banks."

"We're on the cusp," said Altman, of Wilmington band The Paper Stars. "Once the show hits, those playlists get a lot of views, and people are going to want to learn more about those bands."

Wilmington DJ and producer RizzyBeats is a regular presence at shows and behind the counter at Castle Street's Gravity Records, and has released music with Fort Lowell.

"Anything on a national scale that will keep Wilmington’s name in people’s minds will be helpful," he said. "The scene here is very vibrant with a ton of incredibly talented individuals that could rival any big city, in my opinion. There are a lot of creators here that are producing quality music."

Sean Thomas Gerard is a 15-year veteran of the Wilmington scene both as solo artist (he has a gorgeous 2021 album, "Finally Found a Paradise," on Fort Lowell Records) and with his previous band, Onward, Soldiers.

"It's crazy to me the scene here doesn't get more attention," Gerard said. "It's as good as anywhere. Maybe not as many bands as the bigger markets, but there's something for everybody. You just gotta look for it."

In 2012, Gerard was featured playing one of his songs on "One Tree Hill," and his band Onward, Soldiers' song "Stick to Your Guns" was used to score a key scene on the show.

"It still gets tons of streams. It's kind of been the gift that keeps on giving," he said. "It just shows the potential of what a TV show can do for a town, or for a scene."

Notes on a scene

"Potential" is probably a good word for what Wilmington's music scene possesses.

More attention could only help a young Wilmington band like the poppy rock act Fudge, which packs out Reggie's on a regular basis and scored a slot at Charlotte's Lovin' Life Music Fest in May, joining The Runarounds as the only other Wilmington act on the bill alongside such acts as The Dave Matthews Band, Weezer, Gwen Stefani and Ludacris.

"It's pretty exciting" that the show could give a boost to the Wilmington music scene, said Fudge's singer, Patrick Riesmeyer. "There are so many bands right now. The original music scene is really growing."

Fudge is an independent band, and while they've made certain inroads, Riesmeyer said, like scoring steady gigs playing college fraternity parties around the state, they spend a lot of time marketing themselves on social media and elsewhere. A hit show about a band from Wilmington could potentially make that easier for a group like Fudge, even if they're not directly involved with "The Runarounds."

It's not like no bands have ever broken out of Wilmington. Hard rock acts like ASG, He Is Legend and Weedeater have fans all over the world, while indie rock acts like The Rosebuds and The Love Language started in Wilmington before going on to sign with Merge Records. Tercel and Wilmington post-punk trio Exercise played the esteemed Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh this year.

Some say the Wilmington scene is already better than it gets credit for.

"We're spoiled. A lot of people take it for granted," said Delia Stanley, a Wilmington singer who can be found playing covers and originals at venues around town. "I'm an old punk rocker, so, the way I look at it, once everybody knows about something," the scene will inevitably change, and not necessarily for the better.

Others aren't certain that the Wilmington scene, vibrant as it is, is ready for prime time.

"There's definitely talent," said Altman, of The Paper Stars. "But something's missing."

One thing that's missing, Altman said, is a midsize indoor venue that could host both local and touring acts year-round. Right now, most Wilmington venues that host concerts are either big and/or outdoors, like Greenfield Lake (1,200) and Live Oak (7,200), or much more intimate, like Reggie's, Bourgie Nights downtown or The Palm Room at Wrightsville Beach, all of which hold 200 or less.

Notable exceptions might be the Brooklyn Arts Center, which hosts more events and weddings than it does concerts, and Bowstring Burgers & Brewyard on Princess Street, which has made inroads booking touring jam and tribute bands.

"We're lacking a serious indoor venue," said Altman, who cut his musical teeth on the scenes in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, before moving here about 15 years. "We need a Fox Theatre," like the one in Boulder, which has a capacity of about 625 and regularly hosts both local and touring acts.

Altman said he'd also like to see better promotion of Wilmington music locally; some kind of big annual music festival with a mix of local bands and touring acts; and more Wilmington bands as openers at Live Nation-run venues Greenfield Lake and Live Oak.

Local acts only rarely get to open for touring bands in Wilmington, but when they do it provides a boost. When The Paper Stars opened for St. Paul and The Broken Bones at Greenfield Lake, "We sold some records, got some social media hits," Altman said. "It lasted like two weeks, then it's over.

"There is a recognizable music thing happening in this town, but it needs some cohesion," he added. "Maybe 'The Runarounds' would be a unifying force, but if there's not a tangible brick and mortar place, that momentum will also be lost."

Wilmington DJ and producer Rizzy Beats echoed Altman's call for "more music-centric and music-focused venues for the artists to build their brand and following."

"Wilmington’s best strength has always been its tenacity, making lemonade out of lemons," he added, noting how the Wilmington scene has faced adversity in losing multiple venues over the past 10 to 15 years, including the legendary Soapbox in 2013. "But there are still so many musicians, artists and DJs here. We’ve got artists representing jazz, hip-hop, folk, rock, metal, punk and so much more. And they’re producing original material at a high level."

This time next year, if "The Runarounds" ends up being a spotlight for Wilmington music, it could be that a lot more people will be listening.

OUT NOW: JPW & Dad Weed "What If I Were Dying" [Digital Single]

After 15 years of collaborative experiences and cheering each other on from various distances, Zachary Toporek and Jason P. Woodbury have finally teamed up on Amassed Like a Rat King. Toporek is best known as the leader of 1970s pop-style collective Dad Weed, while Woodbury fronts spooky desert-jangle combo JPW (alongside his work with the eclectic online music magazine Aquarium Drunkard).  Uniting the strands of their crisscrossing musical sensibilities, the duo’s collaborative debut sprawls across 11 tracks of hypnotic psych-folk, mid-century pop fantasias, and ‘90s alt-pop bliss-outs. 

"What If I Were Dying" is the fourth digital single to be released from the album Amassed Like a Rat King by JPW & Dad Weed, and is now available as of today on all digital music platforms.

Jesse Locke on “What If I Were Dying”:

Jason P. Woodbury and Zachary Toporek’s tender voices come together on the cinematic album closer, “What If I Were Dying.” As vast as the Arizona desert, and equally ready-made for silent contemplation, this head-nodding groover builds up steam as it bounces like a tumbleweed, opening up into a stone cold funky bass line in the final seconds of Amassed Like A Rat King.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

MUSIC REVIEW: Kicking Bird - "Verdun"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, March 13, 2025]

If you love half as much as we do, you're going to adore the latest single from Kicking Bird. "Verdun" is picture perfect power pop. It has roots in the power pop of the 60's and 70's, but through the lens of 90's power pop that was inspired by the 60's and 70's. You get little hints of your favorite power pop artists, with shades of Cheap Trick, Mott the Hoople, and early Fountains of Wayne. It's catchy, and fuzzy, and with just enough distortion to keep things from getting too saccharine. "Verdun" has a bounce to it that is simply irresistible. By the time the heavenly guitar solo kicks in, you'll be fully on the Kicking Bird bandwagon, if you weren't already.

You can listen to "Verdun" below. 11 Short Fictions is due out April 4 on Fort Lowell Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Kicking Bird, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.

WORLD PREMIERE: Naïm Amor "Home" (Official Music Video)

Video by Tom Moore

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OUT NOW: Kicking Bird "Verdun" [Digital Single]

 11 Short Fictions is the sophomore album from Wilmington, North Carolina band, Kicking Bird. Filled with the same jangly hooks and interwoven vocals that the band is known for, the record also dives into a soundscape and lyrical content that is much darker and heavier. 

"Verdun" is the third digital single from Kicking Bird 11 Short Fictions, and is available now everywhere for your enjoyment.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

OUT NOW: JPW & Dad Weed "Far Off Road" [Digital Single]

After 15 years of collaborative experiences and cheering each other on from various distances, Zachary Toporek and Jason P. Woodbury have finally teamed up on Amassed Like a Rat King. Toporek is best known as the leader of 1970s pop-style collective Dad Weed, while Woodbury fronts spooky desert-jangle combo JPW (alongside his work with the eclectic online music magazine Aquarium Drunkard).  Uniting the strands of their crisscrossing musical sensibilities, the duo’s collaborative debut sprawls across 11 tracks of hypnotic psych-folk, mid-century pop fantasias, and ‘90s alt-pop bliss-outs. 

"Far Off Road" is the third digital single to be released from the album Amassed Like a Rat King by JPW & Dad Weed, and is now available as of today on all digital music platforms.

Jesse Locke on “Far Off Road”:

“Far Off Road” brings the lights down low, casting a single spotlight on the whisper-soft vocals of Jason P. Woodbury as the song bobs along with a gentle pulse. Ghostly doo-wop harmonies and eerily processed guitar effects carry this avant-ballad into the realm of the otherworldly, like The Penguins set adrift on Brian Eno’s faraway beach.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

New album: MindsOne || Stages — "A rock-solid hip hop odyssey through life’s many phases"

[Repost from Add to Wantlist; by Dennis, February 13, 2025]

Wait, what? Hip hop on this rock-oriented blog? This one is actually pretty cool (and universally relatable), so yeah.

Stages is the ambitious sixth studio album since 2006 from MindsOne, a collective from Wilmington, North Carolina, centered around KON Sci and Tronic, responsible for the lyrics and vocals of the 17 tunes—a whopping 63 minutes in total—here. Clever and inviting raps take us through the human life cycle, from inception to the reflective later stages in life, all those phases of development and maturation, growth and struggle, with an open ended conclusion to the project as opposed to a finite ending. Although it is a guest-heavy journey, it always feels coherent and cohesive, with energizing beats, atmospheric jazzy samples and magnetic turntablism. This is a bizarrely rich and thoughtful record.

Stages, a concept album engineered & mixed by Owen Dollar, is out now digitally and on vinyl 2-LP through Fort Lowell Records. Also featuring Kev Brown, Sam Brown, Shylow the Beat Yoda, Marco Polo, Da Beatminerz, Tink_Musik, Drew Dave, MentPlus, DJ Iron, DJ Noumenon, DJ Slim Deluxe and Jay Killman on select tracks.

Valentine's Day at The Underfront Co. in Wilmington NC

LET'S DANCE Vinyl DJ Set by Fort Lowell Record

REVIEW: Kicking Bird Unveil Their Latest Single, “What Did You Expect (with Such A Beautiful Wife)”

[Repost from V13; by Aaron Willschick, February 1, 2025]

There’s a good story behind “What Did You Expect (with Such A Beautiful Wife),” and Kicking Bird would love to share it. The band has arrived today with the premiere of their brand-new single. It comes from their forthcoming new full-length record, 11 Short Fictions.

This is the first song from the band’s highly anticipated sophomore effort, coming April 4th on Fort Lowell Records. It’s the follow-up to their 2023 debut album, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, with more of that jangly, upbeat indie rock you’ve come to expect from the band.

Commenting on the song, frontwoman Shaylah Paul states:

“‘What Did You Expect (with Such A Beautiful Wife)’ is based on real people and a real place. But none of it is true. Like most of my songs, it’s rooted in my debilitating nostalgia for the past. When I write I try to focus on a memory and zero in on a place, the people in it, how things looked, and what I knew (and didn’t know) about everything in that moment.

“Before I moved to Wilmington from Chicago, I managed a second-run, artsy movie theatre. ‘What Did You Expect (with Such A Beautiful Wife)’ is loosely inspired by my time there. The old men in the neighbourhood who made me keep the lights on until they’d had enough of their expensive, secret tequila, a desultory crush on the guy in the ticket box, and a despicable yet charismatic adulterer who led a double life.

“If you asked about a specific line, I might able to say ‘I’ll tell you exactly who that’s about.’ The rest is just patchwork. I love singing songs like this that even if the audience doesn’t get it, it transports me back to how that moment in time felt, in all senses.”

Discussing the recording process, Paul tells us:

“We recorded this before the band had played it live, so it really became a complete song in the studio. I don’t think I was there the day Robin laid his lead guitar down, so when I heard his parts I was like ‘oh ok!’ In a good way. It’s cool what having five musicians with unique points of view can do to a song from the onset to the finished product. And recording vocals, we usually do mine last and Tom (who records us) is great to work with because he doesn’t hesitate to say ‘I think you can do it better’ and he suggests the best ways to double vocals (or not).”

We previously got to know Kicking Bird a couple of years ago when guitarist Shaun Paul joined us for a High Huddle interview. That was around the time of the release of Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The band worked hard to ensure there would not be a significant gap between their debut and its follow-up. 11 Short Fictions was recorded in the same style as its predecessor, but this time, the soundscapes are a little more diverse, and the lyrical content is darker and heavier. You’ll hear about topics as unexpected and random as blood sports, black magic, and boathouse rendezvous.

Featuring, you guessed it, eleven tracks, the album title implies the storytelling element of the record. That’s why much of the subject matter is on the racy or even scandalous side. The band shows both a cheeky and a daring side at the same time. It’s just another step in the evolution of Kicking Bird.

OUT NOW: MindsOne 'Stages' [Double LP]

MindsOne, the auteur hip-hop collective from Wilmington, North Carolina (Emcees KON Sci and Tronic, along with DJs Noumenon and Slim Deluxe), present their most ambitious quest to date: Stages – their sixth studio album since 2006. As told through the lens of MindsOne’s perspectives, imaginations, and dreams, their new double album (with nineteen songs in total) explores concepts of the human experience, how we are forged through growth and struggle, and the connections that help us along the journey. MindsOne came together in the early 2000’s when four like-minded hip-hop performers from Southeastern North Carolina decided to join forces and transcend the tribal nature of the local music scene. Collectively, the group has produced and released 8 full-length releases, and found critical success within the international hip-hop community, as well as recognition from respected peers along the way. With each release, MindsOne has refined their concept-heavy approach to hip-hop music and challenged the status quo by offering listeners thought-provoking lyrics, cutting edge turntablism, and cleverly crafted song structures. Stages is a concept album through and through. The album traces the life cycle from inception, to the reflective later stages in life, and all the phases in between, with an open ended conclusion to the project as opposed to a finite ending. MindsOne uses various literary approaches to tackle all of the psychological, philosophical, sociological and spiritual stages we move through during the course of our development and maturation. Finally, Stages offers personal insight and detail into the unique yet sometimes shared experiences both Tron and KON Sci have encountered through.

MindsOne Stages is now available everywhere.

LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM | ORDER VINYL RECORD (ALMOST SOLD OUT)

REVIEW: JPW & Dad Weed "It's Happening"

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, January 28, 2025]

Phoenix, AZ based musicians Jason P. Woodbury and Zachary Toporek have released It's Happening, a new single by JPW & Dad Weed project, serving as a taste from their forthcoming Amassed Like a Rat King album. It's a scuzzy sounding exploration of left-field indie rock, as if the instruments have been gathering dust for a couple of decades.

Somehow everything still works, which comes as a surprise for the musicians themselves. The bass and drums only interlude is a 101 for less is more, before giving way wo a Tom Verlaine inspired guitar leading the way to a 60s Sci-Fi psych coda.

It's Happening is released via Fort Lowell Records. The Amassed Like a Rat King album (green vinyl, digital) is available for pre-order here. Release date: April 22.

REVIEW: Kicking Bird - "What Did You Expect (with Such a Beautiful Wife)"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, January 28, 2025]

North Carolina's Kicking Bird floored us with 2023's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album had this amazing 60's and 90's retro sound that we loved, and reminded us of bands like Weezer and Fountains of Wayne. Now they're back with "What Did You Expect (with Such a Beautiful Wife)." This new song also has a 90's throwback sound, and while there are still some sonic references to bands like Weezer and Fountains of Wayne, I'm also getting a little of Lush's poppier side and Velocity Girl. It's a song that puts a little extra noise into dream pop with more of a DIY side than we'd normally associate with the genre. The new single is filled with swirling, slightly off guitars that's going to instantly suck a lot of our readers in.

You can listen to "What Did You Expect (with Such a Beautiful Wife)" below. 11 Short Fictions is due out April 4 on Fort Lowell Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Kicking Bird, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.

OUT NOW: Kim Ware and the Good Graces "Wish I Would've Missed You" [Digital Single]

The winter holidays, and that time shortly after they wrap, tend to be a period of reflection. Many hibernate a bit, take stock, and look back on past loves, losses, and lessons learned. The new single from Kim Ware and the Good Graces, “Wish I Would’ve Missed You,” explores these themes in a concise, heartfelt package sure to please the ears of fans of such writers as Aimee Mann, Kathleen Edwards, and Neko Case.

Written over a weekend during which she and her husband “took down the decorations” post- Christmas 2023, the song was masterfully produced at Union Recording Co. in Gastonia, NC, where Steven Fiore (Young Mister) and Justin Faircloth (Houston Brothers) helped craft a melancholy yet dreamy ode, their tasteful instrumental flourishes providing the perfect backdrop for Kim’s introspective, southern-tinged vocals. 

“Wish I Would’ve Missed You” by Kim Ware and the Good Graces is now available on all music platforms.

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OUT NOW: JPW & Dad Weed "It's Happening" [Digital Single]

After 15 years of collaborative experiences and cheering each other on from various distances, Zachary Toporek and Jason P. Woodbury have finally teamed up on Amassed Like a Rat King. Toporek is best known as the leader of 1970s pop-style collective Dad Weed, while Woodbury fronts spooky desert-jangle combo JPW (alongside his work with the eclectic online music magazine Aquarium Drunkard).  Uniting the strands of their crisscrossing musical sensibilities, the duo’s collaborative debut sprawls across 11 tracks of hypnotic psych-folk, mid-century pop fantasias, and ‘90s alt-pop bliss-outs. 

"It's Happening" is the second digital single to be released from the album Amassed Like a Rat King by JPW & Dad Weed, and is now available as of today on all digital music platforms.

Jesse Locke on “It’s Happening”:

It’s all happening on “It’s Happening.” JPW & Dad Weed glide into a winding, insistent groove, mesmerizing like snake charmers with a junk shop’s worth of ramshackle flourishes. Handclaps propel low-down basslines, shakers flutter over softly uttered vocals, and organs squelch throughout transcendent guitar solos. There’s something happening here — something you can feel from your head down to your toes—and even deeper within.

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Watch the Official Lyric Video here:

OUT NOW: Kicking Bird "What Did You Expect (with Such A Beautiful Wife)" [Digital Single]

11 Short Fictions is the sophomore album from Wilmington, North Carolina band, Kicking Bird. Filled with the same jangly hooks and interwoven vocals that the band is known for, the record also dives into a soundscape and lyrical content that is much darker and heavier. 

"What Did You Expect (with Such A Beautiful Wife)" is the second digital single from Kicking Bird 11 Short Fictions, and is available now everywhere for your enjoyment.

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'Palisades' Forest Fallows | Fort Lowell Records, 2024

[Repost by Daily Vault; by Tom Haugen, January 15, 2025]

The sophomore album from the bedroom project of Tucson, Arizona's Mike Barnett and Alex Morton finds Forest Fallows teaming up with John McEntire on mixing for the nostalgic sounds of these 10 tracks, which also embrace ’90s indie-rock and post-rock, too.

“Better Each” gets the listen off to a warm and dreamy start, where a soothing backdrop is met with a sunny ambience. “Reservations” then recruits a cozy jangle, as crisp drumming is met with flowing guitar, and “Clams Casino” continues the serenity via strong attention to atmosphere amid the pop ideas.

Moving into the middle, Connor Gallaher’s bright lap steel enters the lush and melodic “Ain’t Gonna Last,” while “Just Another Day At The Ace Lounge” is a rich and stylish moment of gentle yet exploratory pop fun. “Hotel Radisson” then welcomes Ramona’s well-timed saxophone and Emmanuelle Fahey’s French monologue for the charming climate and radiates beauty and sophistication.

Further still, “In Light” employs waves of scrappy and soaring indie-rock which flirts with the hazy, light side of the equation, and the title track exits with McEntire’s drum kit fueling the sonic, ambient and textured finish to a very meticulous record.

A truly unique listen that is eclectic enough to draw comparisons to Animal Collective, Steely Dan, Radiohead, The Sea & The Cake or even The Beach Boys, this album’s every moment wraps us up in a blanket of comforting, somewhat mysterious song craft that draws from the ’60s on.

The duo have worked together for 10+ years, and that chemistry plus the excellent production and focused harmonies, reverb and percussive noisemakers leaves an indelible impression. An ideal listen for deep contemplation or just lounging around, there’s just so much to enjoy from Forest Fallows and this limited edition LP.

Rating: A-

OUT NOW: MindsOne "Moment of Awareness" ft. Jay Killman & DJ Noumenon

MindsOne has been offering their listeners innovative lyrics, heart pounding instrumentals, precise cuts, and intense live shows since 2002. Their music embodies the spirit of independent hip hop culture and pays homage to those boom bap masters and others who came before. MindsOne have consistently delivered powerful and inspirational music over the years, and have continued to perfect their sound with each project.

The fifth and final digital single "Moment of Awareness", featuring Jay Killman and DJ Noumenon, off MindsOne's new double album titled Stages (due out February 7th) is now available on all music platforms as of today.

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