When "alternative" music was still in its formative years, it was more than a genre—it was a rebellion. It represented the outcasts, the sounds too experimental for mainstream labels, and the type of music that thrived in bedrooms and basements. In an age where technology has polished even the roughest of edges, it's rare to come across a record that genuinely feels like a relic of that era. Enter Pick Up // Put Down, the debut album from Hamilton, Ontario’s Just Amsterdam, a nine-song effort that scratches at the raw underbelly of what alternative music used to signify.

Just Amsterdam describe themselves as "a relatively new band from Hamilton, Ontario that aims to write fun songs about sad times and sad songs about fun times. Never been to Amsterdam." Genre? They finally landed on Post-Bubblegum Grunge, an oddball term that somehow fits their stripped-back sound, which feels more like a live basement rehearsal than a polished studio product. At first listen, the lack of embellishment might seem jarring, like you’re hearing a couple of friends running through songs with little more than a tape recorder. But there’s a warmth in that lo-fi honesty, and once you settle into their world, it feels oddly comforting.

The band’s lineup—Randy Wu (guitarist/vocalist/songwriter), Cara McKay (songwriter/bass/lead vocals), Christopher Walker (guitars), and Griffin Jastal (drums)—recorded the album in Wu’s basement using little more than Logic Pro X and stock plugins. This DIY ethos is particularly noticeable on “Seasons,” the album’s jangly opening track. With its high-end guitars that recall the brightness of early Creedence Clearwater Revival, the track sets an inviting tone, though the bare, reverb-free vocals don’t quite meet the song’s demands.

Yet, with the acoustic-driven “Space For Me,” Just Amsterdam hits their stride. The song leans into a chord progression reminiscent of “Summer Breeze,” with McKay’s voice settling deep within the framework. As the track builds, it conjures the emotional intensity of Nirvana’s unplugged era or a quieter Bowie moment, especially when electric guitars crash in for the chorus.

Then there’s “Stuck,” a playful track that finds the vocalist adopting a quasi-British accent while delivering self-aware lines like, “I hate the sound of my voice / so of course I made the most ironic choice.” The song’s R.E.M.-esque riffing drives it forward, and by the time the roaring guitars hit, the lack of reverb becomes part of the charm. Even the descending melody in the bridge harks back to 60s pop à la The Young Rascals.

The minimalist “Interlude” gives bassist McKay a moment in the spotlight, with quirky, off-kilter melodies that feel just a touch unhinged, while “Still I Stand” opens with enough dramatic tension that you half-expect a bullfighter to stroll through your speakers. Meanwhile, “Great Lakes” is a rough-hewn acoustic blues track, complete with the sound of a train in the distance and McKay’s unvarnished whistle solo, adding to the record’s organic feel. The chaotic closer, “Big Pig Man,” brings the energy back to grunge territory, with a cathartic full-band breakdown captured in real time.

​Pick Up // Put Down is far from perfect, but it’s that imperfection that gives it character. While there are a few missteps—mainly in the vocal department—the album’s raw authenticity makes it a refreshing listen in a landscape often dominated by overproduction. It’s a mixed bag, but one that’s worth rifling through.

From Baltimore, Maryland, comes The Stone Hill All-Stars with their seventh album titled Wednesday in Winter. Together since the late ’80s, the All-Stars have been backing musicians for artists like Greg Kihn, Sleepy LaBeef, and Jeff Rymes years before coming together for their own projects.

The All-Stars describe their music as “poetic lyrics set against American folk and Tejano-inflected dance music.” They use rock instrumentation with accents from accordion, tuba, trombone, and fiddle. Having listened to the album, I was initially concerned that each song would simply be poems recited to music, but that’s absolutely not the case, as every song quickly carves its own unique path. Recording, mixing, and mastering took place at Clean Cuts Studio in Baltimore.

The first track, “Wednesday in Winter,” is the clearest use of poetry atop music, with a distinct jazz flavor. Composer (and poet, I assume) John Shock mostly speaks his words but with a melodic lilt to certain passages, so it’s not just recitation against a backing track. His imagery is vivid and even funny in spots, barely leaving a moment to breathe. The whole package is topped off with a cool saxophone solo. “What I Left Unsaid” quickly upends expectations with a chugging, train-like bluegrass background. Shock already sounds more like a singer with amusing lyrics: “I know complexify is not a word / But that is what I’ve always done… I must complexify / to avoid the facts that stupify.” The fiddle, accordion, and country guitars are bright and stellar.

“Crazy About You” leads off with a Supertramp-like keyboard sound for a song where our narrator lays it all out for his object of love, using wild and descriptive imagery that might possibly scare his lady away. The swing comes in, finding every possible variation for being “crazy in love.” Another fine sax solo plays alongside brass, keys, and guitar. “Outside Lookin’ In” has a fast blues-rock tempo and a terrific chord-heavy guitar, with Shock’s lyrics spoken quickly in a Lou Reed tonality. “Beard and a Banjo” is a very funny track (especially for a bearded banjo player like me), where Shock tells the tale of a banjo player with just a hint of jealousy and amusement in the style of Loudon Wainwright. “He calls Hank Williams Hank / He calls Bob Dylan… Dylan / Sings Woody Guthrie, says he knows his grandchildren.” This may be my favorite.

“He’s Sedated” takes us back to smoky back-room jazz to feel appropriately sedated. Unlike most of the other tracks, this one is composed by Paul Victor Margolis, but lyrically and musically it fits right in with the rest. The story told here could be the plot of a dark but funny film noir: “He’s been reinstated at his former pay grade / but his Mojo has been deflated… the pencil snaps between his fingers and scrapes at a blister.” There’s an amazing moment where a solo guitar seems to have been processed through a duck’s neck!

“Tomcat Luziana Slaw” is credited to Jeff Rymes and Steve Mugalian and musically feels like a blues jam captured on tape, evoking the “Dixie Chicken” days of Little Feat. Shock moves away from recitation and fully commits musically to the tune. “The Highway Call” is a sweet, evocative folk-country lament with vocals in the Willie Nelson range, along with trap-like drums, weeping violin, and Salvation Army brass. Sorry, this one’s my favorite now! “Time for Me to Be Gone” is the appropriately titled closing track, and for this one, the band embraces accordion-led zydeco, with the writing credited to Mark Brine.

​To call this band unique doesn’t quite capture it. They provide good times with every track, and they do so with consistent excellence. Highly recommended!

Become A Fan

UK’s Simon Hurst has been self-releasing his personal brand of classically-influenced progressive rock albums for a few years now, a couple of which I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. Thus, it was no surprise to me that his eighth album, Emergence, maintains that same high level of quality and inspiration.

Hurst began by playing orchestral flute, followed by stints in prog, punk, and blues bands. He also built his own studio and has composed songs and jingles for commercial use. His album tracks tend to be long and often remind me of Genesis from the early Collins era. Hurst says this new release is “a storytelling album, but this time it’s down to the listener to provide the narrative. While there are clues, it’s the listener’s imagination that counts. The only spoiler is that it does have an (ambiguously) happy ending.”

Hurst states that his music spans several genres, including rock, jazz, classical, and beyond. He performed all the parts, along with mixing and mastering in his home studio using Cubase Pro 11 with various virtual instrument programs. All the song titles here are based on words starting with "E."

“Entanglement” has an orchestral, organ-like quality that reminded me of The Phantom of the Opera. Musically, it starts out like an outtake from Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds but then morphs into something akin to the first Collins-led Genesis LP (even the title sounds like Genesis!). The mix is quite amazing, sounding not like a live orchestra but more like a hyperreal Disneyland presentation. The concluding tom-tom rolls could have been recorded by Phil Collins himself. “Endeavour” feels like a mixture of a Paul McCartney piano-and-cello tune with a gathering of The Nutcracker Suitefairies. Purely magical.

“Encounter” at first reveals more of the jazz colors of Hurst’s palette, using flute samples and electric piano, then switches to more guitar and keys-based prog. There’s a strong bass melody that sounds like a supercharged Rickenbacker and lots of tumbling toms. As per the title, “Enchantment” has a spooky, Halloween-ish vibe with thick, lovely strings and portentous keyboards. Hurst’s melodies have a way of establishing themselves while making subtle key shifts that sound totally natural, much like Tony Banks. This is one of the longer tracks at seven minutes and takes us on quite a ride.

“Engagement” features more of Hurst’s elliptical melodies. You can follow them note by note if you’re really paying attention, but I sometimes find it easier just to let them envelop and elevate me. There’s a mathematical precision to the playing, and the tones again evoke eerie memories (I’m getting flashes of The Wizard of Oz) interlaced with the sweet sound of fuzz-reverb guitars. Once more, the basic melodies always seem to edge skyward, key by key. “Emergence” is an epic track, even by the standards of this album, clocking in at fifteen minutes. Again, I was reminded of Brian Wilson in parts, though Brian’s instrumental works tend to be in shorter sections. There are moments of crystal fuzz guitar, like Steves Hackett or Howe. At one point, I even detected a disco beat and half-expected Phil Collins to start singing.

​With someone like Hurst, who never delivers less than stellar music, I quickly run out of superlatives. Best to click the play button and discover for yourself!

Way back in 2019 in Birmingham, Alabama, a group of prog rockers was formed called Jack The Elbow. Influenced by the music of Coheed and Cambria, Karnivool, Rush, Yes, and Tool, they’ve spent the last few years in their basement studio planning, writing, and recording their debut album titled "Crush." The time and effort have clearly paid off!

Jack The Elbow is a three-piece group featuring Caleb Wilemon (guitar/vocals), Madison Langham (bass/vocals), and Michael Tucker (drums/percussion). They call their music “guitar-driven prog rock” and state that “moving riffs, both in the guitar and bass, are a constant feature.” They are also known to make sudden key changes at whim. However, these are not gimmicks but add to the band’s “clear focus on composition and quality songwriting.” When not recording, the band plays live shows and tours throughout Alabama. Thematically, the album explores rejecting conformity and creating one's own destiny.

The band recorded and produced the album themselves using Ableton Live in a basement studio designed specifically for this project, with mastering by John Douglass of Vorticist Studios. Though both guitars and bass sound like they’re blasting through a wall of amps, they are mostly recorded “direct” through a couple of passes of amp modeling software. The drums are the sound of real tubs boosted with sampled sweeteners.

Having heard the album through, I can say that the title "Crush" is absolutely appropriate, as these guys crush everything they touch. They present a constantly shifting puzzle of math rock, prog, and metal, with ever-changing patterns and a constant wall of sweet vocal harmonies. I find it interesting that a hardcore prog band like this came from Alabama, the same way that the band Kansas was born in sort-of-nearby Topeka, Kansas.

The opening track “Modicum Of Integrity” tells you everything you need to know about these guys. I remember being blown away by the Jimmy Page guitar overdubs in the Zeppelin track “Achilles Last Stand,” and it’s as if Jack The Elbow took the best moments from that song and built a whole style around it. The verses are hard-driving, but as we rock toward the choruses, the guitar melodies sprout harmonic and melodic outcroppings that steal my breath away, all the while glued together by assertive lead singing and stellar, sparkling choirs of vocal overdubs. And Dudes, thanks so much for including the lyrics! The final third of the song (just before the solo) takes an unexpected detour where the band’s musical debt to Rush and vocal similarity to Jon Anderson of Yes is clear.

“Going Under” starts in the same key as the opening track with a similar riff, so we feel like we’ve entered the second part of the same epic track. However, the musical invention is quickly multiplied. I can also hear bassist Madison Langham more clearly here. There are so many interconnected chord schemes that it’s easy to get totally lost, like in a corn maze. There’s a cool section that’s mostly bass, shimmery guitar, toned percussion, and voice samples, so I know that’s the middle! “Fly Away” takes a lateral move toward Van Halen-style riffage atop a Yes-like vocal arrangement.

“Off And On” thunders forth with an audacious, complex, and frighteningly heavy guitar and bass riff. The chorus is radio-friendly as always, but the rest of the song has its way with these crazed melodic variations, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve said it before but it’s nearly impossible not to imagine Jon Anderson and Steve Howe rubbing shoulders during this epic rocker. There are times in this album where I thought I heard a keyboard following along, and toward the end of this song, the keys and orchestral samples come out of the shadows for a quiet classical coda. “Shame” is one of the more interesting tracks (and that’s saying something). It starts with a fairly simple bass riff, goes into hardcore riffing, then has a section where the boys quiet down so much it actually sounds like Simon and Garfunkel! After that, the riffs actually feel derived from Irish traditional jigs. My personal favorite!

“Hills And Valleys” is an absolute riff-fest where there’s virtually no lyrics to get in the way of the nonstop invention. This moves without pause into “Phoenix,” another vocal-and-riffage fest that’s maybe just a bit more accessible to the average listener but every bit as awesome and celebratory. The closing cut (also the title track) is “Crush” and it hit me like an unholy mashup of Metallica and Yes, though for me that’s quite Holy. It’s obviously about yet another troubled relationship, and there’s nothing I like more than emotional upheaval represented by monstrous, complex riffing and time signatures! “So long, you won’t be missed / Our time has reached its end / And I know you probably never thought this day would come / But you have turned your back on me for the very last time.” I am SO here for this!

​I’m giddy over this album and can’t wait for everyone else to discover it too. Get to listening!

Become A Fan

Bad For Each Other is the fifth and newest release from Americana duo of Tom Faia and Kate Miller. Last year’s “Risk It All For Love” topped the Americana charts, but this year they decided to go for a harder rock sound.

The first step was including Tom Ayers, a guitar player well-known around the San Francisco Bay Area for his expert playing and celebrity collaborations. “After four albums,” Faia explains, “we felt we had explored as much of our acoustic side as we could, so we decided to bring in Ayres to kick up the sound with his unique electric guitar style.This balances nicely off of my harp playing and adds some new energy.” Along with ringers Jessie Dia on bass and Vince Sanchez on drums, there’s also guest appearances by Jimmy Norris (drums) and bass players Craig Owens and David Franc.

The opening and title track “Bad for Each Other” dovetails nicely with the album cover showing Faia and Miller as a young, hot couple practically soldered together. The two share lead vocals for this swampy, moody rocker which also features plenty of Ayers’ guitar insinuations. It’s a great anthem for “dangerously in love” couples everywhere, with Billy Bob and Angelina being the gold standard. Faia’s mouth harp has a prominent role and ties the bow on this great tune. Kicking up the energy, “Don’t You Wanna Know” is a driving blues rocker with even more harmonica and tight-as-leather vocal harmonies. It’s a shorter track which leads into Miller’s first vocal turn “Good Love Goes Bad” where her voice AND the playing sounds a lot like Bonnie Raitt.

“Nobody Loves You for Free” is another bluesy romp packed with funky chords. The couple again shares vocal leads, especially appropriate for the subject matter (which sadly makes a lot of sense). “Forever” makes a radical change into a yacht rock-Jimmy Buffett vibe, including steel drums and lazy waves. Miller’s vocals contain an interesting hint of Marlene Dietrich. “Give an Inch and They’ll Take a Mile” is indentified by the band as “full on roots rock” and it’s definitely louder, with guitarist Ayers leading the way with demonic wah-wah leads and Faia taking crusty-voiced lead vocals.

Miller returns to the lead vocal mic for the heavily acoustic, dreamy  “Out Comes the Sun.” Interesting construction here, with an early Beach Boys quote (“All I feel is the warmth of the sun”) followed by the expected “I love you” chorus, but with the added kicker: “When I think of you, out comes the sun.” Call me a sap but I’m quite moved! “Damn It” is like a big full-chorus off-broadway anthem, with the kind of fun kids have swearing in a car with all the windows rolled up. The choruses have a cool, 60’s psychedelic garage band feel. The closing “Big Brother” brings us full circle back to Americana, and is not about Orwellian surveillance but a true, affectionate remembrance of an actual big brother. A perfect conclusion and moving to anyone with a sibling.

I’d say this expansion of the Faia and Miller sound has worked out quite well, and I dare you to disagree. Recommended!

tomfaiakatemiller.com

Quaint Delusions is a prolific alternative band from the outskirts of Tampa, Florida. They are so prolific that I reviewed their previous single just a couple weeks ago, and they even quoted me! “Killing What I Can’t Even See” was billed as “close to a folk song,” while this newest release “Just One More” is an attempt at “adult bubblegum.”

The members of the Quaints are founder Michael Starks (vocals/guitar/keys), Roger Hughes (guitar/vocals), David Lane (lap steel/vocals), Steve Dicks (bass) and Kevin DeHart (drums). This track also features guest musician Brenda Mason on vocals. Though primarily known for alternative rock, the band often experiments with different styles and have listed The Beatles, Guided By Voices, glam and punk as influences. Though you may think they sound like college kids, they’re actually old enough to be university presidents.

Like their previous single, this one was recorded in three different studios: the Dade City Barn, Two Beagles Studio, and Morrisound Recording (where the track was again mixed by Jim Morris).

The song begins with a riff similar to “Rock and Roll” by the Velvet Underground. The mix creates the familiar Quaint Delusion illusion of being right there in the room with you, especially with headphones. As the lead vocal tumbles into a shimmering and harmonious chorus, we learn that the title of the song refers to hanging out at the bar until 2:00 AM hoping the house band will finally “find a groove.” (And here I thought it was a reference to releasing just one more track this month!)

Our narrator makes a new friend who provides cash for more drinks, and magically the band’s music seems to get better (could this be beer goggles for music?) while the Quaints jangle away with their trademark clean guitars and lonesome lap steel. As the power builds and our narrator refuses to leave the club, the band approaches Todd Rundgren-Knack-Beatles Nirvana. And then it’s over (maybe a little too quickly) and the dream dissipates, at least until the next show or the next single.

​This is a great band, but most of all they’re having a good time and the feeling is infectious. Who wouldn’t want that? Recommended yet again!