I could never in good conscience call myself “Mr. Country” but my musical palette does include many artists who have “crossed over” from Rock (see: The Allman Brothers) so I’m not averse to some solid country rock in my musical diet. In that sense, Lane Lowder’s music is right up my alley. Hailing from Pocola, Oklahoma (so far so good), Lowder’s first major musical moment came at three years old while singing with his Dad’s band onstage, which sparked his lifelong love of country music (and based on his photos, he doesn’t look THAT much older now!).

Lowder’s very first EP “Write A Song” featured his original compositions and was released in May of 2024 on all streamers. These three tracks are from that release, recorded and produced in Nashville Tennessee by Jacob Garner. Credits are scarce but it looks like Lowder got help from Justin Lowder (guitar) and Arron Hodges (bass) along with an uncredited but amazing studio band. Lowder’s influences include George Strait, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Bob Seger, and many others. I myself heard a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd in his sound.

“Small Towns” is a jangly, upbeat tune featuring Lowder’s young,Texas-like voice in the forefront. It follows the sturdy template of a country tune, bemoaning all the changes to the narrator’s small town and packed with wry observations. What’s funny is to hear someone as young as Lowder singing about “Mr. Bill lost his hunting lands to some guy at the bank” and his desire to “bring back cowboys and old dirt roads, John Wayne on the TV screen… but most of all, bring back small towns for you and me.” I love the reference to “cassette tapes that don’t work no more.” The song has a full, clean rock sound with multiple electric and resonator guitars, lap steel, keyboards, bass and drums. There’s nothing here not to like!

“Home To Me” is thematically similar to “Small Towns” where the narrator tells us how well he fits into his own home (in that very same small town). “My childhood memories come running back to me / I love the sound of a rooster crow / the smell of a wood burning stove / Yeah, that’s home to me!” Again it’s interesting to hear the sentiments you’d normally associate with an old wiseacre returning to his hometown when it’s such a young feller, but the power is undeniable. There’s more rock here, still jangly but with heavier guitars.

“It Feels Good” has more of a baroque feel to the guitars. Lowder begins the lyrics by listing a lot of things that hurt (stabbed in the back, having a heart attack, your dog dying when you’re seven years old) leaving inevitably to losing a lover; so of course it “feels good” when you “slip a ring on her hand / ‘cos you’ll feel like a man!” The sentiments are maybe a bit overripe but there’s no arguing with Lowder’s sincerity. 

It’s silly to quibble about genre when the music makes you feel so good. Country fan or not, check out this young and very cool artist!

Become A Fan

Continua’s latest single, "The Beauty of Letting Go," strikes a delicate balance between nostalgia and modernity, channeling a sonic lineage that echoes Linkin Park's raw intensity and Evanescence's dark, gothic allure. 

The opening beat nods toward Foo Fighters' "My Hero," but the comparison fades quickly as the track veers into more ominous, atmospheric territory. With its fusion of metal and gothic rock, the song feels like a brooding anthem that never quite lets you relax.

The hook—"There’s nothing you can say"—lands like a gut punch, carried by the vocalist's searing delivery. Behind them, the rest of the band delivers a performance as tight as it is relentless. Pay special attention to the bass around the three-minute mark—it’s slick, subtle, but perfectly executed. And as the track barrels toward its climax, the drumming escalates with a precision that’s hard to ignore.

While "The Beauty of Letting Go" taps into a familiar soundscape, there's an undeniable energy that makes it feel fresh. The song’s weight and intensity demand attention, even when played at low volumes—proof that Continua knows how to rock with purpose.

Mark Montijo’s story begins in the mid-1960s, where he cut his teeth in clubs and festivals, performing original material that bridged the evolving sounds of folk and the socially charged rock and roll of the era. Rubbing elbows with then-undiscovered names like Jackson Browne, Tom Waits, and JD Souther, Montijo made his mark in the West Coast scene. Yet, unlike his contemporaries, he stepped away from the music world, delving into a life filled with, as he puts it, “other stuff”—a curious catalog that includes everything from directing the construction of a Spanish Galleon to building houses and growing a small museum into a national destination.

Now, decades later, Montijo has been coaxed back into the studio by longtime friends and fans, culminating in the release of History, an album that garnered enough attention to earn a feature in American Songwriter. His recent single, "Horse Named Lefty," continues the streak, capturing the essence of his distinctive storytelling style.

“Horse Named Lefty” stands out for its narrative depth, effortlessly weaving themes of identity, longing, and the fading traces of unfulfilled dreams. Montijo’s lyrics leave room for interpretation—whether the titular horse is a metaphor or a real creature feels secondary to the emotional resonance he achieves. The song’s production feels as organic as the story itself, driven by warm, acoustic instrumentation. It’s easy to imagine a group of musicians gathered in a living room, feeding off each other’s energy, and letting the song unfold naturally—a reflection of the communal spirit Montijo evokes in his recordings.

“Horse Named Lefty” is a compelling listen, grounded in simplicity but rich in meaning. If this track resonates with you, keep an eye out for our upcoming review of his full album, which promises to dig even deeper into Montijo’s quiet, yet enduring return to music.

San Clemente may not be on the radar for most of our readers, but I know it as a beautiful stretch of coastal California which Richard Nixon called his retirement home. About a zillion years later it served as the 2013 birthplace of Home Is West (see what they did there?), described as “a heartfelt three-piece indie-alt rock band with a big sound.” After starting out playing local shows and enjoying avid airplay, they’ve opened for acts like Fastball, Sponge and Gene Loves Jezebel at iconic LA music venues like Molly Malone’s, The Mint, The House of Blues and The Whiskey. In 2018 they signed a deal with Mint 400 Records, and have several tracks and videos on the ReverbNation website. Today we look at three of their latest tracks. 

“Sooner or Later” opens up with a single, very loud electric guitar playing full, slashing chords, quickly backed up by a bass player with a thick, tubular sound. This band is a trio for live gigs, but this song features multiple vocal overdubs and even some keyboard backing. It’s a fairly simple but straight-ahead rock tune without excess fuzz or histrionics to distract from its power. The chorus adds a bit of jangle to the expansive harmonies, followed by a tasteful, weeping guitar solo. 

“8 Seconds” begins by featuring the drum kit prominently in the mix, to the point where you can almost see the toms laid out and the kick pedal working away. I was excited as this song progressed, as the driving chords and sardonic vocals are clearly influenced by my fave raves The Strokes, especially as the boys accelerate in the choruses. This song’s just under three minutes and ends quickly, but I loved getting there.

“Mexico” not surprisingly has a bit of Tex-Mex flavor in the muted opening chords and the one-two beat as the song proper kicks in. All the vocal lines feature harmonies that interplay beautifully with the chiming, happy chord sequence. That Bob Dylan-like organ also sneaks in for another appearance. Of the three tracks, this one feels the most Hit-worthy, though going by this song alone might have you mistake these guys for Cowpunkers. As the track winds down, a single guitar line chimes the base note of each chord. It works!

On the evidence of these three tracks, this is a band fully deserving of their recording contract and packed live shows. See for yourself!

Become a Fan

Justin John Scheck returns with A Peasant’s Voice, an album that finds the prolific artist fine-tuning his vision after a string of releases over the past few years. This time around, Scheck pushes further, delivering a work that feels more cohesive and arguably more impactful than anything in his catalog to date.

The album opens with a haunting introduction, "I Tried My Best, Pt. 1 (Interlude)," where somber strings set a mood of tension and introspection. It’s a prelude to the wild turns the album takes, starting with “To The Evermore,” a track that blends off-kilter melodies with sharp, biting production. Scheck’s rendition of “All You Need is Love” turns the mantra into a plea, making it feel less like a sing-along and more like a desperate outcry, a far cry from the Beatles’ original utopian optimism.

The album’s most striking moments come in its quieter spaces. On “Lord I Asked,” Scheck lays bare his emotions, creating a fragile, intimate atmosphere that feels like it’s on the verge of collapse, its vulnerability adding to the track’s intensity. The more aggressive side of Scheck’s palette explodes on “The Truth,” where jagged distortion and metallic undertones tear through the mix with an unrelenting force.

What sets A Peasant’s Voice apart is its ability to balance these moments of chaos and calm. Scheck has sharpened his signature sound, from the industrial-tinged glitches reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails on “The One True Blue” to the sweeping, cinematic closer “Until Then.” The album is a testament to his evolution, combining cutting-edge production with a sharp ear for songwriting.

ROSCOE TRIPP is not a man (though I suppose he might be) but is actually a thrash-rock band from the Washington DC area. Formed in 2021 by producer and lead vocalist Greg Fine, the band’s recordings and live shows harken back to the early 00’s music scene.

The band members are Tony Vitez (lead guitar), Masterjee Bumbu (rhythm guitar), Cass Foley (bass) and Ash Tressel (drums). The band’s new EP is titled We All. Fine clarifies that this release was originally meant to be just the single “We All” but they had enough B-sides to create a 4-song EP. Recording took place at Sunday Coffee Studios (Washington DC), Cue Recording Studio (Falls Church, VA) and Blue Room Studios (Bethesda, MD). All tracks except “Just” were mixed and mastered by Gabe Wolf. "We All" jumps out of the speakers (or directly into your brain via headphones) like an out-of-control Supertrain. Fine calls it “an energetic punk-adjacent alt rock song that we have been opening or closing sets with over the last year.” Fine’s lyrical inspiration was a song by Modest Mouse. In the context of losing his father, Fine considered the idea that time is cyclical, and perhaps he’d see his father once more “if time looped back again.” All the guys play in triple time, with fuzz power chords overlaid with speedy melodic riffs.

Fine has a classic rock voice that can’t help but affect you with lyrics like “Neither a start nor an end / Right where we were / I can’t wait to see you again.” For the choruses the guys cut the tempo in half and take a dramatic pause with a swelling, orchestral rock background. There’s a short, wild guitar solo with traces of Cow Punk, followed by an almost a cappella section in the style of The Lumineers. “When the Stalks Are Low (The People’s Version)” starts with one of the ballsiest bass sounds I’ve ever heard, like it was recorded 200 feet below the earth! Fine says this is the third version of a fan favorite, with the first being longer with an F- bomb and the second a shorter, “clean” radio edit. “This is the version fans always wanted.” The song I’m hearing is jumpy, kind of funky and features dramatic chorus vocals as in track one.

Having been alive in early 2000 I’m definitely getting flashbacks! I like how this band’s hard rock sound is always tempered by ghostly keyboards or distant, echo’d guitars. “Cut Self Not” is a cover of a song by math rock band Faraquet, and was originally released on a vinyl compilation album “Yesterday & Today: DC Does Dischord.” This track features amazing guitar parts and killer stop-start arrangements, confirming my suspicion that this band could do a prog album without thinking twice. I hate to say that a cover tune is my favorite but this really kicks major butt.

​Just as good is the final track, an interpretation of Radiohead’s “Just.” It packs all the power of the original but feels slightly higher pitched and a bit more acoustic in spots. Fine mentions that “Tony Vitez’s guitar work on tracks 3 and 4 is insane, and we wanted to highlight that by including them together.” There’s no arguing his logic, as the final solo here goes to the stratosphere and explodes into a literal supernova. Go play it right now if you don’t believe me! As a short collection for a novice (me) these were very interesting track choices, showing a wide range of styles and sounds from an awesome band. I loved it and you will too!

The New Professionals are an indie band from New York City with a classy name that belies their earthy, ragged rock sound. Band leaders Richard Evans (guitar/vocals) and Jerry Hart (guitar/vocals) met in college and quickly developed a musical partnership, jamming and writing songs together. After graduation the founders joined up with Isaac Pincus (drums), Oliver Divone (bass/synth) and a couple others to create The New Professionals, releasing a self-titled debut album in 2021. Thanks to our old pal Covid-19 there were some cast changes and downtime, but at last we have a follow-up titled Come Here Creature. 

“Suit and Tie” begins mysteriously with a muffled studio voice (“Okay, ready set…”) with quietly-picked electric guitars slowly filling the soundscape. With a quick pause, the band roars in at full volume. I was thrilled to hear that ragged double guitar-bass-drums sound with plaintive vocals that recall Sebadoh, one of my favorite bands. Right away the band does some interesting tricks with subtle tempo changes and interesting chord voicings. After just two minutes out of six, it already feels like there’s been enough content for three different songs. How they keep all these tempo changes straight, I have no idea!

“Chicago” is an even faster, tighter arrangement with one guitar handling the clusters of basic chords while the second adds grace notes that echo into the stratosphere. Isaac Pincus looks like a young lad in pictures but his rolling, tumbling kit work had my jaw scraping the floor. “Alimony” is an even harder rocker but the topic seems a strange one for college grads! I’m hearing a lot of lyrics where “money” is rhymed with “funny” like in Badfinger’s “Rock Of All Ages.” 

Interestingly the next track shares a song title with Badfinger. “Come and Get It” takes a moment to pull back the volume for a more muted but still heavy sound, where you can really bask in the different chord formations atop the very tight (and much clearer) rhythm section. You can even hear Divone on tambourine! On a chugging rock level, this is my favorite so far, and I’m still loving the Lou Barlow-style vocals.  “See No White” is a 7-minute track that continues the band’s interlocking guitar and tempo-shifting explorations. There’s moments here where the chord changes and raw energy reminded me of the Beatles on “The White Album.” Drummer Pincus again provides the glue and lots of flash. “Whining” features a gorgeous descending minor chord scheme that reminded me of Maria McKee’s solo work. The lead vocal does have a bit of a lost, “whining” quality while still moving along in perfect harmony with the backing; not exactly Eddie Vedder but with that level of commitment. There’s pathos in lines like “Maybe I’m ashamed that you were whining / I don’t know why you weren’t strong.” 

“Interlude” features baroque-style guitar patterns, soon joined by chiming harmonies. I sort of thought this would be a Bach-like interlude but after one minute the rock band sound fully returns. It’s a no-lyrics jangle-fest and I dig it, especially when the conclusion returns to the Bach-like arrangement and ghostly guitar harmonics. “Caught in a Pity” is another acoustic-based tune with Badfinger-Beatles charm. “Hang His Hat” concludes the album in similarly intimate style, though using jangly electric guitar. Evan’s vocals feel so confessional and naked that it’s like he’s sitting right across from you.

There’s 13 songs here in total but there’s never a drop in quality or energy. Definitely a keeper for me and a must-listen for you!

The Impliers are a wacky 2-man indie pop project from Denver, and they’re back with a brand new single and video combo titled "Make Your Move." Dan Hartman and Charles Ingram are known for changing their image, visual brand and genres multiple times a year, and this new track is described as “a strange and surreal single from their upcoming concept album, dissecting love from A-Z.”

My introduction to The Impliers was with the single and video for “Lonely Meets The Only.” At that time I learned the guys first met at age 15 and wrote songs with weird guitar tunings in a North Carolina shed. Eventually their songs began popping up on compilations adjacent to Fugazi, Jawbreaker and the like. They also have a background in video  production and comedy, which is quite clear in their music videos. Musically they span countless genres that may include psychedelic dream pop and electronic music, with influences like Tame Impala, Men I Trust, Depeche Mode and Prince. However, the boys assert that this new single moves into a different genre terrain than any of their previous tracks. The Impliers prefer to call their new single “the soundtrack to the music video,” so let’s have a look.

The video is the kind where the key figures appear in a white Nowhere Land. Dan and Charles appear, barely moving as if they just got out of bed. The music is a Reznor-like thump at a laconic tempo, with a processed voice hypnotically chanting “You are not a part of my friends and me.” A woman in a denim dress appears, and her shoulder-bobbling constitutes a lot more dancing than the boys have been doing so far. Background dancers soon proliferate (including multiple images of a cute single Mom) seemingly causing our Implier Hosts to actually try some moves. The visuals then switch to a car abandoned in a snow scape, and dulcet Prince-like vocals take over for the monotone chants. But then it’s back to our dancing troupe with the original beat!

The member with the big mustache (Charles?) does most of his dancing with his eyes, his hair and his jaw. Suddenly he’s the single mom, complete with kitty and living room furniture! After the kitty grows to mammoth size, there’s a funky, tooting sax solo by Dan (note to the guys: maybe wear undershirts next time?). Meanwhile the background players switch up at random. Credited actors are Julianna Beckert, Mathea Tanner, Bryan Hartman and Renee Roush. Musically the saxophone soloing leads to a horn-drenched climax like a Jazz Orchestra from space. Musically this is my favorite part of the song.

Though I probably prefer the last video I watched, this one is certainly dynamic and fun. There’s lots going on and the visuals really spike to the music. You’ll love it!

Bett Padgett's Beneath Blue Water, her 11th studio album, is a testament to her range as a multi-instrumentalist, seamlessly blending guitar, clawhammer banjo, mandolin, piano, and harp into a textured folk tapestry. The album opens with "We All Are Family," an inviting track that radiates warmth through both instrumentation and Padgett’s soothing vocal delivery. It’s a song that feels effortless, joyfully basking in its own heartwarming simplicity.

"Boy and the Apple Tree" strips things down, leaving space for the acoustic instruments to shine. The sparse arrangement allows a contemplative mood to settle in, balancing reflection with a sense of quiet solace. "Matty Groves" takes a playful detour, its renaissance fair aesthetic adding a quirky twist to the album’s tone.

"In My Dream (Beneath Blue Water)" stands out with its somber cinematic scope, anchored by gorgeous cello work that deepens the song’s emotional resonance. As the album progresses, Padgett’s varied approaches keep you engaged, from the bluegrass inflections of “His Name Was Bard” to the airy, whimsical charm of “If I Were a Cloud.” There’s a touch of Joanna Newsom’s eccentricity in the later tracks, where the arrangements grow more intricate and exploratory.

Beneath Blue Water offers a unique blend of emotions and genres, creating a listening experience that feels deeply personal yet wide-ranging. It’s an album that invites you into Padgett’s world, one that balances folk tradition with an adventurous spirit.

bettpadgett.com

Ron Whitemyer hails from Michigan, crafting rock tunes that demonstrate his sharp songwriting instincts. "What A Broken Heart" opens with an unadorned yet effective drumbeat that sets a steady foundation. The track weaves in minimal but purposeful layers—lead guitar and vocals that hover without overwhelming. 

A second lead guitar sneaks in, creating a mesmerizing loop of circular melodies. Whitemyer’s vocals exude a quiet confidence, subtly pulling you into his world, embracing a raw, understated intimacy that feels refreshingly unpolished.

"First Star" steps up the energy, leaning into an old-school rock groove. The bass lays down a solid foundation, and a well-defined hook elevates the track into something instantly memorable. It’s the kind of melody that sticks with you long after the final note fades—simple yet potent, nodding to classic rock’s timeless appeal.
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With "Summer Wins," Whitemyer dips into 90s alternative rock territory, blending emotion with catchy vocal lines. There’s an ease to the songwriting here that makes it effortlessly appealing, but beneath that is a depth of feeling that rewards repeat listens. Whitemyer's ability to craft songs that resonate emotionally, while remaining accessible, speaks to his skill. His knack for marrying rock and pop sensibilities keeps you coming back for more, and leaves you eager to hear what comes next.