Kris Kielich

There is perhaps no band more seminal in the formation and influence of modern alt-punk than Brand New. The quartet from Long Island has been a mainstay of the scene since the early 2000’s. But the band’s recent headlines have been a little tumultuous. There’s been new singles, rumors of a new album which has […]

Guitarist Will Swan and his main band, post-hardcore whiz kids Dance Gavin Dance, are known for musical talent far beyond most bands in their genre. Sianvar is another Swan project, and you’ll get a whole new set of vibes from this one. The band — Swan on guitar; Donovan Melero, vocals; Sergio Medina, guitar; Joseph […]

Sometimes you just want to scratch the classic rock itch, but you like to keep your ear to the metaphorical ground when it comes to what’s new. The Boston quartet Quilt has somehow concocted a wonderful mix of 70’s balladry and modern dream pop that’s landed them everywhere from NPR to “Last Call with Carson […]

If you’ve ever watched shows like “Justified,” “Sons of Anarchy,” or “Preacher,” there’s a certain aesthetic of music that might immediately come to mind. It’s a down and dirty brand of blues-rock, and Julie Rhodes embodies all that is wonderful about that genre. Rhodes has the grit in her voice that makes her absolutely authentic […]

Coming out of the Berklee School of Music, you know Vanessa Collier’s got the chops. She can play saxophone like no one’s business, and spent time honing her skills with Grammy-winner Joe Louis Walker. And she can also sing and write some great songs. Her debut album, “Heart Soul & Saxophone,” is made up of […]

If you ask Panic! At The Disco and its tour-partner, Weezer, about tumultuous changes, they’d probably hand you a book on it. The former emo pop titan (now with frontman and vocalist Brendon Urie as the last of the original lineup) has changed sound from album to album, with the latest, “Death of a Bachelor,” […]

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall” can easily apply to the rhymes and funk jams of Philadelphia rap-funk-jam band Ill Doots. The band, which was founded in a dorm room by two guys, now has nine members, and when the big sound hits you, you’re going to fall hard. Ill Doots encapsulates the […]

Lazlo Hollyfeld may be named after a character from an 80’s movie, but the band’s music is anything but cheesy. From just a hop away in Buffalo, the band has focused on creating, in one take, hypnotic and dreamlike instrumental tracks with textures that always seem to remain amorphous. It’s a refreshing change of pace; […]