Under The Radar: The Front

I first found out about The Front from going through my dad’s CD collection. Weirdly, it was always an album I knew about but I never got around to checking it out until I found an original vinyl copy when I went record shopping! Not only is my copy of it a promo, it includes the press bio and the press photo too! My copy is pristine and I’ve listened to it countless times since I got it. I'll always remember how what I thought of “Fire” the first time I listened to it. It was such a cool tune, and then I heard the rest of the album and I was obsessed with everything on it. I find The Front really cool because they have these vibes of Alice Cooper and The Doors, but with a hard rock edge so it’s interesting to listen to. They’re a really great rock group, and it’s crazy that they only ended put out one album, because they’re such a cool group. It’s unbelievable that these record companies don’t promote the bands they should promote, because the time gets put into artists that are what the public wants to hear. This has caused an countless great bands to fade into obscurity while the same, ordinary stuff gets popular. You’d think that record companies would promote what’s different, but they don’t because it’s a risk to put money into something original. This is because no one knows if it’ll succeed and a record company isn’t gonna lose money. They’re gonna stick with what works which is best for the record companies, but not what’s best for the listeners who want to hear something different.

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Premiere: V*A*S*E

V*A*S*E is a grunge/punk/hard rock quintet from Brighton, Michigan. Made up of vocalist Christian Thibodeau, guitarists J.T. Jasinski and Drew Kussmaul, bassist Derian Parsons, and drummer Elijah Simmons.

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Retronaut Favorites: Foo Fighters

My earliest memories of Foo Fighters come from hearing their songs in Guitar Hero when I was a kid. My real Foo Fighters phase started when I was older, after I got into Wasting Light, and I joined Tumblr. In my early days on Tumblr, I was privy to the grunge and alternative scene and the classic rock scene as well. It was at this time that I found bands like Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Queen, and Pink Floyd through all the different blogs I followed. My dad used to play “Wasting Light” literally every day when it was out. It’s crazy to think that that album came out 8 years ago?? It seems like such a short time ago, but it’ll be a decade soon. I got really into Foo Fighters from Wasting Light, but I got insanely into “Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace”. I knew “The Pretender”, but I got really into “Let It Die”, “Summer’s End”, and “Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners” too. As time passed, they became one of the bands that I kept up with from Sonic Highways, to Concrete and Gold, so over time, they’ve become one of my absolute favorites. I’ve been listening to a lot of different stuff lately and this playlist is one that makes me feel really nostalgic because I haven’t revisited this stuff in a while, and it feels awesome to. As always, I’ve created a playlist of my favorites for you to listen to while you read the feature!

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Retronaut Selects: Riot - Narita (1979)

The first Riot song I remember hearing is "49er". I was so astounded that it made me ask myself, "What is this?". I didn't have a guess. When I was a kid, I was always able to guess what my dad was playing on our home stereo because I remembered what we listened to...but whatever this band was, I had no recollection of hearing them because I definitely would've remembered.

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Under The Radar: Teaze

I first heard about Teaze in 2013. I found out about them from seeing them in vintage Japanese music magazines like Music Life and Ongaku Senka! My dad has a large collection, and when we flip through them, we always put music on and it’s so crazy to see how many interesting bands were featured in those magazines. For some reason, Teaze was a band that I have a similar story of getting into them, the same way I got into Strapps. I saw them in a number of issues, and I figured, if this band is being featured this often they must be great. So, I made time and I checked them out and they are excellent!! I’ve always listened to “On The Loose”, specifically “Ready To Move” and in the past year I’ve finally started listening to the other albums too. I felt motivated to finally make this playlist because yesterday I saw that Spotify finally had all the albums!! For the longest time, they’ve only had “On The Loose” and “A Taste Of Teaze”, and it’s wonderful to finally see the complete catalog on there! Teaze is one of the many, fantastic yet underrated rock bands. There were many amazing acts around when punk and new wave were taking over. To me, they’re an fantastic band, because I've always thought they were great. I always feel inclined to listen to them, and whenever I do, I remember how amazing they are.

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With A Little Help From My Friends

I’ve always loved music, and I’ve discovered so many artists not only because of my curiosity, but because of my friends. The first person has caused me to discover so many artists. Her name is Rebecca Potzner, and she’s the one who introduced me to artists like Weathers, Dirty Honey, Brand Of Julez, Them Evils, Big White Light, ShyGodwin, The Jacks, Sick Hot, BRKN LOVE, Maneskin, Joyous Wolf, Corey Britz, Under the Influence of Giants, Blacktop Mojo, Florence Black, Whiskey Myers, KISS KISS BANG, Cowgirls, Joshua & The Holy Rollers, Tetrarch, The Georgia Thunderbolts, Them Dirty Roses, Friday Giants, Vella, Shiraz Lane, Kelsy Karter, Andrew Hagar, Crown Lands, Watermox, Of Limbo, LEVARA, Kim Logan, The New Respects, Titans Of Siren, Electric Revival, Natalia Soul, Achilles Heel, V*A*S*E, Iron Point and many more. My friend, Cherri Cheetah has caused me to discover artists like The Scent, Wild Truth, Quick & Painless, hometown & young, deepsix, Baby Strange, Zach Person, Bad Waitress, Waste Youth, The Effens, Bad Nerves, Unknown Vandals, Aimless, Games We Play and more. Because of my friend Tess, known as SafetyTess, I’ve discovered acts like Annie DiRusso, BAD CHILD, Joe August, Micky James, Blame Candy, Disq, Bad Sounds, Kasey, SOBBRS, John Foley, Welles, Yellow Ostrich and more. The team at Banded, founded by Rebecca Potzner, has caused me to discover countless artists. Baylee is the reason that I know about The Living Street. Sara is the reason I know about The Last Bandoleros. The team at Rock Coven, founded by Courtney Myers and Chloe Robbins has caused me to discover artists like The Luka State, ARXX, BathTub, Deva St. John, The Roly Mo and Armstrong! Brenna and Jamie of the.ride are how I discovered The Hunna and Himalayas. Buzzkill Magazine is how I discovered Inhaler, Lauran Hibberd, and Spector! Leah and Bethanne of She Will Rock You introduced me to Des Rocs and Ariel Bellvalaire. Mooncrush Magazine is why I know about Big Smile Revival. My friend Darya, who founded Miss Mephistopheles is the reason I know about artists like Charlie Cunningham, Fuzzy Sun, and The Amazons! Soft Sound Press, founded by Paige Williams, better known as PaigeBackstage, is how I discovered artists like Emily Wolfe, Chris Farren, Evan Konrad, Rarity, Heavy Hearts, and Heart Attack Man. Allyson is the reason I know about Wallows. Erin is the reason I know about Moon Fever. One of my favorite friends is Kyle Duke, known for his work with BRKN LOVE and his band Kyle Duke & The Brown Bag Boys. He does production for many artists, and he’s the reason I discovered Vanderwoolf, Nepenthe, Grace Ludmila, and SaintAhmad. He has also worked with Tummyache, a project by Soren Bryce. I’ve discovered artists like Conversing With Oceans, Pool Cosby, Joe Vann, Linus Fenton, John Jin Han, Thank You Come Again, Gouge Away, and Broken Baby because of her. Because of Kyle, I know about Vanderwoolf and it’s how I crossed paths with Max Yassky and Ashlyn Kersten. They are the reason I know about artists like K!lly Idol, Ewe Dew, Petal Crush, Upright Man, Patch Kid, and How Tragic. & Justin of BRKN LOVE is why I know about Dead Poet Society, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Skindred,  and Reignwolf!  My friend Lea, who founded Lost Highway is the reason why I know about artists like The Jins and Roxx Revolt & The Velvets! Karrie McGillivray is another friend who has introduced me to so many artists, including Rozie Baker, Lily Vance, Beauxx, Teenage Wrist, Mia Morris, Lev and Odd Snakes! Ready the Prince was a band that was so different from everything I was listening to when I discovered them, and he’s the reason I know about ZIG MENTALITY. I remember watching him do a cover of Stoned Love during an RTP livestream. I discovered artists like Lost Arts, The OBGMs, Sjay, CRASHFACE, and Lauryn MacFarlane because of him!    My friend Sydney Yokley, who founded Solar Soundtrack is the reason I know about artists Waterparks, Stand Atlantic, Claud, WSTR, and Conan Gray. All of these people are people I’m proud to call my friends. By having an open mind, I was able to discover countless artists that I never would’ve discovered unless I was open minded. The people you meet matter just as much as the music you discover. These artists mean more because your friend introduced you to it. Someone who means something to you, and whenever you hear those songs you are reminded of your friendship.

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Retronaut Favorites: ZZ Ward

I was introduced to ZZ Ward from a record store sampler in 2012, called Universal Music Group Record Store Day Sampler 2012.  Whenever I heard this sampler, ZZ’s acoustic version of her tune, “‘Til The Casket Drops” always stood out to me, and I wanted to hear more. I recall listening to some of her songs on Spotify, and I didn’t have a copy of her album until I borrowed one from our local library to hear it in full. I always listened to it in parts, but when my brother first went away to college, I listened to her first album, “Power Of The Hunter” by Tank, “Simon Townshend’s Moving Target” by Simon Townshend and Honey Davis, exclusively. I only listened to these few albums because when my brother went away, he took our original offline music/photos exclusive Blackberry phone with him, and I had an Alcatel one with only a small amount of memory until I finally got a new Blackberry for myself. Anyway, I used to listen to ZZ’s album in full for the first part of the ride before we went to visit him. It became one of my favorite albums because of a mix of the nostalgia I have from getting into it, but also from how I recall having a phase with all her songs, between mixtapes and hearing them in the car. Upon hearing her second album, I had mixed feelings, at first. This wasn’t because I didn’t like it, I was just so used to hearing the first album and I wasn’t sure what to expect on her second album because there was 5 years between them being released. It took me some time, but I learned to love the second album because it was different from the first. ZZ Ward is one of my favorite artists and I only know about her because of a sampler. Samplers are great resources for discovering new music, and thanks to this one, I discovered one of my all-time favorite artists.

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Under The Radar: The Laughing Dogs

I got into The Laughing Dogs after I saw a copy of “The Laughing Dogs Meet Their Makers” on vinyl. There was something that stuck out to me about it and I couldn’t leave it there. So, I get it. “Melody Love” becomes my favorite song ever, and it happens with every other track on that album too. I can’t even count how many times I’ve spun this album. I eventually started my hunt for the first album, and thanks to my friend Chris, I got an original white label promo for $1. The Laughing Dogs are amazing band to me because they are one of many truly great, yet overlooked bands. They're so original and their songs are executed with gusto, and it makes listeners want to listen to their songs again and again. There’s something about these bands and the approach they took to music. They are truly great and if you dig deep enough they can be found, so maybe at the end of the day, they are best kept secrets. From what I’ve figured out, the key to anything is that it exists. If it exists, it can be found. If it can be found, if can be discovered. If it can be discovered it can be shared.

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Interview: Wyndup Kid

1: How did you decide on the name, “Wyndup Kid"?I find that I am constantly in a struggle of wanting to be incredibly social and going out and seeing a bunch of people and then feeling like I don’t have the energy. It got me thinking I feel like a windup toy, a Wyndup Kid and the name sorta stuck. It represents the peeps who suffer from major FOMO.2: What inspires you to create?I find I’m in my best creative space when I am at my house or driving listening to music (I like my day to feel like a soundtrack) and eventually an idea will stick out in my mind and I am just itching to create it.3: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a creative profession?Don’t force it. Enjoy it. You gotta live your story to tell your story and the best way to relate to and create for people is to experience and connect.4: Do you feel open minded about what you listen to? Do you like going out of your comfortzone?My daily listening habits are a hodgepodge of everything. The other day I was cleaning listening to roots ska, hardcore, indie pop, and the new Tyler record!5: What outlets do you find out about music from? (Record stores, magazines, samplers, etc.)Spotify has been a great resource for me honestly. Their mixes throw a bunch of new tunes at me. Just wish they’d actually pay the artist more :(6: What is your favorite format to listen to music on? (CD, Vinyl, etc.)I like to listen to music on my phone with now headphones or speakers. I'm every audio fan's nightmare.7: What band/artist do you think everyone should listen to?My roommates in this incredible band called Ogbert the Nerd! Also Sugarcoat by Pollyanna is an incredible EP and I’m excited for more! Outside of my two block radius of New Brunswick I love Naked Lake, Precious Little Life, Paper Geese, Fox Teeth, Gloss and Screenager !8: What motivates you to check out a new artist?Great tunes and a fun social media !9: Who was the first band/artist that became your favorite band?THE MOMS! I saw them at a bombed out church as a teen and I was sold :,)10: What was the inspiration for your song “Poison”?It was about fighting the toxicity of image by personifying it. Everyone is so concerned about being hot when in reality we're all hot, despite what diet culture says! These themes of self acceptance and embrace are super present on all the new tunes I have and can’t for people to hear them soon!

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Retronaut Favorites: The Ting Tings

My earliest memory of The Ting Tings is from when my dad used to play their song “That’s Not My Name” from a Monitor This! sampler he had. Eventually we got a copy of “Sounds From Nowheresville” and we listened to it literally everyday. We were able to get a copy of “We Started Nothing” through our local library and we became obsessed with that album too. Ever since we got into those two albums, we’ve checked out all of their albums. The craziest thing about The Ting Tings, is that every time they release an album, it sounds it's completely different from the album before it. I remember having a phase with each of their albums when they were released. This is because it we looked forward to their albums, and  because they never disappoint. A new Ting Tings album means a unique album, and they are great because they don't sound like everyone else.

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Under The Radar: Strapps

Strapps are a British hard rock band formed in 1974. They came to be after Mick Underwood met up with an Australian singer-guitarist named Ross Stagg. Their best known lineup was completed by bassist Joe Read and keyboardist Noel Scott. They had a period of prolonged rehearsal before they were signed to EMI’s Harvest label.Shortly after this, they recorded their debut album at Ian Gillan’s “Kingsway Recorders” music studio in London, and their album was produced by Roger Glover. After their album was released, they went on tour to support the album. Sadly, their marketing strategy didn’t go down well with everyone since their publicity photos for their debut album featured a topless model which raised concerns with radical feminists. These women gathered at Strapps gigs, and it made things very uncomfortable for the band.Despite, this negative publicity, they were given the supporting slot on Deep Purple’s final tour in UK and Japan, which allowed them to have invaluable exposure with their target audience. Soon enough, they were back in the studio at Basing Street Studios, where Chris Kimsey took on the role of producer. Their upcoming album, “Secret Damage” continued with their already popular music formula, and the cover art was much less controversial than their prior release. In 1977, Strapps took on the support slot for The Ian Gillan Band’s UK tour. Sadly, despite their success on stage, didn’t translate into record sales. Since they weren’t able to sell a sufficient number of records, they were dropped form the label. Luckily, Japan had not forgotten about the band, and they were able to strike a deal with a smaller deal, for distribution in Japan only. The last two albums were “Prisoner Of Your Love” and “Ball Of Fire”, which were only released in Japan. Strapps was officially done after Mick Underwood accepted Ian Gillan’s offer to join his new band, “Gillan” in 1979. When I first found out about Strapps, it was 2013. I was going through my dad’s collection of Japanese music magazines. I’ve always found them interesting, and I really started going through them during my teenage years and I found so many photos of bands I already loved, and new bands too! Now, this story is gonna sound crazy but the reason I checked out Strapps was because I saw so many photos of them and I was sent over the edge, and I give you this direct quote, “If they’ve been featured this many times, they better be the best band I’ve ever heard.” So, I went on Google and searched for a while before I found good quality copies to listen to, and they are amazing. They are one of the many great bands that had to struggle, but they never earned the critical success that they deserved. I consider them to be among the bands who were too great. I think that sometimes the general public doesn’t always understand truly great music, because it’s so rare. People aren’t really sure how to process it when it comes, and it causes so many bands to get misread, because these bands are amazing, but the label needs sales or the band loses their record deal. This is crazy because you would think that good music would get popular, but it never turns out that way. The best artists struggled to get signed, while the artists who sound like everybody else get signed. I could never understand why this happened, but now that I’m older I do. If a record label signs someone who sounds like everyone else, they aren’t taking a risk because this type of music is popular and it will sell. If a record label signs someone who doesn’t really sound like anyone else, they are taking a risk, because they can’t put this artist into a category and they can’t be compared to someone else. If it can’t be categorized, and people aren’t familiar with the style, it’s less likely to sell because it hasn’t been done before. Surely, people might check it out, but that doesn’t mean everyone will understand it. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it does mean that more ears need to hear it, more minds will be expanded. Now, this doesn’t mean that whoever this band is has to be your favorite, but it does make a difference if you give it a listen. By giving it a listen, you give the band a chance before you give an opinion. This should be applied more often because a lot of people pass judgment on music before they give it a proper listen and it causes us to become close minded. So, here’s another one of the many truly great bands, who didn’t have massive commercial success, but they have cult value and a lasting impact…and that matters more.

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New Releases: 9/12/2021-9/18/2021

This week's new releases include: Aberdeen, BLOODCAT + Neemy, The Criticals, Florence Black, Liberty Deep Down, material pleasures, The Pretty Reckless, tiLLie, Tony & The Kiki, and ZIG MENTALITY!

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Premiere: Liberty Deep Down

Liberty Deep Down, or LDD for short, are an energetic rock band from Columbus, Ohio. Combining soaring melodies with catchy synth, huge riffs, and strong beats, they deliver their take on pop-rock with a unique edge and passionate sense of dynamic. Having played shows big and small with artists of various genres, LDD always stand their ground and make their mark on stage to leave fans wanting more.

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Premiere: Aberdeen

A modern grunge/alt-rock band, comprised of Jake Linder and Matt Bolling, based out of Dallas, Texas. Fusing the heaviness of the '90s with the polished kick of modern rock.

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Retronaut Favorites: Billy Squier

My earliest memories of hearing Billy Squier is from when I was a kid. My brother and I got into “Lonely Is The Night” from Guitar Hero: Rocks The ‘80s" when we were growing up. I also recall seeing copies of “Emotions In Motion” and “Don’t Say No” at the 24 South Main location of Gallery Of Sound before it closed. When I first got into my dad’s band, “L.A. Trash”, he mentioned that his singer, Alan, used to break out into certain songs during rehearsals, and “The Big Beat” was one of them. I featured "The Big Beat" on the first mixtape I ever made in 2013. I eventually checked out “The Tale Of The Tape” and it became one of my favorite albums. Songs like "Rich Kid", "Who Knows What A Love Can Do", and "Young Girls" are songs that made his debut a classic. Most people know him for "The Stroke", but he is one of many artists that have so many incredible songs in their catalog besides their hits. He is also a rare example of someone who has hit songs that are really good as well as fantastic deep cuts. Every album of his is great because it's unique. He's not trying to imitate anyone. Billy Squier is creating his own kind of music and that's why he's great. He's not afraid to be original.

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