Youngster Year

Kula Shaker — the Britpop anomaly, as they’ve called themselves — came up in the mid-nineties alongside bands like The Verve, Oasis, Blur, but they never quite fit into the media pigeonhole of that catchy label, and for good reason. Today, nearly eight studio albums into their career, they’re older, wiser and maybe a little more mature, but their philosophy remains the same as it’s always been: to create a much-needed escape, for o...

In their thirty years together as a band, The Dandy Warhols have lived an incredibly storied career, cultivating a distinct sonic identity and making friends along the way with the likes of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Pixies, David Bowie and just about anyone else they’ve come across — because you don’t stay a band that long without doing something right. Their 12th studio album, “Rockmaker,” came out just last year, and the next...

You might have heard the expression “band of brothers” — and that’s exactly what Joyer is, although I don’t think that’s what Shakespeare had in mind when he coined the phrase. Today however, it’s often used to refer to any group of people who share a deep bond after enduring together through some hardship. And that also happens to be the story behind the latest album from brothers Nick and Shane Sullivan, who started the band some...

The Chameleons are widely regarded as unsung pioneers of the post punk variety, having influenced countless bands who are wildly successful to this day. But like many accomplished musicians who’ve been around the block more than a few times and continue to prove their instinctive need to create, lead singer and main songwriter Vox is fervently humble, and his processes have remained largely the same as they were some 40 years ago.

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Dissatisfied with what their home country had to offer, Radio Free Alice packed up and moved to the northern hemisphere. But leaving their home country wasn’t a choice for them — it was simply the necessary next step in becoming a global force. If you dig, you’ll find countless phenomenal Australian bands. But you have to dig. Radio Free Alice is taking your shovel away from you and saving you the work.

Their third EP, “Empty Words...

About a month ago, I sat down with Earth to Josh, a young artist from Lismore who just self-produced his debut album — but don’t confuse “young” with “new.” Josh has been making music for years, honing his craft and quietly building up a repertoire for the ages. His album, inventively titled “Josh To Earth,” is the product of this long stretch of creative exploration and is just as experimental as it is thematically secure. Equal p...

To Hinds, challenge and opportunity are synonymous. In the face of adversity, the duo never even stopped to wonder if they would continue — the question was how. And last month, we found our answer in VIVA HINDS.

Hinds is currently touring North America through the end of October. Then, they return to their home country of Spain, where they’ll pick things back up early next year before heading off to the UK and other parts of Europ...

The first three dates of their North American tour supporting Fontaines D.C. were cancelled due to illness. But at a time when most other bands might have cut their losses, Been Stellar got to work and made their own shows, playing songs from their debut album for anyone who cared to listen. I saw them a few stops after the official start of the tour, and their drive is unmistakable. When Fontaines took the stage, they dedicated “B...

Year by year, AKA Lui has been quietly turning out singles, evolving and developing his signature sound with every release. Each has felt like a major affair, but none have come close to the gravity of his latest undertaking. With Sapphire Blue, AKA Lui hasn’t so much closed the book on his past as he has begun a new chapter for music production, exploration and drive for what is soon to follow.

Sapphire Blue, the debut EP from Byr...

Kate "Babyshakes" Dillon is all in on Full Flower Moon Band — and has been since the project's humble beginnings nearly ten years ago. With a full lineup and an ever evolving catalog of albums battling one another to the death, Full Flower is a machine of unstoppable force. And there's so much more to what makes this machine go...

The new single from Full Flower Moon Band, "Illegal Things," is out April ...

Over the many talks I have been fortunate to enjoy with the boys of Le Shiv, one theme continues to weave its way through every discussion: this band is something else entirely. With friends all around the world, they’ve proven not to be contained by mere political borders. Le Shiv has traveled the globe, leaving new lifelong fans in their wake everywhere they go.

With the COVID snag and a second trans-hemispheric move long behind ...

Somewhere at the intersection of country, grunge, shoegaze and indie rock (an infrastructural enigma of cross streets that will leave city planners scratching their balding heads), lies Wednesday -- the band that burgeoned onto the scene from the seed of a solo project some five or six years ago. They have since risen to a storied status among contemporary indie bands, solidifying their place with the release of their 2023 album, &...

It's time for another year-end countdown! On (approximately) the first anniversary of Youngster Year's most streamed episode, we continue the tradition with Youngster Yearly Volume Two.

Enjoy this extra long, extra special bonus episode as we count down and play selections from five of my favorite albums of 2023, review the podcast's impressive analytics from this past year, discuss four highly anticipated releases com...

Listeners and critics alike have revered The Dwarves as some of the last true purveyors of punk -- and then, some have not. But there is one thing that everyone can agree on: having churned out an endless flow of unapologetic punk rock since the 1980s, The Dwarves have undoubtedly solidified themselves as a longstanding force to be reckoned with.

The Dwarves have just released their latest record, entitled "Concept Album,"...

Talk about "Holding Out On a Dream" -- Pensacola's Glazed Eyes have been nurturing their debut album of the same name since 2019. Finally, this Friday, it will be released to the world. Listen to this interview to get a better idea of what to expect from them, and to educate yourself on the history of this enduring local band.

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if Turnover and Gin Blossoms had a beau...

Indie legends Built to Spill rode into town the weekend before last -- their first couple of shows back from an Australian run were spent with the fine people of Pensacola, Florida. I was fortunate to speak with singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Martsch just after soundcheck for a brief crash course on all things Built to Spill, and the man did not disappoint. He is incredibly humble and kind, and his wisdom is unquestionable. Give ...