Money’s Jamie Lee is certainly not a stranger to self-doubt. The band’s second album, Suicide Songs, wears it on its sleeve. Literally—the album cover is a picture of the band’s singer with a knife stabbing into his forehead, not to mention its overwrought title. But despite lyrics that reflect the Manchester native’s neuroses, the band’s work shows a confidence that outstrips any worries Lee or his mates may have about their own worth. They take an ambitious swing, and it pays off.

Money had a debut album in 2013 that did an impressive job of sounding as epic as an indie band of Money’s stature (and, *ahem*, with their lack of actual money) could. They sounded like a normal-sized band with the kind and amount of instruments fledgling indie rock bands normally get their hands on, playing them with a bunch of studio tricks to make them sound bigger and more momentous than they are. They fit into a trend that’s not uncommon but definitely not unfortunate—rock bands that use digital studios and artificial reverb to create a wall of sound instead of through the cramped recording style that Phil Spector and other analog wizards worked hard to make.

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Full of regrets and recollections of heartbreak, Boroughs’ self-titled release is an honest, introspective look at internal dialogue during hard nights. Though this description may make the EP seem dismal, there’s an underlying theme of hope in each of the tracks on the six-song release.

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They’re young and they are definitely rising, at least in popularity. Up-and-coming band Young Risings Sons is keeping to their style of heavy drum work and creative arrangements. The band’s debut EP, The High, received high praise with hits like “High,” which was featured in a Pepsi commercial, and “King of the World.”  With their new found success, the band has refined their latest EP, The Kids Will Be Fine, for a more radio-friendly sound and melancholic lyrics. The five new tracks definitely feature some highlights, but there is still polishing to do for the perfect set of songs for their next record.

While Young Rising Sons has the characteristics of any other alternative band trying to make it big, the unique vocal arrangements make the quartet stand out from the pack. I have high appraisal for lead singer Andy Tongren. The consistency that Tongren carries in his tone melds perfectly with the acapella-style chorus on tracks like “Somebody” and “F**ked Up.” The layered vocals stay in the background with Tongren’s voice at the forefront.  This is certainly a different way to approach a chorus in a rock song.

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The California band Yellow Red Sparks exude a fresh new perspective on the indie-folk genre. The duo, Joshua Hanson and Sara Lynn Nishikawa, emit a joyful and quirky vibe that immediately caught my ear from the start; they don’t hesitate to embrace a full range of instruments making them sound much bigger than themselves.

Yellow Red Sparks takes the core of the classic folk genre and runs with it to make it their own in this EP through elements of an upbeat and whimsical ambiance that is contagious. Paired with the lightness of their music, comes with some seriously melancholy and heart wrenching lyrics.

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Icarus the Owl first took the pop-punk world with their signature technical style.  After taking the time to refine their music and work with their new label [Blue Swan Records],  the band has released their fourth album, Pilot Waves, which takes on a more clear-cut sound but keeps with their signature instrumental intricacy. The album provides what lead singer Joey Rubenstein calls, “a mental landscape.” The tracks are a mixture of heavy and light songs that maintain Icarus the Owl’s pristine quality, one that keeps the old fans coming back for while inciting newer fans.

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UK rock band, Lower Than Atlantis, has re-released their 2014 self-titled album with a new deluxe edition. Titled Lower Than Atlantis: Black Edition, the deluxe album includes 15 bonus tracks with fresh new songs, live sets, and four covers. The album is a spot-on portrayal of the groups overall musical growth and versatility. The two discs showcase the true evolution and experimentalism of the bands signature punk rock sound. The raw, aggressive vocals from Mike Duce, guitar from Ben Sansome and Dec Hart, and percussion elements from Eddy Thrower, are incorporated and manipulated in different ways that haven’t been heard before on their previous albums.  

The first disc containing their 2014 album can be summed up as controlled chaos – the good kind. Lower Than Atlantis has their sound down to a science; it is a perfect balance of energetic, catchy vocals and heavy electric guitar flare that weave together a recipe for a classic punk pop rock vibe. The first track “Here We Go” shows their mastery with the electric guitar in constant sync with Duce’s smooth, meets angsty vocals providing just the right level of a commanding, yet controlled sound.

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It seems almost impossible to combine more than two genres of music into one song. Kaleigh Baker, however, challenges and accomplishes it beautifully. This Orlando-based powerhouse brings to her newest album titled Weary Hours, an entirely different blend of sounds. She somehow manages to completely transform the meaning of genre. If you want a taste of country, rock & roll, blues, or even jazz, she brings this all to her album and more.

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Women in the music industry are constantly in competition with males; they are either overlooked entirely or not credited enough. In contrast to the usual same-gender lineups, or the occasional female-fronted group, Secret Someones is a talented group of alternative rockers of females and one male. (Girl power!)

The singer-songwriters, Bess Rogers, Lelia Broussard, and Hannah Winkler, play bass and guitar while Zach Jones plays the drums. Their ten-track self-titled album is filled with talent and passion and inspired by Weezer, Talking Heads, and Tom Petty.

Opening track “I Won’t Follow,” is a super catchy, fun tune and the harmonies are strong and passionate.  

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Back in July, I was able to sit down and chat with MC Lars for a bit while I was covering Warped Tour. It was interesting to meet someone with both an English degree and a full-time job (and yeah, I’m aware I’ve made that joke before. But if you’re just reading it now and you laughed, ignore this; I’m hilarious and my material is always new). Anyway, after a few other questions, I asked: “So, new album? What can we expect?” to which he replied, I quote loosely, “Well, it’ll be about all the same stuff the other hardcore gangsters rap about – I’ve got a song about Roger Rabbit, some Star Wars and Game of Thrones stuff, there’s a rap about Hans Moleman from The Simpsons – the basics.”

I’ve been a fan of Lars’ music for a while, and he’s been one of the more creative artists around ever since he got started, so what surprised me about what he was saying wasn’t the content, but how badly we all needed to hear this record.

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Singer/songwriter LOREN, at only 15 years old, is rebelling against the stereotype of cliche teen pop. Her style is inventive and refreshing; but most respectably, it’s individualistic. She embraces an indie pop sound that pairs seamlessly with her soft vocals.

A single off of the EP,  “Broken Telephone”, is a charming example of her youthful point of view – a story of a typical mean girls vs. outcasts scenario. Free spirited guitar and drums emit a light and care-free sound despite the angst of the story being told through the lyrics. The hint of subtle angst in her lyrics mixed with lighthearted pop creates the perfect recipe for describing the high school challenges of growing up; good and bad.

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It was the kind of band that made me feel something. Nostalgia, rage, happiness; there was something that filled me up. In the comfort of my room (with my roommate away in class), I listened to Reckless Serenade’s 6-track EP Out Here and immediately knew what love sounded like.

From Upstate New York, the five-piece band consists of vocalist Cory Brent, guitarists Mark Neidhardt and Nick Sochan, bassist Steve Zeiss and drummer Matt Ruggiero. Friends from high school, the group came together in 2012 with their different styles of writing and music. I was immediately attracted to the band—the name came from an Arctic Monkeys’ song and the pop-punk indie sound had me hooked.

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In an attempt to dismiss the haunting memories that followed their last album, XXI released Inside Out to pave a fresh path for a newer, cleaner sound to their hardcore metal genre. After the death of original vocalist Eric Gentry, the remaining members of A Feast for Kings regrouped to create XXI, named in tribute to Gentry’s age when he passed. XXI delivers a solid album filled with heartfelt lyrics in tones of progressive screamo music, but Inside Out doesn’t astound as much as it could, playing things a bit safe within the metal core sub-genre.

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[Note: In the midst of allegations made against a former member of Neck Deep in regards to unlawful interactions with underage fans, we would like to state that neither Lucy Out Loud nor members of its staff condone any sort of actions of that nature. This review was aimed to focus on the band and on the album’s merit, though we deemed it irresponsible to make no mention of the aforementioned issues. The band’s official statement on the situation can be read here. Thank you.]

Punk doesn’t do intros.*

It’s supposed to start mid-chorus. There’s no clearing of throat, because the best punk singers have the scratchiest of screeching vocal chords anyway. You just start in the middle, and don’t worry if the listener has time to get acclimated. They’re pulled along, and they’re with you, or they’re against you.

British pop-punkers Neck Deep know this. They know all the lessons that Punk has been teaching us. They’ve got a few seconds of record studio leftovers, and we’re in, on the opener of their new album, “Citizens of Earth.” A few hard-hitting eighth notes that rise in intensity and before long we’re in the album, and singer Ben Barlow is telling us how “every earthquake starts with a little shake.”

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Andrew “Koji” Shiraki is a pretty solid songwriter. He’s got good hooks, interesting lyrics and a voice that is distinctive without being annoying. And most of all, he’s able to use all of those features well with a style that fits him. A little acoustic, but not too much. A bunch of pretty instruments—bells and the like—that would fit well in a magical forest, and a stripped down rawness that stops that from getting too twee. It sounds like it’s recorded one summer evening in a barn, in all the best ways–old oak, fireflies, and old friends–except with enough of a punk sensibility to stay energized and angry through the sap.

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From what I’ve read in recent days, Ryan Murphy is not the type to let things hold him back. Moving to New York City with nothing more than his bucket list and a backpack, with his dream of becoming a recording artist as the top goal, Murphy let his ambition bring him to the city, with his heart eventually calling him elsewhere, leading him to a new home in Texas. Prompted by tragedy and driven by the simple question what would you do with your last year on earth?, Murphy set out to provide himself with not only answers, but a chance to make a name for himself.

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