COLOR GREEN, FOOLS PARADE

"All of us are fans of all types of music. We like to wear our influences on our sleeves, but we try to keep our eye on timelessness and originality within the process. We try not to be too obvious about where we’re pulling from, but rather aim to pay respect to the legends that have shaped our musical taste." Corey Maden, Guitarist

On their sophomore album, Fools Parade, California-based quartet Color Green straddle '70's psychedelic and classic rock as well as '60's SoCal folk-rock and '80's underground rock to great success. As soon as I started listening to it, I felt like I was revisiting a great old album that I had forgotten about. 

But the real magic of Fools Parade lies in its ability to feel familiar without falling into nostalgia's trap. There’s a subtle edge throughout, as Color Green balances homage with some raw, contemporary energy. Sun-drenched harmonies with jangly guitars, evoking both the breezy charm of Laurel Canyon and the gritty allure of CBGB’s. It’s a love letter to rock’s golden eras for sure, but one written with fresh ink and a knowing wink, making it feel timeless yet undeniably of the moment. Perhaps someday I will forget about this album, but not anytime soon. 

GREENLEAF, THE HEAD & THE HABIT

Greenleaf, the heavy rockers from Sweden, return with a fantastic ninth album, The Head & The Habit. For almost a quarter century, the band has been offering up their '70 hard rock influenced music. And The Head & The Habit is no exception. Showcasing their confidence in how to rock stronger, harder, and with more cohesion than ever before, the Swedes melt thunderous riff-magic, enrapturing and soul-heavy vocals, frenetic rhythms and driving attacks into an ear-catching, sparkling alloy of hard rocking anthems. It's the kind of album that gets the blood pumping and is just a great ride.

THE FELICE BROTHERS, VALLEY OF ABANDONED SONGS

A few years back, Ian Felice started revisiting old demos that he said had never seen the light of day and recordings that hadn't found a home on previous albums. He started thinking of them as the Valley of Abandon Songs. Soon after, he reached out to his good friend Conor Oberst who was starting a new label and floated the idea of putting these songs together on an album and giving it this very name. 

Listening to The Felice Brothers latest album, Valley of Abandoned Songs, one would never guess that these were scrapped songs or that they were not written as a cohesive collection to be put out into the world together. These are all gems that shine and once again shine a spotlight on The Felice Brothers special indie-folk rock talents.