I've been doing the 617 Q&A series over at Vanyaland for quite some time now. Incredibly, it took until just a few months ago, with the electronic duo Phantogram, that I conducted it with more than one person. It's hard enough keeping the pieces to a manageable length with a single interviewee, even with the... Continue Reading →
Brian Fallon Talks Comparisons, Giving Up Bread, and What Makes New Jersey Great
The Gaslight Anthem is, by far, one of my favorite bands to come out of the early-ish '00s. Whether it's the overarching connectedness to the everyman in their lyrics, the swirling guitar melodies that almost don't fit into a punk rock song or the constant nod to their musical influences, there's always been something there... Continue Reading →
Alkaline Trio’s Dan Andriano Goes Deep on Mental Health, Sports Rivalries and Other Trios
What's been going on behind the scenes with pop punkers Alkaline Trio in recent years I've found fascinating on a couple of levels. First, founder, guitarist and co-lead singer Matt Skiba decides to join Blink-182 in the same exact role back in 2015, taking the place of Tom DeLonge. Meanwhile, fellow Alkaline vocalist/bassist Dan Andriano... Continue Reading →
Seven Artists That Should be Huge (Part of V7: The Vanyaland 7th Anniversary Celebration)
Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary of the online magazine Vanyaland, which I've been a part of since it launched back in 2013. To celebrate the milestone, the core team behind the site were asked to contribute something personal to them involving the topics about which they typically write. It's always boggled my mind over the... Continue Reading →