Skillet is an artist that needs no introduction. Soon to be hitting the three-decade mark as a band (in various membership combinations, but always with the distinct vision and voice of lead singer and lyricist John Cooper at the helm), the group has managed to surf the changing tides of the music industry and remain relevant and consistent with their musical and live output from day one.

Alas, their new album Revolution finds the group...

“I was the antagonist in my own story,” indie artist John Van Deusen said in an interview preceding the release of his newest album. Anthem Sprinter works as a prequel to the four-part I Am Origami series, which Van Deusen brought to a conclusion in 2022. Many of these songs were started in his teen years and recorded during the same sessions as I Am Origami, Pt. 3 in 2019. This is a glimpse into the man Van Deusen was in the past, so keeping that firmly in mind, listeners can relax as they hear the angst of an unsettled soul. This is merely the setup, featuring songs largely written in chaotic, angry, and painful seasons of life. Across the track listing, John acts as our tour guide as he searches for temporal highs, relational carnage left in his wake. That’s why, for a period of time, he had asked his label (Tooth & Nail Records) to shelve this album. He had moved so far past these songs that he wrestled with the pain of revisiting them regularly...

In the '00s, Tooth & Nail Records put out two albums from one of the strangest artists to ever grace the label: Neon Horse. The band was led by Norman Horse, the alter ego of Stavesacre/The Crucified vocalist, Mark Salomon, and the music was provided by The Band, an uncredited line-up of Starflyer 59's Jason Martin and Project 86's Steven Dail. The band had been defunct since after 2009's Haunted Horse: Songs of Love, Defiance, and Delusion. But we're in a time when no defunct band is safe from a reunion. And thanks to Velvet Blue Music and Jeff Cloud's magic hat, Neon Horse is back for another round...

The jangle pop of Sixpence None the Richer feels like the comfort of an old friend, or the familiarity of an autumn wind -- something fans who'd given up hope on new music can truly appreciate. I am one of those fans, and their brand new EP, Rosemary Hill, is the best possible gift in the perfect season for their artful pop-rock.

From their more aggressive work on This Beautiful Mess (1995) through the lush commercial success of their self-titled album (1997), and the reflective pop tones of Divine Discontent (2002), Sixpence None the Richer has always found a way to weave beauty and pain into a gorgeous sounding tapestry...