Author: Casey Gallenberger

Dream-pop outfit Monarch has released Sea & Sky, an ethereal electronic ballad that certainly builds anticipation for their upcoming album … Continued →

Dan Smotz (The Dawn Retreat, SMOTZ) has launched his latest installment in what seems to be a never ending sequence of creative project. The System is Down is a podcast focused on all the touchy subjects that tend to set people off, but it is exacted in the form of civil, critical discussion. It’s a promising idea, and, for someone who doesn’t follow podcasts regularly, my interest is certainly piqued. Check out the first episode here.… Continued →

Raleigh rap-rock group Cold Comfort resurges with a lyrically-abrasive four-track mixtape.

It has been a few years since OceanSpeak’s eponymous EP, sea the same. It was certainly a great step forward for gritty progressive indie, but the band unfortunately didn’t last too long. Tiger Drive stands as the rebellious stepchild of OceanSpeak. Though the groups share several members, the diverging style Tiger Drive displays on their first single is more akin to what we’ve grown to expect from Polyenso and Author – intelligent, ambient pop with groove sensibilities. Talk is cheap, so take a listen for yourself right here.… Continued →

I first discovered Danen Kane through a mutual friend when I lived up in Green Bay. There’s a coffee shop that draws in bigger acts like Disciple and Flatfoot 56, but they also host open mics and local acts. I hadn’t heard of him before, but I was curious enough to check out his music online and liked what I heard. His solo acoustic offerings were dripping with hints of soul. His lyrics were honest-yet-artful. Needless to say, I was an instant fan. Flesh and Soul, Danen’s most recent full-length, may have been released in 2015 but certainly warrants a review because, well, Indie Vision Music was down during that time and more people ought to know this Wisconsinite writes some some pretty great songs.… Continued →

Aaron of My Epic recounts the rarely-heard past, present, and future of the band, walking through each former release and briefly covering TWO upcoming EPs. Listen here.… Continued →

Indie Vision Music: Tell me a bit about your music. What’s it called, what style is it, when you’ll be releasing some material? It’s pretty broad but should get the conversation going. Parker Boles: My music is a blend of post-hardcore, emo, and pop-punk, mixed in with some blues. The first material I’ll be releasing will be mostly covers, and the album that I am working on is 11 covers and one original, titled “Horizon To Horizon”. IVM: That definitely sounds like something I would enjoy.… Continued →

American Arson has unleashed their aggressive, take-no-prisoners Waymaker EP. Listen below, support the band, and check out our review here for plenty of speculation regarding lyrical nuances. … Continued →

It’s that time of the week – Throwback Thursday! Today’s band showed a lot of promise but personal differences, growing up, and moving apart ultimately was the band’s demise. Well-Wisher stands as a great nod to what could have been. History Counselor was a melodic hardcore band with pop-punk and indie elements based out of Muskegon, MI. that released music during 2012 and 2013. A few singles preceded Well-Wisher and a fully EP followed. However, the latter suffers from incredibly poor production and mixing that sadly ruins the listening experience.… Continued →

Idealist was a North Carolina post-hardcore band that mixed elements of Norma Jean and Defeater, along with guest contributions from Attalus.

Raleigh’s own grunge/rap rock outfit Cold Comfort has announced a new album (or maybe EP?), set for release in TWO DAYS! It appears to be titled Year of the Crow. Check out the cryptic  announcement video and their previous material below: … Continued →

Detroit math-rock/emo group Junior High Cheer Squad has released their debut single, Change, which you can listen to below. Be sure to keep an eye on the band on Facebook, as they’re sure to have more music to come. … Continued →

Even the title of Anchor & Braille’s latest release conjures powerful emotions. Driving at night is certainly a mixed bag of emotions, but I’ve seen my fair share of it. Whether it’s driving through hours of open country fields or through a busy city at five in the morning, there’s a nature inclination to be pensive and introspective. While it’s sometimes good to throw on something with a bit more energy to stay awake, the natural setting is dark, moody, quiet, and empty. Characteristically, Stephen Christian manages to capture this mood to some degree.… Continued →

Welcome back to our throwback series. This week’s feature is more recent than our previous throwbacks, but after going on an indefinite hiatus, this band never got much exposure. History My Mantle might be considered a forerunner of the strange blend of indie and post-hardcore we find from bands like My Epic, Wolves & Machines, and sosaveme. While the genre certainly has gained prevalence, it was certainly still on the rise in 2011, when they debuted their first EP, Giants. It’s a strong release that definite deserves its own proper listen, featuring powerful lyrics, moving instrumentals, and, well, it falls in line with the aforementioned bands so that should give you an idea of what to expect.… Continued →

Waymaker is yet another strong release from American Arson, showcasing a blend of punk, pop-punk, alternative, and straight up rock. It's a passionate EP ripe with self-referential treasure from the rest of the band's discography and serves as a great starting point for new listeners to get acquainted with exactly what these two guys from Detroit can do.

As we’ve come to expect, American Arson has unveiled a new video in preparation to the release of their Waymaker EP on March 31. The song is characteristically anthemic and gives us a good look at drummer Jesse Gentry’s vocals. It’s a great first look at the upcoming release and showcases an interesting, though subtle, change in direction for the duo. … Continued →

Welcome to our third edition of throwback reviews. I know it has been a couple weeks since the last one, so I hope you’re ready for a good one. Today’s feature is The Dawn Retreat, who have recently reunited with a new single. While the new single shows a progression in sound and lyrical maturity, I invite you to follow me back to 2011 to the release of their first album. Royalty is 11 tracks (well, 12 if you have the CD with the acoustic bonus track) of late-teen, mid-to-late 2000s angst.… Continued →

Detroit rock/punk outfit American Arson has announced a new EP, Waymaker, slated for a Mar. 31 release date, as well as an accompanying tour with with North Winds. Check out the full announcement and tour dates below. Waymaker is the first release of the band not included in the Origins Trilogy, and it’s sure to bring more of what we’ve grown to love about the duo. … Continued →

Plenty of bands have reunited to mass appeal lately, but does the latest offering from Acceptance follow suit?

In celebration of the album’s two-year anniversary, Aaron Strumpel has made Bright Star available for free on NoiseTrade. Any proceeds/tips go to Horizons International School of Hope in Beruit, reaching refugee kids from Syria and Pakistan.… Continued →

Prior to 2015’s stunning Into the Sea, Attalus was a fairly unknown. Fronted by Seth Davey, vocalist, pianist, and lyricist, this Facedown debut made plenty best-of-the-year lists. Though Davey has since amicably parted with the band, he has nonetheless kept up with musical endeavors which come to fruition in his debut solo album, Till You’re All I See. While this isn’t an Attalus record by any means, it’s hard to overlook the common elements. Davey again brings lyrical brilliance, this time in a more bare and vulnerable manner with naught more than piano to complement his vocals.… Continued →

Muncie, IN. metalcore group Perceive//Persist (formerly Pathos) has released their first single under the new name, along with a lyric video which you can check out below. … Continued →

You don't need to know how to pronounce Bjéar to enjoy their atmospheric folk debut. For fans of Bon Iver and The National.

Hey everyone. In case you missed last week’s introductory review (about Good Luck Varsity, which you should definitely read), I’m doing a throwback review series – mostly pertaining to bands who new made it into the spotlight before breaking up but who I think deserve a listen. If you have any examples who fit the mold, let me know! This week’s feature is the excessively-titled EP (or LP? I’m not really sure) (New Breath + New Heartbeat) = Change by This Armistice. History This Armistice was a short-lived ambient and post-hardcore band whose discography was a paltry two releases.… Continued →

The Dawn Retreat returns with Vampires in White Shoes Pt. II, a loud, fast, furious, and fun track which you can check out below: https://youtu.be/zYTpfXMlarI

Every once in awhile, an album falls through the cracks; IVM’s hiatus, bands breaking up, or even just the simple discovery of “old gold” years later results in plenty of great music that hasn’t gotten much coverage but certainly deserves to be revisited. So, this is the first of what I hope will become a growing list of throwback reviews. Feel free to send me some ideas and I’ll do my best to make sure they’re covered. For a variety of reasons, I’ve chosen to not make these traditional reviews with ratings but instead want to highlight the artist and encourage readers to check out bands.… Continued →

Muncie metalcore powerhouse Pathos reemerges as Perceive//Persist, with new music to follow.

Sneaks. Peeks. Leaks. Yeeks. Quad cities hardcore/rock/punk group The Dawn Retreat have given us a taste of their new single which, at the time of this writing, is still unnamed. Check it out below and stay tuned for more updates. … Continued →

Electropop outlet Monarch has released a brand new single, Betrayed By A Kiss. Check it out below, along with some of their earlier tracks to get broken in – and expect great things on their next album. … Continued →

Denver's Medic brings a blend of ambient, funk, pop, and acoustic on their 2016 LP.