{"id":2052522,"date":"2025-09-26T19:25:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T19:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2052522"},"modified":"2025-09-26T19:25:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T19:25:30","slug":"new-music-friday-roll-out-grandbrothers-shiner-bright-eyes-swoll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/new-music-friday-roll-out-grandbrothers-shiner-bright-eyes-swoll\/","title":{"rendered":"New Music | Friday Roll Out: Grandbrothers, Shiner, Bright Eyes, Swoll"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>The Kansas City outfit <strong>Shiner<\/strong> returns after five years with its new album <strong>BELIEVEYOUME<\/strong> (Spartan Records). While it may not have been as long a break as its 19-year pause before 2001\u2019s The Egg, it doesn\u2019t seem to have slowed the band down at all. The band\u2019s heavy-handed guitar work is felt on \u201cThe Mutiny,\u201d assisted by its explosive rhythm section that screams power all around. No fucks are given, and the melody of the vocal harmonies is literally the cherry on top of it all! If it\u2019s magic the band is looking for, pfft, it hasn\u2019t lost any of it. Shiner\u2019s dark \u201cAsleep In the Truck\u201d almost seems foreboding, musically speaking that is. Guitars and vocals move in a dark direction for the first minute before finding their meaty meeting place with the rhythm and reverting back. It\u2019s a clever juxtaposition of melody and shadowy spaces. \u201cThe Alligator\u201d has an odd rhythm that the band effortlessly makes work, conjoined with soaring harmonies that again blend and eventually find its collective space where everything falls into place. It\u2019s quite maddening and genius at the same time. Even when the band puts together explosive guitar pop songs like \u201cEndless Summer,\u201d you can hear the brilliance within the composition. You can\u2019t ever assume the band is going to move in a certain direction as the guitars crunch every space around it with its bass and drums offering spaces enough for them to breathe. Some might think Shiner is a thing of the past but they\u2019ve created a blissfully wonderous recording with BELIEVEYOUME.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=2333166408\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/shinerkc.bandcamp.com\/album\/believeyoume\">BELIEVEYOUME by SHINER<\/a><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>BRIGHT EYES \u2013 <em>KIDS TABLE EP<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">We sometimes question if there\u2019s still room in music for artists who\u2019ve shed youthful skins. What a ridiculous question! Who TF asks that? Now, if an artist continues on a path of exploration and growth, who is anyone to judge another, regardless of what someone may or may not release? While there are those that have stood the test of time, on the flipside, others have faded and ridden out with the passing breeze.<\/p>\n<p>As the band settles into its third decade, writing and recording new music, <strong>Bright Eyes<\/strong>\u2018 core foundation of Mike Mogis, Conor Oberst, and Nate Walcott hasn\u2019t slowed down. While there was a 9-year absence after The People\u2019s Key, there were other projects released, stepping in to record with other groups, and even releasing solo material that ran concurrently. In 2020, the band returned with a fervor, dropping <em>Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was<\/em> to a pretty quiet universe for the obvious reasons. This year, Bright Eyes released the 8-song<strong><em> Kids Table <\/em><\/strong>(Dead Oceans), clocking in at just under a half hour.<\/p>\n<p>The band found its muse early on through its own pain, which was translated seamlessly into music, and Bright Eyes was able to pierce through adulthood with a clearer outlook. Yes, the band still does what it does best with guitars, ethereal keys, and fully realized rhythms on \u201cCarins (When Your Heart Belongs To Everyone),\u201d mixing in samples of children\u2019s voices throughout. It\u2019s a catchy little number where we have a mature storytelling Oberst. There\u2019s a richness to the song that, for some reason, I just can\u2019t get enough of. Bright Eyes does something different here, though, with \u201c1st World Blues,\u201d where Oberst doesn\u2019t fully embody a clear-headed Tim Armstrong, but the band\u2019s Ska-induced sound here is undeniable as horns blare all around. Couple that with his lyricism surrounding New York scenery, and it feels like 1995 all over again, trekking through the Lower East Side and then finding your way to the  A train uptown. Yeah, I\u2019m with throwing monkey wrenches all over the place. I\u2019m here for the chaos.<\/p>\n<p>But hot damn(!), the band covers Lucinda Williams\u2019 \u201cSharp Cutting Wings (Song to a Poet)\u201d and completely shifts gears with the guitar-oriented track. His voice wavers, like days of old, and his voice is fitting as he does Lucinda\u2019s song justice. Guitars just float in the wind here and it becomes magical. On \u201cDyslexic Palindrome\u201d the band invites Hurray For the Riff Raff\u2019s Alyndra Segarra as they \u201cexamine the dark complacency of living in today\u2019s capitalistic culture.\u201d They sing, they harmonize, as the band creates a beautifully utopic scenery juxtaposed against the lyricism. Piano keys tink, percussion creeps all around, and guitars take a backseat. Beautifully pieced together, the band is still taking chances.<\/p>\n<p>Seems there\u2019s nothing complacent about Bright Eyes in 2025, and <em>Kids Table<\/em> easily expresses. It\u2019s obvious, we need more Bright Eyes that are willing to do and say what needs to be done and said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=770808048\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/brighteyes.bandcamp.com\/album\/kids-table\">Kids Table by Bright Eyes<\/a><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SWOLL \u2013 <em>AVOID ATTACH<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Straight to it, on his third album recording under the moniker of the DMV\u2019s <strong>Swoll<\/strong>, Matt Dowling \u2013 if anything \u2013 doesn\u2019t fuck around. You might know of Dowling from other related projects he\u2019s been a part of, like The Effects, Paperhaus, or Deleted Scenes, but Swoll? He\u2019s fully in command. Dowling walks that slippery slope, that greased tightrope between post-punk and electronic dance. Yes, Swoll may not be the first to ever combine the two, but it\u2019s worth a modicum of your attention at the least.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Avoid Attach<\/em><\/strong> (BLIGHT. Records) is on the attack from the start, as \u201cThe Wind At Night\u201d drops that beat that doesn\u2019t stick to a 4\/4 rhythm pattern with a growling bassline and odd guitar notes plucked away. The synths smother the track, but you barely notice as your mind falls into place, relishing its melody. Dowling\u2019s voice is another instrument tossed within the mix to set it off. His lyrics aren\u2019t very audible but no matter, it does help set the mood, which is fucking entrancing. Honestly, you\u2019ll play this song over and over again before you make your way farther into the album. Swoll is intentional in everything it seems to do, sometimes playing minimalist effort but always engaging the listener. \u201cDo You Know What\u2019s Changed\u201d offers a different look, playing more on the electronic side of the spectrum, as synth notes swallow up spaces whole, as the bassline tenderly drags the melody across its landscape; part 80s pop, and part punk-infused.. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Swoll does\/can do interesting things with its rhythm(s), and \u201cAny Other Way\u201d stands out. While the timing may seem odd, it isn\u2019t. It\u2019s the instrument placement that might make it appear that way, but the melody here delivers with the ferocity of gummies and gumdrops. It\u2019s the sugary explosion you\u2019d never expect. If there ever was a WTF moment for Swoll, this just might be it. \u201cDream,\u201d on the other hand, seems like it\u2019s going to run off the road at just about any point. While the instruments follow their own pattern, the percussion beneath seems on the brink of colliding with an oncoming ghost train. It\u2019s not art for art\u2019s sake, but it finally blends in with the guitars and Dowling\u2019s hazy vocals.<\/p>\n<p>Dowling and the cast of musicians he\u2019s assembled for <em>Avoid Attach<\/em> \u2013 drummer Erik Sleight, guitarist\/synth player Benjamin Schurr, and drummer Dan Angel \u2013 create an alluring release that doesn\u2019t hold tightly to any one genre, which is fine. The songs here fluidly careen and blend into one another, while at other times they don\u2019t, but never detract from knowing this is a Swoll release. Well fucking done.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=2863582598\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/swoll.bandcamp.com\/album\/avoid-attach\">Avoid Attach by SWOLL<\/a><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>GRANDBROTHERS \u2013 <em>ELSWHERE<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">For some reason, I can\u2019t remember the first time I heard the music created by Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel. They both entered the musical fray in March of 2015 as Grandbrothers, releasing Dilation. It could be a Johnny-come-lately event on my end, but there are moments when you need to revisit older material. It doesn\u2019t matter; as soon as you realize the duo has returned, the anticipation is understandable. And at this very moment, nothing has changed, and everything is possible here.<\/p>\n<p>The German outfit has returned with <strong><em>Elsewhere<\/em><\/strong> (_and_others) and yes, continues to create wide open landscapes with its music. Both Sarp (piano) and Vogel (production, electronic) are far from limited by their instruments, and listening to \u201cWhere Else\u201d as Sarp\u2019s fingers release a cascading melody and Vogel\u2019s percussion &amp; rhythm precariously teeter on the edge, but we all understand it\u2019s never going to fall apart. The music rises and falls, blissfully spreading its wings and soaring across the horizon. While we hear those piano keys, it\u2019s the smoldering bassline that leads the way across \u201cLiminal,\u201d as well as those looped tones that are wickedly enticing. But this is the appeal of Grandbrothers; for each song, it follows the same pattern, it\u2019s repetitive but NEVER repetitious. There\u2019s beauty throughout the landscape, which sometimes becomes difficult to describe in songs created by the duo. While songs share the same energy while remaining unique, descriptions are difficult to make at times. Like me, you\u2019ll want to be swallowed whole by each and every track.<\/p>\n<p>Now, while I\u2019ve said that, \u201cCypress\u201d starts off a bit differently. There\u2019s a glitch in the matrix as it wanders, increasing in volume, but then Sarp\u2019s piano chords strike, wrapped in Vogel\u2019s drum pattern and bassline. It all washes across, with the delicateness of origami made of tissue paper, drifting. We have to understand the complexities of the Sarp and Vogel compositions, which are all instrumental by the way. They\u2019re filled with emotion and can soothe the savage soul. But I find myself enamored with \u201crun.run.run.run.run\u201d which keeps a steady pace with seemingly sparse piano work, but you just might find yourself running in place because the rhythm seems to have that effect. \u00a0Even when it softens, that\u2019s the moment to reflect before keeping up the pace again. Insanity!<\/p>\n<p>The Grandbrothers continually and consistently strike gold with each subsequent release, as they just accomplished with Elsewhere. To find that gold, Sarp and Vogel never have to look far; it\u2019s already inside them.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=1599401038\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/grandbrothers.bandcamp.com\/album\/elsewhere\">Elsewhere by Grandbrothers<\/a><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source ghettoblastermagazine.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Kansas City outfit Shiner returns after five years with its new album BELIEVEYOUME (Spartan Records). While it may not have been as long a break as its 19-year pause before 2001\u2019s The Egg, it doesn\u2019t seem to have slowed the band down at all. The band\u2019s heavy-handed guitar work is felt on \u201cThe Mutiny,\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2052523,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2052522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/New-Music-Friday-Roll-Out-Grandbrothers-Shiner-Bright-Eyes.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2052522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2052523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2052522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2052522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2052522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}