The pop star's most nuanced record yet finds beauty in the contradictions of devotion, anxiety, and growing up. Article Contributed by Shyanne Vaden Album cover for “you seem so sad for a girl so in love” by Olivia Rodrigo Renowned pop star Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated third studio album “you seem so sad for a girl so in love” was released on June 12, and has already taken not only her fans, social media but the world by storm. From her stepping on the scene with “Sour

Pushing themselves to new heights following the move to Oxide Records, Savage Hands are preparing to release a new album and set out on a summer tour. Without losing touch with their hard rock roots, the Maryland band have dropped a gut-wrenching new single, "It's Me,” compelling enough to hook even the non-metal fans. Article Contributed by Brooke Dougherty Photography by William George The song begins fast-paced, and almost uneasy as if you are trying to outrun your shadows

The Legacy of East Coast Pop-Punk and Emo Lives On Turn Two band photographed | Photography by Steph Cincinnatti (IG: @ohiosteph3) Article Contributed by Konstantina Buhalis Turn Two, one of New Jersey’s latest bands, has been taking the Pop-Punk world by storm with their sound, melding the classic 2000s sound with modern touches. SoundCheck sat down with Shane Maziekien to talk about the formation of Turn Two, Third-Wave Emo, and how they developed their sound. Turn Two’s En

More than a decade after stepping away, The Cab returned to Philadelphia with a night full of unforgettable songs, surprising covers, and a crowd that never forgot a single lyric. Article & Photos Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt The Cab performing at the TLA in Philadelphia, PA | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography) Since forming in Las Vegas in 2004, The Cab built a loyal following in the pop rock scene, blending infectious hooks with heartfel

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt There's a specific kind of music that doesn't just sound like your teenage years, it feels like them. The kind that puts you right back in your parents' living room, watching local bands play basements and VFW halls, wondering if feeling everything this loudly and this openly was something you'd eventually grow out of. Listening to Homebase's debut EP Close To Something , the answer, at least for this reviewer, is a hard no. Press photo

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Dead Wrong photographed in Philadelphia, PA - Photo by Chris Lopez (IG: @ chrislopezest89 ) Philadelphia has never had a shortage of bands willing to wear their hearts on their sleeves. It's practically a city requirement. But Dead Wrong, the four-piece pop-punk outfit made up of Matt McKay, Stephen Morrell, Roberto Marcial, and Dan Fedele, do something a little more specific than just feeling things loudly. On their debut full-length T

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Let’s say the quiet part out loud. The reason so many artists are living off nostalgia instead of putting out new music isn’t just an industry problem. Fans play a role too. Across the industry, nostalgia has become the safest option. Anniversary tours sell out instantly. Full album playthroughs move merch. Entire festivals are built around who we listened to in high school. It works because nostalgia is powerful and comforting, especia

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Photo Provided by Spotify Die To Fall is The Maine’s first release off their upcoming record Joy Next Door, and it already feels like a song made to be shared. It has that indie alternative glow to it, but with a beat you can still move to. The kind of song that turns into a group scream at a summer show, arms thrown over each other’s shoulders, yelling “I feel alive” like you mean it. There’s something really freeing about it. It feels

On the first warm night in months, Philadelphia showed up loud for a lineup that proved the local scene is thriving. Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt & Devin McDevitt Moonroof performing at Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Rebecca McDevitt. IG: @ rebeccajeanlimitedphotography There is something about the first warm night in Philadelphia that feels like permission to breathe again. The snow was melting into the sidewalks. People lingered outside instead of

Article & Photos Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt On February 21st at MilkBoy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about fifty people gathered to watch Modern Culture, Sleep Cycles, and June Divided share a stage. Fifty people. Not sold out. Not empty. Just enough to feel real. Sleep Cycles performing at Milkboy in Philadelphia, PA. Photo Provided by Rebecca McDevitt IG: (@ rebeccajealimitedphotography ) The room was warm, loud, relaxed, and there was not a single phone in sight. Y

The Riviera Theatre was electric long before the night’s headliners took the stage, it was the kind of restless buzz that signals a crowd ready to fully commit to the night. Photos and Article Contributed by Ernesto Raul Aguilar Fans waiting in anticipation for the Runarounds and The Back Alley at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago, IL. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar ( @blacksheepimagery ) By the end of the evening, both The Back Alley and The Runarounds had justified that anticip

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano The Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer recently released their album ‘EVERYONE’S A STAR’ which is filled with expressive commentary, reflective tracks and an almost theatrical-esque feel for a few songs. Album Artwork by Brian Ziff If you’ve ever needed a recommendation for an album to play while you’re out on a late night drive - this is it. ‘EVERYONE’S A STAR’ by 5 Seconds of Summer is the perfect mix of melancholy, vibey tunes and lyr

Cassadee Pope’s acoustic set at The Loft at City Winery in Philadelphia proved that a stripped-down show can sometimes hit the hardest. With just her guitar, her voice, and a room full of fans, she created a night that felt intimate, warm, and disarmingly honest. Cassadee Pope performing at City Winery in Philadelphia, PA - Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography ) She wasted no time diving into nostalgia, pulling out Hey Monday classics like “Homecoming

There’s a different kind of energy when a band is playing their last run of shows. It’s louder. Softer. Heavier. Lighter. Everything all at once. And Young Culture’s stop in Philly carried that exact emotional whiplash in the most beautiful way. Young Culture performing at Ukie Club in Philadelphia, PA on their farewell tour. Photo by Kayleena Ayusa (IG: @ayusa_media ) Ukie Club was already hyped before the first note of the first band. The openers Bike Routes & Wakelee had t

Article Contributed by Konstantina Buhalis Set It Off has been a major player in the rock and alternative scene since 2008, when they gained notoriety through their YouTube channel, eventually signing to Equal Vision Records and then Fearless Records. In the last year, Set It Off went independent and released their latest self-titled album on November 7, featuring Rock and Nu-Metal influences. Dopamine Era In 2023, Set It Off left Fearless Records and began what they called t

Broadside has been teasing us with pieces of Blissed Out for months and now that the full EP is here, it feels like the complete picture finally arrived. It is emotional. It is catchy. It is honest in that way Broadside fans love. They kicked things off back in April with “I Think They Know,” a song that puts every overthinker right in their feelings.

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Pop punk is alive, loud, and definitely moving back into the neighborhood. girlfriends’ new album THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD is the perfect mix of early 2000s nostalgia and modern-day edge. Think Yellowcard and Blink-182 colliding with MGK’s pop-punk revival. It’s fun, chaotic, and full of emotion in all the right ways. The record kicks off with pure energy. The singles “Landslide,” “Garbage,” and “West Coast” already hinted at what wa

Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography ) Article & Photos Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt If you grew up blasting pop punk on your iPod Nano, this tour was basically therapy. The Delilah vs. Juliet Tour brought two fan-favorite names, Plain White T’s and We The Kings, together for a night that felt like Warped Tour 2010 all over again. And with Emo Nite setting the tone, the nostalgia levels were off the charts. We The Kings hit the stage first and hone

Some bands have been here for most of your life. Others have been here longer than you have even been alive. Mayday Parade has been a band for twenty years. All Time Low has been a band for twenty two. The crowd reflected that timeline in full. Some people first heard these songs on burned CDs and shared iPods. Others found them on streaming years later. Different ages, different entry points, but everyone already knew the words. This wasn’t nostalgia. This was continuity.

Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Taylor Acorn isn’t new to the scene, but she’s definitely started redefining it. With her latest album Poster Child, she surpasses the expectations she’s built. The record feels like flipping through pages of her diary, every lyric blurring the line between strength and softness, heartbreak and healing. “Poster Child” delivers everything you’d expect from Taylor — upbeat, infectious melodies — but it’s the vulnerability underneath that hits har