Category: Albums

Fighting Fires with “Fires” — The City Lines’ New Album Explores Heritage, Mental Health, and The Environment

Pat Deneau, Bob Zammit, and Megan Marcoux of The City Lines. Photo by Crista Deneau.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog and has been expanded for this publication.

Pat Deneau sings about the adrenaline rush he gets from work and music on the song “Hits the Same.”

The musician-firefighter’s heart pounds as he climbs on a firetruck with the Ann Arbor Fire Department, or sets foot onstage with The City Lines and sings, “I don’t know what I’m doing here / But my heart is racing / Is this the price to feel so alive?”

“When I’m singing those lines, I’m almost picturing like I’ve got the hose line in my arm, and I’ve got my buddy on my back pushing me in and the fire’s pouring overhead,” said Deneau about the anthemic opener from the Ann Arbor trio’s new album, Prescribed Fires. “It feels exactly the same as flipping the standby switch on the amp, and the volume control is up and the cymbals wash.”

“Hits the Same” also sets the compelling narrative for The City Lines’ third album, which explores parenthood, career, mental health, heritage, and the environment.

Through that narrative, the alt-rock band shares cathartic experiences that confront the past and promote future growth. Metaphorically, it’s akin to a prescribed fire, an environmental stewardship practice that relies on controlled flames to restore health to ecosystems.

“And so we’re writing honest music about what this is like,” said Bob Zammit, drummer for The City Lines. “I accept that some people are not going to connect to it because it’s theoretical for them—they’re not in that space. But my sincere hope is that for some people who are, there’s not 100 records released in Southeast Michigan that cover the same topics.”

Prescribed Fires examines those topics through existential lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and bold instrumentation.

“We’re talking about some heavy stuff here, but the production on the record is so upbeat,” Deneau said. “It sounds kind of late ‘90s, early 2000s rock, and I think that’s a cool juxtaposition. I think that worked out really well for this collection of songs.”

Deneau, Zammit, and Megan Marcoux (bass, flute, vocals) will soon share that new collection of songs during an October 24 album release show at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti.

I recently spoke to Deneau and Zammit about Prescribed Fires ahead of the band’s show.

Continue reading “Fighting Fires with “Fires” — The City Lines’ New Album Explores Heritage, Mental Health, and The Environment” →

Origin Story — Studying Popular Music and Preparing for The Stratton Setlist

At age 5 with my first record player, a Fisher-Price Change-A-Record Music Box Record Player

Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a multipart series celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Stratton Setlist.

I never planned to be a music journalist, but I’ve been unknowingly training for it my whole life.

My parents and older brother, Steve, served as my coaches, offering me different educational resources along the way—ranging from albums, TV shows, and magazines to concerts and festivals.

Those resources helped shape my love of music, a desire to acquire more music knowledge, an obsession with live music and physical media, and an uncanny ability to remember all kinds of music facts and trivia. It was that lifetime of training that quietly prepared me to eventually seek a profession that combined my passion for music with writing.

Now, nearly 45 years later and a decade into running my own music blog, here’s how it all started.

Continue reading “Origin Story — Studying Popular Music and Preparing for The Stratton Setlist” →

Heartbreak and Healing — Trey Simon Explores the Grief of a Miscarriage on “Jesus Hold My Baby” Single

Trey Simon works through heartbreak on “Jesus Hold My Baby.” Photo – Noah “Santo” Juuhl

Trey Simon understands the grief that comes from a miscarriage.

The Rochester Hills, Michigan, singer-songwriter and guitarist processes that emotion and mourns that loss as a father on “Jesus Hold My Baby.”

“Ignorantly, you think you’re invincible,” said Simon about his latest Christian Americana single. “Everything with [our first son] Wisdom went so smoothly and perfectly, so we said, ‘Let’s do it again.’ We were expecting the same thing, and then seeing my wife go through that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever walked through.”

Two months into their second pregnancy, Simon and his wife, Lindsey, lost the baby and struggled with how to move forward.

On “Jesus Hold My Baby,” Simon sings, “I don’t know how we can move on / How do we ever try again? / I never wanna relive the heartbreak / Can there be a second chance?”

“When you love somebody and something’s wrong, you want to fix it with everything,” he said. “This is one of those things that I felt like I had to endure with her, and it was something I couldn’t fix. The thing that amazed me was that [roughly] one in [four] pregnancies, a miscarriage happens. I never knew that, I never dreamed of this happening—I never thought it would ever happen to me.”

Fortunately, Simon and Lindsey worked through their heartbreak and were able to conceive again. Their second son, Canaan, was born in July.

“We decided to go for it, and we had a healthy pregnancy,” Simon said. “It’s been beautiful, but it gave me a whole new perspective and a real heart for people who experience child loss and experience miscarriage. I really want to be a champion of those things and a supporter. Hopefully, this song can be a source of healing for many.”

I recently spoke with Simon about his latest single ahead of a September 19 show at The Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Continue reading “Heartbreak and Healing — Trey Simon Explores the Grief of a Miscarriage on “Jesus Hold My Baby” Single” →

Everything Will Be OK — Blockhouse Valley Learns From Life’s Disappointments on “It’s Alright” Album

Blockhouse Valley’s Danny Steinkopf, Cody Cooper, Ashleigh Glass-Cooper, and Jon Howard. Photo – Kyla Preissner

Blockhouse Valley finds a silver lining in life’s disappointments.

The Americana band embraces the growth and wisdom that comes from personal and professional challenges on It’s Alright.

“A lot of it was the decompression of our days and things that were weighing on us,” said Ashleigh Glass-Cooper, Blockhouse Valley’s vocalist, about the Metro Detroit band’s latest album.

“It also was thoughts we were having and things that were racing through our minds that we were able to capture in those times and hold onto for moments where we could make something better out of them.”

Glass-Cooper traded those thoughts and feelings with husband, musical partner, and mandolinist-guitarist Cody Cooper during their daily commutes home from work.

“It wasn’t that we sat down and said, ‘Let’s write songs about this,’” she said. “We tend to talk about [things] on our commutes, and our brains get a chance to decompress in ways that we don’t always set time apart for otherwise.”

Those conversations laid the groundwork for It’s Alright, which features eight tracks filled with soulful vocals, clever lyrics, and infectious instrumentation.

“We gave them a structure, a context, a musical home that we could potentially share with other people,” Glass-Cooper said. “And we think [the songs] are really relatable because we don’t want to dwell on all of the negativity. We don’t want to give it more power through what we’ve done, but we do want to provide that release.”

To learn more, I spoke with Glass-Cooper and Cooper about the album, its themes, and the creative process behind it.

Continue reading “Everything Will Be OK — Blockhouse Valley Learns From Life’s Disappointments on “It’s Alright” Album” →

Begin Again — Anne Domini Processes Growth and Independence on “Summer Snows” Album

Anne Domini. Photo – Aaron Glen

Anne Domini embraces a growth mindset on Summer Snows.

The Metro Detroit singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist confronts past struggles and rediscovers a sense of purpose on her latest folk album.

“Summer Snows is the story of me growing up,” Domini said. “The first song, ‘Jello,’ starts with how the world feels like Jello, how everything is terrible, and I’m scared. It’s [about] that first year of growing up and what does that look like and me processing that.”

On her second full-length album, Domini processes the growth that comes from tackling mental health challenges and gaining independence.

“There was a lot that happened that was big and heavy, and I couldn’t process it on my own,” she said. “My goal is to write [music] in a way that other people can listen to the songs and see themselves in it. They can see it address their situation, they can gain comfort, and they can gain wisdom through the songs and interpret them in their own way.”

Domini’s poetic lyrics, warm vocals, and emotive instrumentation quickly invite listeners into Summer Snows. The album’s 11 tracks elicit a wealth of emotions while exploring existential and spiritual themes.

“I do think God gave me the love of music, or he just made me in a way that I loved music,” she said. “That is definitely an outlet that I have found.”

I recently spoke with Domini about the inspiration behind her album.

Continue reading “Begin Again — Anne Domini Processes Growth and Independence on “Summer Snows” Album” →

The Navigator — Discipline Explores Life in the Digital and Physical Worlds on “Breadcrumbs” Album

Discipline’s Chris Herin, Mathew Kennedy, Henry Parmenter, and Matthew Parmenter. Photo – Bryant Stuckey

Discipline understands the struggles of navigating the online world.

The prog-rock band weighs the permanency of having a digital footprint with the instant gratification of using new technology on “Breadcrumbs.”

“In my mind, the origin of it was also this notion that when we look at ourselves, we change during our lifetimes,” said Matthew Parmenter, Discipline’s frontman and multi-instrumentalist, about the title track from Breadcrumbs.

“And here we are in this age where so much of what we do is captured, and now, how do we each get to have that luxury that I had as a person growing up, which is to make mistakes and to learn a little from them and to change as we grow. How do we do that when everything we do or utter is recorded forever online?”

Discipline explores that thought as Parmenter sings, “Should we have known / Might we have chosen for ourselves / Now it’s the platform decides / What survives archives our lives.”

“I fear that it leads us to having to become like extreme versions of ourselves, because once you say it, you gotta live up to it,” said Parmenter, who’s based in Metro Detroit. “You can’t let it go. You can’t wake up the next day and say, ‘I probably shouldn’t have said that.’ It’s gone, it’s there. So these were some of the thoughts that generated that particular song.”

In addition to the title track, Parmenter and his Discipline bandmates—guitarist Chris Herin, bassist Mathew Kennedy, and drummer Henry Parmenter—shine on their latest album, Breadcrumbs.

Parmenter’s haunting vocals and philosophical lyrics, along with the band’s spellbinding instrumentation, take listeners on a contemplative journey across five tracks.

To learn more, I spoke with Parmenter about his background, the band, and the album.

Continue reading “The Navigator — Discipline Explores Life in the Digital and Physical Worlds on “Breadcrumbs” Album” →

Fresh Start — Arct1c Finds Hope and Resilience on “Blip in Time” EP

Arc1c is future-oriented on “Blip in Time.” Photo – Brandon Russell

William Carey is ready to leave the past behind.

The Detroit producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist feels relieved after recovering from a recent bout of Crohn’s disease.

“When you’re finally out of it, it feels so incredibly freeing, and that’s where this EP came from,” said Carey, who performs and records as Arct1c—pronounced Arctic—about Blip in Time.

“It feels freeing to create and freeing to write, knowing that I’m on the other side of this and that everything’s gonna be good. I’m gonna be good for a while, and it felt good to write like that.”

On Blip in Time, Carey provides a cathartic and spiritual electronic journey about experiencing a temporary setback and acquiring newfound strength for the future.

“Because a year ago, I was in a hospital, and I had to get a blood transfusion,” he said. “I finally got past that little final portion, and I’m not gonna let those last couple of years hold me back from anything now.”

The EP’s five electronic instrumentals sonically reflect Carey’s shifting mindset during his health struggle. While going through the tracks, he quickly trades disappointment and self-doubt for hope and resilience.

“All that is just a blip in time,” he said. “It’s in the past, and now I have to transfer all of my energy towards the present and the future.”

To learn more, I spoke with Carey about his background and latest release.

Continue reading “Fresh Start — Arct1c Finds Hope and Resilience on “Blip in Time” EP” →

Lighten the Load — J. Michael & The Heavy Burden Provides a Cathartic and Emotional Outlet on “Where We Belong” Album

Shannon Lee, Andrew Pfeiffer, Hillary Finchum-Sung, Jeff Brach, Christopher Georges, David Roof, and former bassist Jamie Sass. Not pictured: current bassist Kevin Howard. Courtesy photo.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Despite the band’s name, J. Michael & The Heavy Burden wants to lighten the emotional load for people.

The Ann Arbor-Metro Detroit band provides a cathartic outlet for processing feelings—ranging from hope to heartbreak to euphoria—on its latest album.

“A lot of the music that I write, it all comes from a very emotional place,” said Jeff “J. Michael” Brach, frontman for the Americana-jam rock band, about Where We Belong.

“When I’m at my peak creatively and writing a lot of music, which I’m actually doing more of right now, it’s when I’m going through difficult things.”

Brach examines a spectrum of emotions while rediscovering his purpose—both personally and vicariously—across eight tracks.

“Universally, the music that I love, you can identify with it, even if you’re interpreting it differently,” he said. “We all come from our perspectives, but you can universally tap into certain things that are being said.”

Brach’s relatable songwriting comes to life alongside the spirited instrumentation of The Heavy Burden, which includes lead guitarist Andrew Pfeiffer, drummer Christopher Georges, vocalist Shannon Lee, keyboardist David Roof, vocalist-violinist Hillary Finchum-Sung, and bassist Kevin Howard.

“Once I started listening and focusing on the lyrics, I [don’t] think of us as the heavy burden, but that’s the funny joke part of it,” Georges said.

“A lot of the songs have heavy, emotional tones sometimes, even though they’re light in their presentation and fun and groovy. There’s also this behind-the-scenes bit of toil and heartbreak, and that story-work in there. It’s delivered nicely and sweetly almost to the ear.”

I recently spoke to the band about its album ahead of an August 1 headlining set at the River Rhythm Music & Arts Festival in Manchester.

Continue reading “Lighten the Load — J. Michael & The Heavy Burden Provides a Cathartic and Emotional Outlet on “Where We Belong” Album” →

Period Piece — Kelsey Detering Looks to New Wave and a New Artist Name on Her “Kelsey.” EP

Kelsey Detering plays her Dream Rio bass. Courtesy photo.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Kelsey Detering has found her groove.

The Ann Arbor indie-rocker recently started playing bass and features new wave-inspired basslines on her four latest singles.

“Musically, I feel like I found myself starting at the end of 2023,” said Detering, who’s traded her previous Ceolsige (pronounced see-ole-sidge) artist moniker for Kelsey. (pronounced Kelsey period).

“I found myself as an artist and as a person, and everything locked in. That’s what happened to me, and I thought, ‘This is so different than Ceolsige, and it feels different.’ I’m hearing music differently since I started playing bass, and I’m writing and approaching it differently.”

Initially a pianist, Detering credits Duran Duran bassist John Taylor with inspiring her to pick up the bass—a Rio Dream bass.

“I learned all the [Duran Duran] basslines and started to branch out to other basslines and players, too,” she said. “That’s really the foundation of my playing. The first [bassline] I wrote was for ‘Throw the Stone,’ and you can hear [John Taylor’s influence] all over that. He was inspired by [Blondie], it’s a thread that goes through it.”

Detering’s including “Throw the Stone” and three other songs on a new Kelsey. EP, which will be released during her July 17 show at Lo-Fi Bar in Ann Arbor.

It features collaborations with singer-songwriter/guitarist Chris DuPont and guitarist/pedal steel guitar player Michael Harrington and drummer Billy Harrington of The Brothers Harrington.

“If you come to the show, you can get this packaged EP of all the singles I’ve released so far,” she said. “‘Wasted’ is the bridge song because half of it was tracked with these singles and the other half was finished in the album sessions.”

In addition to releasing a new self-titled EP, Detering has been working on her full-length debut album for Kelsey. at Ann Arbor’s Solid Sound Recording Company.

“In the fall of 2023, I had a lot happen in my personal life, and it inspired this whole album,” Detering said. “It was a lot of feelings that I had and a lot of new things I had never felt before.”

I recently spoke with Detering about her latest projects ahead of her show.

Continue reading “Period Piece — Kelsey Detering Looks to New Wave and a New Artist Name on Her “Kelsey.” EP” →

Higher Love — Low Phase Explores the Evolution of a Relationship on “So Pretty It’s Perfect” EP

Low Phase’s Miles Ferguson, John Bomer, and Caleb Waldvogel. Courtesy photo

Low Phase understands the evolution of a relationship.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan band chronicles a budding romance and its growth over time on So Pretty It’s Perfect.

“I’m getting married in September,” said Caleb Waldvogel, the band’s lead vocalist-guitarist. “The whole EP is covering the beginning parts of our relationship and then falling into that decision. It’s been really inspirational. When you plan a wedding, you go through a lot of the relationship and a lot of the timeline.”

That timeline stretches across the EP’s six tracks, which include vulnerable lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and hopeful instrumentation. Waldvogel and his bandmates, drummer Miles Ferguson and bassist John Bomer, soar thematically and sonically on their indie-rock release.

“The three of us have been best friends for over a decade, and we’ve been playing music together for that long,” Bomer said. “We’ve known [Caleb’s fiancé] Jenna for as long as they’ve been together, so seeing that relationship come to a full bloom has been inspiring. We wrote a lot of these songs on the EP in the winter, but I think they’re turning out to be summer jams.”

As newly minted summer jams, the songs on So Pretty It’s Perfect will stand the test of time.

“The EP’s title is supposed to reflect the end of our story,” said Waldvogel, who met his fiancé in high school. “Everything you’ve been through, everything you’ve said, everything you’ve done has all been perfect. You created it with this other person and it’s all been worth it. Take a second to look at that timeline—it’s so pretty and it’s so perfect.”

To learn more, I spoke with the band about the EP ahead of a July 12 show at The Pyramid Scheme.

Continue reading “Higher Love — Low Phase Explores the Evolution of a Relationship on “So Pretty It’s Perfect” EP” →