Vince Modern, Steve Nyquist, Mike Richards, and Joe Balbaugh of Adaboy!. Courtesy photo.
Adaboy! embodies the pride and spirit of the Detroit Lions on “Uncaged.”
The Bay City, Michigan band pays tribute to the team’s resilience and success on its latest rock single.
“Have you ever listened to Dan Campbell, the coach?” said Mike Richards, lead vocalist and guitarist for Adaboy!.
“Have you ever heard him speak about his team and the mentality he wants his football team to have? He doesn’t necessarily speak on mental health, but it’s all the nitty-gritty of what it takes to be focused on your mental health.”
Along with Adaboy! bandmates Joe Balbaugh (vocals, bass), Vince Modern (vocals, guitar), and Steve Nyquist (drums), Richards celebrates that mindset through motivational lyrics and fiery instrumentation on “Uncaged.”
He sings, “Take your place / There’s something going on in here / Grit and glory / We’ve been waiting for all these years / Can’t stop, won’t stop / Come on people, get on your feet / It’s electric in the air / We’re the real America’s team.”
“Dan Campbell is putting all of these analogies out there about what his team is gonna be like,” Richards said. “It felt like he was talking to us because Adaboy! has that mentality of saying, ‘You can’t stop us, and we’re gonna fail. We’ve already made our peace with failing. We’re expecting the fail, but it’s how we’ve made up our mind and how we’re going to respond to the failure.’
“We latched onto his messaging of the Lions, and we’ve adopted it. It just aligns with the mission and messaging of Adaboy!.”
To learn more, I spoke with Richards and Modern about the band’s background and music ahead of a November 21 show at JJ’s Roadhouse in Saginaw.
In those fleeting moments, the Detroit singer-songwriter feels grateful and inspired while spending time with others.
However, that magic often dissipates as people move on or pass away, but the love and appreciation from those interactions remain with Striho.
She beautifully shares that sentiment and a longing to recapture it in her new single, “Blue Ridiculous Love,” which features poetic lyrics and heartfelt rock instrumentation.
“I saw this song more as a painting, and with a painting, you’re interpreting it your way,” said Striho, who co-wrote the track with husband-guitarist Scott Dailey. “I’m talking about the ‘green grass of gold dirt,’ and it reminds me of one of the Beatnik poets, and you get these images.”
Surrounded by eager acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and drums, Striho sings, “I had this magic / It’s right on my side / Then everybody took a ride / The evening shadows / The tiny voice in my head / Starts talking louder / It’s an evil eye.”
“It’s a romantic song with an angst about the future and missing people, but it’s also about how falling in love can feel ridiculous,” she said.
”The lyric, ‘Everybody took a ride,’ could mean different things: They just left your life or they could have died. I had this magic, and I thought, ‘Wait, where did everybody go?’ It prompts you to look back and say, ‘Wait a minute, those people are gone.’”
Carolyn Striho and Scott Dailey focus on the journey ahead on their latest single.
For Carolyn Striho, the road of life is full of unexpected twists and turns.
But those challenges don’t prevent the Detroit singer-songwriter from moving forward.
That perseverance fuels some of the inspiration behind her latest blues-rock single, “14 Miles of Bad Road,” with husband/guitarist Scott Dailey.
“If you say you’ve been on 14 miles of bad road, it sounds far. When I wrote it, I was thinking more of being up north with roads all over the place,” Striho said. “When you think about it, it could be anywhere—a city or a town.”
Determined to reach their next destination, she sings alongside propulsive electric guitar, bass, organ, and drums, “I wish all the world could see you and me again / I wish all the world could feel like a friend again / I wish all the world could be like a kid again / I wish all the world … / I tried, my friend / You lied again / I tried again / You lied …”
“Scott came up with the lyrics, ‘I tried, my friend / You lied again,’ and it makes sense, meaning, ‘You thought there was a rosy picture of life, and when you’re young, everything seems so good,’” said Striho, who shares counterpoint vocals with Dailey on the track’s chorus.
“You also might think someone’s going to swoop in and make everything better if life’s not going well. That doesn’t always happen, though.”
The July edition of “The Soundcheck” celebrates the concept of summer through different emotions and experiences—love, authenticity, remembrance, nostalgia and connection. It’s time to think about “Your New Favorite Lover” while you “Stay Behind The Wheel” and later arrive at your destination and receive a warm greeting of Welcome to Pookie’s. There’s also a need to reflect on the life and love of “Willow” and remember what’s For Debbie.
Rhythmic drums, gleaming electric guitar, humming bass and romantic piano wrap listeners in a heated embrace alongside frontman Josh Clemens’ fervent vocals.
He sings, “Ooooh I’m not trying to hide / What you see is what you get / Now you’re the owner of this wreck / Honestly, what did you expect of me / You only get the best of me / You’re begging for the rest of me / Honey, you’re not ready, but come and get it now.”
The track’s infectious, sensual groove is guaranteed to captivate new and current Strange Heart fans. Drummer Bobby Jankowski, bassist-vocalist Mike Schneider, lead guitar-vocalist Mike Leslie and Clemens have won me over, and I know they’ll delight you as well.
Strange Heart also blazes on stage with an eight-piece band (complete with horns), so check them out July 20 at The Whitney in Detroit and July 22 at Eastern Palace Club in Hazel Park.
The Detroit hard-rock quartet of Tyler Chernoff (vocals, guitar), Jordon Stockdale (lead guitar), David Vida (bass) and Aaryn Lindow (drums) confronts a friend about destructive behaviors on their new cautionary single and video.
An impenetrable force of steadfast electric guitars, bass and drums protect Chernoff as he sings, “Your pride will be what kills you / You just can’t let it go / Oh no time left to convince you / You got nothing to show / So much time spent / Your body’s guest.”
We recently chatted with Edison Hollow about their new release as well as their background, previous album and singles, live shows and upcoming plans.
New Single and Video
TSS: Your new single, “Body’s Guest,” chronicles a person’s unwillingness to face the consequences of their actions. What initially inspired this track for you sonically and thematically?
Edison Hollow: Musically, “Body’s Guest” was a step forward for us as a band and as songwriters. We had a riff from Jordon [Stockdale], and we built the rest of it together, just doing what felt right to us. Lyrically, the melodies flow with the dynamics of the music, the verses are very remorseful and express feelings of pity and regret, and the choruses are defiant and strongly proclaimed like the music that lies beneath those sections.
From the get-go, we wanted a Halloween-adjacent release for this [track] since we recorded it. It just has that feel to us, and we had a clear idea of how we wanted the release to go and the video that accompanies it.
MC Roads combines blues and alt-rock for powerful guitar-driven sound.
MC Roads thoughtfully travels along a bluesy, alt-rock-fueled highway.
That highway unfolds a promising itinerary of guitar-driven destinations throughout the Motor City, including a Jan. 8 headlining set at The Token Lounge in Westland.
“To me, this is the magical part. I look for souls, and that’s what wisdom has taught me. I look for good people who want to work together like a family, and that’s when the magic starts,” said Mike Cross, MC Roads’ lead vocalist-guitarist and Sponge founding guitarist. “The songs are there, but the band comes in and embellishes it and makes it that bluesy alt-rock, guitar-driven sound.”
Along with Cross, MC Roads bandmates Bobby Guskovict (guitar, background vocals), KK Scofield (background vocals) and Dearl Poore (drums) will fuse that magical sound before a live audience Saturday. They’ll be sharing the stage with Stompbox and The Analog Dogs as part of a special show to benefit Detroit Dog Rescue.
“We’ve been working up the set, and there’s going to be some surprises. All of the tracks fromNo Nostalgia will show up in the set, and we have some new music that we’re excited to get out there in front of people,” Cross said.
“And we even have some covers. You never know, there might even be a song from my previous band in the set. It should be a good time with Stompbox and The Analog Dogs.”
Audra Kubat and Jessica Care Moore challenge the nation’s antiquated, divisive legacy on “Gray Glory Parade.”
Audra Kubat boldly brings the gray undertones of the red, white and blue to the surface.
The Detroit indie folk singer-songwriter brilliantly unravels the antiquated, divisive Confederate legacy, traditions and mindset that still permeate our racial, social and political fabric on her latest single, “Gray Glory Parade.”
“Originally, the song was called ‘The Next American Revolution,’ and it was so bold in a way. I was exploring other titles, and then it hit me this line, ‘Gray Glory Parade,’ and it had this really strong ring to it,” Kubat said.
“‘Gray glory’ is sort of the southern pride around the uniforms of the Civil War. The first lines of the song, ‘Sculpted and praised/A gray glory parade/Hollow men disgracing pedestals,’ show this pride and glory around a misunderstood history, like sort of a parading around. I thought it was a stronger title than the other one.”
Throughout “Gray Glory Parade,” Kubat thoughtfully unstitches each worn, destructive gray thread as luminous acoustic strums, reflective synth and tranquil bass provide newfound strength and hope. She reveals, “Our silence now is damaging/Time for a reckoning/A great awakening/The next American revolution.”
“The revolution is that we have to deal with a falling apart first. I’m ready for the fall-apart part to happen in a bigger way, and the scary thing is so many comforts and things that we’re used to will have to change to make the real change that is needed,” said Kubat, who started writing the track during a July 4, 2020 trip to Washington, D.C.
“There’s so much to address, and it’s going to be so painful for everyone. That’s why it’s taking so long, and it takes so much self-steadiness to be able to stand up and say, ‘My lifestyle is not only destroying other people’s lives, but the environment and social structure beyond that is so flawed, that it really must be taken out thread by thread.’”
Kubat continues removing each thread as she reflects, “Yet I’m quiet and listless/Do no more than bear witness/But it’s not enough as warm blood runs from broken bodies.”
“Prior to that trip, I had been trying to write a song in response to the things that were going on, and everything I wrote just seemed so flimsy. I couldn’t find the right words, and I also felt like it was a big undertaking to try to share what I was feeling and without it sounding uninformed and as an observer,” said Kubat, who also included lyrics from the national anthem throughout her track.
“I really didn’t know how to do that at the time, and it wasn’t coming. When my partner and I went to D.C., we were walking among the protests that were going on and sharing space with folks there. Going to the monuments and being a part of everything else that was going on along with the tourists and seeing the capital was an interesting juxtaposition.”
That juxtaposition inspired Kubat to think about the American flag unraveling and how that served as a timely metaphor for the nation’s growing racial, social and political tensions. She quickly wrote “Gray Glory Parade’s” first three verses, but struggled to find the last line.
“It took me a couple of weeks to come up with the line, ‘The silence is victory beckoning.’ If we don’t have to shout anymore about it, that’s us being victorious,” Kubat said.
Alison Albrecht shares her personal transformation on “I Say.” Album artwork – Andrew Albrecht
Alison Albrecht elegantly transforms past lessons into future growth.
The Ann Arbor pop-soul-folk singer-songwriter deeply reveals her personal metamorphosis on “I Say,” an authentic, fearless anthem about taking charge of one’s life.
“It encapsulates exactly how this last year has gone for me. It’s just been a huge transformation in realizing if you can let go of the ‘supposed tos’ and the ‘shoulds’ and just live more boldly with conviction and confidence life opens up so much more,” Albrecht said.
Albrecht carries her courageous mindset forward as beating electronic drums, delicate cymbals, mellow bass, contemplative piano and tranquil synths provide internal strength. She soulfully sings, “Silence the voices/Chin up/Look into the mirror/Lock eyes with the face/And finally the fog begins to clear/Biting my nails down/But alone/Nowhere to hide/I breathe the same air/With a fresh new pair of eyes.”
“I’ve been diving into passion projects rather than thinking, ‘I should do this’ or ‘I should do that.’ I’m finally having the confidence of living in every moment and being present. This time, I say I’m not going to listen to those outside voices like I had been for a long time,” said Albrecht, who’s inspired by Sara Bareilles.
Albrecht teamed up with younger brother Andrew Albrecht to co-write and produce “I Say” in their home studio. Andrew provided the thoughtful piano instrumental while Albrecht penned the personal lyrics during a brief, torrential downpour.
“Two seconds later, the clouds suddenly parted and the sun beautifully shined. I was like, ‘That is such a metaphor for the song, and I need this right now.’ I tried to harness that sort of energy, and we wrote the song real quickly. It’s definitely one of my favorites,” she said.
The Albrechts sent the finished track to Jim Kissling at Ferndale’s Tempermill Studio for mastering. Once the single was released in March, the siblings started developing a concept for the upcoming “I Say” video, which will drop later this summer.
“We’re so lucky to live in an era where we can do things ourselves. I’m all about authenticity and trying to know exactly who I am and who we are. I think capturing video and audio in spaces where we feel comfortable gives the audience great insight into who we are,” Albrecht said.
The Stratton Setlist 