Category: interviews

Indie, Indie-folk, interviews, Punk, RockLeave a comment

The Sound, Spirit, & Edutainment of Sihasin

A. Pollinger

“These are rez dogs,” Clayson Benally is surrounded by puppies, who are bouncing excitedly at his feet. The Arizonian landscape behind him shows an azure horizon that stretches for miles. Before long, his sister and lifelong bandmate, Jeneda Benally, arrives on schedule. Jeneda & Clayson Benally have quite the resume. Together with their brother Klee, they formed the punk rock trio, Blackfire, protested (and sued) the federal government, and balanced their Ramones albums with the traditional Diné songs told to them by their father. In fact, their star power runs in the family. Their mother/momager Berta Benally was a folk … Continue reading The Sound, Spirit, & Edutainment of Sihasin

interviews, PopLeave a comment

Keeping Up with Kayden

A. Pollinger

“I’ve been surrounded by horses my entire life.” Kayden Muller-Janssen (or simply, Kayden) grew up on a horse farm in Florida. The Disney actress/singer-songwriter is the bubbly personality behind Hartley, the equally charming neighbor in the Disney comedy The Villains of Valley View. Kayden has much in common with her on-screen persona, especially her bubbly personality. With the release of her latest singles, “No Maybe” and “Crave,” Kayden is pumped for the release of her debut EP, Unraveled—and the second season of The Villains of Valley View. This isn’t an act—Kayden really is this excited.   “I’ve always been really bubbly and … Continue reading Keeping Up with Kayden

Indie-folk, interviewsLeave a comment

Kate Dressed Up Delivers a Folkloric Dream with ‘In Another Lifetime’

A. Pollinger

When you listen to In Another Lifetime by NJ rock-folk band, Kate Dressed Up, you are transported to a space of storied wonder and ethereal expansion. Intended as a concept album inspired by The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the anticipated timeline for In Another Lifetime was pushed back due to the pandemic. During that time, frontwoman Katie Miller found that the album had taken on new meaning. What Miller did not expect was that she had more to say beyond the themes found in Antoine’s philosophical children’s book.   Never being the sort of songwriter who chooses when or … Continue reading Kate Dressed Up Delivers a Folkloric Dream with ‘In Another Lifetime’

Alternative, interviews, RockLeave a comment

The Uneasy Gets Real About Overcoming Addiction & Healing Through Music

A. Pollinger

By Amaris Pollinger East coast progressive rock band, The Uneasy, has a logo that might look familiar to some. It’s a clash of three swords stabbed into a heart and sporting an eye. The Three of Swords is a tarot card whose symbology resonated with The Uneasy’s singer/songwriter/ founding member, Emily Jean. Like all tarot cards, The Three of Swords has a double meaning. Right side up, it represents heartache, loneliness, depression, separation, confusion, ill-health, trauma, and alienation. Reversed, the card is representative of compromise, forgiveness, overcoming grief and sorrow, and reconciliation. The card inspired Emily Jean to press on … Continue reading The Uneasy Gets Real About Overcoming Addiction & Healing Through Music

Indie, interviews, Teen PopLeave a comment

Ava Breeze Has Something to Say About “Young Love”

A. Pollinger

By Amaris Pollinger Ava Breeze is the busiest teenager I’ve ever known. The New Jersey singer/actress/influencer divides her time between Los Angeles and New York while running Ava’s Advocacy Army, an anti-bullying non-for-profit, and still manages to have a “normal” teenage life. The teenager is best known for her previously released singles, “Girls of Summer,” “Floor is Lava,” and “Young Love.” Her latest track, “Who Are You,” hit streaming platforms on June 24th.  Another single, “Cotton Candy Skies” followed shortly after. Ava also stars as Judith in the mini-series, Irreverend. “It’s been an incredible time for creativity and writing,” says … Continue reading Ava Breeze Has Something to Say About “Young Love”

Indie, interviews, Pop-RockLeave a comment

Mistine Takes Us on a Drive with “Temporary Feeling”

A. Pollinger

by Amaris Pollinger Before Mistine chose music indefinitely, she considered studying biochemistry at the University of Vermont. Fascinated by having the ability to help people control their breathing and alter their state of mind, she planned on being an anesthesiologist. “I really just wanted to help people, to care for them,” Mistine says. Instead, the Vermont log-cabin-born musician chose music over medicine. She studied at USC’s Thorton School of Music and transferred that same empathy into her songs. Mistine has since toured with the likes of Conan Gray, WizTheMC, and ZEPH. At present, Mistine is experiencing a strange, chaotic shift in her world … Continue reading Mistine Takes Us on a Drive with “Temporary Feeling”

interviews, Latin, R&B/Soul, Teen PopLeave a comment

Getting to Know Ladi Rosa

A. Pollinger

by BLOCK THE NOISE! Staff Seventeen-year-old Latina singer, Ladi Rosa does not mince words. Her answers are direct and pointed. Hailing from Connecticut and raised in Florida, the Puerto Rican artist made waves in 2020 with her debut single, “I Ain’t No Taylor Swift.” The track topped the Billboard Breakout charts at #1, #49 for chart debut, and #21 for a record 19 weeks, a surprising event in the life of this blossoming Latin-pop singer.  “I Ain’t No Taylor Swift,” the message of which is less about dissin’ Taylor Swift and more about embracing yourself, was followed by “Dull” in … Continue reading Getting to Know Ladi Rosa

ALt-Pop, interviews, pop musicLeave a comment

Sof Being Aggressively Optimistic is Everything We Like

A. Pollinger

By Amaris Pollinger Alt-pop musician Sofia Khorosh, aka Sof, is preparing to move. Her bedroom is crammed with boxes, folded clothes that don’t have a place, and an oversized mirror that is her prize possession, looming over her in the background. It’s almost larger than the wall it leans on, and she has no idea how she will transport it. “But someone has done it before, right?” The New Jersey singer laughs.  After dropping her latest single, “Limerence,” and announcing her next EP, Dusk, the release date of which is to be determined, Sof is also uncovering new aspects of herself, and … Continue reading Sof Being Aggressively Optimistic is Everything We Like

Alternative, Emo, Indie, interviews, Rap, Tours1 Comment

nothing, nowhere Handles Anxiety with Grace in “MEMORY_FRACTURE”

A. Pollinger

By Amaris Pollinger Joseph Mulherin, better known by his stage name, nothing, nowhere, started as all good things do; in the shadows. Blending elements of pop, hip hop, rap, emo, and trap beats, Mulherin sparked the hearts of fans before he ever made it into the mainstream. He released his first album as nothing, nowhere, The Nothing in 2015 on Bandcamp. By 2017, The New York Times had hailed his mainstream debut, Reaper, “the most promising album of the year,” and in 2018, Mulherin officially signed with the label Fueled By Ramen.   Released on April 19th, “MEMORY_FRACTURE” is the latest … Continue reading nothing, nowhere Handles Anxiety with Grace in “MEMORY_FRACTURE”

Alternative, interviews, Punk, Rock, ToursLeave a comment

Radkey: A Whole New Class of Modern Rock

A. Pollinger

by Amaris Pollinger No one has executed modern rock as flawlessly as Dee, Isaiah, and Solomon Radke of Kansas City rock band, Radkey. They emerged from a literal green room and propelled themselves onto the big stage, performing with Fishbone, Foo Fighters, and Local H. Currently, they’re on the “Let the Bad Times Roll” tour with 90’s punk legends, The Offspring.  Just days before hitting the pavement with The Offspring, the Radkey team arranged an interview, for which I am eternally grateful. Isaiah Radke, the bass master, and usual Radkey spokesman joined me on 4/20 (make all the jokes you … Continue reading Radkey: A Whole New Class of Modern Rock