Posts by Ryan Dillon

There are very few bands that have a hardcore rap sheet as long as NYC’s Agnostic Front. As one of the forebears of the New York City scene, the band has been put through the ringer with countless lineup changes and public scrutiny, some of which include accusations of racism from prominent cultural figures such […]

Australia’s psych-rock darlings and the universally acclaimed King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are spending 2025 proving once again to be one of the hardest-working bands in any modern genre. After spending the last few months traversing Europe and releasing their cinematic Phantom Island LP in June, the prolific outfit still refuses to rest as […]

Just when we thought we saw the worst of it, the Summer scoffed, laughed even, as it turned up the dial to record highs that break through glass windows and sizzle anything in its path. July was a brutally hot month, both literally and figuratively, as we were blessed with some blazing New Music Friday […]

It is easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamor of recorded music. It is also easy to watch people fall victim to 15 minutes of fame, only to emerge on the other side as irrelevant and desperate, sitting back and claiming it could never happen to you. What is difficult is being […]

Of all the hardcore scenes that emerged across the country in the 1980s, New York City had one of the loudest and most aggressive of the bunch. Much like the Hip-hop that came from the city in the 90s, there is an undeniable grit and rawness that can only be achieved by applying the experience […]

Over the past two years, vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Cory Hanson has proven to have a tireless work ethic. From his 2023 solo release, Western Cum, to his work with his psychedelic rock outfit Wand and their 2024 release Vertigo, Hanson’s poetic approach to songwriting and love for nostalgic textures appear to be in two places at once. […]

“Might put an OG on this beat watch his career get revived… he’s still not touching me though,” exclaims Virginia-bred Hip-hop pioneer McKinley Dixon. The line is said with a joking undertone towards the end of Dixon’s verse on “Crooked Stick,” a highlight from his recently released, critically acclaimed, and artistically daring album Magic, Alive! […]

As the blinding sun beats down on Mother Earth with a force that thickens the air and drenches one in sweat and ice cream dreams, the Caustic factory switches to solar to help fuel a jam-packed New Music Friday. The start of summer typically marks a slow season for new music releases. Now that everyone […]

Isolation is an odd and delicate asset to a person. Too much can drive one out of their mind, and too little can keep one from home, and strip one of the ability to reflect and grow. The perfect amount, though, can unlock new areas of creativity and self-growth. Balancing time spent with oneself and […]

The late 80s punk scene in California is more of a Pandora’s box of pointed aggression than a music scene that has come and gone. With bands trading members like Pokémon and independent labels budding up, with very few survivors, mapping out the history of West Coast punk could be more complicated than the experts […]

By the time 2015 came around, Wilco had lived multiple lifetimes in the music industry. With artistically daring albums resulting in a cascade of applause from critics, like the alt-country band’s 2002 opus Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, and reaching heartbreaking levels of vulnerability, as seen on 2004’s A Ghost Is Born. From critical and commercial highs […]

Alabama Shakes is one of those bands where you remember where you were the first time you heard them. The soul-fusion three-piece has seamlessly integrated into the modern music pantheon as a critic’s darling, backed by the raw talent and natural ability to support the countless think pieces and YouTube documentaries about their intrinsically individualistic […]

After over a decade of creating moving and emotionally charged pieces of Americana that blur the lines between genre-bending and traditional, Lord Huron is reaching a new peak. Under the watchful eye of band leader Ben Schneider, the band has released critically acclaimed LPs that produced platinum hits, been tapped to write and produce movie […]

It is not often that we hear solo material from the Rome-based singer-songwriter and producer Luca Sapio, making every release feel like a proper celebration while also doubling the pressure on the artist to make every release memorable. Throughout his over-decade-long career, Sapio has worked with legends from all genres, mastered the art of collaboration, […]

After a long, relaxing, rejuvenating vacation, a steam whistle blows, the creeks of large gears echo as machines begin to light up; The Ol’ Caustic Factory is back up and running, and we are coming back with a bang. We hope everyone had a lovely holiday last week, but now it’s back to business. This […]

The bands that built the historic Los Angeles punk scene interweave like a chain-link fence, bending around each other to form a wall of community and fast tempos. The more you look into it, the more you realize how most of these bands wouldn’t have survived without the others. When one band ends, another begins, […]

Sunking is a band born out of restlessness. As members of the jazz fusion powerhouse High Pulp, the trio of Bobby Granfelt, Antoine Martel, and Victory Nguyen create innovative and expansive examples of how jazz has evolved to fit modern times. Even with the borderless atmosphere and creative freedom offered by working with a large […]

In times of turmoil and loss, people often respond differently. Some look to the future with hope and glee for brighter days, while others seem to revert to the past, getting lost in reminiscing about simpler times. Some stay stubbornly in the moment, forcing themselves to face the problem staring directly at them. Every avenue […]

It’s an interesting time of year as summer gets underway, and we all drop our shoulders in the heat for a moment of well-deserved relaxation. While summer is a time of anticipation, with vacations and holidays lining up over the next few months, the start of July also marks the halfway point of the year, […]

As dry, humid days transform into brisk, rainy mornings, it seems that even the weather cannot find a sense of consistency. With the summer holiday season slowly approaching and the corporate world beginning to enter vacation mode, it is the time of year when it feels like the world drops its shoulders, unclenches its jaw, […]