Picture: Alex Zarek / Words: Ray Cobra

The longer I write for Tuned Up the more Relevant Discoveries become my favorite pieces. I love introducing people to new music. That has always been my place amongst my friends. I am constantly asked what some new bands are. What should I be listening to? What are you listening to? This has been the case since I was maybe 16. And the weird thing is back then we didn’t have the internet, so I got my bands from Hit Parader, Circus, Metal Edge and Spin. I never was that big on Rolling Stone. Just imagine if the interwebs was a thing back then, my friends would have been knee deep in music. As I got older the internet played a bigger role. But the biggest was, has, and always will be live shows. I have discovered so many awesome bands that way. So it would make sense that these three bands were all discovered at shows in the past month. I would gladly see all three again. You can expect to see these names again here at Tuned Up.

Death Therapy

I came across this 2 piece from a few weeks back. They were on tour with Project 86. Right away they had my attention as they weren’t the normal two piece we have come to expect. It was a drummer and a bassist. The bassist, of course, provided the vocals. Before they started he described their sound as “industrial groove metal” and I have to say I can agree with that. I did, however, tell friends that they sounded like Clutch meets Pantera. A few songs into the set, the bassist mentioned that he was at one point in Becoming the Archetype. Turns out he was the original bassist and vocalist. This is a band I would see again. I’m looking forward to their debut album in the New Year. Much like his former band, Death Therapy has signed to Solid State records.

https://youtu.be/9A3r_JA47Z4

Coldfront

Coldfront is another band I came across while at a show. I went to one of the So What “Artists On The Rise” Tour dates. I honestly went to support my homies in You Vs Yesterday. A band I have written about once or twice. Look them up. Anyways, I wasn’t that sure of what to expect from Coldfront, especially after hearing the other bands on the bill. As this tour was a little too poppy for me, so yeah I was a little off that night. However once these guys hit the stage, that all changed. They are an aggressive pop-punk band and that seems to be the “it” thing at the moment. Bands like Knuckle Puck, Life Lessons, Like Pacific, Seaway, and a few others are making this genre one to know. It’s only a matter of time before this 4 –piece from Canada are a household name.

City Mouth

I discovered his pop punk/indie rock Illinois six-piece at the first Ohio Is… Fest last month. And judging by the response they received, they will be back soon. They absolutely were amazing. The dual vocals between Matt Allpow and Jackie Heuser were hands down some of the best I’ve heard in a long time.  After their set I made it a point to tell Jackie that she was incredible and that they reminded me of The Anniversary. (A emo/indie rock band on Vagrant Records 1999-2002) A remark that made her day, at least that’s what she said. HAHA!!! This is a band I am looking forward to watching them grow. As they are managed by Jacob Bialosky of Everyone Leaves. So I expect some good things from them.