Today’s independent music act could very well be tomorrow’s hit name in the mainstream. One never knows. All it takes is the right support from radio and audiences and of course being in the right time and place to make it happen. Even if an act does not make it to the mainstream masses does not mean said act is not worth hearing. As a matter of fact, many independent acts are just as good as their mainstream counterparts if not better. To that end, even they deserve their own attention at each year’s end, and that is why Phil’s Picks provides a list of the year’s top new independent albums each year, too.
This year’s list of top new independent albums bring together independent albums from the worlds of rock, pop, and even jazz, showing just how much great independent music continues to be released even this year. This year’s list is topped by Indian nu-metal outfit Bloodywood. The band is joined here by the likes of Mythosphere — which features former members of Fates Warning, Pale Divine, and Beezlefuzz — as well as jazz artist Kevin Cerovich and others.
As with each list from Phil’s Picks, this list features the year’s top 10 new albums plus five additional honorable mentions, for a total of 15 records. These lists are never easy, so no disrespect is meant to the honorable mention titles. They deserve just as much credit as the top 10 records considering their overall content.
Keeping that in mind, here without any further ado is Phil’s Picks’ 2022 Top 10 New Independent Albums.
PHIL’S PICKS 2022 TOP 10 NEW INDEPENDENT ALBUMS
Bloodywood – Rakshak
Pimps of Joytime – Reachin’ Up
Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music – Variants of Vibe
Ginger Wildheart and The Sinners – Ginger Wildheart and The Sinners
Soraia – Bloom
Mythosphere – Pathological
Kevin Cerovich – Aging Millenial
As Within, So Without – Salvation
Artifas – Reflections
Gill Brothers Band – Gill Brothers Band
American Thrills – Parted Ways
Standards – Fruit Town
Kulick – Everyone I Know Will Die
Dancing on Tables – Colour in the Grey
The L.A. Maybe – Dirty Damn Tricks
One more down and one more to go before the attention turns to the realm of TV and movies. Stay tuned!
Alt-rock singer Kulick debuted an updated take of his most popular song to date this week.
The singer, a.k.a. Jacob Kulick, unveiled an updated take of his song, ‘Colors’ Friday. The original song, which premiered in 2018, has received more than 2 million streams in that time. The original composition has a distinct electronic leaning with a sound that is akin to works from Imagine Dragons while the updated take is a much more fiery song that leans more in the vein of his more recent works.
Kulick talked about the song’s update in a prepared statement.
“I decided to do an alternative version of ‘Colors’ because I have really been reflecting on my career lately, and this song has always resonated with me and is actually the most known song of mine,” Kulick said. “I also just released an alternative rock album Everyone I Know Will Die and thought it could be fun to remake colors in that style, if not a little bit heavier. It’s a great song to scream by yourself in your room or car, as well as a song to workout with!
“‘Colors’ has so many meanings to so many people. For me lately, it has been a song of self-love and acceptance, loving yourself and loving others for who they are. Self-love and identity has been difficult for me my whole life, and this song was written in a time where I was questioning many things about myself and my career. The artwork for the single represents that as well.”
Kulick talked in more depth about resurrecting his 2018 single in a documentary that debuted Friday along with the song’s update. The eight-minute discussion is streaming here.
More information on Kulick’s updated take of his song, ‘Colors’ and his latest album is available along with of all his latest news at:
Alt-rock/pop punk artist Kulick opened the new week with the video for his latest single.
Kulick (a.k.a. Jacob Kulick) premiered the video for his new single, ‘The People I Know (Don’t Like Me)’ Monday. The song is the third from his latest recording, Everyone I Know Will Die. The album has also produced its title track, ‘Everyone I Know Will Die‘ and its video as a single, as well as ‘Time To Go,‘ and itsvideo.
The song’s musical arrangement serves as its foundation. Where the musical arrangement in the album’s title track was more alt-rock in its sound and stylistic approach, this song is much more defined in its pop punk approach. Audiences can hear influence from the likes of Jimmy Eat World here. That is due to the harmonies in the song’s instrumentation and in the vocals. The song barely tops the two-and-a-half minute mark, but in that time, it will leave audiences feeling fulfilled.
The lyrical theme featured in the new single is clear cut, as Kulick pointed out in a prepared statement.
“This song is about growing up around people you don’t fit in with,” he said. “I felt like a was dropped in my hometown from some place in California, and I was looked at as if I was from another planet. I didn’t really respect what a lot of people were doing (or really not doing) with their lives, and I was being pushed down for having aspirations.”
The video for the new single echoes Kulick’s statement. That is because it features him singing to the song in various spots in a high school yearbook and in various other points in his youth.
Everyone I Know Will Die is available now through ENCI Records. More information on Kulick’s new album and single is available along with of all his latest news at:
Independent singer-songwriter Kulick (a.k.a Jacob Kulick) released his latest studio recording, Everyone I Know Will Die this week. The seven-song record came Friday, less than two years after the release of his latest album, Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood and less than a year after the release of its companion EP, Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse. AS with those records, his latest studio recording was released through ENCI Records. The 20-minute record offers more of what audiences have come to expect from Kulick musically and lyrically. The album’s latest single/title track is just one of the songs that makes that clear. It will be discussed shortly. ‘The People I Know,’ another of the album’s singles, is another example of how the record offers plenty of familiarity from Kulick. It will be discussed a little later. ‘For Once in My Life’ is yet another example of what audiences have to look forward to from Kulick in his latest outing and will also be discussed later. All three noted songs are key in their own way to the whole of the record’s presentation. When they are considered along with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Everyone I Know Will Die another engaging and interesting offering from Kulick.
Everyone I Know Will Die, is another interesting offering from Kulick. His third studio recording in as many years, it is certain to appeal to his established audiences and even more casual listeners through its musical and lyrical content even being shorter than most albums in terms of content. This is proven in part through its latest single, which is also the album’s title track.
The song’s musical arrangement is a catchy alt-rock composition. The simple, staccato approach of the guitar riff in the verses and almost percussive nature of Kulick’s vocal delivery therein combines elements of pop punk with the most subtle 80s pop influence for a work in whole that holds its own identity separate from the record’s other compositions. The choruses, which are more energetic, present a sound that is oddly comparable to the choruses in so many pop punk opuses. What is interesting about the song’s overall musical arrangement is that the mood that it will create in listeners’ minds is so positive, despite the fact that the song’s lyrical theme is so heavy.
The song’s lyrical theme is heavy in that is tackles the topic of acceptance of our mortality. Nobody likes to think about their mortality, but it is a reality, and Kulick has done an impressive job of tackling the rarely handled matter. He reminded audiences, in talking about the item, that the point of the song is to make the most of their lives while they are here.
“We are here until we aren’t, and that’s okay,” he said. It has to be. Make it worth your time. Spread love. Have gratitude. You are loved and you are strong, even in moments you may not feel it.”
That comment in itself would explain the positive nature of the song’s musical arrangement. It serves to help translate the positive mindset in the overall song despite its heavy nature. He even goes so far as to write in the song’s second verse (after noting of all the negatives in the world), “I can’t go on complaining about everything/I’m gonna keep my pace/Forward ‘till my permanent sleep.” That short statement speaks volumes. It is a direct contrast to everything else in the song’s lyrical content and clearly translates the positive mindset that Kulick discussed. Everybody has those moments of existentialism every now and then in life. To that end, the positive approach that Kulick takes here is certain to help any listener get through those moments. It makes this song just one example of what makes Everyone I Know Will Die successful.
Another notable addition to the album is ‘The People I Know,’ which comes early in the album’s run. This is another song that, lyrically, will connect with so many listeners. This will be discussed shortly. The song’s musical arrangement serves as its foundation. Where the musical arrangement in the album’s title track was more alt-rock in its sound and stylistic approach, this song is much more defined in its pop punk approach. Audiences can hear influence from the likes of Jimmy Eat World here. That is due to the harmonies in the song’s instrumentation and in the vocals. The song barely tops the two-and-a-half minute mark, but in that time, it will leave audiences feeling fulfilled. When that sense of fulfillment is paired with the sense of determination in the song’s lyrical content, the whole makes the song even more powerful.
“This is a song about not fitting in with who you’re around and being very aware of it,” said Kulick about the song’s lyrical theme. That message comes through clearly in the song’s lyrical delivery, too. He openly attacks those other people right from the song’s outset, singing, “Your mother’s basement/Your father’s paycheck/You feel complacent/I know/You play your sad songs/And your video games/It’s no wonder we’ll never get along/That’s why I had to go.” This is a clear indictment of those lazy, self-loathing people who would rather wallow in that negative mindset than do something with their lives. The message continues in the song’s second verse, in which he sings, “You’re so damn negative/And there’s no one to blame for it/If you hate who you are/Then change it/But you won’t/You don’t/You’re in the same bar/On a different day/With the same friends/Out drinking again/It’s no wonder we’ll never get along/I’d rather be alone.” Looking at all of this and everything in the song’s lead verse, what audiences get here is not a song of self-loathing, bur rather one of taking pride in one’s self for not fitting in with those who prefer to do the self loathing, the partying, and who have the sense of self righteousness. That realization makes the song’s musical arrangement all the more infectious and enjoyable. The two items together make clear why this song is another example of how much Kulick’s new album has to offer.
‘For Once In My Life’ is yet another example of what makes Everyone I Know Will Die a success. The song stands out in part because of its musical arrangement. The arrangement boasts its own identity from its counterparts in this record because it while Kulick’s familiar alt-rock leanings are present once again, there are other influences at work alongside that element. The verses’ guitar line pair with Kulick’s vocal delivery style to give the arrangement a subtle late 80s/early 90s pop rock sort of sound and stylistic approach. The choruses meanwhile are more modern. They are more comparable to works from the likes of Maroon 5. That contrast is sharp to say the least at first consideration, but it works, thanks to the production that went into the song. The two sides are so well-balanced that they ensure audiences’ maintained engagement and entertainment.
As much as the song’s arrangement does to make it stand out, the lyrical content that accompanies that musical content makes for its own interest. The lyrical theme featured in this song comes across as a sort of contemplation within one’s self. At the same time that contemplation comes apparently from a relationship issue of sorts. This is inferred as Kulick sings in the song’s chorus, “Stuck between who I am and who you want to see/Maybe you grew out of you and I grew out of me/I’m all fight or all flight/It’s all black or all white/But I bleed blue.” From there Kulick eventually goes on to ask himself, “Can I get it right for once in my life?” This points even more, to the seeming theme of dealing with that inner battle of self-doubt. What’s more, maybe the relationship in question is not that, but even more of the subject talking to himself, questioning whether he grew out of himself. If in fact this is the case, then it further makes the song’s lyrical theme accessible to audiences across the board. When it is considered along with the mood set by the song’s musical arrangement, the two elements join to make the song in whole yet another clear example of what makes Everyone I Know Will Die another successful offering from Kulick. When it and the other songs examined here are considered along with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole will convince audiences that this album, while brief, still a successful new offering from Kulick.
Everyone I Know Will Die is another engaging and entertaining offering from independent singer-songwriter Jacob Kulick. The record’s success is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike. The songs examined here do well to make that clear. When they are considered along with the rest of the album’s works, the whole makes this presentation another largely successful new offering from Kulick that his established audiences and casual listeners alike will enjoy.
Everyone I Know Will Die is available now through ENCI Records. More information on Kulick’s new album is available along with of all his latest news at:
Independent singer-songwriter Kulick kicked off the weekend with the debut of the video for his latest single.
Kulick, (a.k.a. Jacob Kulick), debuted his new single, ‘Everyone I Know Will Die‘ and its video Friday. The song and its video are the second from Kulick’s new record by the same name. Kulick premiered the presentation’s lead single, ‘Time To Go,‘ and its video in September.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Everyone I Know’ is a catchy alt-rock composition. Alongside the song’s alt-rock leanings are touches of some pop punk and emo, too. The combination gives the arrangement a unique identity separate from Kulick’s existing works and from those of other acts similar to himself.
The song’s lyrical message is heavy, but ultimately meant to deliver a positive message, said Kulick.
“We are here until we aren’t, and that’s okay,” he said. It has to be. Make it worth your time. Spread love. Have gratitude. You are loved and you are strong, even in moments you may not feel it.”
The video for ‘Everyone I Know Will Die’ is meant to be a spoof of so many classic sitcoms. That includes an opening sequence that spoofs Family Ties. From there the video touches on shows, such as The Patty Duke Show and Leave It To Beaver.
Kulick’s new record is available now through ENCI Records. More information on Kulick’s new single and EP is available along with of all his latest news at:
It’s hard to believe but 2021 is officially only four weeks from its big finale. One can only hope that moving forward from here into 2022, that sooner rather than later, we’ll finally be rid of this COVID-19 crap and life can finally go back to what it was. Time will tell. In the meantime, this critic has checked over his calendar for the year’s waning weeks, and surprisingly, there are no more new EPs to go through for the year. That means it is finally time to start in on this year’s “best of” year-ender lists. Of course, as in every year past, the very first of those lists comes in the form of the smallest of the music releases noted.
This year’s list of new EPs features new releases from at least one relatively well-known figure and a number of others who are either up-and-coming or semi-established. They run the gamut from family music to pop to rock and metal to even some southern rock/country. These lists are never easy to finalize because even among the EPs there is so much to appreciate musically and lyrically. That was taken into full consideration with this list, too. Those who have followed this critic’s ramblings for years on end, know how the lists work. For everyone else, they work as such: Instead of just 10 new offerings, this list is composed of 15 titles. The top 10 are the best of the best while the following five are honorable mention titles. This is not a stab at those releases or the acts that released them, either. Far from it. The whole purpose is to give those extras their due credit, too.
So without any further ado, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks Top 10 New EPs of 2021.
PHIL’S PICKS 2021 TOP 10 NEW EPS
SaulPaul – OK To Be Different
Gabriel & The Apocalypse – Alpha Transcendence
Decent Criminal – Decent Criminal
The Mercy Kills – New Rule
Dirkschneider & The Old Gang – Arising
Repentance – Volume 1 – Reborn
All Hail The Yeti – Within The Hollow Earth
Kulick – Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse
Blue Eyed Christ – World on Fire Remixes
Zero Theorum – The Killing II
Sydney Sherwood – Headspace
Christopher Shayne – Ten High
20 Watt Tombstone – Year of the Jackalope
Post Death Soundtrack – Pathless Land
Black TarPoon – The Thad
That’s it for this year’s top new EPs. Thanks goes out to all of the firms that sent out this great music and so much more. No offense is meant to any act left out. For instance Of Mice & Men released a trio of new EPs this year, but they ended up as the new album, Echo, so that album is up for consideration among this critic’s top new hard rock/metal albums of the year. Even more year-enders are on their way as the last days of the year start to wind down, so stay tuned!
Independent singer-songwriter Kulick kicked off the weekend with the debut of the video for his latest single.
Kulick premiered the video for his new single, ‘Time To Go‘ Friday. The video’s debut comes a week after Kulick debuted the song by itself. The song is the lead single from Kulick’s forthcoming EP, Everyone I Know Will Die, whose release date is under consideration.
The video for ‘Time To Go’ features what is meant to represent Kulick (a.k.a. Jacob Kulick) looking back on his teen and wondering, “What If…” while also looking forward, understanding and accepting his mortality.
Kulick talked about the video’s treatment and how it connects to the song’s lyrical theme in comments made in a prepared statement.
“This music video is by far one of my favorite music videos that I’ve ever done because I was able to tell my story and have a crew of really talented people execute it,” the statement reads. “I always wanted to have a younger version of myself in a video, and Aiden Cullen was absolutely perfect for the role, and an incredible person. Spencer Sease, the director, really took my idea and made it 100x better than I could have imagined.”
The statement continues, “The feeling of my teenage years and the nostalgia is so present in this video, and that was the most important thing to me. It portrays what my childhood would have been like, only if I grew up in California, which is a cool mind bending concept to watch play out while also listening to my very personal and autobiographical lyrics. ‘Time to Go’ is specifically about my own mortality, my upbringing, how I used to live life, and realizing how much control I have over my attitude and perspective on life. I really do love life and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready when it’s time to go.”
The musical arrangement featured in the new single is an upbeat, pop punk style composition. Its energy and the mood is interesting in that it helps to establish the mood in the song’s lyrical theme.
In other news, Kulick is scheduled to join The Spill Canvas on the road this fall. Tickets are available here. The tour’s dates are noted below.
Independent singer-songwriter Kulick will release his next record this fall.
The release date for the new EP, Everyone I Know Will Die is under consideration. In anticipation of its release, Kulick (a.k.a. Jacob Kulick) premiered the EP’s lead single, ‘Time To Go‘ Friday.
The musical arrangement featured in the new single is an upbeat, pop punk style composition. Its energy and the mood is interesting in that it helps to establish the mood in the song’s lyrical theme.
Kulick talked about the song’s lyrical theme in a prepared statement.
“‘Time to Go’ is specifically about my own mortality, my upbringing, how I used to live life, and realizing how much control I have over my attitude and perspective on life. I really do love life and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready when it’s time to go.”
Additionally, Kulick talked about his new EP in the noted statement.
“This EP Everyone I Know Will Die has been a long time coming,” he said. “I have struggled with the idea of death and mortality my entire life, and continue to do so. This year, I was forced to face it head-on when I became the caretaker of a loved one as they began to and continues to battle a series of health issues. Life changed very drastically and as I started to process that, these songs emerged.”
Added Kulick, “I felt a familiar angst and anger that I had when I first experienced these thoughts and emotions while growing up, and wanted it to sonically tell that story as well. The overall theme of the EP is about growing up, getting through difficult times, and accepting your own timeline and what life hands you.”
In other news, Kulick is scheduled to join The Spill Canvas on the road this fall. Tickets are available here. The tour’s dates are noted below.
Independent singer-songwriter Kulick’s latest album, Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood is getting new life of sorts. Kulick (a.k.a. Jacob Kulick) re-visited the record in his new EP, Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse.The five-song collection was released Friday through ENCI Records features stripped down, acoustic takes of five songs from the album, three of which are singles produced from the record. One of those singles, ‘Just Be Friends,’ was released last month in its acoustic take as a representation of what audiences can expect from the EP. It will be discussed shortly. While not one of the album’s singles, ‘Crawling’ – another song featured in the album and EP – is also notable. It will be discussed a little later. Kulick’s stripped down take of ‘The Way I Am’ is one more example of what makes his new EP stand out among this year’s field of new EPs. When these songs and the record’s two remaining works, the whole makes Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse a positive companion piece to Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood.
Kulick’s new EP, Sitting in a Quiet Neighborhood is an overall enjoyable new presentation from the up-and-coming independent singer-songwriter. Given, it is hardly the first time that any act has taken previously recorded songs and re-recorded them in acoustic takes. That aside, it does not detract from the recording’s appeal. The acoustic take of ‘Just Be Friends,’ which was released last month as one of the EP’s singles, serves well to show what makes the EP entertaining and engaging. The acoustic take of ‘Just Be Friends’ gives the song a new identity with its gentle approach. It is not the more fiery version that the original proves to be. Rather, it exhibits much more vulnerability from the song’s subject. That vulnerability takes the song and its fully accessible lyrical topic about a breakup in a whole new direction while still making it memorable. It is just one of the works featured in this EP that serves to show what makes the record worth hearing. ‘Crawling’ is another example of what makes Kulick’s new EP enjoyable.
Kulick’s acoustic take of ‘Crawling’ is even more stark in its difference from its full take than the acoustic take of ‘Just Be Friends’ from its source material. The acoustic take of ‘Crawling’ gives the song and its lyrical theme more of a cynical sense in its stripped down approach than that presented in the original take. That is made clear through the light, bluesy guitar arrangement and vocals. The use of the strings and drums builds on that foundation, making the song seem even more like it is being presented by someone who has cynically accepted that the fault lies in himself despite knowing there is no point. By comparison, the more fiery original take comes across more as someone who is pleading to the other party. Considering all of this, the acoustic take of ‘Crawling’ proves to be just as engaging and entertaining as its full version. To that end, it is just one more example of what makes Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse worth hearing. The acoustic take of ‘The Way I Am’ is another example of what makes Kulick’s new EP worth hearing.
Kulick’s acoustic take of ‘The Way I Am’ is just as beautifully painful as its original take. That is because it translates the song’s deeply moving lyrical theme just as well as the original take. The lyrical theme in question centers on a subject who is dealing with a lot of inner emotional struggles caused by external factors. The difference between the two takes comes in the mood set by each composition. The mood set by the acoustic take is more vulnerable and sad. It really is a painful presentation, but ironically so powerful because of that mood and mindset. The original take by comparison exudes more anger alongside that sadness. It is such a stark contrast but no less powerful. It ultimately becomes yet another example of what makes Kulick’s EP such an interesting presentation. When it is considered along with the other arrangements noted here and the record’s two remaining works, the whole becomes a solid companion piece to Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood.
Kulick’s new EP, Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse is a presentation that his fans and pop rock fans alike will agree is well worth hearing. That is proven through each of its five songs, which were lifted from his 2020 album, Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood. The songs feature arrangements that give the original songs a new identity in most cases. Those new identities also evoke new meanings and emotions from the songs’ lyrical themes. All three of the arrangements examined here serve well to support the noted statements. When they are considered along with the record’s two remaining works, the whole makes the record in whole a welcome companion piece to Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood. Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse is available now.
More information on Kulick’s new EP is available along with of all his latest news at:
Independent singer-songwriter Kulick will close out the month of April with a new EP.
Kulick (a.k.a. Jacob Kulick) is scheduled to release his new EP, Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse April 30 through ENCI Records. In anticipation of the EP’s release Kulick debuted the acoustic take of his song, ‘Just Be Friends‘ Friday along with its companion video. The video premiered through American Songwriter.
Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse is a five-song record that features acoustic takes of songs featured in Kulick’s 2020 album, Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood. The album is available to stream here.
Kulick shared his thoughts on the forthcoming EP in a prepared statement.
“I have always felt the strongest with songs in their acoustic form,” he said. “I used multiple acoustics in the recording process, including Taylors, Martins, and the new Fender Acoustasonic. Re-recording these songs with more of a “coffeehouse” vibe (hence the name “Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse”) made me remember what it was like when I first learned the acoustic guitar and when I first recorded these songs. It made me feel a bittersweet nostalgia in both cases. It also made me realize how sad some of these songs actually are when you take away all of the production. Overall, I hope it gives fans, both new and old, some KULICK songs that are more “chill” than normal, but still organic and authentic.”
The original take of ‘Just Be Friends’ is featured in Kulick’s 2020 album, Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood. He premiered a semi-live take on the original song in February. Kulick debuted the original version of the song in October.
The acoustic take of ‘Just Be Friends’ gives the song a new identity with its gentle approach. It is not the more fiery version that the original proves to be. Rather, it exhibits much more vulnerability from the song’s subject.
The track listing for Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse is noted below.
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