MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 5/13/26
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Spiderlily “Morning Person”
First released as a promotional single, “Morning Person” is the closing track of Spiderlily’s comedically titled but sincere EP Strung Out But Sexy (June 2025). “Morning Person” is a charming love song with bright, peppy riffs punctuating sweet sentiments about longing for permanence with someone you adore — “Maybe I like mornings ‘cos I’m basking in your light / They say nothing lasts forever, but I’m hoping that’s a lie / I know love is what we make it / And with you it feels so right / … if it exists, it’s in your arms tonight.” The four-piece band rock out expressively, with rich lead vocals that carry the message wholeheartedly.
Leslie Vincent “Swinging Tattooed Queen”
Rockabilly vibes ring out in full force on Leslie Vincent’s appropriately titled “Swinging Tattooed Queen,” track seven of eleven on LP Little Black Book (April 2026). You can picture Vincent’s muse, the tattooed queen, swaying her hips and Lindy Hopping to the lively rhythms. Her “body is a kaleidoscope,” “swirling like a cup of caffeine” — indulging in these sounds of old school cool makes me want to embody that energy and go out dancing. Full-bodied vocals and jazzy horn sections with sprightly drum work come together to create a playful atmosphere, putting us right in the scene of their budding flirtations.
Parker Ellis, Evoke “If Everyone Were Dying”
From the twelve track album Parker Was Here (January 2026), “If Everyone Were Dying” has a chill-hop beat with electronic percussion and solemn piano chord melodies, over which, Parker Ellis raps about life and death in frank fashion, an existential expression where he reaches the conclusion that “if everyone were dying, we would all live better.” Calling us to be aware of our own mortality and detailing the things that happen to us that bring that awareness to the front of our consciousness, Ellis is vulnerable about his almost overdose, going through treatments for brain cancer, and interactions with a girlfriend who is advocating for his survival. While listening to his autobiographical tales, I thought about how our proximity to those we love and the way they witness us can dredge up questions about our health and lifestyles.
kvsket “1312”
Across kvsket’s Patiently Awaiting Your Arrival album (released in February 2025), the band dabbles with their metal sound pallet, bouncing in and out of combining heavy metal and punk rock. “1312” sprinkles in something doomy right before its close and utilizes more brutal vocals throughout to spice things up, keeping things weighted. Slightly fuzzy and snarling otherwise, long cries of “Witness me!” stand out vocally.
High Speed Snowshoes “My Best Friend”
Indie rock swirls about your ear in High Speed Snowshoes’ “My Best Friend” from the EP Wasting, released in April 2026. Describing the EP in its totality, the band writes, “this project is no doubt the byproduct of being in an awkward phase of life.” That transitory state between one major life event and the next, or the space made when we lose some of who we were before and await our growth into the new, is articulated by well by the coming-of-agey sound here, emo-inspired, which actually underscores a short tale of mourning (“I’m still lost without him, my best friend”). Their use of keys adds great melodic texture, twinkling low in the mix, filling in spaces left intentionally open by other instrumentation.
The Hollow Doubts “Just an Inch”
The Hollow Doubts’ latest single, “Just an Inch” (February 2026), uses peppy punk rock to drive forward their warning to us all — “They’re gonna take an inch / Then another / All while we argue with each other … Before you know it, you’ll be left with no rights at all.” A rallying cry of sorts, the message here is clear: don’t tolerate the sociopolitical slide into worse conditions for yourself and your neighbors; if you can use your medium - in this case, rock music - to remind people of that, you can joining a chorus of voices which, we hope, will comfort those who know and plant seeds for those who think that letting TPTB take “Just an Inch” won’t hurt anybody that much.
