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Underground Rock Music Reviews

Tag: California

Artists based in California

  • Anytime Cowboy – Voice In The Clouds

    Released March 21, 2025. Available on Bandcamp.

    Anytime Cowboy is a band from California, USA. They specialize in rock and roll with some punk/post punk mixed with country that makes you want to drive down a long desert road in a rusty old pickup truck.

    Their latest release is called “Voice In The Clouds”, and it further refines their signature sound. The singer’s deep and somewhat droning voice goes well over the twangy treble of the guitars and tight rhythm section.

    There isn’t much new sonically versus their previous releases, but in a world of change, it’s good to see something being consistent. More of a good thing is usually good in itself, and Anytime Cowboy appears to have nailed down their niche nicely.

    Favorite track picks from this album are the titular track, “Voice In The Clouds”, “Image In My Head”, and “Prehistoric Thoughts”. The whole album itself is quite solid, and there are no bad tracks.

    Anytime Cowboy is a consistent releaser of quality music in a genre they seem to have carved out for themselves, and this new album, “Voice In The Clouds”, is no exception.

  • Enjoy – The Sound of Deceit

    Released March 28, 2025. Available on Spotify.

    Enjoy is the solo project of Wyatt Shears of The Garden fame – based in Orange County, California. This album features a lot of similar moves and vibes from the punk and rock spectrum of The Garden and Enjoy’s signature ‘Vada Vada’ sound.

    The album itself is well-produced and polished in execution. The instrumentation is tight and well-arranged but never too overwhelming and quite balanced. There is an inherent bounciness mixed with melancholy that is an interesting combination in this album – almost like a playful sadness.

    There isn’t really anything broadly new as far as sound or style in this album relative to other Enjoy or The Garden music, but sometimes that is a good thing. Instead, it seems like a refinement of a specific part of their sound they really wanted to hone in on, and they do it well.

    Standout tracks from this album are “Slip of the Memory”, “My Garelli”, and “Vulture”, but there are also no songs on this album that drag. It’s a pretty smooth ride throughout the album, with nothing any fan would really want to skip. It’s really hard to pick the best when all the songs are good.

    For fans of Enjoy and The Garden, or anyone who likes well-made and catchy punk/rock/alternative music, you will not want to miss this release.