LEO Weekly has Spotify playlists for each Listen Local column featuring selected tracks from each reviewed release. Check them out here!
Allen Vice and Roundtree
ViceTree – album
After collaborating on a few tracks over the years, rapper Allen Vice and producer Roundtree set out to create a full-length album, but in a rather unique way. Said Roundtree, “The process and end result were never discussed – beats were sent, raps were spit, and we called it finished when it felt like a complete idea. The creation process from top to bottom was impulsive. This is a great record solely because we’re great at what we do.” And he’s right! Vice has garnered critical acclaim through his prolific output and numerous collaborations with Louisville musicians and producers. Roundtree, who originally hails from Boston but now calls Louisville home, has quickly gained status within the Louisville hip-hop community through his unique sample choices and techniques not usually explored within the genre. Together they create psychedelic hip-hop soundscapes that are unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Roundtree described it as such; “The production sources samples from unusual places. Vice raps one-liners à la MF DOOM about a multitude of topics from religion, weed, and life experiences as a resident in the West End (to name a few).” And the result is incredible! Vice’s flows are smooth but hit hard. Roundtree’s use of samples from Muzak, R&B, and lounge jazz, (often all simultaneously), but all chopped up and skewed is something I can only describe as a 1970’s acid trip and a fever dream combined. This is far from your run-of-the-mill hip-hop; this is something completely unique and very special! Just trust me, you need to experience this!
Bill Clark and the Route 15 Band
Through the Years – album
It’s only been a few years since Bill Clark released his last album – 49 years to be exact! He might have broken a record with the length of time between debut and sophomore albums. Of course he never stopped playing or writing songs during all of those years, they just took a backseat to raising a family and a 40-year career outside of music. Now things have come back around full circle for Clark, and he is back where he belongs. Through The Years is just that; a collection of songs written over many years with a few covers thrown in, (“The Dutchman” by Michael Smith – popularized by Steve Goodman, Mindy Smith’s “Come To Jesus”, and Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sixteen Miles to Seven Lakes”). If I may get oddly specific; the eight original tracks that make up the rest of the record sound how I believe James Taylor writing songs for Jimmy Buffett, who is being backed by Elvis’ TCB Band would sound like. Folk rock with a pronounced Caribbean music flair mixed with a bit of country, bluegrass, and rooted in the blues. It’s an uplifting sound, to be sure. The talent level here is extraordinary! Not only is Clark still at the top of his game, but he also has a veritable gold mine of Louisville musicians backing him! And together they hit every note just the right way to assure that the crowd will be up on their feet. Because if these tracks don’t get you up and dancing, you might want to check your pulse.
billclarkandtheroute15band.com
Choir Siren
Live Under the Solar Eclipse – EP
You know, I’ve never thought about what the perfect soundtrack to a full solar eclipse might sound like. But for 40+ minutes during last year’s eclipse, TJ Cole and Emily Ravenscraft created it! Cole (synthesizer and processed vocals), and Ravenscraft (processed violin), are both classically trained, highly accomplished musicians. As Choir Siren, the duo mix improvisation with live processing to create unpredictable, immersive performances. Their music mixes elements of avant-garde classical, ambient, and noise for a sound that is ever-evolving. Or as they put it; “Two bleep bloopers constantly stimming at each other with weird noises.” They describe their debut EP, Live Under the Solar Eclipse as follows: “On April 8th, 2024, during the total solar eclipse, we gathered outside as the world held its breath. With everything set to start at a precise moment, we had no plan – just the open sky and the shifting light. What followed was completely improvised. No stage. No audience. Just two people, our instruments, our recording equipment, the neighborhood, and the sky. We set up in Emily’s front yard – eclipse glasses on standby, mics on, pedals dialed in. The goal: time the peak of our set with the moment of totality.” What they got was beyond what they had expected; both “feeling like we had just performed a ritual,” which is certainly an accurate description. The music here is quite indescribable – dark yet uplifting, haunting yet spiritual, frightening yet calming, creepy yet beautiful, unstructured yet melodic. The sheer joy in the duos’ voices at the end of the recording as the magnitude of what they’ve just created begins to set in speaks volumes and wraps it up perfectly!
Cookie Delight
“Favorite Ex” – single
You may know Katie James from her time as a solo singer/guitarist/songwriter, but you probably know her by her alter-ego; Cookie Delight, frontwoman and guitarist for The Delighters, (who just released a new EP in March). But, as she said in her email; “After years of performing raunchy rock and queer anthems with my band, I’m now stepping into a new era – solo pop music as Cookie Delight.” So I loaded up the music video for this song on YouTube only to find out it was directed by my old friend and former bandmate Teresa Finley, so we’re already off to a good start! When I say this song is catchy, I mean you’re going to be hearing this in your head on repeat while singing and tapping your feet along to it for days afterwards! This is an earworm’s earworm. Bubblegum pop with a strong early 80’s flare to it that makes it both dreamy and nostalgic, bringing to mind the poppier hits of The Cars and The Go-Gos. Regarding “Favorite Ex,” Cookie’s debut single, she said; “This is a passion project that blends my DIY roots with my love for pop, storytelling, and queer joy.” On the inspiration for the song, Cookie said; “The song was written after reconnecting with my ex-girlfriend and it’s about savoring the kind of moment you know probably won’t last forever but still feels like magic.” Overall, this song is just flat out fun! Upbeat, happy, and highly danceable; I’m fairly certain that it is physically impossible not to smile while listening this song!
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Ian Abel Band
“Home” – single
For singer/guitarist/songwriter and Louisville native Ian Abel, all it took was him seeing the movie School of Rock as a young teen to kick start the long road of his career. Influenced by the movie to play guitar, Abel took lessons, joined a jazz band in high school, studied music at Western Kentucky University, moved to Los Angeles for several years, and eventually ended up in Nashville, where he is currently based. He’s toured as lead guitarist for Grand Ole Opry legend T. Graham Brown and has had songs featured in All Elite Wrestling, (wrestler Cody Rhodes is a fan). On “Home”, his 14th single since 2019, Abel gives a glimpse into his internal dialogue, reflecting his drive to become a better man, both for himself and those closest to him. Exploring themes of shame, self-loathing, substance abuse, and loss, Abel’s deeply introspective lyrics lay his most vulnerable thoughts bare and show him confronting his past while taking control of his future. By doing so, he hopes to inspire others who may be in similar situations. The music is a powerhouse mix of honky-tonk, country, and bluesy rock that brings to mind what Chris Stapleton might sound like with The Black Crows backing him. This is quite simply top-notch songwriting executed by top-notch musicians! Keep an eye out because Ian Abel returns to his hometown for gigs fairly often, and eventually when the ‘Ian Abel’s Louisville’ banner goes up and he’s headlining arenas, you’ll want to say you saw him before he became a superstar! Jack Black would be proud!
Producing a Kind Generation
Slump – album
Easily one of the most productive bands in Louisville, PAKG returns with Slump, their fifth full-length album since 2019. And that doesn’t include the singles they’ve released between albums. With the overwhelmingly majority of bands, that’d be way too much material, resulting in a whole bunch of throwaway songs. PAKG is the one of the very, very few bands that is turning out consistently great material back-to-back without resorting to filler songs. Slump is a great example of that; every song on this record needs to be here. No clunkers or skip-overs, just 10 solid tracks of PAKG doing what they do best, (borrowing a couple lines from a previous review I wrote for them): smooth, melodic, groove-oriented alt-rock at heart with its feet planted firmly in funk and its soul rooted in the blues. Slump sees the PAKG refining their sound and charting new territory for the band with tracks like the grungy “Broke Boy”, the bluesy rock of “The Pill” and “Tew Jahbz” (pronounced “Two jobs”), and the straight up funk of “Right Now”. But of course you still get that familiar alt-rock funk sound PAKG has perfected over the years on tracks like the opener “Wannabe”, “Me & You”, and the slower grooves of “Break Me” and “The Button”. Comparisons to Red Hot Chili Peppers aren’t unfounded, but also aren’t particularly fair either. Maybe a less pretentious, more honest RHCP is a better description. PAKG has been on a roll since day one, and Slump is proof they aren’t coming off it anytime soon. This is music that stands on its own and needs to be heard!
Punji Pit
“Intermittent Inculcation” / “Decadence” – single
Being familiar with Punji Pit’s debut EP Sweating Bullets, Keeping Beat, released last summer, I had a certain expectation going into this. And that expectation wasn’t just met, it was exceeded! The band continues to evolve and grow their sound with their two latest tracks. While the punk element is still there and as strong as ever, the band seems to have moved away from the early alternative/indie rock influence heard on the debut EP and leaned into their gungier side, creating a sound reminiscent of early Soundgarden, Melvins, and Nirvana material mixed with just a tiny bit of that late 70’s/early 80’s Louisville punk of bands like Babylon Dance Band and Malignant Growth. And with their heavy, fuzzed-out guitar and bass riffs and the thundering drums, these two tracks almost border stoner rock and honestly aren’t far removed from local greats The Glasspack. But with both tracks clocking in at barely over two minutes each and packed full of high-energy, these are far more punk than anything else. Having only been together for less than two years, Punji Pit has come a long way in a short period of time. They’ve created a truly unique style and sound, they are constantly playing shows around the Louisville area and beyond, building their fanbase and getting a lot of recognition. If you’re not already familiar with Punji Pit, they definitely need to be on your radar because this is a band you’re no doubt going to be hearing a lot about in the very near future!
Tripendicular
“Come Hither” – single
Louisville native, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Todd Groemling, (pronounced GREMM-Ling), had a problem. A guitar player was looking for help with an Antônio Carlos Jobim-inspired guitar-only, bossa nova-style composition. Groemling, (who is also one-half of the band My Infatuation, who’s single “A Kiss” was recently reviewed by yours truly for LEO Weekly), provided a recording for consideration that included the original guitar with added instruments, lyrics, a melody for the lyrics, and the vocals. Yet the guitarist was not interested. So Groemling, not wanting to waste the great piece that he had created, challenged himself to replace the original guitar part – but not to recreate it – by reimagining the role of the guitar from the playing style to the tone. The result is a far less Jobim-inspired song that mixes bossa nova, dream pop, and a bit of a samba flair for a very sexy, sultry, yet a little dark and mysterious sound that brings to mind some of Rob Thomas’ more Latin-tinged material. If you’re as old as me and remember the series Red Shoe Diaries on Showtime back in the 90’s; this song would be right at home on one of those episodes. Groemling proves his talent in spades here by providing vocals, acoustic guitar, (which takes on more of a Spanish guitar tone), bongos, drums, and when that soft sax solo hits during the bridge, forget about it! Groemling should start keeping a score chart, (pun intended), of all the children he’s indirectly responsible for with this one! This is the type of song that resulted in many of us being here in the first place!
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This article appears in May 9-22, 2025.