LEO Weekly has Spotify playlists for each Listen Local column featuring selected tracks from each reviewed release. Check them out here!
FALL/ GVUP
Primal (split) – EP
One thing about Louisville music these days is that our hardcore scene is unrivaled! Seriously, it’s world-renowned at this point. And here we have a split between two of the best hardcore bands in the area: Louisville’s FALL and Southern Indiana’s GVUP, both of whom contribute two new tracks. I can go ahead and say FALL have all but guaranteed a spot on my 2025 favorites list with the absolutely crushing opening track “Poor Advice”. Equal parts chaotic and melodic, “Poor Advice” is 100% brutally powerful. This is followed by the slower, melodic, driving crunch of “So Must the Dawn,” which is about as laid back and easy going as a brick to the face. As for their sound, think Sick of it All, Terror, Strife, and Snapcase combined, all at once. True, unrelenting, powerhouse hardcore! GVUP contributes two of their best tracks yet, kicking off with “10/4,” which bleeds directly into their second song “Tongue Ti(r)ed” via guitar feedback. Thrashy, in-your-face hardcore boarding on metalcore; GVUP are masters of brutal, punishing breakdowns. The most unexpected thing about this band are the mid-tempo, groove-oriented bridges with actual sung vocals that they often add into their songs, which creates a kind of calmness in the eye of a storm moments and really sets their songs off. Definitely a Knocked Loose meets Every Time I Die vibe happening. A great pairing of bands here! I just hope they press this on vinyl, because I need it!
fall.bandcamp.com and linktr.ee/gvup
Griffin Fletcher
Forever To Go – album
Well, the good news is that Louisville native/Lexington resident Griffin Fletcher’s debut solo album is finally out as of May 8th. The bad news is his band Young Romantics have now officially split up. But as great as the Young Romantics were, Fletcher’s solo material is a whole new world for the singer/guitarist/songwriter. While there are some obvious similarities, there are far greater differences; and it’s in these differences that Fletcher really shines. Moving away from the alt-rock stylings of his previous band, (but not away from rock entirely), and into the realms of R&B, folk, smooth jazz, indie rock, adult alternative, and even pop. The music Fletcher creates seems to flow around his vocals like air and water, creating the perfect vessel for his soulful, smooth-as-silk voice. Fletcher’s lyrics – focusing on themes of life, love, loss, fear, and questions of existence – read more like short stories; showcasing honesty, introspection, and vulnerability on a level not previously seen in his work with the Young Romantics. A cast of several talented South Central Kentucky musicians playing a diverse array of instrumentation serve not only to flesh these songs out, but to push them into the spotlight. With the help of a very rich, warm, inviting production by Fletcher and Max Erskine, and mastering by multiple-Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg, (Nirvana, Beastie Boys, U2), Fletcher’s vision and first foray into presenting his solo material is an astounding success! Fans of Jeff Buckley, D’Angelo, and Joni Mitchell take note: Forever To Go is your next obsession!
Cait Justice
Angel Teeth – album
Appalachia; them hills are alive with the sound of music! Seriously, you can’t pass more than a couple houses without seeing someone out on their porch singing and playing guitar. Appalachia has a story to be told, and it’s told with unflinching honesty through the music of the people who’ve lived it. And one of the brightest Appalachian voices is that of Cait Justice. Although now a Louisville resident, Cait was born and raised in Pikeville, KY. She learned to sing at church as a child, later taught herself how to play guitar and began honing her craft not long after, culminating in a deal with sonaBlast Records and the release of her debut album Angel Teeth in March. While deeply rooted in the traditional Appalachia music of bluegrass and country, Justice skirts and occasionally flat-out crosses the line into folk and Americana. Her voice: beautiful, sweet, charming, angelic, yet at the same time rich, strong, proud, and even a bit haunting. It’s a voice that needs to be heard and will not be ignored. Justice is also a natural poignant storyteller with her songs of heartache and hardships of growing up in Eastern KY. Comparisons to early Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn are certainly not unfounded. Producer extraordinaire Anne Gauthier at LaLaLand Studios gives Justice’s songs the warmth and depth to sound as if you’re in the room with Cait and the talented musicians she has backing her. It’s easy to see why sonaBlast was quick to sign her, this is a superstar in the making!
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Scotchamo
Sunny Land – album
As a multimedia artist, Scott Scarboro has exhibited and even lectured in pretty much every major city in the country. His sculpture “Upcycle” can currently be viewed at 4th and Broadway as part of the Louisville Downtown District’s Public Art Bike Rack Program. But Scarboro is a musician at heart. In fact, one of the best gigs I’ve ever played was back in the early 2000’s when I was in a band that opened for Scarboro’s junkabilly band Monkey Boy at The Rudyard Kipling, as it was so damn interesting watching Scott play all of his insane homemade instruments and actually making them sound good. And he’s still at it! Not only does Monkey Boy still exist, he’s also branched out into an experimental audio project that he calls Scotchamo. Sunny Land, one of many albums Scotchamo has available on Bandcamp for free, was recorded live in the studio in one afternoon with no overdubs or multi-tracking and very little editing. Scott plays all the instruments himself, completely improvising while finding inspiration from the items hanging on the walls of his studio. Instruments like his “mutant guitar”, drum pad, vocals, whistling tube, “Uncle Snook’s bugle”, jaw harp, and various hand built effects boxes are used while layering them all with a loop pedal. Mixing lo-fi, improv jazz, alternative, noise rock, and psychedelic, the sound created is quite incomparable and strange, but a fun world to get lost in nonetheless!
junkabillystudios.bandcamp.com
Michael Vettraino
“A Lie Not Alive” – single
Michael Vettraino, the man behind the amazing “Chasing the Sub Lime” music video, (seriously if you haven’t seen it yet, go to his YouTube page and watch it now), is back with the third single off his upcoming EP, to be released later this year. All three singles forming an audio triptych of past, present and future, (“A Lie Not Alive” representing the past). This song delves into deep themes surrounding humanity and societal issues, with Vettraino specifically focusing on humanity in the context of geological timescales, how we align and differ with the rest of the animal kingdom, and the impact of greed on American society, per his press release. On his latest, Vettraino takes a more minimalistic approach, relying on his 70’s/80’s style synth sounds and his rich baritone voice to guide the song while building an incredible, almost hypnotic soundscape the entire time. Processed drums and layered synth are used to drive it all home during the last minute; Vettraino himself handling all instruments and vocals. Orchestral-like swells and choral backing vocals are used to give this track almost an otherworldly, ghostly feel, emphasizing Vettraino’s emotions on the subject matter at hand while simultaneously making the listener feel uncomfortable and uneasy, which is the whole point. Reminiscent in scope of 70’s Pink Floyd, “A Lie Not Alive” is a powerful statement that Vettraino has masterfully delivered.
youtube.com/@Michael.Vettraino
Virgin Birth
Total Annihilation – album
I’m torn between saying Virgin Birth’s sophomore full-length album Total Annihilation is the missing link between Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine and Broken, KMFDM’s Naïve and Money, Ministry’s Twitch and The Land of Rape and Honey, or Pixel Grip’s Heavy Handed and ARENA. Regardless, this album is about as solid as they come and I cannot stop listening to it! Virgin Birth has pulled off the rare feat of creating an album that would sound at home in any of the past four decades. They manage to combine the throwback beats and synth of the 80’s dark wave sound, the grit, grime, and power of 90’s industrial, the edge and excitement of 2000’s EDM, then give it all a modern sheen. This is world class, genre-defying music that is meticulously thought out and extremely well-crafted. This is one of the few records that you can put on and regardless of what styles of music you’re into, you’ll find something here that grabs your attention. Then the hooks pull you in and before you know it, you’ve got this record on repeat for days straight, (I speak out of experience). If you’ve heard their 2023 debut album The Forest, expect a deeper, darker, richer sound here. Their songwriting and production skills have grown exponentially, improving on what was already an incredible sound. Total Annihilation is absolutely mandatory listening!
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Cadillac Young
Bare My Bones – EP
Many know Cadillac Young as the guitarist of Shitfire. But with Bare My Bones, his latest solo EP, Young is stepping out on his own. No backing band, just Young all alone with an acoustic guitar, his voice, and his powerful words. I say words because lyrics aren’t the proper way to describe what Young is singing here. Following in the footsteps of greats like Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, Young’s songs are stories put to music. Young proves himself to be quite the storyteller too, taking on tales of lost love and self-worth on tracks “You Deserve Better Than Me” and “Blemished Apprentice”, the cycle of unhealthy relationships in “Shapeshifter”, and the standout track “Enough About Me” in which Young spins the tale of a newly-sober but down-on-his-luck musician reconnecting with old acquaintances. This track hits close to home for Young, who based the story off of his own mother’s struggle with alcoholism. Musically, the four tracks here are more akin to the folk rock stylings of James Taylor and Neil Young, but with the spirit of outlaw country artists like Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. Like the EP title, the recording and production here is pretty bare bones with all four songs seemingly recorded live in the studio with no overdubs; giving it a raw, unpolished, airy, yet warm and inviting tone, making you feel as if you’re sitting next to Young at a campfire or on his porch listening to him play. Bare My Bones is Young at his most vulnerable, and he wouldn’t have it any other way!
Zelly
MISTER – album
One thing I love about doing music reviews is that I never know what I’m going to get. And with Zelly, what I got was completely and utterly floored! Drop whatever you’re doing, use the link below and go watch his YouTube videos right now. Yes, I’m serious! As of this writing he has released five music videos from the album MISTER, and each one is an absolutely stunning piece of visual art. And the music? Literally one of the best hip hop albums ever to come out of this city! And I’m not overhyping that even slightly. Using smooth jazz and R&B samples throughout the duration of the album, Zelly effectively lulls the listener into a sense of calmness and ease, serving as the perfect backdrop for his unique and distinctive flows. His rhymes are deep, extremely personal, occasionally heartbreaking, but always rooted in the reality of his life; the overall message being one of hope and determination. In his own words: “My debut project, MISTER, is a 13-song soundtrack that brings to life the world I’m building in its accompanying comic book trilogy. This project is my most ambitious yet, as I took on multiple creative roles – writing, directing visuals, designing the cover art, and illustrating the comic. While deeply connected to the comic’s narrative, MISTER also stands as my most introspective body of work to date. This project is more than just the music and comic – it’s a reflection of me and my artistic journey. And I’m excited to introduce this universe to the world.” Simply put, Zelly’s MISTER is lightning in a bottle!
Want to see your music reviewed in LEO Weekly? Louisville and Southern Indiana-based bands/artists, send a link to your music along with a band/artist bio, a high-resolution pic of the release’s cover art, and any additional information that may be helpful for the review, (the more, the better), to music@leoweekly.com.
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This article appears in Apr 25 – May 8, 2025.
