Long Long Road is the second collaboration between Ringo Starr and T Bone Burnett, following the former Beatle’s chart-topping country album Look Up, released in 2025. With Burnett playing, writing and co-producing, as well as others, like Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow and St, Vincent along for the ride, this twenty-second studio release from the drummer is a solid and sweet album.
One might do well to remember Starr releasing his first Americana album back in 1970 with Beaucoups of Blues. With Look Up and Long Long Road, he seems to be completing a trilogy mining the same roots. He drums and sings all the tunes, occasionally with some harmony help or even dueting as he does with Molly Tuttle on the banjo flicky mid-tempo opener “Returning Without Tears,” with his voice sounding as good as ever. Mining moments like “I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore,” to little rockers like “It’s Been Too Long,” there’s a nice mix as the usual subtle touch of master Burnett sets these little gems up perfectly.
“You And I (Wave Of Love),”one of three that Starr had a hand in co-writing, is wonderful ballad featuring Tuttle on the background vocal, with Paul Franklin’s well-placed peddle-steel making this song a sure single if there ever was one. There’s plenty of songs about the drummer’s favorite subject — love. Even though his lyrics don’t land with lots of complexity, they do work for the tunes, especially on the album’s most psychedelic track, “Choose Love” with St. Vincent harmonizing.
The title track has Sheryl Crow providing the main female harmonies while the singer contemplates the “long, long road.” Being a legend and working with great musicians under the command of a T Bone Burnett, you don’t have to walk a long long road to get to something special.
Vincent Gargiulo has spent enough time around cult detritus, accidental profundity, and the crooked pageant of American absurdity to know that people reveal themselves most clearly when they are cornered by banality. That instinct runs all through Somewhere, Here on Earth, a record that turns dead-end jobs, stale desire, grief, traffic, and self-disgust into a vignette of spiritual depletion. Gargiulo writes like a man in line at the 7-11, staring at the hot dog rollers, suddenly seized by the suspicion that this may in fact be the full moral architecture of the age.
Somewhere, Here on Earthsticks close to a heightened version of American reality. Its heart is flopping off a tattered sleeve: Americana gone a little threadbare, middle age staring back from the bathroom mirror. The songs feel dug up from the daily mess instead of posed under a spotlight. Their oddness is earned the old-fashioned way, by living long enough to realize that normal life is already preposterous, especially once disappointment has had a couple of decades to seep into the wallpaper. Gargiulo rambles through piano-pop, bent country, jittery new wave, and a woozy kind of lounge sadness, picking up traces of Harry Nilsson, Bowie, They Might Be Giants, Joe Jackson, Beck, Rufus Wainwright, and The Divine Comedy.
24 Hour Jack in the Box sets the tone beautifully. Its bright piano gives the song a bruised buoyancy, somewhere in the vicinity of Stephen Bluhm and Joe Jackson, while Gargiulo sings about working alone on Christmas Eve in Kettleman City and drifting back to a memory of floating in a lake. It is a song about alienated labour, bodily numbness, and the desperate wish to feel anything at all. Asleep in the Sun takes that plainspoken approach to grief and gives it a country lilt, with slide guitar and a gently ramshackle air that recalls Odelay-era Beck filtered through classic country heartache à la Loretta Lynn or Porter Wagoner. The song’s power comes from its domestic details: the house too empty, the absence registered in a patch of light, the possibility that memory may be inventing signs just to keep going. Gargiulo never gilds the sadness. He keeps it close to the floor, where most mourning actually dwells.
A Bad Idea or a Missed Opportunity brings in a more theatrical ache, with forlorn horns, piano, and a touch of psychedelic disorientation that suggests Ben Folds stumbling into a Bowie bender. It’s sung from the perspective of sitting on the bathroom floor with a five-year-old birthday card nearby, tallying damage, lust, and regret like a man trying to reconstruct his life from the contents of his pockets. Jazzed in the Hurkle Durkle, another song with a strong jazz piano streak, takes midlife fatigue and turns it into something oddly tender, even cozy. Health scares, historical overwhelm, and personal insignificance all get folded into the comfort of lying next to someone you love while the world remains a bad joke outside the sheets.
She’s Got No Time shifts into a twitchier new-wave mode, carrying some of They Might Be Giants’ anxious charm while chronicling romantic neglect with good humour. It is one of the album’s wryest songs and one of its saddest, because the joke is inseparable from the self-laceration. Gargiulo, who wrote this track as a teenager, understood even at that tender age that people often explain away rejection with stories that wound them more efficiently than the truth ever could. The accompanying video casts him as a down-on-his-luck Romeo trying to get a stock footage date for the dance.
The title track, Somewhere, Here on Earth, reaches instead for a kind of sunburnt release, and its Charlie Brown-despondent piano evokes Vince Guaraldi at his most wistful. he heads for hot springs, moonlight, and open air, looking for a way out of structure and expectation, though even here the peace feels provisional, borrowed for an afternoon.
Anhedonia feels like the album’s emotional bullseye, even if it arrives looking rumpled and under-rested. Piano, a chorus with a real weary trudge to it, and Gargiulo out there begging for seduction, approval, any proof at all that the circuitry has not gone cold. It is pitiful, hilarious, and a little too close to home, which is probably why it stings. Another Psychopath comes in with that grand, bruised Bowie-on-piano sweep and puts failed love on the witness stand, where self-reproach gets to play judge, jury, and bored stenographer. Really Really Good Right?, all slide guitar and sideways country charm, takes a scalpel to artistic insecurity then proceeds to needle the vanity and panic behind making art. It may be the nakedest song on the album. Do the Dread ends the whole thing knee-deep in traffic, shopping-cart despair, and low-grade end-times anxiety, still foolish enough to believe love might slam on the brakes before the car goes through the guardrail.
Vincent Gargiulo’s real gift is that he does not romanticize damage, nor does he sweep it under the rug. He writes about people who are bored, bereaved, needy, horny, ashamed, hopeful, and spiritually waterlogged, then gives them nimble melodies. Somewhere, Here on Earth is funny, sorrowful, strange, and embarrassingly alert to the small humiliations of being a person. It is a record about modern estrangement. Gargiulo keeps his eye on the petty details, the cheap settings, the moments when life looks most foolish, and that is exactly where he finds its bruised little truths.
Listen to Somewhere, Here On Earth below and order the album here.
A fiercely independent artist, Vincent Gargiulo’s creative output is impressive – and his subject matter universal. Beneath the silliness is an authenticity, and a deep affection for the unsung Everyman. Songs about shitty Tinder dates, sofas no one wants to see, local pizza joints, 80s theme songs. Likewise, a lot of his film work goes chasing the gloriously ridiculous: Chickens in the Shadows, The Dark Crusader, and the whole cracked film universe that gave the world the dynamic duo of Toasters N’ Moose and their sassy thrift store ode to the KFC five-piece meal deal, Taste the Biscuit.
Gargiulo spoke with Post-Punk.com about his creative process, influences, background and philosophy.
Your work often approaches serious subjects through an off-kilter, sometimes absurd lens. Which artists, filmmakers, or writers helped shape your way of seeing the world?
My very first loves were the Muppets, Pee Wee, and cartoons. That love of animation led me to Terry Gilliam’s work on Monty Python and that changed it all for me. That’s what I wanted to do with my life. I started writing sketch comedy and got inspired by others like Chris Guest, Jack Benny, SCTV, Spaulding Grey. Even Python Michael Palin’s travel documentaries inspired me to have a wonder for the world and started my travel lust. Then I went to film school and got into experimental and foreign films. All this shaped my film work.
Musically, my parents instilled some the classics of the 60s & 70s (Beatles, Zappa, Steely Dan, Genesis) mixed with my own discoveries of the then new songs of the 80s & 90s. My biggest musical inspiration is probably Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. His work influenced everyone else I’m also influenced by, such as XTC, Joe Jackson, They Might Be Giants, Talking Heads, the list is infinite.
Your writing often finds tenderness in awkwardness, failure, and anticlimax. Humor runs quietly through the work, even in its bleakest moments. Do you think absurdity is a way of softening difficult truths, or sharpening them?
I think it can do both. That awkwardness and failure is part of being human and that ultimately is beautiful. How amazing we exist at all. We have to laugh at ourselves. Humor and kindness are essential to get by.
You seem drawn to small, specific moments of everyday life, and then slowly warp them into something just off-kilter. This album seems deeply attentive to the emotional weirdness of everyday American life: chain stores, highways, dead-end jobs, empty rooms, passing interactions. What draws you to those spaces?
I’m from Stockton, CA, grew up lower middle class. This does not usually produce visions of grandeur. I’ve always had a day job including now (and still probably lower middle class). I’m mostly interested in everyday people trying their best and pursuing whatever dream they have, possibly because I did/do that. Those quiet spaces and moments still have life, stories, dreams.
When you’re writing, what tends to inspire you most: music, movies, literature, overheard conversations, landscapes, memories, or something harder to name?
Inspiration comes from everywhere. Generally nowadays, whenever something comes to me (a phrase, a word, an idea, a skit), I write it down in my notes app. When it comes time to write a new work, I’ll scan the notes and pull together similar ideas, then build around it. A song or scene will form. It takes so long for me to produce something, that there is usually a large backlog of ideas to pull from. On the new album, the song She’s Got No Time was written when I was a teenager and I resurrected it for this. Not much was changed.
There’s a recurring tension in these songs between wanting to feel deeply and being almost embarrassed by that desire. To you, what is the emotional engine of the album?
It’s not 100% autobiographical but there are a lot of my thoughts, fears, anxieties, dreams, laid out on the table. It’s dark, it’s quiet, it’s the song’s protagonist’s trying to figure things out. I want to feel deeply but how?
Work like Chickens in the Shadows, The Dark Crusader and the Taste the Biscuit phenomenon connected with countless people because it felt impossible to pin down: funny, sincere, and strange all at once. It seems to have punctured the zeitgeist: these characters and songs you write about feel like real people, with real problems and real passions. In a culture that encourages polish, branding, and emotional simplification, what does it mean to you to make work that leaves room for contradiction, discomfort, and oddness?
Well my work would be more polished if there were bigger budgets. What I could afford in 2011 now has just become A E S E T H E T I C. The good thing about being independent is I can make whatever I want and tell the stories that seem interesting to me. But I am trying to move you. I love skirting the line between comedy and drama. The world is a weird place. Humans are weird and complex. Embrace that.
When you step back from the album, does it feel like a document of trying to understand something, or just a record of paying close attention to a world that already doesn’t make much sense?
After making The Dark Crusader, which is a very very silly comedy movie, I wanted to do the exact opposite. Make a fairly serious album. I always called it the sad jazz album, even though it’s branched off to other genres. I wrote it sequentially roughly between Sep 2024-May 2025. To me, the album is a document of that time. It was essentially my therapy and I was trying to write more poetically. No jokes! I’m happy with how it turned out. It’s a vibe. Sometimes we need to listen to the sad album to help us get by.
Watch The Dark Crusader below. You can also purchase his films here.
Will you reach for me as I plead in vain In the dead of night I will fall For pain
Tania Cassette steps out of the Glass Spells afterglow to tend her own fire with The Flame, a torch song lit by 80s pop glamour, dance-floor desire, and the dangerous faith of someone finally grabbing the wheel. The track carries a bright, Nutra-Sweet rush of handclap-ready hooks, glossy synths, and a chorus built for driving too fast past the city limits with your heart doing 90 in the passenger seat.
Produced with Myles and Kyle Mendes of NITE, The Flame respects the holy science of pop immediacy. The Bangles’ melodic lift is in its bloodstream, The Motels’ after-hours ache hangs around the edges, Cyndi Lauper’s theatrical nerve flashes through Tania’s vocal phrasing, and Berlin’s sleek synth drama glides beneath the beat like a black car on wet asphalt. Tania sings with poise and heat, letting the song’s yearning bloom without drowning it in melodrama.
The lyrics trace a consuming devotion curdled by abandonment, where desire, disgrace, and pain keep pulling the speaker back toward someone who has wounded them. Love becomes a cycle of ruin and return: a desperate nocturnal plea, a memory that won’t quiet, and a fire that keeps burning.
“The Flame is the song that saved me,” she admits. “It gave me the courage to trust myself and take control of my own destiny, and that’s terrifying and exhilarating all at once. It’s about devotion that consumes you, the kind of passion that breaks you down and rebuilds you at the same time. Everything you see in this video from the fire, the speed, the intensity… that’s exactly how it felt to finally step into who I really am.”
Directed by Sultan Mars and produced by Saint Almaty, the video throws that feeling onto the screen with a wink of vintage danger. Tania tears through the night in a sexy red convertible, the kind of car meant for a doomed romance, while the room-bound red phone scenes carries a lonely, theatrical ache. When she dances before the bonfire, the performance pulls us into a cathartic release. The classic twin-flame idea usually gets sold like mystical romance with better branding, but The Flame aims at something less woo-woo and syrupy: the difficult business of perfecting your own soul. For Tania Cassette, the blaze is no backdrop, it is her heart set aflame.
Watch the video for The Flame below:
Listen to The Flame below and order the single here.
Diagram For June brings a surge of raw emotion on their latest emo rock release, “Polaroids and Gasoline”. A recprd that feels like a burning photograph you can’t stop staring at. The song leans deep into early-2000s emo influence while still carrying a modern, sharpened edge while blending fragile lyricism with explosive guitar work that swings between restraint and full emotional collapse.
The lyrics capture that uneasy space between nostalgia and destruction, where memories feel both beautiful and dangerous. The “polaroids” imagery hits like faded snapshots of better days, while “gasoline” drags everything into volatility, suggesting relationships that can’t survive without catching fire. Vocals sit right on the edge of breaking, delivering lines with a confessional urgency that feels almost too personal to witness.
the track builds slowly before erupting into a wall of distorted guitars and pounding drums, echoing the emotional chaos at its core. It’s cinematic, messy, and cathartic in all the right ways to make a song that is truly captivating in every way.
Check out Diagram For June “Polaroids and Gasoline” below and follow them on Instagram. Stay Global my Friends!
Ida-Lotta – guitar, vocals Laura – bass, vocals Mikko – drums
Release Date: April 24, 2026
Label: Blue Bear Records
Producer: Ville Valavuo
Setting the Scene
Red Alert is the debut album from the Finnish band, Troubles, a band that formed in 2023. Despite being quite young, they already show a strong personality, not only in their music but also in how they manage it.
First Impression
We’ve been hearing the phrase “punk is not dead” for decades, but Red Alert makes it feel more alive than it ever was. The fact that Troubles rejected putting the album on Spotify made the record feel more meaningful in my eyes before I even heard a single note. Once the music starts, it’s exactly what it needs to be: the songs are short, exciting, and punchy, with hooks buried all over the album.
Similar Sounds
If you’re into any of these artists, this album should be on your radar.
Bikini KillThe StoogesAmyl and the Sniffers
Visual Vibes
The cover of Red Alert is a high-contrast blast of red, black, and white that mirrors the album’s urgent, “breathless” sound. The DIY, zine-style collage perfectly represents the independent spirit of Troubles. The album art, like the music, screams: loud, unpolished, and immediate.
Track on Repeat
“Eve”
A perfect, powerful punk anthem that stands out, delivering a catchy, feminist message through incredible sound and passionate vocal performance.
In-depth Notes
Musical Shape 🎸
Red Alert is driven by simple, exciting riffs and a relentless pace. From the catchy opening of “Ghouls” to the live-ready energy of “Gimme Danger”, to the punk-anthem feel of “Eve”, the instrumentation is punchy and direct throughout.
Vocal Performance 🎤
Ida-Lotta and Laura deliver a standout performance, building an impressive vocal interplay that keeps the energy high across the entire album. The vocals are an anchor for the identity of Red Alert and Troubles‘ garage punk style, sounding powerful, raw, and incredibly sharp on every track.
Production Quality 🎧
The production on Red Alert hits a great balance between a gritty, unrefined edge and the clarity needed to keep everything sharp. The tracks are short and punchy, which keeps the energy high and leaves you wanting more.
Themes and Concepts 💭
Troubles speaks about feminism and social issues with a bold, gritty energy. The fast, hard-hitting music matches the seriousness of the lyrics, making the message hit just as quickly as the sound.
Final Verdict
★★★★★★★★★★
Red Alert is as perfect as a debut can be, an explosive surge of gritty garage punk that pairs bold social messages with fast, hard-hitting riffs and powerful expressive vocals.
Mood Meter
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Intensity
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Melancholy
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Darkness
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Emotional
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Serenity
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Energy
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Romance
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Joyfulness
Perfect For…
Working out – high energy for a more intense workout Driving – but keep your eyes on the road Gaming – Enjoy while playing your favorite games Emotional Struggle – Heavy music for heavy emotional weights
One World brings a must hear tune on the fresh release “Little Life”.
A tender Pop Rock anthem that turns quiet reflection into something expansive and cinematic. Built on a warm, slowly rising arrangement, the track captures the beauty found in everyday moments and the subtle weight they carry.
Its production leans into soft guitar layers, atmospheric textures, and a steady rhythm that feels both intimate and widescreen. At its core, “Little Life” is a reminder that meaning is often found in the smallest details of existence. The chorus lifts with simple, uplifting melodies that feel universal, inviting listeners to slow down and appreciate the present moment, as One World crafts a song that resonates to the fullest on this gentle anthem for gratitude, presence, and the quiet power of simply being alive in the moment. Perfect for reflective listening on any quiet day alone.
Check out One World “Little Life” below. Stay Global my Friends!
Citizen have returned! Today the Toledo, Ohio rock powerhouse announce their new album, Halcyon Blues, due out Friday 7 August via Run For Cover/Civilians. To celebrate, the band have also unveiled the huge lead single Highs and Lows and confirmed their Australian return for February 2027, joined by very special guests Drug Church. Tickets will […]
Papertown, a new documentary about the shutdown of an 115-year-old paper mill in an Appalachian town, is coming to screens, and it features a new song by Dave Matthews. You can hear some of it in the trailer out today. “The movie is stunning,” Matthews says. “It’s heartbreaking, but still so hopeful. It’s full of hope,…
History-making multiplatinum Australian alt-rock and future punk/pop band 5 Seconds of Summer have announced Cub Sport as support on their EVERYONE’S A STAR! World Tour. The tour kicked off in March with a European and UK leg running through May, followed by US dates from May to August, before heading to New Zealand and concluding […]
Beverley Martyn, the British folk singer-songwriter, has died. The news broke via a statement from the family of the late John Martyn, saying she passed “peacefully at home” on Monday (April 27). She was 79.
Citizen have returned! Today the Toledo, Ohio rock powerhouse announce their new album, Halcyon Blues, due out Friday 7 August via Run For Cover/Civilians. To celebrate, the band have also unveiled the huge lead single Highs and Lows and confirmed their Australian return for February 2027, joined by very special guests Drug Church. Tickets will […]
History-making multiplatinum Australian alt-rock and future punk/pop band 5 Seconds of Summer have announced Cub Sport as support on their EVERYONE’S A STAR! World Tour. The tour kicked off in March with a European and UK leg running through May, followed by US dates from May to August, before heading to New Zealand and concluding […]