Nick Piunti’s new album Up and Out of It is wonderful, melodic rock played for power and meaning. If you re finding today's music wanting, then this album is for you.

Nick was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Andrea Weiss: Who were you listening to while making this album?

Nick Piunti: Mike Viola, Wet Leg, Spoon, Cage the Elephant, Tom Petty, Nada Surf, Sharon Van Etten, Extra Arms.

AW: When you say the songs are personal, do you mean the details or in a more general sense?

NP: Based on real life, either mine or people close to me. We all have struggles, internal and external, so I feel mine aren’t that unique and are relatable.

AW: “Bottle It” is good political commentary, and also about conformity. Is it more about conformity, or more political?

NP: I would say more it’s about standing up against conformity. Don’t be pressured to do something against your better judgment.

AW: “Rejection Letter,” which is great, is about just that, and will ring true for anyone who ever subbed something to a publisher or label, but is it mostly about the music industry?

NP: The first verse is definitely about that. We know at our age and making melodic rock music that labels wouldn’t be lining up to sign us, but there was a time that it felt like if you’re weren’t trying to be exactly like what was hot at the moment that you couldn’t get signed. The second verse was more about my daughter who was interviewing for a job and didn’t get it, even though it looked like a slam dunk.  Turns out the company was in the middle of a slight restructure and a few months later they reached out to her and she got the position!

AW: These songs have a lot of power, which I like. Is that power intended to drive the message home more?

NP: The power comes from growing up in Detroit, I think. Pretty much every band from Detroit rocks. These songs usually start out on acoustic guitar and are almost folky at times, but bring them to the band and the rock pours out of us.

AW: The melodies remind me very much of Fountains Of Wayne. Is that the way the band most influenced you?

NP: F.O.W. is obviously a big influence. They set the bar so damn high! But I never tried to sound like them. But if you write melodic pop rock with good lyrics the comparison is going to happen.

AW: What are your hopes for this album?

NP: For people that like what we do to like this album as well, and of course earn some new fans. There is so much music being released that it’s hard to get noticed, but the power pop community really supports what we do. I own my own publishing but I think it would be a good idea to find a publishing company to partner with to give the songs some more licensing opportunities and maybe get covered by some younger artists.

AW: What advice would you give someone who is just starting to write songs

NP: Don’t fall in love with everything you write, but write all the time! Don’t be overly influenced by just one band or one genre. Get some honest feedback from people whose musical taste you respect. Keep your songwriting antennae up all the time; co-writing is fun and can expand your horizons as well.

 Nick Piunti & The Complicated Men

Up and Out of It

Jem Records

These songs could be anthems about relationships, the music biz, or conformity, all set to killer rock in the style of Fountains of Wayne. Anthems are always needed, if for no other reason than to have songs to pump your fists to.

The lyrics are meaningful, like on “Bottle It,” about the deadness of modern life, and the self-explanatory “Rejection Letter,” which also makes fun of it, rather than feeling sorry for oneself. “Mind Reader” explains itself too, as in “you think you do, but you don’t.”

There is a lot of power to the music, the guitars cranked to 11 and the synths kept to a minimum, but it's always melodic. The anger and incredulous tone are welcome.

Why isn’t this kind of music making a killing on the mainstream charts, being the biggest music in the world? The only way this is going to change is if it’s bought. So if you want to kick these changes into gear, get this one, for good powerful music and smart lyrics that never disappoint.

Andrea Weiss

 The Armoires

Octoberland

Big Stir Records

I want to live there, and with this Album of the Year. Why? Because it’s a place where creativity is valued, innovation is prized, and originality is paramount.

It’s creative and original to put the New Pornographers and Jefferson Airplane together, have the complex, yet clear and direct lyrics of the former, the harmonies of the latter, and the equally complex good vibes of both, even when the lyrics are as dark as “Rejoice” by the Airplane and “Adventures In Solitude” by TNP.

This is gentle indie rock by excellent musicians, with Larysa Bulbenko's violin and viola played like electric guitars, a perfect compliment to Rex Broome’s twin lead guitar playing. This is what indie rock should be like, even with bands that have a harder edge, as there is a lot of humanity here. Things are sometimes good, sometimes bad, like on “Music And Animals.” The songs ask: How do we get by in this world? How do navigate the unnavigable?

Of the many good albums released this year, I’ve heard enough to know this one is special. There is nothing quite like it. So if you want something truly different, something that is a refuge in a world where things aren’t always good, like on “Snake Island Thirteen,” about Ukraine, and  an election that will determine the fate of democracy, this is for you. If the election goes the right way, to Harris and Walz, and the war ends, and ends well for Ukraine, Octoberland will be something of a reality, and a great one.

Andrea Weiss