Hello Juniper Avenue, we’re happy to have you here with us on Rock Era Magazine,

• I can hear heavy and diverse sounds and approaches in Chuck Rock, would you tell us about your early influences? And which ones still steer your writing till now?

Our early influences were all over the place, but classic rock, punk, metal, and jazz were the most we had in common. As we started writing our first album, we found ourselves playing pop music with tinges of grunge. Our vision for Chuck Rock drew inspiration from classic punk like Iggy Pop, early Chili Peppers; we were also really influenced by neo-psychedelia, and we wanted to present a soundscape to the listener. We enjoy venturing out into different moods and tones while still retaining our unique flavor in the midst.

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• How did you guys meet? And what inspired the band’s name Juniper Avenue?

The four of us grew up in a small town outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. We had all mutually known each other but Jeremy, Luke, and Cody met in a high school jazz band class. Jeremy and Graham had been jamming together for a little bit, so we all grouped together and played a bunch of covers at a local food truck rodeo for our first set. We were originally called “Hummingbird,” but one day we passed a street near our hometown… one of us read “Juniper Avenue” aloud and it stuck.

• You have a diverse multi-layered sound and structures, would you tell us about your writing process? What usually initiates writing a new song?

Since we have been living across our home state for the last couple years, writing has been a little difficult over the internet but we prefer writing together in the same room. One of us usually presents a riff, chord progression, something catchy, or sometimes an entire song to the rest of the group. We’ll prepare songs to play them live, but we have enjoyed incorporating the songwriting process through our studio recordings. After recording Chuck Rock, we’ve been placing as much as we can from the studio recordings back into our live performances.

• How would you describe your sound to someone who wants to get into Juniper Avenue?

Usually when asked about our sound or genre we always define ourselves as “chuck rock.” To flesh out the genre of chuck rock, we have a blend of modern rock, punk, funk, and more progressive elements from each of those. Though some may say we don’t perfectly fit into a specific genre or musical space, we pride ourselves in conforming and molding our sound to compliment other bands we’ve playing with, the venues we’re performing in, or what kind of mood we’re feeling when we’re writing.

• Chuck Rock has an organic consistent dynamic flow, is there a theme or concept binding those songs together?

• What song would you pick out of your catalog to introduce your band to new fans? 

We would recommend our singles “Disfunction” and “Judy Byrd” for introductory listening; these early tracks show our deep love for a traditional song structure. Each track on Chuck Rock retains their own uniqueness; our first single from the album “Bumfuzzle” is a great place to start, as well as the title track. Danny Fanatic, Victim, and Karen are some deeper cuts that display more of our personal interests.

• What are your plans for 2023/2024? Got anything exclusive for us?

• Thanks for your time guys, wishing you the best of luck.

Juniper Avenue opened Chuck Rock with pure punkish riffs and a powerful attitude, making their direction loud and clear. It has an energetic flow with an insanely enjoyable drumline and a kickass solo, all within a catchy solid structure that keeps the listener hooked and moving. The title track Chuck Rock comes next, building on its predecessor’s energy and vibes with a more melodic approach and classic rock elements. I loved the vocal melody and how it handled the song’s dynamic twists and turns, as those rocking riffs kept on changing in an interesting dynamic roller coaster backed by deep hard-hitting bass and eargasmic drumming. With a blasting stream of melodies Self and Pity Doubt comes next, they cleverly steered toward a more mellow direction at the verse that created a smooth buildup and focused more on their harmonies and layering before boosting the energy again at the chorus. It has an emotional side that was fueled by the sweet guitar licks and melodies and the full-of-life vocals that would create some sing-along moments when played live. Exploring more complex grounds writing-wise, Juniper Avenue pushed their boundaries further on Miss Shine. Adding some stoner and classic prog elements to their sound, and extended guitar parts alongside well-arranged and carefully crafted dynamic shifts took us on a diverse-sounding journey with heavy fuzzy riffs coming together with fluid oriental melodies in a beautifully energetic mix that had me fully focused. Acacia comes around the center of the record creating a sonic build-up before Victim hits with its infectious energy and escalating progressing sound. It has a significant Muse-like vibes with Juniper Avenue’s classic fuzzy twist. Showing another side of their inspirations comes Bumfuzzle with its driving irresistible flow. It has a country-influenced groove with an open big sound and an organic catchy progression that only moves forward, offering heavy rocking riffs that blend a number of influences smoothly and seamlessly in one big “Juniper Avenue” mix. Juniper Avenue cements their classic roots with Vodka Man, a rocking tune with an old-school production and intense irresistible flow with mood-boosting build-ups and tight arrangement. Everybody/Everywhere comes next bringing back the blasting sound and punk influences. With an ever-changing structure that freely swings between soft build-ups that act as launching pads for the roller coaster riffs that come after them, it easily became my favorite song off the record. I was blown away by Danny Fanatic’s bass intro, it had me heavily banging my head throughout the whole song as we move through abstract atmospheric sections and heavy proggy ones in a heavy psychedelic journey with a dynamic chaotic pace. Ending the record on a high note comes Bang! It kinda mixes what Juniper Avenue has been doing throughout the whole record, offering a taste of each and every direction they’ve been through. It has an entertaining structure that magically keeps all these shifts and changes together in a solid unified flow that’s full of surprises. 

Chuck Rock is a record that shows Juniper Avenue’s diverse writing skills and character. They managed to smoothly shift between genres and influences while keeping their sound alive in a sign of well-knowledge of their direction and vision. Looking forward to more from Juniper Avenue, keep on rocking guys. Cheers!

Bones in Butter music is for fans of artists of the likes of Foster the People, M83, Glass Animals and CAZZETTE. They self-describe themselves as a band that has been “successfully evading genres since 2019”.

“Another Cloud” may be as well known as “the other sound”. This is a song that mixes elements of Alt-Pop with Alt-Punk, resulting in a psychedelic tune that flows free of definition. 

Bones in Butter music is for fans of artists of the likes of Foster the People, M83, Glass Animals and CAZZETTE. They self-describe themselves as a band that has been “successfully evading genres since 2019”.

The vocals are faded or muffed, which is quite trendy nowadays as well. In that way, it feels like the lyrics tell a ‘random’ tale that still uses a storytelling narrative to engage, not necesserily relate to the listeners, leaving the music and instrumentation to play a main role in the song.

If taken apart, the of instruments been played “don’t belong together”, however, as a whole it actually works and results in a new, surprising sound.

There’s an electric guitar, drums, there is even a sitar? It’s indeed a very spatial, futuristic sound that still has a down-to-earth root. A strange balance that plays out well as a whole.

BIB’s main influences are mostly from the 80s and 70s, such as Lou Reed, the Stranglers, Wire, Magazine, the Electric Light Orchestra, Wall of Voodoo, Tuxedomoon, Joy Division, Howe Gelb.

You can support their music on Bandcamp. You can also check out more of their work on Spotify, Soundcloud and Youtube.

The first song “King Thing” starts with a Led Zeppelin-inspired drumming and a bass that sounds like a force of nature. “Get Into Them Part I” and “Get Into Them Part II” are two sides of the same coin, both inciting, both, unlike anything anybody has ever heard. It’s similar to Green Day’s post-George Bush heavily politicized era but with more musical experimentation and artistic freedom. While “Get Into Them Part I” is what one would expect of a political song, “Get Into Them Part II” was the delightful surprise of the whole EP. With a sweet melody and an upbeat pop-rock, bubblegum sound as a backdrop to lyrics that send chills to the bones.

Politic proves that 9 o’clock Nasty is not your average garage rock band with a political vengeance. What they miss in their theme they make up for in experimentation. The music is fresh, the sound is unlike any other and with a song like “Get Into Them Part II” on the playlist, this band is destined for bigger wonders not too far ahead.