Before even releasing their first album, U.K.-bred four-piece The Struts opened for The Rolling Stones in front of a crowd of 80,000 in Paris, got hand-picked by Mötley Crüe to serve as the supporting act for their four last-ever performances, and toured the U.S. on a string of sold-out shows that demanded the band move up to bigger venues to accommodate their fast-growing fanbase. Now with their full-length debut Everybody Wants, lead vocalist Luke Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies reveal the supreme mix of massive riffs and powerfully catchy melodies that’s already slain so many adoring audiences around the globe. In their lavish stage presence and magnetic appeal, The Struts have more than demonstrated a preternatural command of monumental crowds. But while all that glitz and flash never fail to thrill, the band’s impassioned music and high-powered spirit also fulfill a far greater purpose. “The main mission of the band is to bring back that feeling of fun and rock & roll, especially to all those people who are bored by what’s going on these days,” says Spiller. “We really believe that music, when it’s done right, can help you escape the present moment, and then just send you somewhere else entirely.”

The World’s Best American Band. The bold statement from Louisville’s White Reaper is not only the title of their new album, but also the band’s credo. “Because we are the best,” says guitarist/vocalist Tony Esposito. “Just like Muhammad Ali was the greatest, you gotta say it out loud for people to believe it." And with that mentality the band hit the studio with close friend and producer Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Young Widows) and made a good ol' fashioned in-your-face rock ’n’ roll record. “We didn’t make this record or start this band because we wanted to come across in a single, certain way," says Esposito. “We just make records that we'd want to hear. We started doing this because it's fun as hell, just as much now as it was when we were 14." Boasting textured melodies, layered guitars and more seasoned lyrics, The World’s Best American Band finds the quartet busting out of the basement sound established on their previous full length (2015’s White Reaper Does It Again) and setting their sights on the arena. Garnished with glimpses of the golden age of rock and roll, TWBAB is loaded with guitars that scream and gigantic drums in lockstep rhythm, each song packing its own massive, but none the less unique, punch. Lead single “Judy French” struts like a runway model raised on Heavy Metal Parking Lot, while midway point “The Stack” pairs a classic rock shimmy with a flair for glam. The Kentucky boys eagerly await hitting the road in 2017. Armed with a record that celebrates rock in all of its glory, they are poised to satisfy crowds whether they are packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the "standing room only" pit or kicking back in the cheap seats. “Come to the show, have a drink, have fun,” laughs Esposito. “But be nice to everybody, cause you're gonna get real close."

As much as music should outlast the times, it should also speak to them. On Spirit Animal’s 2018 full-length debut, ​Born Yesterday, ​the band not only proves 808s and guitars can coexist in harmony, they also craft airtight songs that would delight in any era. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, singer Steve Cooper, guitarist Cal Stamp, drummer Ronen Evron, and bassist Paul Michel make music that both bottles and transcends the moment. “Something special happens when you dump a bunch of genres into a blender and just let it rip,” says Cal. “We want our songs to move in unexpected directions. We’ll take what we love about Arctic Monkeys or Kendrick Lamar or James Blake and pull the pieces together into something cohesive, new and fun. Nobody listens to just one kind of music anymore, so why write that way?” “Songs come together from every angle,” adds Steve. “Sometimes it’s four guys jamming in a room. Sometimes it’s one person producing on a computer. Sometimes it’s two of us, a co-writer and an acoustic guitar. We lean into not knowing what will come of a session and take every risk we can. If we don’t do it, who the fuck will?” Spirit Animal as we know it, though, nearly never happened. Introduced by a mutual friend, Cal initially passed on the opportunity to join the group as a guitarist. But after catching the band’s bombastic live show one night at Pianos in downtown Manhattan, he changed his mind. “I wanted to have as much fun as they were having on stage,” he admits with a laugh. A “poptimist before the word existed,” the guitarist’s sensibilities dovetailed nicely with the other members’ eclectic tastes. Although Paul’s roots were in the D.C. hardcore scene, Ronen studied at Berklee College of Music, and Steve grew up on a strict diet of rap music, the guys bonded over a shared desire to push boundaries. “We’ve changed each other drastically,” Steve says with pride. The group’s efforts began with the single “The Black Jack White,” which quickly topped a million plays on Spotify. Building a buzz, the band landed looks from Consequence of Sound, Entertainment Weekly​, and ​The Washington Post​. 2016’s World War IV​ EP yielded the staple “Regular World,” which clocked over 2.9 million Spotify streams. They toured relentlessly along the way, developing a diverse and devout audience. Signing to Atlantic Records in 2017, the band wrote and recorded what became ​Born Yesterday​ at Steve’s apartment, as well as studios in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville. “We want this album to stick with you, but we also want it to be fun,” Cal says. “It’s more than just a good time, but it shouldn’t ​feel​ like more than a just good time.” The first single, “YEAH!” pits sparse pop verses against a wild, distorted chorus. Punctuated by fingersnaps and an oft-repeated chant that lends the song its name, lyrics veer from plaintive irreverence (“All I wanna hear you say is/You put me on your love songs playlist”) to disorienting commentary (“Give ‘em all a raise/Give ‘em Marvin Gaye/Give ‘em Michael Bay”). “It’s about fame’s relationship to the real and the fake,” says Steve. “This tornado of pop culture touchstones -- similar to Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ or the bridge to Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ -- makes it all mean ​something,​ but you’re not sure what. You’re supposed to question it, the way the modern world makes you question yourself.” Elsewhere on ​Born Yesterday​, “Karma” opens with a punchy bass riff before launching into a gleeful, stadium-sized ode to underachievement (“What do you want me to say?/I’m the Jordan of making mistakes!”). For the piano-driven “JFK,” Spirit Animal teamed up with producer Ricky Reed (Jason Derulo, One Direction) for a more bass-heavy sound. “It’s a little more serious and contemplative,” Steve says. “​‘​JFK’ explores the gift-and-curse of having power and attention, but being a target as a result. You carry that around. You live with both. It’s not all good and it’s not always predictable.” Unpredictability is Spirit Animal’s bread and butter. “We went from losing our indie deal to signing with Atlantic and working with our favorite producer,” says Steve. “In this game, anything’s possible. Our music shows that.” BOILER As much as music should outlast the times, it should also speak to them. On Spirit Animal’s 2018 full-length debut, ​Born Yesterday, ​the band not only proves 808s and guitars can coexist in harmony, they also craft airtight songs that would delight in any era. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, singer Steve Cooper, guitarist Cal Stamp, drummer Ronen Evron, and bassist Paul Michel make music that both bottles and transcends the moment. The band’s backstory begins in 2013 with “The Black Jack White,” a single that quickly topped a million plays on Spotify. Building a buzz, the foursome landed looks from ​Consequence of Sound, Entertainment Weekly​, and ​The Washington Post​. 2016’s ​World War IV​ EP yielded the staple “Regular World,” which clocked over 2.9 million Spotify streams. They toured relentlessly along the way, developing a diverse and devout audience. Signing to Atlantic Records in 2017, the band wrote and recorded what became ​Born Yesterday​ at Steve’s apartment, as well as studios in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville. “We want this album to stick with you, but we also want it to be fun” Cal says. “It’s more than just a good time, but it shouldn’t ​feel​ like more than a just good time.” The album’s first single, “YEAH!” pivots between sparse pop verses and a wild, distorted chorus. The lyrics are at turns pointed and irreverent. The song, like the band itself, is fresh and unpredictable. “Anything’s possible,” says Steve. “Our music shows that.”