If you have been paying attention to this blog as of late, you have probably noticed how much I have come to enjoy the music of Johnny Franchino. His solo project AESTHETIX has taken the Milwaukee area and online Electronic music communities by storm. Johnny is emerging as one of the most exciting artists based in Milwaukee currently. As I have said in previous blogs about him, AESTHETIX is not the only great music project that Johnny Franchino is a part of right now. He is also a member of the Dance Rock band The New Grey, who have also been making waves recently. The New Grey is an extremely diverse band that blends many different types of music into their sound. There are elements of Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, and various forms of Indie Rock sprinkled into their discography. The New Grey has been making music together for several years. Their first release on streaming services was their self-titled EP, which came out back in 2018. They followed up The New Grey with an EP released in 2019 called Blender. After taking a couple of years off due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, The New Grey dropped one single in 2021 before releasing a third EP called Someday in 2022. Someday was the group’s most successful project to this point, accumulating a multitude of streams on streaming services. This EP helped take the group to previously unreached heights and helped them build momentum. The New Grey has returned with two new singles, ‘Peligrosa,’ which came out at the end of July, and ‘Orange County,’ which came out earlier this month. Below, I wanted to highlight both of these tracks, as they are both excellent examples of what makes The New Grey an exciting artist to watch. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about The New Grey, and also comment the names of any other artists you think I should check out!

The New Grey’s first single of the year, ‘Peligrosa,’ came out back on July 28, 2023. This is a very distinctive and cool track that draws inspiration from a variety of different kinds of Rock and Pop music. It is almost directly hard to pinpoint this song’s style and sound, as it is so quirky and gripping. I can hear the influence of Hip Hop-infused Rock bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers or Incubus, but I can also hear a Reggae-Rock influence from bands like Sublime of 311. This track has a melody with a melancholy yet soothing guitar riff that is complemented by a groovy bassline as well as odd synths and sound effects which make the song feel so full and atmospheric. This melody is put on top of a pretty laid-back drum beat that helps drive the song’s floaty, spacious feeling. My favorite thing about ‘Peligrosa’ is the vocal performance from Johnny Franchino. His vocals on this song are so clear and vivacious, and help this song feel so engrossing and full. ‘Peligrosa’ is a cool track that has elements of multiple types of early 2000s Rock music which makes the song feel nostalgic and fun. The New Grey’s second single of 2023 is ‘Orange County,’ which was released a couple of weeks ago on December 8th, 2023. This track has a lot more of a high-energy and intense feeling than the song that precedes it. Although the beat for this one actually may be a bit slower than the one on ‘Peligrosa,’ pretty much everything about ‘Orange County’ hits hard. This beat has a raucous element to it that drives the lofty spirit that ‘Orange County’ has. Similar to ‘Peligrosa,’ this track seems to be somewhat influenced by the Reggae Rock music that was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I can really hear elements of Sublime on the song ‘Orange County’(especially Sublime’s earlier more Punk-influenced music). This song has a gloomy and funky guitar riff that packs a punch; the underlying bass line and synths that complement this guitar riff have so much emphasis, giving the song some muscle, which I appreciate so much. As much as I enjoy the vocal performance on ‘Peligrosa,’ I enjoy Johnny’s performance on ‘Orange County’ even more. As well as showing off his vocal range on this track, he also raps on the verses, giving this song a separate element that makes it so dynamic. ‘Orange County’ is another entertaining track with a retro element that makes it so enjoyable. The New Grey is definitely one of the most talented and interesting bands in the Milwaukee area right now, and I am very excited to see what they put out next.