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Music Blog for Indie Rock Fans

Jake Embers mainlined pure genre-fluid experimentalism into his latest single, YOU

Posted on 5 July 2023

Washington D.C.’s freshest trailblazer, Jake Embers, laid it all down on the evocative line with his latest single, YOU, which lures you in with a lo-fi bedroom pop sequence scored by his ethereal falsetto vocal lines and minimalist instrumentals before bursting into a crescendo of alt-rock. Further into the self-produced single, elements of trap, RnB, and post-rock work their way into the fearlessly blended sonic landscape until there were no more boundaries left to push.

When you experience a track in this vein, which mainlines pure genre-fluid experimentalism to evoke visceral emotion, you realise just how safe other alternative artists play it. YOU stratospherically transcends the archetypal and the Avant-Garde alike to invite you into a vortex of originated alchemy.

Follow Jake Embers on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unca John has unveiled his obsession-worthy eccentric indie debut, How the Hell?

Posted on 4 July 2023

It isn’t every day we find tongue-in-cheek indie acts that leave our hearts in our throats with their affable aural antics, but notably, Unca John comes from a far more endearingly idiosyncratic kettle of fish than your average rock singer.

With vocal lines that will awaken your soul as sweetly as Nada Surf and The Weakerthans paired with razor-sharp songwriting chops and lyrics that you can start relating to from the first verse, Unca John’s debut single, How the Hell? is unforgettably phenomenal. I know exactly where I will turn the next time I need a heady dose of sonic serotonin.

In his own words (that will just make you fall in love with him even more)

I’m a middle-aged economics professor living in the Baltimore suburbs, with all the fashion sense and charisma you would expect from an economics professor. I’m an average singer at best. I can’t even play guitar or piano. So what am I doing here?

The answer is in the songs. I write in the classic style—get ready for catchy riffs, hooks, harmonies and acid-tongued wordplay. You’ll hear all that and more in my debut single, “How the Hell?”, and later this summer in my upcoming single “Your Opinion” and my debut album “Midlife Crisis Vanity Project.”

My influences include the Beatles, Who, Stones, Velvets, Steely Dan, Costello, Buzzcocks, XTC, REM, Nirvana and Pavement. These are the bands that formed my musical sensibility, so naturally my sound tends towards retro. Nevertheless, I am inspired by the recent resurgence of great rock songwriting by Car Seat Headrest, Alvvays, Brittany Howard, Mitski, Big Thief, Snail Mail. Soccer Mommy and many others.

Stream How the Hell? by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

JW Paris Leave It Alone Video Premiere

Posted on 30 June 2023

Teaming up with the video director and director of photography, Alex Estrella, the prodigal spawn of alt-indie, JW Paris, visually captured the same superlative swagger of their distorted to-the-nines sound in their latest single and music video, Leave It Alone.

JW Paris was hardly painting at the kids’ table with their former releases. But the exhibition of a freshly honed sound in Leave It Alone, ahead of the release of their upcoming sophomore EP, marks a fierce new frontier for the powerhouse who never lyrically play with their cards close to their chest.

With Glasvegas-esque choruses that raise the roof so high they leave the brickwork on another plateau, Leave It Alone is metaphysically mind-melting in its ability to balance anthemic transcendence with hauntingly grunged up rancour that adds oceanic depth to the melodies.

Lyrically, Leave It Alone peers into the human proclivity to question reality and look for redemption for past mistakes. In JW Paris’ own words:

“Leave It Alone is a deeply personal song that reflects our own inner journey of self-discovery and acceptance. It invites the listeners on an introspective exploration of identity and longing for inner peace. It is a heartfelt track that encapsulates the struggles and triumphs of self-discovery, reminding us to embrace our imperfections and find solace within ourselves.”

Splicing two facets of the iconic 90s epoch has seen the London-based three-piece comprising Gemma Clarke, Daniel Collins, and Aaron Forde establish themselves as a peerless outfit you will want to try out for size and never take off.

Their two seminal 2022 singles, Electric Candle Light and Runaway received extensive airplay from BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Absolute Radio, and Amazing Radio. JW Paris also deservedly worked their way into the main playlist on Radio X, and numerous curated indie playlists.

Leave It Alone will be released via Blaggers Records on the 30th of June after being recorded at Buffalo Studios, produced by JB Pilon and mastered by the 2023 award-winning engineer at Air Studios, Cicely Balston.

Stream it on Spotify or watch the official music video on YouTube. 

Follow JW Paris on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

The Cornish brother duo, Roguey Roads, served a fresh slice of Americana indie pop with Westwood Sands

Posted on 29 June 2023

Roguey Roads carved a fresh slice of Americana indie pop for their latest single, Westwood Sands, which fuses country vox with an angular melodicism that will make any indie fan nostalgic for the 90s and 00s.

Following their debut album, Something to Prove, in 2021, Westwood Sands is a testament to how honed the Cornish indie pop duo’s sound has become. The songwriting, in particular, has been elevated to the nth degree.

After the winding bluesy guitars in the intro, momentum progressively builds in the immersive vignette of a wanderlust-driven protagonist who embarks on a journey of the soul and finds it filled by another. Hollywood directors would be hard-pressed to achieve the same panoramic picture in their feature films as Roguey Roads did in Westwood Sands.

It’s a heart-rendering indie pop anthem which goes a long way in proving why the brother duo can’t seem to create much distance between the ‘loveable’ adjective that is always affixed to them.

Westwood Sands is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Number One Babe Team delivered spiritual salvation in their alt-indie single, The Final Hallelujah

Posted on 18 June 2023

With subversive references to While My Guitar Gently Weeps in the lyrics and a touch of Neil Young to the lightly timbered sentimentality in the vocals, the standout single, The Final Hallelujah, from Number One Babe Team’s debut LP, See You Later, is a euphonic reverie of nostalgia, which more than has its place on contemporary airwaves.

As alluded to by the indie band’s moniker, Number One Babe Team doesn’t take itself too seriously, making their soundscapes, which also incorporate shoegaze-y guitars and touches of Elliott Smith in the songwriting, infinitely sweeter.

If Neutral Milk Hotel honeyed their soundscapes to the nth degree but still maintained the quaint humility, the result wouldn’t be too far removed from the sonic signature scribed by the Salt Lake City premier act, which has become an integral part of the touring circuit since their 2022 debut.

Stream the full LP, which hit the airwaves on June 9, via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Into Your Eyes: djamesk13 sees something happening inside on If I Ever Meet You, Then This Is For You

Posted on 15 June 2023

Battling to control his feelings at seeing such an exceptional place which has just blown his mind into pieces, djamesk13 shows us his love for an extraordinary time in his life which will never be forgotten on If I Ever Meet You, Then This Is For You.

David Kemp aka djamesk13 is an East London, UK-based indie rock singer-songwriter who dusted off his guitar during lockdown times and hasn’t looked back again.

Beguiling his loyal fans with something to cook with as the world burns, djamesk13 is the kind of mysterious character who brings so much ear-piercing joy to all those who like music immersed with a cutting edge.

If I Ever Meet You, Then This Is For You from East London, UK-based indie rock artist djamesk13 is quite the mesmerizing experience to lock the doors with, as all uninhibited energy is placed in the hands of an underground master who has brought his best work to the fore. He seems to be feeling further inspired by the rigours of the world, as we are treated to another gem of a track to spark up the day with.

Listen up on Soundcloud.

See more moves on Twitter.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Land of Fear: In The Distance slashes the tires of those who aren’t ready with Hollow

Posted on 14 June 2023

Blending powerfully built metal, punk rock and a weighty sound to bust down even the most complex bank safe, In The Distance helps us free ourselves from all fear with the no-love-lost thunderbolt to smash the haters away into the ocean, Hollow.

In The Distance is a Minneapolis-based indie hardcore rock band that packs a punch which might break fragile hearts into two as they certainly mean business.

Displaying decades of knowledge and experience, the family band In The Distance remind us of the destroyed dreams and general mistrust of the world. They slice their way into our inner cores with an honest story to rock out to no matter the weather presented.

Hollow from Minneapolis-based indie hardcore rock band In The Distance is a massive statement of intent. Guiding us through the rubble and into a better mindset appears to be the mission, which has been pulled off rather well on this underground demo.

Rugged and ready to inspire cold hearts, we grab the shovel and dig deeper to find that escape away from this seemingly jail-like current planet.

Listen up deeper on Spotify.

View more vibes on Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Ride the indie surf rock waves in Louis Janus Thomas’ latest single, Auspicious Momentum

Posted on 14 June 2023

The North Wales-hailing one-man powerhouse of indie surf rock innovation, Louis Janus Thomas, has made a riptide-roaring return to the airwaves after his 2020 EP with his frenetically clever single, Auspicious Momentum.

With the vox and tinges of the melodic work throwing us back to the glory days of Razorlight and the heat of the Cali surf energy emanating the same zany appeal as Heavy Salad, Auspicious Momentum stands as a testament to how much Louis Janus Thomas has refined his sound since he last rode the crux of the airwaves. It’s only a matter of time before he’s on the A-lists of BBC Radio 6 DJs. The single can easily be read as one of the most innovative evolutions from the garagey indie sound pioneered by the Strokes.

Auspicious Momentum was officially released on June 2nd; check it out on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Can You Help Me: PsychoStar scours deeper for salvation on Awful Kind

Posted on 12 June 2023

Lacerated sharply from the 5-track Enigmatic EP, PsychoStar sends us into a horror-like disposition which shall tear the hair from most arms with an eerie single to shock many cores into a ghost-like world on the brand new visuals for Awful Kind.

PsychoStar is a Phoenix, Arizona-based A51A/BloodFang Records-fused rock band who are the kind of act that summon spirits from the underground and are a forceful outfit that rattles poisonous snakes into submission.

With an abundance of heavy tones to cut nails down to the bone, PsychoStar has brought something different to the plateau to ravenously munch on without a fork. This is the type of song which will put chills on spines and break delicate hearts into tiny pieces.

Awful Kind from Phoenix, Arizona-based rock band PsychoStar is possibly one of the most fierce tracks made so far in 2023. There is a dark energy at play here which will fascinate some and scare many. Conquering all ears with a tremendously hectic single which will shock plugs into a frazzled state and get hearts beating faster, to add an extra blanket of anxiousness to frazzled souls.

If you like music with a knife-like edge, this will certainly hypnotise those who like scary juice at 3 am.

Check out this movie-like music video on YouTube.

See more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Immaculate Crows held a mirror to human-derived harrow in their psychedelic alt-indie single, Dolly

Posted on 10 June 2023

The Immaculate Crows never fail to strike all the right chords with their sympathetic sensitivity and superfluous arrangements; their single, Dolly, was no exception to the rule. With a Southern country folk twist to psychedelic new wave indie, they orchestrated the ultimate soundscape for profound reflection.

A tale of torment-driven suicide and domestic violence could have easily sat heavily on the soul, but with the rich tapestry of psych, folk, indie, pop and country rock, The Immaculate Crows efficaciously advocate for a reality that gravitates around compassion and kindness.

The sonic olive branch may be small, but sometimes, all it can take is one push in a more positive direction to create a ripple effect of change, and therein lies the beauty of The Immaculate Crows’ discography. It holds a mirror to human-derived harrow before melodiously illustrating the capacity for tenderness, which lies in us all.

Stream Dolly on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast