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The term ‘indie’ in the music industry has become so ambiguous it has practically become as subjective as the meaning of life. Whichever way it is defined, it is still a massive part of the music industry in the UK and across the globe.

Originally, indie referred to how an artist distributed their music. Over the decades, it became a catch-all term for artists sharing the same sonic off-kilter edge; and, of course, the same moody yet inexplicably cool aesthetic. Indie, as a genre, only came around as the result of experimental artists in the 70s wanting to bring a new sound to the airwaves; instead of solely hoping for commercial success after appeasing one of the major record labels.

Indie artists adopted punk ethos they started to push the boundaries of pop. Instead of commercialising their sound, they pushed it into post-punk, shoegaze, synthpop, Britpop, avant-garde, noise rock and dream pop arenas. For all that separates bands such as Sonic Youth, the Cure, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Elliott Smith and Radiohead, there is still so much that ties them together, namely their attitudes and the loud discordant style.

Along with the bands, iconic venues such as the 100 Club in London, the Hacienda in Manchester, and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow had a pivotal part to play in the traction of independent artists and music. New Indie labels, such as Rough Trade and Factory Records, were amongst the first record labels to truly embrace and encourage experimentalism and authenticity in the artists they scouted and signed – taking New Order and Joy Division as a prime example.

It may have been a while since there was an indie breakthrough act as successful as the Arctic Monkeys, but indie music has far from lost its resonance. Besides, Monkeys won over 42 awards and sold over 20 million records, so that’s going to take some beating, and they’re certainly not the only indie artists currently thriving.

The Welsh indie rock icons, the Manic Street Preachers, celebrated their first number 1 album in 23 years with the release of Ultra Vivid Lament in 2021. The Tarantino-Esque Liverpool outfit, Red Rum Club, released their debut album in 2019, and got to number 14 in the official album sales chart with their album, How to Steal the World, in 2021. Perhaps most impressively, the world’s first CryptoPunk rapper, Spottie Wifi, made just under $200k in album NFT sales in 90 seconds this year.

Syd Taylor became the new iconic alt-pop siren with her debut single, Love of Your Life

Posted on 23 September 2024

After breaking away from the twin duo, Stereo Jane, the indie alt-pop siren, Syd Taylor, came into her own with her paradox of a self-produced debut single, Love of Your Life, which haunts with its vintage tones as much as it uplifts and empowers through euphoric pop hooks.

The symbiosis between the brashy, saturated-in-delay lo-fi intimacy and the sleeker aesthetics in the single enabled Taylor to cut away from the monotonous fray of polished with superficiality pop and establish herself as a singer-songwriter and producer in the same league as Angel Olsen and Adrianne Lenker. If you’ve ever known the red flag fear of being the subject of obsessive attraction, Love of Your Life is the ultimate reparation.

As a signifier of how much of a phenomenon Syd Taylor is destined to become, the launch party for Love of Your Life happened between the unhallowed walls of the Viper Room on September 20th. With her debut LP in the pipeline, she’s the definition of one to watch as she works her way into the alt-pop pantheon.

Stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sticker – Making Mistakes: A Garage Grunge Anthem for the Fatally Fallible

Posted on 22 September 2024

Sticker’s debut single ‘Making Mistakes’ erupts as an explosive anthem for the perpetually remorseful and as a vindicating release for anyone haunted by the spectre of past missteps.

With its garage-grunge aesthetic sharply intersected by the electrifying surges of pop punk, the track from their debut EP, ‘Hello! My Name is Sticker’, cements the Nevada-based powerhouse as unreckonable evocateurs of caustic catharsis.

Formed in Las Vegas in 2019, Sticker, led by vocalist and guitarist Dennis Fija, alongside drummer Carlos Daniel Herrera and bassist Jacob Anthony Hennagir, the trio rapidly distinguished themselves in the Las Vegas circuit with a raw, fuzzy punk sound steeped in a plethora of influences. ‘Making Mistakes’ marries the nostalgic grit of Nirvana during their ‘Bleach’ era with the melodic poise of Smashing Pumpkins, layered with the contemporary edge of bands like Fidlar.

The track’s relentless energy and piercing lyrics provide a mirror to the soul, reflecting the tumult of self-criticism and the liberation found in acknowledging fallibility. It’s more than just music; it’s a frenzied, sonic purge of pent-up emotions, driven by dissonant chords, catchy melodies, and harsh vocals that challenge social norms and delve into the theme of unreciprocated emotions.

As the centrepiece of their EP, ‘Making Mistakes’ is the perfect introduction to Sticker’s gritty domain of rhythmic rebellion, proving that sometimes, the most profound reflections are found in the echoes of our errors.

Making Mistakes was officially released on September 8th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

snailosaur – Nature:  A Panorama of Eccentrically Untempered Alt-Rock

Posted on 21 September 2024

snailosaur’s seminal single ‘Nature’ shreds through the veneer of indie banality with a ferociously eccentric bite. This single, paired with ‘Kaleidoscopic Mind’ in their double A-side release, is a gritty symphony of dissonance and melody, interlocking the spirits of alt-rock, shoegaze, and noise/art rock. Laced with spoken word, the tracks assert themselves as fierce declarations of style.

Emerging from New York City’s music scene, snailosaur has been tearing up stages across NYC and Brooklyn with their unabashedly raw energy. Following their debut album ‘Talk Therapy’ released in January 2024, the band has etched an indelible mark on the indie map with their sonic scriptures of rebellion and introspection.

‘Nature’ channels the nostalgic echo of The Psychedelic Furs and melds it with the anarchic edge of Dinosaur Jr and the quirky kicks of Pavement as the vocal style, reminiscent of Frank Zappa’s iconoclastic drawl, merges into harmonies that subtly nod to the Beach Boys in the chorus.

The track is a visceral punch of tangled harmonies and textured disarray which peaks with a guitar solo that strips back the layers of grunge to bare the skeleton of Snailosaur’s musical genius—unrefined, unapologetic, and underpinned by technical intricacy.

Nature & Kaleidoscopic Mind was officially released on September 13; stream the double A-side single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nostalgic Smells shredded through reality with the distortion in his latest single, Unfounded

Posted on 21 September 2024

Nostalgic Smells ventured deeper into shoegaze territory with Unfounded, by constructing oscillating walls of sound that hit with the same force as My Bloody Valentine’s heavier tracks. The distortion pulls you into the undercurrent like a relentless tide as the solo artist’s signature distinctive vocals rise above the chaos, offering clarity through the rancorous sonic storm.

The middle eight introduces a twist of fate for the single, proving Nostalgic Smells can riff with the best of them. The searing guitar solos slice through with white-hot precision, adding new alchemic waves to the tide of this immersive installation of ingenuity which draws influences from Cave In and Mastodon while combining ferocious energy with cultivated songwriting, weaving themes of alienation and displacement into every progression.

Lyrically, the chorus hits a bittersweet note, urging listeners to hold on to life’s fleeting moments – a sentiment that cuts through the digital distractions and empty noise of today, giving the track an edge of sonic and philosophical reckoning.

Stream Unfounded on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reservations at 8 – Come Around: A Visceral Anthem of Disparate Desolation

Posted on 20 September 2024
Come Around / Not So Easy St by Reservations at 8

Reservations at 8 unleashed a formidable force in their double A-Side release, “Come Around / Not So Easy St.” This sophomore installation from the Massachusetts-based trio drenches listeners in a sea of distorted melodies that gnaw deep into the soul.

The hybridic beast of a synthesis of grunge, no-wave and pop punk in Come Around created the ultimate anthem of disparate desolation which thrives on visceral hooks that intertwine seamlessly with Peter Tuohy’s vocal onslaught.

The single encapsulates the agony of clinging to the ephemeral, with guitar solos that mourn like the final throes of a resigning hopeless romantic. If you’re all too familiar with the tumult of fading futures and the strife of holding onto the slipping threads of hope, find swathes of resonant consolation in this antagonised earworm.

Since forming in 2019, Reservations at 8 has evolved from covering bands like Green Day and Nirvana to defining their unique sound—a cagey cocktail of power rock and pop imbued with their idols’ spirit. Now entrenched in the local Massachusetts music scene, the trio aims to transcend the preference for covers in bars and make an indelible mark with their original material. With several tours and a growing following, they stand at the cusp of their creative zenith

Stream and Purchase Come Around on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keith Rayburn – Shine On: Guitar Strings as Gospel

Posted on 19 September 2024

For his latest eagerly anticipated release, Shine On, Keith Rayburn rendered funk-laden rock into smoky, Motown-esque soul intersected with bluesy grooves to offer conjurings of catharsis so intense the single borders on sonically sacred.

Each progression plunges the listener deeper into a hazy, irresistibly immersive soundscape that echoes the nostalgic aura of The Doors as his guitars speak gospel in chorus with the lyrics which attest to how dimming your light is never the answer when the illumination of resilience is an option.

Rayburn is well on his way to riffing his way into the rock pantheon with his peerlessly cultivated sonic signature that will scribe its way through your synapses long after the outro of the sublimity-soaked sanctuary of a single which is easily one of the most sincere feel-good releases you’ll hear all year.

With tens of thousands of monthly Spotify listeners from around the globe behind him and his versatile musicianship, Rayburn is well on his way to reaching the acclaim his superlative song crafting deserves. Make his ear for a melody your new aural remedy.

Shine On arrived on the airwaves on September 4th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tune into Matt Sayers’ latest tender indie-folk transmission, Radio

Posted on 19 September 2024

In the intricate weave of indie folk, Matt Sayers’ single, Radio, is a razor-sharp cut above the rest. With its artful flourishes and aching eloquence, you’ll feel your soul tremble with the vibrato of his vocals as they sink the teeth of melancholy into melodies that come alive through enmeshing mellifluous rhythms with syncopated layers. There is a palpable tension between the fluid musical movements and the sharp edges of a mind in turmoil, reminiscent of Frightened Rabbit’s ability to sculpt pain into sonic beauty.

Sayers, hailing from England, channels the spirit of 70s Laurel Canyon legends like Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell, while echoing modern folk influences such as Gregory Alan Isakov and Noah Gundersen. His lyrical journeys vignette life’s profound themes—from the ephemeral dance of existence in Dancing Girl to the quest for belonging in Jericho.

Radio itself is an affecting display of Sayers’ talent to distil torment into art. Needless to say, it’s as radio-ready as the songs that haunted him and inspired this masterpiece which marries lush reverie with the primal pain of a hopeless romantic cascading into despair.

Radio was officially released on September 5th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bella Gate usurped Lorde in her introspectively arcane piano-driven indie ballad, The Death of an Icon

Posted on 18 September 2024

Bella Gate has ushered in her debut album ‘Gateway‘; a sonic anthology that promises an introspective journey mirrored in its poignant title. At 23, the London-based evocateur has evolved from a child prodigy to an artist with a mature, resonant voice, chronicling her odyssey from adolescence to adulthood with lyrical sincerity and a rich sonic palette.

‘The Death of an Icon’, an iridescent highlight from the album, offers a narrative steeped in personal revelation and artistic struggle. This single, draped in folk nuances and anchored by an ornate piano arrangement, gazes into the torment of an agoraphobic, creatively stifled protagonist. Whether reflecting Bella’s past selves or purely fictive, the track’s emotional gravity is undeniable.

Produced remotely by Jordan Round and polished by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, ‘Gateway’ spans a spectrum from balladic solemnity to buoyant folk, all the while maintaining an emotive coherence which eschews conventional hooks for lyrical imagery which pierces the soul and haunts long after the last note fades.

Forget Lorde, Bella Gate is reigning supreme in the sphere of introspectively stylised indie ballads.

Stream Bella Gate’s debut LP, Gateway, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Supahoney – I Wish: There’s a New Bittersweet Symphony on the Airwaves

Posted on 17 September 2024

Supahoney’s single, I Wish, is the pulsating heart of Wishing In A Fishbowl, an album that showcases the band’s evolution into a powerhouse of raw, melancholic expression. If Nada Surf’s emotive resonance hits home for you, I Wish will strike a similar chord with endless sustain.

The single is a tender yet potent anthem for those caught between the ache of desire and the resignation to life’s less favourable circumstances. Through Dylan Wallace’s emotionally charged vocal lines, underscored by compassion-laden guitar melodies, I Wish allows you to drift in a sea of bittersweet introspection.

As the track subtly weaves orchestral elements from a string trio featuring Jenny McCullagh, Aidan Filshie, and Lily Innis, there’s a nod to The Verve’s lush arrangements as the subversive inclusion of banjo strings brings an unexpected warmth to the melancholia.

The band took a hands-on approach in the production, recording at Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie’s Oceanic Studios in Sydney. The strings were laid down in the century-old Old School Building at the University of Sydney, lending a haunting, almost illicit echo to the track’s sincerity. The passion poured into the recording process is palpable, and as the crescendo swells towards the end, your heartstrings will be left in tight knots, with nothing but the aftertaste of hope’s sting.

With I Wish, Supahoney truly crafted an indie anthem for anyone who knows the bittersweetness of wishing for something more.

I Wish dropped on September 6th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Wagner Gracciano became the definition of emotional depth in ‘I’m Here’

Posted on 17 September 2024

Wagner Gracciano’s single, I’m Here, from his sophomore album, The History of Mark Beck, is a veritable smorgasbord of stylistic influence and innovative substance which will transport rock fans back to an era when Chris Isaak dominated the airwaves.

With soul-drenched production, sensual RnB touches weave through a tight mesh of rock guitar lines, classic pop harmonies, and the shimmer of organ keys, creating a unique gospel of pop rock. As diverse as the track is, the seamless cohesion pulls everything together in a sublime display of genre fluidity.

‘I’m Here’ makes a bold statement of passion and dedication, showing that romance isn’t as dead as we perceive it to be as Gracciano exhibits his forte in transcending the confines of genre labels and creating utopias of euphonia with his songwriting. With each listen, there’s a deepened appreciation for the superlative arrangement and emotive depth that defines the track.

As a multi-talented guitarist, composer, and producer, Wagner Gracciano has spent over 25 years mastering his craft across genres such as progressive rock, blues rock, jazz, fusion, RnB, and heavy metal. The History of Mark Beck (2024) showcases his affectingly immersive lyricism and Grammy-worthy compositions, with guest appearances from Cleveland P. Jones, Carlos Zema, and Rachael Da Silva. Supported by world-class musicians such as Charles Judge, Michael Webb, and Adair Daufembach’s pristine production, Wagner’s vision is undeniably realised.

I’m Here is now available to stream with Wagner Gracciano’s sophomore LP, The History of Mark Beck on Spotify and all major platforms.

Review by Amelia Vandergast