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Alternative

The Reckless brought ‘Sexy Back’ in their unadulterated and augmented cover

Posted on 1 October 2024

It used to be that few could rival Justin Timberlake when it came to sex appeal, but The Reckless hit it out of the aphrodisiacal park with their seductively frenetic cover of “SexyBack” that will leave the airwaves hot under its proverbial collar. If you thought “Closer” by NIN was hot, you’ll meet your match with this rendition.

With the unpredictably wild furore of Rage Against the Machine, crooning rock vocals that make Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell sound atonal, and climaxes of guitar solos which are straight-up pornography, this cover is so much more than a tribute—it’s an unholy, X-rated, fuzzed up revolution in sound.

I’m surprised orgies don’t happen on the spot when The Reckless play Sexy Back live.

Sexy Back is available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Crystalline Cathedral of Sound: The Sleepless Elite’s ‘Glass’ Reimagines Heartbreak

Posted on 1 October 2024

From humble beginnings in Boston to renown as indie pop royalty, The Sleepless Elite has carved out a niche where sincerity and ethereal soundscapes coexist in haunting harmony.

Listening to the arcane harmonies in their latest single, Glass, glide against the intricately evocative melodies, it is easy to understand their rapid ascent. The euphonically crystalline production wraps an arcane aura around powerhouse vocal lines, which bleed unadulterated emotion into a release that deftly weaves together the most affecting elements of Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, London Grammar, and Enya.

It’s a phenomenal score that will linger long after the final artfully poised note and practically a spiritual awakening in sound form. Forget art pop; this is haute couture heartbreak.

The project originated when Carolina Kehoe met Baylor Carter at Berklee and found its feet when, via a Craigslist ad, the duo ended up living with Ben Deily of the Lemonheads, which set their creative spark alight. Encouraged to pursue their own style, Carolina and Baylor honed their unique sound, inspired by Paramore, Blondie, and Sia, and drawing from their collective love of Blink-182, The Strokes, and No Doubt.

With Carolina’s theatrical roots and Baylor’s indie-punk edge, they created a distinct sonic palette, first heard under the name Carolina’s War. Now, as The Sleepless Elite, they’ve found their stride, producing two albums and opening for Thunderpussy. Glass epitomises their evolution, offering an otherworldly catharsis that showcases their innovative, emotional storytelling. For fans of alternative music, this is a siren song worth answering.

Check out the official music video for Glass, which has already racked up 15k streams, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Wading Through the In-Between: The Dilettante’s ‘Someone’ Bleeds Melancholy with Avant-Garde Soul

Posted on 30 September 2024
The Life and Times of.... by The Dilettante

The Dilettante, the enigmatic persona of David Hirst, has delivered a stunningly emotive sonic exploration with his debut LP, The Life and Times of….

The album’s standout single, Someone, traverses the turbulent undercurrent of indie folk melancholy, aching with the raw vulnerability that echoes the likes of Frightened Rabbit. The gentle intro sets a melancholic tone that bristles with candour before distorted and synthesised vocal harmonies flood in. This off-kilter twist weaves a sense of dissonance through the track, establishing The Dilettante as a veritable troubadour of avant-garde indie.

There’s immense comfort to be found in the chord progressions of Someone, which gives permission to embrace the full force of your emotions, if only for 4:55 minutes before you slip back under the ‘I’m fine’ façade.

With ‘Someone’, The Dilettante invites listeners into the most introspective corridors of his existential psyche, a space where anxiety, self-doubt, and the quiet battle for self-acceptance reign supreme.

The Life and Times of…. is not a record of extremes but of the struggle to navigate life’s liminal spaces where outliers emotionally linger. If you constantly find yourselves on the fringes, don’t hesitate to hit play.

Stream and download the debut LP from The Dilettante on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Arlo Boe ignited a dark electro-pop inferno of infatuation and insanity with ‘Manic’

Posted on 30 September 2024

In her fiercest pop hit to date, Manic, the trailblazing siren Arlo Boe delivered a veritable earworm that could devour a dancefloor. With EDM pop aesthetics, which are as dark as they are kinetic, the electrifying anthem adrenalizes as it empowers listeners who are tired of tempering their manic proclivities when it comes to obsessive infatuation.

There are nods to Lady Gaga in her ‘The Fame’ era in the scathing spoken word increments which interrupt the Goldfrapp-esque production, which harks back to the 00s pop era while simultaneously flirting with the energy and euphoria of 80s pop. Yet, Manic is so much more than a revisitation of pop’s past; Arlo Boe ensured that her latest single won’t be out of place on contemporary pop playlists.

Arlo says, “I have always been fascinated by obsessive loves and the way people can just form these intense infatuations overnight. My favourite movie is Gone Girl and after I wrote this all I could think of was Amy Dunne, this is what semi-inspired the video which I planned, shot, and edited myself. I love the troupe of “If I can’t have you, no one can” … in an entertainment sense of course!”

Manic stormed the airwaves on September 27; stream the single on Spotify now or watch the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Henry Bitzer’s ‘25th Hour’ Radiates Rapturous Soul and Swagger

Posted on 30 September 2024

Henry Bitzer’s standout single, 25th Hour, from his debut LP Skydive, delivers some of the swankiest sounds of 2024. The track is a testament to the solo artist’s knack for nostalgically leaning songwriting chops, which remain sharp even when held up against his musical heroes.

Any attempt to resist the euphoric energy of 25th Hour is futile; the rapturous euphony he coaxes from the keys showcases his comfort and charisma in crafting soulful soundscapes that simultaneously nod to the past and stride confidently into the future.

Blending blues, 70s pop rock, and a smattering of jazz, Bitzer conjures a unique sonic synthesis that defies easy categorisation. The seamless fusion of styles creates a distinctive sound that harks back to the golden era of rock without feeling stuck in the past. His ability to weave eclectic influences into a seamless tour de rapturous force ensures that his legacy is already carving itself a place in the annals of contemporary alternative music. It’s only a matter of time before major labels are vying for his signature.

At just 19, the Minnesota native has been compared to the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel for his magnetic stage presence and infectious melodies. Now a second-year student at Belmont University in Nashville, Bitzer has spent the last four years performing live across the U.S., honing his craft and building a loyal following.

Stream Henry Bitzer’s debut LP, Skydive, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Karyn Ann became a conduit of justice in her soul-swathed, vintage-hued hit, Big Money, Deep Pockets

Posted on 28 September 2024

Karyn Ann’s latest single, Big Money, Deep Pockets, charts a new path in protest music, one that is paved with honeyed harmonic soul. In an era screaming for transformation, the Portland-based singer-songwriter found herself at the frontline of the resistance against exploitation.

Known for her distinctive cocktail of soulful Americana and perception-shifting lyricism, Karyn Ann set the bar high with her former releases but by channelling the spirit of vintage grooves into Big Money, Deep Pockets, she delivered the revolution we never knew we needed. Ann’s voice, rich with Patty Griffin’s earthiness and the haunting elegance reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, cut through the noise of today’s tumultuous climate.

Since her debut, she has become a notable figure in the Pacific Northwest, gracing stages at prominent venues like McMenamins Crystal Ballroom and festivals from the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival to Portland’s own annual Folk Festival.

In her own words, Ann describes that Big Money, Deep Pockets is as much a modern-day anthem as it is a scathing critique of our times, addressing the pressing issues of climate change, social inequality, and a cry for justice. Transcending the echoes of the frustrations of a polarised society; it seeks to be a catalyst for change.

In a world of fleeting trends and ephemeral interests, Karyn Ann is a timeless icon in the rough.

Big Money, Deep Pockets was officially released on September 9th and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lauren Presley lost the past to history in her empowering rock-licked EDM pop anthem, H-I-N-T

Posted on 28 September 2024
https://on.soundcloud.com/XqdqHcpudoAN7A7Z9

Texas’ freshest pop icon-in-the-making Lauren Presley shunted Taylor Momsen and Hayley Williams to the wayside when she dropped, H-I-N-T, her latest dark pop anthem, which uses the augmentation of rock to add even more electricity to the head-spinningly hot EDM pop choruses.

The only thing bigger than the sound in H-I-N-T is the cross-over appeal of this high-octane earworm which sends pulsating surges of adrenaline to your rhythmic pulses as Lauren Presley harmonises over the distortion-slicked hyper-sonic guitars which caustically cut their way through the Grammy-worthy production.

The energy in H-I-N-T gives the recently romantically scorned all the empowerment they could possibly harness to walk away from a toxic dynamic. With this hit on your playlists, you will be unreckonable.

Presley may have gone viral since her debut single, A Little Longer,  after garnering 1 million streams on Spotify and 5.6 million views on YouTube. Yet, she remains committed to delivering unpretentious pop with universally relatable lyrics. Even if she reached the same heights as Chappell Roan, there’s a sense that Presley would never be out of touch.

H-I-N-T will drop on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emerge from your naval daze with Phantom Electric’s acoustic rock symphony, ‘Hope So’

Posted on 27 September 2024

The quasi-psychedelic indie singer-songwriter Phantom Electric may have innovation running deep in the veins that connect to the heart he wears on his guitar strings, but his latest single, Hope So, revisits classic song crafting, allowing the thematic underpinnings of the release to draw you into the artful gravity of the single.

Hope So is a haunting intersection between the atmospherically nostalgic air of Chris Isaak and the soul of Bryan Adams; the Adams influence tempers the dark melancholic chill of the lyrics which are slick with existential yearning.

Hope So unfurls as an artful reflection on how easy it is to succumb to navel-gazing and forget to care about anything but yourself—a theme all too relevant in our era of rampant individualism. With spectrally arcane melodies that tear through the soul, Phantom Electric produced one of his most affecting singles to date by looking to the darkest side of the human condition and showing a better way to be.

Hope So will be available to stream on all major platforms from September 27; stream the single on SoundCloud first and head over to Phantom Electric’s official website for more ways to listen.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kuwaisiana – Gentrification: A Sonic Molotov Aimed at Cultural Erosion

Posted on 27 September 2024
https://soundcloud.com/kuwaisiana/gentrification-aug-mix/s-GGnNrQ0jOK2?in=kuwaisiana/sets/mishriff-ep//s-hQHummCrWZD

Seattle-based trio Kuwaisiana aren’t pulling any punches with their latest release, ‘Gentrification’. From the opening Arabic howl of angst, the band tears into the cold, clinical destruction of cultural roots with brutal fury. As the track shifts gears into English, it doesn’t lose an ounce of its venom. Instead, it hammers home the visceral reality of gentrification – not as a polite reshuffling, but a full-scale assault on heritage and identity.

The track’s aggressive blend of grunge, hardcore, and post-punk catapults Kuwaisiana to the frontlines of protest music. Forget the half-hearted rage of your typical punk track; this is pure, unadulterated chaos. With riffs that cut like jagged glass and rhythms that hit like a riot, ‘Gentrification’ feels like a sonic Molotov hurled at the forces that reduce communities to dust. The gnarled vocals alone could level cities, calling back to the uncompromising energy of Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys.

The lyrical narrative is equally ferocious, painting a vivid picture of the hollowed-out ruins left by gentrification. The reference to ‘Disneyland nose jobs’ alludes to how Kuwaisiana aren’t just on the money, they’re holding the monopoly in the punk scene.

The haunting opening image sets the tone for a journey through displacement, exclusivity, and transience. +Aziz’s Kuwaiti-American identity bleeds through every note, making the track a gut punch for anyone who’s watched their cultural landscape get obliterated by the greed of the powerful.

Gentrification will reclaim the airwaves when it officially releases on September 27; stream the single on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sugar the pill with The Elegant Chasers’ aural antidote to modernity, My Medicine

Posted on 27 September 2024

Rock has known many guises throughout the decades; plenty of them can be revelled in with The Elegant Chasers’ latest intensely affecting track, My Medicine. By fusing the soaring soul of Journey, the brashy grit of 90s Britpop, Slash-reminiscent guitar work, and hints of hard rock to augment the rhythmically chameleonic hit to the nth degree, alt-rock’s most debonair solo artist delivered a triumphant tour de force with My Medicine.

Featuring Lloyd Pritchard on skins, the self-recorded and produced release, which was spawned Rembrandt Rooms, Hersham, Surrey, hits a raw nerve towards the outro to deliver an exposition on the plaintive reality of living as a struggling artist in an epoch which only favours legacy artists and novelty, giving listeners plenty to think about, if they can tear their minds away from the Oasis reunion hype.

My Medicine will be prescribed on September 27; sugar the pill of modernity by streaming the single on SoundCloud and Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast