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Music Blog for Indie Rock Fans

London’s FOURA.M mainlined livewire energy into their alt-rock debut, Bombers

Posted on 11 August 2023

With a scuzzed-up and brashy guitar intro that will throw you right back to At the Drive-In’s moment of glory when their live performance of One-Armed Scissor on Conan became a global phenomenon, the intro to the debut track, Bombers, from FOURA.M, will capture your attention in an equally as visceral way.

Marketing themselves as ‘Dad Rock straight outta London’ scarcely does the frenetic fourpiece justice. Their influences reminisce with alt 90s and 00s tones, but nothing about Bombers feels remotely dated; the evocative pulls of the Foo Fighters-esque melodies and touches of Royal Blood in the production sealed FOURA.M a place amongst the other acts who are giving rock a fighting chance of surviving the Gen Z obsession with electronica.

If you see as much potential in FOURA.M as we do after bearing witness to their strong debut, keep your eyes peeled for their live tour dates around London.

Bombers hit the airwaves on July 28; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lock horns with ‘The Devil’s Daughter’ in Doug Burton’s Latest Installation of Indie

Posted on 11 August 2023
Good Music by Doug Burton

With a touch of college radio rock in a R.E.M.-esque vein fused with the same sense of lyrical conviction you would find in a New Model Army release, the seminal single, The Devil’s Daughter, by Doug Burton is a quaintly visceral experience that couldn’t have been penned by any other hand.

The folky tendencies are inexplicably balanced by the rock reverence and the pop hooks, enabling the Williamsburg, Virginia-based solo artist and producer to establish himself as an originator in the contemporary music landscape. He’s been cutting his teeth since he first started playing in high school bands in ’85; it is safe to say that at this stage in the game, he more than knows his way around a sticky-sweet melody.

Stream and Purchase The Devil’s Daughter on Bandcamp, or order the Good Music LP while the limited-edition vinyl copies last.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dorset’s Nick Capaldi composed a folky odyssey with his single, Sunnies and Guitars

Posted on 6 August 2023

Singer-songwriter, Nick Capaldi, gave his folky odyssey of a fourth LP, You and all the Seasons, one of the tenderest touches we’ve been melodically caressed with in a long time.

The standout single, Sunnies and Guitars, is a sun-soaked celebration of the simplest pleasures in life; the stringed and lensed objects of every man, woman and dog’s burning desire become an abstract lyrical theme as the sonics find themselves in the cosmic middle ground between The Flaming Lips and Neil Young.

With touches of twangy Americana entwined into the spacy layers of the blissfully nostalgic serenade, Nick Capaldi didn’t stop at scribing his signature sound into the single, he projected his interstellar air into an atmosphere that seems far too celestial to solely belong to Earth’s orbit.

Steam You and all the Seasons by heading over to Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LOST and SOUND weaved an illusory indie pop-rock fantasy with their standout single, Weekend

Posted on 5 August 2023

The Fairfield, CA six-piece alt indie pop outfit, LOST and SOUND, has perfected the art of crafting addictively sticky melodies that effortlessly carry the escapism they deliver via their lyricism.

While the indie landfill pile climbs higher than Everest, LOST and SOUND transcend it all with their assimilation-free sonic fantasies; take their synthy new wave-influenced hit, Weekend for the perfect example. Living forever for the weekend may not be a feasible possibility in tangible reality, but with the meta lyrical phrases and the illusory instrumental arrangements, the romanticism of the notion will reel you in, razor-sharp hook, rhythmic line, and smooth vocal sinker.

To date, Weekend has racked up over half a million streams on Spotify. If their debut album, THE SILVER LINING, contains just a slither of ingenuity in Weekend, LOST and SOUND could easily become one of the biggest bands in Cali in 2023.

Stream Weekend on Spotify and keep up to date with future releases by following the powerhouse via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Stone Branches reached the pinnacle of intimately introspective indie rock with The Way Out

Posted on 4 August 2023
https://soundcloud.com/stonebranches/the-way-out/s-QAP1MY1xorf?si=70b51c2a43a849009cc39d140993104c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

With angular indie guitars that will sucker punch the soul as viscerally as the ones crafted by Interpol and The Toxic Airborne Event, mixed with a Mogwai-esque ethereal atmosphere, the up-and-coming indie outfit, Stone Branches, is undeniable in their latest single, The Way Out.

The intricacies of the artfully intimate lead guitar work will speak volumes to anyone on the introspective side of the spectrum as the lyrics portray the value of hindsight and coming to terms with the past. The sporadic touch of twee indie twang to the reverberantly rich vocals brings a sense of purity to the melancholy that is superlatively laid out by the art-rock outfit that is currently being hailed as one of the most original live acts on the South Coast.

After releasing their debut EP, Mantra, in December 2022, the emotionally intelligent Southampton-hailing outfit has proven to be an unreckonable force in the local scene and far beyond after receiving airplay on BBC Introducing and reaching the Grand Finals of the Isle of Wight New Blood Competition against 5000 other artists.

The Way Out will officially drop on August 4th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

I Hear Voices: Torn Rhythms remembers the youthful hunger on Lines

Posted on 1 August 2023

Feeling like everything has faded away due to the cold world, Torn Rhythms takes us on a journey through the innocence of youth and shows us what life should be like on the visuals for Lines.

Torn Rhythms is a Virginia, USA-based indie 5-piece rock band that loves to inspire crowds with their classic sound that shall add a warm blood flow to all veins.

Ripping away all negativity and guiding us into a better place, Torn Rhythms has brought kindness back to music. This is quality stuff from an experienced outfit who shows us the truth.

Lines from Virginia, USA-based rockers Torn Rhythms is a trip down memory lane. It takes us back to a more suitable place. Flying hand-made planes, playing on the beach and reading after dark. This is pure. This is a single to show all kids, who have been exposed to the harshness of the world. To remind them that this is what it should be about, as freedom and learning to play, is the best way to being happy long-term.

See this inspiring new video on YouTube.

See more on their Facebook music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

McKay versed indie-folk-punk poetry in their latest sardonically scintillating single, Bad Liar

Posted on 1 August 2023
McKay

Bridging the sonic gap between Neutral Milk Hotel, Mumford and Sons, and Bob Dylan is the confessionally exhilarant indie folk single, Bad Liar, from the storytelling four-piece, McKay.

While the vocal melodies prove all too well that McKay know how to hit their harmonised vocal notes with euphonic precision and honed cadence, Bad Liar favours the visceralism of raw spoken word expression, allowing the meta lyrics to hit harder than a candid meteor from space.

With each progression, the single drifts from different eras of folk, while the harmonica timbre will throw you right back to the 70s, the folk-punk energy and massive indie folk choruses fast-forward through the decades at breakneck speed.

The Nashville-hailing outfit may be best known for their passionate performances during live shows, but thankfully, for all of us across the pond, their insightful lyricism and dynamic presence resonate just as well on record.

Bad Liar will hit the airwaves on August 1st; stream it on SoundCloud and follow the affably rogue outfit via Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

North Blood shows us the lonely emotions in honest detail with official video for Postman’s Whistle

Posted on 31 July 2023

Taken from their upcoming debut album called Rolling Doves, North Blood are at their genuine best with the stunning visuals of a mental health trauma so many have felt over the last few years via Postman’s Whistle.

North Blood is a 4-piece indie band from the calming lands of beautiful Lancashire who have recently dropped their first single Supermarket Flowers.

“On our first practice, we realised we had something that excited us all and wanted to pursue further.” ~ Mick Bates and DRL

Hiding away the tears and watching the post stack up as the dirty plates start to crack under the strain, North Blood have made a relatable single which guides us through the terrible times that we all wish we could forget. Honestly, this is a great song and the video backs it up. Please call a friend who you have seen for a while as life is so fragile.

Postman’s Whistle from the Lancashire-based indie band North Blood is the truth. The bone-shaking truth. With a vocally serene aura and bringing us a catchy rhythm, this is a quality effort from experienced artists who get it. They’ve been around and know what the vibe is. Scintillating is one word to use. Hauntingly beautiful could be another way to describe this effort.

See this fine video on YouTube and take a break from the real world.

Check out their IG page for more news and views.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The lo-fi sludgy rock raconteur Reel Boy’s sophomore hit Julissa is just like honey

Posted on 30 July 2023

After making himself well known on the Utah touring circuit in the outfits My Dad the Astronaut, MoonSugar, Doll and A 1/2, and Indie Seoul, Jayson HaslamBrock took to the centre stage and went solo in his new alt indie rock project, Reel Boy.

With authentic and intentionally imperfect vocals that will be a hit with Teenage Fanclub and Dinosaur Jr. fans and simple yet hooky pop choruses that transpire after the minimalist chord progressions, his sophomore release, Julissa, is just like honey – literally. The same sweetly sombre textural distortion that made The Jesus and Mary Chain hit so indulgently unforgettable becomes the central gravity in Julissa.

It isn’t your average earworm, but it will stick with you long beyond the outro all the same for Reel Boy’s tenaciously songwriting chops that are sharp enough to seal his illustrious fate in the industry.

Julissa is now available to stream via Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Andrew Bradley advocated for unity in the infectious grooves of his latest single, Everybody’s Welcome Here

Posted on 30 July 2023

Hot on the heels of his debut LP, All Things Considered, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Andrew Bradley is set to unveil his unifying funk-dripping pop-rock hit, Everybody’s Welcome Here.

After an 80s funk hop reminiscent intro, the single unravels as a kaleidoscopically groovy hit that will leave you itching to hit a dancefloor and move to the intrinsically rhythmic magnetism. With the attitude of Britpop and a perfect pinch of Beatles-esque 60s psych-pop, Everybody’s Welcome Here is a compellingly textured sonic TARDIS of a release that couldn’t be better timed.

In such a divisive era when it feels like the pot is being perpetually shaken to breed antagonism in the atmosphere, Andrew Bradley served an all too welcome reminder that acceptance is one of the highest virtues we should all find a little more time for.

Prior to releasing Everybody’s Welcome Here, Andrew Bradley has gained experience in the industry as an artist and producer. From The Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville to Abbey Road Studios, his multi-faceted talents have graced plenty of the bucket list studios.

Check out Andrew Bradley on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast