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Music Blog for Indie Rock Fans

Lia Juno exhibited the pain of raw rumination in her alt-indie tour de force, Sight

Posted on 30 October 2024
Lia Juno

Ethereal alt-indie pop vocals meet cavernous guitar lines in Lia Juno’s intimately melancholic single, ‘Sight’, which deconstructs familiar tonality, tearing it down to the aural rubble before rebuilding a sonic landscape where sanctuary for the disillusioned resides.

Since unveiling her debut single, Fevering, earlier this year, the LA-based independent artist has made all the right waves; with her latest single she puts herself in the same league as Wolf Alice and Big Thief with the cerebral thematic nature of the manifesto of mournful rumination.

Building up from Pixies-esque artfully dramatic motifs to a blisteringly grungy crescendo of distorted guitars clashing in oscillation with the rhythm section, Sight ensures that if you have any pent-up emotions when you hit play, they’ll be obliterated by the impact of the track’s climax which you’ll want to feel the force of time after time.

Sight will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and SoundCloud, from October 30th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nothing But Silence turned up the post-punk heat with ‘Too Useful’

Posted on 29 October 2024

In their latest single, ‘Too Useful’, Chicago’s Nothing But Silence threads jangly new wave guitars around stark, monochromatic motifs of post-punk, all set within a dream-pop-esque production that feels like a psychedelic trip through a rhythmic mirage.

The bold tonal experimentation manifests a sonic experience that distorts and oscillates with trippy, tropical vibrations, creating an immersive soundscape that pulls you into its obscure kaleidoscope. Prepare to enter a semi-lucid dream state with Too Useful, which uses abstract lyricism to amplify the delirium of the record which stands as a bold declaration of the band’s unique identity in the alternative scene.

Imagine if Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’ was transmitted from a warmer, more vibrant parallel universe—that’s the innovative essence captured in ‘Too Useful’. The track is a stellar slice of rhythmic ingenuity that invites listeners to step into a different, more colourful side of post-punk, laced with a dreamy, wavy quality that keeps the genre alive and pulsating.

Too Useful hit the airwaves on October 18; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leah Nawy Blossomed into Indie Stardom with ‘I Was a Flower’

Posted on 27 October 2024

Leah Nawy’s latest single, I Was a Flower, is an emotional sojourn you will never want to return from. Drawing on influences from Big Thief, Yo La Tengo, and Grandaddy, the track unfurls like a séance of tonal sublimity, decorated with artful flourishes and polyphonic bursts of hazy reverie.

If the aforementioned artists hit you in the feels, imagine that emotional weight paired with a voice that fuses Norah Jones’ intimate introspection with the soaring range of Macy Gray.

The thematic blossoming within the track’s progressions ensures every component heightens the emotion and intensifies the resonance, effortlessly showcasing Leah Nawy’s depth as both a songwriter and producer. At just 23, the NYC-based artist, who honed her craft at Berklee NYC, has mastered the art of making every note and lyric hit with purpose.

I Was a Flower was officially released on October 2nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MANA is down with the sickness in their indie post-punk sophomore single, Nauseating Me

Posted on 26 October 2024

MANA has reached a plateau above a scene cluttered with pallid echoes of post-punk pioneers with ‘Nauseating Me’, a track that defiantly carves a new notch in the indie scene. The Irish ensemble, now threading through the fabric of Berlin’s underground scene, has leapt forward from their promising debut with ‘Our Words’.

Their guitar work, reminiscent of the late 70s and early 80s licks, weaves through the track like Poison Ivy’s angularly arcane poise in confluence with the vocals which chameleonically shift from ethereal harmonies in the vein of Jaws and Peace to Strokes-esque vintagely doctored timbres as the track carries the cultivated appeal of mainstream titans like Arcade Fire and The Vaccines.

Equally as cerebral as their sound, MANA’s lyricism carries just as much intellectual weight with their dedication to painting vignettes of defiance, hope, polarisation, cynicism and displacement. Their philosophical approach to thematic underpinnings paired with the oscillations of indie innovation ensures that MANA is not just continuing traditions but setting precedents.

For those wearied by the monochrome renditions of Joy Division, join MANA in their electrifying new division as they traverse lesser-trodden intersections of indie’s anthemic fervour and post-punk’s monochromatic chill.

Nauseating Me was officially released on October 2nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Brighton’s John Jackson Debuts with ‘Tomorrow’—A Britpop Diary of Loss and Hope

Posted on 26 October 2024

John Jackson’s debut EP, Tomorrow, unveils itself as a meditative exploration, using the avenues of indie and Britpop to navigate intimate reflections of an introspective psyche. Recorded in his Brighton home, the self-produced collection of singles invites listeners to aurally gaze into tender expositions of grief, heroism, and isolation, melodically prising beauty from melancholy.

The opening title track, Tomorrow, is a diaphanous curtain-raiser, reminiscent of Blur’s sonic breadth but uniquely steeped in the thematic depth of personal loss. Jackson’s masterful weaving of art through the agony of grief through Thom Yorke-like flourishes transforms the track into an introspective odyssey. It’s a journey through sorrow, beautifully wrapped in tender melodic progressions that resonate with the listener’s own hidden echoes of loss.

Transitioning from the ethereal to the earthbound, Save Heaven shifts the mood with its melancholic yet profound orchestration. Here, Jackson explores the sting of isolation, crafting a cinematically rich soundscape that hits all the right evocative triggers  The orchestral elements, coupled with the syncopated pulses of the track, create a magnetising rhythmic pull that draws deeper into the shared experience of solitude.

The EP’s narrative arc reaches a crescendo with Hero; an ode to Inspiral Carpets and the concept of unexpected bravery. It’s a rumination on fearlessness that asserts Jackson’s ability to bear his musical influences while allowing his authenticity to permeate through homage.

As a first entry, Jackson’s debut EP couldn’t be more promising; his ability to speak on unspoken phenomena through his affectingly authentic sonic identity is what every songwriter should strive to achieve through their art and expression.

Tomorrow is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Keep up to date with new releases from John Jackson via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Worry People stripped bare with their visceral alt-indie anthem, Naked

Posted on 2 October 2024

The anxiously anthemic alt-indie duo, The Worry People, sharpened their hooks for their latest single and music video, Naked, while redefining what it means to wear your heart on your sleeve.

Sam Stewart and Ryan Dodd have made light work of trailblazing through the indie rock scene with their viscerally raw vulnerability since their debut release. This time, the cinematic production heightens the emotion to the nth degree, while the angular guitars slice through the moody, iridescent soundscape creating a sonic palette that only The Worry People could paint.

The track hammers home its message with each punch of percussion, pulling you into the thematic underpinnings which paint a vignette of the masochism love drives us to. As the duo lays bare the intricacies of intimacy, you’re left to confront the emotional bruises that come with leaving your soul exposed.

With their forte in crafting memorable memories infused with introspective depth, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more affecting up-and-coming indie artist in the UK scene in 2024.

Having recently graced the stage at the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and preparing for an upcoming BBC Radio Kent session, The Worry People are carving out a space that’s not only distinct but vital. With Naked, they’ve not just added to their repertoire—they’ve electrified it.

The official music video for Naked premiered on September 20; stream it on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sink into the seductively psyched-up grooves of amoklove’s sophomore single, Brown Eyes Red

Posted on 1 October 2024

The mind-bending juggernaut of a powerhouse, amoklove, has struck again with their latest seductively Avant-Garde single, Brown Eyes Red. The saturated in delay wavy grooves of funked-up indietronica melt into your consciousness like a sonic trip.

The woozy hypnotism of the crooning vocals works in synergy with the instrumentals, pulling you deeper into the undercurrents of the kaleidoscopic bliss of the warm, psych-soaked melodies; the cold, angular post-punk guitars cut through with surgical precision, leaving a jagged edge in an otherwise hazy reverie.

It’s as if amoklove has figured out how to bottle euphoria and unease in one hit. With grooves that slither straight into the soul, the up-and-coming multicultural collective is the ultimate purveyor of obscure magnetism. With a similar tonal palette to IST IST, it’s only a matter of time before amoklove reaches the same heights.

Stream Brown Eyes Red on Spotify now.

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

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

Confront the introspective abyss with Locian’s kinetic darkwave art-rock release, Shadow on the Wall

Posted on 25 September 2024

Dance with the darkness within to the tempo of Locian’s most affectingly kinetic electronic art-rock release yet, Shadow on the Wall. The rhythmically augmented earworm from Australia’s most introspective solo artist is so much more than just a sonic drop into the oversaturated airwaves. It intensifies the anticipation for Locian’s forthcoming LP, Fears, Reflections & Shades of Time, as the solo artist continues to define his distinctive electronic rock style, weaving his signature synthesis into the rhythmically charged compositions of philosophical reckoning.

Emotionally charged revelations about facing the hidden aspects of one’s identity diaphanously drift through the installation of dark etherealism as the track’s pulsating synths and sharply defined guitar lines inject a vibrant, high-energy feel into the release which offers a scintillating study in contrasts. It juxtaposes the vulnerability inherent in introspection with the robust instrumental forces that symbolise the tumultuous battle against inner demons.

Originally envisioned as two separate pieces, Shadow on the Wall evolved into a unified narrative that advocates the importance of acknowledging and embracing one’s darker sides. After winning audiences across Sydney and Melbourne over with the single, the core message is set to enlighten the darkwave domain while setting a high bar for cerebral lyricism.

Shadow on the Wall was officially released on September 13; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast