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Music Blog for Indie Rock Fans

Ami Leigh salved the souls of the romantically jaded with her pop-rock anthem, You’ll Find the One 

Posted on 8 September 2024

‘You’ll Find the One’ is undoubtedly an expression everyone has heard in their darkest hours of romantic despair; yet, with her latest single which carries that mantra, the chameleonic singer-songwriter Ami Leigh augmented the consolation with soul-infused, rock-licked conviction.

By carrying the same artful visceralism as The Last Dinner Party in the pop-rock crescendos which drench the anthem in 80s nostalgia and entwining the high-octane elements with tender echoes of introspective 90s indie pop, You’ll Find the One will leave your heartstrings in knots while liberating you from anxiety and assumption you will die alone without another soul to call home.

You’ll Find the One may be a sonic departure from the artist’s previous hits, but with the same sense of affecting soul running through the veins of the single, it is yet another attestation to Ami Leigh’s ability to unify and heal through sound.

You’ll Find the One hit the airwaves on August 23rd; stream the single on Spotify and YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Bradley Peck extolled the virtue of living in the moment in the vibe-driven jangle pop-punk earworm, the most of tonight

Posted on 6 September 2024
Bradley Peck

Bradley Peck has once again proven his versatility and flair for tapping into the zeitgeist with his latest single, the most of tonight. Shifting gears from his earlier stylings, the Southend-On-Sea solo artist ventured over unchartered pop-punk territory to deliver an irresistibly infectious synthesis of euphoria and introspection.

In collaboration with Roman Styx, who mixed and mastered the track, Peck balanced genre-bending innovation with catchy quintessential pop-punk energy to strike the ultimate equilibrium. The earworm pulls you into its upbeat, vibe-driven universe with the jangle-pop guitar melodies which give the track an indie edge while the pop-punk undercurrent pulsates energy into the meticulously adrenalizing summer anthem.

Peck’s vocals, which never come close to slipping away from harmonised euphony, even in the sharp Blink-182 reminiscent cadences in the verses, become the ultimate vessel for advocation of seizing the day as they simultaneously evoke nostalgia for hedonistic days gone by and allow you to look through the rose-tinted glasses of youthful abandon.

Whether single transports you to the carefree days of youth or a recent memory worth holding onto, there’s no escaping the feel-good momentum perpetuated in the release that is all hooks and no breaks.

Bradley Peck Said

“I wanted to make a chill summer track that makes the listener feel young again; something everyone can relate to and feel some nostalgia with. The idea came to me after sinking a few, sitting back, looking at the night sky, and thinking how lucky we are to exist in this epoch. I wanted to convey that living in the moment is what life is all about; when the track started pulling together, I found myself experimenting with a brand-new genre for me. I’m so excited for this song to hit the airwaves!” 

the most of tonight will be available to stream on all major platforms from September 6th. Find your preferred way to listen and connect with Bradley Peck via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Silver Magpie’s alt-indie single ‘Dickens’ is the perfect package of style, substance, and scintillation

Posted on 3 September 2024

Forget about the Oasis reunion, Silver Magpie’s return to the airwaves following a two-year hiatus with the single, Dickens, is infinitely more laudable. The trippy in all the right places alt-indie art-pop single, which embodies the classic songwriting of epochs gone by, is a tonal triumph. The glistening piano keys and angular guitar notes against the moody reverberations create an evocative platform for the singer-songwriter to pour candour across as he covers the pain of coming to terms with externally and internally concealed truths.

The consistently in flux vocal presence delivers everything from punchy cadences that punctuate the track as much as the percussion to resigned yearning to fiery swaggering outpours of unfeigned emotion to ethereal harmonies which endlessly ascend through the production.

Jesus Gutierrez hit pause on the Silver Magpie project after his 2022 single, Cartoon Hero, to refine his sound; given the kaleidoscopic gravity which pulls you into the poetic cosmos of Dickens, it is safe to say that the singer-songwriter has got his sonic signature down to a fine art.

The way Dickens implores you to swim with the thematic currents establishes Silver Magpie as so much more than an artist paying homage to the alt 80s and 90s; he’s a 21st-century pioneer, filtering his evocative narrative through lenses of textural nostalgia, resulting in a sound that you can sink into and instantly feel at home while prising new-found resonance from his eloquently penned productions.

Dickens was officially released on August 22nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Every Glazer has unveiled a piercing post-rock depiction of the tragedy of losing autonomy with ‘Running Downhill’

Posted on 1 September 2024

As a drastic departure from his previous releases, The Every Glazer has unveiled a brand-new sonic guise with his latest single. Running Downhill, fuses synth-pop and Slowdive-reminiscent guitars into a downtempo electronic score, underpinned by post-rock aesthetics and a sense of lament which tenderly encapsulates the tragedy of falling away from autonomy.

In a similar vein to Blue October, The Every Glazer pulls you into the emotional nucleus of the single with the emotionally weighted magnetism in his vocal delivery. When the track shifts pace and picks up momentum resulting in a frenetic depiction of the frustration and fear felt when you’re painfully aware of the path of descent you’re taking, the true ingenuity of this release starts to manifest.

Every new release from The Every Glazer is a fresh attestation of his talent in visualising phenomena through melody, yet Running Downhill may be one of the most striking testaments to his songwriting chops to date. It’s a release that consumes you within its compassionate handling of the raw and relatable thematics.

Running Downhill will be available to stream on all major platforms from September 1st; watch the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find the inspiration to cut out the static and reconnect with Mikey Wayne’s indie Americana serenade, Back to You & Me

Posted on 31 August 2024

Nashville-based rock troubadour Mikey Wayne has followed on from the success of his critically acclaimed EP Echo Mountain Sessions with his serenade, Back to You & Me. The indie Americana ballad is sonic kryptonite for the diehard romantics with its sweeping orchestral crescendos and equally as lush harmonies which deliver the raw emotion and warm melodicism of Bryan Adams.

The authentically affecting release brings back the energy of a full band, tied to the roots of Wayne’s Nashville country sound and echoing the influences of his Southern California roots and Alabama upbringing, resulting in a potent mix of open-hearted lyrics and passion-driven progressions.

The ornate orchestral motifs pull you right into the core of the unfeigned sentimentality of the single which implores listeners to turn away from distraction, tune out from the static of the world and lose themselves within the sanctuary built by connection. In an era where it is seen as more entertaining to stare at the selfies of strangers on Instagram instead of the eyes of one they love, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most, which will never be found on an Instagram feed.

The official music video for Back to You & Me will premiere on August 31st; stream the video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Steve Schuster – Mercy Me: A Melodic Rock Vision of a Better Future

Posted on 20 August 2024

Steve Schuster’s latest single, Mercy Me, is a melodic throwback to the college radio rock era which carries a revolutionary message of peace and democracy. Amidst the backdrop of increasingly extremist ideologies that surface with each election, Schuster offers a refreshing perspective. Through mellow guitar tones and layered vocal harmonies, he paints a picture of an alternative way to live—one rooted in seeking and creating peace.

Mercy Me is a utopia you can nestle into and be reminded that hope has never been futile. While it may be harder to find optimism within the divisions of society, as Schuster attests, a better way, where peace and democracy are the pillars of civility, isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

The tenderly assuring earworm stands as a testament to Schuster’s ability to tune into societal struggles and offer a salve through his melodically mellow art. It’s a song that doesn’t just evoke nostalgia but also inspires a vision of a future where unity and compassion prevail over division.

The award-winning songwriter, celebrated photographer, and seasoned CEO of Rainier Communication has turned his passion for social justice into a lifelong mission, Mercy Me is an affecting continuation of his unflinching determination to help others envision and materialise a better way of living.

Stream the official music video for Mercy Me on YouTube now

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The New Tropics augmented introspection in their indie-rock anthem, Street Parking

Posted on 14 August 2024

Proving that razor-sharp pop hooks have a place in indie rock and introspection hits even sweeter when it is infectiously augmented is the Nashville-hailing powerhouse, The New Tropics with their recently released sophomore single, Street Parking.

The sweeping guitar chords, vocal lines which harmonise with almost endless sustain, and the pulsative rhythm section combine to synthesise a sound which doesn’t break the mould but polishes it with scarcely heard cultivation.

The sticky-sweet coming-of-age ode to growing pains ticks all the right boxes while inventing a few more for their sonic signature to scribe through. You just can’t help but feel The New Tropics hype when you sink into the expansively vivacious atmosphere; whatever the trio turn to next under the influence of The Cardigans, Paramore, and The Beaches, it’s bound to be a riotous ride through reimagined indie nostalgia.

Street Parking was officially released on July 12 and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Post-punk intersects with desert rock in djamesk13’s embodiment of masochistic nihilism,  If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails

Posted on 13 August 2024

Even if the artistic merit solely lay in the Shakespearean-esque title, djamesk13’s latest single, If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails, would be a sonic masterstroke.

Yet, the way the alt-rock visionary conjured an embodiment of masochistic nihilism through the cold distortions of post-punk and the droning kaleidoscopic psychedelia of desert rock within this resonantly psychologically plagued soundscape ensured that anyone who shares the visualised proclivities will meet profound vindication.

There’s nothing quite as alienating as the sense you are being driven towards desolation, but that didn’t get in the solo artist’s way of manifesting unity between the outliers who can’t be placated by life’s simple pleasures.

If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails is yet another undeniable attestation of djamesk13’s ability to utilise sound as a means of forcing his listeners into trance-like sessions of reflection.

If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Distortion as Dialogue: Abandoned Buildings’ Alt-Indie Release, Microdose, Explores the Depths of Desolation

Posted on 11 August 2024

In the borderlands between post-punk, ambient post-rock and shoegaze lies the West Yorkshire five-piece, Abandoned Buildings; their latest diaphanous-in-spite of distortion howl into the void, Microdose, is the ultimate introduction to their unfeigned introspection.

After a quiescent intro of reverb and chorus-laden guitar, the track pulls you into a vortex of thematically affecting instrumentation that embodies the emotional underpinnings as much as the lyrics and vocals which paint a portrait of pain and isolation in strokes of vulnerability which forces you to meet the candour projected through the artfully visceral progressions.

Released ahead of the sophomore album, Eroding Light, which will drop on September 20, Microdose marked Abandoned Buildings as one of the most promising up-and-coming outfits on the alt-indie scene in 2024. Their creative vision which reinvents shoegaze fused with the way they reflect stark realities through the complexity of emotion is unparalleled. Don’t pass up on your Microdose fix.

Microdose will be available to stream on all major platforms from August 9th via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sam Caldwell – feeding the wound: An Indie Art Rock Ode to the Raw Edges of the Human Psyche

Posted on 6 August 2024

The intimacy of unfiltered vulnerability doesn’t just breathe through Sam Caldwell’s standout single, feeding the wound, it quiescently screams and resounds through the delirious-with-self-discontent production which embodies the stripped style of Elliott Smith, and the artfully cultivated expressionist air of Mitski and Neutral Milk Hotel.

Caging one of the most viscerally affecting crescendos that has ever torn its way into my soul, feeding the wound is so much more than a lyrically sharpened vignette of a masochistic mind. Each element serves to visualise a psyche marred with self-awareness and destruction; from the sonic pulls of ennui to how the mind cascades under the weight of affliction, each progression is a revelation of a raw, painfully relatable perception.

The LA singer-songwriter is quickly making a name for himself with his encapsulations of the pain of coming of age; with his debut LP, he’s rivalled the resonance of Brett Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero. His ability to tune into universal themes of guilt and heartbreak while using heartstrings on his fretboard will undoubtedly see him go far in the industry which is crying out for veritable troubadours of candour.

feeding the wound is now available to stream on Spotify as part of Sam Caldwell’s debut album, wanderlust, which was officially released on July 25.

Review by Amelia Vandergast