Browsing Tag

AJJ

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

New Plague Radio went baroque with their folky hip hop hit, Devil Come, Devil Go

Posted on 15 January 2022

Fusion and hybrid sounds are pretty much the standard for new artists in 2022, but in a sonic shift that no one anticipated, bluegrass folk meets hip hop in New Plague Radio’s latest single, Devil Come, Devil Go.

With AJJ-style folk paired with the hypnotic structure of the rapid-fire deadpan rapped vocals, the experimental US outfit well and truly went baroque. Especially with the harmonic crooned deliverances of lyrics such as “a little dizzy all the time” (it’s not just me!!!).

After hearing their hook-filled Beastie Boys-inspired 2020 track, Methamphetamine Dance, in 2020, we were stoked to discover an artist so bold in their experimentalism. Methamphetamine Dance was the ultimate high-octane 90s-rock-tinged urban earworm, but Devil Come, Devil Go definitively proves that New Plague Radio doesn’t have authenticity at their disposal; artful gravitas is also in their arsenal. We couldn’t be more excited by the potential of New Plague Radio.

The official video for Devil Come, Devil Go is now available to stream on YouTube. Or, you can add the track to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

.Wav Rider shares affectional agitation with Step Away, featuring Nikki Silva

Posted on 22 September 2021

To make sure that the listener’s heartstrings are well and truly tugged, alt-indie rock artist .Wav Rider’s latest acoustic single, Step Away, unravels as a heart-wrenching duet featuring vocals from Nikki Silva.

Step Away captures that fraught moment when the realisation that a situation is no longer healthy hits. Despite his sweet and affable indie pop-rock vocals, you feel every ounce of affectional agitation.

When Nikki Silva’s come into the choral and sun-bleached soundscape, the narrative becomes multifaceted, serving as a stark reminder that no matter how much time you spend with someone, or how well you know someone, there are some things that you will never see eye to eye on, mostly because you stop looking and want to turn away completely.

Any fans of Frank Turner, AJJ, Neck Deep and All Time Low won’t want to sleep on this release.

Step Away is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emancipate Yourselves with Sh’Bang’s Alt-Rock Hit, Bail Money

Posted on 4 August 2021

Philadelphian alt-rock 4-piece Sh’Bang defines themselves as sweeter than punk and heavier than rock, based on their single, Bail Money, taken from their 2020 EP, The Woman Who Changed the World, we affably agree.

Any fans of Neutral Milk Hotel, AJJ, Harley Poe and Amigo the Devil will get caught up in the soulfully eccentric eminence of the single that carries the energy of punk paired with their pretence-less passion that makes no bones about utilising abrasively honest expression.

If you turn to artists such as Social Distortion for your serotonin, you won’t know what has hit you when you hit play on Bail Money. The volatile single delivers the efficacious reminder that eternal conflict is perpetual in many minds; your angst doesn’t alienate you; it offers commonality.

Check out Sh’Bang’s latest EP, The Woman Who Changed the World, via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast