Browsing Tag

Alt 90s Rock

Tariq.B entered the melodic rock pantheon with his single, You Keep My World Alight

Posted on 12 October 2024

Tariq.B joined Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell in the pantheon of rock evocateurs with his latest melodic rock emotional awakening, You Keep My World Alight, which will unearth feelings you didn’t know lingered in the sediment of your soul.

The song’s title cleverly underplays the vivid romanticism and raw pop-rock melodies that pulse at the heart of this panorama of raw, vulnerable passion which once and for all proves that romance isn’t dead in our era proliferated by strands of superficial connection.

You Keep My World Alight is an undeniable attestation to how the Pakistan-born, Southwest London-residing artist has mastered the art of acoustic sensitivity; every guitar chord hits a raw nerve as the progressions flow with cinematic sepia-tinged imagery and the warm glow of alt-90s tones.

Famed for his live performances across the UK, international airplay and plaudits from BBC Introducing, Tariq.B is well on his way to filling stadiums as wholly as he fuels souls with his sound. He’s a rare artist who instantly makes you feel at home in his honeyed and honed vocal timbre.

You Keep My World Alight is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nestle into the safe chasm of alt-90s nostalgia with I’ve Tried Sleeping’s single, Without the Faintest Idea

Posted on 23 November 2022

With a moniker as defiantly dejected as I’ve Tried Sleeping, we knew we’d find ourselves head over heels when we dug into their eponymous debut album.

The standout single, Without the Faintest Idea, unravels as though Bob Dylan wrote The Truman show. Sonically, the single is an intersection between the college radio rock vibes of R.E.M., the striking viscerality of the Cranberries and to perfectly round off the single, there’s plenty of unadulteratedly classic rock riffs that drive the searing hot tones right into your synapses while they uplift you from the drudgery of the modern age into the safe chasm of alt-90s nostalgia.

If anyone has a chance of making it in the sorry state the music industry is in, it is the five-piece outfit fronted by Charlie Edwards. They’re a powerhouse, but that doesn’t get in the way of their effortless affability, which makes their tracks a pleasure to endlessly play on repeat. They get better with every listen.

Stream I’ve Tried Sleeping’s debut LP for yourselves on Spotify and Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Godzukey warn us about ‘The Wrath To Come’

Posted on 4 March 2021

When, back in November, we reviewed Godzukey’s last single ‘Alibi’, we said that Portland, Oregon, might have just spawned a new baby monster. On the basis of ‘The Wrath To Come’, that monster’s now hitting the angry teenage years, slamming its bedroom door, and refusing to come out except for snacks and video games.

Written about deceitful friends and still peppered with beautifully tasteful harmonics and bluesy shredding from guitar noisenik Conrad Bylsma, ‘The Wrath To Come’ is a glorious, grungy, doomy, melodic, stomp through sludgy stoner-rock (that’s a thing) in an old-school lazy vocal and fuzzed-up guitars kind of way. There’s large elements of some absolute classics in here – Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, with a definite nod to the Foos, Nirvana, and J Mascis/Dinosaur Jr. especially around the laconic vocal delivery and effects.

‘The Wrath To Come’ is the 8th track from Godzukey’s demo mini-album ‘Lake Mammalian’, and a precursor to their debut online gig ‘Bridge City Sessions: Godzukey’, which can be viewed via YouTube and Facebook on March 2nd this year.

In the meantime, you can hear ‘The Wrath To Come’ on Spotify, and follow Godzukey on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

JRtheBand has unleashed a monstrous Alt-Rock earworm with “Stray Dog”

Posted on 30 August 2020

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist JRtheBand dropped the video to their single Stray Dog on July 30th. If you’ve forgotten how it feels to experience a fresh new take on Alt-Rock which speaks to your soul, hit play.

Starting off with a ring of discordant distortion, the soundscape quickly shifts into a melodically transfixing feat of American Rock with slight nuances of the Alt 90s sound. Reminiscences in the vocals to Kurt Cobain’s in Plateau was definitely there, but the bluesy country twang on the slightly noisy grungy vibe gave the evolution of Alt-Rock a brand-new trajectory. The artist’s endearing vibe which could be comparable to Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) was the icing on the aural cake.

You can check out the official video to Stray Dog for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Wordsmen have made their debut with the feisty Indie Alt Rock earworm “Spilt”

Posted on 30 July 2020

Exeter-based Alt Rock newcomers The Wordsmen have made their debut with the alchemically volatile single Spilt and brought a playfully abrasive edge back to Indie Alt Rock.

Spilt kicks off with hazy choral tones before the sardonically visceral vocals kick in. From there on out, you’re left to follow The Wordsmens’ tremulous pace which makes predictability an impossibility from the first hit. But considering that Spilt is an earworm which practically begs for repeat attention, you’ll be well acquainted with the energetic hit in no time.

It may be a little harder than usual to muster enthusiasm for debut singles from up and coming bands, but if you’ve got a shred of enthusiasm in you, invest it by hitting play on Spilt. You’ll be generously rewarded by their energetic infusion of Indie, Punk and Garage Rock.

I shouldn’t even need to tell you to get this band on your radar.

You can check out the debut release from The Wordsmen for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast