Browsing Tag

Alt 90s

The Unbranded penned a riotous alt-90s love letter with ‘Novacaine’

Posted on 4 April 2024

If you’ve ever wondered what Dinosaur Jr would sound like with a bigger and louder sonic stature, find the answer in the high-octane riotous love letter to the alt-90s, penned through The Unbranded’s hit single Novacaine.

Once you let the impaled-with pop-punk-hooks earworm in, don’t expect it to depart any time soon. As the kinetically infectious chord progressions subjugate your rhythmic pulses into submission, the augmented-with-charisma vocal lines draw you further into the centre of the frenetic epitome of rebellion which spits in the face of anyone who wants to shunt people who don’t fit the mould of banality to the sidelines.

The track is a clarion call to all the outliers looking for permission to transform their idiosyncrasies into fuel for their empowered fire. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Social Distortion, The Unbranded and their motivation to inject spiritual awakenings into their music are an essential listen; just one hit, and you’ll want to join them at the vanguard as they smash down toxic social constructions.

Novacaine was officially released on March 15; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Seattle Sound Came Back Around in The Grunge Father’s Acoustic Single, Introvert

Posted on 2 April 2024

The Grunge Father embodied the aura of the 90s Seattle sound in his debut LP, Demons (Unplugged). The standout single, Introvert, is diaphanous in one breath, cacophonously ensnaring in the next to echo the raw, unadorned spirit of the genre.

Fans of Nirvana’s iconic MTV Unplugged in New York session will find a familiar refuge in Introvert, where the Grunge Father channels the same rugged, scorned magnetism that defined a generation.

His vocal performance and instrumental work are a study in contrast as they find a rare equilibrium between melodic harmony and a deliberate, volition-fuelled discord as the lyrics reflect the weariness of introversion in an extrovert’s world. Despite being an introvert by his own admission, The Grunge Father emerges larger than life in this track, his voice a slice of vindication for those who find strength in introspection.

It’s safe to say that The Grunge Father cemented his place in the grunge pantheon with his debut LP. While other artists are busy leading the post-grunge revolution, this superlatively talented one-man powerhouse is proving that there is so much potential left to discover in the roots of the genre.

Stream The Grunge Father’s LP Demons (Unplugged) on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Serenity Club liberated from indignation in this alt-rock release, Heaven is a World Without You

Posted on 22 March 2024
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With lyrics you instantly lock into and hooks you can’t unimpale yourself from, The Serenity Club hit an alt-rock homerun with their latest single, Heaven is a World Without You. The single warps sonic timelines, pulls the 90s Seattle sound into modernity and has all the makings of an alt-rock earworm that The Serenity Club deserve to go down in history for.

Knowing that we all have antagonists in our lives that ‘trap us in cages of resentment’, the band gave the key to freedom from indignation to everyone who tunes into the hit which synthesises grunge with the infectious appeal of bands in the same vein as Rise Against. If the single is this affecting while it is blasting through your speakers, the effect of the live performance would be cathartically unholy.

Every instrumental in the hit works to perpetuate the rapture of the release and assert The Serenity Club as one of the tightest alt-rock outfits in London’s underground alt-rock scene – it is only a matter of time before they make their ascent and stand at the vanguard of the post-grunge movement. Tune into the breakdowns so you don’t have to have one yourself.

Heaven is a World Without You will hit all major streaming platforms on March 22; hear it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rookie – Resolve: A Volition-Charged Resurgence of Emo-Tinged Post-Grunge

Posted on 5 March 2024

Familiar enough to give you a sonic slice of déjà vu, fresh enough to leave you exhilarated by the trailblazingly emo-tinged post-grunge revival, the latest alt-90s single from the Italian renegades of scuzz, Rookie, is an anthem for the ennui-inclined that will leave you inclined to push your speakers to their limits.

Everything about the augmentation of hook-laden lament compels you to feel the full visceral force of the deliciously distorted earworm, which doesn’t just burrow down into your psyche; it bares its teeth and refuses to let go.

Fans of Jawbreaker, The Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Jr won’t want to miss out on Resolve, which was released after a lengthy hiatus Rookie used to hone the volition in their sound. Now that the power trio is back in the studio recording their new EP, SHELTER, with Matteo Tabacco, they’re more than worth a spot on your radar.

Add Resolve to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NEET and Tidy wrapped their grungy pop-punk hooks around the afflictions of modernity in their LP, Is This Progress?

Posted on 23 February 2024

If any band can advocate for the LP format in an era when our attention spans are shorter than a boardwalk, it is NEET and Tidy with their aural corridor back to the alt-90s.

The sophomore album, Is This Progress? is an unflinchingly reflective exposition of the afflictions of modernity. The sludged-up hooks in Pillow Talk, which captures the bitter taste of a love turned sour, carry all the infectious rancour of Jawbreaker and NOFX, before Play Me launches a straight-up attack on how far the industry has fallen since the golden era of indie and alt-rock. Lyrics in the vein of, “your favourite pop star is the latest infection”, and “another NFT, another stupid dance”, paint a damning portrait of how twisted the industry has come through the contortions of capitalism and narcissism-driven content.

Another standout release within the LP is the evocative evolution of pop-punk into the chorally reverb-swathed remit of shoegaze. Snow (Okay) is a harbingering lament on how the music industry revolves around ableism when it isn’t bleeding vulnerable people dry. From start to finish, the sophomore release from NEET and Tidy asserts the Nashville-residing outfit as one of the most relatable and essential bands in 2024. If you’re always looking for artists with the ability to cut through the static of your ennui, you will find one when you delve into this seminal release.

Is This Progress will reach the airwaves on February 23rd; stream the LP on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shotgun Waltz Fused Americana and Echoes of the Alt-90s to Craft the Ultimate Derision of ‘Pity Party’ Throwers

Posted on 29 January 2024
Single: Pity Party by Shotgun Waltz

.What do you get when you fuse the roots of Americana and alt-country with the nostalgia of the alt-90s? Hit play on the latest single, Pity Party, from the raconteurs of cliché-averse aural experimentalism, Shotgun Waltz, and find out for yourselves.

The first shimmering notes tease you into expecting a soundscape akin to The Madness’ eccentric spin on ska pop before the quintessential rock lead guitar work starts to blaze through the college radio rock production that makes it impossible not to warm to the outfit and their no prisoners held approach to lyricism.

Shotgun Waltz made it definitively clear that they wouldn’t be blowing up balloons for the wallowers in their circles. Instead, the pity partyers are mercilessly derided for their tunnel-vision naval-gazing as the ultimate reminder that self-disgust is still self-obsession is laid out across the exhilarating rhythms.

With echoes of new wave indie jangling through the release which never lets go of its Americana twang, the energy in Pity Party is riotously infectious, which bodes incredibly well for the Boston-based artist’s upcoming LP, which is expected to drop in April 2024.

Grab your invitation to the Pity Party by heading over to Bandcamp where you can stream or purchase the single, which was officially released on January 22nd.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Madam Who? Has riotously returned with her pop-hooked and rock-licked electro-clash earworm, Peter Meter

Posted on 19 January 2024

Electro-pop-rock meets hip-hop in the latest single, Peter Meter, by the indomitable visionary, who always favours the bold and rejects the mundane to empower others through the electricity in her eccentric expressionism, Madam Who? In her rap verses, the trailblazing sonic mould-breaker gives all the ensnaring electro-clash energy of Peaches before the track descends into a Garbage-esque alt-90s earworm in the choruses to deliver the ultimate liberating anthem.

The larger-than-life vignette of how her Grandma Rita used to absolve her of her boy troubles took Madam Who? 20 years to write, but now it has arrived, complete with a fully characterised music video and a quirkiness akin to the B-52s, we can all drink in the sage wisdom, which you may not want to follow to the T, but one thing is definitive about this track, it will riotously shake every ounce of ennui out of you.

After overcoming brain cancer, Madam Who? Has remained relentless on her mission to defy expectations and verse for the underdogs. In 2023, her debut EP, Reclaim Your Power, caught the attention of Good Morning America, and her story aired to 1.7 million viewers. Now that Peter Meter is on the airwaves, the Maryland-residing singer-songwriter is set to spill more serotonin and uplift countless people from their minor and major tribulations.

The official music video for Peter Meter premiered on January 19th; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find out why the city never sleeps in snailosaur’s indie rock vignette, Apartment Boxes (nyc poem)

Posted on 18 January 2024

Forget what you know about New York from the over-romanticised depictions and acquaint yourself with the true nature of the cityscape, which juxtaposes grit and grime with the monolithic architecture and the egregious egos of Wall Street wolves. snailosaur’s standout single, ‘Apartment Boxes (nyc poem)’, taken from their indie rock LP, Talk Therapy, paints a fond vignette of the infamous city over the luminous tonality of their angular guitar lines, which weave elements of new wave into the nostalgia-kissed release.

While the upbeat melodies embed the single with a light and dreamy air as they cruise through the Pavement-esque progressions, the vocals act in contrast with their nonchalant drawls, adding depth to the track as they allude to the sins and cultural salvation of the city that never sleeps – and now, thanks to snailosaur, we know why; the working class are confined to coffins as they live and breathe. Yet, suffocation is a small price to pay to walk the streets that become portals in time, if you know which avenues to take.

Apartment Boxes (nyc poem) is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Giant Killers delivered fatalistically sweet indie jangle pop blows in their alt-90s time capsule, Around the Blocks

Posted on 15 January 2024
Songs for the Small Places by Giant Killers

Tracks originally written and recorded in 1995 by Brighton’s Giant Killers when they were signed to MCA Records have finally reached the airwaves. The standout indie jangle pop single, Around the Blocks, from their forthcoming LP, is an authentically nostalgic dream. With hints of Coffee and TV within the R.E.M.-esque college radio rock production, which sees the choruses endlessly ascend and the verses pull you in deeper through the affectionately sharp hooks, Around the Blocks is a tonic for the melancholic soul.

With a frenetic closing sonic chapter which echoes the palpitating pacing of the hit Brimful of Asha, Giant Killers clearly know how to make an ever-lasting impression with their sound, which doesn’t go as far as sticky-sweet; there’s far too much indie rock renegade grit within their compassionately confrontational lyricism.

With their ‘songs for the small places’ LP, Giant Killers aren’t only delivering melodic salvation to the ennui-inclined. £2 of every sale of the LP will be donated to Campaign Against Living Miserably, a charity dedicated to saving lives through suicide prevention. Given the gravitas of Around the Blocks, which will see your soul sweep higher than the transcendentally tight melodies, you shouldn’t need any additional incentive to partake in the nostalgically euphonic bliss. But it’s incredible to see an artist not solely skating by on the signals of their virtue. Giant Killers are putting momentum behind real tangible change.

Hear Around the Blocks on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Jesters borrowed from Pavement in their reinvention of the 90s DIY sound in ‘Magnet’

Posted on 31 December 2023

The standout single, Magnet, from The Jesters may have been released in the Summer of 2023, but it is the perfect hit to place on your playlists as we move into the new year with the underpinning themes of pining for personal reinvention that, on some level, we all know we’ll never achieve because the force of our habits is far too strong to resist.

The grungy pop-punk pierced aura of the track, which finds the middle ground between Fidlar, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr, was the perfect atmosphere to pour the self-disdain into to ensure it rings with relatable and rogue down-and-out blues. Veering away from self-pity and right into the inner trappings of the human condition that compels us to tread the hamster wheel as creatures of idiosyncratic convention enabled Magnet to unravel as every antihero’s feel-good hit.

When it comes to reinventing the DIY sounds of the ’80s and ’90s, few do it better than the Philadelphia four-piece, whose sound falls under the new wave retro alt-folk punk banner while spilling out into other nostalgic avenues to lead you to the sounds you adore via a route never taken before.

Magnet is available to stream with the rest of The Jesters’ three-track release, Mental Model, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast