Browsing Tag

alt rock

Step into a sanctuary of alt-90s nostalgia with Straw’s debut single, Apartment 3513

Posted on 22 August 2024

With all the seductive appeal of Soundgarden, the debut single, Apartment 3513, from the Panama-hailing solo artist, Straw, allows alt-90s fans to crawl through the corridor of nostalgia before unlocking the door to an affectingly warm earworm which animates through scuzzed vintage tones and deliciously hook-rife vocals.

In spite of the convivial sonic and vocal magnetism in the debut single, Apartment 3513 charts a journey on a road to nowhere, fuelled by anxiety and depression, where the only pit stops made were to score. After 14 years of mental health issues and an attempt to numb them through substance abuse, Straw has turned his life around like a velvet revolver to give sanctuary to anyone who needs to veer from the path of self-destruction.

After studying at Berklee and the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Straw returned home to Panama where he collaborated with the Nashville-hailing songwriter, Grant van Dijk to bring his debut to life. Through the perfect equilibrium of candid soul and rock n roll swagger, Straw ensured that he wouldn’t find himself short of plaudits – especially if the singles in the pipeline match the intoxicating energy in Apartment 3513.

Apartment 3513 opened itself to the airwaves on August 9th; step in via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mt Bonnell – Mistake: A Little Bit of Country, An Unholy Load of Rock n Roll

Posted on 17 August 2024

It’s almost worth enduring agonising lapses in romantic judgement to prise maximum resonance from Mt Bonnell’s latest lyrically bitter, sonically euphoric alt-rock single, Mistake.

The revelation in genre fusion fuses the twangy, intimate and narratively expansive warmth of upbeat country folk with all the fire and furore of a grungy rock anthem and the stylistic edge of indie to establish the artist as one of the most veritable outfits pouring sound out of Austin.

There’s clearly something in the Texan water which breeds peerless talent, but the flavour of Mt Bonnell is something no other outfit is capable of making you savour. Intensity and authenticity run in the veins of the infectiously zealous melodies ensuring you feel every ounce of the affecting weight in this anthem which epitomises what it means to wear your heart on your guitar strings.

As much as the emotively seismic vocals make you feel, that’s nothing compared to the compulsion to succumb to the rhythmic pulse which speaks volumes of how Mt Bonnell has honed their eclectic sound since forming in 2002, with each member bringing their own sonic proclivities to the table.

Mistake was officially released on August 8th; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ditch the Demon is out for blood in their sonic screening of garage goth glamour, Fright Night

Posted on 16 August 2024

Fans of Zombina and the Skeletones, Lesbian Bed Death and the Creepshow won’t want to miss the installation of horror and garage goth glamour, Fright Night, prised from the crypt of Ditch the Demon’s LP, Ain’t Dead Yet.

With the percussive pulse of punk and the phantasmic reanimations of new wave indie conjured by the guitars filtered through a psychedelic prog rock lens and the livewire energy rippling through the production as a courtesy of Amanda Brooks-Byron’s histrionically haunted vocals, Fright Night hits with an exhilarating horror punk intensity.

After forming in 2018, the Hastings-hailing powerhouse has made chilling waves with their scintillatingly dark sonic signature; the launch of their debut album in 2023 marked the zenith of the band’s career so far but with their infamous live shows, Ditch the Demon isn’t a band to underestimate.

Stream the official music video for Fright Night on YouTube.

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

Drenalin – This is My Night: An Alt-Rock Anthem of Hedonic Liberation

Posted on 10 August 2024

Drenalin, an Emmy-award-winning ensemble from Cleveland, OH, established in 2005, were out to wreak maximum emotional havoc with their latest single, This is My Night.

The track ensues with fitting-for-Broadway vocal intensity, intertwined with fantastical orchestral elements and playful, carnivalesque twists that would resonate with any Nekrogoblikon fans. As the track progresses, Drenalin evokes the early 2000s metal scene, reminiscent of Drowning Pool, Soil, and Fear Factory, but the transmutations in sound don’t end there.

The song’s structure is meticulously crafted, with each melodic transition pushing the boundaries of emotional catharsis. The interplay of hard-hitting fury and rock opera flair is nothing short of prodigious; the volition is teased through tensile with innovative vision progressions to ensure anyone who bears witness to the anthem of hedonic liberation will feel its maximum force.

It is so rare to say that you’ve encountered an outfit with a sound no one would ever conceive without replication, but clearly, Drenalin is a diamond in the rough of mediocrity.

Stream the official music video for This is My Night on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Danielle Dennis glammed up blues rock with her latest hit, Fool’s Gold

Posted on 10 August 2024

With her latest single, Fool’s Gold, the rising-through-the-industry-ranks rock phenomenon, Danielle Dennis, proved that when it comes to emotional labour for those with an aversion to accountability, a woman’s work is never done.

If the indomitably raw edge of Hannah Wicklund met the creative conjurings of Stevie Nicks, the meeting point would be the affecting high-octane alchemy in Dennis’ scintillating sonic signature which ensures the singer-songwriter’s ink goes beyond skin deep and permeates the soul.

The San Francisco-born, New Orleans-based artist and producer unequivocally evinced that all of the best people would have been burnt at the stake for Witchcraft in the days of Salem; what she manifested in Fool’s Gold is almost beyond the realms of tangible comprehension.

If you can’t get enough of Fool’s Gold, pin her to your radar and await her forthcoming debut EP which will span all her influences through an amalgamation of gritty blues rock, synth-heavy pop, organic folk, and vibey trip-hop.

Fool’s Gold will be available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud, on August 9th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shotgun Waltz filtered roots rock through a college radio rock lens in their infectiously Sink or Swim

Posted on 6 August 2024
Single: Sink or Swim by Shotgun Waltz

Boston’s critically acclaimed roots rock revivalists, Shotgun Waltz, fortified their latest alt 90s indie-adjacent single, Sink or Swim, with infectious fortitude, as an invitation to shift to a rendered-with-resilience brighter perspective.

Just one hit and you will want to rip up those invitations to your pity party for one. There’s no room for remorse in the sun-bleached production which uplifts with melodically brashy college radio rock guitar chords that shift to mellow staccato rhythms in the verses, priming the listener for the bursts of euphoria in the choruses.

Shotgun Waltz may be roots reverent, yet their cultivated approach to pushing the genre forward resounds throughout Sink or Swim, which will also feature in their upcoming 10-track LP, which will arrive on the airwaves in Fall 2024.

Fronted by Jim DeTore, the fourpiece possesses a unique ability to reach directly to you as you immerse yourself in their honed synergy which belies the fact that the powerhouse has only been playing together since 2012. The symbiotic harmony between each layer in Sink or Swim pulls you into a vortex of dynamic rhythms and melodic interplays – you can practically feel each member playing intuitively to each other’s cues.

Sink or Swim was officially released on July 29 and is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Not From Concentrate crashed the alt-rock scene with their ska-grunge synthesis, You & I

Posted on 5 August 2024

Not From Concentrate promises the freshest sound in the NYC ska scene and the misft powerhouse definitively delivered with the release of their latest ska grunge hybrid, You & I, which showcases the group’s ability to blend fierce pop-punk bursts with tender, vulnerable harmonies, inviting listeners to experience every shade of emotion

For anyone who has ever let their walls down only to allow regret to build them again, this queer punk anthem is the ultimate consolation. Just as the artist’s moniker would lead you to believe, there’s nothing artificial about their sound; the visceral emotions mainlined into You & I are straight from the source.

By synthesising the sludge of grunge with the infectiously uplifting staccato chops of Ska, the Staten Island-hailing trio which is deeply entrenched in the NYC scene delivered a sonic revolution which shimmers with authenticity and raw power. Rounded off with a pioneeringly innovative guitar riff, You & I is a testament to their rightful place in the queer musical pantheon.

You & I was officially released on July 19; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pain and beauty permeably interplay in djamesk13’s alt-rock single, Through All the Beautiful Storms

Posted on 4 August 2024

djamesk13 consistently finds new alt-rock intersections to explore, the latest emotionally-weighted release from the London-hailing solo artist, Through All the Beautiful Storms, is no exception.

The release finds myriads of ways to allude to how thin and permeable the line between pain and beauty is; without one, there is no other. Just as you can find harmony in the distorted, grungy discordance, djamesk13 ensures you find the blessing in grief, it’s the primal price we pay for love, and that bitter-sweet exchange is laid out right across the affecting no-wave-adjacent chords in Through All the Beautiful Storms, which stands as the artist’s most heart-wrenchingly relatable release to date.

Anyone who has ever loved and lost will know how much the single rings true as it reflects how emotions conflictingly conflate, turning the sweetest memories into haunting reminders.

The intimate, instrumentally visualised, vignette penned in the wake of his mum’s passing couldn’t have unfolded as a more heart-wrenching ode to the soul the world is clearly darker without.

Through All the Beautiful Storms was officially released on July 27th; stream it on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Changing Tymz eviscerated anxiety by bringing the hard rock hammer down in ‘The Fear is Gone’

Posted on 20 July 2024
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=NfDpOE5glmM&si=1YFe7soOmWljtAqM

With their seminal single, The Fear is Gone, the breakthrough powerhouse, Changing Tymz delivered a sonic behemoth that firmly established them within the modern hard rock pantheon.

The track ensues from distortion-heavy chugging guitar riffs; an immediate clarion call for anyone who seeks sanctuary within the volition of hard rock. From there, a Metallica-esque aura of power and intensity takes hold of the auditory assault that is cast in introspective gold, encasing the most affecting elements of hard rock and metal.

Meticulous yet menacing, the rhythmically tight and explosive transitions that would leave any hard-rock fan broadsided become the perfect vessel for the deep-penetrating lyricism. By the time the song reaches its tumultuous outro, it has already awakened an indomitable spirit within.

The efficacious melodic hooks work in synergy with the haunting tinges of dark gothic glamour which manifests through the Evanescence-esque vocal stylings, affirming that few hard rock outfits can overpower the juggernautical entity which is Changing Tymz.

With their debut LP, Finish the Race, riling the airwaves, it’s time the world tuned into their cultivated, conscious command.

The Fear is Gone was officially released on July 5th; stream the single on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast