Browsing Tag

Avant Garde Rock

The Animal Objective’s ‘Irregular Handshake’ Shakes Up Rock’s Stagnant Foundations

Posted on 28 November 2024

The Animal Objective cast the first stone in the rock revolution that the airwaves have been crying out for with their debut EP, featuring the standout single ‘Irregular Handshake’. By pulling the amplified and overdriven roots of rock into frenetically electric obscurity, the prodigal sons of avant-garde riffs ensure their experimentalism is accessible enough for anyone determined not to see their ’70s and ’80s rock records gather dust. Innovative enough to demand novelty-seekers firmly affix this release to their playlists from the first groove.

If it’s been a while since your mind was sonically fucked and demanded a cigarette afterwards, hit play and prepare yourself for the psychedelic climax that allows you to imagine what Soul Asylum would have sounded like if they’d brought an arsenal of acid and some Mike Patton influence into the studio.

Conceived by British musician and graphic artist Tim Naish, The Animal Objective began as a solo venture before evolving into a four-piece ensemble after Tim relocated to France. Joined by fellow musical misfits Sylvie Pichard (bass), Tonyo Chauveau (drums), and Jojo Pannier (guitar) in 2019, the band became a labour of love that fully realised Tim’s eccentric vision.

Their debut EP, ‘Creature Law‘, released on 11th October 2024, showcases their eccentric mix of angular grooves, hypnotic melodies, and infectious energy that recounts surreal tales from this world and beyond. If you want to expand your mind, this EP will blow the hinges off the door to your psyche.

Irregular Handshake is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Liberace of punk, Cinemartyr, are back in proggy Avant-Garde form in ‘No Legacy’

Posted on 30 May 2022

Baroque folk meets prog rock in the latest single, No Legacy, from the NYC-residing Avant-Garde outfit, Cinemartyr who have lasciviously been stealing the crown of the boldest aural architects since their original formation in 2008.

The doomy, heavy guitars follow the ultimate head-banging formula as the riffs keep on getting brought back slower for the aphrodisiacal angsty effect. While Irish folk nuances, from founding member, Shane Harrington’s geographical ghetto past, sporadically eke in through the pull of classical strings and the tonal shifts in Amber Moon’s vocal eccentricity. The era-hopping vocal lines are enough to put Kate Bush and Dua Lipa in the same league.

Keep them on your radar for the release of their forthcoming album, OPT OUT, which will be available to to stream and purchase from June 17th.

The official music video premiered on March 3rd; you can stream it for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Weimar started an art-rock riot in their off-kilter ode to the glamour of the American Dream in ‘The Girls of LA’

Posted on 27 March 2022

Manchester’s most Avant-Garde art-rock collective, Weimar, came in with all glamorous guns blazing in their latest single, The Girls of LA, which increased the anticipation of the things to come in their eagerly awaited debut album, Dancing on a Volcano.

With a shift from their usual baroque post-punk style, The Girls of LA is a departure from what the airwaves acquiesced to before but Weimar knew exactly what they were doing by bringing this riotous bop-worthy track to the aural table in turbulent times. Sonic escapism doesn’t come much sweeter than when its off the back of the sunset strip.

The energy parallels that of the most enlivening tracks by the Ramones but with their signature artful gravitas, its proto-punk as you’ve never known it before. As the lyrics reflect on the high-class American dream, the endlessly off-kilter instruments drive up the discord into infectious heights. It has all the makings of an alt-rock earworm paired with the finesse of a muso’s Achilles heel.

Girls of LA will officially release on March 25th; you can check it out by heading to SoundCloud and Weimar’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucas Kurmis – I Thought I Died: Alluringly Dark Avant-Garde

Posted on 29 December 2020
Lucas Kurmis

‘I Thought I Died’ is the forthcoming Avant-Garde Noise Folk Punk single from Plymouth-based artist Lucas Kurmis. It makes Sonic Youth sound tame.

It feels like somewhere along the way everyone forgot that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable, everyone apart from Lucas Kurmis. I Thought I Died is confrontational, abrasive, and utterly transfixing. The snarled spoken word vocals float over sporadic drum pounding and cymbal smashing, pulling the mix together is a sparse smattering of reverby electronic effect which nicely completes the minimalistic yet monumentally resounding single.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out I Thought I Died for yourselves. In the meantime, head over to SoundCloud to delve into their earlier releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

8udDha bl0od – Untitled 1299; L3<3l <3; liv3 4 n0WVL0<3 f0R3<3R:12:42; !! + ii = V; fligh7 0f 7h3 3.:.gl3

Posted on 12 May 2020
https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/untitled-1299-liv3-4-n0w-l0v3-f0r3v3r

8udDha bl0od’s recently released single “Untitled 1299; L3<3l <3; liv3 4 n0WVL0<3 f0R3<3R:12:42; !! + ii = V; fligh7 0f 7h3 3.:.gl3” is a must for any fans of Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca.

But rather than assimilating Avant-Garde pioneers, 8udDha bl0od weaved in plenty of their own distinction through the use of bluesy, hazily psychedelic atmospheric tones.

The experimental Math Rock notes fall into just the right place to create a rhythmic pull which will lead you through the deftly crafted progressive soundscape. As the track progresses, the rhythms get tighter and tighter until you’re aware that your own rhythmic pulses have become arrested by the hypnotically cutting track.

You can check out Untitled 1299; L3<3l <3; liv3 4 n0WVL0<3 f0R3<3R:12:42; !! + ii = V; fligh7 0f 7h3 3.:.gl3 for yourselves along with 8udDha bl0od’s earlier releases by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Digital Dreamers – Matzo Ball Marriage: Obscurely Infectious Avant-Garde Pop Rock

Posted on 12 May 2020

“Matzo Ball Marriage” is the eccentrically orchestrated latest single from Avant-Garde Experimental artist The Digital Dreamers. Any fans of Frank Zappa will definitely want to delve into the aural insanity which ensues after you hit play.

The growling bass notes in the prelude may lead you to believe that you’re about to be introduced to a serious Funk Rock track. But when the endearingly adrenalizing vocals kick in over the up-tempo piano notes as they electrically sail through their progressions, you’ll realise that The Digital Dreamers only takes the quality of their slightly obscure, insanely infectious sound seriously.

They’ve left quite the impression. We’re already stoked to hear what comes next.

You can check out Matzo Ball Marriage for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Telamor – Wild Wild Weekend: Avant-Garde Party Rock

Posted on 9 April 2020
https://telamor.bandcamp.com/track/wild-wild-weekend-metal-mix

As a staunch Frank Zappa fan, it was impossible not to instantly fall in love with Boston-based up and coming artist Telamor’s latest single Wild Wild Weekend (Metal Mix).

The eccentrically experimental track fuses sleazy Party Rock with artfully inventive elements of Avant-Garde Blues to create a supercharged infectiously playful track. I live to write the words ‘you’ve never heard anything quite like this before’, and they’ve never been more accurate.

Telamor may not take himself all too seriously, but the nuances in the sound and the quality of the production prove that he takes his sound incredibly seriously. If you’re looking for a sticky-sweet riff-soaked aural pick me up, look no further than this insanely refreshing taste breaker.

You can stream and download Telamor’s latest release by heading over to Bandcamp.

Keep up to date with the artist’s new releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast