Browsing Tag

band

I Hear Voices: Torn Rhythms remembers the youthful hunger on Lines

Posted on 1 August 2023

Feeling like everything has faded away due to the cold world, Torn Rhythms takes us on a journey through the innocence of youth and shows us what life should be like on the visuals for Lines.

Torn Rhythms is a Virginia, USA-based indie 5-piece rock band that loves to inspire crowds with their classic sound that shall add a warm blood flow to all veins.

Ripping away all negativity and guiding us into a better place, Torn Rhythms has brought kindness back to music. This is quality stuff from an experienced outfit who shows us the truth.

Lines from Virginia, USA-based rockers Torn Rhythms is a trip down memory lane. It takes us back to a more suitable place. Flying hand-made planes, playing on the beach and reading after dark. This is pure. This is a single to show all kids, who have been exposed to the harshness of the world. To remind them that this is what it should be about, as freedom and learning to play, is the best way to being happy long-term.

See this inspiring new video on YouTube.

See more on their Facebook music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

North Blood shows us the lonely emotions in honest detail with official video for Postman’s Whistle

Posted on 31 July 2023

Taken from their upcoming debut album called Rolling Doves, North Blood are at their genuine best with the stunning visuals of a mental health trauma so many have felt over the last few years via Postman’s Whistle.

North Blood is a 4-piece indie band from the calming lands of beautiful Lancashire who have recently dropped their first single Supermarket Flowers.

“On our first practice, we realised we had something that excited us all and wanted to pursue further.” ~ Mick Bates and DRL

Hiding away the tears and watching the post stack up as the dirty plates start to crack under the strain, North Blood have made a relatable single which guides us through the terrible times that we all wish we could forget. Honestly, this is a great song and the video backs it up. Please call a friend who you have seen for a while as life is so fragile.

Postman’s Whistle from the Lancashire-based indie band North Blood is the truth. The bone-shaking truth. With a vocally serene aura and bringing us a catchy rhythm, this is a quality effort from experienced artists who get it. They’ve been around and know what the vibe is. Scintillating is one word to use. Hauntingly beautiful could be another way to describe this effort.

See this fine video on YouTube and take a break from the real world.

Check out their IG page for more news and views.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Shaven Primates tell us all about their chirp-filled rocking 4-track release Birds Aren’t Real

Posted on 29 July 2023

Reaching into the trees and slicing off a piece of the bark to get the night started, Shaven Primates kindly had a chat with us all about their brand new 4-track release called Birds Aren’t Real. Informing us all about the vision, the local music scene and what’s next, we are educated about what being in a band really means.

Llewelyn: Greetings Shaven Primates. Thank you for joining us as we appreciate your time. 1st question. Please tell us about how the band started, who’s all involved (band, booking agent, special fans etc).

Shaven Primates: Mark started the band with creating the template for our previous album, “Child Of Dirt” which was all centered around his life story in traumatic events, including childhood abuse and losing his memory at 17. He used those song templates to round up the rest of us, starting with Neil who is our sophisticated keyboardist, found via joinmyband.co.uk who then connected up with Tom Clark, the guitarist, and then found Jarod Ganoe on gumtree (“bored drummer wants to make some noise”), and then finally Nick Letellier joined in 2018 after hearing our work and having worked with Tom before.
We aren’t currently working with a booking agent but this is immediately on the agenda and we connect with promoters directly in the UK so far. Playing across Europe will follow suit, we hope!
Special fans have all been our locals so far as our first outings were as local performers here in Oxford in order to test the waters and see who might listen to us – our sound is very individual and pretty hard to pin down, but that’s art rock for you. Bowie, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Mars Volta; they’re all self described as such due to sticking to their own sound.

Llewelyn: Who are the cleanest and messiest band members?

Shaven Primates: Cleanest, in terms of rehearsal time, would have to be either Nick or Neil, with their well-organised nature (and decidedly vocally so). Mark is by far the messiest, with his head in the clouds most of the time, we’d say. Him and cables, it’s quite a sight.

Llewelyn: Birds Aren’t Real. Let’s get into it. It drops on the 28th of July. What was the vision behind the project and where did you record it/are you happy with the outcome?

Shaven Primates: After spending 5 years writing the epic life story album that was “Child Of Dirt”, we needed to write something from scratch that was an introspective on the world, this time on “alt thought”, a spin on the mesh of madness spread across the world in war, propaganda, lies, slander, hate, denial, and conspiracy. We wrote 3 songs around this along with 2 more on a perspective on the suicide of someone close, and the experiences of growing up in school with a mind that isn’t compatible.

We recorded it at our own built recording studio, TAD Studios – that was a huge project as it was a matter of repurposing a rehearsal space that operates with multiple rooms. All of them are interconnected, and we get so much out of what was created as our musical hub.

Llewelyn: What is the pre-gig routine before jamming live?

Shaven Primates: Largely waving arms around madly, trying to sort out our in-ear monitors, but otherwise we spend a lot of it helping people set up. We’ve been running live streams with ours lately, so it’s been an extra big part of the work to rig that up too.

Llewelyn: What does it mean to be in a band? What are the perks and what are some things that make it harder?

Shaven Primates: First off, having a group of people who also we can also proclaim as friends who look out for each other and make our musical accomplishments, working out what does and doesn’t work creatively or technically, and generally enjoying the day-to-day living of it all. It can be particularly hard when working with people we care about and finding we have differences, of course, but we do what we can to figure that all out. Really, that’s part of the work, I guess.

Llewelyn: Please rep your hometown. Where are you currently and where are the best places to watch good music in your local area?

Shaven Primates: Oxford! Love the place – Mark grew up there, and saw the 90s live scene evolve into what it was, with Supergrass, Radiohead, and Rise all blossoming into the airwaves. On the other hand, it’s been sad to watch it devolve, but a few places still hold it, such as the Jericho Tavern where Radiohead first played, or The Bullingdon which Supergrass still frequent, and particularly the Port Mahon still stands as a decent venue to catch newcomers. There’s also Tap Social Brewery which is promising to be a decent new venue, and The Jam Factory has also taken on new owners promising to put on live gigs soon. It’s all still there!

Llewelyn: Last, which bands would you like to perform with and do you have any funny gig stories/fan interactions you can share with us?

Shaven Primates: We’d love to connect with someone like Mars Volta, Radiohead, even Gary Numan who might take us on given our synth work. You never know!

The first gig we ever did was to a Filipino gig festival inside the Jericho Tavern, where it was mostly families sat around the side eating food and wondering what on earth was going on with what was on stage with us performing. All gigs are worthwhile though! Still enjoyed it.

–

Turn this up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Leeds-based indie rock evocators Milford Place will render hearts raw with their latest single, Lately

Posted on 7 July 2023
https://soundcloud.com/milfordplace/milford-place-lately-master-fade-in/s-SUBPUwi8RsX?si=5796a7869edf4f08b94da4827631e275&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Whoever you revere as the most iconic emotive indie rock acts of all time, everyone can agree that the Leeds, UK-hailing 4-piece Milford Place deserve a spot in the evocative rock hall of fame, especially after ‘Lately’ entered their discography.

After making their presence well-known on the local live scene in 2019 by playing to capacity crowds and always finding a new way to hone their live performances, the outfit is looking to come back with an even bigger bang following pandemic stagnation. After dropping Lately onto the airwaves, Milford Place will easily steal the hearts of indie rock fans who turn to sonic sanctity to quell their heartbreak.

With tinges of Peace, Jaws and M83 to their intricately lamenting sound, which always cuts to the core of emotion for visceral catharsis, we have no doubt that the melodic powerhouse will effortlessly dominate the indie landscape in Leeds and beyond.

Lately will officially release on June 7th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Hot Mamas interview: we spoke to the brave ladies and learn more about what happens Live at Clementine Cafe

Posted on 17 June 2023

Opening up a can of honesty for all the sad, disillusioned and broken-hearted, Shenandoah Valley’s The Hot Mamas guide into their debut 9-track album Live at Clementine Cafe, how the first 12 months have been as a band, cute resumes, dancing with aliens, being an all-female band, banjo energy and what it’s like entertaining crowds live on stage.

Llewelyn: Hello, The Hot Mamas. We really appreciate you chatting with us and taking a break from making music. Firstly, did you all go to school together or how did the band first start and connect creatively?

The Hot Mamas: Maria and Mallory both played ukulele and kazoo so, despite becoming good friends after some major life changes and swapping songs on porches in Staunton in the summer of 2021 they didn’t feel they could form a musical group together. Meanwhile, Casey and Jess had been connected through a local choral group and played various open mics together. In May 2022 Mallory was asked to fill a last-minute gig at a local winery and decided to invite Maria and Casey (she didn’t really know Jess yet) to play the show with her. Within one week the trio worked up a three-hour playlist and Jess came to the show and wrote the cutest resume on scratch paper (despite being a professional resume writer) and the rest is history!

Llewelyn: Live at Clementine Cafe. We love each of the 9-track equally and our bodies can’t stop grooving. How did the process start and please let us know who was involved & what the vision was.

The Hot Mamas: The Hot Mamas spent a lot of the summer of 2022 getting to know each other, sharing original songs and recording videos to have content to send to venues to play out. Most Monday evenings they would gather on Mallory’s back porch and one person would bring a new song or even a song idea (like Seafaring Wenches—Casey wrote Verse 1 and the chorus and the other gals helped each other write all of the rest of the verses—much of it based on some true stories!) and then play it down a few times, work on arranging it fully and then record a video at the end of the night of the 2-3 song we may have introduced.

By the fall The Hot Mamas had a great collection of original material and were in high demand with a lot of local fans begging for an album. The problem: they had no funds to make a record.

Jess and Mallory found out about a local grant through the Arts Council of the Valley, did a lot of research, submitted the application and…more history was made! The Hot Mamas received $1500 toward their record and that was enough to give them the inspiration to go for it.

Through a lot of help from fans (donated funds totalled almost $1500), a lot of hustlin’ and a ton of dedication, The Hot Mamas were able to record this album live (saved the cost of studio hours) in front of a sold-out crowd and capture, not only a great collection of songs but the energy and love that comes with a live performance of The Hot Mamas. Much of the magic you hear is to the credit of Gordon Davies—sound man extraordinaire. He is one of the best around and always records the performances at Clementine Café so The Hot Mamas just had to have it mixed and mastered. The amazing artwork was by one of Maria’s BFFs, Sydney Bronaugh.

Llewelyn: Who is the messiest & happiest person in the band and what other fun quirks do you all have that you don’t mind sharing with our readers?

The Hot Mamas: Messiest person—that’s probably Mallory—she has an eight-year-old and far too many children’s drum sets!
Happiest person—hmmmm…Maria is our beautiful princess butterfly.

More info here: EPK

Llewelyn: You’ve stated that your songs focus on empowered storytelling through the feminist lens. We’re so inspired by this statement. What does it mean to be an all-female band who are superbly honest lyrically?

The Hot Mamas: It is freeing. It is our first opportunity, collectively, to be in an all-female band. (Mallory for one has dreamed of being in an all-female project since the 2nd grade when she fell in love with The Bangles.) Most previous projects we have been in were not spaces where we could be fully honest in our writing. A lot of men we have worked with did not want to push a feminist agenda or were not comfortable doing so. It also feels very necessary to be the voice for other women. We are living in times where our rights to bodily autonomy are being stripped away across the nation. We have a song called “It’s Not Okay” that sounds like a fun, upbeat jazzy prohibition tune and then you realize it is talking about abortion rights. We have a song about the names women are called and how we are treated differently in professional settings called “If You Can’t Love Her Then Leave Her.” And we really would like to put out another record full of the songs we can’t sing at family events but that point out misogyny and female suppression. Songs about red flags we all have ignored and about a local political leader that tried to slander one of us and ended up resigning and leaving town instead. We have a lot more songs in the works for that.

Llewelyn: There are so many different instruments going on which is fantastic. Please explain to us all the intricacies behind the sound and who performs each one.

The Hot Mamas: Sadly, digital albums don’t show the backside cover art. I can attach an image of that later but it answers this question.
The Hot Mamas are:
Maria Leckey (accordion, ukulele, banjo, toy piano, kazoo, auxiliary percussion, vocals)
Mallory McKendry (jug bass, banjo, kazoo, vocals)
Casey Rolfe (bodhrán, washboard, ukulele, vocals)
Jess Young (ukulele, clarinet, banjo, toy piano, auxiliary percussion, vocals)

We were all primarily playing the ukulele when we started playing together. It’s like the modern-day “girl musician” cliché but we genuinely love ukes! However, we also all have a background in various instruments so we have steadily been working on developing our instrumentation to make the most impact. For example, we realize we need a bit more mids and bass range in our sound so Mallory plays a hand-crafted jug bass made by a friend out of a 2×4 and an old, plastic water jug. And Jess is working on getting some kind of cigar box guitar. And we want to add a simple bass drum for Casey. When she’s not around we have a suitcase drum we play with feet. And Maria has steadily been swapping the accordion in for the ukulele.

Llewelyn: If a UFO landed when you were performing live and aliens joined the crowd, what would you say to them? Also, if they were friendly, would you get them to get on that dancefloor?

The Hot Mamas: Hello friends!!! Glook glook glarken flark!! The Hot Mamas are the rulers of our planet! Welcome to the Hot Girl fun! Be nice. Also, C’mon and party down with us! Here’s a tambourine.

Llewelyn: Last question. What does the future hold? Lots of gigs and tours on the horizon and what should we keep an eye out for?

The Hot Mamas: The Hot Mamas are playing concerts all over the Shenandoah Valley this summer and touring through Hampton Roads to play a great listening venue Victorian Station—The Big Pink July 15. We are also playing Steppin’ Out Fest in Blacksburg on August 4 and at The Blackboard in Lewis, WV on August 5 with a female duo called Ma’am.

We have a member getting married this fall and one starting a Masters in Songwriting with Berklee Online so we may spend more time focusing on writing and recording and a little less time on live performance. But we will be pushing forward and would love to tour more once we settle into these life changes.

We do plan to be releasing new singles every few months and will start on that goal in a couple of weeks! So be on the lookout for more fresh music from The Hot Mamas!

Caresses all bad moods away on Spotify.

See more moves and gig news on IG.

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Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Stubbed my toe on a Rock: Moose Wrench man-flu’s their way through the midlife existential crisis on Not Dead Yet

Posted on 16 June 2023

Provoking us off our cosy crisp-laded crunchy couches and informing us to hastily brush off all those lazy mentalities which don’t help at all, Moose Wrench is at its roaring best and might shatter fragile glass windows that haven’t been triple-glazed with a speaker-breaking single to sit up with, Not Dead Yet.

Moose Wrench is a Leeds UK-based alternative act that loves to be known as the finest dad-bod alt-core trio in the world with their ultimate confidence and groovy vibes to entertain all ages who are brave enough.

Angry and snarling. Brisk and brooding. Moose Wrench is the name. Leeds is in their blood through and through. Turn them up okay? Before they break something. Anything. They make loud music which is right up in your nostrils.

Not Dead Yet from Leeds UK-based alternative act Moose Wrench is a thunderous release that you will either love to pieces or find compelled to shout at. Either way, that’s the point. They don’t care about our feelings at all. Making music they love is the mission, that loyal fans will bounce off walls to hear.

This is underground music with a piercing sound, that will slice through earlobes like a spikey pin in the night.

Turn this up on Spotify.

See more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

If It Bothers You: Alien Al and the Juperoids ride inside the hot beat on Queer Anthem

Posted on 15 June 2023

Wondering what the vibe is and mounting the ride just at the right time, Alien Al and the Juperoids open up our minds with the authentic single which will make many eager and others totally flabbergasted with the Queer Anthem.

Alien Al and the Juperoids is a high-tempo indie pop/electronic band that loves to take charge of the moment and make some delightfully punchy and fun music to hold hands with during those frigid nights.

Known best for their massive debut single called Probe, Alien Al and the Juperoids are in shirt-tearing form and shall startle many birds with this exhilarating anthem for those who are looking for new heroes to believe in. Conducted by their fearless leader Alyx Nazir, this is a stomach healing track to munch on rather merrily.

Queer Anthem from the thrilling pop/electronic band Alien Al and the Juperoids is the kind of song that could inspire anxious humans to express themselves. In a world that often judges without knowledge, this is a reminder that music with substance is always welcome.

Hear this proud new single on YouTube.

See more of the vision on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Land of Fear: In The Distance slashes the tires of those who aren’t ready with Hollow

Posted on 14 June 2023

Blending powerfully built metal, punk rock and a weighty sound to bust down even the most complex bank safe, In The Distance helps us free ourselves from all fear with the no-love-lost thunderbolt to smash the haters away into the ocean, Hollow.

In The Distance is a Minneapolis-based indie hardcore rock band that packs a punch which might break fragile hearts into two as they certainly mean business.

Displaying decades of knowledge and experience, the family band In The Distance remind us of the destroyed dreams and general mistrust of the world. They slice their way into our inner cores with an honest story to rock out to no matter the weather presented.

Hollow from Minneapolis-based indie hardcore rock band In The Distance is a massive statement of intent. Guiding us through the rubble and into a better mindset appears to be the mission, which has been pulled off rather well on this underground demo.

Rugged and ready to inspire cold hearts, we grab the shovel and dig deeper to find that escape away from this seemingly jail-like current planet.

Listen up deeper on Spotify.

View more vibes on Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Rise and Shine: The Board of Directors drop the freshest debut to sip on rather sweetly in the sunshine, We

Posted on 13 June 2023

Inspiring us all to be ourselves and not let anything get in the way of true happiness despite all the small-minded opinions ruining our moods like an onion in the eye, The Board of Directors have made a marvellous first impression to alleviate all trepidations away on the tremendously soulful debut, We.

The Board of Directors is a New York City-based 6-piece powerhouse group that loves to fuse different genres such as pop, funk, RnB and soul to make their music rather delightfully incomparable.

Calming all anxious nerves away like a waterslide day out with family and friends on a summer’s day, The Board of Directors have made an important gem which is a meaningful track to turn up loud for all ages. Vocally sweet and lyrically on point, to open up minds and bring us back to a better place in time.

We from New York City-based 6-piece band The Board of Directors is a jam-this-all-night-no-matter-what song to help us all meditate the stress far away. Stunning our hair into a happier place and taking us into a much more content world, this is a pick-me-up experience to wash all scars away in a few minutes.

If you’re looking for a single with unity, this is the winner to turn up loud.

Hear this fine new single on Spotify.

Find out more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Dedicated to all our serving military friends: Teku Syndrom leaps towards the light at the end of The Path

Posted on 7 June 2023

Taken from their spectacular 5-track EP to consume with utter satisfaction, Teku Syndrom sees the target in sight and drops a soldier-filled single for all those who wonder why they’re involved in such destruction on The Path.

Teku Syndrom is an Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada-based indie rock band who are 5-member strong and rattle the fences nearby with an exhilarating blend of powerfully designed music to start up all slow heartbeats.

”The band’s debut single “Help Me Grow” was released in May 2022 and quickly worked its way up numerous online charts as well onto Australian radio. The powerful ballad captures the emotions surrounding Raz’s daughter’s gender transition, delving into how she reached out to her family for support throughout her life-changing/altering/awakening and inspirational journey.” ~ Teku Syndrom

Goodness gracious me, this is precisely what our warn-torn world needed. A proper song with a meaning many will truly feel. Teku Syndrom is rather brilliant on The Path and projects a real story that others chose to hide away from, instead of embracing.

The Path from New Brunswick, Canada-based indie rock band Teku Syndrom is a drum-packed experience featuring ear-healing vocals to show us inside the mindset of those brave warriors who carry on despite the emotional and long-lasting trauma.

Showing us deep inside real life and honouring those who put their life on the line each day, to pulsate our souls and make us all respect those who fight with the inner emotions of slaying other humans when called upon.

See this dynamically charged music on YouTube.

Find out more and see where they’re playing live next on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen