Browsing Tag

Blues Rock

Forget the ‘new normal’ embrace Firebug’s nostalgia-rich rock single, Change

Posted on 15 June 2022

Given that nothing is a given except the unrelenting presence of change, Firebug’s latest rock single on the very subject of it is perhaps one of the most universally resonant tracks you can drift into.

The Joshua Tree-hailing artist left enough ambiguity within the lyrics to let you implant your own meaning and laments of the ever-influx facets of existence that can turn nostalgia into mourning and grief. Yet, through Juliette Tworsey’s haunting-in-spite-of-stridence vocals and the dusty blues-rock guitars, Firebug was in complete control of your emotional impulses as you listen to the plaintively painted in sepia single.

Every time we hear Firebug, we’re even more assured that they are amongst the few artists worth following in the time we’ve found ourselves within. In gorgeously subversive fashion, Change shows us how naive we were to ever anticipate ‘the new normal’.

Listen to Firebug’s latest album, No Return, for yourselves on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Imbibe with Dr Todd’s latest scuzzed up blues-rock hit, Give Me a Shot

Posted on 31 May 2022

Austin’s scuzz rock troubadours Dr Todd got intoxicatingly punch drunk in their latest off-kilter hit, Give Me a Shot. The riotously clever cocktail of no wave and blues-rock is potent enough to rival the frenetic fever of the Cramps and the Legendary Shack Shakers, but all reminiscences are extremely fleeting in the hedonistic anthem, which unravels to the tune of heavy distortion, resonator guitars, rock n roll attitude and whiskey fumes.

Based on Give Me a Shot alone, if you have the chance to see Dr Todd live; take it. Or at the very least, imbibe in the high energy catharsis.

Give Me a Shot hit the airwaves in May 2022 through Romgod Records. It is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Rochester roots-rock renegade Brian Lindsay has delivered the ultimate riff-licked ‘Revival’

Posted on 31 May 2022

Ahead of his fourth album, Revival, the NYC roots-rocker, Brian Lindsay, teased the modernity-weary, whiskey-soaked soul within it by giving us a sneak peek of the title single, which throws you right back to the time when lighters were held in the air instead of iPhones.

His virtuosic yet humble approach to songwriting is one of the best escapes from the 21st-century that you could possibly ask for. Between the deep yearning romanticism and the swoon-worthy soaring guitar licks, you get the affirmation that Brian Lindsay is the real revival deal. As much as he taps into Springsteen and Ryan Adams-Esque high energy melodicism, he leans into his signature rugged yet smooth intoxicating aural juxtaposition style.

Revival was officially released on May 20th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Spotify or via his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nina Duschek has released her sultrier than Setzer swinging blues-rock debut single, Married to the Art

Posted on 30 May 2022

There is no love affair like the one an artist can have with their craft. For definitive proof, turn to the sultry, swinging blues-rock proclamation of passion, Married to the Art, by the Italian born and raised singer-songwriter & busker Nina Duschek.

The Setzer-Esque genre crumble knows exactly when to drip a little salacious magnetism before switching it up through the playful reggae-infused guitar rhythms. As for the vocals, Duschek is one of the most beautifully unapologetically authentic artists to have appeared on our radar this year. Her vibrant free-spiritedness is organically infectious. Naturally, we can’t wait to hear what follows.

Married to the Art is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

West Ridge Circle – Stuck in This Chair: The Ultimate Off-Kilter Alt-90s Ode to Ennui

Posted on 20 April 2022

Taken from their debut EP, Nobody Home, West Ridge Circle’s standout single, Stuck in This Chair, is an eclectic array of era-spanning rock nuances and modernist lyrical vulnerability.

Fans of Pavement, Pixies and Nirvana will want to drink up the 21st-century melancholy that drips through the lyrics and captures the frustration that lingers in unrelenting ennui. It’s tracks like Stuck in This Chair that prove there’s a beauty in collective misery, that now, we can hear lyrics, and it isn’t an Olympian stretch of the imagination to get on the same level. Granted, that isn’t always a given, but West Ridge Circle are thriving on the funk that is writhing through our existential hive minds.

With the J Mascis-style guitar chops, the despondent Americana blues-rock vocals that come with a tinge of the Seattle alt-90s sound and the eerily relatable lyrics, Stuck in This Chair has all the makings of a melancholy alt-rock playlist staple. We hope there’s another release nestled in the pipeline.

Stuck in This Chair is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find a ‘Moment of Joy’ in Firebug’s Bluesy Desert Rock Single

Posted on 20 March 2022

The immensely and immeasurably talented Joshua Tree recording artist, Firebug, has given us a taste of what’s to come on their forthcoming psychedelic desert-rock album by teasing us with the old-school-rock-but-never-as-you’ve-heard-it-before single, Moment of Joy.

They kicked up the dust on the archetypal desert rock vibes by adding a little New Orleans flavour and nuances of folk and blues. If I could take a bath in the arcanely psychedelic tones that are swathed in 60’s and 70’s nostalgia, I’d be hesitant to get out. For impious musos, sonic experiences don’t get much more spiritual than Moment of Joy which grips you by the scruff of the neck and drags you into the feel-good bliss with the striking vocals as a guide.

So far, the successes counted by Firebug include performing at SXSW in Austin, CMJ in NYC, Sonisphere Festival, and the Viper Room in LA. After this release, it is easy to see that Firebug is only just getting started.

Moment of Joy is part of Firebug’s album, No Return, which will drop on March 18th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves via Firebug’s official website and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ACISS have released their scuzz-slicked rock EP, Wild Ride

Posted on 17 March 2022

New York’s prodigal sons in the making, ACISS, laid the scuzz on thick with their driving rock and roll debut EP, Wild Ride. The promising debut is a whisky and gasoline swathed anthem that carries similar hooks to what you will find in AC/DC, Guns N Roses and White Snake classics.

Yet, with ACCIS’ tendency to pull its roots from the 70s to the 90s, you’ve never come across sonic pallets akin to the overdriven tones that tease classic rock nostalgia before subverting the raucously electric anthems into brand-new territory. The title single is the perfect introduction to ACISS’ devil-may-care demeanour and instrumentals that can sonically take you down the Sunset Strip at 100mph.

ACISS’ debut EP is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alexander Craig makes blues-rock bop-worthy in Atmosphere We’re Under

Posted on 12 March 2022
Alexander Craig

The Minnesota-based producer, singer-songwriter and prodigal son of rock n roll, Alexander Craig, has teased what’s to come in his upcoming album by giving us a sneak peek of the standout single, Atmosphere We’re Under. You’d be hard-pressed to find a scuzzier bop-worthy feat of blues-rock.

Atmosphere We’re Under is wild with its cheeky, punch-drunk energy that contains the same bite as your average ego-fuelled track. Yet, after stepping out from behind his successful aural alter-ego, Crankshaft, Alexander Craig made a positive stylistic move that radiates through his up-beat lyrics and gasoline-soaked high-energy grooves. The standout track is every bit as hooky and infectious as any of Josh Homme’s many endeavours, but with Alexander Craig, there’s roots-deep respect for rock n roll.

Alexander Craig is going old-school with his debut blues-rock album; it will only be available via CD and Vinyl. After being teased by the roots-rich soul in Atmosphere We’re Under, he can definitely take my money.

Check out Alexander Craig via his official website, Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The alt-rock powerhouse, Silence in Surrender, is ‘Coming Up’ in the first single to be released from their forthcoming album.

Posted on 4 March 2022

South West London’s riffiest prodigal sons of hard rock, Silence in Surrender, have teased what it is to come in their forthcoming album with the release of the first single, Coming Up.

As soon as I hit play, the virtuosic furore shunted me right back to the early 00s metal and hard rock scene; as the dynamic track progresses, they keep the instrumental curveballs coming with the infusion of thrash and the Seattle sound.

I never thought I would see the day when a track could appease fans of Mastodon, Bring Me the Horizon, Faith No More, Velvet Underground and Pixies simultaneously, but Silence in Surrender delivered that and a whole lot more with Coming Up. It appears that they’re the only one that got the memo about bringing the sex appeal back to rock too – the guitar solos should come with an X-Rating.

Coming Up is due for release on March 4th. You can check out the official music video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max Muscato’s razor-sharp pop-rock hooks cut like a knife in his latest earworm, Valarie.

Posted on 27 February 2022

After a five-year stint away from the airwaves, Max Muscato proved that you can’t rush perfection with the release of his rock-licked smitten seminal single, Valerie.

The singer-songwriter, guitarist, and CEO of the NPO, Rock Autism, allowed Valarie to unravel as a matured version of Girl All the Bad Guys Want by Bowling for Soup with his eclectic range of influences, which include John Mayer, Maroon 5, Wolfmother, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Beck.

The long-awaited track which follows on from his 2017 debut album, Act One, is an intoxicating blend of razor-sharp pop-rock hooks, virtuosic riffs, blues rock interludes and, of course, Muscato’s endlessly energetic sense of soul that pours through his drunk-in-love raconteur vocals. We eagerly anticipate what follows.

Valerie is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast