Browsing Tag

Britpop

FAVORITE released the filthiest earworm of the year with DIRTY MONEY

Posted on 14 August 2021

Atlanta alt-punk pioneers FAVORITE have released their stormer of a single, DIRTY MONEY; anti-capitalist rhetoric has never been more anthemic. With a touch of Mansun and Glasvegas to the frenetic punk-rock instrumentals and the massive production, DIRTY MONEY lends brit-pop and alt-90s tones before feeding them through their scuzzed-up riffs and ensnaring hooks.

The single may serve the stark reminder that everything we do is another act in the corrupt economic system, but it also shows that there’s until there’s an alternative, we should find pleasure in whatever we can. DIRTY MONEY is enough to bring hedonism back into trend. Oscar Wilde would be proud.

DIRTY MONEY is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Folk meets Britpop in River Knight’s latest single, She Came Round, featuring Ralph Walling.

Posted on 5 July 2021
https://soundcloud.com/river-knight-613028707/she-came-round-1

Americana meets UK Britpop in River Night’s alt-folk single, She Came Round, featuring Ralph Walling. While instrumentally, the semi-orchestral folky instrumentals run in the same vein as Dylan’s did in the 70s, there’s a touch of Oasis and the Stone Roses to the vocals that contrast with the accordant tones of the acoustic guitar progressions.

She Came Round is just one of the authentically original singles from the Southampton-based duo’s lockdown-born album, Grow, which released on June 25th. With plenty of tour dates in their diary, 2021 could very well be the year of River Knight.

She Came Round is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Finley Clark explores growing pains in her latest bitter-sweet alt-pop track, ‘Lessons from a Great Cult Leader’.

Posted on 5 June 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPx0eseiYWE

With her latest single, ‘Lessons from a Great Cult Leader’, Finley Clark paid ode to her greatest lyrical inspiration, Bob Dylan, in collaboration with guitarist Alex Bunghez and producer Stefan Paraschiv. The lyrics tell a coming-of-age story that explores rights of passages and paths to maturity; instrumentally, the bitter-sweet melodies capture the innocence and ecstasy of youth along with the growing pains that eventually kick in when we leave our naivety behind.

With the fiery rockabilly guitar solos, Lessons from a Great Cult Leader is blazoned with some serious rock stripes; with Finley’s effect-laden vocals and the dancey beats, you’ll be thrown right back to 90s Britpop. Any fans of Garbage, The Cardigans and the Cranberries will definitely want to experience this authentically infectious track for themselves.

Lessons from a Great Cult Leader released on May 24th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mike Stoyanov has made their unmissable indie garage rock debut with ‘Star’.

Posted on 18 April 2021

After lending his talent to various rock and blues outfits, London’s Mike Stoyanov made his solo debut on February 12th with the punchy indie garage rock track ‘Star’.

With the vocal swagger of Liam Gallagher and his fresh take on garage rock, anyone still turning to indie for their aural euphoria fixes will undoubtedly feel the dopamine flood when hitting play. It’s an unapologetic feel-good track that couldn’t have hit the airwaves at a better time. If anything can dissolve the ego, it’s enduring 12 months of pandemic times that have stifled the arts, yet, Mike Stoyanov is here with an anthemic reminder that the rock n roll persona is still as fitting as ever. He’s pretty convincing too. You’ll want him on your radar for his sophomore release.

Star is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Leafs spliced classic rock with 90s Britpop in their latest single ‘Mr. Coffey’

Posted on 6 March 2021

Classic rock conservationists, The Leafs, dug up the roots of 70s rock and spliced them with elements of 90s Britpop in their latest single ‘Mr. Coffey’. With driving guitar tones as vintage as Keith Richards himself, the preservation of classic rock is safe in the deft hands of The Leafs – and so is the future of alt-rock.

With vocals which are sweet to the point of seduction, a psychedelic kick to the synthy euphoria-spilling instrumentals and tenderly romantic lyrics, you can expect your soul to be filled and your rhythmic pulses to be arrested while this earworm crawls in.

The Berlin-based artist may have only made their debut in 2020, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another 2021 release containing more commercial potential than Mr. Coffey. It’s an obsession-worthy track.

Mr. Coffey is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Divisions vent their ‘Quiet Frustrations’ on post-truth politics and social division

Posted on 20 January 2021
Divisions by Divisions

If UK alt-rock five-piece Divisions had scripted 2020, they still couldn’t have come up with a more appropriate time to release their eponymous second album (due out March 12th). In preparation, they lead in with this, the opening single from the ten-track album, available via Bandcamp and with an accompanying ‘lockdown-special’ video on YouTube.

‘Quiet Frustrations’ is a powerful track, a statement around social division, post-truth politics, the frustrations of pandemic-stricken Britain, and that horrible over-arching ennui and exhaustion that’s seemed to blanket us all for the last couple of years. It’s a great song, potent, intelligent, thoughtful, and unusual yet with enough commercial nous to appeal to a wider audience; think Thirty Seconds To Mars with a little more introspection and inner-city tower-block feel, and you’re pretty much on the money.

See the lock-down video for ‘Quiet Frustrations’ on YouTube. Buy ‘Quiet Frustrations’, and pre-order ‘Divisions’, from Bandcamp.

Stranger Girl show us their ‘Bad Side’ on their glorious new single.

Posted on 28 November 2020
Stranger Girl

Last year’s trio of singles from South East-based indie darlings Stranger Girl saw them, amongst other accolades, hitting BBC Introducing’s Track of the Week. Now, despite Covid, lockdown, and the dearth of gig opportunities currently threatening the music scene across the UK, they’re back with 3’10” of gorgeous, glittering alt-pop in the form of new single ‘Bad Side’.

Take a large portion of Sleeper and Elastica and a little of an imaginary female-fronted Candyskins, mix them up in a huge Britpop cauldron with a liberal helping of Blondie and The Strokes, and add in some ‘21st Century’ flavouring for good measure, and you’ve pretty much got the recipe for ‘Bad Side’. It’s sublime, an absolutely perfect slice of classic, chart-ready indie-pop. Singer Melissa sounds like Louise Wener with a side-order of Saffron from Republika and a little of the obvious Debbie Harry, the guitars shimmer and sparkle, and the sparse-but-snappy rhythm section powers and bounces the track along. There’s rawness but humour in the lyrical storytelling, but amidst the melancholy and geekiness there’s a hook that sticks in your head alongside the shouty gang vocal chorus. It’s upbeat, poppy, and just a little bit fantastic.

Check out Stranger Girl on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Mansion Family lightens the mood with their enchantingly jangly Alt Pop hit ‘It’s Not Safe’

Posted on 26 November 2020

The artist formally known as 8uDdha Bl0od returns once more, and whilst nothing has changed, everything – everything – is different. A mix of Alt-Rock and Britpop, ‘It’s Not Safe’ is a stunning, enchanting three-minute jangly pop song in the ‘oh-so-English’ observational reflective style of Menswear, The Divine Comedy, or Pulp. Inspired by lockdown, Covid 19 restrictions, and the one-in-one-out policy of the local Tesco, ‘It’s Not Safe’ squirms and wriggles its way into your head, donning its mask and gloves on the way and gently but firmly making its presence felt.

Effortlessly tongue-in-cheek, with a delicious self-effacing humour, but still defiantly a ‘serious’ pop song rather than comedy or pastiche, ‘It’s Not Safe’ is a gorgeous little piece of refreshingly glitzy songwriting with a sublime catchy hook, delectable jangly guitars, and a crackingly nonchalant vocal delivery. Absolute, total fun-pop. That’s a thing now.

Listen to ‘It’s Not Safe’ now on Soundcloud.

Review by Alex Holmes

Simon Husbands pulls punches with their single ‘Fighting The Man’

Posted on 16 November 2020
Simon Husbands

‘Fighting The Man’ is the first track from Simon Husbands’ new debut album ‘POP’ – after “45 years of working with other artists”. As a taster for what’s to come it’s really rather good.

A classic ‘three-and-a-half minute’ pop song, all classic indie-rock in a supercharged 90’s Britpop/punk kind of way – Ash, maybe, Cast, or the Bluetones – with some classic rock flourishes to Husband’s Les Paul-swathed guitar playing, but there’s a definite Nick Cope of the much-missed Candyskins (and now the excellent CBeebies Nick Cope Popcast) to the vocals here, too.

‘POP’ the album is released on December 4th, but you can hear ‘Fighting The Man’ on Simon Husband’s website – and it’s a perfect taster for what’s to come.

Review by Alex Holmes

Longcoats bring out awesome indie-rock UK party starter ‘Drag’

Posted on 27 August 2020

‘Drag‘ from Longcoats is the fantastic new single from the top notch UK band.

Formed in 2019 by Ollie Sharp, Arthur Foulstone, Kane Pollastrone & Norton Robey, Longcoats fuse that classic British Indie Rock sound of a generation with a sprinkle of American Pop Rock for their own jaunty energetic feel and catchy hooks that make every garden party feel like Reading Festival.

2020 brings their debut EP ‘October’ on Halloween and sadly also brings the departure of two band members.  However two new members are already In place brings Austen Rudall on Bass & Ollie Bull Lifely on Drums which is an exciting new move for the band.

The sound is laid completely bare, naked in its realness and grit from the vocals that brew like a newly made cuppa tea. The band have a way of keeping your attention with their groovy riffs and dance-along style. They want you to get sweaty while listening, letting your body move in ways 2020 has taken away from our souls.

Longcoats have released two songs now and you can hear the evolution already from 2019’s ‘Used To Being Used‘. I feel like ‘Drag‘ is their best effort yet with much more to come.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen