Browsing Tag

Electronic Rock

Sean Grinsell rocks psych and blues into his intense symphonic single, Rogue.

Posted on 31 July 2021
Sean Grinsell

Up and coming artist Sean Grinsell rocked psych and blues into his upcoming experimental single, Rogue. The doomy, scuzzy track carries the intense symphonic feel of FalKKonE along with licks of frenetic rock n roll that make the Black Keys sound as tame as Maroon 5.

The dramatic and edgy instrumental score is absorbing from start to finish; midway through the extended single, there’s a switch to chiptune style electronica before Grinsell shows his 50s rock n roll stripes once more. Any true fan of artful aural experimentalism will want to experience Rogue for themselves.

Rogue is the first song of five to be released from the EP, R is for Redemption, due for release on all major platforms from August 20th, 2021.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TUNNL19 deliver grungy industrial rock in their debut single, ‘Voices’.

Posted on 9 July 2021

TUNNL19 has been making major waves in the alt-rock scene in Puerto Rico since 2013. Originally, they performed in cover bands, their latest single, ‘Voices’, proves they have just as much talent as the artists they were covering.

It’s a bitter pill that many artists have to swallow that ‘good’ instrumentalists don’t necessarily make great songwriters; the hooks and fervent energy in Voices affirm that was never going to be an issue for TUNNL19.

After a fuzzy synthesised intro, the electronic alt-grunge track starts to unfold with scuzzy, Rob Zombie-reminiscent-guitars, high-energy grunge vocals and industrial beats that come with an alt-90’s-style-psychedelic kick. They even managed to find room for some post-punk sensibilities in the low reverberant basslines that won’t fail to pull you into the heart of this fiery feat of refreshing alt-rock.

Voices officially released on July 2nd; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

OurNova reached the pinnacle of dark electro-rock with ‘Nicotine & Nosebleeds’.

Posted on 15 June 2021

OurNova’s latest EP, Bloodlines, Vol. 1, finds the middle-ground between lo-fi alt-rock and synth-pop; the perfect introduction to their dark electronic rock style is the ambiently plaintive standout single, Nicotine & Nosebleeds.

With the tempo of a Portishead track, chilling mechanical electronica tones reminiscent of NIN and the evocative sting of Blue October, Nicotine & Nosebleeds sits on the more melancholic side of the emotional spectrum. Yet, with the refreshingly honest lyrics and the sharp angular guitar progressions that cut through the dark atmosphere of the single, there’s no danger of falling into an existential hole while listening to the reflectively powerful single unfold.

Check out Nicotine & Nosebleeds for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ares Adamidis – Black Flower: Entrancing Indietronica

Posted on 8 May 2021

Here to prove that drummers can write music is 20-year-old instrumentalist Ares Adamidis with his album, ‘Yellow’. The lead single, ‘Black Flower’, is a spacey electronic indie garage rock testament of Ares’ playful, unpretentious explorative style which bears not even a fraction of assimilation.

With hints of 00s indie with 00s pop-punk weaved into the futuristic soundscape that throws even further back to the golden age of post-punk, it doesn’t matter how many obscurities Ares threw at Black Flower, the swathes of nostalgia swallow you; while nothing in the bright and punchy mix feels stale.

His aural distinction is one thing, the energy he brings both vocally and instrumentally is quite another. You can expect the same level of energy in the most anthemic tracks by The Vaccines.

Black Flower is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HEwas give us a new, bang up-to-date take on a classic with ‘2 + 2 = ?’

Posted on 7 May 2021

Ok, so first things first; yes, this is a cover of Bob Seger’s classic anti-war song, from Seger’s ‘Ramblin, Gamblin Man’ album in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam war and as anti-war sentiment in the US was growing. It’s interesting to see how much, and yet how little, has changed in the intervening 53 years – anti-war feelings still run high, race-related civil rights issues still grace the news seemingly every day, and LGBT rights are still abused and debated daily.

Into that mix comes HEwas, singer, songwriter, activist and LGBT campaigner. Already a ‘million stream’ artist with his first two releases, ‘Lemon’ and ‘WHOLEthing’, which featured Grammy nominee Afroman. Now, with ‘2 + 2 = ?’, HEwas has taken that old Seger classic, with updated instrumentation but no change to the feel and groove of the original, making a perfect homage meets timely update to a pertinent and completely relevant song, to produce an utterly modern take on a song that’s as relevant today as it was fifty years ago.

You can hear ‘2 + 2 = ?’, and the rest of HEwas’ releases, on Spotify, and follow on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Tremantis – Better Think 2wice: Angsty Electronic Alt-Rock

Posted on 24 April 2021

Any fans of Fidlar’s angstily playful garage indie rock style will want to get acquainted with Tremantis’ electronic alt-rock track, ‘Better Think 2wice’.

With elements of Beastie Boys-style hip-hop-infused into the mix along with Mindless Self Indulgence-Esque synth-driven breakdowns and 8-bit chiptune influences, Better Think 2wice is for anyone who wants to hear nothing but unadulterated expression in their alt-rock tracks.

The LA-based powerhouse formed in 2017; since then, they’ve racked up 400k streams on their most popular bluesy indie track, ‘Hey Me’, and there’s plenty more in the pipeline. Tremantis will be releasing a new track every month throughout 2021 and something tells me that you’ll want them on your radar for their live dates.

Better Think 2wice is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abandon The Fall drop new instrumental melodic rock ‘Memories’

Posted on 31 March 2021

When we reviewed Abandon The Fall’s ‘Enemy’ single back in August 2018, Amelia Vandergast likened them to Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’, saying ‘the vocals are stripped back and left emotionally bare around the resounding instrumentals’. In the case of ‘Memories’, from new EP ‘Infinite Seasons’, Abandon The Fall have taken that a step further and provided an instrumental track bereft of vocals altogether. It’s not, however, bereft of power or melancholy, that same electronic-meets-metal vibe that was there on the debut coming through across the track. There’s definitely that Linkin Park feel at times, but with thundering kick drums aplenty behind the shimmering, echoey guitars, there’s touches of Enter Shikari and 30 Seconds To Mars in here too. It’s a potent, powerful track with no loss of emotiveness from its instrumental-only nature.

You can hear ‘Memories’ on Spotify; check out Abandon The Fall on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Cxldface – Better Off Alone: The infectiously anthemic pop punk soundtrack to your solidarity

Posted on 18 February 2021

‘Better Off Alone’ is the latest feat of pop punk from Las Vegas artist, Cxldface, which will throw you right back to the 00s era of alt-rock while implanting a viscerally modernistic perennial earworm which ensures that there’s little chance of forgetting the infectiously hyped melodies.

Considering we’re all spending a little more time alone than usual, it’s easy to see how Better Off Alone could be a sanity-saving playlist staple for many. With reminders that there’s plenty of worse things than solidarity, euphorically sonic synth lines and the punchy hook-laden guitars, Better Off Alone practically spoon feeds serotonin.

At just 18 years old, Cxldface, is able to boast a maturity to his sound and a potent enough amount of distinction through his tendency to meld elements of electronica, hip hop and indie into his empoweringly scathing anthems. Get him on your radar.

Better Off Alone is now available to stream via Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lonely City (Feat. Brett Durnell) take us straight back to the ‘80’s with Cobra Kai and ‘Johnny’

Posted on 26 January 2021

After years of playing guitar in rock bands, Seattle, WA., artist Logan Johnson decided enough was enough, and it was time to follow the 1980’s synthwave dream. The result is Lonely City and new single ‘Johnny’, 3’45” of synthrock epic, heavily reverb-soaked drums, rolling bassline and synth lines, and a catchy, storytelling vocal line.

And here we go, finally, the story of Cobra Kai set to music, 1980’s action hero getting the full Lonely City treatment. It’s a perfect mash up of inspiration and appreciation, the official lyric video adding to the whole ‘Tron’-era aesthetic with rolling neon and Street Fighter-esque graphics.

Check out the video for ‘Johnny’ on YouTube, and follow the artist on BandCamp.

Review by Alex Holmes

Quentel the Cryptid – Ghost Trap: Obsession-Worthy Dark Alt-Rock

Posted on 18 January 2021

When the prelude to a previously unheard track demands maximum volume, you know you’ve just stumbled across a gem, which is exactly what happened when we dove into the cataclysmically superlative single ‘Ghost Trap’ by Alt-Rock artist Quentel the Cryptid.

Fans of the darker side of the Alt 90s sound will definitely want to indulge in Ghost Trap which offers the same atmospheric effects as Cradle of Filth, the same progressive momentum as Porcupine Tree and vocals carrying the cutting reminiscence of Brian Molko. But that isn’t where the dynamism ends, the heavy use of psychedelically-laced synths allowed Quentel the Cryptid to well and truly stamp down their ensnaring sonic signature sound in Ghost Track.

It’s an obsession worthy track from the first hit.

You can check out the official video to Ghost Trap for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast