Browsing Tag

Garage Punk

Punk Fury and Bruised Egos: Itz Namo Lets Loose in ‘SCREAMING’

Posted on 26 October 2024

At just 20, Itz Namo from Grand Rapids, Michigan, has already carved his niche in the pop-punk rock scene by blending garagey grit with earworm-worthy hooks. What started as a musical joke during his high school years has now catapulted him into the alt-pop-punk spotlight with his latest single, ‘SCREAMING’.

Echoing the antagonised energy of Fidlar, Itz Namo exhibits a deft hand in weaving augmented instrumentals around razor-sharp hooks in the visceral confession of the humiliation that comes when you shoot your shot with someone way out of your league, only to be knocked back to reality. The track is a cathartic middle finger to rejection, and with any luck, it’ll be the anthem to blast in the ears of incels who sulk in frustration and lash out with contempt when it turns out feelings aren’t mutual.

Namo’s high-octane energy and raw delivery make the track an infectiously bouncy amalgamation of alt-pop punk chaos. Beneath the brash riffs and brimming aggression, there’s a deeper emotional core for anyone who has ever found themselves on the receiving end of romantic disappointment.

With ‘SCREAMING’, Itz Namo proves that his knack for blending personal confessions with high-energy punk is a goldmine for the genre. It’s only a matter of time before more people start tuning into the infectious chaos he’s bringing to the scene.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ditch the Demon is out for blood in their sonic screening of garage goth glamour, Fright Night

Posted on 16 August 2024

Fans of Zombina and the Skeletones, Lesbian Bed Death and the Creepshow won’t want to miss the installation of horror and garage goth glamour, Fright Night, prised from the crypt of Ditch the Demon’s LP, Ain’t Dead Yet.

With the percussive pulse of punk and the phantasmic reanimations of new wave indie conjured by the guitars filtered through a psychedelic prog rock lens and the livewire energy rippling through the production as a courtesy of Amanda Brooks-Byron’s histrionically haunted vocals, Fright Night hits with an exhilarating horror punk intensity.

After forming in 2018, the Hastings-hailing powerhouse has made chilling waves with their scintillatingly dark sonic signature; the launch of their debut album in 2023 marked the zenith of the band’s career so far but with their infamous live shows, Ditch the Demon isn’t a band to underestimate.

Stream the official music video for Fright Night on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Drink the sonic Kool-Aid in Max Diaz’s twangy alt-punk Tour De Force, COWBOY CULT

Posted on 29 October 2023

The cowboy-hating Texan Max Diaz brought his seminal single, COWBOY CULT, to life via swathes of sardonic vitriol, potent enough to make every punky take on garage rock by Fidlar sound like a love letter to the universe.

While the instrumentals weave their way through bluesy entanglements, Diaz uses every lyrical line to roll with the punches in his heavyweight canter; even if you’ve never pulled on a pair of cowboy boots in your life, you will feel every drop of vindicating venom projected by the artist’s devil may care disdain towards his fellow Texans.

You’d think all of the controversy of his Machiavellian attacks on the people surrounding him who are hellbent on seeing the regression of social progress would leave him unpopular, but the streaming stats don’t lie. After racking up millions of streams on several of his tracks, he’s the pissed-off prince that wasn’t promised but rose through the ashes of redneck numbskullery regardless. We fucking adore him.

COWBOY CULT was released with the rest of the artist’s sophomore LP, METANOIA on October 13th; do yourselves a favour and stream the entire Tour De Force in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

dogbeach stuck it to the facade-preferring masses in his progressive melting pot of genre, Fake It

Posted on 24 December 2022

Traversing people’s proclivity to convince others to plaster a fake smile over valid emotions, the solo artist dogbeach (Bob Maschio) created a sardonically protestive hit out of his latest single, Fake It.

To stick it to the façade-preferring masses who wouldn’t know what hit them if a drop of empathy crawled between their synapses, dogbeach released a sun-soaked progressive alt-rock lament to their selfish ineptitude with compassion.

Switching between post-hardcore vocals and melodic pop choruses and playing with punk and alt-90s pop tones, he efficaciously encompassed the bemused rage that comes to fruition in the face of the audacity that adds to the stigma around mental health.

It is a sure-fire hit of vindication for anyone that knows the frustration of other people’s expectations. The playful reprise of “why would I do anything for you” hits the nail on the head with satisfying precision.

Stream Fake It on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Buzzcocks made it a little less grim up north with their single, Manchester Rain

Posted on 18 September 2022

‘When it rains, it pours’ seems to be the perfect adage to capture the deluge of dissatisfaction drizzling over the entirety of the UK. But Buzzcocks siphoned euphonic punk rock dynamism from the dismal atmosphere in their single, Manchester Rain, taken from their upcoming studio album, Sonics in the Soul.

Inspired by the relentless motivation of grassroots artists to keep the scene thriving in Manchester, Manchester Rain is a smorgasbord of riotous optimism. One that will stir even the most ennui-soaked souls through the blasts galvanic garagey guitars and assertively upbeat vocals that create hooks sharp enough to hang your leather jacket on.

In the tragic wake of Pete Shelley, co-founder and co-singer-songwriter Steve Diggle has kept the buzz reverberating through their iconic-since-the-70s-sound. Shelley would undoubtedly be proud of Buzzcocks continuing to stand at the vanguard of punk-rock euphoria.

Sonics in the Soul will release on CD, Vinyl and across streaming platforms on September 23rd. Until then, weather the precipitation in Manchester Rain on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New Rock City – Da Ratman!: Bop-Worthy Dark Punk Rock from NYC with Scuzz

Posted on 5 December 2021
Da Ratman! - Single by New Rock City

With a scuzzy punk rock viciousness that could only have ever come from NYC, New Rock City’s latest single, Da Ratman!, is a blackened bop-worthy hit that could single-handedly and simultaneously restart the New Romantic and Horror Punk scenes.

With no two singles from the duo ever the same, they keep their fanbase guessing what revivalist tones they will deliver next. Based on Da Ratman! It’s safe to say that they know just how to pull different stylistic elements together to energetically complement each other. It’s as hooky as any Misfits track, jangly as Johnny Marr’s licks and comes with devilishly macabre undertones in the same vein as The Creepshow. Da Ratman! is a firecracker of a track that no one will regret hitting play on.

Da Datman! Is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

billon dailey is set to make his hook-filled alt-indie-pop debut with ‘Pull on My Heartstrings’

Posted on 3 December 2021
billon dailey

If the Beach Boys made their debut in 2021 and picked up some Midwest Emo tendencies, their bright and instantly infectious melodies would have plenty in common with the ones found in singer-songwriter, billion daily’s triumph of a debut single, Pull on My Heartstrings.

The intricately and anthemically layered single breezes through the whole tonal spectrum as it runs through the frenetic choruses and verses where you can drink in the lush accordance of shimmering notes. It is anything but your average debut, which has plenty to do with the artist cutting his teeth as a songwriter under the moniker, iamsleepless, for years. After turning away from music to explore faith, having an existential crisis from that decision and returning to music armed with weed and a guitar, he started work on his debut release; we’re beyond glad that he did.

Pull on My Heartstrings is available to stream from December 3rd 2021. You can catch it for yourself on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Heck Vektor has unleashed their industrial garage-rock single, Superspreader.

Posted on 27 August 2021
Superspreader (Sonofabitch Mix) by Heck Vektor

Youngstown Ohio’s prodigal sons of industrial metal, Heck Vektor, have released their scathing new single, Superspreader. With the energy of garage punk, the harsh electronica stylings of Powerman 5000 and vocals that switch from Alec Empire-level slick to caustic and confrontational, it is impossible not to be drawn in by this tumultuous amalgamation of alt electronica and rock.

Even though I hit play on the covid-related track with hesitancy, the glitchy basslines, nefarious charisma and unpredictable breakdowns quickly replaced the cynicism with admiration. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Stream and download Superspreader via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Lost Dolls revives the radio star with their 70s punk track, ‘RadioGirl’.

Posted on 1 May 2021

Video may have killed the radio star, but she’s been revived in feminine form in the latest single, ‘RadioGirl’, from the Denver, Colorado-based alt-rock artist, The Lost Dolls. The smitten feat of sugar-coated sleaze is made infinitely sweeter with the virtuosic guitars that will win over even the most hard-to-please fans of ‘70s punk rock.

The modernity in the track comes via the nuanced 90s grunge infusion and the pop-punk edge that brings RadioGirl right into the 21st-century while evoking a fair amount of nostalgia with vintage melodies that are just as infectiously catchy as Video Called the Radio Star.

It comes as no surprise that the Lost Dolls are racking up the streams and taking America by storm with their affectionately raunchy sound since making their debut in 2020. They’re definitely ones to watch.

You can check out RadioGirl for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hellwaffles has dropped their quaintly angsty Indie Punk Folk single “Audrey Hepburn”  

Posted on 6 July 2020

After hearing Hellwaffles’ resonantly candid debut single “Training Wheels”, there was little chance we’d forget the Indie Punk Folk artist’s instantly endearing style. Upon hearing of the release of their second single “Audrey Hepburn”, we couldn’t help but dive right in and embrace the angsty quaint alchemy one more. It definitely didn’t disappoint.

The short and bitter-sweet track is as uncomplicated as they come. The frill-free Garage Lo-Fi-style guitar give the lyrics and vocals plenty of room to leave you transfixed by them as they playfully allude to Hellwaffles’ complicated relationship with the ultimate on-screen icon. It’s pointed, it’s playful, and it’s utterly ingenious.

We’re already stoked to hear what Hellawaffles serves up next with their unpredictably refreshing style.

You can check out Hellwaffles’ latest single for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast