Browsing Tag

Indie Art Rock

Sam Caldwell – feeding the wound: An Indie Art Rock Ode to the Raw Edges of the Human Psyche

Posted on 6 August 2024

The intimacy of unfiltered vulnerability doesn’t just breathe through Sam Caldwell’s standout single, feeding the wound, it quiescently screams and resounds through the delirious-with-self-discontent production which embodies the stripped style of Elliott Smith, and the artfully cultivated expressionist air of Mitski and Neutral Milk Hotel.

Caging one of the most viscerally affecting crescendos that has ever torn its way into my soul, feeding the wound is so much more than a lyrically sharpened vignette of a masochistic mind. Each element serves to visualise a psyche marred with self-awareness and destruction; from the sonic pulls of ennui to how the mind cascades under the weight of affliction, each progression is a revelation of a raw, painfully relatable perception.

The LA singer-songwriter is quickly making a name for himself with his encapsulations of the pain of coming of age; with his debut LP, he’s rivalled the resonance of Brett Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero. His ability to tune into universal themes of guilt and heartbreak while using heartstrings on his fretboard will undoubtedly see him go far in the industry which is crying out for veritable troubadours of candour.

feeding the wound is now available to stream on Spotify as part of Sam Caldwell’s debut album, wanderlust, which was officially released on July 25.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Submerged in Sonic Turmoil: Microplanet’s ‘Painsucker’ is A Grungy Art-Rock Odyssey from Euphony to Agony

Posted on 10 March 2024

Indie art-rock was dragged under a riptide of grungy distortion in the standout single, Painsucker, from Microplanet’s sophomore LP, Submerge. After an intro of euphonically simple guitar chords, Thom Yorke-esque falsetto vocal lines, and tender lyricism, Painsucker quickly descends into a tumultuous onslaught of scuzzed-up rancour to mirror the lyrical transition into self-defecation.

It’s a compelling exposition of how quickly the mind can contort into dark corridors of despair, with the instrumentals exemplifying the agony the mind can inflict upon itself. The seminal release is also a reflection of the expressive talents of the San Diego-hailing band fronted by the multi-instrumentalist, Nathan Wilson. Their unparalleled ability to take personal antagonism and metamorph it into a universal reflection of the human condition via an intimate self-recorded lo-fi production will undoubtedly see Microplanet go far.

Stream Painsucker on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Koyama gave classic art rock a modern psychedelic twist in ‘Desolation of America’

Posted on 24 October 2022

The Desolation of America is the second album from the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Koyama, who fuses classic art rock tones with modernist sound designs. The Radiohead influence is tangible through the complexity of the percussion and the ebbing and flowing vocals that drift in and out of focus around the psychedelic synthetics, especially in the politically melancholic single, Desolation of America.

If Koyama is this talented at 18, he has an exceptionally bright future ahead of him. Especially with his gift of lyrically gnawing away at socio-political themes while psychedelically stripping the dismay from the equation with his artful vocal pitches that complement the colourfully kaleidoscopic chords and droning keys. It’s almost impossible to believe that Koyama only started to write and produce songs in his bedroom during the pandemic. He is definitely one to watch.

Desolation of America is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ember Rev has unveiled their grungy art-rock shanty, Dives & Lazarus

Posted on 11 July 2022

The synthy, innocent playfulness of Grandaddy meets the indie country twang of Modest Mouse in the latest spacey feat of experimentalism from Ember Rev, Dives & Lazarus.

After the synthesised shanty vibes, towards the outro, the Alt 90s Seattle sound seeps into the kaleidoscopic off-kilter production that also starts to pick up reminiscences to Queens of the Stone Age. Similarities to iconic sonic palettes aside Ember Rev is evidently a trailblazer in their own right.

With their new album, Isophilia, due to be released in July, it is well worth saving a spot for the self-proclaimed “nervous and neurotic accordion-driven” art-rock UK-hailing outfit. I knew there was a reason why the obscurity of Dives & Lazarus was so enamouring in its resonance.

Check out Ember Rev’s latest release by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Juliya – Power Lines: A high-vibe lo-fi alt-90s fever dream

Posted on 21 January 2022

With two EPs under their belt, the up and coming alt-indie sensation, Juliya, has unleashed their fever dream of a high-vibe low-fidelity track. Power Lines is as sonically boundary-less as Sonic Youth and Radiohead, and just as ruggedly sweet as Neutral Milk Hotel and Elliott Smith. And there is plenty of room for their garagey no-wave alchemy in between the reminiscences.

There’s scuzz by the smorgasbord, yet, that doesn’t get in the way of the grip of the angular indie guitar notes atop of all the discord. It may be a short and sweet track, but it’s also a sure-fire hit of serotonin in a sentimentally blissful alt-90s time capsule. With enough tracks in the same vein as Power Lines under their belt and the right attention, there is no reason Juilya couldn’t climb the indie charts with ease. Give them a hand on their ascent and stick them on your radar.

Power Lines is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Giovan has made a haunting debut with ‘Listen to My Demons’ featuring Aria Chablis King.

Posted on 25 June 2021

‘Listen to My Demons’ is the hauntingly introspective debut single from LA alt-indie artist Giovan. The tender ballad pulls in neo-classic nuances that run right alongside contemporary, artful styling that we hope will become synonymous with the Guatemalan-American singer-songwriter’s sound.

Listen to My Demons is easily the best duet released since Alex Cameron’s collaboration with Angel Olsen. Aria Chablis King’s quiescently vulnerable vocals bring an intense depth to the release. You won’t get much choice when it comes to falling into the pensive command of the release that is constructed with intricate piano progressions and layered vocals that conceptually never harmonise.

Giovan orchestrates music to help pull people through the hardest times in their lives; it is safe to say he succeeded in his debut. The way he brings beauty to the raw and alienating concept of your demons being your only friends amplifies the signal that you are never alone in your loneliness. Our superficial reality practically enforces it. Naturally, we can’t wait to hear what he has in store for his sophomore release.

Listen to My Demons will officially release on June 25th; you can check it out for yourselves via Spotify or Giovan’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast