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Indie Rock n Roll

WD-HAN matched the chaos of the universe in their raucously seductive feat of electrifying indie rock n roll, Straight Lines

Posted on 24 November 2022
WD-HAN

Rock n’ Roll provocateurs WD-HAN are in lascivious form in their latest single, Straight Lines. After an Arctic Monkeys-Esque intro, Straight Lines quickly evolves into a blisteringly hot indie rock renegade of a track, full of raucous swagger, seductive vocal lines and riffs that will sucker-punch you into sonic submission.

WD-HAN has scintillated us with every release since they appeared on our radar in 2019 with their single, Spaceman. With a sound ever-evolving yet never veering from what makes them so viscerally raw yet tightly finessed, if you haven’t got them on your radars yet, what are you even doing with your lives?

Straight Lines throws away any sense of existentialism. While so many of us doomscroll on Twitter to justify living in fear and stagnation, WD-HAN proves that you can still be a force to be reckoned with and match the chaos of the universe.

After dominating the Floridian rock n roll scene, WD-HAN has recently relocated to LA, where they’re set to make their mark after opening for the likes of Paramore, Walk the Moon, Silversun Pickups and Kaleo.

Straight Lines will officially release on November 18th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast
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Indie rock pioneer COLUMBIA breaks new psychedelic ground with ‘Keys to the Kingdom’.

Posted on 20 October 2021

Cardiff’s most promising act since Catatonia, COLUMBIA, put a psychedelic spin on vintage rock tones in their latest indie rock n roll release, Keys to the Kingdom.

As the kaleidoscopic guitars glide through the chords, the snarling basslines work with the anthemic drums to send the energy of the release into overdrive. Any fans of Frankie Teardrop Dead, The Kundalini Genie and Corvus & the Morning Star will want to save space on their radar for the rhythmically blessed raucous powerhouse. They may not have sold out stadiums yet, but their sound is already built for them. We’re stoked to see where their sound takes them next.

The lyric video to Keys to the Kingdom is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Joe Astley and The Wallgate Band – Television Fantasy

Posted on 5 January 2021

If you’re going to pose for your website promo photos sporting a Pelham Blue Gibson 335 and record your early demos at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, then you’d better have some serious rock n’ roll chops to back up your chutzpah. Thankfully for Wigan’s Joe Astley, he’s got them in spades. And then some.

Astley’s debut solo single, ‘Revolution Postponed’, draw Dylan and Billy Joel comparisons, and the follow-up ‘Anthem For The North’ made #1 on the Indie Countdown of 2020, garnering praise from luminaries such as John McClure, Clint Boon, and Robert Carlyle along the way. Now back with the debut for his newly-formed ten-piece rock’n’roll backers ‘The Wallgate Band’, Astley’s new track ‘Television Fantasy’ has a lot to live up to. And it does, admirably.

Opening with some deep, twanging Bigsby-driven guitar shimmers and Astley’s easy, charismatic vocals, underscored by some thunderous rolling bass, ‘Television Fantasy’ teases with sensual little horn stabs on the lift before suddenly kicking in with one of the catchiest, poppiest indie-rock choruses you’re going to hear all 2021, all thumping snare drum, jangly guitar, and singalong hook – complete with a bunch of ‘woah oh oh’s that are guaranteed to stick in your head for several hours after the final dextrous little guitar solo has faded out.

Make no mistake, this is a proper little mash-up of rock, indie, and old-school rock ‘n’ roll, part Reverend and the Makers, part Cramps, part Eddie Cochrane, with a side helping of Bryan Adams and the pop sensibilities of Robbie Williams thrown in for good measure. As a first glimpse of the forthcoming debut EP, it’s an absolute triumph.

You can hear ‘Television Fantasy’ on Spotify now. Follow Joe Astley and the Wallgate Band and pre-order a copy of the forthcoming EP here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Breaking artist DiLisio blooms in their latest Alt Rock Hit “Flower Bed”

Posted on 25 October 2020

Pittsburgh-based artist DiLisio (Mark Jeffries) may be renowned for his ability to cook up rock n roll earworms, but that barely alludes to what is on offer in their standout single “Flower Bed”.

Yes, you’ll want to listen to it again. Yes, it has all the infectious appeal which will leave you itching to hit repeat, but there’s so much more to the mind-melting feat of Alt-Indie Rock. The guitar tones in Flower Bed will tear right through you. DiLisio’s approach to Garage Rock which incorporates nuances of Blues, Pop and RnB is one of the most cutting sounds we’ve had the pleasure of being lacerated by in 2020.

While you try to keep up with the sonically seismic changes in momentum, you’ll become aware of just how intrinsically arrested you are by the artist’s rhythmic prowess. Then there’s the vocals, the unpredictable volatility of them and the sheer level of emotion which will crawl under your ribs as you listen to the candidly introspective lyrics. I have an overwhelming amount of awe for any artist willing to bleed their soul into a soundscape. Naturally, I’m awe-struck with DiLisio.

There are some aural nods to The Black Keys and Jack White, but the visceral full-throttle nature of the track affirms that assimilation had very little to do with the orchestration of this unforgettably eruptive release.

You can check out DiLisio’s track Flower Bed via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast