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LA Rock

Eco-Rock Resurgence: The Lürxx’s ‘We Are the Weeds’ Unleashes a Green Rebellion

Posted on 20 April 2024

We Are the Weeds by the Lürxx doesn’t give you a love them or loathe them option; no rock fan could be impervious to the thunderous punch that melds the raucous energy of sleaze rock with a sharp environmental edge.

With their roots firmly planted in the Hollywood glam punk scene, this duo not only revitalises the rock and roll ethos by championing the protection of the natural world in addition to smashing the system. Their music bridges the raw vibe of the 1980s Sunset Strip, reminiscent of legends like Twisted Sister and Guns N’ Roses, with acoustic nuances that echo the Quireboys and Dogs D’Amour all the while being amplified by an energy that’s uniquely their own.

The intoxicating and impactfully dynamic nature warrior punk rock opera is evidence of the duo’s ability to stir the soul and do so without resorting to shaming the listener into action, the installations of zany punk vocals around the classic 80s rock tones ensures the vocal performance perfectly aligns with the spirit of the track which explores the relentless resilience of nature, symbolised by weeds—the unacknowledged heroes of the ecosystem. It’s a powerful metaphor for persistence and survival in a world quick to dismiss the underdog.

Stream the official music video for We Are the Weeds on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Space out with the rock-licked soul in Church Burglars’ kaleidoscope of psychedelic shoegaze, Fairy Tale Ending

Posted on 1 November 2023

If you take your rock classically cut with a twist of spacey psychedelia, explore the riff-carved cosmos in the standout single, Fairy Tale Ending, from Church Burglars’ debut album, Subconsciously Conscious.

With soaring riffs as strident as the licks orchestrated by Slash’s fair hands fused with the soul-lavished euphonic sensibilities of the Flaming Lips and Pink Floyd, Fairy Tale Ending is a prog-rock meditation on the highs and lows of diehard romanticism. The endlessly caressing vocal lines which have more in common with the Shoegaze pioneers than your average rock outfit draw you right into the gravity of the bitter-sweet release, which stands as a testament to the LA-based outfit’s determination to make real music for real people.

After the founding members met at Berklee College of Music in Boston shortly before the COVID pandemic, frontman Mike Foltz used the international live music breather to travel to LA to record the debut LP independently with the exception of a few lead guitar parts laid down by Alec Grugel. With the full line-up finalised, Church Burglars are making waves in the live circuit; grab any opportunity to see them in an intimate setting before you have to join legions of fans filing into arenas to witness the virtuosity of Foltz.

Fairy Tale Ending is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zarah established herself as the powerhouse innovator the modern rock scene has been crying out for in her latest single, Blind Woman

Posted on 27 October 2023

Following the critically acclaimed reception of her debut single, What Have We Become? the LA-residing soul rock evocateur, Zarah, has proven she’s far from a one melodic masterpiece wonder with her sophomore single, Blind Woman.

The classic rock cuts may have been stripped back in Blind Woman, but the yearning atmosphere that drifts between the enticing tension in the instrumentation and her dynamic vocal range, which can deliver everything from the raw timbre of Lydia Lunch to a rock-licked iteration of Kate Bush’s high register, is a lesson in sonic alchemy. She’s a siren of pure power and soul.

In addition to Zarah Maillard’s singer-songwriter achievements, the powerhouse of charisma, creativity and talent is a novelist, television personality, producer, and performer, who has performed with Goo Goo Dolls.

If you can’t get enough of Blind Woman, your appetite for Zarah’s synthesis of classic and modern rock will be sated upon the release of her debut LP of the same title. We can’t wait to get lost in the escapism of it.

Blind Woman will officially release on October 27; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rich Kid Express became the voice of volition in their symphonic with sleaze hard rock hit, U Never….

Posted on 7 September 2023
Under The Purple Lights by Rich Kid Express

The Carolina-hailing hard rock prodigal son, Rich Kid Express, glammed up symphonic synth rock in his slick with Sunset Strip sleaze EP, Under the Purple Lights, featuring the volition-driven single, U Never….

With whammy-laden guitars that sound like they’ve been torn from a Slayer hit punctuating the harbingeringly dark synth lines and an edge of antagonism that continues to slice through the KISS-esque atmosphere with every verse, hard rock scarcely hits harder.

There’s nothing quite like pouring all your contempt into a creative work in terms of catharsis but for hard rock fans who need iconic outfits to be their voice of vindication, there’s plenty of resolve in U Never…. which uses its razor-sharp teeth to tear through the deception and manipulation of the kind of exes we always come to regret getting in bed with.

Stream and purchase the EP in full via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WD-HAN drove their listeners towards progressive action and revolution in ‘Something’s Gotta Change’

Posted on 17 August 2023

In this year alone the LA-hailing rock outfit, WD-HAN, has riffed right across the rock spectrum with their diverse discography. With their latest single, Something’s Gotta Change, the chameleonic powerhouse turned their vitriol towards political punk-rock to deliver a viscerally empowering hit. If any single has what it takes to spark an anarchist revolution, it’s Something’s Gotta Change.

Starting the hit with the sobering fact that more people are enslaved today than ever in history was an efficacious way for WD-HAN to drive their listener’s compulsions toward progressive action. The collective rise in individualism and apathy created the perfect storm for oppression; we’ve sat back and watched how the marginalised have been attacked – it is only a matter of time before injustice meets everyone who can’t afford to escape into space.

Believing that the issue of human trafficking deserves attention resulted in the release of one of the most impactful anthems we’ve heard this year. The track was created in support of the Foundation for a Slavery-Free World and Operation Underground Railroad. 

Something’s Gotta Change was officially released on August 11th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Escape down the rabbit hole with In Search Of’s symphonic rock opera single, Tea Party

Posted on 10 July 2023

If you thought that Tim Burton’s take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland was surreal, brace yourself before going down the rabbit hole with the chiptune/symphonic rock opera of an LP, Alice and the Wonderland, by the aural eccentrics, In Search Of.

With symphonic scores that stampede in the same vein as FalKKonE, hyper pop hooks and a little bit of honkytonk flair for good measure, the standout single, Tea Party, is pure exhilarant insanity.

The Tale of In Search Of becomes all the more endearing upon learning the LA-hailing duo is a father and daughter duo, comprising Michael Raitzin and his daughter, Michelle Ray, who has accumulated over 3.5 million streams on Spotify with her velveteen vocal lines and ability to spin a story so viscerally that In Search Of reach the pinnacle of escapism music.

In our dystopic new reality where madness is a sure sign of sanity, there has never been a better time to jump on the hype of the peddlers of obscurity, In Search Of.

Stream the debut LP from In Search Of on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WD-HAN evoke rock n roll nostalgia while paying an ode to the compassionate in ‘Good Man’

Posted on 13 April 2023

It has been a while since a track evoked tears and chills in me; WD-HAN did all that and more with their latest soulfully nostalgic rock n roll single, Good Man, which was officially released on April 7.

Somewhere between Buckley and Springsteen, the sentimentally humble single starts with an acoustic intro before the track builds into an orchestrally full-bodied rock rendezvous. Yet the same emotional intensity from the prelude runs right into the outro after the colossally arresting alt-rock crescendo.

Lyrically, it is such a bitter-sweet reminder of how this world chews up and spits out the most sensitive dreamers that traipse across the jagged teeth of their landscapes but the soulful optimistically bright vocal performance gives a potent shot of persuasion that you should stick to your compassionate guns. The conceptually layered single also touches on the paradox of the best of us being full of self-doubt and those proclaiming to be good is often a major red flag.

Stream Good Man on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

South Carolina’s Jimmy Swagg seeks salvation in his latest rock hit, St. Mary

Posted on 28 September 2022

After decorating The Whisky A Go-Go and The Viper Room with his righteous rock gravitas, one of the hottest acts in LA, Jimmy Swagg is here with his salvation-seeking melodic rock single, St. Mary.

St. Mary does away with the usual Rock n Roll cliches and makes a spiritual aura the centre of sonic gravity in the intricately paced admission of frailty, which never gives way to self-piteous ennui. Instead, Jimmy Swagg trailblazes with his canderous outpour of vulnerability that is laced in hope for redemption around the slick riffs and tension-building rhythm section. It is a sanity saver of a playlist staple if we ever heard one, and his international fanbase is more than inclined to agree.

St. Mary is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shake Yourself From Complacency with Control Shift’s Proggy Hard Rock Hit, Awake

Posted on 20 May 2022

If the past few decades have taught us anything, its that there is no better breeding ground for hard-hitting rock than LA – case in point, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ali Rizvi.

The latest single from Control Shift, Awake, exudes a Velvet Revolver & Stone Sour-Esque seductive angst while asserting its originality via its progressive nature that runs in the same energetic vein of A Perfect Circle, Tool & NIN. It isn’t every day that we find commercial potential against complete authenticity, but notably, Control Shift is unapologetically the full package.

Awake will officially release on May 20th; you can check it out by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sever trauma bonds with The Stolen Moans’ indie alt-rock earworm, Falling Into

Posted on 1 March 2022

Plenty of new tracks aired on Valentine’s Day; The Stolen Moans’ indie alt-rock single, Falling Into, which explores the dizzying magnetism of trauma bonds, is the triumphant antithesis of most of them.

The DIY LA-hailing trio’s blend of punk energy and melodic, hooky metal pulls together to offer a volatile and virtuosic extension of the Riot Grrrl movement. They’re not short of raw sonic power, but the true appeal to The Stolen Moans is how artfully they attack the production in their emotionally investable tracks while keeping in line with the 4-chord-rock-and-roll ethos. It isn’t every day that we hear an alt-rock outfit delivering their own definitive sound, but all reminiscences in Falling Into are extremely fleeting.

The official lyric video premiered on February 14th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast