Browsing Tag

muse

Ghost Nation advocated idiosyncratic autonomy in their dark pop/rock amalgam, Insane

Posted on 20 July 2023

Ghost Nation advocated idiosyncratic individuality in their latest addictive anthem, Insane. With a Shinedown-esque rock backbeat and razor-sharp pop hooks that pull you into the emboldening future-ready synthetics of the down-the-rabbit-hole single, it’s a feel-good anthem for every outlier who knows how hard fought for sanctity can be.

Uniqueness may now be celebrated to a certain degree in society but there are still boundaries to keep quirks inside of, Ghost Nation broke every boundary in their liberating anthem, which also borrows a few industrial rock tones. It may be darker and infinitely more twisted with the carnivalesque propensities of the melodies, but insane is the epitome of a radio-ready earworm. If Muse and Imagine Dragons managed to mainstream their sonic signatures, Ghost Nation is easily capable of doing the same.

Ghost Nation has already had its fair share of successes since forming in Stockholm in 2016. Their debut release was a hit worldwide, and their seminal single, Unforgiven, reached No.1 in over 20 singles. To date, the single has clocked up 1.4 million streams on Spotify and 3.6 million on YouTube.

Insane was officially released on July 14th; stream it on SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Derek Vaden – Eating My Words: Blisteringly Hot Indie Blues Rock

Posted on 31 December 2022

The sex appeal isn’t the only thing that’s visceral in the swaggering alt-rock single, Eating My Words, from Derek Vaden’s 2022 EP, The Recreational Experiment. The Chicago-based musician and songwriter salaciously straddles the line between blues rock and indie to deliver a hard and heavy rhythmic revival; if Velvet Revolver and Muse had an aural lovechild, it would undoubtedly go under the moniker, Derek Vaden.

The winding blues rock increments are overdriven to the nth degree to give the riotous release anthemic appeal, but none of the vintage blues rock tones lost their bluesy bite. If anything, teeth have been sharpened in this confrontationally volatile release, which was written, performed, and recorded by Derek Vaden’s reverently rock n roll hands in his own studio.

Check out Eating My Words on YouTube and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: piano rock pioneer Anthony J Fink let the emotion pour in his alt-rock EP, Feel the Rain

Posted on 14 August 2022

As an extension of his commitment to advocate for mental health and spread awareness of the detriment of depression, addiction, and suicide, Michigan’s strongest lyricist and fiercest piano rock pioneer, Anthony J Fink, has released his latest EP, Feel the Rain.

Each of the five singles is a triumph of blazing piano pop-rock-inclined candour, but Fink reminded us why the EP format is so important. From the optimism proclaiming piano pop-rock ballad of an opener to the experimental baroque rock electricity of Masquerade, which gives all of the energy of a rock opera, to the closer title single, which harnesses broadsiding grungy emotion, Feel the Rain is a journey. The final destination? The affirmation that this world breeds disillusion and a tendency to numb the pain but that doesn’t eradicate your power to resist and overcome it.

Rarely do singer-songwriters, of any ilk, achieve such momentously complex and multi-layered productions that absolutely consume you. The Feel the Rain EP made an essential artist out of Anthony J Fink, especially for any rock-inclined seekers of sonic guidance through our vapidly trying times. Buy it. It’s cheaper than therapy.

In his own words:

“Feel the Rain touches on many things. Loss is a big focus. My parents passed away when I was very young due to alcohol addiction. I have struggled with relationships in general in my life and with addiction. This coming January, I will be alcohol-free for four years.”

Feel the Rain is now available to stream on Spotify or purchase on apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Glass Image reached the pinnacle of evocative riff-driven alt-indie alchemy with their latest single, Again

Posted on 30 April 2022

On the basis of their latest single, Again, Glass Image is the entire pensively intellectual alt-rock package. With the artfully evocative gravitas of Radiohead, the monolithically melodic guitars and the raw yet honeyed indie alt-rock vocals, it’s enough to aurally lull you into an emotionally heightened state of intense appreciation of their candour and signature brand of riff-heavy alchemy.

After forming in 2018, the NY-hailing outfit got to work on their debut 2019 EP, which stood as a testament to their proclivity to always weave a meaningful narrative around melodic riffs. Following the release of Again, they are set to release their debut LP in 2022. Notably, they’re one to watch.

Again is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

GLASS EYE – PRAYERS: Salaciously Ethereal Alt-Rock

Posted on 12 April 2021
GLASS EYE

With vocals that hit the high notes with the same precision as Matt Bellamy, the sex appeal of Deftones and classic rock licks that come with an ethereally evocative twist, it’s hard not to expect big things to come from GLASS EYE with the release of their album ‘SOMEWHERE, NOWHERE’.

PRAYERS is the perfect introduction to their sound that is so much more than an aural crumble of prominent bands that we’ve come to love across the decades. It’s a delectable invitation to witness the US-based powerhouse’s visceral authenticity that will appeal to anyone who likes their alt-rock to come with rhythmic salacious chills.

PRAYERS is just one of the singles that feature on their forthcoming album ‘SOMEWHERE, NOWHERE’, which is due for release on June 10th.

You can check out GLASS EYE via their website and on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK alt-rock outfit THE BIGGER PICTURE is set to make a sonic debut with ‘Sparkle’.

Posted on 8 April 2021
THE BIGGER PICTURE

London-based alt-rock newcomers THE BIGGER PICTURE is set to make a sonic debut with, ‘Sparkle’; a single that parallels the anthemic energy in tracks by Muse, Arcade Fire, Editors and Biffy Clyro and sets the bar high for the debut EP.

The full-bodied release will take you back to the days when rock artists would master theatrical aural experiences, designed to completely blow your mind when the crescendos and guitar solos come around. It is hardly a stretch to say that, given the chance, THE BIGGER PICTURE could offer the same command of a festival crowd as Queen did in the 80s.

The dual vocals practically make Sparkle effervescent with collaborative chemistry, and the guitar work is enough to give James Dean Bradfield a complex.

You can check out THE BIGGER PICTURE via Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ride the sonic crescendos in Fuzz Skyler’s latest indie piano rock single ‘Recall’

Posted on 12 March 2021
Fuzz Skyler

Not only do international piano-rock powerhouse, Fuzz Skyler break the monocultural mould, but they also thrash against every restraint which rock artists need to break through to create a sound that is capable of taking your breath away.

Their latest earworm, ‘Recall’ is filthy enough to make your ear canal feel defiled as you listen to the salaciously-charged, theatrically charismatic vocals paired with vintage-inspired instrumentals which affirm, quite definitively, that modern rock isn’t ready to be buried just yet.

The sonic crescendos which nod toward the timeless styles of Bowie, Muse and Queen are simply unforgettable. Recall speaks to my soul in a language I never even knew I was fluent in.

Recall was released on February 19th. You can hear it by heading over to Soundcloud.

Keep up to date with Fuzz Skyler’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hard rock newcomers Musicismost have made their distortedly electric debut with ‘Pheromone Too’

Posted on 20 January 2021
https://soundcloud.com/armen-levon-225838457/pheromone-too-by-musicismost

While most of us spent the summer of 2020 in enforced sun-and-over-drinking (the lucky ones with gardens, anyway) or locked down indoors, it seems Musicismost were not just forming in Chiswick, West London, but recording this, their first single.

‘Pheromone Too’ is a fast-paced, high energy rock track in the style of the Chilli Peppers, Muse, or Royal Blood, with maybe a little funky Lenny Kravitz vibe thrown in for good measure. It rocks hard, distorted guitars vying with up-front breathy vocals for attention. Releasing your first single all about pheromones – something invisible which can’t be detected but which influence our behaviour – is a pretty bold stroke, but it seems Musicismost can just about pull it off.

Hear ‘Pheromone Too’ on Soundcloud; follow Musicismost on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Sahara Line has paid a scuzzy ode to Prog Rock with “Plead”

Posted on 2 October 2020

Alt-Rock fourpiece Sahara Line has cooked up a progressively fierce storm with their single “Plead”. Any fans of Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars and Pink Floyd are going to want to pay it some serious attention.

Plead defies the Geographical constraints which constrict so Liverpool-based artists, Sahara Line will put the city back on the aural map with a completely new scuzzy Prog Rock sound. But if you immerse yourself deep enough in the track, you’ll get to pull out the psychedelically mind-warping nuances which the city is famous for.

The pulsating distorted rhythms may bring a sludgy amount of doom to the gothic soundscape, but the striking vocals cut right through it, with crystal-clear harmonies which will crawl under your ribs, it’s safe to say that Sahara Line is one of the most exciting acts around in the UK right now. Their completely authentic, soul-quakingly evocative sound is exactly what the airwaves need.

You can check out Plead for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Headphone release speaker-knocking new track ‘Something Like A Love Song’

Posted on 8 May 2020

San Diego based indie-rockers Headphone have released new single ‘Something Like A Love Song’. 

The alternative three-piece’s latest track is a fun, powerful and poppy ride. A sparkly, keyed intro sets a hopeful pace and tone for frontman Morgan McRae to hook you in with a chorus that doesn’t seem too overwritten or overdrone in its enjoyability. The track’s self-awareness takes you to a fun place and shows a lot of the hallmarks of what this kind of indie-anthem needs to really grab a listener, and It does it well.

‘Something Like A Love Song’ shows the band’s strong sensibilities in writing upbeat, danceable pop that feels contemporary but without any dragging pretense. There’s little to not like here for fans of, and it’s well worth checking out if danceable indie pop – with a splash of 80s style melancholia – is your thing, 

You can listen to Headphone’s ‘Something Like A Love Song’ on their Spotiffy page here.