Browsing Tag

pop punk

Scarlett Angel brought in the future of pop with her dark and stormy track, C u L8r, featuring Zēo

Posted on 3 March 2022
Scarlett Angel

The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter rapper, Scarlett Angel, has everything it takes to define the future of pop – if her latest single, C u L8r, featuring Zēo, is anything to go by.

With her sweet future-pop-meets-bubble-gum-pop vocals spilling into the dark and moody instrumentals, which start with shoegazey dream pop vibes before transgressing into a stormy pop trap track, the choruses in C u L8r will stick to your synapses like superglue. Whether you want them to or not.

Lyrically, C u L8r is just as emboldening as Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, Avril Lavigne’s Complicated, and You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette. But make no mistake, Scarlett Angel is creating her own empowering pop signature sound.

Check out Scarlett Angel via SoundCloud and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max Muscato’s razor-sharp pop-rock hooks cut like a knife in his latest earworm, Valarie.

Posted on 27 February 2022

After a five-year stint away from the airwaves, Max Muscato proved that you can’t rush perfection with the release of his rock-licked smitten seminal single, Valerie.

The singer-songwriter, guitarist, and CEO of the NPO, Rock Autism, allowed Valarie to unravel as a matured version of Girl All the Bad Guys Want by Bowling for Soup with his eclectic range of influences, which include John Mayer, Maroon 5, Wolfmother, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Beck.

The long-awaited track which follows on from his 2017 debut album, Act One, is an intoxicating blend of razor-sharp pop-rock hooks, virtuosic riffs, blues rock interludes and, of course, Muscato’s endlessly energetic sense of soul that pours through his drunk-in-love raconteur vocals. We eagerly anticipate what follows.

Valerie is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gunpoint Alibi deliver the evolution that alt-rock fans have been waiting for with their latest single, Bury Me

Posted on 23 January 2022

‘Bury Me’ is the latest fierce slice of alt-rock from the Denver, Colorado-based powerhouse Gunpoint Alibi. What started as a garage-punk cover band in 2019 evolved into a gnarly post-hardcore outfit complete with ensnaring high-octane instrumental hooks and harsh pop-punk vocals that fall away from the Hayley Williams mould (thank God!) into raucous new territory.

Morgan Elizabeth’s vocal confidence runs in parallel to the levels of conviction and dynamism; she could smash through a screamo track just as well as a Taylor Swift hit. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also the infectious sense of playfulness she uses as she attacks the lyrics with her versatile vocal timbre. We can’t wait to hear how they follow on from this monster of an alt-rock evolution.

Bury Me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

American social media star, JÚWAN, has released his snipingly riotous pop-punk debut single, OUCH

Posted on 7 January 2022

After going viral on TikTok, the American social media star, JÚWAN, has made his spicy alt-pop debut. His debut single, OUCH, is a confrontationally infectious take on pop-punk with sharp enough lyrics to cut right to the bone.

From tearing apart narcissists to shaming the people that think that questioning someone’s sexuality is a good use of their time, this riotously high-vibe track allows you to imagine what Bowling for Soup would sound like if their music got a potent shot of emotional intelligence.

Instrumentally, OUCH takes you right back to the golden age of 00s pop-punk and alt-rock with the crunchy guitars, sharp lyrical hooks and massive choruses, but JÚWAN is discernibly an artist made for this generation and their search for artists that do more than just superficially scratch at the surface. Seemingly, his magnetism shines through on the airwaves as much as his viral videos. He is definitely one to watch.

OUCH is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shake the cobwebs off romantic regret with Michael Vincent’s alt-indie pop-rock hit, Mine

Posted on 1 January 2022

The up and coming artist Michael Vincent came into 2022 with a bang with the release of his infectiously upbeat alt-indie pop-rock track, Mine. With lyrics that shake the cobwebs off of romantic regret and fiery vocals that will throw you right back to when Fall Out Boy was reigning supreme on the airwaves, Mine has all the makings of a playlist staple, and then some. The snappy percussion, crawling basslines, and rock virtuoso guitar licks break into exuberantly electric radio-ready choruses that won’t ask permission before glueing themselves to your synapses.

One of the hardest life lessons to learn is that there is no guarantee of closure after a messy relationship. Michael Vincent finds a sticky-sweet way to lend compassion to his amorous-less fans looking for consolation that their ex was too douchey to offer. In every conceivable way, it is a hit.

Mine was officially released on January 1st, 2022. It is now available to stream here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hip hop and indie-rock go pop-punk in Lewis Shepperd’s latest single, Take My Hand

Posted on 20 December 2021

Lewis Shepperd showed us the true extent of his versatility with the release of his latest single, Take My Hand, which obliterates the boundaries between indie, pop, rock and hip hop. The breaking artist hasn’t idled since we heard his last single, Follow You, which delivered a Kings of Leon style of cool and proved that his soulfully resonant talent should be as revered as Winehouse’s. Since then, he’s performed at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2021, received plenty of BBC airplay and garnered critical acclaim from across the board.

With rap bars mixed with his energised indie-rock vocals atop the instrumentals that continually shift through melodic grooves, tension-fraught build-ups and pop-punk style breaks, Take My Hand is a gift that keeps on giving.

As the garagey distorted rock licks towards the outro prove the value in the perpetual solidarity by depicting the chaotic state of the world, the lyrics remind you how sweet it is to have stunning souls around you. If that doesn’t hit the spot, you may want to check if you’ve still got a pulse.

Take My Hand is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Synth-pop meets pop-punk in XUINN’s resonantly sharp single, I Don’t Know Anymore.

Posted on 20 December 2021

For anyone feeling disjointed through perpetuating confusion and a lack of direction, XUINN’s pop-punk-meets-synth-pop track, Don’t Know Anymore, is powerful enough to become a lifeline.

With the weight in the resonant lyrics and the light ever-ascending melodies, it’s a perfectly balanced track. It appeals to those who have found the futility in the fight with ennui while the colourful and snappy beats impart the strength in resilience.

I Don’t Know Anymore became definitive proof that with enough humility, sincerity can be at the heart of any pop track. Since making his debut in 2017, the Floridian alt-pop artist hasn’t failed to gain traction in his career; and it’s unlikely that we have heard the best from him yet. Save space on your radar.

I Don’t Know Anymore is taken from XUINN’s debut, Hide in Silence. It is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK Pop Punk Bites Back in Her Burden’s latest single, Way Too Good for Me

Posted on 5 December 2021
Her Burden

Way Too Good for Me is the latest punchy, alt-rock track from the prodigal pop-punk artist, Her Burden. Any fans of On the Rope by Rocket from the Crypt will undoubtedly find themselves equally as energised by the tumultuously choppy rhythms and snarled lyricism.

With the vocals bordering on pop-punk theatrics and the sweet humility in the lyrics, it is impossible not to get wrapped up in this high-octane hit which will officially release on December 3rd. Way Too Good for Me is one of the rare tracks that is actually worthy of being called an earworm. By default, Her Burden is easily one of the best pop-punk powerhouses the UK has heard in the last decade. Get them on your radar.

The single will be available to stream via SoundCloud. For more info on the unreckonable alt-rock rogues, head over to their official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Louie Dangerous has made his unforgettable pop-punk debut with My Whole Inside’s Gone.

Posted on 1 December 2021

The up and coming alt pop-punk trailblazer, Louie Dangerous, found a brand-new way to allude to the hollowness that can fill us in the absence of someone that became the centre of our gravity in his debut single, My Whole Inside’s Gone.

My Whole Inside’s Gone will take you back to the Angels and Airwaves days while keeping you galvanised through the sheer ingenuity of the robustly morose track. With choruses as infectious as they are exuberant, this stadium-ready single is set to take Louie Dangerous’ career to stratospheric heights. There’s enough nostalgia for accessibility, but discernibly, My Whole Inside’s Gone is packed with high-octane authenticity.

My Whole Inside’s Gone is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vincent Tesoro extends salvation in his alt-hip hop track, Fix Me.

Posted on 2 November 2021

Vincent Tesoro has released his indie emo alt-hip hop debut album, Shooting Stars & Broken Halos, which deserves to be as revered as Lil Peep’s legacy of a back catalogue for the way it effortlessly obliterates genre by putting cutting emotion to the forefront. Outliers or anyone that has been down beaten and found the light from the gutter will be sucked in by the standout single, Fix Me.

Fix Me is a hooky call for salvation that comes with sniping Blink 182-style pop-punk tendencies, contemporary hip hop beats and vocals that compel you to verse the lyrics before you have even memorised them.

Along with his ability to bring resonant panache to hip hop, Vincent Tesoro is also a mental health advocate and a certified substance abuse counsellor after years of recovery between his overdose in 2014. It all comes together in his compassionate wisdom-packed tracks that we can’t wait to hear more of.

Fix Me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast