Browsing Tag

pop punk

Post-Hardcore and Power Pop Collide: Picture the Scene. The Hang-Up

Posted on 27 September 2021

After a line-up change that saw a female vocalist fronting the South East, UK outfit Picture the Scene. with their freshly refined sound, the heavy pop-punk powerhouse has come in with all guns blazing with their latest single, The Hang-Up.

The galvanizing power-pop choral hooks are broken up with heavy rock motifs and growled vocals that any fans of Job for a Cowboy or any other post-hardcore outfit will be familiar with. I can only imagine how intense the playful ferocity in the sticky sweet hit would be live. Picture the Scene. is for every metalhead who finds themselves with a guilty penchant for Taylor Swift. With The Hang-Up, Picture the Scene. established themselves as on par with BABYMETAL for the boundaries they broke with their sonic furore. Do I even need to tell you to save space on your radar?

The Hang-Up is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MX Strong brings in the future of pop-punk with his single, Too Far.

Posted on 23 September 2021

MX Strong’s latest single, Too Far, is full of angsty, hooky, pop-punk energy. Anyone who grew up with their iPods full of Blink 182 will want to pay attention.

The up and coming artist takes plenty of inspiration from Machine Gun Kelly, Jack Harlow and SuicideBoys, which you will note through the lyrics; for his sonic palette, MX Strong relied on his authenticity to set himself apart.

As someone who grew up in the 90s, a time when there was little overlap between alt genres and urban artists, there’s nothing better than seeing the outliers of society converging around unifying sound. MX Strong has been an integral part of that cultural coalescence. His ability to appeal to a wide audience is reflected in his streaming stats and the loyalty of his fans.

Too Far was officially released on September 17th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Darrian Gerard makes no apologies with her hook-laden pop-punk single, I’m Not Sorry.

Posted on 13 September 2021

Alt-rock solo artist, Darrian Gerard, has released her self-produced single, I’m Not Sorry; the defiant anthem throws you right back to the glory days of scuzzy pop-punk while encompassing an emboldening modern lyricism style.

Away from Paramore and Avril Lavigne reminisces, I’m Not Sorry is a stellar track in its own right, and despite the DIY production, the infectiously hyper choruses reel you in hook, line and sinker. There is enough energy in this earworm to animate a main stage festival crowd. We can’t wait to watch Darrian Gerard climb the alt-rock charts with I’m Not Sorry.

I’m Not Sorry will officially release on September 13th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pop-punk pioneer Chelsea Lyn Meyer has released her latest single, What You’re Doing to Me.

Posted on 9 September 2021

Chelsea Lyn Meyer reinvented pop-rock in her latest single, What You’re Doing to Me. The feisty anthem averts romantic tropes and explores the obsessive nature of romantic affection around hooky choruses and romantic rock and roll licks.

Rarely will you find a singer-songwriter as honest in their expression as Eastern Pennsylvania’s Chelsea Lyn Meyer. Women all too often get shunted into the crazy category after a relationship has burnt out, but Meyer made no bones about celebrating every ounce of her visceral emotion in What You’re Doing to Me, which may just be the pop-punk anthem of the year.

What You’re Doing to Me is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bad Weather delivers an anthemic alt-pop reminder with ‘Caring Is Cool’.

Posted on 7 September 2021

Perth’s most promising alt-pop artist, Bad Weather, has released his stickiest earworm to date, Caring is Cool, which merges anthemic nuances of power-pop, pop-punk, 80s pop and contemporary indie-pop in the same vein as M83 and The 1975.

The sonic eclecticism is one thing, but Bad Weather (AKA Callum Robertson) has plenty more in his aural arsenal than just crumbling genre constraints with his sound. His ambition to bring the best out in people through his music rather than attempting to emanate the cool indie rock stereotype will leave you instantly enamoured. I can only imagine how hard the choruses of sticky-sweet high vibes, overdriven guitars and galvanising synths hit when hearing them live.

Caring is Cool is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

#lameassdads take us to Nowhere, Ohio

Posted on 28 August 2021
Greetings from Nowhere, Ohio by #lameassdads

#lameassdads are the refreshing antithesis to every earnest rock outfit that fails to find humility while attempting to stay contemporary despite the consistent evolution and modernisation of the rock scene.

Their kids might hate it, but we quickly found a soft spot for their energetic pop-punk track, Nowhere, Ohio, to hit hard. Fans of Blink 182, Social Distortion, Green Day, Bad Religion and The Offspring will get a sweet nostalgia hit from this stellar Midwest Emo release. Despite their slightly self-deprecating humour, they’re a powerhouse of talent with the collective ability to create anthemic earworms that you won’t be desperate to lose.

Take yourself to Nowhere, Ohio, by heading over to Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK artist Hennerz has made his urban indie-pop-punk debut with his infectious single, ‘2 Far Gone’.

Posted on 10 August 2021

After the first muted guitar chords in the standout track, 2 Far Gone, in the UK alt-hip hop artist Hennerz’ 3-track debut single, Omega, any emo hearts will quickly fasten.

The urban pop-punk hit manages to throwback to the glory days of pop-punk while exuding a contemporary indie pop-style cool with the gangly indie guitars that create plenty of anticipation for the massive choruses. Beyond the infectious sonic appeal of 2 Far Gone, Hennerz is an artist that you can’t help warming to. The true to voice vocals leaves out pretence and opts for passion instead.

2 Far Gone is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Modern Day Miracle has released their sonic indie power-pop sophomore single, Falling in a Dream.

Posted on 5 August 2021

Modern Day Miracle’s sophomore release, Falling in a Dream, has already racked up over 370k streams on Spotify alone. The electronic indie pop-rock single errs on the side of melancholy lyrically but the feisty anthem energizes you away from apathy as you listen to the effervescent jangle pop guitars, playful synth-pop melodies and power-pop hooks.

If someone sugar-coated and stripped the years off the Strokes, we’re fairly sure that the aural result wouldn’t be all too far from Falling in a Dream. Even from just listening to one single, we’re filled with that instinct to back the blossoming powerhouse that could easily have main festival stage crowds eating out of their deft hands.

You can check out the punchy pop-rock hit for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sanny Veloo has released his misanthropic alt-rock single, The Human Race Ain’t Worth Saving

Posted on 3 August 2021

Sany Veloo’s latest scuzzy garage rock hit, The Human Race Ain’t Worth Saving, is a playlist staple for every misanthrope. The high-octane hit channels the angst of 90s grunge, the instrumental flair of rock n roll and the energy of a pop-rock anthem.

Before making his solo debut, the Singapore-born and raised artist was in the band, Boredphucks before they were banned by the government for their polarizing music. It doesn’t get more rock n roll than that, does it? Now residing in Melbourne, Australia, Veloo carries the same commitment to creating unapologetically expressive tracks. We probably don’t need to mention that, given the title of his latest release.

With the powerful and colourful instrumentals in The Human Race Ain’t Worth Saving, Veloo created an ironically euphoric atmosphere for the listener to complete our undeserving sentience.

The Human Race Ain’t Worth Saving is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Celeste Scott has released her urban pop-punk anthem, Hate My Friends.

Posted on 2 August 2021

Celeste Scott has made a phenomenal comeback with her entrancing track, Hate My Friends; it is charged with pop-punk attitude, filled with infectious dance-pop hooks and carries all of the hallmarks of a perennial pop earworm.

With three years between the release of Hate My Friends and her sophomore single, we’re stoked to see the return of the pop-punk icon. With her heavy guitars, urban influence and hooky melodies, she has practically done all of the heavy lifting in the diversification of the pop-punk scene that she is sure to reign supreme with more euphorically sniping releases in the same vein as Hate My Friends.

Check out Hate My Friends on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast