Browsing Tag

post-punk

Sydney Post-Punk Powerhouse, Scared of Sharks, Tapped into the Cultural Zeigest with ‘Last Train to Wyong’

Posted on 8 December 2024
Scared of Sharks

Scared of Sharks became Australia’s equivalent to Half Man Half Biscuit with their trippy tongue-in-cheek electro post-punk track, Last Train to Wyong. Charged with cultural humour, brashy tones and psychonautic grooves, the single invites you to live vicariously through the incident that inspired the single, which also happens to encapsulate the infamously zany energy of the outfit which is currently priming the airwaves for the release of their debut EP, Double Happiness.

After drummer Tim Shady got too cooked at a rave in Sydney, lost all his belongings, hopped on a train and headed in the wrong direction home, Scared of Sharks seized the opportunity to orchestrate an anecdotal earworm. Maybe we can’t all say we’ve been there, but we can all agree that the loveable rogues of which the powerhouse comprises have a knack for storytelling with more humour than you are likely to see if you head to any open mic comedy show.

The ingenious reframing of that iconic ‘Democracy Manifest’ quote into “What’s the charge, riding a train, a lovely New South Wales train?’ is the highlight of the track that ensures even in this throwaway culture, Shares of Sharks are here to thrive and endure.

Last Train to Wyong will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp, from December 8th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Talking Hours cast the first stone in the indietronica blues-rock revolution with the swagger in their latest seminal release, Stop the Sound

Posted on 5 December 2024

The Talking Hours have returned as unrivalled pioneers of post-punk panache after a four-year airwaves hiatus with Stop the Sound, a track from their third LP, Transmissions to Missy. If you’ve ever wondered what The Black Keys would sound like if they traded in their vintage bluesy tones for indie hooks and Arcade Fire-style swagger, look no further.

Mauricio and Karie, the fierce force behind The Talking Hours, weave magnetic indie vocals through a dense fog of percussion and angular guitars that slice through the track with post-punk precision. The visceral rhythm and sharp riffs deliver jolts of energy while the vocals cut through, commanding attention with their arcane deliverances of deadpan drawls and euphonic harmony.

The way the duo push against the constrictions of sonic conformity by pairing rock, blues, and indie elements with electronic pulses amplifies the hypnotic gravity of Stop the Sound. You’ll come for the perfect equilibrium of style and substance, yet it is the emotive anatomy of Stop the Sound which allows it to establish itself as a playlist staple, with the same sense of magnetism as Editors and Interpol in spite of the abstract nature of the lyricism.

Stream The Talking Hours’ LP, Transmissions to Missy, in full via Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nothing But Silence turned up the post-punk heat with ‘Too Useful’

Posted on 29 October 2024

In their latest single, ‘Too Useful’, Chicago’s Nothing But Silence threads jangly new wave guitars around stark, monochromatic motifs of post-punk, all set within a dream-pop-esque production that feels like a psychedelic trip through a rhythmic mirage.

The bold tonal experimentation manifests a sonic experience that distorts and oscillates with trippy, tropical vibrations, creating an immersive soundscape that pulls you into its obscure kaleidoscope. Prepare to enter a semi-lucid dream state with Too Useful, which uses abstract lyricism to amplify the delirium of the record which stands as a bold declaration of the band’s unique identity in the alternative scene.

Imagine if Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’ was transmitted from a warmer, more vibrant parallel universe—that’s the innovative essence captured in ‘Too Useful’. The track is a stellar slice of rhythmic ingenuity that invites listeners to step into a different, more colourful side of post-punk, laced with a dreamy, wavy quality that keeps the genre alive and pulsating.

Too Useful hit the airwaves on October 18; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MANA is down with the sickness in their indie post-punk sophomore single, Nauseating Me

Posted on 26 October 2024

MANA has reached a plateau above a scene cluttered with pallid echoes of post-punk pioneers with ‘Nauseating Me’, a track that defiantly carves a new notch in the indie scene. The Irish ensemble, now threading through the fabric of Berlin’s underground scene, has leapt forward from their promising debut with ‘Our Words’.

Their guitar work, reminiscent of the late 70s and early 80s licks, weaves through the track like Poison Ivy’s angularly arcane poise in confluence with the vocals which chameleonically shift from ethereal harmonies in the vein of Jaws and Peace to Strokes-esque vintagely doctored timbres as the track carries the cultivated appeal of mainstream titans like Arcade Fire and The Vaccines.

Equally as cerebral as their sound, MANA’s lyricism carries just as much intellectual weight with their dedication to painting vignettes of defiance, hope, polarisation, cynicism and displacement. Their philosophical approach to thematic underpinnings paired with the oscillations of indie innovation ensures that MANA is not just continuing traditions but setting precedents.

For those wearied by the monochrome renditions of Joy Division, join MANA in their electrifying new division as they traverse lesser-trodden intersections of indie’s anthemic fervour and post-punk’s monochromatic chill.

Nauseating Me was officially released on October 2nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shoegaze collides with post-punk in The Silent Era’s latest visceral vortex, Oscillations

Posted on 15 October 2024

With powerhouse vocals that follow in the ethereally haunting footsteps of Desperate Journalist filtering into the monochromatic shoegaze meets post-punk atmosphere, the latest single from The Silent Era will leave you spellbound, scintillated, and desperate in anticipation for their debut album, Wide and Deep and Cold.

The engorging walls of sound, glistens of goth rock glamour, vortexes of kaleidoscopic mesmerism, angular guitar notes and pulsative percussion pull together in the radio edit of Oscillations to pour an alchemic cocktail which may pay ode to pioneers of post-punk and shoegaze, but there’s no mistaking The Silent Era’s own ingenuity within the aching authenticity of the single.

If Oscillations feels this good through headphones, the live experience will undoubtedly leave you kneeling at the altar of The Silent Era.

Stream the official lyric video for Oscillations on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sink into the seductively psyched-up grooves of amoklove’s sophomore single, Brown Eyes Red

Posted on 1 October 2024

The mind-bending juggernaut of a powerhouse, amoklove, has struck again with their latest seductively Avant-Garde single, Brown Eyes Red. The saturated in delay wavy grooves of funked-up indietronica melt into your consciousness like a sonic trip.

The woozy hypnotism of the crooning vocals works in synergy with the instrumentals, pulling you deeper into the undercurrents of the kaleidoscopic bliss of the warm, psych-soaked melodies; the cold, angular post-punk guitars cut through with surgical precision, leaving a jagged edge in an otherwise hazy reverie.

It’s as if amoklove has figured out how to bottle euphoria and unease in one hit. With grooves that slither straight into the soul, the up-and-coming multicultural collective is the ultimate purveyor of obscure magnetism. With a similar tonal palette to IST IST, it’s only a matter of time before amoklove reaches the same heights.

Stream Brown Eyes Red on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kuwaisiana – Gentrification: A Sonic Molotov Aimed at Cultural Erosion

Posted on 27 September 2024
https://soundcloud.com/kuwaisiana/gentrification-aug-mix/s-GGnNrQ0jOK2?in=kuwaisiana/sets/mishriff-ep//s-hQHummCrWZD

Seattle-based trio Kuwaisiana aren’t pulling any punches with their latest release, ‘Gentrification’. From the opening Arabic howl of angst, the band tears into the cold, clinical destruction of cultural roots with brutal fury. As the track shifts gears into English, it doesn’t lose an ounce of its venom. Instead, it hammers home the visceral reality of gentrification – not as a polite reshuffling, but a full-scale assault on heritage and identity.

The track’s aggressive blend of grunge, hardcore, and post-punk catapults Kuwaisiana to the frontlines of protest music. Forget the half-hearted rage of your typical punk track; this is pure, unadulterated chaos. With riffs that cut like jagged glass and rhythms that hit like a riot, ‘Gentrification’ feels like a sonic Molotov hurled at the forces that reduce communities to dust. The gnarled vocals alone could level cities, calling back to the uncompromising energy of Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys.

The lyrical narrative is equally ferocious, painting a vivid picture of the hollowed-out ruins left by gentrification. The reference to ‘Disneyland nose jobs’ alludes to how Kuwaisiana aren’t just on the money, they’re holding the monopoly in the punk scene.

The haunting opening image sets the tone for a journey through displacement, exclusivity, and transience. +Aziz’s Kuwaiti-American identity bleeds through every note, making the track a gut punch for anyone who’s watched their cultural landscape get obliterated by the greed of the powerful.

Gentrification will reclaim the airwaves when it officially releases on September 27; stream the single on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lie awake in the illusory land of Mindless Crowd’s new wave seminal release,  ‘Dreamscape’

Posted on 15 September 2024

With their desperately anticipated LP, Wanderlust, released on 30th August, Mindless Crowd stand as innovative new-wave indie architects; if you’re always looking for new ways to explore this vain of sonic nostalgia, let Mindless Crowd be your guide with the standout single, ‘Dreamscape’.

‘Dreamscape’ may not deliver your quintessential dreamy ambient aesthetic, but who decided dreamscapes are unanimous in tonality anyway? Mindless Crowd orchestrated their own chimaera with the reverie of angular jangle pop guitars that resonate with the perpetually influential rhythms of Johnny Marr and echoes of Iggy Pop through gruff, spoken-word style vocals that strikingly juxtapose the vibrant tones of the instrumentals.

As the track evolves, the guitars transition in the middle eight, creatively adorning the track in veritable rock n’ roll stripes. The vintage-toned lead work ascends to what can only be described as guitar porn, embodying the perfect melodic narrative switch for indie fans always on the lookout for boundary-pushing new-wave indie sounds.

Emerging from Geneva, Mindless Crowd has evolved from covering rock titans like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to crafting their original material. Formed in 2012 by school friends and driven by a blend of nostalgia and innovation, the band—comprising Alex, Julien, Gaël, and Lucas—has grown a significant following, propelling them forward with over 150,000 listens on Spotify.

The album ‘Wanderlust’ encapsulates this growth and exploration, offering a mix of motivation, disillusionment, success, and failure, reflecting the winding journey of introspection the band describes.

Mindless Crowd’s LP, Wanderlust, is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Post-punk intersects with desert rock in djamesk13’s embodiment of masochistic nihilism,  If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails

Posted on 13 August 2024

Even if the artistic merit solely lay in the Shakespearean-esque title, djamesk13’s latest single, If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails, would be a sonic masterstroke.

Yet, the way the alt-rock visionary conjured an embodiment of masochistic nihilism through the cold distortions of post-punk and the droning kaleidoscopic psychedelia of desert rock within this resonantly psychologically plagued soundscape ensured that anyone who shares the visualised proclivities will meet profound vindication.

There’s nothing quite as alienating as the sense you are being driven towards desolation, but that didn’t get in the solo artist’s way of manifesting unity between the outliers who can’t be placated by life’s simple pleasures.

If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails is yet another undeniable attestation of djamesk13’s ability to utilise sound as a means of forcing his listeners into trance-like sessions of reflection.

If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Distortion as Dialogue: Abandoned Buildings’ Alt-Indie Release, Microdose, Explores the Depths of Desolation

Posted on 11 August 2024

In the borderlands between post-punk, ambient post-rock and shoegaze lies the West Yorkshire five-piece, Abandoned Buildings; their latest diaphanous-in-spite of distortion howl into the void, Microdose, is the ultimate introduction to their unfeigned introspection.

After a quiescent intro of reverb and chorus-laden guitar, the track pulls you into a vortex of thematically affecting instrumentation that embodies the emotional underpinnings as much as the lyrics and vocals which paint a portrait of pain and isolation in strokes of vulnerability which forces you to meet the candour projected through the artfully visceral progressions.

Released ahead of the sophomore album, Eroding Light, which will drop on September 20, Microdose marked Abandoned Buildings as one of the most promising up-and-coming outfits on the alt-indie scene in 2024. Their creative vision which reinvents shoegaze fused with the way they reflect stark realities through the complexity of emotion is unparalleled. Don’t pass up on your Microdose fix.

Microdose will be available to stream on all major platforms from August 9th via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast