Browsing Tag

post-punk

Life is but a dark dream in Fox Evades’ latest indie-pop single, Strange Forever

If you ever needed definitive proof that no city breeds dark indie like Manchester, delve into the atmosphere in Fox Evades’ latest single, Strange Forever.

With a beguiling vocal style reminiscent of Jo Bevan from Desperate Journalist paired with the instrumentals that will remind you why you fell for post-punk and new wave in the first place, Strange Forever is an indulgent hit of tonal nostalgia.

When it comes to the substance in this viscerally evocative confession, Fox Evades well and truly stands in a league of their own. There comes a time in every outlier’s life when we acknowledge that we will never grow into normalcy; Strange Forever captures those cutting feelings while unifying the similarly minded with the lyrical affirmation that it’s a choice to be alone.

Strange Forever will officially release on February 25th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Magnapinna brought in the new wave of no-wave with ‘Party Rumours’

Party Rumours by The Magnapinna

With riotous vocal reminiscence to Against Me paired with their scuzzily volatile new wave energy, The Magnapinna’s single, Party Rumours, is just a few voltages short of taking a bath with a toaster.

The Magnapinna started as an online international outfit before evolving into an Ireland-hailing collective that has garnered positive press across the board. They have been lauded by Kerrang, who rightly observed the maniacally eccentric band are like no other.

The title single from their 2022 LP has all the party rock energy of Andrew WK’s Party Hard paired with the discordant punk edge of Dead Kennedys and lofty nuances of surf punk in the gorgeously layered backing vocals. The LP itself scales the entirety of the alt-rock spectrum in absorbingly visceral fashion and lets The Magnapinna’s Mike Patton influence shine through.

Party Rumours is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oxford act Shaven Primates decimates those dark demons with inspiring single, ‘Answers’

After searching for help to rid the halls of those scary ghosts that can clutch onto you like poisonous sludge in the river, Shaven Primates join forces within and aim to heal from those mental scars which need to be remedied on ‘Answers‘.

Formed by Mark Elphinstone, Shaven Primates is an Oxford, England-based 5-piece dark-wave, art-rock, post-punk band. After a 17 year hiatus from music, Mark decided that he needed to fully heal from all the trauma from his tough childhood and has used music for therapy purposes, with results that are quite bone-tingling.

Our music is a narrative of human emotion and experience: fear, love and anger resonate through the orchestration, giving our audience a deeply cathartic release.” ~ Shaven Primates

Bringing us their vivid story to life while sending a groovy ear-booster with some aplomb, Shaven Primates show us that you can indeed retrain your mind and destroy all past memories that are holding you back from doing what you love in life.

Answers‘ from the Oxford, England-based band Shaven Primates, is a breaking-the-walls thunderbolt that gets your eyes to widen and your thoughts to break those rusty bars with your mind so you can regain control of your destiny. Blending in with dynamic forces that is almost superhero-like, this is a must-listen for all those who have suffered from disgraceful abuse growing up. Music heals if you join together with those who get it.

Hear this rocking new track on Soundcloud and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

LUXTHEREAL bring in the new wave of classic rock with their ethereal hit, I Got You

After an entrancing synth-driven prelude, the Phoenix-based alt-rock outfit LUXTHEREAL’s standout single, I Got You, grips you with the alchemy that pours from the cinematic cocktail of classic rock, new wave, and post-punk.

The dreamy and ethereal instrumental interludes wrap around the robust vocal timbre of Rachel Guilbault and the increments of classic rock that pull you back to the 80s while simultaneously immersing you in a brand-new sonic world, defined by its emotive gravitas and atmospheric magnetism. Any fans of Christian Death will undoubtedly want to make LUXTHEREAL a firm fixture of their playlists.

I Got You is available to on YouTube and on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chandler Poe shows us a sign of our world-weary times with his latest single, decay.

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/kVN7bhCJDVLPUdRn9

By starting with the resonant admission, “Every day I wake up and I’m already exhausted”, Chandler Poe’s latest single, decay, is a striking sign of our world-weary times. With the same artistic dejection shared by the likes of Arab Strap, John Grant and Jack Ladder paired with the blisters of soul that yearns for something sustaining and real, Chandler Poe taps into the collective loss of meaning to give us a tragically rare visceral emotion hit.

The Bukowski-style downbeat barfly lyrics become infinitely more powerful through Poe’s deep, gravelly vocal timbre that practically oozes sex appeal around the fiery beats and reverb-drenched keys. With more hits in the same vein as this, Chandler Poe has all it takes to become the next alt-indie icon.

Chandler Poe’s latest single, decay, is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

No Wind Blows: Ireland’s Movment wonder when the madness will end on ‘We All Must Go’

Taken off their just-dropped 10-track album that communicates to us their ‘Transformation‘, Movment returns gloriously with their 2nd single that unconditionally heats up the veins and this one is called ‘We All Must Go‘.

Movment is an Ireland-based indie alt-rock/post-punk band that is honest to the core and make a gripping blend of hard-edged music that slices diligently through into the truth and endeavours to set us free.

There is a divergence in society. The new album Transformation, due in December 2021, explores this situation. We are bombarded with information, opinions, viewpoints, and words. We drown in ideas, in solutions, in propaganda. There needs to be a TRANSFORMATION from where we are now.” ~ Movment

Movment smartly slam the door on anything that isn’t sincere and toss away the key. They alternatively ask us to have faith and climb off this fake mountain we live on right now and join them into a new world where everything is completely transparent. With simmering energy that urges our confusion-filled eyes to see clearer, this is a precise effort from an introspective band.

We All Must Go‘ from the Ireland-based indie alt-rock act Movment, is a colossal track from an experienced band who seem like they are on a mission. Fed up with all the nonsense and false news narratives that confuse so many – this is a ravaging effort that should wake up those slumber-filled minds – into finding out what really is going on. The truth shall set you free after all.

Educate your ears on Spotify and see more about their evolution with IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

New Rock City – Da Ratman!: Bop-Worthy Dark Punk Rock from NYC with Scuzz

Da Ratman! - Single by New Rock City

With a scuzzy punk rock viciousness that could only have ever come from NYC, New Rock City’s latest single, Da Ratman!, is a blackened bop-worthy hit that could single-handedly and simultaneously restart the New Romantic and Horror Punk scenes.

With no two singles from the duo ever the same, they keep their fanbase guessing what revivalist tones they will deliver next. Based on Da Ratman! It’s safe to say that they know just how to pull different stylistic elements together to energetically complement each other. It’s as hooky as any Misfits track, jangly as Johnny Marr’s licks and comes with devilishly macabre undertones in the same vein as The Creepshow. Da Ratman! is a firecracker of a track that no one will regret hitting play on.

Da Datman! Is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lazywall is set to reach nirvana if they ascend any further with their latest single, ‘I Will Rise’.

Lazywall

Hard rock hits don’t come much hookier than the latest single, I Will Rise, from the UK-based alt-rock outfit, Lazywall. They give Rise Against and Shinedown a run for their money when it comes to curating bursts of energy that you can’t help getting caught up in.

It’s rare in the industry to find an artist getting the kind of attention they deserve but from the moment that you hear the volatile post-punk vocals against the steady rolling swagger of the grungy basslines in the intro, you know exactly why they have had such a successful run since 2003. It makes sense why Steve Albini worked on an album with them, why they have performed at SXSW in Austin and Garorock in France and to 50,000 people at the Festival of Casablanca and why they have amassed a global and loyal fanbase.

Bravely, Lazywall doesn’t care about catering to hard rock purists; notably, they have far too much fun pushing the boundaries to the point of eruption to create a brand-new sound. After the teasing post-punk nuances in the intro, I Will Rise bursts into a defiant feat of Avant rock sound with the vocals carrying a Dave Grohl-Esque robustness. Then, it demands repeat attention.

I Will Rise will officially release on November 30th. The lyric video will be available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Poetry and Electronic Post-Punk Collide in The Ninth Configuration’s Latest Single, Love is a Want of Reason

If artists climbed the charts on the poetic intrigue of their track titles alone, the UK-based outfit, The Ninth Configuration, would never leave the top of the billboard charts with their latest single, Love is a Want of Reason.

Even before you hit play on the track, you’re desperate to hear what introspective gold is nestled inside. Hint, you definitely won’t be disappointed. The dark electronic post-punk single has exactly what it takes to win over Alex Cameron and Jack Ladder fans with the crooned indie post-punk vocals that effortlessly fall into the synthesised pool of relatable melancholia.

The official music video for Love is a Want of Reason is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PH Mazza looks beyond avocado tropes to tap into the misery of Millennial life with Millennial’s Song.

For their latest single, Millennial’s Song, alt-rock artist, PH Mazza, turned the reality of millennial life into a theatrically sinister feat of baroque post-punk complete with symphonic scores, Elton John on acid vibes and filthy Crampsy garage rock licks.

PH Mazza succeeded in creating a brief reprieve from the crushing existentialism that comes with our avocados and inability to get on the housing market. If that wasn’t enough, the pioneer threw in just as much psychedelic experimentalism as the Legendary Pink Dots. If anyone has what it takes to dethrone Nick Cave, it is PH Mazza.

The official music video is available to stream on YouTube, or you can add Millennial’s Song to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast