Browsing Tag

rock

Kentucky penned a patriotic rock-licked love letter with ‘America, The Beautiful’

Posted on 21 April 2024

Kentucky’s latest single, America, The Beautiful, is a soul-imbued tribute to the multifaceted allure of the United States, delivered with a rock ‘n’ roll heart that pulses with a distinct Americana twang.

The love letter captures the sweeping landscapes and rich cultural tapestry of the USA, offering listeners a sonic road trip across its vast expanse with pop culture pitstops along the way. With an approach that will resonate with fans of Bruce Springsteen and Guns n Roses alike, Kentucky weaves a narrative rich with patriotic pride, crafting a soundtrack that is both a celebration and a reflection.

The production melds classic rock influences with a nuanced Americana style, making it an essential addition for those who adorn their playlists with heartland rock. Despite the stripped and simplistic instrumental arrangement, there is no lack of depth. Each acoustic guitar-led progression strikes a resonant chord, echoing with rich, cathartic timbres under Kentucky’s gravelly vocal delivery that resonates with an aura of sincerity.

America, The Beautiful invites listeners to feel the pride and beauty of the American spirit. Its release, which stirred enough emotion to briefly face a ban on TikTok, underscores its impactful message and the poignant exploration of American identity that Kentucky so masterfully encapsulates in this acoustic rock anthem.

America, The Beautiful was officially released on April 1st; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eco-Rock Resurgence: The Lürxx’s ‘We Are the Weeds’ Unleashes a Green Rebellion

Posted on 20 April 2024

We Are the Weeds by the Lürxx doesn’t give you a love them or loathe them option; no rock fan could be impervious to the thunderous punch that melds the raucous energy of sleaze rock with a sharp environmental edge.

With their roots firmly planted in the Hollywood glam punk scene, this duo not only revitalises the rock and roll ethos by championing the protection of the natural world in addition to smashing the system. Their music bridges the raw vibe of the 1980s Sunset Strip, reminiscent of legends like Twisted Sister and Guns N’ Roses, with acoustic nuances that echo the Quireboys and Dogs D’Amour all the while being amplified by an energy that’s uniquely their own.

The intoxicating and impactfully dynamic nature warrior punk rock opera is evidence of the duo’s ability to stir the soul and do so without resorting to shaming the listener into action, the installations of zany punk vocals around the classic 80s rock tones ensures the vocal performance perfectly aligns with the spirit of the track which explores the relentless resilience of nature, symbolised by weeds—the unacknowledged heroes of the ecosystem. It’s a powerful metaphor for persistence and survival in a world quick to dismiss the underdog.

Stream the official music video for We Are the Weeds on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Cody and the Heartache – Covering These Tracks Vol II: An Americana Tribute to the Art of Song Interpretation

Posted on 19 April 2024
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Nick Cody and the Heartache’s latest album, “Covering These Tracks Vol II,” is a masterful reinterpretation of eight beloved singles through an Americana folk rock lens. This Leeds-based artist, along with his band has created a collection that resonates with warmth and soul.

The album features a diverse range of covers, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” Nick Cave’s “Nobody’s Baby Now,” and Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Name Droppin’.” Each track is meticulously reworked, maintaining the original’s spirit while infusing it with a unique folk-rock essence. The result is a cohesive collection that showcases the band’s ability to blend different musical styles seamlessly.

What sets this album apart is the way Nick Cody and his band have deconstructed these classics, stripping them down to their core before rebuilding them with his band’s distinctive sound. The quivering violin strings, the acoustic guitar’s steady timbres, and the spells of vocal alchemy, especially Towse’s crystalline harmonies, create an enchanting experience.

“Covering These Tracks Vol II” is more than a cover album, it is a tribute to the art of song interpretation. This album is a testament to their musical prowess and a gift to fans of Americana folk. It’s a journey through familiar melodies, reborn and revitalised, proving that great music can always find new life in the hands of talented artists.

Stream Covering These Tracks Vol II on SoundCloud from April 19th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Deully – This Long Road: A Resilient Journey Through Rock and Recovery

Posted on 18 April 2024

Deully, the solo project of the independent Canadian rock virtuoso, Darren Sawrenko, has added to his accoladed discography by releasing his eagerly-awaited latest LP, This Long Road, and this time, his stellar songwriting stripes are bolstered by a lyrical intensity which provides a candour-fuelled exposition on his ongoing battle with mental health and recovery.

Each of the singles on the LP is a reflection of his psyche at the time of writing. The title single is entrenched in the agony and the glimpses of hope of acknowledging that the road to recovery necessitates fortitude and endurance. You can hear every ounce of the resilience mustered to stay on the long road, which is reflected as much through the fiery vocal performance as the visceral rock instrumentals.

The guitars don’t play; they battle cry through the monolithic hard rock production, giving everyone else walking the same, often lonely, road a sense of kinship and determination to keep moving towards the destination of redemption.

With This Long Road LP, Deully isn’t solely battling his own demons, he’s rebelling against the expectations and rock n roll cliches that lead so many down a toxically glamourised self-destructive path. In our book, he couldn’t be more of a rock icon.

This Long Road was officially released on April 12th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emotional Chaos Unravels in the Melancholy of Magenta Wave’s Indie Rock Allegory, Why Am I In Love With You

Posted on 17 April 2024

Magenta Wave’s latest single, “Why Am I In Love With You,” vocally tears at the heartstrings with a fervency akin to Thom Yorke and Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchinson. This track is an atom bomb of melancholy that flips the usual narrative of romanticism upside down. It melodically implores listeners to explore the agony of falling in love when your relationship with yourself is on unsteady ground.

With the guitars sonically visualising the disorientation of losing control under another’s influence, and the rhythm section driving this tormented vignette forward, the vocals find an achingly affecting hallowed ground to project their agony over. The soaring, vintage-toned guitar solos resonate like a battle cry from a scarred soul, marking Magenta Wave’s unparalleled ability to shake up the indie rock scene with their ingenuity and sincerity.

This piece is the second single from their upcoming EP, “Sold My Soul,” mastered by Ed Brooks, known for his work with Pearl Jam and Death Cab for Cutie. It is an essential listen for anyone who still finds sanctuary in the candour and inhibition of indie rock.

Magenta Wave, having become legends in Bellingham, WA, before moving to Seattle, continues to blend alternative, indie, and psychedelic rock in their unique sound, making “Why Am I In Love With You” a poignant reflection on love and self-discovery

Why Am I In Love With You was officially released on April 12th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jon Fritz – Cold Hard Rain: A Soulful Storm of Genre-Defying Rock Reverie

Posted on 15 April 2024

When it rains, it pours, and in Cold Hard Rain, the latest single from the singer-songwriter and touring troubadour Jon Fritz, the soulful rock reverie pours deliciously.

After an intro of layered gospel-esque harmonies, Cold Hard Rain sells vintage indie rock sanctuary; the bluesy guitar bends carve chemistry across the upbeat rhythm section as Jon Fritz vocalises in the middle ground beyond college radio rock and grunge. Vedder himself couldn’t have performed this release better.

There are expansive releases; then there are singles that refuse to inhibit themselves by following genre constraints and register as pure unbridled communications from the soul; Cold Hard Rain cascades into the latter camp with the blissfully constructed melodies that turn on a dime between 90s nostalgia, 80s soaring solos and 70s rock n roll stripes. It is within these cohesive confluences that John Fritz truly shines; try as you might, there’s no resisting being injected by the rugged euphoria which resounds in the rhythmic downpour of Cold Hard Rain.

Cold Hard Rain was officially released on April 4th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alley of the Dolls earned a place in the pantheon of post-grunge with ‘Broken Skies’

Posted on 12 April 2024

Alley of the Dolls, Yorkshire’s alt-rock revelation, delivered a thunderous wake-up call with their single ‘Broken Skies’. The standout from their EP ‘Urethane‘, is a movement scribed through Jacob Stephenson’s and Adam Pickering’s shared passion for the gritty, grungy, and raw energy of 90s rock.

‘Broken Skies’ lyrically tackles a subject as delicate as it is devastating – the rising phenomenon of school shootings. Few artists have dared to go beyond lyrically mourning the tragedy, but Alley of the Dolls does so with a boldness that is both haunting and necessary. Their words don’t just skim the surface; they eviscerate the protagonists of these tragedies, demanding accountability for the senseless destruction born from unprocessed emotions.

The duo’s fearless approach to songwriting is matched by the sonic ingenuity within the bruising riffs and intense instrumental thematic textures in ‘Broken Skies’. Their determination to become architects of a new sound influenced by iconic Seattle post-grunge bands and legends like Guns ‘N’ Roses and the Foo Fighters is palpable in every viscerally affecting note of ‘Broken Skies’.

By using their music to punch upward against tyranny and stand for those struggling to survive and thrive, Alley of the Dolls’ discography is as essential as it is vindicating.

Broken Skies will drop on April 12th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Be a (Bar)Fly on the Wall with Jude & The Strangers’ Standout Single Beggar’s Tavern

Posted on 10 April 2024
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Some tracks ensnare you with hooks, others dig to the depths of your soul; Beggar’s Tavern by Jude & The Strangers dug into the trenches of the latter camp.

Imagine sinking beers with Bukowski, drinking in the sanctifying feeling of listening to Journey, experiencing the panoramically artistic gravitas of Father John Misty, and getting your blues rock licks as a courtesy of the Black Keys simultaneously, then you’ll get an idea of what this era-spanning Tour De Force delivers.

With all the infectious charisma of Jim Jones himself, singer-songwriter Aiden Jude doesn’t just command attention, he drenches his work in kinetic emotion. With a sonic iteration of a borstal breakout to conclude the single, it’s safe to say we’re beyond desperate to hear the rest of the Beggar’s Tavern LP which will arrive in May 2023. The New Jersey music scene won’t know what has hit it after the launch.

Beggar’s Tavern is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ren Ashfield and the Magicians – Geronimo: A One Way Track to Nirvana

Posted on 3 April 2024

Genre fluidity is one thing, genre sorcery is quite another; find the difference by delving into one of the seminal singles, Geronimo, from Ren Ashfield and the Magicians’ unmissable LP, Sonic Creations.

Starting with a groove which melds Motown-reminiscent basslines with gospel-esque bluesy shimmering organs before rock inclinations are licked into the production by the audaciously brashy guitars, Geronimo is a riot of alchemic ingenuity before the first chorus hits. You’ll know when it does; the synths kick up a frenetically dance-y 80s storm before psych folk elements entwine with them to lace the polyphonic aesthetics with organic elements for a truly mind-melting experience.

It took a talented vocalist to tame the sonic beast which is Geronimo, but Ren Ashfield’s naturally commanding vocal lines blazed across the unchartered territory with unfaltering ease, pulling you deeper into the production, ensuring that by the time the guitar solo starts to tear through the atmosphere, it will lead you to nirvana as it endlessly ascends.

Stream the Sonic Creations LP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shred augmented annihilation in their hard-rock anthem, What They Say

Posted on 29 March 2024

Whoever said hell hath no fury like a woman scorned was proven a liar when Denmark’s prodigal sons of hard rock, Shred, unleashed their raging anthem, What They Say.

With an off-the-scale level of intensity to the hit that signifies the five-piece’s songwriting stripes, no one will be immune to the frenzied hook-rife volition when exposed to the single which goes beyond assimilating 80s-tinged hard rock and metal.

By leaning into the sonic influence of more contemporary bands including Foo Fighters and Avenged Sevenfold, and looking to more introspective artists for lyrical inspiration, Shred is one of the few hard rock outfits which goes beyond living up to rock and metal stereotypes.

They’re charting their own path through the razed ground of the hard rock landscape with the scintillating sustain on their monolithic guitars, the intuitively electrifying rhythm section, and the ensnaring vocals. Stefan Stimony knows exactly how to embody the emotional themes Shed’s profound lyricism exposits. If talk is cheap, What They Say is priceless.

What They Say will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from March 29th.

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Review by Amelia Vandergast