Browsing Tag

Smashing Pumpkins

Sticker – Making Mistakes: A Garage Grunge Anthem for the Fatally Fallible

Posted on 22 September 2024

Sticker’s debut single ‘Making Mistakes’ erupts as an explosive anthem for the perpetually remorseful and as a vindicating release for anyone haunted by the spectre of past missteps.

With its garage-grunge aesthetic sharply intersected by the electrifying surges of pop punk, the track from their debut EP, ‘Hello! My Name is Sticker’, cements the Nevada-based powerhouse as unreckonable evocateurs of caustic catharsis.

Formed in Las Vegas in 2019, Sticker, led by vocalist and guitarist Dennis Fija, alongside drummer Carlos Daniel Herrera and bassist Jacob Anthony Hennagir, the trio rapidly distinguished themselves in the Las Vegas circuit with a raw, fuzzy punk sound steeped in a plethora of influences. ‘Making Mistakes’ marries the nostalgic grit of Nirvana during their ‘Bleach’ era with the melodic poise of Smashing Pumpkins, layered with the contemporary edge of bands like Fidlar.

The track’s relentless energy and piercing lyrics provide a mirror to the soul, reflecting the tumult of self-criticism and the liberation found in acknowledging fallibility. It’s more than just music; it’s a frenzied, sonic purge of pent-up emotions, driven by dissonant chords, catchy melodies, and harsh vocals that challenge social norms and delve into the theme of unreciprocated emotions.

As the centrepiece of their EP, ‘Making Mistakes’ is the perfect introduction to Sticker’s gritty domain of rhythmic rebellion, proving that sometimes, the most profound reflections are found in the echoes of our errors.

Making Mistakes was officially released on September 8th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s all about the instrumental and mental breakdowns in Jeff from Work’s shoegazey grunge rap hit, Stand Up

Posted on 19 October 2023

Imagine the Beastie Boys augmenting their sound with the anthemics of Nirvana and accentuating the intricacies of the melodies with elements of post-punk, and you’ll almost envision the snarky sharp alchemy which bursts through every (instrumental and mental) breakdown in Jeff from Work’s seminal single, Stand Up, which also forcefully feeds nuances of the Smashing Pumpkins and Joy Division.

Taken from their concept LP, Overtime, which chronicles the oddities of the human experience through the eyes of Jeff, a ready-to-break slave to the rat race, the single is an exhilarant manifestation of rage, corporate disdain, shoegaze etherealism, and pure juggernautical experimentalism.

Their schtick starts to make all the more sense upon learning that the band formed after meeting at an LA ad agency and discovering they had more in common than their workplace angst. It’s an unlikely aural antihero story, but we’re here from it. They have exactly what it takes to become one of the biggest icons of the alternative scene in 2024.

Stream Overtime with the rest of the debut LP which dropped on October 5th on SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Sleeping in Circles honeyed their indie-post-grunge seminal single, Grey, with beguilingly artful melodicism.

Posted on 25 August 2023
Sleeping in Circles

 The Little Rock, Arkansas outfit, Sleeping in Circles, bridged the gap between Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden in their honeyed-with-melodicism standout single, Grey.

With sludgy hooks by the smorgasbord and a gruff yet soulfully smooth vocal melody striking enough that it will continue to reverberate through your consciousness long after the quiescent outro, Grey is an unforgettable indie release that stands as a testament to the trio’s songwriting chops.

Grey is the first single to be released from the upcoming LP, which is due for release in September 2023. If the rest of the album carries the same evocatively arrestive beguile of the title single, Sleeping in Circles will be the creators of the most seminal post-grunge album of the year.

Grey will be available to stream on all major platforms from August 25; hear it via their website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Belfast’s deafeningly ethereal shoegazers, Virgins, have launched their fever dream of an EP, transmit a little heaven.

Posted on 14 October 2022

October 14th, 2022, was a good day for shoegaze fans with the launch of the debut EP, transmit a little heaven, from the Belfast-based shoegazers Virgins. The up-and-coming trailblazers preach from the Smashing Pumpkins school of riffy ethereal dream pop, with colourful nods to Ride and the swirling choral textures of MBV.

In the title single, the crafters of sonic spectres simultaneously stayed true to the golden era of shoegaze with the signature lush reverb-wrapped walls of guitars and stayed true to their own authenticity through the cuttingly angular synaesthesia-inducing tonal hues that redact any hint of assimilation. The effortlessly outreaching vocals of Rebecca Dow that sting with emotion keep the lexicon clear just above the hazy euphonic guitars from Michael Smyth. The aural chemistry is more than palpable.

Listen to Virgins’ debut EP, released via Blowtorch Records, on Bandcamp & Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Ivins – Bloom: Affably Sonic Indie Alt Rock from Nashville with Love

Posted on 16 November 2020

The Ivins stirred up the Nashville sound with their Funk-riding take on Indie Alt Rock through their latest single ‘Bloom’. Expect sonic nuance and melodic angular hooks which will leave you lacerated as you fall into the sticky-sweet nectar which drips from their affably accessible sound.

With soaring choruses, tenderly imploring vocals which share the same soul-stroking propensity as the likes of Silversun Pickups, you can’t help getting engrossed by the familiar yet discernibly fresh mix of modern Indie and the timeless tones of the Alt 90s.

It’s hard to feel pessimisic about the future of the music industry when artists such as The Ivins offer such adrenalizing vitality in their sound. Get them on your radar.

Bloom is available to stream via Spotify.

Find out more about how The Ivins are disrupting the Nashville Rock scene with their sonic sound by heading over to their website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fall of Ego don’t hide away with darkly-rocking release ‘World In Disguise’

Posted on 12 May 2020

Newly formed Nottinghamshire-based alt-indie rock band The Fall of Ego have released their new track ‘World In Disguise’.

Drenched in gratuitous levels of overdrive and wrenching with anti-capitalist overtures, ‘World In Disguise’ plays against some widely-regarded sentiment about today’s society. Its frequency maxing and furiously penned lyrics mirror the incredible amount of angst many today can relate to. It’s easy to admire where the feeling is coming from too – our reality is not normality and pretending it isn’t amounts to, well, insanity. 

It’s a track that stands strong through its devotion to its unabashedly protestory lyrics. Plus, it’s not phased about being too reliant on avoiding the numerous traps many of its contemporaries might, and so ‘World In Disguise’ manages to fit The Fall of Ego, quite suitably, into an enjoyably mouthy set piece of counterculture. Check it out. 

You can check out ‘World In Disguise’ on The Fall of Ego’s Soundcloud page here.

8udDha bl0od – 83 7H3R3 4 M3: Captivatingly Sweet Acoustic Alt Rock

Posted on 11 May 2020
https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/83-7h3r3-4-w3/s-varOLhQZRwa

83 7H3R3 4 M3 is the instantly endearing single from 8udDha bl0od which any fans of  The Smashing Pumpkins are going to want to check out.

The acoustic Alt Indie track may seem a little twee in comparison to 8udDha bl0od’s other releases, but the captivating tones offered an all too welcome view of the artists more amorous side.

The intricately quaint acoustically-carved reggae melodies created the perfect platform for 8udDha bl0od’s soft yet sonorous all the same vocals. My soul feels significantly fuller after listening to 83 7H3R3 4 M3, if yours still functions, it’s likely that you’ll feel exactly the same after listening to the aurally resolving track fade to a quiescent close.

You can check out 83 7H3R3 4 M3 for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Happy Freuds – Break: It’s full of energy and major throwbacks

Posted on 29 March 2020

If you want something that’s going to throw you right back to the old school Classic Rock days then this is the one for you. Happy Freuds have this contagious energy, manic instrumentation and insane vocals, that real rock feel that throws you right back.

‘’Break’’ is a track that you can’t help but love, it’s energetic, chaotic and has so much personality that shines through, as a listener you can hear how much energy goes into the music and how well it comes out.

They have this talent that definitely shouldn’t go unnoticed, the guitar riffs are so precise and electrifying, the light taps on the drums and not to mention the killer vocals that just completely top everything off, it all combines so well together.

Happy Freuds have clearly shown the Rock world what they have to offer in this track, just by showing how good old school Classic Rock can really sound. A band with huge potential to make it massive and one we can’t wait to see do so.

Be sure to check out Break for yourselves by heading to SoundCloud now.

Review by Karley Myall

The Skeleton Krew – Love: Jaw dropping, Eye popping Goth Rock!

Posted on 26 February 2020

If all good things come in small packages, expect to listen to this song and get one of the best surprises from a dynamic duo from Jackson, Tennessee. Hunter Cross and Cameron Briley make up the members of The Skeleton Krew and their latest offering called “Love”, is already making some serious waves on the internet.

The song starts off with sweet, intricately woven harmonies, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash or Alison Krauss, and one would be forgiven for thinking that they were about to take us on a journey down the best of a scenic Country or Soft Rock road. Instead, a few face melting guitar solos, talented drum rolls and riffs that are played deep in the pocket, and an incredible vocal performance, make for a heady mix of Punk, Rock, and Goth that is teeth clatteringly good. It’s eight short bars in the back of Buick but the rest is pedal to the metal in a Mustang all the way!

You are going to want to rewind this track a few times as the musicality and vocal dexterity is subtle but brilliant.

Listen to “Love” by The Skelton Crew here at Soundclound. Have fun, we sure did!

Chants Would Be A Fine Thing

Posted on 25 December 2017

As alt-rock has become a testosterone fuelled battle ground trying to be the hardest, heaviest and most alternative, one thing has been lost along the way. Melody! No matter what you think of classic rock…the thing that alt-rock inversely defines itself against, you could sing along to it at least. What if a band came along that blended the modern alt musical trappings with the accessibility of music from an older time. Well, The Chance do just that.

Won’t Let You Go sits in a sweet spot for rock music, the tune is memorable, the vocals infectious, and the melodies pass the acid test of lingering in the brain long after the track has finished. But it also has enough modern grit and rough edges to appeal to the black clad modern age rocker. This isn’t alternative rock at all, this is evolved rock, rock music which has learnt the lessons of the past and moulded it to the fashions and tastes of the modern music fan. How hard was that? Consider yourself schooled.