Browsing Tag

Solo Artist

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

Posted on 27 December 2021
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

James Sebastian saved our Shipwrecked Soul(s) in his latest 70s rock n roll hit

Posted on 20 December 2021
James Sebastian

After getting hooked on his unforgettably sweet single, Lemon Sunshine, the UK-based solo artist, James Sebastian, has shown us a harsher 70s rock n roll edge in his latest single, Shipwrecked Soul.

While the vintage garagey tones feed the frenzy in the instrumentals, James Sebastian’s raconteur vocal timbre ensures that apathy isn’t an option when you hit play on this unapologetically feel-good hit. The up and coming singer-songwriter found the perfect way to influence his listeners to take their melancholy in their rock n roll stride. In a time when authority and answers are hard to find, it is beyond refreshing to hear an artist with the ability to vindicate our jetsam-like misery so viscerally. That’s before we even move on to his talent at pulling authenticity of vintage rock. So many artists  have left us questioning if that was even possible. Notably, James Sebastian is a diamond in the rough.

Check out James Sebastian on Spotify and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sandro Cuzzetto – Sign of the Times: Inimitably eccentric progressive psych-rock

Posted on 11 December 2021
Sandro Cuzzetto

Ahead of the release of his 2022 EP, Canadian songwriter and experimentalist, Sandro Cuzzetto, released the boundary-breaking title single, Sign of the Times. I’m rarely left stuck for words, but this consistently evolving melting pot of contrasting texture and tone that lets traditional time signatures fall by the wayside left me speechless.

With the dirty disco grooves, polyphonic scores, indie psych melodies, uplifting Enya vibes, effect-laden vocals and general obscurity, Sign of the Times walks a thin line between insanity and ingenuity but we’re here for it. This bop-worthy track succeeds where so many fail when it comes to offering inimitably vibrant soul.

Check out Sandro Cuzzetto for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Francis Botcherby brought the Seattle sound to morally bankrupt British shores with ‘Parliament of Wolves’

Posted on 4 December 2021
Francis Botcherby

Cambridge, UK-based alt solo artist, Francis Botcherby, has been honing in on his sound for over a decade; his music has featured on BBC Cambridgeshire amongst many stations. His most popular music video to date has racked up over 100,000 streams, and he has counted plenty of other successes in between.

His latest single, Parliament of Wolves, carries the same protestive lyrical edge as Billy Bragg, but stylistically, Botcherby brought the sound of Seattle to UK shores. With bassline growls that will evoke nostalgia for Soundgarden’s grungy licks and enigmatic vocals that carry a touch of the Mike Patton magic, there’s a fair amount of nostalgia but there is something incredibly refreshing about his shimmering guitars and grooving rhythms that throw further back to the days when Hendrix reigned supreme.

Francis Botcherby’s single Parliament of Wolves was officially released on December 3rd. You can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Future-pop fuses with Britpop in Footless Kicks’ debut single, E1 2AM

Posted on 10 November 2021
Footless Kicks

In the ultimate pop-rock crossover, London-based rock guitarist, producer and songwriter, Footless Kicks sent us back to the Britpop era with his debut single, E1 2AM. The devilishly clever single carries the same blissful tones as the Roses along with the driving momentum of JBD’s anthemically charged riffs in The Manic’s most soul-sating hits. Vocally, Footless Kicks truly came into his own. The solo artist’s gruffly soulful vocal timbre is complemented by the dynamic range of the guest female vocalist whose dreamy harmonies sit between Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine.

With more singles in the pipeline and the teasing of an album, any alt-90s fan will want Footless Kicks on their radar.

E1 2AM is due for official release on November 8th; you can catch it for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TD Hutton – Down Howe Sound; a dark and stormy surf rock debut

Posted on 28 October 2021

‘Down Howe Sound’ is the  swaggy, dark surf rock debut from Canadian alt-rock artist TD Hutton, which immerses you in far darker water than what Dick Dale swept you up within. If you can imagine Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as a surf-rock outfit, you’ll get an idea of the sonic picture drawn in Down Howe Sound that pulls bleak and hostile inspiration from the Pacific Northwest seas.

Between the grumbling garage rock discord, macabre lyrics versed through whiskey-soaked vocals and the gorgeous shimmers of the Gretschy guitars, the track takes a visceral grip from multiple angles, making it impossible not to get caught up in this pornographic feat of surf rock.

Down Howe Sound is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

San Gabriel brings panache to 80s indie-pop through his latest single, Tape Machine.

Posted on 27 October 2021

It was impossible to forget San Gabriel after hearing the luscious guitar tones in his debut single, Another One. Based on his third single, Tape Machine, it’s safe to say that he’s found his signature sound by mixing shimmering shoegaze guitars with 80s dance-pop beats that bring the energy while his angular guitar notes add absorbing layers to his instantly enamouring aural eclecticism.

Listening to Tape Machine instantly becomes a subjective experience as you’re enraptured by the sheer innovation and the magnetically warm vocal timbre that practically bathes you in soul. Despite the striking authenticity in his sound, it’s all too easy to succumb to efficacious hooks in the high vibe poppy hit that masterfully stands leagues apart from other indie newcomers in 2021. If you’re as tired as I am of indie assimilators, you won’t regret hitting play.

Tape Machine is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt-Indie solo artist Bent 290 has released his psychotropic sophomore single, Minds and Makers.

Posted on 22 October 2021

‘Minds and Makers’ is the psychotropic sophomore release from alt-indie solo artist Bent 290 (Dakota Schilling). With hints of Midwest Emo in the vocals, nuances of reggae in anthemic guitars and lashings of electronic psych euphoria, it’s impossible not to warm to the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter’s instantly enamouring expressionism.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Muse, All American Rejects, and Tame Impala aurally met in the middle, you’ll get an idea of the kind of bitter-sweet soul on offer here.

The project, Bent 290, was born during the 2020 lockdown when Dakota locked himself away in a cabin in North-Eastern Indiana. His debut release broke onto the airwaves to critical acclaim in 2020. After the release of his power-pop hit, we’re sure that only good things will follow.

Minds and Makers is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

They Come Back In The Night: Eutaw drops highly imaginative 80’s synth single ‘Cut You Open’

Posted on 13 October 2021

After starting his music career by making creatively original tunes from the dusty closet, Eutaw shows us cunning evolution with his latest single all about that freaky recurring dream of blood-spilling nightmares with ‘Cut You Open‘.

Isaiah Fluharty aka Eutaw, is an 80’s synth solo artist who is genre-less and also makes music from indie rock to emo rap, as his creative juices only flow tastier throughout time.

”It tells the story of a girl who is stuck in a recurring dream where she kills her friends and must cut her hands off as punishment. The perspective is from that of her lover.” ~ Eutaw

His style changes up all the time like a pair of gloves that needs to be changed to keep those hands clean, but somehow the quality remains the same throughout which is ultimately quite remarkable.

With a finger clicking beat and a slicing-the-bones story that would be fit for a horror movie, this is a terrific track that shall have you sharing gleefully with all your spooky-loving mates.

‘Cut You Open‘ from the outstandingly humble multi-creative solo artist Eutaw, is a highly entertaining track which has been dropped just before fan-favorite Halloween. He sings with a sharp knife-like energy with stupendously gripping vocals that has you looking around – to see if it is indeed real- as you get wholeheartedly immersed in this hand-gripping new single. Your heart might beat a beat faster after this one.

Hear this brand new gem on Spotify and see more from this quality artist via his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Dazed Son gets pious in his 70s rock n roll ode, Hail Lord.

Posted on 28 September 2021

You may have seen many rock artists brand themselves as the prodigal sons of rock n roll well, prepare for The Dazed Son’s nostalgic ode to the 70s in his debut album, Crazy, featuring the piously sweet standout single, Hail Lord.

The solo artist brought his sonic vision of becoming a one-man digital rock n roll band to life through the grace of the lockdown in 2020. His crunching over-driven guitars, choral vocals, blazing solos and easier-than-breathing chord progressions allowed plenty of 70s rock fans to find refuge in his unique spin on a retro sound. If anyone has what it takes to dominate the digital realm of rock n roll , it is the Dazed Son.

The Dazed Son’s debut album is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast