Browsing Tag

the strokes

New Jersey indie outfit Rabbit Dream delivered swathes of alt 90s nostalgia in their debut album, The Golden Gone.

Posted on 12 December 2021

New Jersey’s most promising alt-indie rock outfit, Rabbit Dream, have released their debut album, The Golden Gone, which pulls in nuances of grunge, indie, art rock, garage rock and unravels as the ultimate alt 90s fan’s aural wet dream.

The standout single, Stander, is the perfect introduction to Rabbit Dream’s indulgently distorted tones, massive stadium-filling guitars that are just as robust as the licks in the National’s most anthemic tracks and the vocals that embed authenticity in the progressive single. Before the first instrumental buildup, the vocals are honeyed and sweet; after, they start to gather reminiscence to Julian Casablancas as the guitars dial up the frenetic energy. It isn’t your average indie rock earworm, but you’ll be more than inclined to return to it and give it repeat attention. Rabbit Dream is definitively one to watch; for your own sake as much as theirs.

Stander is now available to stream along with the rest of Rabbit Dream’s debut album via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chicago’s Temple Drake move to a scuzzier territory with ‘Mexican Coke’

Posted on 1 December 2021

Queens of the Stone Age’s scuzzier cousin, Temple Drake, is set to release their gnarliest garage rock single to date with Mexican Coke. The hard-hitting manically vintage track is pretty much distortion porn for the way the guitars and basslines bounce – bounce being the operative word – between crunchy, rolling, fuzzy and psychedelic licks. Short of mainlining adrenaline, there are few experiences as energising as delving into this frenetically ingenious track.

Mexican Coke was released on November 27th as part of the Chicago-based duo’s EP, Transmission 2. It is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt-Rock Pioneers Roulettes Have Released Their Racorously Cold Proto-Punk Single, Fading Sun

Posted on 24 September 2021

The Roulettes’ fourth single, Fading Sun, from their album, Demosphere, will be music to the ears of proto-punk, post-punk, garage rock and indie fans alike.

Straight off the bat, you’re plunged into a cold atmosphere orchestrated by throbbing basslines, harsh snares and rancorously overdriven guitars. Around the glitchy electronica, psych-rock tendencies start to flourish as the single unravels and warmth seeps into the mix through the vocals that carry the same enamouring appeal of Julian Casablancas (The Strokes).

The New Zealand-based duo’s album may have never seen a recording studio, but discernibly, that didn’t get in the way of the prodigal sons creating one of the most exciting alt-rock albums of 2021. Save room on your radar.

You can check out the official video for Fading Sun via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Kecks pull hope out of ennui in their dirty indie earworm, Tonight Might be Different.

Posted on 21 September 2021

With their seminal indie earworm, Tonight Might be Different, the icons in the making, The Kecks, proved that alchemy bleeds when dirty disco and catchy indie post-punk splices together under infectiously erratic indie-rock crooning.

The danceable beats share the same aphrodisiacal qualities as She Wants Revenge, while the vocals will beguile any Julian Casablancas fans and the intricate indie guitars leave you hooked on every angular note.

Right from the first hit, Tonight Might be Different tells you that The Kecks are so much more than the sum of all parts. The enigmatic raconteurial energy practically begs to be heard live as it galvanises you through shared ennui. Anyone who finds that disappointment consistently creeps into their worldview will undoubtedly find resonance with the volatile dejection in the authentically animated hit.

There’s new-found confidence to the Kecks sound, making their indie swagger more convincing than Alex Turner’s – by a longshot. What makes it so magnetic is the firm grip of their DIY ethic that has been holding strong, even in the event of sold-out shows in their current residing place, Hamburg.

The official music video premiered on September 3rd, 2021. You can check it out for yourselves via YouTube or add the single to your Spotify playlists.

Connect with the Kecks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Owen Hamlin gives us the Green Light in his debut garage rock single.

Posted on 1 August 2021

‘Green Light’ is the melodic psych-pop-tinged debut single from the breaking garage rock artist Owen Hamlin; any fans of The Strokes, The Kooks and The Libertines will want to experience the vintage tones for themselves.

With the inventive use of the wah pedal, we can guarantee that the guitar solos in Green Light hit like no other. Owen Hamlin’s use of brash and kaleidoscopic textures resulted in a soundscape that is as scuzzy as it is soulful.

With his debut album Right as Rain in the pipeline, you will want to save space for Hamlin on your radar.

Green Light is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The raconteurs of enigmatic garage rock Damn Jackals have released their proto-punk earworm, Lovely Nuthin’.

Posted on 22 July 2021

Outside of New York, garage rock and proto-punk seems to lack the same raucously charming bite; that wasn’t a concern of Brooklyn, NY-based 5-piece Damn Jackals; they eclipsed the frenetically vintage vibe with their latest single, Lovely Nuthin’.

The enigmatic raconteurs of rock n roll take influence from 60s Garage Rock, 70s Glam and CBGB-style-Punk to leave your soul as fuzzy as the lead vocals and guitars. When the chorus hits, the same hook-filled magnetism of modern indie-garage rock outfits such as the Strokes draws you even deeper into the single that every outlier will want on their playlists.

Check out Damn Jackals on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fauna recollects on disillusionment in pre-COVID times in their alt-indie-rock anthem Didn’t Wanna.

Posted on 21 May 2021
Fauna

With so many big names springing out of the Manchester music scene, breaking alt-indie-rock artist Fauna have some stiff competition but their latest single, Didn’t Wanna, establishes them as an artist worth a spot on your radar and in your gig diary.

Didn’t Wanna was written during lockdown while the fourpiece recollected on those nights out that aren’t worth the Uber fare because the minute you find yourself in a crowded room, there is no place you would rather be but home. Despite the relatable disillusionment, Fauna succeeded in creating a fervent earworm out of Didn’t Wanna. Every introvert will want it on their feel-good playlists.

With sonic angular riffs sweeping through the soundscape that was constructed through influence from Kings of Leon, Peace and Foals along with instrumental stylings of 70s rock and 60s psych-pop, Fauna’s sound in their fourth single hit the airwaves as an endlessly distinctive one.

Instead of crawling out of a mould cast by Manchester icons, Fauna’s constraint-less sound breathes an air of ingenuity into Manchester’s music scene, often stifled by Joy Division, The Fall and the Smiths assimilators. If you needed any additional reason to love the pioneers, they also brewed their own Didn’t Wanna IPA to coincide with the release.

Didn’t Wanna hit the airwaves on May 21st; you can hear it for yourselves via SoundCloud and Spotify.

Connect with Fauna via Instagram and Facebook

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Calboa’s latest release ‘Same S**t’: a newly found motivation in music

Posted on 2 May 2020

With a tumultuous past behind him and a newly found motivation in music, English artist Calboa has released his new single ‘Same S**h’, an ode to living through the same everyday problems and being able to atone for the mistakes we make, changing our way of life.

Indie to the bone and melancholic in his lyrics, Calboa inherits precious knowledge from acts such as The Doors, Nick Cave and The Libertines, demonstrated through a creative and straightforward approach to his music. He covers both personal and universal themes such as the loss of friends and loved ones and the dangerously easy descent into the world of drugs.

In this light, ‘Same S**h’ represents a relatable anthem for us all. Starting with a syncopated organ to set the tone for the first verse, crunch guitar lines quickly kick in to expand the rocky sound of this ballad, while his vocals reverb passion and honesty.

Calboa can classify as a poet – a multi-instrumentalist who finds in music his greatest expression and a way out of the “s**t” he’s had to deal with by using his experience as a means to inspire listeners.

Though the song is titled ‘Same S**h’, it’s definitely not the “same shit” you’re used to hearing, so go check it out on Spotify.

Review by Jim Esposito.

The Escapades releases single Can’t Get Enough (Of Your Rock & Roll): Modernised Brit-Rock at it’s finest

Posted on 10 April 2020
https://soundcloud.com/user-667291691/cant-get-enough-of-your-rock-and-roll/s-pnv0v

Alternative Brit-Rock band The Escapades who’ve just released their single ’Can’t Get Enough (Of Your Rock & Roll)’ it’s noisy, it’s chaotic and one you must check out,

From the beginning to the end it’s loud and there is a lot going on, this band sure knows how to make a killer Rock hit. From the hard hits on the Cymbal, to the blaring electric guitar solos and then the raspy high-pitch vocals, so much energy and personality blasts through.

By surprise you’ll get the loud shrieks and the thunderous instrumentation, if you thought it was crazy before then you have to wait till the chorus, it’s so lively and would be such an insane piece to play live. It’s so exhilarating and really enjoyable to listen too.

The Escapades sure know how to make a rather tumultuous track and that definitely shows in this piece. We can’t wait to see what is next for them!

Check out The Escapades Can’t Get Enough (Of Your Rock & Roll) by heading over to SoundCloud, you can’t miss this one.

Review by Karley Myall

CATALINA SKIES- Fear King Kong: It’s no doubt that it’s an insanely superb piece of art

Posted on 29 March 2020
https://soundcloud.com/catalina-skies/fear-king-kong/s-KoSKA

London-based quartet CATALINA SKIES have recently dropped their newest single ‘’Fear King Kong’’. With a mixture of Indie Pop and Alternative Rock, they surely know how to make a track that’s catchy in all the right places.

With in your face guitar riffs, crazy drum solos alongside the deep gritty vocals that compliment the lyrics. A band that has a story to tell and does that through up-beat melodies and energetic vocals. Sharing similarities with bands like Enter Shikari and Foo Fighters, from listening to Fear King Kong its safe to say they have nailed their sound.

Picking up the pace, and then slowing it down is something this band do very well, the overwhelming feeling of suspense lingers, when the pace picks up this massive amount of energy appears and the whole track just gets that little bit nosier and that little bit heavier and it’s so interesting to listen too how much of a transition it has but how well its done.

CATALINA SKIES is one you must check out if you’re into Rock or Indie as they will not disappoint, we can’t wait to see what these guys have in store for this year.

You must check out CATALINA SKIES Fear King Kong now by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Karley Myall