Browsing Tag

U2

San Ílios delivered retro-indie nostalgia as you’ve never known it before in ‘Wanderlust’

Posted on 7 March 2024

For their sophomore single, the up-and-coming alt-indie duo San Ílios explored a phenomenon that everyone can relate to; Wanderlust unfurls with sonic visualisations of freedom flowing throughout the indie-folk-pop production which cuts through various avenues of retro-indie nostalgia. Imagine an evocative synthesis of Radiohead, Modest Mouse and Coldplay, and you’ll get an idea of what kind of soundscape you will escape into when you hit play.

The vocal harmonies are as light and airy as the instrumentals that meld strident horn stabs with the steady ring of acoustic guitar strings, piano pop melodies and scintillatingly artful effects that allow Wanderlust to veer into art rock territory. By drawing influence from Keane, Arcade Fire, and U2, the UK-residing up-and-coming outfit gave their growing fanbase a taste of the familiar before feeding them swathes of ingenuity that will undoubtedly see them go far after the launch of their debut album.

Wanderlust was officially released on February 4th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TWOFEW – Dreamin’: The Soaring Alt Rock Soundtrack to Your Escapism

Posted on 30 December 2020

‘Dreamin’ is the sophomore single from US-based newcomers TWOFEW which would definitely be worth burning your thumb for when sparking a lighter at a festival. Ahh, remember those? It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if TWOFEW were headlining them by the time they’re a thing again.

Even if you don’t venture further than the kitchen today, hitting play on Dreamin’ will give you a sanity-saving dose of escapism. The track instils a sense of optimism which reminds you that your current circumstances aren’t forever and escapism is always a possibility; the journey starts in your mind.

With an infectious chorus which could rival Bryan Adams’ ‘When You’re Gone’ and an almost overwhelming offering of whiskey-soaked soul, we’re stoked to have TWOFEW on our radar. We have no doubt that TWOFEW will continue releasing tracks which make life feel infinitely more endurable.

You can check out Dreamin’ for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ROFI JAMES HAVE RELEASED THEIR NEW SINGLE ‘EVERYTIME I MAKE YOU HATE ME’

Posted on 27 April 2020

Irish indie rock band Rofi James released their new single ‘Everytime I Make You Hate Me’ on April 24th 2020, an alternative pop effort that follows the success of their previous debut singles ‘Fools For Your Love’ and ‘Open Eyes’.

‘Everytime I Make You Hate Me’ is a compelling combination of the best indie pop and indie rock influences of the last decade, with its melodies sounding original and fresh among the contemporary alternative scene.

The song presents a range of pads and rhythmic guitars that broaden the sound both in the verses and choruses, and grows even wider with the balanced pop drums resulting in a almost epic harmony. The little crunch in the vocals perfectly suits the sweetness of the overall song, a fantastic contrast that will immediately catch your ear.

Head over to Spotify and listen to ‘Everytime I Make You Hate Me’.

Review by Jim Esposito.

Dan Plants and Nate Cronk- Stay: A journey through the sound of Synthwave

Posted on 27 March 2020

‘‘Stay’’ was created by two great friends Dan Plants and Nate Cronk, it dives straight into the Synthwave style as it introduces a variety of different sound effects as well as some catchy vocals.

From start to finish it has this up-lifting beat that gives the track so much energy, there’s a mixture of hard-hitting drum beats, insane riffs on the guitar as well as the synth effects that intertwine themselves into the vocals and instrumentation.

It tells a story throughout about love and heartbreak, but even if it tends to have a more poignant meaning, it still manages to keep your spirits high as the melody is so contagious and it gives off this cheery feeling.

Dan and Nate have made something that’s creative, something that may not be for everyone, considering the overall sound is not as popular as it once was, but even then Stay shows just how good it can be. It has some incredible rhythms and a superb lyrical approach, if you’re one that hasn’t really delved into the world of Synthwave music then you must!

You can check out Stay for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Karley Myall

Moonlighter Break Even Against All Odds

Posted on 18 November 2017

Bandy around the term pop-rock and the mind initially goes to some sort of middle of the road, fashion-driven dross that neither delivers the immediacy of the former nor the integrity of the later. But what if there was a way of taking the instant hook and inherent melody of a pop approach and weld it onto a driving, urgent and robust rock vehicle. Surely anyone who could do that would be carried head high through the streets, would be called saviours, the rainmakers of this current music drought, would be regarded as heroes and brave cross-genre gene splicers of the modern musical age. Or if you are looking for a more modest title you could just call them Moonlighter.

And it is this balancing act which sets them apart. As popists and rockists wage pointless pitched battle, moonlighter adhere to the cult of the song, preferring to take the role of tunesmiths who exalt composition over flash and muscle. If this retrospective is the perfect rallying point for those who have long understood that this middle way has always sported brilliant acts — pop acts muscled up by a dash of rock, rock acts whose bluster is tempered by indie details and indie acts happy to explore pop immediacy — why can’t more bands understand this simple equation.

The Falling – Carry On – Indie Band Combines Lush Atmospheric Melodies With Energetic And Uplifting Hooks

Posted on 24 October 2017
https://youtu.be/9ZItil_-UAA

The Falling are an exciting band offering an innovative take on indie rock and pop. Their recent release, “Carry On”, is a perfect example of the artist’s innovative and direct twist, showcasing what the band can bring to the table.

What really strikes me about The Falling’s music is certainly the band’s remarkable ability to find a compromise between textures and melodies. The dense atmosphere in the track is almost palpable. Sitting here listening with my headphones, I feel really entranced into the song, as if I was right there, experiencing the musical landscape on a first-hand basis. The ability to create a fully immersive musical experience should not be taken lightly, as very few artists are able to create such a deeply engaging tone in a setting such as pop/rock music, which generally could fall flat at times.

On the other hand, The Falling managed to keep their new song appealing and direct, while retaining a lot of credibility and vision. Who said catchy music could not be authentic and inspirational?

http://www.thefalling.ca

Singer-Songwriter Mitchell Mirande Releases “Hold On”

Posted on 12 October 2017

One of the challenges facing the singer-songwriter, voice and guitar driven song is how to sound big. Not big in the bombastic, U2 stadium rock sense but in knowing how to take these simple elements and lift them off the musical page, make them sound robust and accessible, set them apart from the pack. Some do it by deft and intricate guitar work, layering vocals, production tricks and other gimmickry. Mitchell Mirande does it simply by writing great songs, delivering them with competence and confidence and then adding just the most perfect touches of texture and wash.

It seems pretty obvious really, why dress a song up to create some sort of pretend elegance when you can strip it back to actual eloquence? And Hold On is eloquent, in that same way which makes the transient nature of watercolours  more powerful than the vibrant nature of oil paintings, a combination of keeping things musically simple, though far from simplistic, musically ethereal and that fantastic voice of his. Letting the music breath and the vocals soar, a vocal which seems to blend romance and honesty and a soulfulness with a delivery that most rock singers would kill for.

Get the basics right and sometimes the rest will just naturally fall into line.

Fleeting Foxes Release “Fleeting Foxes” Something For All Rock Fans

Posted on 9 October 2017

If there’s one word that can describe what some people out of rock music, it’s the word “big.” While a grounded punk jam or acoustic ballad are nice touches for more intimate settings, rock music remains forever changed by generations of bands who understood that by producing enormous soundscapes with their work, they were able to take their messages to another level. The advent of Arena Rock and groups like the Who and U2 knew how to create infinite spaces that to this day are transferred through headphones. Current torchbearers of this tradition include the Foxfires.

Fleeting Foxes is a track that calls for freedom from within. Appropriately, everything from the jangling guitars to the thunderous drums feel like they’ve been unleashed from a typical rock instrument in a garage to a force of nature. Vocals and bass join along as elements that maintain clarity and structure despite projecting to meet their companions in a mix that doesn’t feel crowded by any means, but instead feels full. The Foxfires have an inspiring sound and Fleeting Foxes will leave you wanting as much more as you can get. This track is truly something for rock fans of all ilks to behold.

-Paul Weyer

After Success In The iTunes Rock Album Charts ZEALS Release ‘READY TO FLY’ EP

Posted on 8 September 2017

Zeals is a 3-piece based in Somerset, England. Their recent EP exudes passion and directness, going for a bright, lush and relatable sound.

The songs featured on their new EP, titled “Ready To Fly”, could be compared to the work of artists as diverse as The Fray, The 1975 with even a hint of Bruno Mars.

Their sound is cheerful and uplifting, yet chock full of beautiful grooves and engaging melodies. This release actually marks the band’s sophomore EP – their second studio work, featuring 5 new songs that offer a very balanced set list, somewhere in between sincere love songs with a mellow tone and unapologetic party songs with bright and wide-open vibes.

Opening track “Feel it” falls right in between these two different approaches, going for a really melodic vibe that still has some poetic lyrics with a romantic flare. The second song on the EP, “Do You Really Care”, is probably my favorite track on this release. I really love the contrast between the sampled beats and the cool guitar sounds, and the brooding, reverberated atmospheres of the song really open up later into the arrangement, making me think of influential acts such as U2 or One Republic, among others.

“Paddles” kicks in with a rocking, incendiary riffs that mark the band’s most vicious effort in this set-list – standing as proof that these guys can rock out if they so choose! This song is dead-on rock and roll with a modern edge, echoing the work of artists such as The Foo Fighters or Muse, but with a catchier approach.

The following song, “Dark Waters” brings the vibes to a more mellow pace, offering a very emotional ballad that stands out as one of the most introspective moments on the entire album. The sparse arrangement really hits the spot.

Last but not least, closing number and title track “Ready To Fly” is a stunning and catchy arena-rock anthem, where the band seemed to be able to take every element they have explored on the various sounds on this EP and put it all into one beautiful song.

This band managed to wrap up a consistently great release, with tons of beautiful melodies, memorable lyrics and amazing grooves – where different genres and ideas collide seamlessly into one another, making for something truly special – this little gem of an EP was recorded over the last few months at Longwave Studios in Cardiff with producer Romesh Dodangoda.

https://www.facebook.com/zealsofficial/

A&R Factory Present: Medic

Posted on 19 May 2016
Very few rock bands are capable of wowing people right out of the gate. It usually starts with a half recorded demo here, another half recorded demo there, empty bars, empty promises and then you finally get to the good stuff.
In February 2011, four young men who were tired of such a pattern gathered in an empty church to discuss their dreams, aspirations and what they were going to do about it. The idea was to create the music they’ve always wanted, spend all the money they had and make the best music they’ve ever been apart of.
The group enlisted producer Michael Rossback to help them craft the sounds that they were striving for and to help the songs come to life. “The whole thing was a big experiment. None of us had worked with a producer before and the biggest thing was, the band had yet to even play music together in a room.” says Aaron Wagner, the groups frontman, “when we got to Rossback we had only laid ideas down piece by piece in a computer, never anything
more. Rossback would then make us play everything as a live band when we arrived at his house and that’s when things came to life. There was a chemistry and sense of trust between us all.”
August rolled around and after months of working, Medic had finished their first EP. Five songs that had stolen the very breath away from all who would hear and with a developed sound that felt like they had been around for 10 years, the band started to play around the Denver area with the intent to stun the audience. They are succeeding. Bassist Drew Barnard explains: “We went in to this just wanting to make music with hope. Music that made people feel like they were understood and the shows feel like that; like we are reaching an understanding between us and the audience that hope is alive and well.”
“In the midst of the trials that we go through these days, I think we are just tired of the same old. Anyone can make art these days. It’s so accessible to make and promote and yet most of it is so negative. It was wearing on us. Medic is about something new, we are about creating a community of thinkers, dreamers and believers that aim for something positive. This world will continue to fall apart if we keep talking about how it’s falling apart. But what if
we dare to be the people to figure out ways to put things back together? That’s our platform. That maybe our music can be apart of someones healing process and spread from there.” says Aaron.
So maybe it is time for something new. New songs to sing, new dreams to dream. Maybe Medic is formed out of four guys who might be what we call idealists. But maybe it’s time for us to leave the cynicism behind and begin to embrace hope. Maybe it’s time for a new beginning.
Let us welcome, Medic.