Browsing Tag

Wolf Alice

Lia Juno exhibited the pain of raw rumination in her alt-indie tour de force, Sight

Posted on 30 October 2024

Ethereal alt-indie pop vocals meet cavernous guitar lines in Lia Juno’s intimately melancholic single, ‘Sight’, which deconstructs familiar tonality, tearing it down to the aural rubble before rebuilding a sonic landscape where sanctuary for the disillusioned resides.

Since unveiling her debut single, Fevering, earlier this year, the LA-based independent artist has made all the right waves; with her latest single she puts herself in the same league as Wolf Alice and Big Thief with the cerebral thematic nature of the manifesto of mournful rumination.

Building up from Pixies-esque artfully dramatic motifs to a blisteringly grungy crescendo of distorted guitars clashing in oscillation with the rhythm section, Sight ensures that if you have any pent-up emotions when you hit play, they’ll be obliterated by the impact of the track’s climax which you’ll want to feel the force of time after time.

Sight will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and SoundCloud, from October 30^th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature Pulsative post-punk meets trip-hop in Dissolved Girl’s 3rd spectrally filmic release, I’m a Beast

Posted on 28 June 2024

From their debut, we knew London’s ‘Trip-Rock visionaries, Dissolved Girl, possessed a locked and loaded arsenal of potential. Their third single, I’m a Beast, is definitive proof of their ability to eclipse the airwaves with their lustrous presence which is a phenomenon in its own right.

I’m a Beast explores the emotional wreckage left by sociopaths and narcissists, creating a darkly cinematic atmosphere through dissonant rhythms and ethereal vocals that paint power into vulnerability.

The blend of trip-hop, post-punk, and indietronica ensures the cold, monochromatic aura seeps into the listener’s psyche, with hooks that pierce deeply and crescendos that provide a cathartic release. Dissolved Girl’s latest single transcends mere alt-90s homage; their intricate instrumentation, driving post-punk basslines, and vocals reminiscent of Shirley Manson establish them as masters of refined, dark soundscapes.

Before forming Dissolved Girl, Nick (guitar, songwriter) and Claire Edbrooke (vocals, songwriter, producer) were involved in various musical ventures, always with the goal of succeeding with original music. Their collaboration led to the creation of a unique sound, bolstered by the addition of Arthur Keys (bass) and Dom Chandler (drums).

Despite their recent formation, Dissolved Girl has already garnered significant radio play on stations such as Amazing Rock & Metal, MM Radio, Radio Wigwam, WDNF-Philly, SLE Radio, Prospect Radio, and Krac Radio. Their fanbase is steadily growing as they prepare for the release of their debut LP later this year.

Dissolved Girl Said

“This song touches on a few concepts, but in its original form, it was about people with personality disorders. They wreak havoc in others’ lives and simply move on to the next victim without remorse or feeling. There is a certain irony that the person inflicting the damage finds moving on so easy, and yet the person affected by their behaviour is left reeling, wounded, and confused about how or why this has happened. It is about feeling resilient as a victim in the face of all that and coming back stronger.”

After being mixed by Dani Castelar – who has three number 1 albums with Paulo Nutini – and mastered by Matt Colton, I’m a Beast was officially released on June 14; stream it on all major platforms, including Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nina Hain became the cover girl of Riot Grrrl in 2023 with her debut single, I Have a Name

Posted on 6 July 2023

The Canadian-born, Zurich and London-based multi-instrumentalist, classically trained singer and songwriter Nina Hain revived the Riot Grrrl movement with the monolithically fierce beguile in her debut single, I Have a Name.

Produced by Rocky O’Reilly and Mastered by Robin Schmidt (Liam Gallagher, Nothing But Thieves), the polished single is as impeccable as you would expect. But, somewhat ironically, in the context of the single, Nina Hain isn’t an artist that is going to skate through her career by high-profile association.

The stellar songwriting, which allows you to roll with all the stridently liberating crescendos led by her resounding vocal timbre, proves that she’s got the lyricality to make as much of a bruising impact as Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney and L7. But make no mistake; this is far from your average all-edge-and-no-substance 90s throwback hit. The musicality of the single allows Nina Hain to stand alongside icons such as Honeyblood, Wolf Alice, and Black Honey as she uses her resounding voice as a protest to female oppression.

Expect plenty more from Hain as she continues to work with the Zurich-based indie label, Nekonen Records, to deliver a string of singles in the lead-up to her debut EP, due for release in Spring 2024.

I Have a Name hit the airwaves on June 30th; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Alt-90s Cinematically Lives and Breathes Through Agent Envy’s Grungy Industrial Rock Single, No Friend

Posted on 9 December 2022

San Diego artist and producer Agent Envy is fresh from the release of her sultrily fierce single, No Friend, which cinematically amalgamates trip-hop, industrial rock, grunge and metal. Under the wide-spanning influence of acts including NIN, Tool, Massive Attack and Deftones, Agent Envy found her own striking sonic aesthetic that is nothing short of iconic in itself.

Any fans of Warpaint and Wolf Alice will want to sink their teeth into this demurely powerful protest against life’s prolific protagonists who guise their usury entitlement as friendship to take what they can, and guilt trip you when they’ve bled you dry of your empathy but still haven’t quite had their fill.

“No Friend is about finally saying, “enough is enough,” and captures the triumph and catharsis of setting a boundary. The track explores a powerful side of my vocal range not previously featured in my earlier songs, along with the deep, sultry vocals that my audience is familiar with.”

No Friend will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from December 9th. Catch in on Spotify & YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aza Nabuko leaves us feeling anything but ‘Blue’ in her latest indie-pop-rock single.

Posted on 27 June 2021

After her latest single racked up over 200k streams on Spotify, indie-pop soulstress Aza Nabuko released her debut album, Indigo, on June 4th. The standout single, Blue, is a flawless feat of panoramic pop that will be a hit with any fans of Pale Waves, Wolf Alice or the 1975.

The Vancouver, BC-based 18-year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter’s authentic indie-folk-pop fractured vocals bring a sense of intimacy and vulnerability to the otherwise sonic and high-octane hit that carries all of the emotion of a ballad and all of the energy of an anthem.

After Aza landed a sync placement with Netflix’s ‘Tiny Pretty Things’, her power-pop sound has earned her international acclaim. After the release of her deeply confessional and expressive debut album, the possibility of her becoming a household name matches the level of talent in the release. Hint, that’s pretty damn high.

Blue is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast