Browsing Tag

Yorkshire

Alley of the Dolls earned a place in the pantheon of post-grunge with ‘Broken Skies’

Posted on 12 April 2024

Alley of the Dolls, Yorkshire’s alt-rock revelation, delivered a thunderous wake-up call with their single ‘Broken Skies’. The standout from their EP ‘Urethane‘, is a movement scribed through Jacob Stephenson’s and Adam Pickering’s shared passion for the gritty, grungy, and raw energy of 90s rock.

‘Broken Skies’ lyrically tackles a subject as delicate as it is devastating – the rising phenomenon of school shootings. Few artists have dared to go beyond lyrically mourning the tragedy, but Alley of the Dolls does so with a boldness that is both haunting and necessary. Their words don’t just skim the surface; they eviscerate the protagonists of these tragedies, demanding accountability for the senseless destruction born from unprocessed emotions.

The duo’s fearless approach to songwriting is matched by the sonic ingenuity within the bruising riffs and intense instrumental thematic textures in ‘Broken Skies’. Their determination to become architects of a new sound influenced by iconic Seattle post-grunge bands and legends like Guns ‘N’ Roses and the Foo Fighters is palpable in every viscerally affecting note of ‘Broken Skies’.

By using their music to punch upward against tyranny and stand for those struggling to survive and thrive, Alley of the Dolls’ discography is as essential as it is vindicating.

Broken Skies will drop on April 12th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brew calms our overloaded attention on insightful interview

Posted on 14 February 2023

Showing us that classical connection and collaborating with artists all over the world, the likeable Dave from Brew had a chat with us all about his extraordinary career which started when he was just 7 years old. With his 6-track EP Frontier from 2022 still fresh in the memory and gliding in with 2023’s Editor of All Things, we learn about that footie passion infused with creative freedom.

Hello there Brew. Where exactly in the world do we find you today and how did you get into music?

Dave: I currently live in London (UK) having grown up in Yorkshire. My parents were both classical musicians and I have always been surrounded by music from a young age. I started playing the piano when I was 7 and my older brother’s love of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd introduced me to a whole new world of sound and fun.

Please tell us about your music vision and what do you hope to achieve long-term.

Dave: I came to the realisation that I need to make music I like as opposed to trying to fit in elsewhere, this has liberated me creatively and I hope that people can connect in some way to the songs as they are essentially reflections of me (sounds cheesy I know but it’s true!)

My ideal in the future is to collaborate with other artists and musicians and explore the world some more through writing.

When you close your eyes and imagine your ideal place to create, what does it look like and where is it?

Dave: Home, sat at the piano with a fresh cup of tea and my kids happily entertaining themselves upstairs so I can get lost in a new idea.

You have stated that a song a month is the mission. What inspired you to do this and who are you working with/hope to work with?

Dave: I just turned 40 and don’t want any regrets, I also like a challenge! I used to compose for computer games and had regular deadlines so imposing some structure is helpful to me.

I’m working mainly with the incredible singer Deza at present. I have a few more grooved/soulful ideas in the pipeline also so I may look for another singer at some point too.

What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Dave: Complete Creative freedom and always room to improve. I’m a big football fan and it brings people together, music is unique also in that it does the same thing. I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t like music.

What’s the most important piece of advice you’ve ever received in your life?

Dave: It’s better to be kind than to be right.

Last, if you could have a superpower for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Dave: I could sing! I’d love to be a singer-songwriter but it wasn’t meant to be.

Find the music vibration on Spotify. Check out the IG for more.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Moving On: Nottingham’s Nicole Leaskk ignores the fake friends for good on ’30 Missed Calls’

Posted on 30 August 2021

After tragically losing her boyfriends mother after a 3-year brave battle with the dreaded cancer, Nicole Leaskk tells us the story of those fake friends who said they would be there like you were for them, but now have vanished away like it was a game of hide and seek on ‘30 Missed Calls‘.

Nicole Leaskk is an indie RnB/soul artist, Marketing Specialist, and Yorkshire tea connoisseur from Nottingham in England. She is a wonderfully talented musician who fuses that reflective soundscape about love, loss and heartbreak, through a crisp and passionately inspiring voice and caring lyrics.

”It focuses on having a lot of temporary friendships, the kind that was only present when it was beneficial for the other person to be acquainted to you.” ~ Nicole Leaskk

After dazzling our senses on the lovely hometown track ‘Since You Were Mine‘ from February 2021, she feels extra inspired on this sad story about seeing who your true mates in life really are. Her vocals are superbly dynamic as she moves on from the former friends, who didn’t show the love back she was expecting.

”It explores the realness of only being able to rely fully on yourself, learning to grow as an individual and knowing that you deserve more than being someone’s option. The lyrics explain everything Leaskk would rather do than taking these persons call and how she’s bored of listening to excuses every month.” ~ Nicole Leaskk

‘30 Missed Calls‘ from the soulful Nottingham, UK-based indie RnB/soul artist Nicole Leaskk, is that harrowing tale most of us have felt before. You thought you were around loyalty but it turns us they just wanted you for those good times. Sung with a fierce energy – this is a personal effort from a scorned woman – who will not take this betrayal anymore. When you know your self-value and what should be expected, you tend to move past the fake vibes forever.

Never looking back, is the only way to show yourself that you deserve much more when the chips are down.

Hear this deep new track on her Spotify and see her journey through life on her IG fan page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

In The Darkness: SAINTES urge us to hold our souls as some devilish characters are ‘Out To Get It All’

Posted on 21 August 2021

As they intertwine their different interests and stimulating skill sets onto one spicy team to represent the true underdogs, SAINTES bite hungrily into our shocked earbuds and deliver a real plug-and-play winner with ‘Out To Get It All‘.

SAINTES is a fiery three-piece Yorkshire, UK-based indie glam-rock band who certainly have that extra intriguing edge. They are a highly motivated outfit, with something to prove as they belt out tracks strewn with real life stories, and that forthright attitude that is so often lacking in this illusion-filled world.

”SAINTES were born over the Covid lockdowns and have only recently started gigging but hit the scene hard with 5 gigs over the Tramlines Fringe festival in Sheffield and have secured support slots for the likes of God Damn, Cam Cole and Tempestt.” ~ SAINTES

For a fairly new band you have to be mightily impressed with their devastatingly explosive sound to the rafters – which is textured with supremely confident vocals – that has you riveted with a thunderbolt to the heart, which is a real gem to savor after a dark year. This is the type of underground track that has your tantalizing body so intrigued, as they bring us a breathtaking single to swim deeply into to.

‘Out To Get It All‘ from the stylishly-dressed with that gritty Yorkshire glam-rocker sound called SAINTES, is that truthful message that we all need to know about. So many evil souls are out there to grab all the treasure for themselves even if they don’t need it. Keeping your mind alive to that fact is vitally important – as you stay innocent and marvelously excited for the small things which matter – that actually set you free in the long run.

Hear this new single on Spotify and see more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Take a break from this madness: Wendel urges us to take a different outlook on laid-back debut lyric video ‘These Times’ (ft. Keith Carlock)

Posted on 24 January 2021

Wendel goes against the current worldly riptide and shows us what attitude you really should have right now, on the soulfully real tongue-in-cheek debut single ‘These Times‘ (ft. Keith Carlock).

Wendel is a London-born, Yorkshire-based singer-songwriter and brought in drummer extraordinaire Keith Carlock to lace an extra element that adds so much to this single.

This is a project that was made during the wild year of 2020 and this song matches those events that we will never forget as a human race.

With a laid-back style that is is all about chilling out, having a few cold beverages and encourages a relaxation from this madness with music that has a jazzy-soul feel. His welcome vocals are smooth and inviting to the listener, the sax makes this song so enjoyable and with quality drum sounds combined with that saucy bass adding a layer of goodness, there is so much to like here through this enjoyable ride to finding our minds again.

‘These Times‘ (ft. Keith Carlock) from the self-aware Wendel is the true story of not being too hard on yourself right now. As long as you are putting the effort in and doing your best, its okay to sit back on your day off and chill out from the constant barrage of bad news and world events. Your mental health is so much more important than stressing out about things you can’t control.

With a mellow style of lyrics that puts a smile on your face, this is exactly the type of music that will free your mind and help you breathe again.

See this smartly-made lyric video on YouTube and see more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Lilo is so stunning on self-aware ‘Running in the Rain’

Posted on 29 September 2020

UK singer-songwriter Lilo is so stunning on ‘Running in the Rain‘ and sings with growing confidence and is always elegant.

With a voice that is hauntingly beautiful, Lilo is one of those genuine souls that loves making and performing her music to hungry hearts. Her vocals are tremendous, never too much and she is one determined young lady. After learning how to play the piano at aged 4, guitar at 8, songwriting at 13, singing lessons started at 17. She clearly loves music and learning new things so that she can immerse herself into the peaceful indie-pop sounds.

This is a song all about learning to enjoy the present rather than wishing constantly for the future and reaching your end goal. This is such a true predicament and something most of us battle with each day. Living for the moment is the way to go instead of over-thinking everything.

‘Running in the Rain‘ from Lilo is a lovely indie-pop pure song full of lovely energy that grabs your attention. The Yorkshire-based music is a huge talented and the music is so great to listen to.

Head through to the Spotify page.

Click here for the Facebook page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Disparate Souls releases latest EP Cryptic Words

Posted on 9 April 2020

Yorkshire-based roots Rock band Disparate Souls have released their latest four-track collection ‘Cryptic Words’ with a mixture of Folk, Alternative Country and Rock.

Starting off with the clasp on the threats of the electric guitar, as the smooth adenoidal vocals come in bringing in the tap on the drums that mellow out in the background. Playing that real country-esque instrumentation, and always filling the air with the pluck of the threats giving it it’s Rock feel.

Each track has its own style when it comes to instruments, introducing a maracas like sound and again that gentle guitar riff that settles in the back. The forth track ‘Night’ uses a lot more synthesised effects with the vocals making them sound more robotic and distorted, adding in a gentle whisper. In each piece it has lots of elements that stand out in their own way.

Disparate Souls has created an anthology that combines three diverse genres of sounds and has made it their own.

Check out Disparate Souls latest collection by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Karley Myall

The Rumble Skulls – Gentle: Romantic Rock n Roll

Posted on 27 December 2017

The Rumble Skulls, AKA songwriter & guitarist Michael Featherstone has just released his latest single Gentle, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin. Soft and persuasive yet equally ground breaking and dark as he works with his raw talents to create an ode to a lucky gentle soul. It’s a mixed bag of Rock, Soul and Pop and you can’t really argue with the results!

Gentle is a soulful mix of upbeat guitar over a wonderfully orchestrated composition, accompanied by Marcello’s pained angelic vocals. Yorkshire, based The Rumble Skulls have the talent to create a sound stronger than a Yorkshire Teabag. As the track progresses, The Rumble Skulls takes you on a journey of pure emotion accompanied by a cacophony of deftly played instrumentals to create a track you really can’t fault! Having said that, Gentle isn’t a typical track from The Rumble Skulls, their earlier works are infinitely darker which matches their whole Grunge Rock aesthetic.

The Rumble Skulls debut album is currently in the making, due for release in 2018, in the meantime check out the official music video to Gentle via YouTube using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEYqWc1tZ4U&feature=youtu.be

For more info on the upcoming release of the album check the official Rumble Skulls Website:

https://www.rumbleskulls.com/