Londons alternative band Childcare released their new single ‘Film Club’ last month. Band members Ed Cares (singer/songwriter), Emma Topolski (bass), Rich Legate (guitar) and Glyn Daniels (drums) have created their own sound of alternative rock, enthused with the energy of punk and drenched in off-kilter pop. Childcare played some of their first shows at the Reading and Leeds festivals, and soon released their debut single ‘Omega Grey’. The song gained radio play from Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq, was named Track of the Day at Radio X and playlisted at Amazing Radio. Also paying close attention were Lost In The Manor Records, who, after witnessing Childcare at one of their vivid and visceral live shows, wasted no time in proffering a contract. ‘Film Club’ proves why Childcare are gaining so much attention. Blasting with a torpedo of killer hooks and a colossal wallop of intense energy, its a mind – blowing flash of Childcare’s talents. With a razor sharp jagged guitar riff and rapid wild global beat this track is the “crème de la crème” of edgy gritty alternative rock. It has everything and more, an anthemic vocal with bouncy sweet interjection on backing vocals, witty lyrics and sick instrumentation. Childcare hit right on the musical nerve and infects you with rich catchy melodies and weaving malleable bass lines, creating tightly compact layers of delicious textures and flavours to sink your teeth into. Exuding swagger and effortless cool charisma this track is a charming strut and prance that will have you moving in no time. Its a must listen. Looking forward to hearing more from Childcare.
Childcare are having an official ‘Film Club’ launch show on Monday 28 November at The Waiting Room, London N16 if your around make sure to check that out.
Stream ‘Film Club’ below
Montreal post-punk trio Heat will release their debut album, ‘Overnight’, on January 20, 2017 via Topshelf Records (US) / The Hand Recordings (CAN) / Rallye Records (JP). Initially starting “as an excuse to get together and drink”, Heat has grown into something far more significant and new record ‘Overnight’ offers their most notable work to-date. Led by the band’s three founding members, Susil Sharma (Vocals, Guitar, Synth), Matthew Fiorentino (Guitar, Synth), and Raphael Bussieres (Bass), Heat have become known for their dark bruising swagger and solid, old-school aesthetics delivered with a defiantly fresh-faced outlook. They were one of the most buzzed about bands at SXSW in 2015 and have been working on a full length since.
Lead single ‘Lush’ is a heavy-hearted meeting of dark sentiments and inventive instrumentals, drenched in dark shadowy tones with an aerial fresh sting on guitar. Its a melancholy anthem with raspy emotion filled gravel on vocals that almost whisper or lull, brooding and pining over an emotional wound. Heat do this tender sombre atmosphere without being totally depressing. The beautifully mellow tones on guitar and smooth synths add warmth and flashes of light to the track. Its an old school lonely cruising track with hazy vibes like a gloomy daydream. Heat display a flawless and meticulously structured track while maintaining a rawness and edge that is rugged and slurred with hazy alcohol-drowned sorrow.
Stream ‘Lush’ below
Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Circa Waves
Circa Waves have unveiled their new single, ‘Wake Up’. The Liverpool four-piece’s track is the first taste of the bands new album, ‘Different Creatures’, which is due to arrive on March 10 and follows their 2015 debut, ‘Young Chasers’.
‘Wake Up’ displays Circa Waves gritty mighty side. Pounding like a belt in the face this track storms in demanding well deserved attention with fire in its belly ready to take on the world. Razor sharp cutting guitar shreds throughout the track clearing all in its path while the punchy beefy drums pulverise and create a trashing ruckus. Circa Waves are known for their anthem-like sunny melodies and choruses and ‘Wake up’ stays true to this with a bright sun- kissed joyful chorus, however its saturated in darker more aggressive tones. The driving bass takes no prisoners and it boldly pulses and strikes with fearless awe-causing swagger. This energetic frenzy causing track is bound to get audiences everywhere jumping and going mad. Circa Waves have stepped things up with this ruthless pursuit to victory.
Fauna Twin are Parisian singer-songwriter Claire Jacquemard Ginsberg (leader of Hippies Vs Ghosts) and North Wales’ Owain Ginsberg (We Are Animal). They have released their single ‘Edge Of The Coin’ which is taken from their debut ‘The Hydra’ EP. Beginning with a dramatic chilling and eerie hair raisingly thrilling vibe, the track grabs your attention. It develops into a lightening strike of groovy beats and bouncy spirited synths. Swirling sonic waves interweave between playful melodies and rapid weighty textures on percussion creating a twirling euphoric surge of energy and blissful psychedelia. Jacquemard’s smooth soothing vocals lull you into a hypnotic stupor. The track coils and curls building to a dynamic crescendo with soaring vocals and bursting with energy. ‘Edge Of The Coin’ is infectiously catchy you will want to put it on repeat, dance and sway to its luring seductively rich sound and dynamic bounce and energy.
Steam ‘Edge Of The Coin’ below
London Alt Rock band Everywhere have announced the release of their second EP ‘Fiction Act’ available on iTunes December 9. This follows the success of acclaimed track ‘Some Other Dude’. The Band recently finished their first proper UK tour with stops in Brighton, Liverpool and Glasgow amongst others. Since their Hypemachine charting debut ‘Eddie’, Everywhere’s music has been streamed millions of times on YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify. They made their first International appearance at the 2013 NME Awards in the UK, playing alongside Django Django and Palma Violets, and later went on to support the Kaiser Chiefs and headline Notting Hill Arts Club in London. The lead single on the EP ‘Some Other Dude’ now has over 1 million plays on Spotify and gained them a feature on BBC Introducing London. This advance success certainly helped pave the way for ‘Fiction Act’. During the recording process of the EP the boys have divided their time between Stockholm, Los Angeles and London to collaborate with multiple producers, including American hit maker Mark Needham (The 1975, The Killers). ‘Shades At Night’ kicks off the ‘Fiction Act’ EP giving us a massive anthem to wrap our ears around. Rich with a luxurious ear-worm melody and a ravishing textured rhythm that gives the track depth leaving you craving more. Shimmering synths keep the track bright and glowing with dazzling scintillation that evokes thoughts of an arena worthy flashing lights display. Its a track that is sure to have a live audience on their feet jumping , dancing and bellowing out the sing-along lyrics. An explosive attention grabbing start to the EP. ‘Heroine’ follows gushing with high spirited energy and lush soaring vocals. Snappy beat gives the track steady bounce and lift while the weaving melodies on synths add a spacey aerial feel. This track is well formed and crafted giving us lavish textures to devour. ‘Some Other Dude’ follows next, a track which we previously featured on Indie Buddie. Its a “go for it” piece of advise full of “carpe diem” vibes and fist pumping high energy. With escalating dynamic vocals, elastic groovy bass and bopping punchy drums this track oozes swagger infused dance vibes. You wont be able to sit still with another irresistibly catchy chorus, its a crowd pleaser. ‘ Let It Go’ brings the EP to a tender close. Synths glitter and glisten with gentle elegance. The track twinkles and sparkles delicately becoming more intense and rich for the chorus. Soaring backing vocals add a dreamy hazy vibe to the track. Its a beautiful graceful end to the EP.
‘Fiction Act’ is a treasure trove of rich melodies that shows Everywhere are blossoming into something quite potent. They are a band that should most definitely be sought after.
Stream ‘Fiction Act’ below
The Assist are an indie-dance four piece from Walsall, comprised of members Mikey Stanton (vocals), Ryan Stanton (guitar), Jak Baker (bass) and Ben Faulkner (drums). They have recently graced both LEEDS & Y NOT Festival alongside support slots with both Ratboy, Blossoms and Jaws. The Assist completed a full UK headline tour to coincide with the release of their debut EP ‘TROUBLE’. They were strongly supported by BBC’s introducing show and not long after labelled as “Birmingham’s next big thing” by X radio. They have now released their new single ‘Tell Her How You Feel’. ‘Tell Her How You Feel’ is an animated energetic track bursting with rubbery bounce that rebounds and slaps you in the face with smooth pop melody coated in intense post-Britpop and a dash of R&B. This track flows with a spring in its step with elastic punchy drums and funky bass. Driving strides on guitar adds a zesty flavour and edge to the track. Stanton’s vocals rap the verse with attitude while the wistful soaked catchy chorus displays his emotional and dynamic vocals. The Assist display a well developed track that showcases their confidence as a band with swagger-filled instrumentation that shows their talent and competence while also displaying strong songwriting skills. The Assist are ones to watch.
Stream ‘Tell Her How You Feel’ below
Welsh alternative band We Are Animal have released their new single ‘Capoeira’. Its a gritty dark edgy track smothered in murky fuzz and eerie tones. Elastic depth on bass and rooted beat gives the track a sensual luring quality and repetitive psychedelic feel. Haunting raspy vocals add a spooky hair raising quality while enticing and drawing the listener into the shadowy gravelly depths of the track. Shredding guitar brings the track to its crescendo adding intensity and ferocity. The sweet catchy melody is hypnotising and seeps into your mind leaving you like a willing zombie mindlessly singing along. Distorted instrumental feature is hair-raisingly chilling and scratchy, it reminds me of a nervous person uncontrollably scratching an itch that doesn’t exist. ‘Capoeira’ is a mind numbing piece of well crafted alternative rock blended with psychedelia.
Stream ‘Capoeira’ below
Hailing from Manchester, Baum Jr. is a newly emerging musician with an aptitude for creating catchy electro songs with edgier vocals. He has a background in rock and describes his newly-invented genre as ‘Next-Gen 8-bit’, calling upon influence from film scores and game soundtracks of the 1980’s. His debut single ‘When I Grow Up’ was released in October and is a re-imagination of a Garbage song, the popular American-Scottish alternative rock outfit founded in the mid 90’s. Baum Jr.’s rendition of the track boasts some restructuring and sonic shifts. In lieu of Garbage’s alternative rock stylings from 1998, Baum Jr. has opted for an electronic pop landscape that’s infused with his signature ‘8-bit’ sound. It is elegantly contemporary while wholly retro. ‘When I Grow Up’ is an electronic composition bursting with thick gooey synths that bleep and bloop with bombastic acoustic drums that create a dramatic backdrop for the anthem-like chorus. With an eerie spacey electronic vibe created by the darkened shimmering synths and elastic bounce and rumble beat Baum Jr. gives us a dramatic swirling electronically bubbling punchy track that seems a little subdued by the tactful, edgy vocals. Baum Jr. has rebuilt Garbage’s song from the ground up utilising a new key and style while effortlessly showcasing his complicated, structured music.
Heez has released his EP ‘Codependent’ its a five track meandering labyrinth of intricate electronics churning with dark tones and poetic lyrics. Previously featured on Indie Buddie ‘Dancing’ kicks off the EP with its snappy beat, interweaving electronics and shadowy atmospheres. The heavy hearted vocals add emotion to the track while the rap adds rhythm and gives an edge. The quick synth-stabs which are a recurring feature in Heez’s EP give the track an elastic bendable quality while providing a strong sharp whack beat that has a trance effect. ‘The XX Makes Me Sad’ which we also featured this year is a deep rooted flex wave track that is sticky and muggy in thick slap beats and punchy electronics. The haunting lull of backing vocals give a subtle ghostly wailing effect to the track as if they groan and moan with anguish conveying the depression and sorrow of the track. ‘Cold Soul’ follows with distorted spoken vocals and simple accompaniment drawing the listeners attention to the lyrics. The slight echo and “wah wah” vibration to start has a psychedelic vibe. A strong beat enters giving something solid to hold onto before you slip into a trance. ‘Must Be Love’ brightens the tone of the EP with a catchy pop melody for the chorus. Rap vocals brings an R&B feel while the soft instrumentation has a feathery feel and cheery vibe which contrasts the entire EP up to now and showcases Heez can do happy but his way. ‘Sunday’ is a slick sensual light at the end of the dark swirling psychedelic black vortex tunnel that was the first half of the ‘Codependent’ EP. Filling us with hope for the future and optimism. Its a daydream of hazy sunshine with a hint of reggae thrown in and a brighter glimpse of that whack beat teamed with razor shape edgy guitar and strums from a warm mellow acoustic guitar.
Stream the ‘Codependent’ EP below
Robert Loud is the electro solo-project from Robert Connolly (lead guitar/vocalist of Fictionist). He has released his first track ‘Intentional’ from his forthcoming EP set for release early 2017. The track features guest vocals by Janessa Smith (Goldmyth). ‘Intentional’ creates a room-shaking body grooving dance-music moment with a heavy electronic beat, driving and orbiting swirling synths with sweet vocal melodies. Having distorted vocals and tropical undertones this track will get you on your feet and dancing like a Daft Punk robot. Easing us into the sound to start, Robert Loud lures us with infectious beats and honeyed melodies. Once you are drawn in queue the swirling hypnotic elements contrasting heavy fuzzed psychedelia and your trapped in a hazy concoction of electronic pop and edgy indie that commands you to dance.
Stream ‘Intentional’ below
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
