Tag Archives: indie rock

Alt Rock, EP Review, Indie, indie rock, New Music

Valhalla ‘Big Men, They Fall’ EP

Dublin alternative rock trio Valhalla have released their debut EP ‘Big Men, They Fall’. The band comprised of Mark Boyle (Vocals & Guitar), Barry Monahan (Bass) and Luke Alford (Drums) have been hard at work with multiple live headline shows across the Dublin scene in such venues as The Workmans Club, Sin E, The Sound House, The Underground and Fibber Magees. 2018 saw the band play a sold-out show in Whelan’s for the single launch of “Hear Me Calling” which has been well received with airplay on Radio Nova & RTE 2XFM.

‘Big Men,They Fall’ foreshadows a promising future for Valhalla. This intoxicating EP is full of wonderful engaging guitar lines, infectious grooves, stomping rhythms and sublime melodies. It’s not just the jagged rawness and subtle hue of rock slapped aggression in ‘Don’t Leave Her Down’ that engages and lures your ears into their music. It’s also the sweet melodies and meaty riffs and how they bring a sleek, emotional quality into their powerful tracks. This perfect blend of edgy rock, moody indie and soft delicate moments is what makes this EP a mature and refined experience.With ethereal, almost celestial tones on guitar glimmering through the dark smoky ‘Don’t Leave Her Down’ Valhalla showcase the bands proficient ability to meticulously craft and build their tracks beautifully. The powerful vocals from Mark Boyle surge each track with emotion and warm tones. ‘Hear Me Calling’ brings a funky flex to the EP as the rooted bass weaves a hip moving groove through the sultry guitar while the punchy drums keep the foundation lean and mean. With a clap along feature, enticing melody and perfect blend of gritty/silken textures- this trio find the sweet spot between dark rawness and strut worthy sleekness, solidifying their hold on your ears. ‘The Revenant’ slows the tone as Boyle pines over an emotional melody and gripping instrumentation. This is one for the teary power punch in the air as we see a tender side to the bands musicianship all while packing in beautiful guitar work and engaging rhythms leading us perfectly to the final track ‘Cryptic’. A tender, icy number that exposes raw emotion through a bittersweet melody and compelling instrumentation.


‘Big Men,They Fall’ is a four track EP that boasts the intricately cultivated and tight musicianship of Valhalla. The band have a full, rich sound and maturity that stands composed, passionate and impressive. They are ones to keep an eye on.

Stream ‘Big Men,They Fall’ below


Alt Rock, indie rock, New Music

Branch to Root ‘Home’

Alternative, Post Rock collective, Branch to Root have released their new single, ‘Home’.Since the beginning, the band have toured around the UK as a four piece band, spurring on an online fan-base of dedicated listeners.

‘Home’ is an emotional raw track that sways beautifully through ethereal instrumentation and Branch to Root’s powerful expressive musicianship. The biting guitars mournfully twinkle through the icy verses while the raspy vocals coo the tender melody. The instrumentation floats delicately through the verses with an emotional fragility before building into a powerful chorus. The guitars crash off the punchy drum thuds creating the most hair raising and compelling atmosphere as the chorus explodes into an anthemic expression. The lyrics convey that holding onto negative emotions does nothing but impede growth and the band display this perfectly through building the turmoil inflicted instrumentation. Branch to Root create a subtle push and pull effect between the verses and chorus that builds tension beautiful and pours immense passion and emotion into this sublime track.

About the track the band said :  “Despite the heartache, we reluctantly wish that those who leave us will get where they need to, mentally and emotionally making it “home”.

You can catch Branch to Root live at :
– Kingsfest, Sunday 26th May, Llanidloes Rugby Club, Llanidloes, Wales.

– Chester Pride Festival, Saturday 10th August, Music Is Now Stage, Castle Square, Chester, England.

Stream ‘Home’ below


Alt Rock, Garage Pop, Garage Rock, Indie, indie rock, New Music

The Rupees ‘Titanic’

Bristol garage rock band The Rupees have released their new single ‘Titanic’. Ryan, Seamus, Jake and Tom are The Rupees and their music has already been showcased on BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens), BBC Radio 6 (Steve Lamacq), and Sky TV as well as having played Reading Festival, supporting bands such as Blossoms and The Growlers as well as selling out their own headline shows


‘Titanic’ is a funky flex of The Rupees gritty swagger soaked garage rock. Razor sharp guitars gash into the punchy drums and elastic bass while anthemic synths soar over this dynamic backdrop. It’s an exhilarating catchy number that revolves around the slicing wail of synths while the distorted grizzly guitar adds a biting edge and rawness to the track. The raspy vocals sing over the blistering wall of sound with confidence and attitude as the band flesh out their infectious grooves and jagged instrumentation. Another crisp track from The Rupees.

Stream ‘Titanic’ below


Alt- Pop, Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music

Lonnie Storey ‘Silver and Glass’

Photo Credit: Zach Clapham

South-East London artist Lonnie Storey has released his new single ‘Silver and Glass’. This dreamy sun specked number floats upon a melted ice cream sundae melody while a sweet vaporous indie soundscape jingles and glimmers in the background. The track glides and sluggishly droops between energetic bursts and laid back breezy vibes with zest-stricken guitar melodies, elastic bass grooves and a danceable beat. It’s infectious, vibrant and quirky with nonchalant vocals cooing through the verses before becoming more dynamic for the catchy chorus. Filled with swagger and effortless suaveness this glossy, fizzing pop gem builds to a psych hued crescendo that is simply divine.

On ‘Silver and Glass’ Lonnie shares: ‘Silver and Glass is all about becoming a hot vapid mess,being so obsessed with image and presentation, hoping it will cover the cracks in a fragile, unhinged personality, whose self esteem leaked out of them overnight.”

Stream ‘Silver and Glass’ below


Garage Pop, Garage Rock, Garage-Psych, Indie, indie rock, New Music

Easy Tide ‘Bleu’

Easy Tide have released their new single ‘Bleu’. Easy Tide is a three piece garage band from Navan Co. Meath comprised of Aaron Dunphy (bass,vocals), Steven Rafferty (guitar,vocals) and Mark Carolan (Drums,vocals). The track is the band’s first release of 2019 and will also be on their upcoming album ‘Brief Bloody Moments’ later this year.

‘Bleu’ is a catchy blast of garage that glides freely upon a smooth melody and a fuzz filled backdrop. The band blend indie elements seamlessly through the distortion and razor sharp instrumentation. The dreamy melody lays upon an exhilarating backdrop of crashing acute guitar lines, punchy drums and rumbling bass while the mopey vocals coo and exasperate over the sublime instrumentation. The track is tight and well crafted. It builds from a sulky moan to a riotous expression that will have a mosh pit happily engaged. The track flirts with hues of psychedelia as the wobbly guitar weaves psych tones throughout before belting into one shrilling solo. Easy Tide showcase their dynamic thrilling musicianship with this infectious tune that buries itself deep under your skin until you are singing it uncontrollably.

Stream ‘Bleu’ below


Alt Rock, Grunge, Indie, indie rock, New Music, Rock, Worth A Listen

Worth A Listen

Photo Credit : Derek Bremner

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Fangclub

Fangclub have released their new track ‘Hesitations’. The three-piece who are currently working on their second album present a tasty savage appetizer. With dark soundscapes creeping like a misty fog on a eerie cold night this intense number confirms Fangclubs firm grasp on our ears. It’s catchy and explosive with their trademark anthemic chorus that erupts with crashing guitars, pulverising drums and inflamed bass. The verses simmer as the guitars smoulder and curdle beneath the rumbling bass while the drum relentlessly pounds throughout. Steven King’s vocals haunt and whisper building the intensity before becoming more dynamic for the raging chorus. With the sublime addition of a hypnotic chant by the Rush Youth Choir contrasting the blood curdling wall of sound, Fangclub have beautifully fermented and crafted this track to create their most thrilling and exhilarating material yet. If  ‘Hesitations’ is anything to go by there is exciting things to come from this trio.

Watch the video for ‘Hesitations’ below


Alt Rock, Alt- Pop, Funk, Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music

NULLA ‘Sunyata’

Photo Credit : Sophie Biliz-Reeves

Liverpool band NULLA have released their debut single ‘Sunyata’. With its infectious groove, laid back swagger and silken guitar lines  ‘Sunyata’ is a tight impressive debut from Nulla. The guitars inject a zesty refreshness into the track as they shrill and lightly zing through the ethereal soundscape. A melty pop melody floats upon the dreamy soundscape with a buoyant beat and elastic bass groove creating that charming hip moving foundation for this easy going gem. With its catchy melody, velvety vocals, shredding solo and sun kissed radiance ‘Sunyata’ is a glorious jazz-drizzled ditty to keep you smiling all day.

Stream ‘Sunyata’ below


Alt Rock, Indie, Indie Dance, New Music

Donal Quinn ‘Do You Like Spicy Food?’

Following a string of releases in 2018 and the BBC 6 Music plays of ‘Precious’ last year, Drogheda-based indie dance artist Donal Quinn has released his new single ‘Do You Like Spicy Food?’. This frantic track ignites with blistering guitars as it blazes through at a brisk hyperactive speed. With a punchy beat ricocheting with relentless stamina, this track is a neck snapping belter as Quinn’s swaggered vocals bounce off the catchy melody and witty lyrics. Designed for dancing and jumping manically to, this accelerated track scorches with shrilling guitars that majestically soar through the frantic rhythm while its crashing chorus creates a messy rough texture and gritty quality. Hypnotic and brimming with fiery energy and intensity ‘Do You Like Spicy Food?’ is another blazing  track from Donal Quinn.

Stream ‘Do You Like Spicy Food?’ below


Alt Rock, Indie, indie rock, New Music

Grant Kilpatrick ‘Tension’

Grant Kilpatrick has released his debut single ‘Tension’ which was recorded with Bruce Rintoul (Twin Atlantic/Vukovi/Fatherson) . Based just outside of Edinburgh Scotland, Grant Kilpatrick is a songwriter with an edge. With introspective lyrics draped over a backdrop of raw angular guitar music, Kilpatrick displays his wide range of influences through his tunes.

‘Tension’ is an edgy indie rock track that swarms in with sharp guitars, pulverising drums and a hefty wall of sound. This mammoth blasts with adrenaline pumping energy as Kilpatrick’s smooth vocals dynamically sing over the blistering backdrop. The acute guitars sting, pierce and shrill with attitude and relentless stamina adding sweltering swagger and passion while the buoyant fierce rhythm keeps the track travelling at an exhilarating speed. This song storms in with a whirlpool of boisterous indie rock at its best. Driving with vigor and kinetic electricity ‘Tension’ is an invigorating debut from Grant Kilpatrick.

Stream ‘Tension’ below


Alt Rock, EP Review, Indie, Indie Punk, indie rock, New Music

Pretty Happy ‘EGO, NO EGO’ EP

Hot off the release of single ‘Mr Crabs’ in February of this year, Cork based indie-punk trio Pretty Happy have released their debut EP, ‘EGO, NO EGO’. The group, consisting of brother/sister duo Arann (lead vocals, bass) & Abbey Blake (Guitar) and Andy Killian on Drums have built a solid reputation as one of Cork’s most charismatic and creative live bands over the past 18 months.

There is a lot of character and intriguing elements to ‘EGO, NO EGO’ as Pretty Happy finely blend some punk rawness with indie melodies and lush instrumentation. It’s a refined body of work, unique in its obscurities and filled with refreshing tunes, quirky interludes and catchy as hell melodies. ‘Note To Self: Don’t Buy Any More Skittles’ – a spoken snippet with delusion inducing sounds takes us into the sublime world Pretty Happy have created. There is a groovy shimmy from ‘Shut Up’ as the bass wiggles through a punchy drum beat while suave guitars jangle about the track. The lush backing vocals hold that infectious melody while the screaming, needy main vocals yelp hysterically. The lyrics are humorous and the track seamlessly wanders between brain crashing frenzy and sweetly mellow creating a thrilling psychotic sense of comfort.Indie Buddie favourite  ‘Mr. Crabs’ follows with its swagger drenched persona pounding though your brain with no shame. There is a theatrical flavour to these tunes and Pretty Happy blend this drama with absolutely mesmerising instrumentation and rhythms. Each track is unforgettable, unique and wholly mind boggling. ‘Eugene Completely Sold Me Out, Even Though I Let Him Give Me a Skittle for a Ride Home. Hell Yeah!’ is an interesting interlude that has to be experienced to be believed. ‘Delay’ peppers the EP in indie rock with vibrant guitars glistening with scintillation strengthened by the rooted foundation and thumping beat. The track builds into a dreamy pop speckled chorus. This song meanders from 60’s tones of flower power to reggae- esque hues before its dazzling psychedelic crescendo. A truly trippy and engaging journey, this track is where Pretty Happy showcase their musical prowess. The EP finishes on another obscure number- the short ‘That’s Over- Crooked Man’ another dramatic ditty with snide eerie vocals over a deep bass groove. It’s short but very absorbing ( I  wish there was more of that tune).

These guys have the entertainment down to a tee. Each track is witty and filled with character while the instrumental quality is top notch.  ‘EGO, NO EGO’ is a wholly satisfying and bewitching experience.

About the EP Arann Blake said : “We wanted to release an EP that was fun. Something that captured our personality but also had the energy of our live performance. We were also able to get a bit creative with our drummer Andy Killian producing. Andy was able to do our songs justice whilst still experimenting to make an EP that’s a bit different.”

Stream ‘EGO, NO EGO’ below