Tag Archives: indie rock

Alt Rock, Hypnotic, Indie, Indie Psychedelic, indie rock, New Music, psychedelic, Rock, Synth Rock, Worth A Listen

Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Serene

Psychedelic Rock trio Serene have released a video for their new single ‘Havana’ which is the third single from their new album ‘The Lonely Road’. From the trippy flicker and stabbing acoustic intro this track sends shivers up your spine. It’s a throbbing gritty fuzzed wallop of the psychedelic rock this trio do so well. Blistering guitars fire through the track with red hot intensity. An infectious throbbing bassline grooves with a luring smoulder and punchy drums bruise deep while flashing wobbly synth soundscapes quiver and dazzle with bright kaleidoscopic scintillation. It’s an epileptic fit of psychedelic bliss. Raw edgy and razor sharp in all the right places Serene build the track slowly and meticulously right up to the dizzying hallucinogenic crescendo. Smooth swagger soaked vocals strut and prance around the beaming instrumentation with intensified emotion. Underneath all this acute fury there is a velvety smoothness and dreamy haze floating about. It’s tranquilizing and sweetly paralyzing to the harsh instrumental battering. It’s a mighty absolutely brilliant track from Serene. They are one of my favourite new bands at the moment and each track they release gets better and better. An exciting band to keep an eye out for. So good.

Watch the video for ‘Havana’ below


Alt Rock, Alt- Pop, Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Worth A Listen

Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From The Hubbards

Riding high on a wave of praise following their most recent single ‘Just Touch’, Hull-born Leeds-based four-piece The Hubbards have already notched up support slots for the likes of stadium stars Foals and The 1975, not to mention a coveted slot at this year’s Radio 1’s Big Weekend. Their material has aired on both Radio One and 6Music, while previous single ‘Cold Cut’ was used on ‘Made In Chelsea’. The quartet have now released their new single ‘Body Confident’. This laid-back indie bopper cruises against a backdrop of crunching sharp guitars and punchy drums. The dazed hazy melody drifts with a woozy dreamy loftiness and ear worm infectiousness. With an air of casual easy going almost “meh” nonchalance to take the edge off the piercing dynamic soundscape it’s effortlessly cool and breezy. Elastic bass and bouncy drums give a gyrating swagger and enthralling allurement to the track. It’s smooth with a groovy mellow backbone and one for lazy hazy days.

You can catch The Hubbards Live at

7th October: Sebright Arms, London

13th October: Fruit, Hull

21st October: – The Shed, Leicester

22nd October:- The Brunswick, Brighton

Watch the video for ‘Body Confident’ below


Album Release, Album Review, Alt- Pop, Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Synth Rock, Synth-pop

Deep City Diver Self-Titled Debut Album

Hackney indie rock band Deep City Diver will release their self-titled debut album on the 6th October. This trio have crafted an album with tracks anthemic in every way with their brand of guitar pop stamped all over it. Doused in synth soundscapes they bring each track to life and evoke every fiber of emotion in the listener. Their sound is ambitious and exciting fully polished and meticulously formulated, it doesn’t feel like a debut album it feels like the fourth or fifth album of a well-established  band. They know their sound and it’s so familiar and comfortable it’s like they have been around for years, yet fresh and new. ‘Easy Prey’ kicks off the album smothered in 80’s synth pop shimmer and sparkle. The melody is sombre and sway-like and Nico’s vocals coo and brood for the verses before becoming dynamic for the anthemic chorus. Running basslines and a snappy beat adds a dance-like shuffle while jingley guitars flicker and stride with swagger and panache. It’s an infectious 80’s flashback. This trio do exuberant fist pump anthems well and ‘Everyone Is Alone’ and ‘Another World’ display this perfectly. With Bon Jovi-esque fiery choruses, powerful vocals and that adrenaline pumping get up and dance your worries away vibe. They bring the rock and roll nostalgia to the album with melty ear worm melodies and some sharp guitar injections adding a bit of edge and rawness to their sound. ‘As the Crow Flies’ is a beautiful melodic tune. Wandering soundscapes wisp around strident guitars. It’s pretty sweet and tender however the musical background adds a film like dramatic sorrow and breezy sharpness. ‘Down On Wreckyn Street, I’m Ruined’ is another indie rock thumper. Energetic, boppy and vibrant smothered in vitality with a dash of airy synths filling out the sound and giving a refreshing little multi dimension to the track. ‘Nothing Hurts’ is an elastic guitar driven tune. A rebounding spring on guitars adds buoyancy before the shredding air guitar worthy solo. ‘Honeyeater’ another slow burner with a strong thumping beat and elegant honey drizzled melody gives a 60’s feel mixed with a bit of the The Smiths. Probably my favourite track on the album for its depth and sweet sorrow filled guitar feature. It’s richly emotive and Nico’s vocals are immensely passionate and divine. It’s a tearjerker for sure utterly romantic and raw, just sublime to listen to.‘Living In The Hyphen’ and album closer ‘Youth’ are the delicate ballads. Beautiful melodies and smouldering synths create a dark sorrowful atmosphere swirling around Nico’s compelling emotion-filled vocals. ‘Youth’ displays Nico’s vocal depth.It’s a little organ-y which adds warmth to the track and once again this track is very passionate and heart wrenching. It’s a short track, just over two minutes bringing a nice end to the album. With simple accompaniment it leaves space for contemplation.

Deep City Diver have compiled a collection of tracks that speak to the heart, live in the moment whatever that moment is and makes you feel something. It’s an emotional journey of highs and lows dramatic anthemic tracks that are massive and fiery to slow tender pure passion and raw emotion. It’s epic guitar pop at its best.

You can catch Deep City Diver at their Vinyl Launch Gigs at

20th October 2017 – The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent (w/ DIVENIRE)

21st October 2017 – Blondies, London (w/ Bear Muda)

Stream ‘Another World’  below

 

 


Alt Rock, Alt- Pop, Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Rock and Roll

The Skullers ‘Meet Me In Memphis’

The Skullers are a rock and roll trio from New Jersey. Band members Jack Skuller (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Gabriel Scholis-Fernandez (drums) and Luigi Sardi (bass) play their blues-soaked brand of modern rock and roll with a down-to-the-bone rockabilly soul.They have released their debut EP ‘Meet The Skullers’ which features the infectious lead track ‘Meet Me In Memphis’. This swagger soaked catchy ditty is the kind of energetic bluesy rock that would have even the most timid person busting a move. It’s oh so slick, effortlessly cool and strut ready. With sharp crashing guitars and punchy drums it’s an adrenaline rush to the head of panache drenched rock. Shimmy ready, sleek and oozing that swoon worthy rock and roll of the 60’s greats these young lads have knocked it out of the park. That harmonica solo shrill and high-powered energy teamed with smooth croony vocals add a fiery hot smoulder to their modern rock and roll. Another mesmerising track from The Skullers, they have a bright future ahead.

Stream ‘‘Meet Me In Memphis’ below


Alt Rock, Indie, Indie Buddie Introducing, indie rock, New Music

Indie Buddie Introducing : The Covasettes

Manchester indie-rock four piece The Covasettes​ ​have released their eagerly awaited debut single, ‘This Feeling’. Formed in mid-2016, the quartet comprised of Chris Buxton (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Matt Hewlett (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Jamie McIntyre (Bass/Vocals) and Matt Buckley (Drums/Percussion) have spent the last year and a half perfecting their addictive, riff laden sound with live shows across the North. Having left a lasting impression on promoters, venues and fans with their infectious live set, The​ ​Covasettes have earned themselves a firm place amongst Manchester’s busy music scene.

‘This Feeling’ is a sizzling indie rock track that bursts with feel good vibes, sunshine and sweltering heat. It’s catchy and brimming with infectious guitar hooks. With punchy drums and a groovy hip wiggling bass line it’s an instant crowd pleaser. Sharp guitars stride and pierce through the track adding a zesty refreshing sting and instant vibrancy. Richly textured and finely layered these guys have delivered a polished indie hit. The song is well thought out and crafted with sultry lead vocals teamed with an irresistible melody and foot stomp bridge. ‘This Feeling’ is everything you could want in an indie track. A fantastic debut from The Covasettes. Watch out for these guys.

Stream ‘This Feeling’ below


Alt Rock, electro - rock, Indie, Indie Disco, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Synth Rock, Synth-pop

The Jackobins ‘Outside’

 

Liverpool based four-piece The Jackobins have released their hugely anticipated new single ‘Outside’. The band have taken the UK’s music scene by storm, regionally championed by BBC Introducing Merseyside the band have also received national airplay, with most recent singles ‘Nightfire’ and ‘Hasty’ named Radio X’s Track of The Week and previous singles ‘Waiting On The Sun’ and ‘One More Chance’ also airing on BBC Introducing Merseyside, BBC 6 and Radio X respectively.

‘Outside’ follows their string of smashers. This biting smack of intensified indie, blisters and boils with dark undertones and agonising emotion. They scatter a nice dose of synths over the track which adds a glittery disco vibe. It’s anthemic and breezy with mighty fist pump energy and punch. With an arena ready chorus and pop drizzled melody, it’s an instant indie hit. These guys have a knack for catchy indie tracks but this time they have turned their hand to an electronic fused blend to their sound and it does not disappoint. The electronics flicker in and out of the melody adding flashes of scintillation for the verse before exploding along with crashing strident guitars into the potent chorus. It’s ethereal and blustery, a force to be reckoned with. Another incredible track from The Jackobins.

The band say of the single, “Outside was written about the dangers of solitude. It’s about the kid in school who has no true friends, the guy who is after a girl who doesn’t know he exists, the girl who isolates herself from others because she doesn’t yet know who she is. The track deals with the seductive danger of escaping to somewhere that isn’t real, descending into your own fantasy in isolation. In a world dominated by social media people are becoming lonelier, and often those left on the outside become jealous observers of other peoples’ airbrushed lives. This is probably our darkest track to date thematically.”

Following a successful year of headlining full capacity venues across the country whilst also appearing on some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals including: Isle of Wight, Reading and Leeds, Kendal Calling. Tramlines, Live at Leeds, Sound City, Y Not Festival and Dot To Dot, The Jackobins are set to round off another busy year by returning to the studio and embarking on a new UK Tour supporting The Wholls as well as a  handful of festivals.

Stream ‘Outside’ below


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

Atlanta House ‘Home’ EP

Leeds five-piece Indie Rock band Atlanta House have released their debut EP entitled ‘Home’. Which was produced by Roni Szpakowski of Peak Studios. The band have supported Circa Waves, Marsicans King No-One and Space, as well as performed at Tramlines and the inaugural Kazoopa Festival in November 2016. ’Home’ splashes out Atlanta Houses’ infectious blend of indie rock in all its blazing glory. ‘House’ kicks off the EP with mystery smothered in darkness. Spoken vocals narrate the harrowing lyrics to a simple accompaniment and steady beat. The track explodes into a mighty almost punk/grunge-esque shouting with screeching, crashing and fierce punch on drums. Just over a minute and a half it wakes you up and grabs your attention for the rest of the EP. The slick, polished snappy ‘Last Card’ follows. Sharp guitars stride and soar over the catchy melody piercing through the punchy drums and rumble on bass. Smooth vocals exude passion and become the softener throughout the breezy aerial track. ‘Casa (En Llamas)’ ah the gentle slow burner, sweet and delicate with a melty dreamy melody that could have fallen from heaven. Passionate and expressive the track builds becoming a little more powerful for the chorus without ruining the tender beautiful sway-like tempo. It’s the slow dance of the EP and it’s not half arsed either these lads pack a lot of emotion in this track. This little sweetheart is tender and affectionate and quite enchanting, a bit of a tear jerker. ‘Cold Love’ which we recently featured on Indie Buddie follows easing us out of the feathery lightness of its predecessor. It’s darker though, with an elastic bass and sliding guitars adding a blustery gust to the pop sprinkled track. ‘Home’ brings the EP to a blistering end. Rumbling drums bubble and boil while dark toned vocals add a chilling mystery and danger for the verses. The chorus explodes into an anthemic youthful burst of crashing guitars and punchy drums. Sharp stings on guitar flicker in and out of the verses creating flashes of bright scintillation through the thick murky atmosphere.

Atlanta House ‘Home’ is a fine debut EP. The hooks are plentiful, the energy is explosive and the melodies are sublime, sure some tracks are a bit Catfish and The Bottlemen- esque, but they do it their way. This five-piece have packed a lot of diversity into this EP and show a strong competence, refinement and understanding of what sounds good. Each track hits the spot and is exuberant and glowing with life and energy. The tunes are slick and bound to be epic live.

Stream ‘Home’ EP here


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

Hammy & The Pilgrim ‘Nothing To See Here’ EP

Hammy & The Pilgrim is a four-piece alternative rock band from Limerick. The band honed their skills by appearing informally in the vibrant local music scene, playing acoustic and electric sets. Now playing gigs all over the country the band have begun to draw large crowds as support for nationally recognised acts such as Le Gallaxie & Hermitage Green. As a result of their ‘Put It On Ice’ single launch in July they were selected to play this year’s Electric Picnic. Most recently, Hammy & The Pilgrim have released their second EP ‘Nothing To See Here’ to a sold out launch show at the Kasbah Social Club, Dolan’s, Limerick.

‘Nothing To See Here’ displays how Hammy & The Pilgrim have developed their own blend of melodic bluesy tinged alternative rock. ‘Riding High’ adds a snappy nostalgic start to the EP. Elastic bass lines teamed with bouncy drums creates a flexible peppy foundation while the honey smooth melody coats the track in nostalgia and mellow tones. It’s catchy and subtly anthemic. There are some pretty sweet guitar moments in the EP which really shine and add a vibrant lift to each of the tracks. ‘Bow your Head’ is laced in a dreamy lush melody and punchy percussion with the perfect air guitar worthy shredding solo as the icing on the cake. ‘Put It On Ice’ adds a speckle of reggae infused bounce and a dash of vitality to the EP. Hammy & The Pilgrim have created a collection of smooth dreamy tracks richly layered in hazy golden guitar lines and luscious melodies. It’s mellow and melodic with just enough vivacity and buoyancy to have you bopping and grooving. ‘Nothing To See Here’ is a tight polished EP that shows real promise from Hammy & The Pilgrim.

Stream ‘Nothing To See Here’ below


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

Dear Thieves ‘P.Y.M.’ EP

Melbourne alternative rock two piece Dear Thieves are set to release their Sophomore EP ‘P.Y.M.’ on October 13th. Since their debut EP ‘Bad Habits’ was released late March of this year the pair went straight back to the studio, honing their unique brand of hard hitting alternative rock, resulting in their most refined and honest release to date. Hitting the Melbourne music scene early 2013 Dear Thieves have been prolifically writing music and making a name for themselves by gigging persistently throughout the city. The duo have embarked on multiple east coast tours in support of their debut single ‘My Street’ and the ‘Bad Habits’ EP, and have graced the stage with the likes of Sydney’s Strangers and fellow Two-piece heavy hitters King Of The North.

‘P.Y.M’ or Punch Your Mates (if you’re into that kind of thing) is 5 tracks of gritty, versatile unapologetic rock music that is catchy as hell. ‘Bruce Willis’ kicks of the EP, slick moody and attitude soaked with punchy drums adding a relentless rebound effect while crashing guitars and swagger soaked almost eerie raspy vocals add a gritty brawn to the track. Instantly catchy and wrapped in heavy mosh ready instrumentation it’s a pretty slick vigorous start to the EP. The EP continues to travel at a constant high energy and bulky pace. ‘Used To Be Dead’ brings a creepy darkness into the mixture of pounding rock. Once again rich flickering rhythm gives a sensual flexibility as the track teases and builds tension for the massive frenzy causing headbanging crescendo. ‘Kids’ takes the persona of the dark smoky sultry track. Doused in hair raising chilling tones teamed with powerful vocals and mighty robust drums it seeps and weeps danger and haunting vibes. Razor sharp bass strikes and slaps with lusty dynamism creating a thrilling experience. Title track ‘P.Y.M’ is a hardy raw track oozing aggression and demanding attention. It’s sleek yet booming with rugged drums and boisterous guitars. Swagger soaked and catchy this track is a severe bashing to the skull with intense energy and passion. ‘Alone’ closes the EP as mighty and fierce as its predecessors. Dear Thieves finish the album on a high dose of battering piercing rock.

‘P.Y.M’ displays Dear Thieves knack for bloodthirsty bruising rock. Rich intricate grooving rhythms and catchy hooks blend together to create a infectious barbed selection of tracks smothered in dark tones and chilling eerie atmospheres. Well-crafted and layered it’s a dynamic EP well worth putting on repeat blasting it out as loud as you can and rocking out to.

Dear Thieves are set to launch their sophomore EP on the 13th of October At Melbourne’s iconic Cherry Bar and follow it with a string of shows through Victoria and up the East Coast.

Listen to the ‘P.Y.M’ single on YouTube here


Alt Rock, Hypnotic, Indie Dream Rock, Indie Psychedelic, indie rock, New Music, psychedelic, Rock

Serene ‘Drowning Lessons’

Psychedelic three piece Serene have released their new single ‘Drowning Lessons’ with an accompanying video which was recorded and edited by Serene’s own Kieran Day. Documenting their tour in Italy. The new single is taken from their forthcoming new album ‘The Lonely Road’ which is set to be released on the 30th of September. With blissful warm toned guitar ‘Drowning Lessons’ instantly slaps you in the face with the refined slick musicianship of this trio. That riff is so smooth and sublime as it breaks up swirling mind bending soundscapes. With raspy vocals and heavy mosh ready injections this track soothes you into a lulling wobbly desert hot mirage before blasting you with gritty rock. With groovy, funky basslines adding a sultry elasticity and dance- like wiggle texture these guys have packed a lot into this stunning track. With a reggae flavoured bridge smothered in hallucinogenic delusions interweaving among dark fuzzed guitar, it’s multi textured and richly layered creating an intricate trippy experience. Seamlessly flowing from gloriously breezy to heavy and moody ‘Drowning Lessons’ sets these guys up for big things.I’m a big fan of Serene and this song is exactly why.

Watch the video for ‘Drowning Lessons’ below