Aldeburgh’s energetic Indie-rock trio Fick As Fieves have released their new single ‘English Weather’. Comprised with members Archie Arthur (Guitar + Bass/Vocals), Harry Campbell ( Guitar + Bass/Vocals) and Richard Aries (Drums) the band have been championed by BBC Introducing in Suffolk, and currently being featured on Spotify’s “HOT NEW BANDS” playlist, they play an upbeat style of indie rock with riff driven ear worms and tight catchy hooks which their growing audience widely recognises as their ‘own’ sound. 2017 has seen the trio release a series of singles which have generated hundreds of thousands of views and streams across many platforms, as well as playing across the UK in many well respected venues and festivals. They have supported the likes of Redfaces and have also appeared on the same bill as Slaves, Madness and Seasick Steve.
‘English Weather’ is an exuberant bouncy ball of slick indie rock. These guys have produced a snappy infectious groovy track that exudes swagger and strut- like flamboyance. Zesty shredding guitars shrill, pierce and lick while punchy peppy drums and elastic bass add a meaty yet flexible texture to the springy track. Each verse brings a new fresh dimension and layer to the sound as they showcase their ductile and proficiently intricate guitar work and musicianship. It’s finger clicking good and catchy as hell while remaining laid back and cool. ‘English Weather’ glides in on a wave of foot shuffling slicked back panache induced rock and roll. It’s a pretty impressive track that blast these guys into the ones to watch list.
Wicklow band Feuds have released their new single ‘Anything I Wouldn’t’. The track was recorded in the Hot Spot, Greystones and recorded, mixed and mastered by Eoin Whitfield. A beautiful ethereal guitar melody introduces the track followed by gritty heavy crashing guitars and pounding drums. The track finds the perfect blend between sweet and sour as Feuds seamlessly flicker between luscious delicate guitar melodies and heavy mosh worthy soundscapes. Light and twinkly they excel with intricate nimble blissful guitar lines and wispy dreamy soundscapes. You could relax safe and comfortable in the hazy sun kissed, honey coated guitar refrains. The rumble elastic rhythm gives the track a rippling quality and adds movement and body. The simple vocal melody lets the music speak for itself as it encapsulates and wraps you in its dreamy state. When it’s heavy it’s striking and powerful yet still maintains that hazy structure however a little more fuzzed and darker toned. An impressive track from the Wicklow lads.
Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From FAMILY JOOLS
Bristol’s FAMILY JOOLS have release their fourth single ‘American Dream’ on End Of The Trail Records. ‘American Dream’ is blissful sun soaked nostalgia in the form of blistering alternative rock smothered in unadulterated Americana. With a honey drizzled melody that is instantly catchy and euphoric, it’s a sweet luscious two-minute nostalgic dose of heaven. A sharp stinging guitar riff announces this track triumphantly with piercing scorching humidity. Spikey, jagged and a bit The Strokes- esque, its instantly thrilling and wholly satisfying. Punchy drums add a sticky elasticity while smooth vocals coo with a soothing warmth and passion. It’s fiery and tightly knit. This sweltering track exudes soul yet is fresh and modern. There is no doubt about the slick musicianship of these guys.
FAMILY JOOLS are now working on completing their debut LP (still unnamed) which will be released before the end of the year. So, keep an eye out for that.
In the meantime, watch the video for ‘American Dream’ below
Reading Indie four piece Mellor have released their new single ‘Bone Idle’. The band consisting of members Gary, Sam, Kris, and Josh have had a whole host of national and regional media support from the likes of Absolute Radio, BBC6 Music, BBC Berkshire, BBC London, and BBC Introducing. Labelled by Alt Reading as “one of Reading’s most exciting acts”, they bring a live show packed with high energy, raucous vocals, big guitar riffs, and pounding drums. The bands dedicated following is steadily on the rise thanks to shows up and down the UK sharing stages with the likes of The Kooks, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Flyte, and The Milk.
‘Bone Idle’ is a snappy infectious buzz filled blast of indie rock. Energetic and high powered it sends shivers down your spine creating groove induced dance and shimmy symptoms. Punchy drums slap against shredding razor sharp guitars while elastic bass rebounds with vigorous stamina. Its fizzing instantly catchy indie rock that explodes with youthful energy and some slick piercing guitar moments. With a delectable melody and anthemic chorus ‘Bone Idle’ is destined to be epic live. Raspy vocals and intricately weaved instrumentation add a nice little gritty texture and multi dimension to the track. Once again Mellor knock it out of the park with this peppy effervescent track. These guys just keep on belting out some pretty slick bangers.
Leeds indie rock five-piece Atlanta House have released their new single ‘Cold Love’ which is taken from their upcoming ‘Home’ EP due for release September 29th.The band who have receive slots supporting Circa Waves, Marsicans and King No One, as well as performing Tramlines 2016 and the inaugural Kazoopa Festival in November 2016 have built a reputation in the local music scene through energetic shows and memorable hooks. Consisting of members Matt Hirst (Lead Vocals), Jake Ingleson (Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vocals),Luke Williams (Lead Guitar), Nigel Ngwenya (Bass Guitar & Backing Vocals), Connor Carbutt (Drums & percussion) the band have also released a video to accompany the new single.
‘Cold Love’ is a dark throbbing breezy indie rock track. Thudding drums back a luring eerie verse while guitars glisten and flicker in-between. The chorus blasts in with a catching pop drizzled melody while blistering guitars stride, piercing against rich textured percussion and smooth swagger filled vocals. It’s anthemic and mighty with sharp injections of breezy stinging soundscapes. Passionate and melodic it strikes you with a melancholic melody and powerful intricate instrumentation. The rumbling elastic bass and sliding guitars brings the shadowy bridge to life creating a hair raising effect. The track builds to a massive crescendo featuring soaring instrumentation with crashing guitars and meaty drums. Atlanta House have created a track that is immensely emotive and explosive yet chilling and eerie. Slick and radio friendly it’s polished but maintains enough rawness to keep it sharp and thrilling.
The Only Ocean are a four -piece atmospheric rock band from Lompoc, CA — a town most notable for its high security prison and its annual Flower Festival. Friends since junior high, the band taps into a level of unity that is typically only achieved by sibling groups, like the Beach Boys or the Jonases, their tight modern grooves locking together to support a soft bed of crackling guitars and soaring vocals. In 2015, they released their self-titled debut album, a polished collection of dreamy psych-rock bangers, produced by Jonathan DeBaun (The Mars Volta, Omar Rodríguez-López). After a year of supporting the record with energetic shows spanning the California coast, they returned to studio to record a 5-track follow up EP, titled ‘TOO’; a denser and more aggressive effort, with lead single ‘Cul-De-Sac’ approaching hardcore and punk rock in its ferocity. Tracks like ‘So Shy So High’ hinted at a more ornate and melodic direction to come. With the recent addition of guitarist Mic Singh, The Only Ocean’s sound has expanded to even grander proportions. Their recent release, ‘Good Morning’, is a confident and deliberate side-step into the festival rock arena, with producer DeBaun again returning to put his signature flair on things, dutifully guiding the band into new territory. The Only Ocean have now released their new single ‘Fake Sunflowers’ which follows the new solid sound of ‘Good Morning’ .
‘Fake Sunflowers’ flickers and bleeps with flashing sonic soundscapes against strident sharp guitars and an infectious beat. The soaring chorus adds an ethereal quality to the track while the lush sweet melody glides along smooth and creamy like honey to the ears. Tight harmonies add a multi dimension and rich texture to the track while the electronic soundscape adds a psychedelic dreamy vibe. It’s displayed simply but backed by richly layered intricate instrumentation. Another sublime track from The Only Ocean.
Singer-songwriter Ali Tommis has announced the release of his debut 5-track EP ‘Leave It All Behind’, a piano driven rock EP which is set to be available from 22nd September 2017. Being born into a family of musicians, Tommis was surrounded by music from a young age and began playing piano at the age of three which then lead to his passion for writing music at the age of 17. Eight years on, his songwriting ability has matured and developed into his own unique sound which is well represented through ‘Leave It All Behind’. The EP, written by Tommis himself, follows a theme of finding the strength to follow your dreams rather than settle with being the person you’re expected to be in order to please others. As described by Tommis, “[The EP] describes the fears, frustrations and insecurities that come with doing that, and also the joy, happiness and satisfaction that you get from doing it.” Taking his inspiration from an eclectic range of musicians such as John Mayer, OneRepublic and Led Zepplin, the EP has a distinctive sound yet every track is different and fresh.
Lead single ‘Leave It All Behind’ kicks of the EP, energetic and bouncy it’s an infectious springing ball oozing oodles of passion. Sprightly guitar riffs rebound and smack off the dynamic melody while punchy drums rumble and bubble throughout. With an anthemic powerful chorus bellowed out passionately by Tommis it’s quite the force to be reckoned with. ‘Everything’ is once again immensely passionate and dynamic. It glides elegantly with a sweet piano feature floating with graceful grandeur while jittery flickering soundscapes dart in and out of the delicate piano melody. Powerful choruses seem to be a large part of Tommis’ music style as each chorus explodes with the most intense eruptive fist pump energy possible. ‘Home Again’ cools the fiery tone of its predecessors a little. Sweet guitar twangs while smooth velvety vocals whisper for the verse and croon sweetly for the chorus. It’s melancholic and tender building in intensity as the track progresses. The piano feature in this track is so beautiful and sublime adding a heavenly escape before the celestial mighty track finale. ‘Passing By Me’ holds an air of danger and mystery with sharp stings on guitar between wandering piano and blustery percussion. ‘The Fear’ ends the EP with an intricate piano feature weaving between guitar strides and punchy drums. It’s dramatic and powerful with a spine chilling almost creepy atmosphere bringing us to a massive almost theatrical end to the EP.
‘Leave It All Behind’ displays Ali Tommis’ expressive passionate musicianship with powerful anthemic (at times dramatic) choruses and intricate melody compositions, he hasn’t held back. It feels like he has put everything, body and soul into this EP.
The lead single ‘Leave It All Behind’ is accompanied by a music video, a humorous narration of Tommis’ passion to follow his own dreams instead of living his life to please others. Shot in Portmeirion, home to Festival No 6 and the same place Supergrass filmed the video for hit ‘Alright’, the video follows him on his journey to ‘leave it all behind’.
Leave It All Behind will be available worldwide via all major media platforms from 22nd September 2017 and is a sign of what’s to come from Ali Tommis. More information about Ali, future releases and any upcoming live dates can be found on his social media pages here https://www.facebook.com/AliTommis/
Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Novatines
Five piece alternative rock outfit Novatines have released their debut single ‘Medicine’. Released through Dirty 38 Records, ahead of a UK tour in November, ‘Medicine’ which was recorded live and produced by the band encapsulates the band’s’ spirit, verve and intensity in its every fine detail. This debut is a statement piece as bold and honest as any. Manifested in the city of Bath, the group are heavily steeped in the pure essence of rock & roll, following the footsteps of giants and knowingly steering off the beaten track, reforming the sound in their own image.
‘Medicine’ is a red hot blast of rock & roll. Shredding guitars crash and blast against pummeling drums while sneering vocals bellow. It’s anthemic with fiery energy and fist pump middle finger aggression consumed in a mini explosion. Sing along ready and ridiculously catchy it’s a foot stomping fury fueled torpedo. Gritty attitude driven and exuding sweat and leather swagger, this track is on fire. It is mosh ready with a fantastic running bassline, it pumps adrenaline into your veins causing an impulsive desire to scream out the lyrics. I can imagine this track is epic live.
Based in North-West London, indie three piece Plastic Barricades have released their new album ‘Mechanics of Life’. Comprised of members Dan Kert on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Daniele Borgato on bass and Frazer Webster on drums the band have been nominated for “Oxjam Band of the Year ” and “MTV Brand New”, voted #1 out of 222 bands participating in Hard Rock Cafe London Global Battle of the Bands competition, won Camden Rocks Battle of the Bands, got nominated for “Brand New Artist”, landed 2nd place in Sziget Festival band competition and won Enfield Battle of the Bands and Songwall’s “Songs in the Sky”. Two songs from “Tree of Ideas” EP were also featured in Channel4 “Hollyoaks” TV show.
‘Mechanics of Life’ is a fine display of the chilled indie soaked sound Plastic Barricades do so well. The previously featured on Indie Buddie ‘How Goldfish Grow’ kicks off the album drenched in bright peppy vibes and crunching guitars. It’s bright bubbly indie with melancholic dark undertones adding depth to the track. They keep their sound radiant and glowy while slapping a nice bit of passion and meaning on top. ‘Singularity 2045’ and ‘Our Favourite Delusions’ display slick nimble solos, sharp piercing licks and blazing guitar moments that are divine. The tracks are punchy and meaty with melty glorious melodies and laid back beautiful vibes. They pack so much into their sound adding multi textures and intricate layers. The little peppy sparkling gem ‘Be the Change’ is golden sweet honey to the ears. Smooth tender vocals coo while a sun kissed instrumental backing, lights the track to heavenly heights. It’s passionate and delicate with zests of guitar refreshing the velvety melancholic track. ‘Around the Sun’ gives a groovy element to the album. Catchy vibrant melody illuminates the track with positivity. Each track that follows is easy going mellow and perky. They create music for hazy days in the sun. Though some have a gloomy undertone the tunes are soothing, sweet and melodic. For me the stinging jingles on guitar really stand out and add a squirt of beaming energy and glorious bedazzlement to each track. The luxurious melodies in ‘Half of your Soul’ interweave blending longing and inspiriting tones creating a heavenly blissful sound. ‘Masterminds’ brings us to the end of the album. It does feel like a farewell track, soaked in melancholic tones with a delicate stab beat. With elegant little guitar jingles and a sway-like tempo, it’s a delightful end to the album.
Plastic Barricades ‘Mechanics of Life’ is a laid back glorious album to wrap your ears around, soothe your soul and relax your mind. Its sun kissed and sweetly melodic with bright bubbly indie pop melodies coated in spongy rapid rhythms and flashes of sharp glistening guitar. They add their own glimpses of pizzazz in there too keeping it fresh and edgy but all round it’s a sublime wholesome listen.
Glasgow based singer-songwriter Kev Howell has recently released his debut album, ‘Haunting Ambition’. After beginning writing original material back in 2014 with an old 8-track machine, some Cubase software, and a lot of ambition and talent, Howell has come a long way. Over the past 3 years, he has grown a solid and dedicated fanbase and gained support slots for the likes of Ben Ottewell and Bill Ryder-Jones. Inspired by the likes of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, ‘Haunting Ambition’ boasts nine alternative rock tracks, driven by melodic guitar chords and a haunting and distinctive vocal line.
‘Haunting Ambition’ is a swirling dark concoction of alternative soft rock churning and coiling in a sixties psychedelic dissolving fermentation. Smooth and crooney ‘Distance’ sets the mood of the album. The underlying groovy hints present itself through the bouncy rhythm while spooky spine chilling soundscapes wisp around haunting vocals. The smooth melody is delicate,soft and almost fragile while sharp guitars sting with a stabbing shrill creating a goosebump inducing thrilling listen. The shadowy narcotically hazy ‘Kamikaze’ follows. Vaporous and smouldering this sultry track exudes eerie tantalising mystery wrapped in a psychedelic rock mirage. There is definitely a Beatles-eque vibe in the song maybe it’s something about Howell’s soothing McCartney-like smooth vocals or the melty melody smothered in dark creeping sixties psychedelia. Each track flows fluidly into the next bringing you further into Howell’s cloudy dream state. ‘Ode to an Angel’ lightens the mood and tone of the album. Gentle, sweet and delicate with soft accompaniment it’s heavenly and calm. Warm guitar twangs twinkle in and out of the lush emotional vocal melody while glistening soundscapes add a heartfelt sprinkle of affection. It’s an elegant mood shifter. Each track is well layered yet arranged meticulously in such a way so each note, each pluck and strum makes its own impact and striking imprint on your soul. With this album when it’s swoony and dreamy it’s divine but Howell knows exactly when to break that up and add a wobbly mirage of sharp guitar stings. Each song tells an absorbing story which pulls you right into the depths of the track creating a wholly engulfing experience. ‘Nightbird’ brings a shimmy dance quality with an impressive array of instrumentation from banjo twangs to electric and acoustic guitar intertwined with electronic soundscapes. It’s infectiously boppy and very catchy. ‘Grave Lament’ is just simply beautiful and mesmerising. Howell gives you just under a minute and a half of this blissfully sweet relaxing track. Warm guitar takes you to a dreamy island paradise while a gentle snapping beat soothes your mind. It’s mind melting soul fulfilling and oh so good. With velvety vocals caressing a creamy melody it’s like he takes away all your worries and for a brief moment you are in Utopia. ‘Snipers Blues’ closes the album off with a gritty punch of blues rock. Dirty riffs drive the track while kinetic drums bounce and pound with ferocious energy. It’s effortlessly cool, swagger driven and ballsy while also holding an air of breezy laid back attitude. Sultry and eerie with sharp guitar wails it’s a dramatic memorable end to the album.
Kev Howell’s ‘Haunting Ambition’ album blends the brawny fiery punch of rock with sublime smoky poetry and sensual steamy psychedelia, showcasing his refined and proficient musicianship. It’s an album you can put on and will listen to all the way through finding new intricate details each time. He leaves space for thought and contemplation while still layering and weaving fine textures and sublime melodies. An impressive debut.
Watch the video for ‘Kamikaze’ below
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
