Manchester’s Cultures have released their new single ‘Ghost’. Bridging the gap between alt-rock and indie pop, Greater Manchester’s Cultures have been plying their trade across the region for the last four years, and their intelligent and idiosyncratic brand of indie has been turning heads and picking up traction ever since.
‘Ghost’ perfectlydisplays the engaging indie rock sound of Cultures. The track pulses with dynamic synths that rush around a buoyant beat while warm guitar sizzles in the background. There is a beautiful blend of tension and powerful release within this animated tune between the twinkling guitar and punchy snap on drums. Smooth vocals caress a dreamy melody while the swirling uplifting backdrop bubbles and rushes with adrenaline over a rumbling passionate bassline. Cultures have created a tight and mature sound to tantalise listeners with and it gets better with each release. Looking forward to hearing more from this band.
About the track, frontman Josh Spivey said, “For us in the band, the song has come to represent a huge number of different feelings and concepts as it’s developed. The lyrics “you never needed someone to take you home” refer to coming to realise that you are more capable of being independent than you knew and in “she never saw you as skin and bones” I try to tackle the idea of how people’s perceptions of each other can be completely different from our own ideas of ourselves. I think we have a habit of assuming that people think the worst of us when people are actually really good when given the chance.”
Brass Phantoms have released their eagerly awaited debut album ‘Holding Out For Horrors’. With a growing fanbase and a reputation for energetic and frenzied live shows, the Dublin five-piece landed themselves support slots with Dublin favourites Delorentos and Manchester darlings The Slow Readers Club. Having toured throughout Ireland and the UK, they are tipped as one of the top acts to see at New York’s Global Music Festival and Conference Mondo NYC.
‘Holding Out For Horrors’ is a magnificent genre-splicing album as Brass Phantoms take their refined musicianship, expressive songwriting and dynamic energy and pour it into an impressive body of work. The album features the band’s singles ‘Hurricane’, ‘City Of Wolves’, ‘Waiting Up’, ‘Indigo’ and recent release ‘What We Leave Behind Us’ which have all been landmarks in the quintets musical growth. Displaying slinky ethereal guitar lines, chiming key progressions, epic melodies and choruses the band present a big lofty sound with weighty lyrics and biting soundscapes. Each track is meticulously layered and deftly crafted to create a thrilling listening experience. With the singles paving the way the band could have slipped in a few weaker and light listens to fill out the track list but that’s not the kind of band Brass Phantoms are. The rest of the album is chock-a-block with big songs of depth and quality.
The Killers – esque ‘Legal Fiction’ thrives on intoxicating guitar lines and atmospheric synths that skillfully blend synth-pop with dark gritty rock; it is a magnificent display of compositional prowess. Ryan Cashell’s vocals have become cinematic, deeper and more distinct than ever as he owns his unique vocal range and expressive emotive scope. He can haunt and chill through a song or mysteriously cast a sinister tone that turns the more instrumentally uplifting tracks ( such as ‘Wood Words’ ) into quite an ominous darker tune. To contrast Cashell’s vocals the band showcase a new facet of Brass Phantoms which we haven’t seen before, a duet with the one and only Colleen Heavey. Her sweet innocent coo’s contrast, blend and add a refreshing light to ‘What We Leave Behind Us’. This kinetic and refined track is a pinnacle moment on the album, showcasing the band’s mature musicianship. They create a richly textured sonic wall of sound exuding tantalising bass grooves which drizzle a funk tone onto the dark synth pop backdrop. A punchy drum foundation and woodblock feature entices the listener while sharp guitar lines weave and tease oozing tension and suspense – an utterly thrilling listening experience.The frantic swirl of ‘Disciples’ reminds us just how dazzling and synth heavy Brass Phantoms can be as they press disco shimmering synths over ominous melodies, and shredding guitar riffs that lament, soar and slice through Adam McCabe’s fluctuant, dead-summoning drums.
Brass Phantoms prove they are quite the dream team, not only does the band have a unique, powerful and charismatic frontman (Ryan Cashell). They also have guitar and bass virtuoso’s in Greg Whelan and James Geraghty and voice of an angel and synth wizard in Colleen Heavey. All this talent is nurtured by McCabe’s hefty dynamic drums which allows each instrument ( guitars, synths, and vocals ) to flourish and shine in prismatic glory. McCabes drums also create the elastic flirtations and ballsy backbone which levitates each song to its epic climax
The sustained dark ecstasy of each song expands as the album progresses. The sultry ‘Something Automatic’ and the blustery elation of ‘Indigo’ are brimming with luscious indie pop melodies consumed in a whirlpool of rich ethereal soundscapes, reinforcing the kinetic adrenaline this band have crafted so meticulously. Even the beautiful and short interlude of ‘Max’s Reprise (We Leave Behind)’ and slow burner ‘Reflection’ which exudes lush harmonies, heartfelt melody and passionate instrumentation, winds the album down without loosing the majestic and impactful punch of its predecessors.
‘Holding Out For Horrors’ is a marvelous, epic collection of synth-rock gems and energetic anthems. For their debut album Brass Phantoms take us on a journey through their own personal experiences while also showcasing their musical growth. Within the album there is enough familiarity and boundary pushing to keep the listener engaged while the darker, thrilling moments keep you hanging on the edge of your seat. Showcasing wonderful blends of synth pop, indie and alternative, ‘Holding Out For Horrors’ is an album to fully indulge in and enjoy over and over again.
Dublin five-piece, indie rock band Brass Phantoms have released their new single ‘Hurricane’.The track is just a taster of what’s in store from their forthcoming debut album ‘Holding Out For Horrors’ set for release 18th September. So far, the band have released their well-received single ‘Waiting Up’, which garnered national airplay. Their guitar driven, drum fuelled track ‘City Of Wolves’ was used to promote Irish television coverage of the UEFA Champions League this year, as well as being added to Spotify’s editorial Hot New Bands playlist.Their music featured on the likes of BBC Radio 6 with Steve Lamacq, RTÉ, Today FM, 98FM, Radio Nova, Amazing Radio and more. No strangers to the live scene, Brass Phantoms have toured throughout Ireland, the UK and the United States, having been listed as one of the top acts to see at MONDO NYC Festival. They have a host of major festival appearances under their belts plus support tours for the likes of Delorentos and The Slow Readers Club.
Boasting an epic and dizzying wall of sound ‘Hurricane’ isa labyrinth of tightly layered indie rock from Brass Phantoms. Initially the deep dramatic vocals from Ryan Cashell lures the bittersweet melody into your ears. The track blossoms from here. Swirling synths create an ethereal high while the arena ready backing vocals and meticulously textured backdrop erupt as intricate guitar melodies run rampant through the songs rich soundscape, weaving between rumbling bass lines and punchy drums. As the track reaches its hair-raising crescendo the band use whirring guitars to intensify the atmosphere.
‘Hurricane’ is quite the power anthem and sublime piece of music. Brass Phantoms have always provided indie tracks of epic proportion and ‘Hurricane’ continues this trend while at the same time taking the bands sound to new heights. Brass Phantoms are accomplished musicians: they have the deft ability to write tunes comprised of heavy indie rock elements interspersed with psychedelic moments which intoxicates the listener. Once their tracks end you are left surging with adrenaline and craving to hear more.
On the song, band member Greg Whelan says: “Hurricane is definitely one of the songs we’re most proud of on the album. It has quite an accessible sound, but there’s quite a bit of depth and openness in the words, and the energy in the music accompanies that quite well. We’re so excited for people to hear it, and the entire album”.
Originating from the town of Portlaoise, Chris Conroy has released his debut single ‘Dive’. Conroy presents his passionate and melodically rich musicianship with this single. As a debut it is quite the mature songwriting display. With warm guitar accompaniment the track begins light and breezy as cheery guitar strums bounce behind Conroy’s velvety vocals while wispy soundscapes lead the track into its invigorating chorus. Conroy creates a dynamic pop track with ‘Dive’ which ventures sonically into R&B tones with skittish beats fluttering between strong piano chords and climatic electronics. The song builds in intensity with heavier hip hop elements while the sweet lyrics talk about the excitement and nerves at the start of a relationship. ‘Dive’ is a sublime debut from Chris Conroy.
Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From The Post Romantics
The Post Romantics have released their new single ‘bad friend’ via DEADBOY$CLUB. Self-produced under lockdown at the band’s home in Liverpool, the track showcases the band in their purest form. The Post Romantics is formed of brothers Connor Cockbain, Cameron Cockbain and Liam Cockbain along with their childhood friend, Sam Barton. Championed by BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Introducing, last year saw the band cut their teeth supporting the likes of Wolf Alice and Larkins, selling out headline shows in Liverpool and London. 2020 sees the band follow up this release, embark on their now rescheduled UK tour and perform at Liverpool Sound City and Hit The North Festival.
Warped in a deadly concoction of haunting electronics and mysterious production, ‘bad friend’ sees The Post Romantics continue their sublime dark aesthetic where contemporary R&B rubs elbows with moody twisted emo pop. The track is an anti-love letter to the liars, users and other fake friends. Following the tale of two people who got too close for their own good, ‘Bad Friend’ offers an honest insight into the world of toxic relationships.
With heavy sticky beats slapping between an asphyxiating soundscape the track swirls in a mysterious and ominous atmosphere while the emotive smooth vocals melt over the punchy bubbling backdrop and vaporous electronics. The reverb laced backing vocals create an ethereal breezy tone to the track that provides a breath of air between the tracks muggy compression. With elements of The Weeknd within the songs production ‘bad friend’ has a crisp and polished coating with coiling and twisting undertones creating the tracks underbelly.
With labyrinthine hooks nourished between sultry production and gritty heavy beats, The Post Romantics are harnessing their sound, becoming bigger and better with each release.
About the track lead singer, Connor says : “I wrote this song after I realised that people are snakes.Relationships are complicated and people catch feelings and shit, I get it, but, be honest about it at least. Don’t play games. People say one thing but mean another and, eventually, when they don’t get what they want, they’ll turn around and bite you. Maybe I’m just a sucker for people who want to f*ck my life up…”
Jack West has released his new single ‘The Last Arcade’.15 year old Jack West has already performed with grunge icon Eddie Vedder before 30,000 at a festival in Nashville as well as collaborated with renowned Seattle producer Barrett Jones ( Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Jawbox) at his famed Laundry Room Studio on West’s debut eight song offering ‘For The Record’.
‘The Last Arcade’ takes a step away from West’s rock n’ roll style and ventures down a psychedelic-tinged rabbit hole into more 80’s synth pop/ rock. West’s smooth vocals coo and drift softly over the melty melody with breezy tones and feathey lightness as he creates a cool and chilled atmosphere through tightly layered musicianship. Weaving synths and wispy soundscapes encase the track while a steady beat and sprightly retro synth refrain brood in the backdrop. The bubbly keys and cheery buoyancy of the track contrasts the breezy tone of West’s voice and lush harmonies superbly. ‘The Last Arcade’ is a well crafted delight on the ears.
Jack West is developing his style and sound superbly. He has already shown he can rock out like the best of them but ‘The Last Arcade’ glimmers with a rich timeless capacity. West takes his time to groove and slide with precision utilizing synths and 80’s pop rock with a retro jazzy piano tone to flesh out his unique and ambitious sound. You can expect great things to happen for this budding young artist.
Columbia Mills have released their highly anticipated sophomore album ‘CCTV’. 2019 saw the band release two singles from the album; ‘Strange Game’ and ‘Who Am I Supposed To Talk To Now?’ which garnered huge radio support here at Indie Buddie and in the UK including John Kennedy Radio X, RTE Radio 1, Ed Smith (Today FM) choosing the band as his Play Irish Artist of the week and ‘Recent and Decent’ on Today FM, Dan Hegartys (2FM) Track of The Week, and heavy rotation on Paul Mc Loones Today FM show, as well as heavy airplay across all national and regional radio stations. 2020 has already seen the release of ‘UNDERSTAND’ (31/01/20), the third single from ‘CCTV’ which also received huge radio support.
With passion exuding from each melty, infectious melody, rich rhythmic progression and superb guitar lament ‘CCTV’ is quite the first rate body of work from Columbia Mills. These guys don’t pull punches, they give this album their all, entwining electronic elements into their alternative indie rock to create an album that holds you in animated suspense while the spinning sublime instrumentation, intricate layering and wonderful pacing intoxicate and invade your mind.
From the start this album is a whirlwind. The gripping heartfelt ‘Car Crash TV’ begins our breathtaking journey into the album. To be honest, I was totally consumed within this track’s melancholic tone, soft instrumental build and utterly beautiful, raw presentation. The twinkling ethereal guitars encase Fiachra Treacy’s warm emotive vocals in a wispy delicate coating as the track progresses to its more distorted electronic half. Like a masterful puppeteer Treacy’s vocals control the tone and ambiance of the tracks within this album. He has the power to pull tears from your eyes as he digs beneath the surface and unravels the listeners joy, pain and thrills and it is from here the tracks flourish from.
The band use synths and dizzying electronics to build the songs and ferment them into either a dazing dark crescendo like in ‘Car Crash TV’ or spiral into an intoxicating, dance-evoking whirl as in the infectious pulses of ‘Understand’. The synth elements within each track either flicker with tantalizing illumination providing sweet flirtatious moments between the rich indie backdrop or drape the songs in crashing twisting and asphyxiating soundscapes.
‘Isolate’,‘Who Am I Supposed To Talk To Now?’ and‘The Greatest Love’ are a mesmerising display of artistic flair and proficient musicianship, evoking complex themes and emotions of lonliness, guilt and depression.
The band flood their tracks with emotive instrumentation as they surge smoky downcast atmospheres with lamenting pines or western- esque warm tones on guitar. The guitars soar and ooze rich textures and almost convey the characters within the tracks while braided beneath are rooted bass lines and pulsing drums. ‘You’re Not The Answer’, ‘Strange Game’, ‘Heart And Soul’ and ‘Trees’ convey this perfectly as Columbia Mills immerse striking earnest lyrics in time stopping soundscapes.
The lyrical content in this album is profoundly poetic. Lines like “You said watching you control yourself, Is like watching blood dry”, “Crawled through the shit of old romance” and “Or is it in the vacuum of the struggle Where our love always thrives” shroud the album in dark times and griited struggles. Columbia Mills present these honest and gripping themes with outstanding elegance and grace. At times Treacy’s vocals are icy and almost matter of fact in his portrayal of these lyrics however he still manages to depict heart breaking emotion through his delivery.
Columbia Mills bring the album to a sublime end with ‘Mirror On The Front Seat’. The track blossoms superbly with glistening guitars and a brooding indie rock ballad -esque soundscape. It is beautifully crafted, lush in its intricacies yet simple in its approach. There is a warm country element to this track that evokes images of a dry desert night while the glistening airy guitar paints the sky an indigo hue. The loneliness and isolation is briefly lightened with warm instrumental builds while a sustained fuzz and steady beat trap tension beneath the emotive velvety vocals. Once again the band build the track allowing it to unravel for the dynamic thumping crescendo. It’s a spine tingling and utterly superb finale.
There are so many textures, sounds and wonderful elements within ‘CCTV’. Columbia Mills are only on their second album and their maturity and ability to grasp your very soul with their tunes is so precise and powerful it is mesmerising. ‘CCTV’ is a moving, intoxicating album with solid musicianship. The listener beholds musical majesty, depth and a mystical quality which bewitches with every track. The bands layering and building of the songs is first rate and clean while the indie rock, electronic hybrid sound is seamless and exquisite. This is a band you need to know, they have achieved so much with ‘CCTV’. It is exciting to imagine what Columbia Mills will release next
Bone Cult have released their new album ‘Death Electronica’. Starting out as a stripped back guitar and drums outfit, the duo evolved by embracing technology to create new unheard sounds. The band’s popularity has soared internationally following their inclusion as characters in the online videogame ‘Avakin Life’
‘Death Electronica’ is a corrosive collection of tracks as Bone Cult present their powerful and unique sound through this innovative and triumphant album. The duo use driving, animated and sticky beats to create a hyper backbone for their tracks. The fuzzing acid saturated synths swirl through rushing electronics as the band create a dizzying mania reminiscent of The Prodigy through ‘Realise’, ‘Fragments’ and ‘Miracle’ .The heavy thick soundscapes consume the tracks in dark flashing scintillation as the duo create the thrilling atmosphere of a frenzied rave. The instrumentation and static electronic backdrop asphyxiates the frenetic rock elements while the smooth vocals coo underneath. Each track surges with the duo’s hybrid crashing wall of sound as they create songs for the blood thirsty mosh pit as well as coating on a healthy dose of dubstep dance elements.
There is such adrenaline in this album it could give you a heart attack. With all the intense ominous soundscapes Bone Cult manage to pull out some really catchy bangers. ‘Cruel’ has a grungy moody vibe with a pop-ish melody that will stick in your head for days. It’s utterly exhilarating. The album is the perfect concoction, the band swirls wispy new wave lightness into a thick, dark atmosphere with heavy surges of adrenaline to create a sound that has something for everyone. There are pop elements with smooth light twinkles of electronics smeared into thicker more perilous stains of electro- rock while metal slaps and punk whacks adorn the backdrop between the dance influences and to top it all off the band pepper some grunge and alternative rock over this fermenting brew. With the deranged, head-spinning synth of ‘Something Vile’ ,bright ethereal release of ‘ Fever to Stay’ teamed with swirling electronics of ‘Miracle’ and the grating harsh guitars lines that stain the albums underbelly,- ‘Death Electronica’ sees Bone Cult utilise every weapon in their arsenal to create their sonic assault.
‘Death Electronica’ is lean, mean and frothing from the mouth with a vast array of genres. Bone Cult’s fuzzy bulky sound is not for the faint hearted. The album takes the duo’s vast, refined and in ways quite majestic sound and beats you over the head with it. A superb listen.
Dublin artist Watchy has released his debut single ‘Shelved’. After playing in numerous bands, Watchy has decided to go solo and this groove-rooted glimmering instrumental number is the thrilling result. The track broods and festers to start creating a dreamy haze as the sparkling synths interplay with the droning bass and punchy drums. The synths and bass create a soft dialogue to start as the drums maintain that all important meaty foundation which holds your subconscious through the meandering hypnotic melodies and lush synths. It’s a new wave fluttering spell of delight that blends beautifully. The track builds gradually, finally surging with adrenaline it becomes more heavy. The bass slips into its grittier more powerful persona breaking away from the dazed,dreamy, synth-jam into punk rock ferocity. Watchy howls over this powerful display of raw sharpness as the percussion and drums flesh out and become more harsh and expressive. ‘Shelved’ is a perfectly crafted and finely brewed explosive debut from Watchy.
About the track Watchy said : “I wrote this song completely myself from scratch and it was the first time I’d done so and was actually happy with it, my friend Dara from Chancer plays drums on it and we got the whole thing done in one day despite it being Dara’s first time hearing it in the studio,,,, This is my debut single and I’ve got more coming in the future”
Following on from their recent, critically-acclaimed comeback single ‘Tombstone’, Irish four-piece Otherkin have released their new single ‘All That Remains Won’t Be the Same’. The single (as with Tombstone’) comes from the same sessions in Brighton with Chemical Brothers producer Steve Dub, and Jolyon Thomas (Royal Blood, Slaves) on mix duties
‘All That Remains Won’t Be the Same’ brings a crunching cinematic feel to Otherkin’s sound. The track is tightly wound as intense anthemic synths add a determined edge and 80’s sheen.This track gallops in on hefty drum thuds while the lone ranger guitars whine over the feisty backdrop. With its dark theatrical approach, triumphant synths, and all out epic tone ‘All That Remains Won’t Be the Same’ is a shift in the four pieces’ sound that makes Otherkin an important band to keep an eye on. These guys pack a lot of emotion and character through the guitars as they glimmer, pine and shrill through the ominous hued soundscapes. The track injects a hefty dose of mosh ready aggro and instrumental battering however the band cleverly weave this through their refined and compelling lyrical content. Another impressive and invigorating track from Otherkin.
Speaking on the track, frontman Luke Reilly states: “The lyrics were written at the end of 2017 as the horror stories emerged of everyday abuse and sexism perpetrated by men of power in all walks of life. The song is a rejection of anyone who feels they can behave that way and the title itself is a declaration for change, a statement that these vile actions have no place in society today.”
Stream ‘All That Remains Won’t Be the Same’ below
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
