Category: indie rock

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Perhaps best known for stints drumming in several band including Shilpa Ray’s backing band, Robert Preston relocated to Los Angeles for a change of scenery and began his solo recording project Pink Mexico. And while in L.A., Preston wrote, recorded and self-released his solo debut pnik mexico in June 2013. Interestingly, pnik mexico caught the attention of Austin, TX-based indie label Fleeting Youth Records who re-released Preston’s debut effort the following December.

Preston then relocated back to Brooklyn to began writing and recording his sophomore effort while having quite a few things released last year including a split 7 inch with Los Angeles-based band SunLikeDrugs and a 12 inch vinyl pressing of pnik mexico by the Bordeaux, France-based label Big Tomato Records. And with a growing national and international profile, Preston caught the attention of renowned indie label Burger Records, who later signed him. Interestingly, his forthcoming, sophomore effort fool was written in windowless 10×10 rooms between Los Angeles and Brooklyn, reportedly fueled by nasty hangovers, cheap coffee and cigarettes. “Buzz Kill,” fool‘s first single has Preston and company pairing layers of buzzing guitar chords, propulsive drumming, throbbing bass chords and Preston’s ethereal vocals floating through a sludgy mix in a song that compares favorably to contemporary garage rock/fuzz rock/garage fuzz bands like Fuzz, Wavves, Thee Oh Sees and others — but with an underlying and infectious breeziness to the sludge and scum.

fool is slated for a June 24 through Burger Records here in the States and Big Tomato Records in Europe. Along with that Preston and company will be playing a number of local shows, including a big record release show on June 25. Check out the dates below and be on the lookout for a full tour using the fall.
Live Dates:
June 1 – Goldsounds
June 8 – Sunnyvale (Northside Festival)
June 25 – Shea Stadium (Release Show)

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

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Alt country/folk-rock/blues-rock artist Lee Miles, best known Chief Ghoul has quickly become a JOVM mainstay artist for a sound that channels and owes a major debt to the Delta Blues — in particular, the blues of Lightnin’ Hopkins, Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters‘ acoustic blues and John Lee Hooker as Miles’ work had a tendency to be sparse, most self-accompanied and concerned itself with some prototypical blues themes and motifs. Seeking to expand the project’s sound, Miles recruited Chase Coryell (bass) and Justin Brown (drums) to flesh out the project’s sound, expanding the project to a full-time trio.

Damned is Miles’ fourth Chief Ghoul album, and the album’s latest single “Let Me In” is a twangy ballad that sonically draws from outlaw country and the blues — and that shouldn’t be surprising as the song’s narrator sings ruefully about a lover with whom he had a conflicting and confusing relationship; in typical blues fashion, the narrator recognizes that the love interest is dangerous to him and yet he can’t pull himself away.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Publicly claiming Arcade Fire and Talking Heads as major influences and with each member having musical backgrounds in a number of different genres including rock, country, jazz and electronica, New York-based indie rock quintet AMFM — comprised of David Caruso (vocals, guitar), Harper James (guitar, synth, keys), Gian Stone (drums), Dan Shuman (bass) and Steve DeVito (guitar) — have started to receive attention for a sound that draws equally from contemporary indie rock and classic rock as you’ll hear on the band’s latest single “Heroes,” a rousing and anthemic single about the desire to live life your way and only your way, with no regrets.

Sonically, the New York-based quintet pair anthemic and infectious hooks with shimmering guitar chords, a propulsive Station to Station-era Bowie-like rhythm section, an uncanny sense of melody and harmony and punchily delivered lyrics, which remind me quite a bit of New Radicals‘ “You Get What You Give” but while subtly evoking the desperate desire to change the course of one’s life — and of hitting the road with intention of leaving everything behind.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Holy Bouncer is a Barcelona, Spain-based indie rock quintet, who will be releasing their full-length debut later this year, and from the album’s second and latest single “Hippie Girl Lover,” the band specializes in a sound that clearly draws from early era The Doors (their self-titled album in particular), Steppenwolf‘s “Magic Carpet Ride” and the incredible Brown Acid proto-metal/proto-stoner rock compilations released by the folks at RidingEasy Records, complete with a gritty, primal, and grungy self-assuredness. Certainly, if it wasn’t for the subtle, contemporary production sheen — you’ll notice it with a pair of good headphones or a good speaker — the song sounds as though it could have been released in 1966, and some devoted record collector or blogger stumbled upon this one in a dusty, used record store in Milwaukee or Albany. But perhaps much more important, is that Holy Bouncer along with Madrid‘s The Parrots should prove that Spain has a vital and burgeoning indie rock scene that’s worthy of international attention.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Currently comprised of primary members Tres Warren (vocals, guitar) and Elizabeth Hart (bass) along with a rotating cast of collaborators and friends, New York-based psych rock act Psychic Ills have developed a reputation over the past decade for following wherever their muses takes them. Interestingly, the band’s forthcoming and highly-anticipated fifth full-length effort Inner Journey Out stems from the culmination of three years of playing shows, touring, writing and recording — and reportedly, the album finds the band expanding upon the sound and aesthetic that first caught the attention of the blogosphere as the album’s material possesses elements of country, blues, gospel and jazz. In fact, whereas the previous records found Warren overdubbing himself to create a blown-out, widescreen sound, Inner Journey Out focuses on Warren and Hart’s collaborations with an array of highly-accomplished guests including Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval, touring keyboardist Brent Cordero, Chris Millstein, Endless Boogie’s Harry Druzd, The Entrance Band’s Derek James, Charles Burst and a host of friends and associates, who also provide pedal steel guitar, horns, strings and backing vocals. Thematically speaking, the new album explores the interior and exterior and the pathway between the two — and as you’ll hear on the album’s latest single “Baby,” the album’s sound manages to be much more intimate and plaintive, while drawing from The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” and Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky” but with a subtle yet gorgeous country twang underneath the moody psychdelia.

At the core of the song is a narrator, who has spent a long time seeking love and recognizing that he’s stumbled upon the love he’s always needed while quietly suggesting that when we love others and share ourselves with others, that we find our true, essential selves. And as a result, the sentiment gives the song a quiet contemplative nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

 

With the 2012 release of the “Ribbons” 7 inch and the 2013 critically applauded release of their full-length debut, A Constant Sea, Brooklyn-based indie rock/psych rock act Heliotropes — comprised of frontwoman, founding member and primary songwriter Jessica Numsuwankijkul along with a rotating cast of collaborators that include Gregg Giuffre (drums), Richard Thomas (bass) and Ricci Swift (guitar)  — have quickly exploded on to the national scene; in fact, A Constant Sea landed on the top ten of Mother Jones’ Best of 2013 list, and as a result, the band has opened for (and toured with)a  diverse array of artists including Esben and The Witch, Thurston Moore, The Geto Boys, Matt and Kim, Kurt Vile, Parquet Courts, The Black Angels and The Raveonettes —  and they’ve played sets at SXSW, Firefly and Culture Collide.

Building upon that buzz, the Brooklyn-based indie rock band will be releasing their highly-anticipated sophomore effort Over There That Way on July 15, 2016 through The End Records. And the album’s latest single “Normandy” is sweetly, old-fashioned garage rock that pairs shimmering and jangling guitar chords, and a propulsive rhythm section with Numsuwankijkul’s plaintive and ethereal vocals. And as soon as you hear the song it shouldn’t be surprising that the band’s sound has been described as Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval doing jangling psych rock.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of critically applauded singles “Women’s Business” and “Here We Go,” Melbourne, Australia-based quintet Canary have won both national and international attention as the former charted on Hype Machine and the latter received airplay through triple J — and as a result, the band has opened for the likes of Saskwatch, Ainslie Willis, Hein Cooper and LANKS.

Building upon the buzz that they’ve already received, the Australian quintet’s sophomore effort I Am Lion is slated for a July 8, 2016 release and the album’s first single “Fickle Heart” was largely inspired by frontman Matthew Kennealy’s  breakup — and as a result, the song focuses on the bitterly self-righteous feelings of self-destruction and hatred in the aftermath of a relationship’s violent explosion.  Sonically,the band employs sludgy power chords in a song structurally sounds as though it owes a debt to 90s alt rock — as the song alternates between anthemic hooks and quieter, more contemplative sections. And throughout the song’s narrator spends his time reflecting on the nature of a relationship that’s left him heartbroken, bitter and wishing that he never met this person in the first place. Certainly, it’s a sentiment that should feel universally familiar to anyone who’s been through a nasty breakup.

 

 

 

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past decade or so, Gothenburg, Sweden’s music scene has development a reputation for a particular brand of pop that has received international attention across both Scandinavia and elsewhere — and interestingly enough, a number of the city’s up-and-coming artists have been attempting to redefine the city’s renowned sound as they’ve begun to see the Gothenburg sound as a smothering restriction. Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past few years, you may be familiar with Gothenburg-based quartet School 94 — formerly known as School — has built a reputation across the blogosphere for a sound consisting of shimmering guitars, swirling synths, sinuous bass lines and propulsive drumming with ethereal vocals as you would have heard on “So Long,” a single, which I wrote about back in December 2014.

“Common Sense,” the Swedish quartet’s latest single and first single off their forthcoming EP Bound is an urgent and swooning track that has the band pairing four-on-the-floor drumming with layers of jangling guitars, shimmering and chiming synths, propulsive bass lines with frontwoman Alice Boteus’ clear and plaintive pop belter vocals. Sonically, the song sounds as though it draws from both The Smiths, New Order and Haerts simultaneously — in other words while possessing a gorgeous melody, the song manages to evoke the urgency, passion and awkwardness of young love.

 

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Currently comprised of founding members Dean Povinsky (lead vocals, guitar) and Dwayne Christie (drums), along with newer members Derek Bosonworth (bass) and Nick Greaves (guitar), Chris Dawe (keys),  the Toronto, ON-based indie rock quintet Wildlife can trace their origins to when Povinsky along with guitarist Darryl Smith relocated to Glasgow, Scotland to form a band. Along with Scottish drummer Peter Kelly and fellow Canadian Billy Homes, the band spent time traveling, writing and recording songs and playing small venues around Glasgow; however that project split up with the Canadian members left Glasgow to return to Canada. Povinksy moved to Toronto with the intention of continuing Wildlife with childhood friend Plant, Christie and Julia Mensink (synths), along with Bosonworth to flesh out the band’s initial lineup.

Their full-length debut, Strike Hard, Young Diamond was released to critical praise from the likes of Exclaim!. Chart and others. After a series of lengthy tours across North America, which led to their first Top 10 hit single, the members of the band were also working on their first full-length album since 2013. “Dead Century” is the first single off that album, slated for release at the end of the year, and as the band explained to me in an email the song is about “moving forward through lost time; what it feels like to have one foot in an age that no longer exists, and coming to terms with having the other in a world you may never understand.” And as a result, the shimmering, moody and anthemic single produced by Tawgs Salter possesses a bittersweet sense of loss and confusion over what to do next, but underneath all of that a sense of time rushing past. Sonically, the song is incredibly contemporary and radio friendly indie rock as shimmering guitar chords, soaring synth chords, an anthemic hook you can hear kids shouting along and dramatic, propulsive drumming paired with plaintive and yearning vocals — and although aching, the song manages to have a sense of hope at its core.

 

 
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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of a couple of EPs and a reputation for a being one of the best up-and-coming live sets in the UK scene, Bristol, UK-based post-punk band The Jacques have built up quite a buzz around themselves; in fact, this summer, the band will be touring the European Union and UK major festival circuit with opening sets for Noel Gallagher, Rudimental and The Charlatans at Kendal Calling’s main stage and for Primal Scream at Down To The Woods.

“Eleanor Ring Me,” the band’s latest single sounds as though it draws influence from 90s alt rock and grunge rock as the band pairs sludgy power chords,  distorted vocals, snarling vocals and an anthemic hook in a song that the band says is “a kick at the people and things that we are distancing ourselves from now. “ And as a result, the song possesses a “Fuck off — or we’ll kick the shit out of you” air.

Check out the band’s EU and UK tour dates below.

Tour Dates

Fri 13th May – l’Alimentation Generale, Paris France

Sat 14th May – Les Nuit Botanique, Brussels Belgium

Fri 27th May – Dot to Dot Festival, Manchester UK

Sat 28th May – Dot to Dot Festival, Bristol UK

Sun 29th May – Dot to Dot Festival, Nottingham UK

Fri 29th July – Kendal Calling Festival, UK

Sun 31st July- Damaris Festival, Amsterdam Holland

Sat 13th Aug – Down to The Woods Festival, Durham UK

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of Danielle Souza (vocals) and Kyle Foster (guitar), Los Angeles, CA-based indie rock duo Dead Posey can trace their origins to when the duo met at an album release party at Serenity West Recording in Hollywood back in 2013. Foster caught Souza’s eye when he was lighting a candle inside a little glass cottage and it led to the duo striking up a joking conversation about setting Tinkerbell’s house on fire. After discovering that they had mutual musical influences, the duo started a band together, which eventually lead to their current project Dead Posey.

Their debut single as Dead Posey “Holy Grail” is a stomping and swaggering bit of anthemic, power chord-based rock that sonically owes a debt to The Black Keys, Dirty Ghosts and the glam rock sounds of T. Rex and others as the song finds the duo pairing Souza’s soulful and gritty vocals with stomping and propulsive drumming and scuzzy yet towering power chords. And although it is a rather familiar yet winning formula, the duo manage to do so with a cool self-assuredness and a sultry sensuality.

 

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of Nate J. (vocals, bass), Ali Abbas (guitar) and Kirk Power (drums), Calgary, AB-based post-punk/darkwave/chillwave trio Ultrviolence have quickly developed a reputation for a moody, post-punk sound that’s indebted to Joy Division, New Order, Interpol, Viet Cong and others and for adhering to the sort of DIY principles that led them to ignore the clichés and dictates of the major recording industry machine. Now over the past couple of months the Canadian post-punk trio have become one of my new favorites as I’ve written about “Better Learn How to Swim,” and “Radiation,”  the first two singles off the Canadian  trio’s soon-to-be released EP Black Sea; in fact, both singles manage to remind me quite a bit of Turn On The Bright Lights-era Interpol — in particular, I think of “Untitled,” “NYC” and “Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down.”

Much like “Radiation,” “Untitled,” will further cement the trio’s reputation for moody and angular post-punk with anthemic hooks — but while arguably being the most propulsive and forceful songs they’ve released to date.

 

 

 

 

Earlier this month, I wrote about Calgary, AB-based indie rock/darkwave/New Wave/post-punk trio Ultrviolence. Comprised of Nate J. (vocals, bass), Ali Abbas (guitar) and Kirk Power (drums), the Canadian trio have quickly developed a reputation for a moody post-punk sound that’s reminiscent of contemporary acts like Interpol, Viet Cong and others, and for adhering to DIY principles as they’ve played in countless basements and tiny clubs across the continent, using battered instruments and battered instruments and ignoring the cliches and dictates of the recording industry machine. Now you might recall that i wrote about “Better Learn How to Swim,” a moody yet swooningly Romantic song off their forthcoming Black Sea EP that manages to be reminiscent of Turn On The Bright Lights-era Interpol — in particular, I think of “Untitled,” “NYC” and “Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down” — as the band pairs a sinuous bass line, angular and shimmering guitar chords and an dramatic, anthemic hook with Nate J’s aching baritone.

Black Sea‘s latest and single ” Radiation” will further cement the Canadian trio’s burgeoning reputation for crating dark and moody post-punk/New Wave/darkwave-leaning rock while gently expanding upon the sound that initially captured my attention — the band pairs Nate J’s expressive and yearning baritone with ethereal synths, shimmering guitar chords played through copious reverb, and a driving rhythm consisting of four-on-the-floor drumming and propulsive bass chords. Sonically, the new single manages to clearly draw influence from the likes of the aforementioned Turn On The Bright Lights-era Interpol, Joy Division and New Order — but with as subtle twist on a familiar sound.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Creepy and Surreal Visuals for The Loom’s “Fire Makes”

With the release of their debut full-length effort, Teeth, Brooklyn-based indie rock quartet The Loom — comprised of John Fanning (guitar, vocals), Lis Rubard (French horn, trumpet, keys, vocals), John Mosloskie (bass, vocals) and Mike Rasimas (drums) — […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of Nik Rayne, Grant Beyschau, Cody Schwartz, Connor Gallaher and Miguel Urbina, the Tucson, AZ-based quintet The Myrrors have been releasing material under a rather dark and mysterious cloak — and that shouldn’t be terribly surprising as their sound is equally dark and mysterious. Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past year or so, you may recall that I wrote about “Dome House Music,” a single off Arena Negra that reminded me of The Black Angels‘ Directions to See a Ghost and the Silber Records roster as “Dome House Music” slowly built up into a trance-like groove with blasts of saxophone floating and darting through the mix of a song that sounds as though it could inspire a shamanic ritual.

The Tucson, AZ-based quintet’s forthcoming album Entranced Earth is slated for a May 27 release through renowned psych rock label Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records, and the album’s latest single “No Clear Light” will further cement the quintet’s reputation for crafting dark and moody psych rock as the band pairs shimmering guitar chords with plaintively moaned vocals, warm bursts of flute and feedback. And while arguably being one of the most hauntingly and eerily beautiful songs they’ve released, it’s also the darkest one they’ve released to date; in fact, the song sounds as though it should be part of the soundtrack of a psychological thriller about a mass murderer; you should be able to picture the murderer as he’s stalking his innocent victims . ..