Category: indie rock

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Cameron Stephens (guitar, synth, bullhorn, percussion), Christopher Sprague (bass, organ, percussion), Josh Lindenfelzer (drums, percussion, synth, AM radio, saxophone, stylophone, suona), Christopher Hash (guitars), and Aurora Crispin (vocals), the Oakland, CA-based quintet Naked Lights specialize in a tense and angular post-punk sound that sounds as though it draws influence from Gang of Four and Wire but with a clean, modern sheen and a subtle seductiveness, as you’ll hear on “New Carrion,” the first single off the band’s recently released On Nature.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Ryan McGroarty, Cheylene Murphy and Aimee Williamson, the Belfast, Ireland-based trio Beauty Sleep can trace their origins to when the members of the band bounded over spelling naughty words on a fridge magnet crossword at a local house party. Those conversations eventually lead to drunken discussions about music, which led to plans to meet — and eventually the trio started writing and recording music that draws from the likes of  M83, Washed Out, Snow Patrol, Two Door Cinema Club, General Fiasco and Pleasure Beach as you’ll hear on their breezy and anthemic new single “Dark,” which pairs shimmering guitar chords and ethereal vocals with atmospheric synths and a catchy hook.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past few weeks, you may recall that I’ve written about the Italian-Icelandic alt rock/shoegazer trio, My Cruel Goro. Comprised of Andrea Marashi (vocals, guitar and programming), Andrea Marcellini (bass) and Tommaso Adanti (drums) the trio received international attention for a sound that possessed elements of 70s Brit rock, punk, shoegaze and 90s alt rock. “Clash,” the single (and video) I wrote about a few weeks ago consisted of anthemic and shout along worthy hooks, thunderous drumming, layers of buzzing guitars fed through distortion and effects pedals, and shouted lyrics, which gives the song a punk rock energy. It’s a familiar and radio-friendly formula but the Italian/Icelandic band do so with a clean, hyper modern sheen and an infectious energy.

“Lost E” is the latest single off the band’s sophomore EP continues on their winning formula — anthemic and shout along worthy hooks paired with thundering drumming; however, in this case, the guitar work is much more abrasive and harder hitting, which gives the song a harder, 90s alt rock feel, as though the band were drawing influence from Nirvana, My Vitriol, Foo Fighters and others.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Raveonettes Moody, New Synth Pop-based Single

Since their formation in 2001, The Raveonettes — comprised of Sune Rose Wagner (guitar, vocals, production) and Sharin Foo (v0cals, bass) — have developed a reputation for going on their own path creatively and stylistically.  Interestingly […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Psychedelic Visuals for Betty Black’s Siouxsie and the Banshees Channelling New Single

Throughout the course of this site’s history, there have been a number of insanely talented artists, who have released work that I’ve become obsessed with — and have spilled copious amounts of (virtual) ink. Now, […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of three audio engineers, Paige Coley (vocals, guitar), Ryan Snow (guitar), and Grant Freeman (drums), the Orlando, FL-based trio Kinder Than Wolves made the process of writing and recording their debut EP Mean Something an entirely DIY and collaborative effort — with the EP being produced, engineered and mixed by Coley in the band’s home studio. And Mean Something’s first single “Hazel Days” pairs shimmering guitars, a gently driving rhythm and Coley’s hazy and ethereal vocals to create a wistful and moody shoegaze song that sounds as though it could have been released in 1983 — but with a subtly modern sheen.

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: halfsour’s 120 Minutes-Channeling Visuals for “ik”

Initially, the Boston, MA-based indie rock trio halfsour began as a Guided By Voices cover band before they started writing their own original material. And as you’ll hear on “ik,” the latest single (and video) […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of Björn Rudling (drums), Carl Vikberg (vocals, guitar), Johan Melander (guitar and keys) and Viktor Åström (bass), the Stockholm, Sweden-based indie rock quartet Chirping have quickly received international attention across the European Union; in fact, their previously released singles have received airplay on Steve Lamacq‘s BBC Radio 6 show, Tom Robinson’s Fresh On The Net, Gary Crowley‘s BBC London show and Frank Skinner’s Absolute Radio show.  Of course, with the forthcoming release of their EP Dancing With The Stars, slated for a March 4 release, the Stockholm-based quartet hope to expand their international profile. And with the release of the EP’s anthemic first single “Heist,” I suspect that the blogosphere will be hearing quite a bit about them over the next few months.

As for the single, you’ll hear Vikberg’s rich baritone, which to my ears bears an uncanny resemblance to Echo and the Bunnymen‘s young Ian McCulloch paired with a driving and propulsive rhythm section, angular guitar chords and an infectiously anthemic hook. Sonically, the song sounds as though it draws from the aforementioned Bunnymen, U2, Arctic Monkeys and others — but with a much-needed, warm, summery blast that evokes  swooning, passionate, urgent and confusing summer flings.

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Check Out the Sci-Fi, Country-Western Video for La Sera’s “High Notes”

Initially begun as a solo side project from her time with Vivian Girls and All Saints Day, Katy Goodman’s current musical project La Sera developed a national profile with the release of three critically applauded albums — the project’s self-titled debut, Sees […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Stephanie Chan (vocals, guitar), a former member of Finally Punk and The Carrots; Kate Hall (drums), formerly of Mika Miko; Mark Greshowak (guitar, synths), formerly of Talbot Tagora; and Dave Reichardt (guitar, bass, synths), Los Angeles, CA-based post-punk quartet Dunes features members of some of Southern California’s most renowned, defunct punk bands.

The Los Angeles, CA-based quartet’s forthcoming sophomore effort Bitter Charm is slated for a March 12 release and the album, which was produced by Alex DeGroot, best known for his work with Zola Jesus has the band expanding upon their sound while being deeply informed by personal experiences — including Greshowak’s near fatal bike accident, which occurred the same day that they were slated to play with No Age at the Eagle Rock Center for Performing Arts. As Greshowak explains in press notes, the album in some way represents “the process of coming to terms with all transitions in life, voluntarily or involuntarily.”

 

The album’s latest single “Runner” pairs shimmering guitars played through gentle amount of reverb, a driving and propulsive rhythm with ethereal vocals to craft a melancholy and wistful song that sounds as though it could have been released during 4AD Records heyday.

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: High Waisted’s Sexy, Girl-Powered Party Video for “Party In The Back”

Fronted by Jessica Louise Dye, the NYC-based indie rock quartet High Waisted formed in 2014 and have quickly developed a reputation for a sound that possesses elements of old school surf rock,  lo-fi garage rock […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Currently comprised of Pete Baxter, Max Turner, Josh Delaney and Liam Gough SMILE is a Melbourne, Australia-based band, that has cloaked themselves in mystery; in fact, the band has been so mysterious that beyond the fact that there are somewhere between 4 members and that the band formed back in 2012, very little else is know about them. “Holiday,” the second single off the band’s forthcoming album Rhythm Method consists of jangling and shimmering guitar chords, a wobbling bass line, a propulsive bass line and an anthemic hook paired with ironically disaffected vocals in a song that’s reminiscent of classic shoegaze and 90s Brit Pop; in some way, the song reminds me of both of Oasis and The Verve – but with a bluesier swagger. At the core of the song is an extremely modern sense of existential angst, based upon the realization that most people waste away their lives and their time on things they hate and are unfulfilling while consuming useless products until they die.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Perhaps best known for this time spent in New England-based psych rock band MMOSS, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Doug Tuttle had developed a reputation as a artist of his own right with the release of his solo debut, an effort that had been praised for possessing a jittery, love-lorn anxiety paired with Tuttle’s dexterous guitar work and his carefully crafted psychedelic-tinged pop. Tuttle’s forthcoming sophomore effort, It Calls On Me, slated for a February 26 release through renowned indie label Trouble In Mind Records will further cement the New Hampshire-born singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s reputation for crafted psych pop while revealing a subtle yet marked change in sonic direction as the material is dreamier and more ethereal, as you’ll hear on the album’s latest single and album title track “It Calls On Me.” Thanks to some impressive guitar licks played through a variety of effects pedals, paired with cymbal-led propulsive percussion, an equally propulsive bass line, Tuttle’s lilting and cooed vocals, the song sounds as though it could have been released sometime between 1963-1969 as the guitar solo reminds me quite a bit of Robby Kreiger’s expressive and expansive solo in The Doors‘ “Light My Fire,” while the song manages to be subtly modern as it channels contemporary acts such as Raccoon Fighter.

Tuttle and his touring band will play a number of dates throughout February and March to support the new album and it includes a stop in Brooklyn. Check out tour dates below.

Tour Dates

2/17: Detroit, MI –  Marble Bar
2/18: Chicago, IL – The Owl #
2/19: Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog #
2/20: Cincinnati, OH – The Comet #
2/21: Nashville, TN- East Room #
2/22: Atlanta, GA- 529 #
2/23: Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
2/24: Richmond, VA – TBA
2/25: Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade
2/26: Providence, RI – AS220 ^
2/27: Boston, MA – Lillypad ^
2/28: Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace ^
# – w/ Paperhead
^ – w/ Herbcraft