Tag: alt rock

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Created by Portland, OR-based Southerly and Sndtrkr frontman and SELF Group founder Krist Krueger as a shoegaze/experimental rock side project, Yardsss has received critical applause with the release of Fama, the first part of a Kurt Vonnegut-inspired trilogy that also featured a companion short film of the same name. Granfalloons is the second part of that trilogy and it features Krueger collaborating with Southerly bandmate Eli Savage and Gardening, Not Architecture‘s Sarah Saturday.

The album’s first single “Granfalloons II” is a slow-burning, introspective and shoegazey track consisting of dirge-inspired power chords, soaring backing vocals, swirling electronic and feedback and anthemic hooks paired with Krueger’s earnest and yearning baritone underneath the arena-filling bombast, the song sounds as though it could be a moody, shoegazer-inspired version of Live‘s “I AloneI Alone” — but with an art school sheen.

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of “The Motions” featuring Chris Rivers, “The Road” produced by Sicknature of Snowgoons, Boston-based artist Rite Hook has received attention and praise as an emcee and as a vocalist. Building up on the buzz, he’s received Rite Hook has released a moody and spectral cover of Stone Temple Pilots‘ classic “Creep,” which has the Boston-based emcee and vocalist channeling Scott Weiland with an uncanny accuracy — as though he were possessed by the late vocalist’s spirit during the recording of the song.

Pairing The Arcitype’s production consisting of ominous atmospherics, layers of bluesy and buzzing guitars and propulsive drum programming with Rite Hook’s vocals, their rendition is a modern, Portishead-inspired cover that replaces the acoustic guitars of the original’s verses and electric guitars of the song’s chorus and hook while retaining the melancholy introspection of the original. Unfortunately, “Creep” will not appear on Rite Hook’s forthcoming full-length Modify — but from what I understand there are plans to official release it sometime this year.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Born in Reno, NV and currently based in Nashville, TN, alt rock/blues rock artist Jack Berry can trace the origins of his recording career to when he wrote and recorded his first album while studying in Los Angeles. Berry then worked and performed along the West Coast as one half a of a duo before before he decided that it was time to go solo. Relocating to Nashville, Berry spent several months couch-surfing and writing and recording material with the hopes that he could catch the attention of that city’s local press.

Eventually, Berry began receiving praise from outlets both locally and nationally from the likes of Nashville Scene, The Deli Magazine, Blues Rock Review and others, which resulted in slots at Toronto‘s North by Northeast (NXNE), CMJ and SXSW‘s Red Gorilla Festival. Since then, Berry has played a number of venues between his home base and NYC; however, 2016 may be his breakthrough year with the Spring 2016 release of his latest album, Mean Machine. 

“The Bull,” Mean Machine‘s first single is a sultry and bluesy single that pairs arena rock friendly power chords, propulsive and carefully syncopated drumming, an anthemic hook and Berry’s seductive crooning and howling that sonically seems to draw from Soundgarden (think of “Mailman” “Spoonman,”and “Fell on Black Days” off Superunknown) as it does from old-school blues and contemporary rock.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The 90s-Inspired Video for My Cruel Goro’s “Clash”

Comprised of Andrea Marashi (vocals, guitar and programming), Andrea Marcellini (bass) and Tommaso Adanti (drums), My Cruel Goro are an alt rock band that splits time between their native Italy and Reykjavik, Iceland, and with […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

New York-based alt-rock band Jarflower was formed after its two founding members and high-school friends Matt Miro (vocals, guitar) and Steven Kocal (drums) survived what they’ve described as a death-defying bike ride across Long Island, […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

I’ve mentioned this earlier but, one of the great things about the proliferation of independent labels is their ability to reintroduce sadly forgotten yet influential artists or sadly forgotten artists that maybe we all should have […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Minneapolis, MN-based trio of The Blind Shake have been a part of the Midwest’s underground punk scene for quite some time, as they’ve released six full-length albums, a number of singles, three collaborations with Michael Yonkers and another with John Reis. […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Chicago, IL-based quartet of Raiders of the Lost Art specialize in a sound that’s highly unusual for most indie rock bands – hell, for most acts these days as it’s heavily inspired by jazz; […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Formed in San Francisco back in 1988, the Brian Jonestown Massacre have a long-held reputation for material that has spanned the gamut of psych rock, folk, acid rock, experimental rock, shoegaze and electronica, as well […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Released last September, Bed & Bugs, the third full-length effort from the Brooklyn-based band Obits may arguably be one of the best straightforward rock albums of 2013. With the members of the band inching towards middle age, the […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Silversun Pickups have developed a reputation for a sound that manages to be simultaneously ethereal, psychedelic, towering and explosively forceful in a way that can sometimes bear an uncanny similarity to Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins –especially on the Los Angeles, […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Self-described as an “electronica infused alternative rock band,” the Hollywood, CA-based quartet of HARRP got their start in 2010 when Brandon Flavin had written a bunch of songs and had an idea of what his band […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Growlers have been especially prolific as they released the Hung at Heart full-length earlier this year, and then went back into the studio to record a bunch of newly written material which will appear on […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Over the winter months of late 2012 and early 2013, Chicago, IL-based band Disappears were holed up in Electrical Audio Studio writing and recording the material that wound up becoming both their impressive Kone EP, which was released earlier this year, and […]