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Punk

Bag of Cats ignited a firestorm of twisted genre contortions in their dance-punk hit, Devil at My Houseparty

Posted on 26 February 2024

If you never got over the disbanding of the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, wipe your tears with the kinetic rhythms in the seminal single from the Welsh dance-punk duo, Bag of Cats.

Devil at My Houseparty, featuring Will Griff, is a mind-mashing blend of psych, garage rock and proto-punk, all pulled together by punk-pierced guitar loops and alt-electronica synthetics that augment the anthemic track to the nines.

Between the rolling rhythms, distorted blues riffs, and caustically infectious electronic elements inspired by the likes of LCD Soundsystem and Jamie T, Devil at My Houseparty is a firestorm of twisted genre contortions that will make your pulse pound and get the adrenaline flowing.

The magnetic appeal of the duo comprising Sophie Holliday and Barney Williams doesn’t end there; lyrically and vocally, Bag of Cats, couldn’t be more ensnaring. They’ve perfected the formula of playfully roguish swagger. The mischievously jocular vibe is definitively rock n roll, just not rock n roll as you’ve known it before.

In the process of giving the Welsh music scene more than it bargained for, Bag of Cats has garnered a staunch fanbase which only seems to grow with every release and livewire performance.

Devil at My Houseparty is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Strange Cities bled a kaleidoscope of light and soul through the monochromatic prism of post-punk with ‘Where Stars Collide’

Posted on 26 February 2024

Just when I thought I’d seen every scene in the post-punk landscape, Strange Cities appeared on my radar and shattered my aurally jaded heart with Where Stars Collide from their debut album, Moments Stolen.

With the Interpol-esque angular guitar lines cutting through the warmth in the atmosphere that proves post-punk melancholy doesn’t always need to be monochromatic, the San Francisco-hailing visionaries amalgamated a soulful new trajectory of the genre, giving it a definitive place in the contemporary music industry.

As the palpitatingly sweet melodies in the dynamically sepia-tinged production evoke energy and give you kinetic rhythms to move to, the vocals make no bones about relaying the achingly raw lyricism and inciting bitter-sweet desolation in your soul. Versing about cheating death, watching your friends taking their final breath and seeing their faded faces framed in memories was always going to hit hard, but the impact in Where Stars Collide is a collision you’ll never forget.

Imagine if Editors in their An End Has a Start era hired Marin Hannett as a producer and radiated the hues of New Order’s Temptation, and you’ll get an idea of what Strange Cities constructed in Where Stars Collide. Or, you can get acquainted with the band renowned for their live performance, who have recently opened for Sisters of Mercy and Gene Loves Jezebel.

The Moments Stolen LP was officially released on February 2nd; stream the album on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rob Russell antagonised the airwaves by unleashing his alt-rock debut LP, What It All Meant

Posted on 25 February 2024

Rob Russell’s single ‘Carried‘, extracted from his debut LP ‘What It All Meant‘, is a striking genre synthesis that boldly defies the conventional boundaries of alternative rock. The track is an audacious blend, merging the defiant spirit of contemporary skate punk with the wistful echoes of 90s pop punk, all while embracing the gritty essence of grunge.

Russell’s approach to production is refreshingly unpolished, allowing the song’s inherent rawness to shine through. This choice pays off, as it accentuates the emotional gravity of the track, making ‘Carried’ a lesson in volition.

The single resonates with a sense of rugged honesty, a quality that is increasingly rare in today’s alt-rock landscape. Russell’s vocal delivery is both poignant and powerful, weaving through the dynamic soundscape with a balance of aggression and vulnerability. The instrumentation complements this perfectly, with guitar riffs that are both sharp and melodic, underpinned by a rhythm section that drives through the track with relentless energy.

‘Carried’ stands as a testament to Russell’s ability to channel the ethos of alt-rock’s past while forging his own path. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Check out Rob Russell’s LP, What It All Meant, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NEET and Tidy wrapped their grungy pop-punk hooks around the afflictions of modernity in their LP, Is This Progress?

Posted on 23 February 2024

If any band can advocate for the LP format in an era when our attention spans are shorter than a boardwalk, it is NEET and Tidy with their aural corridor back to the alt-90s.

The sophomore album, Is This Progress? is an unflinchingly reflective exposition of the afflictions of modernity. The sludged-up hooks in Pillow Talk, which captures the bitter taste of a love turned sour, carry all the infectious rancour of Jawbreaker and NOFX, before Play Me launches a straight-up attack on how far the industry has fallen since the golden era of indie and alt-rock. Lyrics in the vein of, “your favourite pop star is the latest infection”, and “another NFT, another stupid dance”, paint a damning portrait of how twisted the industry has come through the contortions of capitalism and narcissism-driven content.

Another standout release within the LP is the evocative evolution of pop-punk into the chorally reverb-swathed remit of shoegaze. Snow (Okay) is a harbingering lament on how the music industry revolves around ableism when it isn’t bleeding vulnerable people dry. From start to finish, the sophomore release from NEET and Tidy asserts the Nashville-residing outfit as one of the most relatable and essential bands in 2024. If you’re always looking for artists with the ability to cut through the static of your ennui, you will find one when you delve into this seminal release.

Is This Progress will reach the airwaves on February 23rd; stream the LP on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

We Were Blank – Blame: The Emo Antidote to the Influx of Valentine’s Day Sonic Banality

Posted on 14 February 2024

Every Valentine’s Day sees a flood of trite sentiments cloyingly affix themselves to the airwaves; if you’re looking for a scathingly antithetical antidote, look no further than We Were Blank’s latest installation of pop-punk rancour, Blame.

With hints of Tom DeLonge in the vox before they burst into Rise Against-reminiscent outpours of visceralism, Blame ticks all the right vocal emo boxes as We Were Blank throws a barrage of aggravated instrumental curveballs to keep you on the edge of your proverbial seat (or in the middle of the pit if you’re catching them live). And what emo hit would be complete without a slam poetry elucidation that captures the essence of the single towards the outro to make you want to relive the experience and make your heart rise to your throat again?

The Craigslist-born, basement in Buffalo-raised fourpiece banded together with the ethos of writing with their heartstrings and letting their bodies visualise the torment; Blame is the ultimate testament to their vulnerable expressionism. They’ve got the precision, the volition, and the unflinching dedication to raw lyrical candour to hold dominion over the emo domain in 2024.

Blame will be available to stream on all major streaming platforms from February 14th; check it out on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Morgana harrowed the psyche with their synthesis of emo, punk and grunge in ‘Two Broken People’

Posted on 2 February 2024

Sometimes two broken pieces come together to form a cohesive whole, but more often than not, the sharp idiosyncratic shards find a jarring way of exposing raw wounds. Far from your archetypal vignette of heartbreak, Morgana’s single, ‘Two Broken People (Make Hell Feel Like Home)’, approaches the narrative from a position of mutual position of imperfection. If you’re tired of black-and-white expositions of good and evil and want to find the fucked up fabric of the human psyche in sound, Morgana is a breath of non-dichotomous air.

With the visceral harmonies striking against the momentum in the rock chords as they dig deeper into the narrative and the drums deepening the tumultuous edge to the organically authentic single, Two Broken People is as affecting as the alt-90s hits from the likes of The Cranberries and Skunk Anansie. Through the grungy synthesis of punk and emo, the Kent-based trio, the single retains a signature that could only be scribed by the volition of Morgana.

Vocalist and guitarist Amy Morgan is a natural frontwoman. The mix of her expressive confidence and candid vulnerability ensures their singles don’t just resonate; they harrow the psyche. Dill Taskar (bass) and Tim Whittingham (drums) notably seem to feed off the fervour in her delivery to orchestrate a tight yet brashy riff-driven coalescence of chaos and cultivation.

Two Broken People will be available to stream from February 2nd; stream it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ATR unleashed a gritty punk rock anthem of disillusionment with their latest single, Nothing Left to Say, ft Kellii Scott

Posted on 8 January 2024

ATR’s latest single, Nothing Left to Say, featuring the formidable Kellii Scott on skins, is a visceral journey into the underbelly of grungy punk rock. This raw, unfiltered expression of disappointment and betrayal, wrapped in a rancorous alt-90s aesthetic is as cathartic as it is evocatively ensnaring.

The song’s energetic guitar licks are reminiscent of Green Day’s as a contrast to the production and attitude, underpinned by the cutting, gritty edge of Leftover Crack.  It’s a powerful outpour of rage directed at the kind of people we all have the displeasure of knowing. The ones who turn away when you need them most and leave you to contend with the betrayal confounding the circumstances which compelled you to seek comfort within them. It’s a tale as old as time, yet one that makes us feel deeply alone when it is being told – ATR tore through the misconception that we are isolated in this alienation.

ATR, led by frontman Jesse, who recently triumphed over Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, channels this newfound lease on life into their music. The band’s transition to a new studio space has injected a fresh wave of inspiration and motivation, evident in the quality and intensity of Nothing Left to Say, which is augmented by Kellii Scott’s rhythmic furore to enhance the mercilessness in the tone.

Nothing Left to Say will rile up the airwaves on January 5th. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Horizons lose all meaning in the ennui of Hello London’s indie rock reinvention of pop-punk, Garden

Posted on 25 December 2023
Patterns by Hello London

How infectious can melancholy be? Hit play on the latest standout single, Garden, from the Buffalo-hailing indie songwriter Hello London (James Froese) and feel the earworm burying into your psyche.

Embodying the same lamenting energy that made I Miss You by Blink-182 a cult phenomenon while experimenting with a fusion of pop punk, power pop, jangle pop and 00s indie ensured that Garden is a modernised sonic sign of the disenfranchised times.

As we all mourn that the landscapes of our lives appear the same but no longer bring us the same sense of meaning, we can all find ourselves in the resonance of the work of the solo artist, who has remained prolific since his 2021 debut.

3 EPs, an LP and a series of shows across the Northeast opening for the likes of Crimson Riot, Sincere Engineer and Covey down, the only way is up for Hello London and his command over nostalgically reinvented melodic lines. With a new LP in the works and ready for release in 2024, everyone who never fully grew out of their emo phase will want to save a space for Hello London on their radar.

Garden is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp as part of the Patterns EP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

igor fused rhythmic ferocity and tender vulnerability in his alt-rock hit, My Own Way

Posted on 22 December 2023

Self-reservation cascaded away when igor stridently proclaimed, “The rumors are true – I just went insane”, in the opening lyric of his latest strident and evocatively raw single, My Own Way.

If people still held their lighters in the air, there are few better calls for an inferno of flame than this reclamation of the 00s alt-rock sound. After a short and sweet prelude, which could easily have given way to a Springsteen anthem, pop-punk signatures sink their teeth into the anthemic production that takes you on a cataclysmic ride through a confessional vignette of how much we give away to meet the expectations of someone that was inching away from us the entire time.

With guitar hooks as viscerally sharp as My Chemical Romance’s under igor’s engrossingly distinctive vocal lines, which refuse to forego authenticity for assimilation, My Own Way is a testament to the Ukraine-born, Russia-raised, NY-residing singer-songwriter and his determination to wear his heart on his sleeve.

While earworms that delve deep into scarred psyches to expose the commonalities of agony are a rarity, igor achieved all of that and more in the symbiosis of rhythmic ferocity and tender vulnerability in My Own Way.

My Own Way was officially released on December 1st; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Surf Punk’s Up in The Dead Beast Initiative’s Latest Single, Small Things

Posted on 19 December 2023

The Dead Beast Initiative’s surf punk hit, Small Thing, is a rancorously electrifying track that cements the Athens-based duo as indomitable purveyors of antagonistic rock. Orfeas Georgakopoulos on guitar and Sotiris Georgakopoulos with vocals and drums have concocted a sonic cocktail that is as magnetic as it is confrontational, echoing the protestive bite of Rage Against the Machine and the rolling rhythms of Eagles of Death Metal.

Small Thing is a masterclass in controlled chaos. The track opens with gritty, riff-centred guitars that immediately grab your attention. The energy is relentless, driving forward with a ferocity that is both thrilling and intimidating. Sotiris’ vocals are a force to be reckoned with – loud, scathing, and dripping with disdain. His delivery is a perfect match for the in-your-face percussion, creating a sound that is as raw as it is refined. The song’s message is clear and potent: don’t be a passive bitch. This ethos is woven into every aspect of the track, from the lyrics to the unyielding instrumentation.

The Dead Beast Initiative’s influences – ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Audioslave – are evident, yet the band has managed to create a sound that is uniquely their own. Their music is a refreshing take on rock n’ roll, blending elements of hard rock with a sincerity that is often missing in the genre. It will leave listeners kneeling at the altar of rock n roll.

Small Things hit the airwaves on December 12th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast