Browsing Tag

70s Rock

Jack Rush Turned Surfy 60s Pop and 90s Indie Swagger into Solstice Gold with ‘Dreaming Again (Here Comes Summer)

Posted on 22 May 2026

If any single can make the summer solstice sweeter, it is the saturated, surfy, and sun-bleached earworm, Dreaming Again (Here Comes Summer) by Jack Rush, an accomplished singer-songwriter whose sound refines the jangly, psychedelically nuanced essence of 60s and 70s pop and rock by rooting it in 90s indie rock swagger.

Far from Oasis-esque posturing associated with 90s indie, this temperate dream of a release practically demands radio A-list placement with its sticky-sweet soul and tender swells of organic euphoria.

As much of a visual experience as an aural one, Dreaming Again leaves you with woozy, sepia-tinged Polaroids of oceanscapes, top-down car rides, and Woodstock-esque festival joy breezing by on the melodies, implanting idyllic faux memories in your mind that you will be determined to replicate as soon as the mercury starts to rise.

Underpinning the reel of picturesque summer escapades, there is the bitterness of mourning connections that dissipated in spite of lingering affection; the ultimate reminder to keep hold of what matters when it grows cold.

Dreaming Again (Here Comes Summer) is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mario Deschenes as OneSelf Set Soul Spinning Through 60s Psych Rock Kaleidoscopes in ‘Unicitude’

Posted on 28 April 2025
Versions 'N' Not 8 by OneSelf Featuring Mario Deschenes

OneSelf’s latest seminal release, Unicitude, which translates to ‘Unique Link’, swings rock back into the 60s as so much more than a sonic pitstop; it’s a reincarnation of the shaking, rattling, rolling kaleidoscopes of soul that sparked a movement still reverberating with momentum 60 years later. With a garagey rock production giving the track a raucous bite and psychedelic carousels of colours contouring through the harmonised melodies, it’s impossible not to get in the groove with Unicitude. The vocal presence is a dualistic dream; there’s no tearing the rock renegade energy from the lyrics, regardless of the sticky-sweet proclivities that envelop the performance.

OneSelf created Unicitude as a force that reconnects the soulful rawness of yesteryear with the imagination of the present, setting a new standard for how rock and soul can collide and reawaken.

Mario Deschenes, the mastermind behind OneSelf, is a multidisciplinary artist who has spent over four decades weaving his authentic and original creativity across music, painting, and videography. With seven albums released under his name and another set for release in September 2025, Mario’s music is an extension of his visual art, infused with the same vibrant essence. His catalogue spans over 91 songs and 42 videos, a testament to his enduring commitment to artistic expression through every medium he touches.

Unicitude is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mikey Wayne’s Lovin’ and Leavin’: A Bonfire Ballad for Every Heart That’s Learned the Hard Way

Posted on 21 April 2025

With a Hollywood panoramic production projecting the intimate echoes of a soul that knows the sting of a temporal romance all too well, Mikey Wayne invited listeners to do more than just dwell on the pain with Lovin’ and Leavin’ he painted a vignette with the emotions derived from the ebb and flow of love which pushes and pulls the heartstrings until they snap.

Lovin’ and Leavin’ isn’t merely a heartbreak anthem—it’s the internal monologue of anyone who’s chosen passion over peace and paid the price. The Alabama-based singer-songwriter, shaped as much by his Southern California beginnings as his Deep South roots, channels that contrast into a ballad steeped in bittersweetness and bound by conviction. His rendered-in-sentimentality vocal lines honey the nostalgic agony as it melodically pirouettes through the track, which lands in the perfect spot in the bitter-sweet equilibrium, especially when the rock solo breaks through the affecting atmosphere, illustrating the intensity of passion with the conviction of a thousand words.

It’s a classic feat of stellar songwriting, with all the hallmarks of the ’70s Americana greats—yet the scars are Wayne’s own. Raised fronting rock bands through high school and college, and now launching from Nashville after a decade of refining his voice, Mikey Wayne has proven that his stories don’t borrow—they bleed. Lovin’ and Leavin’ is a reckoning for anyone who’s felt the full force of head vs. heart, lived to regret it, and would do it all again.

Lovin’ and Leavin’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Why Do I? – Martin Reynolds’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebellion with a Side of Swagger

Posted on 14 March 2025

If you thought the golden age of riff-driven, rule-breaking rock ‘n’ roll was dead and buried, Martin Reynolds is here to prove you wrong. With Why Do I?, the Tamworth-based renegade doesn’t just tap into the past—he drags it into the present, kicking and screaming.

The brashy, upbeat momentum never falters as Reynolds plays devil’s advocate with playfully Machiavellian vocals, injecting roguish charm into an earworm built to rattle the rafters. Between the swanky piano licks, double bass lines, and horn stabs courtesy of jazz legend Tom “Bones” Malone, Why Do I? is a full-throttle aural pick-me-up for anyone who prefers to get high on their own terms.

Lyrically, Reynolds lays it all out—questioning self-sacrifice and the cost of putting others before yourself. But there’s no wallowing here; even when he’s grappling with life’s bruises, the defiance stays intact. It’s rock ‘n’ roll at its core—unapologetic, infectious, and utterly unshackled from the mundane.

Recorded at Sinewave Studios, mixed and produced by Reynolds himself, and mastered by Pete Maher (The Pixies, Jack White, The Rolling Stones), Why Do I? makes it clear that Reynolds and his band, The Minor Detours, are here to shake things up. If the past few years saw Reynolds step out from behind the drumkit, 2025 is the year he plants his flag firmly in the ground.

Stream Why Do I? on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denim Dan’s Cover of Things Have Changed – A Time-Warped Waltz Through Unchanged Chaos

Posted on 4 March 2025

Denim Dan’s take on Bob Dylan’s Things Have Changed doesn’t chase imitation—it struts with the eccentric zeal of a Tom Waits fever dream, drenched in 70s pop panache. The playful shake-up of Dylan’s quasi-waltz groove lets the walking basslines and jangly piano keys call the shots, keeping things rooted in their era while the intricate guitar work wraps the production in a fully immersive haze.

There’s no forced nostalgia here. Instead, it’s an exploration of the human psyche that feels just as relevant now as it did when Dylan penned it. The paradox is baked into the song itself—everything changes, yet the absurdity of existence remains consistent. Denim Dan leans into that contradiction, using his well-worn storytelling instincts to breathe new life into the track without stripping away its weariness.

Denim Dan’s legacy stretches back to the mid-’90s, but this cover makes it clear they haven’t lost the spark that first set them apart. With a lineup featuring veterans like Dave Gellis and Garden Kent, their latest work taps into decades of experience without feeling weighed down by it.

Things Have Changed is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

INTERCONTINEN7AL made history with the post-rock panache in their globally recorded single, Night Shift

Posted on 9 January 2025

Night Shift, the standout single from INTERCONTINEN7AL’s history-making EP World Over, isn’t just an ambitious cross-continental collaboration; it’s an emotive tour de force, commanding you to succumb to the progressive rock sublimity.

The single opens with a cinematic neo-classical prelude, complete with intricate finger-picked guitars and orchestral swells, setting a reflective and ornate tone. As the track evolves, the mood shifts seamlessly into psych-pop territory, with Beatles-reminiscent guitar riffs that carry listeners deeper into its emotional core.

When the soft melodic rock vocals enter, backed by soulfully ethereal harmonies, another seamless metamorphosis is complete, one which will allow fans of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder to recognise the heartstring-pulling resonance as it resounds over the essence of 70s folk rock.

INTERCONTINEN7AL, based in Castle Rock, Colorado, emerged from the COVID-19 lockdowns, redefining global collaboration with their innovative use of virtual tools like BandLab. World Over is their fourth album, showcasing an eclectic range of styles, from progressive rock to bossa nova. By recording instrumentation in locales as remote as Antarctica, they created a genre-spanning collection that’s as inspiring as it is groundbreaking.

With Night Shift, the band transcends novelty and crafted a testament to the universality of emotion, delivering a track that lifts listeners far above the confines of geography or genre.

Stream the World Over EP on all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The New Old Became This Generation’s Answer to the Cramps With ‘Ain’t Dead Yet’

Posted on 19 November 2024

Detroit rock n roll heavyweights The New Old delivered one of the raunchily reverent hits of 2024 with their macabrely infectious single, Ain’t Dead Yet. Accompanied by a cinematically shot Day of the Dead-themed music video, which has racked up over 115k streams to date, Ain’t Dead Yet injects swaggering rock n roll nostalgia into a modernised and stylised production.

If you can imagine what the Cramps would sound like if they spawned in this generation, you’ll get an idea of what the devilishly debauched prodigal sons delivered with this radio-ready anthem that retaliates with resilience as a form of resistance, offering vindication to anyone who has been counted out prematurely.

However The New Old follow this scintillatingly serpentine earworm, it’s clear that they’re a band on the brink of a stratospheric ascent. If any band can stop Stonesy rock n roll from fading into obscurity, it’s them.

Stream the official music video for Ain’t Dead Yet on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maverick Smith walked with garage rock giants in ‘Holding On’

Posted on 17 October 2024

Maverick Smith’s seminal single ‘Holding On’ homages an epoch when rock ruled with a raucous yet refined hand while moving far beyond pastiche. Featured on the collaborative album ‘With Friends & Imperfections’, born between the synergy of 22 rock legends in their own right, the single synthesises elements of power pop and proto-punk, steeped in the nostalgic vibes of the 60s and 70s.

The keys dance with an uplifting tempo reminiscent of the 70s pop-rock scene, while the gritty guitar chords transport you to the nascent proto-punk streets of New York City as surf-pop harmonies swell in the background, bringing a taste of the Beach Boys with a sprinkle of Cheap Trick’s feel-good panache.

Emerging from a decade-long pause, Maverick Smith, steered by the renowned Sean Boynes, reinvented their approach to music creation. The album, recorded live in the Ohio Valley, harnesses an organic sound that modern digital productions can seldom mirror. This collection of tracks, brought to life by a cadre of Grammy laureates and indie rock veterans, is less about technical perfection and more about the palpable, unrefined energy of friends feeding off each other’s fervour. You couldn’t ask for a more potent rock-licked serotonin fix.

With Friends and Imperfections was officially released on October 1st. Stream the collaborative LP in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rearview Romantics delivered a new testament of rock n roll with ‘The Preacher’

Posted on 16 October 2024

Out of Philadelphia, the raw force known as Rearview Romantics slashed through the rock scene with their stormer of a single, ‘The Preacher’.

The unapologetic throwback to the 60s – 80s rock epochs erupts with crunchy, overdriven guitar riffs that could summon spirits from rock’s golden age. The vocals carve a niche between Metallica’s gritty resonance, the anthemics of New York Dolls and The Cramps’ punk eccentric ferocity, creating an uncompromising voice for the band. The production crackles with an electric fervour, each note and beat engineered to grip your soul and shake it awake.

The manifesto of rebellion dictates a relentless pace that dares listeners to keep up. As a rock anthem, the track ticks all the boxes, bridging the gap between classic sensibilities and potently explosive energy.

With their larger-than-life live shows marked by magnetic stage presence, Rearview Romantics are quickly becoming the act to watch. Coupled with a consistent stream of videos and tracks, the rock n roll reverent renegades are proving they’re destined for bigger stages.

The Preacher was officially released on September 26th; stream the single on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gregory Lee Pickard’s ‘Home’ is a reverent nod to roots and rebellion

Posted on 2 August 2024
Gregory Lee Pickard

In his seminal, soon-to-be-released, solo single, ‘Home‘, the illustriously revered Gregory Lee Pickard, whose career has spanned three decades and spawned countless accolades, distilled a soundscape with the culmination of his extensive experience and his ability to conjure more than sound through his panoramic vignettes.

The single melds country rock rhythms with gruff vocals, which will undoubtedly appeal strongly to fans of Dogs D’amour and The Quireboys. This cultivated ode to the concept of “home”—whatever that may signify for the listener—allows Pickard’s authenticity to shine iridescently.

The country twangs within the proto-punk-esque production allows Gregory Lee Pickard to soar above the mediocrity of artists who debase their discographies with assimilation; this is authenticity at its core. Just one hit of the single will leave you desperate to explore the treasure chest of rough-cut gems which throwback to the 70s NYC punk scene but firmly roots itself in contemporary resonance.

Gregory Lee Pickard, a storied songwriter, singer, and performer continues to lead and shape the sound of his current band, Not Las Vegas, while his foundational work with The Revelons has seen him headline venues from CBGB to the Bowery Ballroom. His broad discography spans influential releases and collaborations that touch everything from indie films to major motion pictures, cementing his place in the annals of music history.

For those who cherish musical integrity and the resonant tales of life’s wanderings, ‘Home’ by Gregory Lee Pickard offers more than just a listening experience—it invites a profound connection to the very essence of personal and musical exploration.

For more information about Gregory Lee Pickard, head to his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast