Browsing Tag

80s Rock

Derek Vaden – Eating My Words: Blisteringly Hot Indie Blues Rock

The sex appeal isn’t the only thing that’s visceral in the swaggering alt-rock single, Eating My Words, from Derek Vaden’s 2022 EP, The Recreational Experiment. The Chicago-based musician and songwriter salaciously straddles the line between blues rock and indie to deliver a hard and heavy rhythmic revival; if Velvet Revolver and Muse had an aural lovechild, it would undoubtedly go under the moniker, Derek Vaden.

The winding blues rock increments are overdriven to the nth degree to give the riotous release anthemic appeal, but none of the vintage blues rock tones lost their bluesy bite. If anything, teeth have been sharpened in this confrontationally volatile release, which was written, performed, and recorded by Derek Vaden’s reverently rock n roll hands in his own studio.

Check out Eating My Words on YouTube and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and The Star Prairie Project refuse to let it go quietly in their classic rock lament, Visions of War

The last time we heard The Star Prairie Project, they were serenading us through their rock ballad, Queen Isabella. Today, they are here with their aptly dark classic rock forewarning of a bomb-blistered destitute future, Visions of War.

With testaments of how visions of war pierce through the subconscious veil and perturb our dreams, it is a striking account of how plagued by the weight of the world we are. No matter how much we try to cast our gaze away from the screens which burn fear into our psyches.

It almost felt sacrilegious to appreciate the sheer ingenuity on offer here. But in the same breath, it is a stunning reminder that no matter how disparate the world gets as it amps up the chaos with every turn, humans are just as capable of fucking BEAUTIFUL things. And the tragedies falling like dominoes all around us are a crying shame of potential.

Here’s what The Star Prairie Project had to say on their latest album:

“Fight or Flight trumpets the fact that the world order as we know it is teetering and crumbling before our eyes. While too many remain oblivious to this fact, there is no denying that human civilization is facing its gravest challenges since World War II. To make matters worse, these challenges are hitting us from all possible directions.

As if we weren’t busy enough dealing with the accelerating climate change, environmental degradation, flora and fauna extinction, we’re also batting political and social discord unforeseen in many western nations … until recently. As the prices of consumer goods and gas are soaring due to the war in Ukraine, the poor become poorer, and the rich become richer. It’s unintentional, but we’re creating a fertile recruiting ground for street gangs and organized crime – the riot squads have never been busier.”

Visions of War is now available to stream on Spotify. Delve in and prepare to be arrested.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Herringbone speak to the sinners in their classic rock revivalist debut single, Soloman’s Song

Herringbone’s debut single, Soloman’s Song, is a classic rock to the core exploration of shame, secrecy, and repentance that will throw you right back to the most iconic era of sunset strip glam rock.

The upbeat track raucously unravels through the momentum its overdriven lead guitars that amplify the cheeky swagger in the lead vocals, which are joined by choral female backing vocals. The feminine energy and shimmering organ keys take this renegade rock revival to a spiritually enrapturing level.

When they talk about music being the best medicine, they must be alluding to the enlivening aural elixir that runs through this stellar rock track which is enough to make you pious to the prowess of Herringbone. Now that a decent live show is beyond Axl Rose, it’s time to embrace Herringbone.

Soloman’s Song is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Down the Years get into the belly of the blackdog in their white-knuckle alt-rock hit, A Thousand Roses

Down The Years

After a promising debut, South-East London’s Down the Years led us down the rabbit hole of their atmospheric ingenuity with their sophomore single, A Thousand Roses. To say that you will feel ALL of the emotions during this white-knuckle ride through candour, all-consuming riffs, and 80s rock nostalgia is no understatement.

The evocatively sublime hit lyrically explores how depression can insidiously take hold of our ability to admit we’re at emotional rock bottom, while the cinematic styling gives you a panoramic view into the black dog’s Machiavellian ways. Starting with guitars railing against the bleeps of a life support machine, building into a rock anthem for the ages with progressive vocals and winding back down into an almost baroque outro was nothing short of stylistic and conceptual genius.

Caught between being galvanised between the masterfully immersive production and sobered by the outpour of demons that have surfaced for many as of late, emotions are hard to place during A Thousand Roses. The only thing that is for sure is that Down the Years is the powerhouse the UK alt scene has been waiting for.

A Thousand Roses was officially released on all major platforms on October 14th. Check it out via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The New Black Diamonds poured intellectual soul into their classic rock track, In Between

The New Black Diamonds poured intellectual soul into rock with their introspectively deep latest single, In Between. With 80s rock licks, the Sweden-hailing five-piece fronted by Klara Frisk pays ode to the likes of Deep Purple, Joan Jett, and Black Stone Cherry, but their overdriven sonic signature doesn’t get lost in nostalgia.

The modernist take on lyricism certainly doesn’t scratch at the surface of superficiality; it takes you on a journey of emboldening self-actualization; crank it up loud and take note.

Get stuck into The New Black Diamonds’ latest single, In Between, on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dan Zalles laments the monotony of modernity in his 80s-Esque alt-rock single, Email Hell

As digital domains dominate our existence, tracks such as Dan Zalles’ 80s rock-inspired single, Email Hell, feel almost inevitable. Between the atmospheric sonic nostalgia of the soaring guitar lines fed through effects that you’d expect to find on Will Sergeant’s (Echo and the Bunny Men) pedal board and the mundanity of modernity in lyrics, Email Hell is a feat of multi-era convergence that provides ample solace for anyone that doesn’t appreciate the technological advances which left human evolution in the dust.

Email Hell is is just one of the immersively sonorous singles found on the San Francisco Bay Area singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and film composer’s album, Emotionally. We highly recommend experiencing it in its entirety.

Email Hell is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marc Ambrosia gets visceral in his lo-fi indie rock ballad, When I’m Feeling Love

Indie-rock singer-songwriter Marc Ambrosia is set to release his Chris Isaak-Esque lo-fi single, When I’m Feeling Love, which progressively makes its way to a scornfully soulful 80s power ballad.

After the gentle and choral prelude and opening verse, the reverb starts to slip away as Ambrosia’s ethereal vocals pick up intensity and urgency to mimic the lifelines of new passions sparked; after a toe is dipped in the water, it isn’t long before you’re completely consumed. And that’s exactly the power Ambrosia has over you in When I’m Feeling Love. Ironically, we are infatuated.

When I’m Feeling Love is to be released on May 13th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ACISS have released their scuzz-slicked rock EP, Wild Ride

New York’s prodigal sons in the making, ACISS, laid the scuzz on thick with their driving rock and roll debut EP, Wild Ride. The promising debut is a whisky and gasoline swathed anthem that carries similar hooks to what you will find in AC/DC, Guns N Roses and White Snake classics.

Yet, with ACCIS’ tendency to pull its roots from the 70s to the 90s, you’ve never come across sonic pallets akin to the overdriven tones that tease classic rock nostalgia before subverting the raucously electric anthems into brand-new territory. The title single is the perfect introduction to ACISS’ devil-may-care demeanour and instrumentals that can sonically take you down the Sunset Strip at 100mph.

ACISS’ debut EP is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DeadFire have released their outlier uniting Drunk n Roll track, Anxiety Society

DeadFire

For any outliers grappling with the stranglehold of outcast anxiety, the latest Drunk n Roll track, Anxiety Society, from North East Scotland’s finest, DeadFire, has exactly what it takes to make the cortisol spikes and cold sweat worth it.

Around the down and dirty blues-rock riffs that are filthy enough to leave you feeling a little sticky, the jagged basslines feed the scuzzy and caustic energy that will take you right back to the time when Alice in Chains ruled supreme. Yet, as sonically enticing as Anxiety Society is, DeadFire set themselves leagues apart lyrically.

Tracks such as Anxiety Society force you to reflect on the candour of former rock icons. Anxiety was a thing long before the invention of rock, yet, why long did it take for artists to be as bold and vulnerable as this? If this doesn’t define the new golden era of rock, I don’t know what will.

Anxiety Society will officially release on February 11th, 2022. You can checkout DeadFire via Spotify, Facebook and Instagram. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tim Nova turns plight into passion in his anthemic indie power-pop single, Far Away

The North West, UK-hailing indie power-pop pioneer, Tim Nova, is fresh from the release of his single, Far Away, which proves that there are few things in life more romantic than long-distance affection. It’s a beautiful testament to the fact that love perseveres despite peripheries; it’s a refreshing change to be confronted with the more positive aspects of the human experience instead of the negative.

Far Away merges Nova’s love for massive guitars and stridently balladlike vocals that make no bones about dialling the evocative potential up to 11. Anyone feeling a little love/person/homesick, couldn’t ask for a better track to seek solace in. Damn, it’s almost enough to make you embark on an international affair to truly appreciate this 80s-rock inspired earworm.

Far Away is due for official release on February 21st. It is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast