Browsing Tag

grunge

snailosaur – Nature:  A Panorama of Eccentrically Untempered Alt-Rock

Posted on 21 September 2024

snailosaur’s seminal single ‘Nature’ shreds through the veneer of indie banality with a ferociously eccentric bite. This single, paired with ‘Kaleidoscopic Mind’ in their double A-side release, is a gritty symphony of dissonance and melody, interlocking the spirits of alt-rock, shoegaze, and noise/art rock. Laced with spoken word, the tracks assert themselves as fierce declarations of style.

Emerging from New York City’s music scene, snailosaur has been tearing up stages across NYC and Brooklyn with their unabashedly raw energy. Following their debut album ‘Talk Therapy’ released in January 2024, the band has etched an indelible mark on the indie map with their sonic scriptures of rebellion and introspection.

‘Nature’ channels the nostalgic echo of The Psychedelic Furs and melds it with the anarchic edge of Dinosaur Jr and the quirky kicks of Pavement as the vocal style, reminiscent of Frank Zappa’s iconoclastic drawl, merges into harmonies that subtly nod to the Beach Boys in the chorus.

The track is a visceral punch of tangled harmonies and textured disarray which peaks with a guitar solo that strips back the layers of grunge to bare the skeleton of Snailosaur’s musical genius—unrefined, unapologetic, and underpinned by technical intricacy.

Nature & Kaleidoscopic Mind was officially released on September 13; stream the double A-side single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nostalgic Smells shredded through reality with the distortion in his latest single, Unfounded

Posted on 21 September 2024

Nostalgic Smells ventured deeper into shoegaze territory with Unfounded, by constructing oscillating walls of sound that hit with the same force as My Bloody Valentine’s heavier tracks. The distortion pulls you into the undercurrent like a relentless tide as the solo artist’s signature distinctive vocals rise above the chaos, offering clarity through the rancorous sonic storm.

The middle eight introduces a twist of fate for the single, proving Nostalgic Smells can riff with the best of them. The searing guitar solos slice through with white-hot precision, adding new alchemic waves to the tide of this immersive installation of ingenuity which draws influences from Cave In and Mastodon while combining ferocious energy with cultivated songwriting, weaving themes of alienation and displacement into every progression.

Lyrically, the chorus hits a bittersweet note, urging listeners to hold on to life’s fleeting moments – a sentiment that cuts through the digital distractions and empty noise of today, giving the track an edge of sonic and philosophical reckoning.

Stream Unfounded on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reservations at 8 – Come Around: A Visceral Anthem of Disparate Desolation

Posted on 20 September 2024
Come Around / Not So Easy St by Reservations at 8

Reservations at 8 unleashed a formidable force in their double A-Side release, “Come Around / Not So Easy St.” This sophomore installation from the Massachusetts-based trio drenches listeners in a sea of distorted melodies that gnaw deep into the soul.

The hybridic beast of a synthesis of grunge, no-wave and pop punk in Come Around created the ultimate anthem of disparate desolation which thrives on visceral hooks that intertwine seamlessly with Peter Tuohy’s vocal onslaught.

The single encapsulates the agony of clinging to the ephemeral, with guitar solos that mourn like the final throes of a resigning hopeless romantic. If you’re all too familiar with the tumult of fading futures and the strife of holding onto the slipping threads of hope, find swathes of resonant consolation in this antagonised earworm.

Since forming in 2019, Reservations at 8 has evolved from covering bands like Green Day and Nirvana to defining their unique sound—a cagey cocktail of power rock and pop imbued with their idols’ spirit. Now entrenched in the local Massachusetts music scene, the trio aims to transcend the preference for covers in bars and make an indelible mark with their original material. With several tours and a growing following, they stand at the cusp of their creative zenith

Stream and Purchase Come Around on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Every Glazer has unveiled a piercing post-rock depiction of the tragedy of losing autonomy with ‘Running Downhill’

Posted on 1 September 2024

As a drastic departure from his previous releases, The Every Glazer has unveiled a brand-new sonic guise with his latest single. Running Downhill, fuses synth-pop and Slowdive-reminiscent guitars into a downtempo electronic score, underpinned by post-rock aesthetics and a sense of lament which tenderly encapsulates the tragedy of falling away from autonomy.

In a similar vein to Blue October, The Every Glazer pulls you into the emotional nucleus of the single with the emotionally weighted magnetism in his vocal delivery. When the track shifts pace and picks up momentum resulting in a frenetic depiction of the frustration and fear felt when you’re painfully aware of the path of descent you’re taking, the true ingenuity of this release starts to manifest.

Every new release from The Every Glazer is a fresh attestation of his talent in visualising phenomena through melody, yet Running Downhill may be one of the most striking testaments to his songwriting chops to date. It’s a release that consumes you within its compassionate handling of the raw and relatable thematics.

Running Downhill will be available to stream on all major platforms from September 1st; watch the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Step into a sanctuary of alt-90s nostalgia with Straw’s debut single, Apartment 3513

Posted on 22 August 2024

With all the seductive appeal of Soundgarden, the debut single, Apartment 3513, from the Panama-hailing solo artist, Straw, allows alt-90s fans to crawl through the corridor of nostalgia before unlocking the door to an affectingly warm earworm which animates through scuzzed vintage tones and deliciously hook-rife vocals.

In spite of the convivial sonic and vocal magnetism in the debut single, Apartment 3513 charts a journey on a road to nowhere, fuelled by anxiety and depression, where the only pit stops made were to score. After 14 years of mental health issues and an attempt to numb them through substance abuse, Straw has turned his life around like a velvet revolver to give sanctuary to anyone who needs to veer from the path of self-destruction.

After studying at Berklee and the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Straw returned home to Panama where he collaborated with the Nashville-hailing songwriter, Grant van Dijk to bring his debut to life. Through the perfect equilibrium of candid soul and rock n roll swagger, Straw ensured that he wouldn’t find himself short of plaudits – especially if the singles in the pipeline match the intoxicating energy in Apartment 3513.

Apartment 3513 opened itself to the airwaves on August 9th; step in via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Post-punk intersects with desert rock in djamesk13’s embodiment of masochistic nihilism,  If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails

Posted on 13 August 2024

Even if the artistic merit solely lay in the Shakespearean-esque title, djamesk13’s latest single, If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails, would be a sonic masterstroke.

Yet, the way the alt-rock visionary conjured an embodiment of masochistic nihilism through the cold distortions of post-punk and the droning kaleidoscopic psychedelia of desert rock within this resonantly psychologically plagued soundscape ensured that anyone who shares the visualised proclivities will meet profound vindication.

There’s nothing quite as alienating as the sense you are being driven towards desolation, but that didn’t get in the solo artist’s way of manifesting unity between the outliers who can’t be placated by life’s simple pleasures.

If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails is yet another undeniable attestation of djamesk13’s ability to utilise sound as a means of forcing his listeners into trance-like sessions of reflection.

If All Hell Fails, I’ll Have My Bed of Nails is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Not From Concentrate crashed the alt-rock scene with their ska-grunge synthesis, You & I

Posted on 5 August 2024

Not From Concentrate promises the freshest sound in the NYC ska scene and the misft powerhouse definitively delivered with the release of their latest ska grunge hybrid, You & I, which showcases the group’s ability to blend fierce pop-punk bursts with tender, vulnerable harmonies, inviting listeners to experience every shade of emotion

For anyone who has ever let their walls down only to allow regret to build them again, this queer punk anthem is the ultimate consolation. Just as the artist’s moniker would lead you to believe, there’s nothing artificial about their sound; the visceral emotions mainlined into You & I are straight from the source.

By synthesising the sludge of grunge with the infectiously uplifting staccato chops of Ska, the Staten Island-hailing trio which is deeply entrenched in the NYC scene delivered a sonic revolution which shimmers with authenticity and raw power. Rounded off with a pioneeringly innovative guitar riff, You & I is a testament to their rightful place in the queer musical pantheon.

You & I was officially released on July 19; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pain and beauty permeably interplay in djamesk13’s alt-rock single, Through All the Beautiful Storms

Posted on 4 August 2024

djamesk13 consistently finds new alt-rock intersections to explore, the latest emotionally-weighted release from the London-hailing solo artist, Through All the Beautiful Storms, is no exception.

The release finds myriads of ways to allude to how thin and permeable the line between pain and beauty is; without one, there is no other. Just as you can find harmony in the distorted, grungy discordance, djamesk13 ensures you find the blessing in grief, it’s the primal price we pay for love, and that bitter-sweet exchange is laid out right across the affecting no-wave-adjacent chords in Through All the Beautiful Storms, which stands as the artist’s most heart-wrenchingly relatable release to date.

Anyone who has ever loved and lost will know how much the single rings true as it reflects how emotions conflictingly conflate, turning the sweetest memories into haunting reminders.

The intimate, instrumentally visualised, vignette penned in the wake of his mum’s passing couldn’t have unfolded as a more heart-wrenching ode to the soul the world is clearly darker without.

Through All the Beautiful Storms was officially released on July 27th; stream it on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chicago’s Sleeps While Walking made their kinetically affecting shoegaze debut with ‘One Trick Pony’

Posted on 14 July 2024

Sleeps While Walking, one of the most promising DIY alt/indie rock outfits to crawl from the underbelly of the Chicago scene has unleashed their kinetically affecting, obsession-worthy debut single, One Trick Pony.

Quite honestly, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Paul Banks has forged a new supergroup to sit alongside Muzz and Interpol for the way the achingly emotional vocal lines cut through the discordant atmosphere of shoegaze synthesised with the sludge of grunge.

As the rough rings of choppy acoustic guitar strings from the intro evolve into windingly hypnotic distorted guitars and start laying the foundation to build an insurmountable wall of sound that is constructed in the middle ground of Deftones and My Bloody Valentine, prepare for heart-in-throat immersion from the soundscape which is underpinned by forlorn grit and gyrating gravitas.

The deeply emotional inflections in the piano-decorated melodies are enough to render your heartstrings raw; with the vocals centrally placed in the chaos of the production pulsating further heartbreak into the debut, Sleeps While Walking became one of the strongest and the most original shoegaze outfits of 2024.

They cut straight through the static of indie landfill with intense precision and challenged my jaded-by-endless-assimilation view of the alt-indie scene. It may be cliché to declare they’re the real deal, but they’re unmistakenly authentic conduits of resonant revolution. Join them at the vanguard.

One Trick Pony was officially released on July 1; stream the single on Spotify and await the debut album which will drop on July 19.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Every Glazer echoed the agony of retrospective reflection in his alt-rock shot through the heart,  Betty Johnson’s House

Posted on 10 July 2024

The Every Glazer carved a melodic indie rock edge into his emotionally guttural arsenal of grungy evocations with the release of his latest single, Betty Johnson’s House.

The solo artist’s ability to convey aching emotion through his passionate cadences and affecting delivery projects intense resonance into his vignettes of a mind tormented by the trappings of material reality and Betty Johnson’s House may be his most visceral release to date.

By infusing layers of 90s and 00s nostalgia in this heart-wrenching sepia-tinged reflection of formative memories forged in the confines of a small town, Betty Johnson’s House will walk you down the memories of your own youth; whether you like it or not. As no one gets out of childhood or adolescence unscathed, the instrumentally consoling, vocally piercing single is set to pierce hearts by the smorgasbord.

With one of the most pensively ornate guitar solos that you’ll ever hear, Betty Johnson’s House is a tender triumph which visualises the inescapably bitter-sweet nature of retrospective reflection.

Betty Johnson’s House was officially released on July 1st; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast