Browsing Tag

Indie Pop Rock

The masters of funked indie rock melodicism Kinda Joke questioned ‘Where Is Home’ in the shimmering nostalgia of their latest single.

Posted on 18 September 2023

Kinda Joke brought a touch of playful panache and lashings of shimmering 80s nostalgia to their standout indie funk pop single, Where Is Home, taken from their debut LP, Cat Alarm.

If you can envisage the middle ground between Reverend and the Makers and the Midnight, you’ll get an idea of what awaits from the masters of indie rock melodicism and funky rhythms. With an atmosphere that enraptures from the first groove pocket-carving bassline and enough hooks to necessitate the hook, line and sinker metaphor, Kinda Joke’s ear candy couldn’t be more radio-ready.

Where Is Home is the sixth single to be released by the international trio; the German, Italian and Spanish flags all fly under the banner of the outfit which originally formed in Munich, where they discovered after jamming with each other that their sessions were somewhat reminiscent of an intoxicated Phil Collins-Coldplay-Dave Grohl amalgam.

Where Is Home is due for official release on September 15; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matt’s Keys borrowed from Fleet Foxes in his trip around the human condition, I Won’t Forget

Posted on 8 September 2023

Whether we like to admit it or not, one of our most pervasive fears is being forgotten and our impact on people’s worlds being ephemeral, if you can relate, you will resonate with the latest star-roving pop hit from Matt’s Keys.

With a featuring vocal artist adding her beguiling harmonies over the pop rock keyboardist’s perpetually poignant keyboard melodies, I Won’t Forget is an uninhibitedly sweet score, orchestrated to lead your emotions to extremes as the lyrics gravitate around the highs and lows of the human condition. From our hopes and fears to our naïve dreams and bitter-sweet regrets, it is all encompassed in the stunning single which reminisces with the sonic style of Fleet Foxes, while delivering panoramically filmic gravitas. It is tracks like I Won’t Forget that prove how interconnected we all are by the commonality in our experiences, despite the rise in individualism. If that isn’t the definition of aural gold, it damn well should be.

I Won’t Forget was officially released on August 31; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chloe Chadwick confronted short-fused ghosts in her captivatingly all-consuming alt-rock hit, Temper Gene

Posted on 29 August 2023

Cheshire’s most promising singer-songwriter, Chloe Chadwick, has stepped off her international touring circuit to strike sonic gold once more with her latest single, Temper Gene.

The impassioned pop-rock soundscape that delivers a captivatingly all-consuming indie-country twang digs deep into the phenomenon of falling head over heels for someone who will only inevitably keep you under the thumb with their short-fused psychopathic tendencies. How she managed to stay true to her brand of unadulteratedly passionate song crafting while exploring such a dark theme is a mystery that only lends itself to magnetism.

Her ability to spin such arrestive melodies around the maladies of the contemporary trappings of sociopathy transcends talent to paint Chadwick as one of the most seminal artists of our era. Just one hit of Temper Gene will leave you with the compulsion to lose yourself in her diverse back catalogue, which was created with a little help from world-class producers, including Chris Garcia and Kevin Dippold.

Temper Gene was officially released on August 11th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Budapest indie-rock troubadours Dirty Slippers are back on our radar with their latest electrically melodic hit, Wide Open

Posted on 23 August 2023

Ahead of their Abbey Road Studios-recorded fourth album, the Hungarian act that is breaking serious ground in the UK, Dirty Slippers, unveiled their latest single, Wide Open.

By wearing their heart on their jangly expertly melodised hooks and putting an angularly exhilarating spin on 00s indie rock so that it bridges the gap between emo and indie new wave, Dirty Slippers transcended indie landfill to reach a new plateau of nostalgic yet refreshing aural euphoria.

While traversing the trappings of life from love to loss, Dirty Slippers painted across the entire spectrum of human emotion in Wide Open to deliver an anthem that you’ll be able to verse from the top of your lungs in the sanctity that the vindication delivers.

After being introduced to the four-piece via their heart-in-throat hit, Honest Kid, it is a pleasure to have the Budapest indie-rock troubadours back on our radar. Although, seeing how far they have come since releasing that single is even more gratifying.

To name a few accolades and achievements, they’ve been lauded by the international press, aired on international radio stations, and even sealed spots on the weekly charts. Something tells us that the best is yet to come for them; you just *cant* help falling in love with them.

Wide Open will debut on the 22nd of August. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ethan Senger augmented retrospective regret in his seminal single, Everything

Posted on 15 August 2023

Ethan Senger became the New Wave Indie Rock equivalent to Springsteen in his fastidiously manicured latest EP, Standing Still, featuring the standout single, Everything.

Balancing anthemic instrumentals with intimate proclamations of ruminative regret, Everything ticks all the right indie pop-rock boxes while setting the bar for any artist who wants to give their heart-on-sleeve lyricality galvanising propensities.

The lyric “I don’t know you but we talk all the time” just goes to show how honed Senger’s song crafting has come since he made his debut; as for the superlative guitar work, which has seen Senger revered by industry tastemakers as a virtuoso, you’ll have to experience it for yourselves to understand why the Atlanta-born-and-raised artist is an icon in the making.

You will often hear music fans moaning that they don’t make them like we used to, but the truth of the matter is that the music industry doesn’t produce global artists as they did in earlier eras. If they did, Senger’s poster would be on the wall of every aspiring guitarist.

Ethan Senger’s Standing Still EP is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Turncoat Billy sang the worn-in blues in their latest indie single, Hand Me Downs

Posted on 14 August 2023

After enamouring us with their psychedelically vintage single, Kaleidoscope, the Tottenham-hailing prodigal sons of indie rock nostalgia, Turncoat Billy, are back on our radar once again with a definitively infectious sound that carries all of the feel-good grooves of a Ray Charles hit single.

The jaunty honkytonk piano keys stab their way through the theatrical flair of their brass-infused cosy new single, Hand Me Downs, which boasts swathes of 70s pop swagger and evidence that Turncoat Billy is no longer the band equivalent of the girl next door.

It is safe to say they’ve come into their stride, and wherever they go from here, we will be keen to follow, especially if their singles continue to run in the same quirkily romantic and self-deprecating vein as Hand Me Downs.

Hand Me Downs will officially release on August 14; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dorset’s Nick Capaldi composed a folky odyssey with his single, Sunnies and Guitars

Posted on 6 August 2023

Singer-songwriter, Nick Capaldi, gave his folky odyssey of a fourth LP, You and all the Seasons, one of the tenderest touches we’ve been melodically caressed with in a long time.

The standout single, Sunnies and Guitars, is a sun-soaked celebration of the simplest pleasures in life; the stringed and lensed objects of every man, woman and dog’s burning desire become an abstract lyrical theme as the sonics find themselves in the cosmic middle ground between The Flaming Lips and Neil Young.

With touches of twangy Americana entwined into the spacy layers of the blissfully nostalgic serenade, Nick Capaldi didn’t stop at scribing his signature sound into the single, he projected his interstellar air into an atmosphere that seems far too celestial to solely belong to Earth’s orbit.

Steam You and all the Seasons by heading over to Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LOST and SOUND weaved an illusory indie pop-rock fantasy with their standout single, Weekend

Posted on 5 August 2023

The Fairfield, CA six-piece alt indie pop outfit, LOST and SOUND, has perfected the art of crafting addictively sticky melodies that effortlessly carry the escapism they deliver via their lyricism.

While the indie landfill pile climbs higher than Everest, LOST and SOUND transcend it all with their assimilation-free sonic fantasies; take their synthy new wave-influenced hit, Weekend for the perfect example. Living forever for the weekend may not be a feasible possibility in tangible reality, but with the meta lyrical phrases and the illusory instrumental arrangements, the romanticism of the notion will reel you in, razor-sharp hook, rhythmic line, and smooth vocal sinker.

To date, Weekend has racked up over half a million streams on Spotify. If their debut album, THE SILVER LINING, contains just a slither of ingenuity in Weekend, LOST and SOUND could easily become one of the biggest bands in Cali in 2023.

Stream Weekend on Spotify and keep up to date with future releases by following the powerhouse via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

The Leeds-based indie rock evocators Milford Place will render hearts raw with their latest single, Lately

Posted on 7 July 2023
https://soundcloud.com/milfordplace/milford-place-lately-master-fade-in/s-SUBPUwi8RsX?si=5796a7869edf4f08b94da4827631e275&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Whoever you revere as the most iconic emotive indie rock acts of all time, everyone can agree that the Leeds, UK-hailing 4-piece Milford Place deserve a spot in the evocative rock hall of fame, especially after ‘Lately’ entered their discography.

After making their presence well-known on the local live scene in 2019 by playing to capacity crowds and always finding a new way to hone their live performances, the outfit is looking to come back with an even bigger bang following pandemic stagnation. After dropping Lately onto the airwaves, Milford Place will easily steal the hearts of indie rock fans who turn to sonic sanctity to quell their heartbreak.

With tinges of Peace, Jaws and M83 to their intricately lamenting sound, which always cuts to the core of emotion for visceral catharsis, we have no doubt that the melodic powerhouse will effortlessly dominate the indie landscape in Leeds and beyond.

Lately will officially release on June 7th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nightcars are dancing by themselves in their indie-soul-pop-rock amalgam, On My Own

Posted on 9 June 2023
Nightcars

With swathes of sugar on the vocal lines as they soulfully cut across the angularly sharp guitars and scintillating synths, the latest single, On My Own, from the Venezuelan powerhouse, Nightcars, is a reinvention of 80s nostalgia you will undoubtedly want to savour.

Adding to the amalgamated mix of indie, soul, pop, and rock are the deep funk-carved groove pockets that give the addictively affectionate release a distinctive dimension, setting Nightcars easily apart from the indie landfill fray.

On My Own is Grammy-worthy for the lyric, “should I pop another pill or is this how I should feel”. In such an evocatively succinct capacity, Nightcars encapsulated how we over-medicate human emotion to stop ourselves from feeling anything at all. If you needed any inspiration to rawdog your heartbreak, there it is.

It comes as no surprise that the band’s former releases have enabled them to build an international fanbase. Away from the conflict and turmoil in Venezuela, Nightcars now safely reside in Madrid, where they are working on their upcoming third EP, Extended Play Vol. 3, which is set to release later this year.

On My Own will officially release on June 9th. Check it out on Spotify and the artist’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast