Browsing Tag

Indie Post Punk

LA indie darkwave duo Darkplay have released their latest single ‘Only You’

Posted on 28 March 2021

Ahead of their forthcoming album, LA indie darkwave duo, Darkplay unleashed their entrancingly atmospheric synthpop single, ‘Only You’ which takes the listener on a trip to the murky depths of 80s post-punk while never sacrificing the melodic gravity of the single.

With a similar revivalist nature to bands such as Spector, Darkplay succeeded in teasing nostalgia while putting a brand-new spin of a familiar sound. Each crescendo comes laden in reverb for the ultimate psychotropic effect, and to sweeten the track, the perfect balance of light affability and dark despondency was found. Just imagine what it would sound like if Joy Division and the Human League had an aural lovechild.

Only You can be heard on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Giant Sky show us the meaning of ethereal with their latest post-punk dream-pop single ‘Snow’

Posted on 14 March 2021

Brace yourself for the sonic sting in London and Bristol-based alt-indie powerhouse, Giant Sky’s latest single ‘Snow’ which showcases Olivia’s ethereally evocative vocals which share propensities with the likes of Desperate Journalist, Cocteau Twins and Wolf Alice while the instrumentals pull in post-punk and shoegaze dream-pop tones.

As the release affirms the fragility of our mortality with lyrics such as ‘we’re lucky to grow old’ followed up with ‘I don’t want to go into eternity without you’, it’s lyrically crushing, but the kaleidoscopically colourful instrumentals nicely cushion the blow as they throw you into walls of dizzying noise.

Snow is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Divisions vent their ‘Quiet Frustrations’ on post-truth politics and social division

Posted on 20 January 2021
Divisions by Divisions

If UK alt-rock five-piece Divisions had scripted 2020, they still couldn’t have come up with a more appropriate time to release their eponymous second album (due out March 12th). In preparation, they lead in with this, the opening single from the ten-track album, available via Bandcamp and with an accompanying ‘lockdown-special’ video on YouTube.

‘Quiet Frustrations’ is a powerful track, a statement around social division, post-truth politics, the frustrations of pandemic-stricken Britain, and that horrible over-arching ennui and exhaustion that’s seemed to blanket us all for the last couple of years. It’s a great song, potent, intelligent, thoughtful, and unusual yet with enough commercial nous to appeal to a wider audience; think Thirty Seconds To Mars with a little more introspection and inner-city tower-block feel, and you’re pretty much on the money.

See the lock-down video for ‘Quiet Frustrations’ on YouTube. Buy ‘Quiet Frustrations’, and pre-order ‘Divisions’, from Bandcamp.

Evade FOMO-driven anxiety with Drop Down Smiling’s single ‘The Fear Of Missing Out’

Posted on 15 January 2021
Drop Down Smiling

Lockdown 2020 has generated a LOT of frustration and anxiety, and for most people – eye-test trips to Barnard Castle aside – have found that most of their interactions and experiences this year have come via social media. Now Drop Down Smiling are here, blinking and squinting in post-hibernation sunlight, to point out just how self-destructive those filtered ‘rose-tinted glasses’ choreographed lifestyles on Facebook and Instagram can actually be, with their red hot new single ‘The Fear Of Missing Out’. And it’s an absolute scorcher.

Launching with a subtle, melodic distorted guitar line before kicking in full overdrive-and-reverb style, ‘The Fear Of Missing Out’ is a slab of cracking alt-rock, a tasteful mix of B.M.T.H. and Biffy Clyro, with maybe a little Stone Sour or Architects and a dash of Interpol on the echoey picked guitar line. It’s a perfect blend of noise and melodic space, the dynamics in the track adding to the energy. It’s a powerful track, with some proper rock n’ roll groove in there, just enough electronica mixed in with the rock guitars and punchy drums to appeal to the radio crowd as well as the out-and-out rock fans.

‘The Fear Of Missing Out’ is out on the 8th January; check it out via Spotify, and follow Drop Down Smiling, via Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Shared Image Redefines Who Does What on their superb new single.

Posted on 25 December 2020

Soft, jangly indie-pop is overdone at times these days, but ‘Redefined’, the first single from Shared Image’s new album ‘Who Decides Who Does What?’, is a cut above the usual ‘three lads with Telecasters from Crewe’, with a charm and style all of its own.

Shared Image – hailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is a little more exotic than Crewe for sure – have pretty much answered their own album-title question here – this is the brainchild of Craig Delin, a 20 year veteran of bands now forging his own path by writing, creating, performing, and producing ‘Who Decides Who Does What?’ all by himself. So it seems he decides pretty much who does everything, and on the basis of ‘Redefined’, that’s working to extremely good effect.

Vocals, guitars, keyboards, drums and programming, and synth parts are all down to Delin, the whole track sitting together beautifully; there are elements of old school alt-rock indie goodness in the likes of Pavement, a little of Johnny Marr’s guitar work and certainly some Modest Mouse, coupled with a little of They Might Be Giants and maybe a touch of Crowded House in the mix too. That’s a pretty heady mix, and on ‘Redefined’ it works extremely well. Based on this, Delin deciding Who Does What is a pretty sensible plan.

‘Who Decides Who Does What?’ is out now across all major streaming platforms. You can hear ‘Redefined’, and the rest of the album, on Spotify, and follow Shared Image on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Sonic Indie and Celestial Soul Collide in Nikola’s Transfixing Alt Indie Rock Single ‘Pink Lights’

Posted on 22 December 2020

After spending years successful touring bands, Minnesota-hailing artist, Nikola Hamilton, released their ground-breaking EP ‘Darling’ and established themselves as one of the most luminary singer-songwriters who have made their debut in 2020.

The standout track, Pink Lights, will allow you to imagine what would happen if Interpol chose to team up with Hozier. You get the cold, cutting sonic style with the almost celestial vocals which tear though the darkly atmospheric soundscape and speak directly to your soul.

If Nikola made a bigger impression with their sleek Darkwave debut, we’d have concussion.

You can check out Nikola’s EP for yourselves which was released on November 13th, 2020 via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Litters has unleashed the ultimate Indie feel-good hit with the sonically ensnaring single ‘Diamond Eyes’

Posted on 12 December 2020

Brisbane-based singer-songwriter, Litters, has unleashed their fiery New Wave Indie track ‘Diamond Eyes’. If you could imagine what it would sound like if Arcade Fire and Jack Johnson collaborated, you’ll get an idea of how Litters pulled off the perfect balance of sonic energy and tender intricacy.

With an enticing rhythmic command complete with angularly hypnotic guitar, a smorgasbord of influences stylistically banded together and a significant serving of authentic aural ingenuity, Diamond Eyes is about as efficacious as a blackhole when it comes to pulling you in.

Diamond Eyes isn’t just radio-ready, it should be topping the Indie charts.

You can check out Diamond Eyes for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Test the capacity of your soul with Dylan Taylor & Hippie Speedball’s chilling single “Don’t Think Twice”

Posted on 23 October 2020

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Alanis Morrissette started an Indie Post Punk band, you’ll get a good idea of what you can expect when you hit play on the latest track by Dylan Taylor & Hippie Speedball.

“Don’t Think Twice” is a smorgasbord of delectable aural magnetism. Your attention is pulled in a myriad of different directions with every progression. The deftly produced single is as dynamic as they come. The stunningly distorted guitar solos, the engorging tight instrumental synergy and of course, Dylan Taylor’s transfixing vocal range, Don’t Think Twice is a track which truly spoils you. That’s before you even factor in the striking emotion which is projected through the vocals and lyrics. Your soul would have to be defunct not to register the viscerally ardent emotion in Don’t Think Twice.

You can check out Don’t Think Twice for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pinwheel Valley – Take Me Home: A Provocatively Tender Indie Rock Ballad for the Homesick

Posted on 16 October 2020

Indie artist Pinwheel Valley has moved from strength to strength throughout their accoladed career, after quite literally putting their birthplace of Jordan on the map, they’ve started to garner plenty of International hype for their provocatively intuitive approach to production.

With every note placed to sting and draw emotion, their single “Take Me Home”, serves as the perfect introduction to the artist’s tenderly resolving sound.

With hints of Post Punk lingering in the progressive Indie Rock Ballad, there’s a chilling atmospheric air to Take Me Home which collides with the soft, reassuring vocals which use repetition of ‘take me home’ to quiescently emphasise the need to feel familiar ground beneath their feet.

If you’re not remotely teary by the outro, that has more to do with the state of your own soul rather than the talent of this truly exceptional artist who we’ll definitely be keeping on our radar to keep up to date with their progressively powerful aural prowess.

You can check out Pinwheel Valley’s single Take Me Home for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kiss Hello says an Experimental Indie Rock “Goodbye” with Their Latest Single

Posted on 30 September 2020
https://kisshello.bandcamp.com/track/goodbye-smiling-my-way-home

LA Ambient Indie Pop artist Kiss Hello has released their endearingly experimental Lo-Fi single “Goodbye (Smiling My Way Home)”. It will be some time before we fully recover from the sonically sugar-coated feat of synth-led experimentalism.

With elements of Synth Pop, Post Punk and Shoegaze in the hypnotically prodigal track, it’s safe to say that you’ve never heard anything like this before. With plenty of bendy distortion obscuring the Jangle Pop guitar notes, you’ll pick up on reminiscences to the Smiths and The Cure along with plenty of the effervescent authenticity which radiates from Kiss Hello’s galvanizingly quaint take on Indie. There’s also a lot to be said by their resoundingly dynamic vocals which won’t fail to test your soul’s capacity to feel.

You can check out Kiss Hello’s single Goodbye for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast