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Indie Rock

Rich Freed – Peace of Mind: An Indie Pop Rock Liberation from Introspective Oblivion

Posted on 26 April 2024
Rich Freed

Rich Freed’s latest single Peace of Mind is a compelling narrative of internal conflict, wrapped in the nostalgic warmth of 90s Britpop influences. His style, in this track, reminiscent of icons like Oasis and the Stone Roses, injects a potent mix of indie pop-rock and a bluesy undertone into the bustling modern music scene.

The track pulses with an augmented, atmospheric production that escalates until it bursts into exhilaration in the stadium-ready choruses. The rhythm carries the confident swagger of Britpop while infusing it with a fresh, intoxicating energy that seems to speak directly to the soul. It’s more than just an earworm; it’s an electrifyingly vindicating sonic exploration of the human condition.

Lyrically, Freed offers lines that listeners will want to etch into their memories as he muses on the universality of self-doubt and introspection, making it relatable on a fundamentally human level. Every verse delivers a tattoo-worthy mantra, backed by an aura of bluesy rock n’ roll that transforms this high-octane anthem into a cathartic experience.

For anyone who’s ever felt at odds with themselves, Rich Freed’s “Peace of Mind” offers not just solace but a liberating, rhythmic release. It’s an anthem for the introspective, for those who seek peace in the chaos of their own thoughts.

Peace of Mind will be available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube, from April 26th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max Norton outshined the constellations in his latest expansive indie-rock release, Comet

Posted on 25 April 2024
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Max Norton catapulted onto the indie rock scene once again with his latest seminal single, ‘Comets’. The resounding echo of college radio days mingles the discordant charm of Sonic Youth with the raw punch of 60s garage rock. Each chorus hits with a barrage of anthemic hooks, delivering an impact so potent it feels like a blissful demise—there are far worse ways to go.

The triumph of ‘Comets’ lies not only in its sticky-sweet, charismatic vocals but also in its meticulous production. With minimalist touches that amplify rather than overshadow, the production allows Norton’s authentic talent to radiate. It’s as if he’s outshone every constellation, creating a vintage-toned earworm that rewards listeners with each serendipitous chord.

Behind the scenes, Max Norton’s rich experience as a multi-instrumentalist and his decade-long career as a professional drummer deeply inform this track. The euphoric tension built within the rhythmic framework of the release crescendos in choruses that are so compelling that they demand to be heard live.

Moreover, ‘Comets’ not only showcases Norton’s instrumental and vocal talents but also his unbridled romanticism and lyrical depth. This stellar slice of classic songwriting proves a masterful amalgam of his diverse influences, from Otis Redding to Courtney Barnett, making it an indispensable addition to any rock enthusiast’s playlist.

Check out the official video for Comets on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The overdriven alchemy in Three Mile Island’s Ride Your Luck unleashes sonic spirits.

Posted on 23 April 2024

With elements of dreamy indie and classic rock n roll as the cornerstones of their sonic signature in their latest seminal single, Ride Your Luck, the West Midland’s prodigal sons of innovation, Three Mile Island, found plenty of room between the stylistic pillars of influence to inject their own over-driven, time-defying, alchemy.

The haunting chorus, which incidentally replicates what Black Sabbath’s single Changes does to the soul, fused with vocals that are as locked and loaded with visceral dynamite as Chris Cornell’s, Rolling Stones-reminiscent lead guitar work and an underpinning aura of Primal Scream’s iconic release, Give Out But Don’t Give Up, culminates in a single that doesn’t only allow you to imagine what is possible when the intersections of rock are explored, it grips you with a soulful intensity that leaves an inexplicable mark.

If this is the future of rock, the genre is about to make one hell of a mainstream comeback.

Stream Ride Your Luck on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vanguarde anchored in nostalgia and aimed at truth in his indie rock exposition of the trappings of conspiracy theories, Lost Inside a Hole

Posted on 17 April 2024

Vanguarde’s latest single, “Lost Inside a Hole,” anchors indie rock fans in the comforting nostalgia of the 90s Britpop era, in the same vein Mansun, while delivering some uncomfortable truths to those lost in the trenches of conspiracy through fear of confronting material reality. Rather than berating, the single extends an olive branch to pull listeners back from the dark, bitter realities of conspiracy theory knitting circles.

Through each note of this expansive indie rock allegory, compassion resonates deeply, ensuring the song’s message of empathy and understanding cuts through the noise of our post-truth era. The middle eight of the song unfolds with the spectacle and heat of a dying star, offering a mind-bending experience that allows for a reawakening of critical thought amidst prevailing paranoia.

This single is an essential listen for anyone who values indie rock’s potential to challenge and deliver vindication. In our times of unparalleled division, Vanguarde is the cohesion we’ve been crying out for.

Lost Inside a Hole was officially released on March 19th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emotional Chaos Unravels in the Melancholy of Magenta Wave’s Indie Rock Allegory, Why Am I In Love With You

Posted on 17 April 2024

Magenta Wave’s latest single, “Why Am I In Love With You,” vocally tears at the heartstrings with a fervency akin to Thom Yorke and Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchinson. This track is an atom bomb of melancholy that flips the usual narrative of romanticism upside down. It melodically implores listeners to explore the agony of falling in love when your relationship with yourself is on unsteady ground.

With the guitars sonically visualising the disorientation of losing control under another’s influence, and the rhythm section driving this tormented vignette forward, the vocals find an achingly affecting hallowed ground to project their agony over. The soaring, vintage-toned guitar solos resonate like a battle cry from a scarred soul, marking Magenta Wave’s unparalleled ability to shake up the indie rock scene with their ingenuity and sincerity.

This piece is the second single from their upcoming EP, “Sold My Soul,” mastered by Ed Brooks, known for his work with Pearl Jam and Death Cab for Cutie. It is an essential listen for anyone who still finds sanctuary in the candour and inhibition of indie rock.

Magenta Wave, having become legends in Bellingham, WA, before moving to Seattle, continues to blend alternative, indie, and psychedelic rock in their unique sound, making “Why Am I In Love With You” a poignant reflection on love and self-discovery

Why Am I In Love With You was officially released on April 12th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jon Fritz – Cold Hard Rain: A Soulful Storm of Genre-Defying Rock Reverie

Posted on 15 April 2024

When it rains, it pours, and in Cold Hard Rain, the latest single from the singer-songwriter and touring troubadour Jon Fritz, the soulful rock reverie pours deliciously.

After an intro of layered gospel-esque harmonies, Cold Hard Rain sells vintage indie rock sanctuary; the bluesy guitar bends carve chemistry across the upbeat rhythm section as Jon Fritz vocalises in the middle ground beyond college radio rock and grunge. Vedder himself couldn’t have performed this release better.

There are expansive releases; then there are singles that refuse to inhibit themselves by following genre constraints and register as pure unbridled communications from the soul; Cold Hard Rain cascades into the latter camp with the blissfully constructed melodies that turn on a dime between 90s nostalgia, 80s soaring solos and 70s rock n roll stripes. It is within these cohesive confluences that John Fritz truly shines; try as you might, there’s no resisting being injected by the rugged euphoria which resounds in the rhythmic downpour of Cold Hard Rain.

Cold Hard Rain was officially released on April 4th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Doolallys augmented the tribulations of banality in the indie rock anthem of the year, How Long Will This Go On?

Posted on 5 April 2024

Imagine how affecting a synthesis of the most stirring elements of Editors, Audioslave, and Arcade Fire would be, amplify the infectious appeal of that amalgam to the nth degree, then you will get an idea of what awaits you when you hit play on the single, How Long Will This Go On? From The Doolallys.

If any guitar-based outfit with deadpan lyricism deserves to reach the same heights of success as The Reytons, it is this Brighton-based trio, which is already making all the right waves in the industry.

After winning over BBC Introducing in 2018 and snagging a live radio slot in 2019 before honing their sound into a cultivated augmented with anthemics sonic signature, The Doolallys got to work on their upcoming debut EP; months after wrapping up the recording, the band suffered the tragic loss of their founding member and bassist Connor Kilbane in October 2022. After a hiatus, the band decided to honour Connor by moving ahead with the EP; if How Long Will This Go On, is a taste of things to come, it won’t just be a part of the band’s legacy, but UK indie’s legacy. Between the aching relatability in the lyrics which speak of relentlessly monotonous banality and the kinetic chemistry that cuts through the release, How Long Will This Go On deserves a perpetual place in the indie charts.

How Long Will This Go On is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lia Woods bleached the airwaves with her indie pop hit, Blonde

Posted on 31 March 2024

Lia Woods’ ‘Blonde’ is an indie pop sophomore release to die for; fans of Lucy Dacus, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, and Mitski will be consumed by the raw visceralism of the emotionally turbulent release which sonically heightens the profound experience of soaking in confessionalism.

The LA-based singer-songwriter’s aching narration of striking lyricism filters into the dark, melodic, and broodingly intimate atmosphere of the single to depict the jarring emotional tumultuousness of going through the motions of heartbreak and the compulsion to tear yourself away from the person you were in that relationship to abstract yourself from the agony of being a person worth abandoning.

Lia Woods couldn’t have feasibly built more anticipation for her debut EP, Teething, with her follow-up to her debut single, Fevering. From the juxtapositions between indie, pop, rock, and shoegaze and her own signature ‘bubblegrunge’ synthesis to how her voice feels sharper than being impaled by a thousand knives, Blonde is a phenomenal release which will stand the test of time.

Blonde hit the airwaves on March 22; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Messy Mike – Things Are Crazy: An Alt-Indie Remedy to the Malady of Modernity.

Posted on 21 March 2024

Messy Mike used the cinematic sheen of neo-doo-wop to add transcendent melodic ascendence to his vintage-toned alt-indie rock allegory of how darkness permeates the psyches of us all – regardless of how hard we endeavour to push away the shadows of ennui.

Things Are Crazy goes beyond unravelling as a sonic sign of the times, the kaleidoscopically colourful release that will be a hit with any fans of The Strokes goes one strident step further to deliver vindication and salvation in the same rhythmic breath.

Regardless of how much we know that this dystopia dogs us all, that doesn’t get in the way of bringing our sanity into question; if you can relate, Things Are Crazy will give you all the answers you’re looking for; sift through the layered instrumentals, gentle acoustics and sweeping organs and hone in on the soulfully caressing vocal lines for a remedy to the malady of modernity.

Stream Things Are Crazy on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Herman Martinez – Introvertebrae: A New Prog Rock Prism

Posted on 18 March 2024
Immortal Jellyfish by Herman Martinez

Herman Martinez poured the psychedelic soul of the 70s through his new prog rock prism, Introvertebrae, while tuning into melancholy in the same hauntingly evocative vein as Porcupine Tree.

The endearingly humble New Jersey-based multi-instrumentalist may not be able to brag about his talent which allows his tracks to transcend auditory experiences and unravel as emotionally chameleonic shots to the heart, but we have no reservations about revering his sonic journeys of self-discovery that cocoon his fans in musical chrysalises.

Martinez’s voice, echoing the emotional gravity of Chris Cornell and the octave-spanning prowess of Thom Yorke, serves as the navigator through this orchestrally immense soundscape, which uplifts in one breath and aches in the next as experimental indie meets prog rock. Naturally, the brilliance of Introvertebrae lies in its duality. It’s a nod to the prog rock deities – King Crimson, Rush, Emerson, Lake & Palmer – yet it speaks a language that resonates with the contemporary soul. The piano, heavy with emotion, could easily find a place in Father John Misty’s repertoire, while the 70s melodic undertones offer a comforting embrace to the classic rock enthusiast.

Martinez’s skill with the guitar is not just about showcasing an intuitive understanding of the fretboard. Each riff and melody are a chapter in this immersive rich musical novel. With so many elements, styles and layers, under a less deft hand, it would be easy to feel lost in the labyrinth of Introvertebrae, but by lyrically expositing our most intimate fears, Martinez allows the listener to feel seen and found.

Stream and download the latest single from Herman Martinez via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast