Browsing Tag

Mansun

Steady Owl melancholically howled into the cosmos with his orchestrally elevated alt-90s hit, MOONDOG

If anyone has what it takes to reignite the mainstream momentum of indie, it is the melodic fire starter Steady Owl with their debut album, They Are All Bastards Except Us, which is due for release on October 20.

As an appetiser, the alt-indie revivalist revealed the single, MOONDOG, which pays a mellifluously fitting ode to the icons of the 90s Britpop era. The orchestrally elevated melodicism echoes the legacies of Mansun and the Manics while the cosmically compelling single drips in Transatlantic magnetism with the striking reminiscences to the more melancholic work of R.E.M.

It feels as though the entire alt-90s aural ecosystem underpins this gravity-defying release, yet at the same time, the superlative song crafter conjured something completely new to render the hearts of all indie rock nostalgists raw. Lyrically, it will throw you right back to when Pearl Jam broke your heart for the first time with their single, Black, while the cosmos is torn through by the stunning angular guitars, which know which evocative impulses to strike with every pitch and pace-perfected progression.

MOONDOG was officially released on September 14; stream it on Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

FAVORITE released the filthiest earworm of the year with DIRTY MONEY

Atlanta alt-punk pioneers FAVORITE have released their stormer of a single, DIRTY MONEY; anti-capitalist rhetoric has never been more anthemic. With a touch of Mansun and Glasvegas to the frenetic punk-rock instrumentals and the massive production, DIRTY MONEY lends brit-pop and alt-90s tones before feeding them through their scuzzed-up riffs and ensnaring hooks.

The single may serve the stark reminder that everything we do is another act in the corrupt economic system, but it also shows that there’s until there’s an alternative, we should find pleasure in whatever we can. DIRTY MONEY is enough to bring hedonism back into trend. Oscar Wilde would be proud.

DIRTY MONEY is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od – The Man on the Corner: Soulfully Adrenalizing Alt Indie Blues Folk

From his earlier releases, we’ve already affirmed that 8udDha bl0od’s aural ingenuity is boundless. Yet, their accordantly passion-soaked soundscape The Man on the Corner hit the sweet spot in a way we’ve never previously heard from the Brighton-based artist.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Johnny Marr, the Levellers, and Mansun all collaborated on an Indie Blues Folk record, you’ll get an idea of what is in store when you hit play on The Man on the Corner.

From sleek soaring arrestive guitar solos to punchy exuberant rhythms, the instrumentals move through a myriad of evolutions while 8udDha bl0od’s high-energy vocals act as the icing on the feel-good cake.

The Man on the Corner is just one of the singles from 8udDha bl0od’s album Barren Skies. You’ll be able to check out 8udDha bl0od’s music for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast