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rock

The Elegant Chasers is set to deliver a kaleidoscope of hope with their politically-charged Britpop-Grunge mash-up sophomore LP, To Live in Colour

Posted on 22 November 2024
The Elegant Chasers

The title track of To Live in Colour, the sophomore LP from The Elegant Chasers, is a vestige of sanctuary for those still searching for hope and resilience amid chaos.

As we sink ever deeper into a textbook definition of dystopia, the visceral fusion of grunge and Britpop, which rages with hook-rife rancour, is a livewire lifeline from an artist who has always sought solace in sound. With the hypersonically grungy hooks injecting adrenalised vindication into the mix, the one-man powerhouse beckons listeners into a tumult of nostalgia. Not to morosely reminisce on what is missed but to dare to fight against the backdrop of a disillusioned world after being reminded of the volition and connection we historically sourced from sonic redemption and calls to action.

Influenced by his own struggles, the track wrestles with darkness but refuses to succumb. The juxtaposition of anguish and upbeat, infectious melodies mirror the internal battle Maz faced growing up—bullying, trauma, and later, the hangover of rock ‘n’ roll’s recklessness.

With backing vocals from his daughters Penny and Phoebe and drums from the ever-present Lloyd “Keith Moon” Pritchard, the track taps into familial warmth and raw, gritty sound. Maz’s gift is to prove that while the world may be descending into madness, we can still choose to live in colour. The firestorm of sound that is To Live in Colour demands your attention and ensures you’ll never feel isolated in your apathy again.

The To Live in Colour LP will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp, from December 6th. Connect with The Elegant Chasers on Instagram to stay up to date with news of the release.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The New Old Became This Generation’s Answer to the Cramps With ‘Ain’t Dead Yet’

Posted on 19 November 2024

Detroit rock n roll heavyweights The New Old delivered one of the raunchily reverent hits of 2024 with their macabrely infectious single, Ain’t Dead Yet. Accompanied by a cinematically shot Day of the Dead-themed music video, which has racked up over 115k streams to date, Ain’t Dead Yet injects swaggering rock n roll nostalgia into a modernised and stylised production.

If you can imagine what the Cramps would sound like if they spawned in this generation, you’ll get an idea of what the devilishly debauched prodigal sons delivered with this radio-ready anthem that retaliates with resilience as a form of resistance, offering vindication to anyone who has been counted out prematurely.

However The New Old follow this scintillatingly serpentine earworm, it’s clear that they’re a band on the brink of a stratospheric ascent. If any band can stop Stonesy rock n roll from fading into obscurity, it’s them.

Stream the official music video for Ain’t Dead Yet on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Topdown – I Feel Everything: An Intense Alt-Rock Odyssey Through Empathetic Angst

Posted on 17 November 2024

Topdown’s eponymous debut LP is a hit-after-hit tour de rancorously evocative force, starting with the scathed opening salvo, I Feel Everything, which will make a bruisingly vindicating impact on anyone who knows how much of a curse empathy can be.

With frenetic frustration coursing through every hook-decorated progression of volition, I Feel Everything is a candid outpour of the desperation to chemically numb yourself to the weight of the world that bears down on the psyche as it conflates with introspective scars.

It’s impossible not to draw thematic comparisons to Dinosaur Jr’s ‘Feel the Pain’, but there is no refuting that Topdown are blazing their own trail through their eagerly anticipated LP which fuses the ferocity of post-hardcore, the emotive intensity of pop-punk and the aesthetics of 00s rock anthems.

I Feel Everything is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jay Jones spills rock n roll attitude in his swampy country single, Drinkin’ in a Hotel Room

Posted on 8 November 2024

Look at life through the lens of a country-rock renegade on the road with Jay Jones’ latest hook-driven anthem, Drinkin’ in a Hotel Room.

Memphis’ rough and ready chart-topping award-winning artist is no stranger to clocking up the miles as he blazes through the states, electrifying rock fans keen to get a taste of his sound that pours smoother than a shot of whiskey, so if anyone knows how to implant you in the raucous experience of a rockstar, it’s Jay Jones. With cheeky touches here and there within the swampy radio-ready hit, it’s impossible not to get swept up in the vignette.

With pornographic tones spilling from the guitars as the crunchy overdriven chords meet winding country licks, Jay Jones has the perfect platform for his raw powerhouse vocals that sweep you up in the hedonistic earworm. No one would blame you for dancing on a pool table while this single gyrates through the atmosphere.

Stream the cinematically shot official music video for Drinkin’ in a Hotel Room on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feel the fevered pulse of The Sonic Redemption in their hedonistic riot of a hit, I Got a Fever (and I think I like it)

Posted on 6 November 2024

The Sonic Redemption stormed back onto the rock scene with their latest single, ‘I Got a Fever (and I think I like It)’. The track is a riot of rock-reverent chaos, with the band taking a few tempo cues from Motorhead and channelling hook-driven euphoria reminiscent of Rancid’s …And Out Come the Wolves LP.

The anthem burns a blazing trail of aural adrenaline, leaving your speakers hyped as the whiskey-soaked vocals snarl over the dynamic tight as a straitjacket instrumentals.

Fronted by the iconic Dominique De Vos, previously of Southern Voodoo and Motorcity Angels, and joined by Jelle De Vos on guitar and Bram Decrock on drums, The Sonic Redemption continues to deliver unbridled power and unpolished rock ‘n’ roll.

Dominique De Vos describes the new single as embodying the band’s core identity: “unrestrained, fast, and uncompromising.” It’s a song about the exhilarating freedom and energy that floods through you when you’re completely caught up in the music—a fever that’s genuinely infectious.

The Sonic Redemption doesn’t just revisit the glamour and depravity of the Sunset Strip in the 80s; they reimagine it, spreading it with authenticity and intensity across the globe. The track is an unfiltered tribute to the soul of rock ‘n’ roll, showcasing a band that not only pays homage to this timeless genre but also defines it for a new era. Prepare yourself before you roll with the juggernautical punches of this hit.

I Got a Fever (and I think I like it) dropped on October 26th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

faSade – Freedom to Carry (Is Not Free): A Dark Cabaret Plea For An End to The Right to Bear Arms

Posted on 6 November 2024

In the Avant Garde production of faSade’s dark cabaret rock single, Freedom to Carry (Is Not Free), the artist plunges deep into the heart of one of America’s most polarising debates. The jazz-imbued track, saturated with theatrical verve, doesn’t shy from voicing the harrowing price paid by innocence in the face of the nation’s gun culture.

With each lyric, faSade delivers visceral blows, but none as sharp as the one imparted through the strikingly sombre line, “Your freedom to carry is not free when I have to carry my child to the cemetery”.

The fierce outcry against the so-called freedom of gun ownership accounts for the loss of the cost of children’s lives while delivering an anthem mourning those lost to the bullets of mentally ill assailants and a rebuke of society’s complacency.

With America on the brink of electing a new leader, the timing of the track couldn’t be more poignant. faSade holds a mirror to the grim realities of a society that chooses the profits of the gun industry over the safety of its youth as the artist condemns the political powers that perpetuate this cycle of violence for electoral gains, and the societal indifference that allows domestic abusers and despondent individuals access to firearms.

Through Freedom to Carry (Is Not Free), faSade implores listeners to awaken from their idle states as mere legislative changes could preserve countless futures.

The official video for Freedom to Carry (Is Not Free) premiered on October 18th; stream the video on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

You Dirty Blue revived vintage blues rock with their renegade of a hit, Humming

Posted on 5 November 2024

‘Humming’ by You Dirty Blue thrashed into the blues rock scene with a rare ferocity that barrels through the annals of music history. This single reverberates with the raw, unrefined essence of 70s rock, encapsulated by fuzzy guitar riffs and raucous vocals that snarl with renegade charm. It’s a rhythmically infectious track that knocks polished modern rock productions off their pedestals and replaces them with something that resonates with the spirit of old-school rock.

You Dirty Blue, a powerhouse duo from Tamworth, have been igniting venues across the UK with their explosive live shows. Their music is steeped in the DIY ethos of grunge and blues, infused with a punchy punk twist that makes each performance unforgettable. Humming is a new chapter in the duo’s legacy with its heady rush of rock’s golden era aesthetics and modern ferocity. If you’ve been pining for the days of raw, unapologetic rock music, get your kicks that are guaranteed to leave a lasting mark.

Humming was officially released on November 1st; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Hopeless Romantics of Hard Rock, Electric Cherry, Cut Deep with Their Latest Single, Anyway You Want

Posted on 4 November 2024

Electric Cherry never fails to live up to their moniker, but with the sticky-sweet super-charged currents tearing through the renegade of a rock anthem, Anyway You Want, the Roman rock n roll powerhouse amped up their sound to the nth degree.

As a teaser of what is to come from their upcoming album, CHERRY HEART, the rhythmically salacious slice of high-octane scintillation hits it out of the hard rock park while simultaneously throwing back to the classic rock pioneers and synthesising cinematic white knuckle momentum into the riff-decorated earworm.

As far as ticking all the right hard rock boxes goes, Electric Cherry received full marks with Anyway You Want which narrates the death knell of a relationship as it becomes platonic, leaving bitter-sweet glimmers of hope for the future. The melodic hooks in the chorus vocals become razors to the soul when sharpened by the hopeless romanticism in the lyricism. There’s no getting out of this single unaffected once you hit play.

The official music video for Anyway You Want is now available to stream on YouTube.

Follow Electric Cherry on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with news of their upcoming LP, CHERRY HEART.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feeding the Frenzy: Buddy Pease Strikes with the melodic rock resonance in ‘Vampires at the Door’

Posted on 30 October 2024

Baltimore-based artist Buddy Pease dives evocatively deep with his latest single, ‘Vampires at the Door’, introducing a glimpse into a visceral intersection where classic rock riffs meet soul-stirring existential angst.

Opening with steady, euphonic guitar chords, the song ramps up with soaring Slash-reminiscent guitar work that electrifies the production, priming listeners for a soundscape laced with the gritty intensity fans of Soundgarden will instantly recognise.

Pease’s imploringly raw vocal lines add a striking edge to the track, reaching into the psyche as he exposes the shadowy figures of human existence—the ones that lurk like parasites on the fringes of everyday life.

Through each evocative twist in the melodies, ‘Vampires at the Door’ becomes more a revelation of Pease’s ability to capture the unease and silent struggles many of us contend with.

With his new album slated for release in the next few weeks, Pease signals he’s more than just a fledgling in the scene; he’s one to save space for on your radar as he sonically visualises the raw, universal undercurrents of human experience.

The official music video for Vampires at the Door premiered on October 16; stream the horror-esque video on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

G.B Rider rendered resonance into rock reverence with ‘Even Superheroes Cry’

Posted on 28 October 2024

In the raw, soul-stirring single ‘Even Superheroes Cry’, G.B. Rider—Guy Barnes’ musical alter ego—sharpens rock balladry with cuttingly evocative edges.

The standout track from his Child of Yesterday LP wields Elton John-reminiscent piano progressions in a production soaked in 80s nostalgia as the emotional tenor ascends to the raw grit found in Soul Asylum’s vocal desperation, coupled with a fierce nod to the early, unrestrained Manic Street Preachers.

So much more than just a melody that clings to your memory; Child of Yesterday is an anthem that roars for the right to be vulnerable, to be candid in the throes of emotional tumult.

Under the mentorship of the audio pioneer John Oram, Barnes has sculpted a career defined by decades of relentless creativity and emotional authenticity. His music—a synthesis of chorus-driven rock and the intimate narrative styles of legends like George Michael and Neil Diamond—is infused with the augmented energy of Jon Bon Jovi and the lyrical sincerity of Neil Sedaka. Each track G.B Rider crafts is a fortress of feeling and Even Superheroes Cry is far from the exception.

Returning from a hiatus propelled by the tragic loss of his friend and mentee Chris Hardman, Barnes channelled his sorrow into the defiant, hopeful chords of Child of Yesterday. This album is a phoenix’s cry from the ashes of despair, a testament to enduring past pain, a sonic anthology everyone will be able to find a piece of themselves within.

Stream Even Superheroes Cry as part of the Child of Yesterday LP in full via Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast