Browsing Tag

Seattle Sound

Alley of the Dolls earned a place in the pantheon of post-grunge with ‘Broken Skies’

Alley of the Dolls, Yorkshire’s alt-rock revelation, delivered a thunderous wake-up call with their single ‘Broken Skies’. The standout from their EP ‘Urethane‘, is a movement scribed through Jacob Stephenson’s and Adam Pickering’s shared passion for the gritty, grungy, and raw energy of 90s rock.

‘Broken Skies’ lyrically tackles a subject as delicate as it is devastating – the rising phenomenon of school shootings. Few artists have dared to go beyond lyrically mourning the tragedy, but Alley of the Dolls does so with a boldness that is both haunting and necessary. Their words don’t just skim the surface; they eviscerate the protagonists of these tragedies, demanding accountability for the senseless destruction born from unprocessed emotions.

The duo’s fearless approach to songwriting is matched by the sonic ingenuity within the bruising riffs and intense instrumental thematic textures in ‘Broken Skies’. Their determination to become architects of a new sound influenced by iconic Seattle post-grunge bands and legends like Guns ‘N’ Roses and the Foo Fighters is palpable in every viscerally affecting note of ‘Broken Skies’.

By using their music to punch upward against tyranny and stand for those struggling to survive and thrive, Alley of the Dolls’ discography is as essential as it is vindicating.

Broken Skies will drop on April 12th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sleeping in Circles honeyed their indie-post-grunge seminal single, Grey, with beguilingly artful melodicism.

Sleeping in Circles

 The Little Rock, Arkansas outfit, Sleeping in Circles, bridged the gap between Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden in their honeyed-with-melodicism standout single, Grey.

With sludgy hooks by the smorgasbord and a gruff yet soulfully smooth vocal melody striking enough that it will continue to reverberate through your consciousness long after the quiescent outro, Grey is an unforgettable indie release that stands as a testament to the trio’s songwriting chops.

Grey is the first single to be released from the upcoming LP, which is due for release in September 2023. If the rest of the album carries the same evocatively arrestive beguile of the title single, Sleeping in Circles will be the creators of the most seminal post-grunge album of the year.

Grey will be available to stream on all major platforms from August 25; hear it via their website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Francis Botcherby brought the Seattle sound to morally bankrupt British shores with ‘Parliament of Wolves’

Francis Botcherby

Cambridge, UK-based alt solo artist, Francis Botcherby, has been honing in on his sound for over a decade; his music has featured on BBC Cambridgeshire amongst many stations. His most popular music video to date has racked up over 100,000 streams, and he has counted plenty of other successes in between.

His latest single, Parliament of Wolves, carries the same protestive lyrical edge as Billy Bragg, but stylistically, Botcherby brought the sound of Seattle to UK shores. With bassline growls that will evoke nostalgia for Soundgarden’s grungy licks and enigmatic vocals that carry a touch of the Mike Patton magic, there’s a fair amount of nostalgia but there is something incredibly refreshing about his shimmering guitars and grooving rhythms that throw further back to the days when Hendrix reigned supreme.

Francis Botcherby’s single Parliament of Wolves was officially released on December 3rd. You can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast