Browsing Tag

The Beatles

Mike Power – I Like You: prepossessingly pure alt-rock

Posted on 16 December 2022

Fuelling the intimate feels of Elliott Smith with the swanky proto-punk zeal of the Kinks and the melodic colour of the Beatles, the latest single from Mike Power which carries eccentric echoes of Pavement, Courtney Barnett and Decemberists, is a soul-rendered alt-rock riot.

The tight instrumental framework of I Like You allows the affably sweet sentiments in the uninhibited declaration of passion to hit that little bit harder as you lose yourself in the blossoming soul that heightens the winding alt-90s influenced rhythms to the nth degree. It doesn’t quite drop the L word, but I think we can all agree that the ‘like’ phase in a foundling relationship when we’re enamoured by every idiosyncrasy is just as prepossessing.

I Like You is just one of the singles to feature on the increasingly popular sophomore album, Compulsions, from the NYC-formed Mike Power band. We wholly recommend making time to appreciate the dynamism of it in its entirety.

I Like You is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

OneSelf Featuring Mario Deschenes, orchestrated an electrifying rock n roll revival with “( Here ‘N’ There ) ‘N Anywhere”

Posted on 8 December 2022
OneSelf Featuring Mario Deschenes

“( Here ‘N’ There ) ‘N Anywhere” is the latest simmering feat of groove-heavy rock n roll from OneSelf Featuring Mario Deschenes. With the pop motifs beside the bluesy piano riffs and plenty of overdrive behind the raucous guitar lines, it is hard not to get swept up in the upraising momentum of the infectious earworm led by Mario Deschenes.

With touches of The Beatles written into the production and an element of 70s era Elton John in the frenetically galvanising hit, any true rock n roll fan won’t be able to resist the garagey electrifying energy within ( Here ‘N’ There ) ‘N Anywhere, which contains equal parts swagger and soul.

Listen to Here ‘N’ There ) ‘N Anywhere here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robert John Hanson sells sanctuary in his single, Hush and a Prayer

Posted on 24 October 2022

Judging by Robert John Hanson’s streaming stats, the soul in his sound has its own gravitational pull for listeners who want to fall into the vivid narratives and colourfully cathartic melodies time and time again.

The Liverpool-born, Rhode Island-residing singer, songwriter and guitarist’s standout single, Hush and a Prayer, celestially pays homage to the band that inspired Hanson’s lifelong journey as an artist, the Beatles, while reflecting the compelling styles of other British greats, such as Queen, The Kinks, Bowie and Pink Floyd.

Reminiscences all too quickly fall by the wayside to the lush ambience that swells around the guitar chords and his gently compelling vocal timbre that would fall into the easy-listening genre if it didn’t stir the soul so viscerally.

Hush and a Prayer is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ash Ravens takes us ‘Home’ in his latest emotionally enriched alt-indie single

Posted on 3 March 2022

With gorgeously finger-picked Spanish guitars blended into his latest swoon-worthy indie single, Home, Ash Ravens’ latest offering couldn’t be more soulfully arresting.

The monocultural-mould smashing finesse in Home makes a lot of sense when you start to look at the stamps on the bi-lingual artist’s passports. From his birthplace Bangladesh to the Sunset Strip to Melbourne to his current home Canada, he’s traversed the globe and picked up the sweetest tones along the way.

Ravens’ international experience also puts plenty of context behind Home, which blends pop, rock and country to concoct a consolingly cosy soundscape that will undoubtedly act as the antidote to homesickness. With Ravens’ vocals running at an evocative parallel with Elliott Smith and the instrumentals bleeding as much catharsis as The Beatles’ haziest tracks, Home is an instantly unforgettable triumph.

The official video for Ash Ravens’ latest single, Home, premiered on February 17th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

James Gale sings the ‘Summer Blues’ in his resonantly seductive debut EP, Medicine

Posted on 1 March 2022

If James Gale’s debut 2021 EP, Medicine, passed you by, you missed a sweetly psychotropic slice of alt-rock that more than has what it takes to unite fans of Nick Cave, Nirvana, Elliott Smith and the Beatles.

The standout single, Summer Blues, which has now racked up over 14k streams on Spotify, is an indulgent cocktail of psych, blues, indie, and grunge. The dark narrative is delectably handled by the Bruges, Belgium-hailing singer-songwriter and artist. The way the accordant momentum picks up under Gale’s taunting vocals that question if you’re afraid to lose control before bluesily winding the soundscape back down into kaleidoscopically choral grooves is nothing short of arrestive.

We seriously hope that there’s a sophomore release in the pipeline.

Summer Blues is available to stream along with James Gale’s debut EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Liverpool rock act Murmurs are at their finest with the latest catchy rock-filled gem, ‘Wrong or Right’

Posted on 7 February 2022

Gliding sweetly into our awaiting playlists with a melodious track of substance that heats your soul into action, Murmurs wonder if that former lover will ever be theirs again on their fine new single, ‘Wrong or Right‘.

Murmurs is a newly signed Liverpool, UK-based 4-piece indie-rock band who make that catchy blend of music that is such an ear-soother that you just turn up all day.

”Taking influence from their favourite bands such as The Beatles, The Strokes and Talking Heads Murmurs have developed their own unique scouse sound.” ~ Murmurs

You feel a real connection when you put on Murmurs as they take you for a dreamy ride into a path that has you considering whether it’s all over in this once-strong love story, or if it is actually time to move on to happier waters.

‘Wrong or Right‘ from Liverpool, UK-based 4-piece indie-rock band Murmurs, is a speaker-happy single from a band on a mission to reach the top. You feel the hunger in these stunning vocals that are integrated with likeable lyrics, on a tasty soundscape that just sounds perfect for those summer festivals. On a story that will have you gazing at those old pictures when the love was at its peak, this is a foot-stompin’ track that will surely have you telling your mates about.

Wondering if things will ever be the same again, is a question that can bring you down if you let it consume you.

Lather into their new track on Spotify and see more vibes on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Spotlight Feature: Psych Soul Food is Back on the Menu with Denim Dan’s Return to the Airwaves

Posted on 25 January 2022

The NYC psychedelically blessed folk-pop-rock powerhouse, Denim Dan, serenaded us with their seminal spacey album, No Guarantee, ahead of the release of their upcoming album, 3AM.

Each of the singles on the 2020 album, No Guarantee, provides the opportunity to shift the ennui and existentialism out of your worldview. To complement the psychedelic tones, the enlightened lyricism that was penned to hit the evocative spot by uplifting just as much as the transcending instrumental timbres.

After forming in the 90s, Denim Dan’s fusion of 60s pop and 70s rock has remained just as sweet in the 21st century. Instead of modernising their sound that carries reminiscences to The Beatles, Steely Dan, Bowie and Tom Petty, they’ve stayed true to cathartically resonant form.

Along with the release of their upcoming album, the nostalgia-inducing outfit are also set to release their tribute to Bob Dylan to coincide with the opening of the Bob Dylan Museum in Tulsa, OK. They are well worth a spot on your radar.

Denim Dan’s 2020 album, No Guarantee, is available to stream in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chuck Solo – Only time remains: A roots-rock effigy to love lost and unrelenting emotion

Posted on 31 December 2021
Only time remains by Chuck Solo

Sydney-based singer-songwriter, Chuck Solo, has released his roots-deep country pop-rock single, Only time remains, which runs through as a bitter-sweet effigy to love lost and unrelenting emotion to the tune of bluesy, choppy guitar chords and shimmering reverb.

Each note is plucked on his Strat by hand to boost the folky twang in the minimalist roots-rock track that allows his soulful yearning vocals to resound. Chris Isaak and Neil Diamond fans will instantly feel familiar with Only time remains through the stridently candid delivery of the sharp lyrics. Yet, Chuck Solo didn’t fall short on experimentalism with the sublime sonic layering of Only time remains. Which is accompanied by the equally as psychedelically sweet B-side single, Holding on (too tight). The crooned vocals and just as affectionate choral chords are enough to test your soul capacity’s to feel.

Only time remains is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Star Prairie Project remind us what old school rock romanticism looks like with ‘Queen Isabella’

Posted on 31 December 2021

The international outfit comprising of artists from the US and Portugal, The Star Prairie Project, have released their nostalgically sweet 2021 album, Shine a Little Light, and that’s exactly what they did on the airwaves with this sentimental array of Beatles-inspired soundscapes.

The mellifluously easy chords in the standout radio-ready single, Queen Isabella, paired with the shamelessly impassioned vocals and lyrics that remind you what old school romanticism sounds like put The Star Prairie Project in the same league as Chris Isaak. Isaak may have set the bar high with Wicked Games, but The Star Prairie Project easily transcended it with the soul in their kaleidoscopically colourful melodies.

After starting with a Neo-western intro and working up to one of the most visceral rock homages to love we have heard this year, Queen Isabella is a triumph of an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.

Queen Isabella is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

James Sebastian saved our Shipwrecked Soul(s) in his latest 70s rock n roll hit

Posted on 20 December 2021
James Sebastian

After getting hooked on his unforgettably sweet single, Lemon Sunshine, the UK-based solo artist, James Sebastian, has shown us a harsher 70s rock n roll edge in his latest single, Shipwrecked Soul.

While the vintage garagey tones feed the frenzy in the instrumentals, James Sebastian’s raconteur vocal timbre ensures that apathy isn’t an option when you hit play on this unapologetically feel-good hit. The up and coming singer-songwriter found the perfect way to influence his listeners to take their melancholy in their rock n roll stride. In a time when authority and answers are hard to find, it is beyond refreshing to hear an artist with the ability to vindicate our jetsam-like misery so viscerally. That’s before we even move on to his talent at pulling authenticity of vintage rock. So many artists  have left us questioning if that was even possible. Notably, James Sebastian is a diamond in the rough.

Check out James Sebastian on Spotify and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast