Browsing Tag

UK Rock

Call To The Void rampaged the UK rock scene with their eclectically experimental debut single, Uncontrollable

Posted on 25 June 2023

For their scuzzy garage rock debut, Uncontrollable, the Southeast, UK-hailing prodigal sons, Call To The Void, pierced protestive proto-punk energy with a gothy 80s atmosphere that will beguile any fans of Bauhaus.

Doused in Nirvana’s Bleach with a touch of the New York Dolls’ rancorous attitude and fleeting Pantera-esque guttural vocals, the eclecticism of Uncontrollable is an achievement in itself. With each member bringing their own sonic penchants to the table to blend into the same soundscape, their heavy, raw, and haunting alchemy was always an inevitability.

After operating as a duo under the moniker, DENY ALL, the brother duo enlisted the boundless dynamic vocal prowess of the frontman, Jack Osborne. His ability to switch between post-punk crooning in the same vein as Echo and the Bunnymen, PIL-reminiscent snarls and Kurt Cobain on a vehement day is a gift that will undoubtedly see Call To The Void go far.

Uncontrollable is now available to stream on Spotify.

Follow Call to the Void on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

When life gives you lemons, drink James Sebastian’s 70s rock-infused lemonade in Life’s Tasting Good

Posted on 17 June 2023

Proving that there are few things sweeter than sun-kissed optimism and soundscapes which kaleidoscopically pop with the raw energy of 70s rock and soul of 60s pop, James Sebastian put love in the air with his latest single, Life’s Tasting Good.

The wild with zeal vocal lines that will arrest you with the same cuffs of Robert Plant fused with psychedelic pop hues, which paint with the same tonal palette as The Beatles, this horn-infused rock revival revels in the future as rock as much as the past.

It isn’t the first time the UK-based singer-songwriter has appeared on our radar. We weren’t quick to forget his seminal hit, Love is Only Love; Life’s Tasting Good has just as much staying power from the first time it snakes between your synapses with the slickly sensational melodies. It’s far from your average archetypal summer single, but anyone with a soft spot for the eras rock n roll reigned supreme will undoubtedly want to make a staple of it.

Life’s Tasting Good was officially released on the second of June; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bear Witness ticked the underbelly of madness with their addictively grooved alt-rock hit, INSANE

Posted on 13 April 2023

The Brighton-based brother duo, Bear Witness, tickled the soft underbelly of madness in their latest addictively grooved alt-rock hit, INSANE, which unravels as an arm wrestle between the strength of the hooks and riffs.

The hooks may have a slight advantage through their ability to pull you right into the riled core of the exhilarating feat of soul, but the tensile technicality of the supernovically overdriven guitars still plays an absorbing part in this candidly un-candied window into entropy.

The electronic synthetics of the track may allow INSANE to flirt with the post-rock genre, but rock fans will never have been seduced in this vein before. It’s a mainline of pure resonance that affirms Bear Witness is one to watch.

INSANE hit the airwaves on March 31; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The acrimony bells ring in Continental Lovers’ subversively sweet punk-rock ‘Wedding Song’

Posted on 23 February 2023

The UK’s trashiest punk-rock purveyors, Continental Lovers, dialled back on the scuzz in their latest subversively archetypal single, Wedding Song.

The change in direction has lost none of the impassioned volition that Continental Lovers have become renowned for since their relatively recent debut that has sent ricochets of raucous hype through the rock scene. Heartbreak never sounded so viscerally adoring. Nor has the recoil from love-hate whiplash resonated with such realism. Tom Petty would be proud.

The accordant ring of the guitars, contributed by Graham Jones (Haircut 100, Boys Wonder, Glen Matlock, is sweeter than any coil of silver or gold that can decorate your finger. Which is probably a good thing given the playfully machiavellian lyrical admission of theft of said symbolic token.

With producer Phil Booth (Sleaford Mods, Desperate Journalists, Hip Priests), elevating the single from the brashy punk-rock panache that Continental Lovers fans have been clamouring over since the fourpiece outfit started their ascent from the underground with euphonic organ tones, Wedding Song is the breakup song you never knew you needed.

Joe Maddox Said:

“Wedding Song is about quickly falling out of love with somebody and resenting their existence but still feeling that sense of loss and grief when a relationship ends. I guess we’ve all been there; it’s a cathartic process! I rarely write songs about real life, and this is no exception. I just wanted to write a bitter breakup song.”

Stream Wedding Song on Bandcamp & Spotify.

Follow Continental Lovers on Facebook & Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get Your Audial Adrenaline Fix from Palmar Arch’s Searingly Hot Alt-Rock Single, Sunscript

Posted on 18 February 2023

The boisterous prodigal son of alt-rock, Palmar Arch (Robert James), is on bruisingly impactful form with his single, Sunscript, due for official release on February 17th.

Previously operating under the moniker Superbloom and operating as a full band, Palmar Arch has relaunched the project as a solo endeavour and proven that he is a powerhouse of high-octane ingenuity standing alone in the process.

With hints of pop-punk biting from behind the hard-hitting rock elements that always leave room for melodic hooks between the grungy riffs through the angular melodicism, Sunscript is enough to allow you to imagine what the Foo Fighters would sound like if they kept hold of their virtuosic talent and picked up some contemporary cool.

Between the lack of obvious influence, the adrenalized production and the sheer immensity, Palmar Arch is one to beat.

Watch the official music video for Sunscript on Spotify and YouTube

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rock n roll’s suavest literary savants, Dead Writers, reached the pinnacle of decadence in their Dostoyevsky-inspired debut music video, Lisa

Posted on 9 December 2022

Dead writers pulled out all the suave stops for their rock n roll cabaret single and debut music video, Lisa, inspired by Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground.

The second single from their debut EP is a slight departure from the gothy Manics-Esque gravitas we heard from their previous release, Among Spirits. Nevertheless, the same zealous dedication to their savantic sonic interpretation of classic literature lives and breathes through the decadent tale of resilience which follows the tale of a young woman trapped in a life of prostitution.

With themes of isolation, self-resilience, and salvation in the turn-of-the-century set music video, it is clear that modernism hasn’t abstracted us from those character arcs. Pulling parallels and finding resonance within this tinged with demure darkness Avant-Garde riff-caressed feat of rock n roll that will leave you arrested by the unparalleled artistry is all too easy.

Lisa is definitive proof that Romance isn’t dead. It crescendos throughout the tenderly nostalgic balance between sadness and admiration of feminine power. I’ve often maintained that no man wrote women better than Richey Edwards; Paul Shine may have just set the bar a little higher with Lisa. It amorously rivals the lyrical salvation that will perpetually reside in Little Baby Nothing.

“Inspired by Dostoyevsky’s novel Notes From The Underground, the song tells the story of isolation, self-reliance and the eventual salvation of Lisa, a young woman trapped in a life of prostitution. Lisa is able to detach herself from the danger and despair of her environment and the challenging presence of a bitter client, thus reshaping the original narrative and becoming the heroine of her own tale.

Lisa represents unwavering strength of character. She dreams of freedom but is brave enough to wait for the right moment to escape and knows how to navigate the circumstances. She is the ultimate quiet strategist.” – Dead Writers

The official music video premiered on December 9th. Lust over it on YouTube.

Stream & purchase the single via Bandcamp. 

Follow Dead Writers on Instagram and Facebook. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Martin Paul Cuthew made hope permissible in his synthy pop-rock soul-stirrer, The Machine

Posted on 16 November 2022

Following a dark Nine Inch Nails-Esque prelude that reflects the drudgery of the late-stage capitalist hellscape we call modern society, the bright and rich melodicism in Martin Paul Cuthew’s latest single, The Machine, starts to break through the soundscape like sunlight piercing a storm cloud.

The switch in the guitar and synth tones are effortlessly matched by the luminously humanist soul projected through the lyrics and optimism-inspiring vocals, which spoke to me on a level that normally only James Dean Bradfield reaches.

The UK-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is the ultimate testament that awareness doesn’t have to be synonymous with pessimism. His vibrant expositions on love, hope and longing which complement his soul-stirring pop-rock proclivities effortlessly guide you to a perception that makes hope permissible. Take that Nietzsche.

The Machine is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feel the electric intimacy with James Sebastian’s new wave rock n roll single, Bedsheets

Posted on 14 November 2022
James Sebastian

James Sebastian served a stellar slice of salacious new wave rock n roll with his latest single, Bedsheets, taken from his forthcoming debut EP. Capturing the electric intimacy of the early stages of a relationship, Bedsheets is a raucously seductive revival of the 70s sound and lustful aptitude, which lets rough rock vocals crawl across Led Zeppelin-reminiscent instrumentals.

The UK artist has the nostalgic tones and sensibilities down to a T while ensuring that his unholy rock n roll reverence comes with its own sting. After hearing the record, I can almost taste the energy of his live performances, which he has taken across the UK as a headline act in iconic venues, such as the Exeter Cavern, the Golden Lion and the Stags Head.

Bedsheets will officially release across all major streaming platforms on November 11th. Check it out via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Down the Years get into the belly of the blackdog in their white-knuckle alt-rock hit, A Thousand Roses

Posted on 14 October 2022
Down The Years

After a promising debut, South-East London’s Down the Years led us down the rabbit hole of their atmospheric ingenuity with their sophomore single, A Thousand Roses. To say that you will feel ALL of the emotions during this white-knuckle ride through candour, all-consuming riffs, and 80s rock nostalgia is no understatement.

The evocatively sublime hit lyrically explores how depression can insidiously take hold of our ability to admit we’re at emotional rock bottom, while the cinematic styling gives you a panoramic view into the black dog’s Machiavellian ways. Starting with guitars railing against the bleeps of a life support machine, building into a rock anthem for the ages with progressive vocals and winding back down into an almost baroque outro was nothing short of stylistic and conceptual genius.

Caught between being galvanised between the masterfully immersive production and sobered by the outpour of demons that have surfaced for many as of late, emotions are hard to place during A Thousand Roses. The only thing that is for sure is that Down the Years is the powerhouse the UK alt scene has been waiting for.

A Thousand Roses was officially released on all major platforms on October 14th. Check it out via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Southeast powerhouse, Weller, captured the collective sense of futility and isolation in their post-rock hit, Irritated.

Posted on 8 March 2022

The Southeast UK-based post-rock pioneers, Weller, have released their most bruising single to date with the release of Irritated which opens on the instantly disarming, relatably numb lyric, “it has been so long since I felt some connection, feels like a wasted life waiting for the resurrection”. Impressively, they found a way to capture the contemporary collective sense of ennui, futility and isolation while delivering the ultimate angst-riled comfort for it.

They followed in the footsteps of Bring Me the Horizon and Enter Shikari before stridently taking a step in their own atmospherically enrapturing direction. Usually, there is somewhat of an incongruous relationship between fame and talent; with Weller, there’s a synergy in the ingenuity they deliver and the hype that has amassed around their post-hardcore edge. Since making their first official release in 2021, they have garnered international airplay from TotalRock Radio, BBC Introducing and Kerrang Radio. They have also gone down a storm on Spotify with over 100k streams on their seven singles, two of which have hit number 1 in the iTunes rock chart.

I don’t know what I’m more excited about, their forthcoming EP or the chance to see them live. They have everything it takes to be bigger than Paul Weller, which I very much doubted before I hit play.

Irritated is now available to stream on Spotify with the rest of Weller’s indulgently infectious takes on alt-rock.

Review by Amelia Vandergast