Browsing Tag

UK Rock

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

Lazywall is set to reach nirvana if they ascend any further with their latest single, ‘I Will Rise’.

Posted on 30 November 2021
Lazywall

Hard rock hits don’t come much hookier than the latest single, I Will Rise, from the UK-based alt-rock outfit, Lazywall. They give Rise Against and Shinedown a run for their money when it comes to curating bursts of energy that you can’t help getting caught up in.

It’s rare in the industry to find an artist getting the kind of attention they deserve but from the moment that you hear the volatile post-punk vocals against the steady rolling swagger of the grungy basslines in the intro, you know exactly why they have had such a successful run since 2003. It makes sense why Steve Albini worked on an album with them, why they have performed at SXSW in Austin and Garorock in France and to 50,000 people at the Festival of Casablanca and why they have amassed a global and loyal fanbase.

Bravely, Lazywall doesn’t care about catering to hard rock purists; notably, they have far too much fun pushing the boundaries to the point of eruption to create a brand-new sound. After the teasing post-punk nuances in the intro, I Will Rise bursts into a defiant feat of Avant rock sound with the vocals carrying a Dave Grohl-Esque robustness. Then, it demands repeat attention.

I Will Rise will officially release on November 30th. The lyric video will be available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mouth Culture has released their scathing high vibe indie emo pop hit Nobody Wants You

Posted on 28 October 2021

UK alt-rock act Mouth Culture takes no prisoners in their scathingly high vibe hit Nobody Wants You. The sniping lyricism, crunchy indie-rock guitars, indie-pop with a hint of emo vocals and jazzy nuances pull together to offer a potent shot of indie nostalgia. Yet, there is plenty more to Mouth Culture’s scintillating sound than assimilation.

Their determination to become one of the hottest bands in the UK in 2022 is by no means a pipe dream with over 1 million streams on Spotify and radio play from BBC Introducing, Total Rock, Kerrang and Radio 1. Since their inception in 2019, they’ve been honing in on their songwriting which shines through in Nobody Wants You with their ability to turn deep-seated hate into a catchy radio-ready hit that rivals Frank Carter’s I Hate You.

Check out the official video for Nobody Wants You on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get your blues rock n roll fix with Article 19’s stellar scuzzy hit, Stone Crazy.

Posted on 23 October 2021

Article 19 has been on the rock scene since 2007; with their strongest lineup yet, the Coventry-based outfit is serving up their most raucously robust singles to date.

Their standout single, Stone Crazy, is the perfect introduction to the 70s rock n roll inspired outfit. For the same reasons you fell for the Rolling Stones, Stone Crazy won’t fail to pull you in with the angular bluesy riffs that get plenty of room to breathe in the vintage production that boasts plenty of earworm potential that comes through the clever vocal hooks.

Stone Crazy is the final single to be released from their upcoming album, Without Interference. The official video for Stone Crazy is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SCARSUN pull punches in their latest hard rock hit, MAKE ME ACHE.

Posted on 20 October 2021

MAKE ME ACHE is the latest storming alt-rock single from SCARSUN. With Letha’s Brody Dalle-Esque vocals cutting through the instrumentals, her magnetism captivates from the first soaring vocal note. It is a hard and fast ride through the menacingly confrontational single, one that you will probably want to strap yourselves in for and play loud. For any metal fan, MAKE ME ACHE will be instantly accessible through the barbarous riffs, thrashing percussion and technical basslines, but the UK-based outfit left plenty of room for distinction.

SCARSUN has been on the scene since 2014, their tendency to keep an open mind to the sonic elements in their sound always ensures that each new release delivers unpredictability and high energy authenticity.

The official music video for MAKE ME ACHE is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hopes Avenue has released their viscerally raw post-hardcore sophomore track, Escape/Reality.

Posted on 6 October 2021

Hopes Avenue became one of Scotland’s most promising alt-rock outfits with the release of their viscerally raw post-hardcore sophomore single, Escape/Reality.

Given that we’re practically living in the world Charlie Brooker imagined for Black Mirror, the chillingly cold production of the familiar rock elements in Escape/Reality is oddly consoling. Their intrinsically melodic hardcore progressions carry the same evocative weight as Days to Remember, Rise Against, and Alkaline Trio as the sombrely high-octane vocals make sure that Escape/Reality hits as hard emotionally as it does sonically.

The insanely talented 4-piece powerhouse is one to watch; especially for fans of Bring Me the Horizon and Enter Shikari.

Escape/Reality is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hot Juice remind us how to have ‘Good Times’ with their swaggering party rock anthem.

Posted on 1 August 2021
Good Times by Hot Juice

UK-based rock powerhouse Hot Juice reminded fans how hedonism works with the release of their swaggering party rock anthem, Good Times.

With their vintage blues-rock style paired with their scuzzy reminiscence to Eagles of Death Metal and BRMC, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the sleazy desert rock atmosphere. It comes as little surprise that in the short time that Hot Juice has been running rampant on the live scene, they’ve already decorated themselves in accolades from the likes of BBC Introducing and Made in Jersey festival. If you get the chance to see them rip up a stage, take it.

You can check out Good Times for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp. For more info, head over to the band’s website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The 90s indie rock icons Airbus return with their third studio album, ‘You’.

Posted on 13 July 2021
Airbus

If you paid attention to the UK rock scene in the 90s, you might already be acquainted with Airbus who are set to release their psychedelically sweet third studio album, You, via Spira Records.

The album unleashes singles penned and recorded back in the 1990s; the band lifted the audio from master tapes using a 24-track 2-inch tape machine to keep the warm analogue glow of the original recordings. Short of hopping in a TARDIS and pushing your way to the front of the crowd when Mazzy Star performed at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to transport yourself back to the 90s.

If you can imagine what an aural cocktail of The Zombies, Elliott Smith and the Beatles would sound like, you’ll get an idea of the dreamy, colourful accordance that is weaved in the standout single ‘I’. Reminiscences aside, the band’s masterfully melodic presence on the airwaves once more is a breath of fresh kaleidoscopic air. The lead track carries that dreamy feel of wholesome wild abandon that most have forgotten how to offer in the 21st century.

Airbus’ upcoming album is due for release in September 2021. You can check out the band on Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

IN Peril deliver high-calibre catharsis in their thrashy garage rock track, ‘Your Decision’

Posted on 13 April 2021

UK-based hard rock outfit IN Peril made their debut in 2020 with their stormer of a single, ‘Your Decision’, with their visceral mix of garage rock and punk, they made it impossible not to pay attention.

While many people potentially won’t like the reminder that every life problem bemoaned about is a consequence of their decisions, there’s plenty of high-calibre catharsis within the punchy, thrashy hit that is screaming to be played live.

IN Peril may carry newcomer status presently, but the synergy within this sniping earworm wouldn’t allow you to believe it. Now that ‘normal’ life is threatening to make a return, they’re definitely one for the radar.

Your Decision is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tyron Freeman’s raucous, indie-tinged rock – ‘Keep It Hid, Locked Away’

Posted on 10 April 2021

Like so many musicians during the last year or so, Tyron Freeman – a veteran of bands as a professional musician in the North West UK – found that the world shifted and skewed sideways at the beginning of the pandemic. Suddenly stranded, jobless and isolated in a studio flat in Germany, what does a creative musician do but call in his mates and put together a killer rock n’ roll track?

‘Keep It Hid, Locked Away’ is raucous, indie-tinged rock – think Goo Goo Dolls, Bush, a little of Royal Blood, and some Beatles-y sing-song sections. There’s influences of Fontaines and Tame Impala, the White Stripes, and Oasis, too, along with old-school rock in Zeppelin, Bowie, and the Stooges. Recorded at Liverpool’s Parr Studios, Chris Taylor’s production brings elements of the Lightning Seeds, Blossoms, and The Coral into the mix, giving the overall single a perfect mix of classic rock groove and North-East England indie-pop catchiness. This might be early days for Tyron Freeman’s solo career, but on the basis of ‘Keep It Hid, Locked Away’ he really, really needs to avoid his own advice; this needs to be shouted from the rooftops instead.

‘Keep It Hid, Locked Away’ is out now; check out Tyron Freeman on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes