Tag Archives: indie rock

Alt Rock, EP Review, Indie, indie rock, New Music, Rock and Roll

Jack West ‘Jack West Live At Easy Street’ EP

With a sound that’s mature beyond his years, 15 year old Jack West is gearing up to release a live EP on 17th April. The EP was recorded at Easy Street Records in West Seattle. Recorded live and mixed by renowned producer Barrett Jones, the EP includes polished covers of ‘Sick Love’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and ‘Like a Stone’ by Audioslave as a tribute to the late Chris Cornell. He has amassed over 10,000 streams on his debut single, and joined Eddie Vedder on stage to perform to 30,000 in Nashville.

‘Jack West Live At Easy Street’ boasts West’s raw and energetic sound. It’s an EP brimming with swagger-drenched rock n roll, solid tunes and refined musicianship. West shows maturity through this EP while giving a glimpse into all the vigor his live shows behold. His cover of ‘Sick Love’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and ‘Like a Stone’ by Audioslave sit snugly on the EP blending with the tonality of his own tunes while adding a dash of finesse and slick textures into the mix.

There is a blues tone to West’s tracks within the vocal melodies especially in the twanging smooth power ballad – esque ‘Look Out Below’.The rich band sound translates well and compliments his vocals. West uses pummeling drums with sweltering guitar lines and groove infested bass to ignite the rock n’ roll charm of his latest single ‘Bring The Records Back’ and the desert lonely ‘Leave Us Behind’ while ‘Revival’ provides a laid back Californian sun kissed euphoria beneath the energetic instrumental burst. West’s vocals are quite impressive, his rasp hued whisper warms the tracks with a gentle caress while his dynamic vocal eruptions for the chorus exude swagger and panache. 

‘Jack West Live At Easy Street’ shows West’s capability as a performer. He reins in his wild and energetic set with his calm presence while scorching instrumentation and a rich wall of sound rages behind him. 

‘Jack West Live At Easy Street’ will be released this Friday April 17th 

For more you can follow Jack West on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/Jackwest32/


Author : Danu

EP Review, Indie, indie rock, New Music, New Wave

Hook Self Titled EP

New wave indie band Hook have released their self titled debut EP. Hook are a three piece band from Dublin, Ireland comprised of Eoin O’Donnell (vox, guitars) Danny Spelman (bass) Morgan O’Brien (drums).Formed in early 2019 Hook spent the year writing and recording. The EP is just some of the songs created in that time. The EP was mixed and mastered by Grammy award winner Ciaran Byrne and produced by the band.

With jaunty catchy tunes swirled in an edgy indie coating Hook’s self titled EP is a short snappy enjoyable collection of tracks.The band inject perky light guitar lines into their music which creates wonderful, ethereal and zest stricken qualities in tracks ’The Light’ and ‘Fancy Dress’ as the punchy drums and intricate bass groove lay down the tight foundation. There is a messy fun atmosphere and sun kissed glow about each track that is quite infectious while the dreamy sweet melodies charm their way onto repeat. This trio blend in some grunge and gritty elements into the EP as well. ‘Spoiler Alert’ hints at the bands darker side. With jagged sharp guitars slicing through a rough bass line and relentless drums the band smother darker elements into their sound. Hook’s ability to create acute raw riffs and melodies with majestic flurries on guitar is impressive and they display these wonderfully throughout the EP. ‘I love the world because you’re in it’ brings the EP to a sweet upbeat end. With a warm wholesome melody and country hue this vibrant indie ditty is a charming finale.

Hook have presented a fine well rounded EP brimming with proficient musicianship and delightful catchy melodies. With tight layering, intricate instrumentation and witty lyrical content Hook have created a strong collection of tracks.

You can stream the EP below 


Author : Danu

Indie, indie rock, New Music

Chinese Newspaper ‘Cola (Synge Street Version)’

Artwork by : Arielle-Jayne Arnold

Due to the lockdown, Navan fuzz pop band Chinese Newspaper have released their unreleased single ‘Cola (Synge Street Version)’. A little more clamorous than the ‘Late Night Pharmacy’ EP version the band take one of their most exhilarating and catchy tracks and add a refreshing new gritty edge to it. The moody verses are pushed into a jogging pace by the kinetic bass rumble and stomping kick drum while the rasp filled vocals smother the track in a sultry angsty sulk. It’s a vibrant indie track with blistering strides on guitar oozing sunny day humidity while the band’s frenetic wall of sound asphyxiates the chorus with scorching intensity.This band have a knack with creating rich textures and the perfect blend of cool, calm brooding moments between their whirlwind explosive soundscapes to produce a truly invigorating and first rate sound that is just as raw and intense as it is majestic. Love this track. 

Stream ‘Cola (Synge Street Version)’ below 

https://open.spotify.com/track/5nuHgrCiE5UhaqFXDFbv9H?si=FjHYa1TXR9ulelMqCmmqYg


Author : Danu

Indie, indie rock, New Music

The Assist have released a charity single for the NHS

Walsall indie band The Assist have released a charity single for the NHS and they have already raised over £500 via their JustGiving campaign. ‘Life’ is a smashing indie rock number that surges with The Assist’s passionate and breathtaking musicianship. Swirling keys coil and ricochet off the pulsing beat and sharp guitars creating a biting ethereal soundscape filled with raw instrumentation on a sublime funk flavoured backdrop. It’s an honest track that showcases the hard work the NHS staff endure as they continue to risk their lives for others. ‘Life’ is a tight, rich and thoroughly exhilarating number. 

You can donate to the cause here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/the-assist

Stream ‘Life’ below 


Author: Danu

Indie, indie rock, New Music

POLAR STATES ARE RELEASING A SONG A DAY ON WHATSAPP DURING LOCKDOWN PERIOD

Liverpool’s Polar States are helping to alleviate lockdown induced boredom for themselves, and their fans, by releasing a song a day, directly to their fans via a private WhatsApp group.

The band explained : “When we first went into this lockdown period we were actually just finishing up recording a really big batch of new songs, and had the plan that we wanted to try and finish off one of the demos every day and send them off to our manager. But then the world changed very quickly around us, and we knew we had to try and find a way to keep our fans as optimistic as possible in this super weird time, so we had the idea of sending anyone who wanted it a song every day as we complete them.  We did this for a few days and people were really responding to the songs, which was great, but then we started opening up the chat for half an hour a day so people could message us and each other and it began to take on a life of it’s own! It suddenly became this forum for people to connect with each other, and just forget about how crazy life is right now for a few minutes each day, which is the most valuable thing for us all right now. We’re still writing all the time and working on things remotely, so there’s no reason why we can’t keep this up. It’s definitely not too late to get involved!”

The band are no strangers to sending out their demos directly to fans, having sent out their early demos in a similar way, prior to releasing their EP ‘All You Couldn’t See’ with Killing Moon Records and completing their debut packed out UK tour in late 2019 on the back of their social media buzz. 

You can follow this link to join in with the WhatsApp chat every night at 8pm GMT:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HUhXvIGNitg1tgGAcEULWA

If you’d prefer to just receive the music, you can join their closed group here: 

https://chat.whatsapp.com/FMFEJxnMBEzBvwrXvM9lwN


Author : Danu

Alt- Pop, Dream Pop, EP Review, Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Psych-Pop

VELVET ‘Brother’ EP

VELVET are an up and coming five piece indie band from County Durham.The band have just released their debut E.P ‘Brother’. With luscious summer vibes, sweet melodies and intricate instrumentation ‘Brother’ is a compact and delightful EP from VELVET. The  band have managed to capture a laid back summers day vibe in this sublime EP. One particular glorious element throughout each track is the light tasty guitar lines which weave zesty refreshing qualities into the rock n roll swagger of ‘Ride’ and vibrant indie jangle of ‘This Wave’. The mellow tones and soft rasped vocals ooze marshmallow softness into the tracks. With shredding solos, cushioned rich rhythms and sweet melodies, each song is a breezy ethereal delight. The buoyancy of the tracks is infectious as the punchy drums and entwined bass lines create a charming fluctuant foundation.With the golden glow of ‘Happy Place’ and zealous radiance of ‘Brother’ the EP is a sweet concoction of breezy sublime musicianship as VELVET create the perfect collection of tracks to chill and dance to. The band showcase their fine ability to blend some gritty rock elements into their sun kissed psychedelic hued sound to create a satisfying listening experience. 

Stream ‘Brother’ EP below 


Author : Danu

Indie, indie rock, New Music

The Covasettes ‘Spin’ and ‘Irate’

Manchester’s The Covasettes are back with another knock-out EP ‘Spin’.  A two-track gem featuring ‘Spin’ and ‘Irate’. In previous years The Covasettes have built quite the portfolio of live gigs; winning ‘Most exciting live band of 2018’ and playing at the ARIAs awards at Leeds First Direct arena. They supported The Sherlocks at their sold-out Leeds Stylus show, played at the Etihad Stadium, and sold multiple dates out across the UK for their tour back in summer 2019.

‘Spin’ is a blazing return from The Covasettes. The track rushes in, swagger soaked and brimming with relentless stamina. The raw gritty riffs cut through the bands full flavoured sound with acute precision while the punchy drums and intense bass create a brawny foundation for the guitars to rebound and soar off. The quartet blend polished indie with edgy alternative rock seamlessly to create a clean mosh ready anthem filled with gusto and might. It’s a heavier track than we are used to from The Covasettes. The four piece have taken their knack with melody, tight musicianship and instrumental prowess to create something truly invigorating. This number packs one heck of a punch and displays the bands grittier edge. With smooth vocals and infectious ear worm melody the band have refined their sound superbly. 

As the B-Side to Spin, The Covasettes have released a revamped classic from their early days. ‘Irate’ follows the dynamic surge of ‘Spin’ as the band glide through groove infected bass lines, foot tapping drum stomps and superbly slick guitar lines. There’s a sleek rock n roll prance about this track that is so infectious while the dynamic vocals from Chris Buxton flood the song with panache. This band have developed the ability to inject wonderful elements into their tracks with lustrous and epic guitar lines. They meticulously layer upon this to flesh out the track with steamy elastic bass wiggles and punchy animated drums to create a robust tantalizing sound that is irresistible. 

Commenting on the track ‘Spin’, frontman Chris Buxton said: “Spin is a song I’ve loved from the minute I had first written it on an acoustic guitar. It’s fierce and almost old school in its approach and I love it for that. It’s a powerful rock song I think will certainly pound a few ear drums on its release. It’s a really exciting time for us at the moment, everything we’ve done up to now has been so well received and it feels like things have started to click into place and I hope that this track will propel us even further. We’re definitely unorthodox in the way we release music, our sound is constantly evolving and it’s really important to me that we evolve with it. We don’t confine ourselves to one particular sound and I think it’s exactly that which makes us the band we are today. This is the beginning of a bigger project and I can’t wait for people to get stuck into it. We’re in uncharted territory at the moment and we’re loving every moment of it, but for now, we’re just letting the music do the talking”. 

Stream ‘Spin’ and ‘Irate’ below 


Author: Danu

Alt Rock, Garage Rock, Indie, indie rock, New Music

The Rupees ‘Run’

Bristol band The Rupees have released their new single ‘Run‘. An exhilarating display of indie rock ‘Run’ blisters and boils encompassing The Rupees raw snarling sound with all its might. The band don’t pull punches as they create a scorching garage rock gem. Coarse guitars jaggedly lacerate through a swirling synth smog while the punchy drums and resounding bass pound through a hefty foundation. It’s a lean mean force of nature as the band cause a chaotic wall of sound through refined and vigorous instrumentation without losing their slick swagger. There is a freeing sense of adrenaline and powerful gusto as the track explodes into its frenetic chorus while the gravely vocals and catchy melody relentlessly resonate through the whirlwind backdrop. ‘Run’ is sublime vigorous anthem from The Rupees.

About the track the band said : “Run is about dreaming for something more, being the underdog, wanting to escape whilst existing in world of averageness, having to work a mundane job in a mundane place, but knowing there is something more, knowing there is something inside of you that is trapped in there because of the exact circumstances you find yourself in. But you can run, you can use love and your passions to escape, you are not sure if you are ever winning or losing but you just have to run with it, with the things you love, just keep going!”

Stream ‘Run’ below


Author : Danu

Indie, indie rock, New Music

Sheerbuzz ‘Darkside’

Donegal alternative indie rock four piece Sheerbuzz have released their new single ‘Darkside’. The band formed in 2017 with the goal of starting a music scene in their area. The four piece released their debut EP in March of 2019. That year it became one of the most streamed Irish EPs without a PR team or any label.

‘Darkside’ is a lush indie number brimming with shredding guitar lines and funky moments as Sheerbuzz showcase just how carefully they have been building and cultivating their sound. Laced in buoyant rhythms and sweet sunkissed melodies the track balances an effervescent meaty alternative rock wall of sound with sweet melodic indie superbly to create a well crafted wholly enjoyable number. The intricate bass lines weave and wiggle throughout the tracks foundation creating an elastic quality and funk peppering. The catchy chorus, laid back tones and glorious guitar lines make this track exquisitely charming. The band use sharp sultry guitar licks between soaring riffs and a shredding solo to add swagger and sass to the track while the distinctive vocals’ melancholic longing bounce over the dreamy melody. ‘Darkside’ is a dreamy, sun sprinkled and vibrant new single from Sheerbuzz.

About the track the band said: “ Darkside is a song about losing connections with people you used to be very close with, that connection being lost through different choices that put that person in a situation they aren’t happy with but aren’t sure how to recover from. That feeling of disconnection you want to rectify by any means necessary.”

Stream ‘Darkside’ below 


Author : Danu

Indie, indie rock, New Music

Sidetracked ‘City’

The British indie rock outfit Sidetracked have recently released their debut single ‘City’. Sidetracked consists of bassist Cohen Radcliffe, lead guitarist George Wolstencroft, drummer Lewis Flynn and Alex, the lead singer, rhythm guitarist & songwriter

With jangly guitars slicing through a laid back bouncy indie rock backdrop ‘City’ triumphantly announces Sidetracked’s infectious sound. The band melt a catchy smooth melody over a bubbling indie soundscape to create one radiant zest filled gem. With punchy drums providing a dynamic springboard, the track soars with adrenaline pumping stamina and a hint of surf rock fun. The ethereal bite on guitars creates a twinkling refreshing burst of energy while the groove riddled bass and spongy rhythm maintains a feathery lightness and upbeat charm. Sidetracked showcase their slick ability to create a polished clean and jaunty number sure to have you bopping along in no time. A sublime debut.

Stream ‘City’ below 


Author : Danu