Having previously graced the stages of iconic venues and events like Warped Tour, Ron Ritter (Roar Roar Nuggets) has earned his place within the long-time catalogues of rock, first picking up a guitar in the third grade and essentially refusing to put it down from there on in.
Pop Punk
Atmospheric art-pop that’s beautifully euphoric in its intricate blend of passion, delicacy and depth. London’s Lolli Wren crafts something fearlessly artistic, for the conceptually confrontational beauty of are we alright?
Heavily juxtaposed layers and moments let emotional integrity guide freely and with a certain intoxicating fire. Candi Carpenter fuses genres as per the changing stages of these storytelling songs, with the boldly evocative new EP Reincarnation.
Heavy rock riffs and lush drumlines, high-energy rock and roll songwriting with pop-punk vocals that sound refreshingly genuine in the modern music climate. The Known Afflicted deliver an anthemic earworm of escapism, with the euphoric distortion and passion of RUN.
New music from Marcus Christ this summer brings an exhilarating whirlwind of pop-punk distortion, anthemic energy, softer verses, and a generally creative but angst-driven, impassioned dose of scorn.
Alternative rock performer, storyteller and multi-instrumentalist Primordial Alien reaches the pinnacle of his creative output this year, delivering an album of conceptual weight, musical diversity, skill, playfulness, genre-fusion and cool but cutting narratives, as we dive into the brilliantly eclectic pop-punk and progressive rock vibrancy and shadows of Casus Belli.
Channelling rock sub-genres from throughout the ages, but leading with Sarah Beth Rose on gentle to gritty vocals, along with a clear sense of character and unrelenting passion and pace, Born To Break Even has the anthemic, engaging qualities of bands like Green Day, The Distillers and Lagwagon.
Euphoric pop-punk, with the colourful energy and tempo designed to bring nostalgia and optimism back to the live band scenes of the UK. 3TL (Third Time Luckie) inject a certain heartfelt poetry into modern rock, and capture the riff-strong vibrancy and band unity of a simpler era, with the catchy and evocative Heart Break Summer.
Great energy, catchy hooks and a classic pop-rock band set-up that’s indicative of the freedom, fun and thoughtfulness of youth. West Coast rock four-piece Satellite Eclipse deliver a colourful earworm of a track, with the brilliantly satisfying indie anthem one hot minute.
Modern pop-punk with emotional vulnerability and unfiltered passion. Mira’s Age brings through an album of energising riffs, licks, live drums and hooks, whilst diving into stories that reflect on issues like anxiety, attention craving, accountability, mental anguish, and heartbreak.
Be Happy cries out loud for you, its chorus resounding and looping in the mind, and it’s the perfect antidote to the trivial fakeness of forced joy and overproduction from much of the recent music realm.
UK pop-punk is refreshing in itself, but here we get a fast-paced and catchy guitar riff at the forefront, vocals born to perform in this way, and a hugely anthemic earworm of a hook. Say Less blend nostalgia and character quite seamlessly, for the simple and infectious single Go To Hell.