Following another immense six months of his unprecedented rise through the indie realm, Matthew Phillips stopped by to talk everything that’s been happening in recent months. Not least of all, we talk about the band putting on a phenomenal headline show at the iconic Belly Up venue. The official video for his single Time Fades … Continued
Pop Rock
What grabbed me the most about this track was Amanda’s decision to write from the perspective of the cult leader. It’s interesting, original, and strangely intoxicating. If ever there was a relevant artistic representation of the allure and appeal that cult leaders manage to enchant their followers with, Cigarettes and Crucifixes is the one.
Back from his break and the wonderfully impactful extension of his family, and already embracing a fresh style – Zachary Campos presents an eighties-inspired new-wave pop rock arrangement and song, which celebrates taking the time to appreciate the beauty and wonder of life.
Byron’s Brigades bring through the classic electrified energy of Every 1’s a Winner in a quickly uplifting fashion, and even provide the perfect vocals and intonation to really make this feel like a thoughtful ode to the original.
Instrumentally pristine soul rock, with an intriguing progression from disjointed riffs through a wholly immersive soundscape and song – a composition and performance seemingly inspired by the limitless adventure of life.
Sometimes a song just intrigues you enough with its sense of character and unexpected story that you can’t help but grow to love it. French trio WOooodz seem to have mastered that quality here, blending the mildly unremarkable with the outright unpredictably powerful, for an evocative and catchy indie hit with a clear sense of conceptual relevance.
Perhaps his first masterpiece, Leaving feels like a structurally knowledgeable yet still intriguingly alternative indie treasure of a track. I’ve mentioned The Eels previously in terms of that vocal rasp and warmth, the joyful twinkle of the instrumentation, but from a songwriting perspective Marshall Gray falls somewhere between the likes of the nineties emo artists and the more edgy realism of bands like Radiohead and REM.
Retro guitar pop with an equally nostalgic lyric-video to reinforce that yesteryear emo energy – Lanie Laynz recaptures the fun and jovial scorn of a simpler time, with the upbeat anthem April’s Fool.
This is the style The Rubicon have mastered, and these songs are arguably the best of the best in terms of their commitment and authenticity in the creative realm. Feel the uplift, the warmth, the honesty and heart, enjoy the genre-free expression and unplugged realness of a band both nostalgic and refreshingly true to their own artistic needs.
The big-band sound of folk rock and pop shines brightly, alongside a welcomed touch of intimacy in the breathy vocal-lead and traditional acoustic folk verses. Swedish songwriter SATRE delivers an uplifting to euphoric anthem in poetic celebration of love, with homebound.
Lighting up the space with the nostalgic sound of pop-punk guitars, drums and bass behind an eclectic vocal lead from gentle to impassioned, Serenity is essentially a love song with a twist of energetic uncertainty.
bert. balances scorn and even cursing with clear optimism and poetic colour, and the result is a strangely intoxicating, simple yet striking song, which again proves a memorable highlight from this uniquely compelling album.
If ever the word original should feel completely at ease alongside an independent artist, bert. deserves that title, and the songwriting is wonderful to match.