Pete Doherty – Felt Better Alive

“I gave my nights up for old songs, sound better alive
I gave my life over to old songs, sound better alive”

 The Libertines icon recently released his latest single, ‘Felt Better Alive’, via his label Strap Originals. It is the lead single from the upcoming fifth studio album of the same name, due May 16th.

*image credit: Bridie Cummings

The flourishes of skiffle and slide guitar suit Doherty’s down but not out image with a poetic magic that few can authentically compete with. Alongside the strings, it allows a mournful Doherty to build up an intense narrative before his melody melts all life’s woes away.

Nods to ‘What Katie Did’ and ‘Delany’ sonically toy with his glorious and checkered past on the most textured record within his solo cannon to date. The strings, at points, have a lost-at-sea isolation which plants you in his reality, whereas, lyrically, he seeks to reaffirm his younger self’s dreams and notions of “what might have been”. It’s a juxtaposition that seems a natural fit for his romanticism. However, for those who’ve followed the course of his Albion, it comes loaded with tortured imagery and regret.

As he decrees, “I’d always planned to sing in a sweet and soulful way, as only cowboys can!” Doherty transcends music. Like a bird singing just because it can, Doherty finds the sweet spot between a free soul and one trapped by the past.

After a career-redefining year with The Libertines in 2024, the good ship Albion looks set to sail into more glorious sunsets with its chief troubadour in great form.

Marseille – History

For the most part, Marseille has presented itself as a joyous collective. Pulling from the same psychedelic hymn sheet, they’ve traversed Ride, Oasis, and The Verve. On ‘History’, deliberately or not, tension in style arises, and it’s great!

*banner image courtesy of the band.

Lead guitarist Joe Labrum’s parts sound like Noel Gallagher playing Nick McCabe. Less intricate more universal, but still beset with enough spaced-out exploration of The Verve to keep things interesting. They’re guitars for dreamers.

Cut to frontman Will Brown, whose vocals are urgent, besotted with making said dreams reality. They collide poetically with the guitars, causing a chasm. Labrum entices Brown to a more philosophical world, and Brown, in turn, demands they implement it.  

In the closing stages, Brown decrees “you and I, you and me / you and I, you and me / you and I, you and me” in a moment of feverish euphoria. Their worlds unite, dreams become destiny, and hope is restored to guitar lovers.

Like Pastel’s triumphant debut album, Marseille are on a journey to restore rock ‘n’ roll to a time when it mattered when bands were life and death! In ‘History’, they stare into their souls, face their fears, and march forward with a confidence that can only be a clarion call for change to all who listen.

Derby’s Marseille returns on Friday, 24th January, with the new single ‘History’.

The Crooks – Dreaming Out Loud

Chesterfield rock ‘n’ rollers The Crooks are back with their fourth single since reforming ‘Dreaming Out Loud’.

*Banner image by Oliver London.

Since their return, their live shows have been enthralling, emotion-driven moments that will echo down eternity to those who went. On record, ‘Wide Awake’ and ‘In the Meantime’ picked up where they left off sonically, but something was missing.

On ‘What You Know’ and now ‘Dreaming Out Loud’, they’ve found the missing ingredient: the fall-to-the-floor anthem that countenances their sing-along ballads pieces of rock n roll defiance.

The middle ground between ‘Silhouette Sunshine’ and ‘Better Days’ shows the band completely controlling their identity and destiny. Toying with chaos and splicing in great melodies like rock star puppeteers, they have found their sweet spot.

Concise yet huge, they now sound like a band conquering the studio.

The guitars come out swinging with a heavy, intoxicating power on what is comfortably their best riff to date. Its power lies in its conciseness. Like a great heavyweight boxer’s jab, it knocks its opponent back into a daze. The violence of Kasabian’s debut and Rolla loiter as Modders’ hook loops with its way to glory.

Frontman Jacko, so often their melodic secret weapon, pulls back from an all-out assault and allows his soulful drawl to wash over the devastation with euphoric consequences. Few can match Embrace when Danny and Rich McNamara sing in tandem, but Jacko surpasses them in this showing. He leads you to the edge of the universe, allowing the solo to blow holes into the sun.

When they initially split, fans were devastated. The real deal was taken away from them. In the intervening years, no marks and also-rans have filled the void and reaped huge benefits their talents do not warrant. The Crooks’ return was less relief to fans and more, saddle up, we’re coming for the pretenders. ‘Dreaming Out Loud’ gives them yet another stick to beat the middle of the road with, and it feels great!

The Utopiates – Reputation

London outfit The Utopiates are back with their new single, ‘Reputation. ‘Released last week on V2 Records, it follows their LCD Soundsystem-driven ‘Neighbourhood,’ which came out in September.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Their direction of travel on ‘Neighbourhood’ significantly shifted towards NYC and the 00s indie-electro scene. ‘Reputation’ struts further into this territory with crunching basslines akin to London’s 00s scenesters New Young Pony Club.

Frontman Dan Poppewell taps into his vocal cadence on ‘Devolution’, which allows the Disco elements to creep in alongside the New Order meets nu-rave synths, which sprinkle magic sporadically throughout.

The combination of disco and indie-electro in this stripped-back style allows The Utopiates to glide in between Radio 4 and Tom Vek to occupy the fascinating ground. What neither of those above had, nor anyone from the nu-rave/electro scenes, was Josh Redding. He shone as a riff and solo maker of baggy and psyche classics on the debut album. Now, he appears mercurially like a guitar genie. Sprinkling psyche magic a la (Moon Duo) but in concise moments of technicoloured bliss.

Siracuse - Simple Pleasures

Image courtesy of Goldstein United Mgmt

Cheltenham outfit Siracuse recently returned with their latest single, ‘Simple Pleasures,’ via Vibrant Sky Records. The single is backed by the angelic euphoria of ‘You Change,’ and a defined live version of ‘Lossen Your Grip’ on Spotify.

*banner image credit: @james_taking_pictures

Lyrically, Ben Zakotti finds himself in a carefree head space. As seen on ‘Saviour’ and So Serene’, shackle-free is where Zakotti thrives. His innate ability to be in the moment while creating rock music carnage around with nods to the Stones, the Primals, and Kasabian is enough to keep Siracuse’s stick rising into these bleak winter months.

The pulsating intro pushes the hedonism of Soundtrack of Our Lives to the edge of what is sane. Debauched, with the threat of violence lurking, it showcases how intoxicating rock ‘n’ roll’s three chords can still be.

Siracuse is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s best-kept secrets, and the time feels right for that to change. From big epics to short blasts of glory, they have the rock ‘n’ roll cannon to change lives.

Ecko - Let Go

Once upon a time, in a land not far behind us, the media would seek out new rock ‘n’ roll strands to define youth culture. Today, alas, they care more for some obnoxious cunt opening a box of third-world tat so tax-dodging conglomerates can pay them.

*banner image courtesy of All images courtesy of A Deeper Groove

Artwork credit: @turner_photographs

Ayrshire four-piece Ecko is back with their new single ‘Let Go’ for those still curious. The visceral intro leans into the noise and confusion of early Oasis and the filthy and fury of the Pistols. It allows

The licks of Oasis’ ‘Hung In A Bad Place’ are given an injection of breathtaking intensity. It allows the protagonist to lay down the law with a soon-to-be iconic confidence. As the single builds, drummer Johnny Armstrong’s drumming steals the show a la Matt Helders for the Arctics' first three albums before Matthew Welsh’s guitars tap into the riotous angst of ‘Bring It On Down’ with scintillating guile.

The journey to their debut album may feel slow to fans desperate for more, but Ecko is a measured beast for something so sonically unhinged. Appear when they want and deliver significant improvements each time. ‘Let Go’ is flanked by a stunning ode to The Strokes with the b-side ‘Think Three Times’.  A track most bands couldn’t dream of writing is there to back up the gift that is this single.

Yon Mon – Shine On

As the sun sets on The Shed Project, frontman Roy Fletcher launches his new project, Yon Mon. The debut single ‘Shine On’ was recorded with The Jade Assembly's Danny Hayes at Bolton’s Ivy Studio.

Where The Shed Project’s second album had heavier sound and discourse, Yon Mon has returned to the freer energy of their debut. The escapist with the lysergic spirit of Northside and hints of early Charlatans.

Fletcher breaks from the straight-up guitar sound of his former project in the second half, giving the seaside keys of The Horrors’ ‘Primary Colours’ an injection of ecstasy. Coupled with the resounding guitars that loom large, Fletcher has struck upon a sonic perfect for his ‘Some Friendly’ Burgess-era vocal.

Yon Mon will be releasing three more singles in the coming months with the debut album coming in summer 2025. On this showing, it’s shaping up very well indeed!

MOSES – Raining For Days

London’s MOSES released ‘Raining For Days’ at the end of September. It is the third single from their upcoming third studio album and was recorded with long-time cohort Gavin Monaghan at the Magic Garden Studio in Wolverhampton.

Images courtesy of Rocklands Artbeat Promo

There is a beautiful simplicity to ‘Raining For Days’ that recalls Dinosaur Jr. ’s classic ‘Feel The Pain’ or Graham Coxon’s Pavement-esque era of Blur. The melodic guitar noodling building to a heavier release suits MOSES' maturer sound with resounding effectiveness.

Frontman Victor Moses’ vocal is now venturing into masterful territory. More withdrawn than the fire-breathing early singles, knowing when to flash the teeth and spit venom with precision. When he decrees “we only get one life / A cliche that I really like / I believe in what I am and no /  I'll never stop”, the band’s natural inclination to defiance oozes from band to listener, from soul to soul as a unifying clarion call.

Clearer, crisper, and broader than ever, MOSES still maintain their underground status. There’s a renegade spirit festering with intent around everything here that’s undeniable. What were once ifs have become whens with almost the utmost urgency.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming shows:

Those Heavy Souls – How High Is Too High?

Cardiff’s Craig Lewis, aka Those Heavy Souls, recently returned with his new single ‘How High Is Too High?’. Recorded at  Kings Road Studios in Cardiff with Andrew Sanders producing, it follows the fine debut single ‘Everybody’s Changing’.

Images courtesy of the band.

Where ‘Everybody’s Changing’ was a departure from his Columbia days, ‘How High Is Too High?’ introduces his new electronic vision to those heady rock' n roll visions. Lewis has unearthed a sweet spot between Slow Readers Club and early Kasabian, and it’s paying dividends for him.

The Sanders’ trippy Reni-esque drums set the platform for the following discordant Warehouse vision. Lewis’ and Steven Kenward’s guitars are kissed with the melodic glory of Serge Pizzorno’s 00s work and the soaring yet understated psyche work of Adam Nutter (The Music).

Holy Youth Movement and The Utopiates have been leading the charge for rock ‘n’ roll and dance music fusion lately. Those Heavy Souls, armed with a ‘Champagne Supernova’ reference, have entered said race with a blistering charge!

Spangled – Maggie

Manchester’s Spangled returned yesterday with their new single ‘Maggie’. It marks a new era for the band, with Joe Kilroy joining the band on drums. ‘Maggie’ was produced by Gareth Nuttall (The K’s / Rolla) and mastered by Grant Berry.

*image credit: Owen Peters

Artwork credit: Owen Peters

Musically, Spangled have leaned into their love of The Cure with Jamie Halliday’s subtle guitar lines taking a romantic gothic turn. As the single builds, the underdog spirit of Neds Atomic Dustbin and Thousand Yard Stare collide with The Who’s vastness as they build to a euphoric climax.

However, frontman Ben Johnson’s vocals and lyrics are where ‘Maggie’s brilliance lay. At points, Johnson delivers his most angelic vocal. As such, the innocence and celebratory look back at Nan’s life with dementia are allowed to shine through.

The early stages are blessed with a romance and charm that can only come from a grandchild gazing lovingly on at a story they’ve heard a thousand times before. Johnson lights up his Nan with a curiosity about where her mind went and will have many raising their heads to the heavens to think upon those gone.

In the closing stages, though, Johnson delivers an emotional uppercut to set bottom lips quivering:

“I had to look the other way when she asked me if my dad was ok / I wonder if she knows”

The gut-wrenching moments of ‘Good Life Better’ roar to the surface as Johnson howls out a truly incredible vocal. His pain and torment try to find a way out, but Johnson fights back defiantly, not wanting to let the scars show to someone he clearly worshipped.

Despite the grief-ridden torment end, you’re left with the touching sentiment:

“I wanna go wherever Maggie goes”.

On such a deeply personal tale, Spangled have touched upon something universal that will win them legions of fans. The echoes of Pulp discovering themselves in 1994 ooze from this record, now it’s time for those big crowds for Spangled too.

The Kowloons – Raining (It Don’t Stop)

Merseyside’s The Kowloons are back with their new single ‘Raining (It Don’t Stop) today. It follows ‘Can We Go Faster?’ and is the second single from their upcoming debut EP.

*banner image credit: Matt Owen

Artwork courtesy of the band.

Where ‘Can We Go Faster?’ built to an epic climax, ‘Raining’ is instantaneous. The moment Kinks-esque drums rumble, they tap into a British classicism that only evokes joy. Lead guitarist Mason Jones lays the foundation with the acoustic stomp of ‘Dead End Street’ and the melodic blues of the Stones circa ’65 to ’67. Meanwhile, frontman Stephen Ng even drops a sublime “I can't get no” to ramp up this sumptuous slice of ‘60s pastiche.

Despite the immediacy of the melody, a sense of distress and heartbreak percolates throughout. Frontman Ng carries an aching sense of loss through his disillusioned vocal. He has taken all the best bits from Noel Gallagher’s ‘Chasing Yesterday’ and spliced them with a Lee Mavers and Ray Davies-esque vocal.

Two songs into their debut EP, they have already surpassed the eagerly anticipated checkpoint. Two great songs are propelling them into the fast lane and making them one of the most sought-after bands in the UK.

Rolla – We Owe You Nothing

Manchester’s Rolla are back with a new single ‘We Owe You Nothing’. The latest single marks a new era for the band as they sign with Run On Records (The Royston Club). Guitarist Luke McConnell has stepped up to mixing duties with Gareth Nuttall (The K’s) producing.

Image & artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Their time on tour with Kasabian in 2023 wasn’t wasted. The intoxicating violence of their Leicester peers’ debut has been taken on board as they reimagine ‘Club Foot’ in the most visceral and violent intro of the year.

With stadiums back on the rock ‘n’ roll agenda, Rolla have announced themselves as someone to open them via Luke Gilmore’s colossal and destructive basslines. Throbbing with malicious intent, Gilmore descends to the underworld, flirting with ‘Fuckin’ in the Bushes’ and ‘666 Conducer’ along the joyride.

Guitar music is defiant mainly, but not from a position of power like this. Rolla are underdogs (for now), but they project themselves like champions. Chest-out, shoulders back, and zero fucks given! James Gilmore’s howls into the ether with devilish charm and Zeus-like authority.

There are no blueprints to rock ‘n’ roll, but ‘We Owe You Nothing’ is as good as. Hellacious and rebellious, Rolla are back and better than ever!

Lord Fayrebank – A Matter of Time

Lord Fayrebank is Ken Popple's new creative outlet from Creation Records’ Biff Bang Pow! and The Revolving Paint Dream. In May this year, he released his new single ‘A Matter of Time’ with Kevin Taylor on vocals and guitars, Satchmo Taylor on trumpet, and The De La Luande String Quartet on strings also feature on the single.

Vocally, Popple has beautifully nestled in between melodious Pete Astor circa ‘Spilt Milk’ and the aching beauty of Armstrong circa ‘Under Blue Skies’. Underpinned by Ray Davies’ knack for turning unusual corners with a great melody, Popple has made being present something to achieve rather than looming over you like a daunting mental block it can so often be.

Despite being released back in May, ‘A Matter of Time’ is perfect the record for September in the UK. This ode to accepting the passing of time and living for the current summer renaissance perfectly accompanies sonic.

‘A Matter of Time’ is a record for the lost to find themselves in once more. Blessed with great wisdom, it’s a nourishing arm around the shoulder, an enriching pint with a mate, and, quite simply, divine.

Keyside - Runaway

Liverpool four-piece Keyside are back with their new single ‘Runaway’. The lead single from their upcoming sophomore EP with Modern Sky UK. ‘Runaway’ was recorded at their home city studio, Kempston Street Studios, with The Courteeners and Blossoms producer Chris Taylor.

Image & artwork courtesy of Modern Sky UK.

There’s something beautifully cinematic about ‘Runaway’, the kind that Nick Love and Shane Meadows did so well in their early films. Keyside makes the teenage struggle gritty and real, but their La’s-esque melodies and Johnny Marr's aching beauty make it a romantic expression of escapism.

Frontman Dan Parker has found a space between Lee Mavers and Kyle Falconer vocally. His raw melody and razor-sharp delivery allow him to take his ‘Meat Is Murder’ licks from pain to defiance to elation. Oisin McAvoy’s drums have gone to another level. His crisp stomp provides the perfect backdrop for this coming-of-age gem.  

With three more tracks in 2024, Keyside have set an extremely high standard for the incoming autumn and winter.

The Royston Club - The Patch Where Nothing Grows

The Royston Club, fresh from headlining This Feeling’s By The Sea festival, recently released their comeback single, ‘The Patch Where Nothing Grows’. It was produced by Blossoms and The Courteeners cohort Rich Turvey and recorded at Liverpool’s Kempston Street Studio.

*banner image credit: Sam Crowsto

Artwork courtesy of Fear PR

In 2023, the band proved there was still a need for hooks and anthems from bands. ‘The Patch Where Nothing Grows’ is not a departure from that; it is, however, a marked improvement. What were indie licks and charismatic vocal hooks have now strayed into guttural rock ‘n’ roll.

This single is about realising that you only get one chance, and anything short of all or nothing is cheating yourself. Leading the charge is frontman Tom Faithful. He oozed charisma on the debut, but now, his guttural howl is beset with a desperation that seeks and wreaks!

There is somewhat of a 00s renaissance around these days. Some pastiche, too many parodies, what The Royston Club have done here is neither sonically nor the sound is their own. Spiritually, though, the Libertines riots, the guerilla gigs from The Rakes and The Others, the sense that a band could come out of nowhere, play anywhere, and change lives oozes from their new-found fire.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

The Utopiates - Neighbourhood

The North London groove machine returns with the new single ‘Neighbourhood’ on September 20th. Not resting on the laurels of 2023’s critically acclaimed album ‘The Sun Also Rises’, they have spent 2024 in the studio plotting their next moves.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

‘TSAR’ was an array of baggy, rave, and 90s indie grooves, and those hallmarks remain intact. However, this time round, the jagged NYC funk of LCD Soundsystem and abrasive melodies of TV On The Radio filter into the guitar blasts. It’s freshened up a band already at the cutting edge of things.

The introduction of 00s influences continues with the little touches of Does it Offend Say Yeah and Sportsday Megaphone. The nu-rave touches on the synths and production add subtle depth to a marauding groove.

Lyrically, The Utopiates' debut offered couplets to engage with, but the album was ultimately about the sonic. ‘Neighbourhood, however, takes them to another level. Insightful social comment and guttural polemic unite to add another magic ingredient to the mix.

If there is a blueprint to kick off a run-up to a new album, this is surely it. The key touch points of their origins spark new avenues of creativity to produce yet another indie-dance crossover anthem.

Click the image below for tickets to their next gig:

The Ritz – Back Against The Wall

Burton-on-Trent’s The Ritz Are back with their latest single ‘Back Against The Wall’. It was recorded and produced by Michael Smith (Wolf Alice / Elvis Costello / Spencer Davis Group) at RYP Recordings in London.

Last time out on ‘Only Time Will Tell’, The Ritz tapped into the kind of melody that adorns mass crowds and nostalgic joy. ‘Back Against The Wall’ is the counter-point to this. Serious and intense, it charts a turbulent course that only those of pure heart can navigate.

The windswept majesty of The Crooks and the keys of Richard Ashcroft’s early solo albums signify a focus and drive from the innermost parts of songwriter and frontman Robbie Joyce. Joyce’s vocal vividly lays bare his anxieties alongside newfound sonic distress. The records’ sonic pain and anguish ooze through him but always with earnest effrontery. In the moments when the torture swells (“I know the pain will never heal / Of the hurt, the suffering and the despair”), he manages to wade through the quagmire of despair with humble bravery.

Finley Armitage’s guitars shine on this record, particularly in two short but defining solos. The first solo, inspired by the melancholic grandeur of Andrew Cushin and Noel Gallagher’s ‘Chasing Yesterday,’ amplifies the record's volatility. The second solo, a nod to Richard Ashcroft’s ‘Science of Silence,’ injects a level of power and despair that solidifies The Ritz as serious.

It is, though, the hook of Joyce’s couplet “I can carry all this weight / I can’t leave it up to fate” that carries this record and the band to another level. Its power will drop grown men to their knees in gut-wrenching epiphanic moments of change.

With this single, The Ritz have become a serious player. They’ve always had the melodies, but now they have discovered that music is power, and the journey to their debut album is a drooling prospect.

Twin City – I Feel Alive

Bristol-based Twin City are back with their third single, ‘I Feel Alive’. It’s their first single signed to Bubblebrain Records and was recorded at J&J Studios. Tom Smith (Holy Youth Movement) produced it.

*image credit Iwan Jones. Courtesy of Songbird PR.

Last time out on ‘Solid Gold’, Twin City, although expertly, strayed probably too far into Oasis’ sphere of influence. ‘I Feel Alive’ has hints of ‘Definitely Maybe’ but has a funk to its basslines, charting a course very much of its own.  

Conor Feeney’s exquisite bassline kicks this rock 'n' roll affair off like the Devil emerging from the pub. Its devilish twists and turns funk through the soaring riffs and rock ‘n’ roll despair. Feeney’s killer hook allows Louis and Pete Refson’s guitars to build a wall of sound, climaxing with the escapist licks spiralling alongside Louis’ snarling vocals in sheer ecstasy.

Twin City’s Bubblebrain signing has kicked off in some style. Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming show:

Those Heavy Souls – Everything’s Changing

From the ashes of Cardiff’s Columbia comes Those Heavy Souls, the solo project of frontman Craig Lewis. His debut single ‘Everything’s Changing’ was recorded Kings Road Studios in Cardiff with Andrew Sanders producing and Small Miracles’ Steven Kenward guesting on guitar.

All images courtesy of Those Heavy Souls.

Where Columbia was an expression of sex, drugs, and floor rock n roll, Those Heavy Souls has a more thoughtful slant of attack. The build is more subtle, and the electronic production and trippy drums allow a world of Ian Brown's solo era to unite with early Kasabian.

Frontman Craig Lewis, renowned for his powerful vocals and unwavering belief, as demonstrated in Columbia’s ‘Embrace The Chaos’, now unveils a new facet of his artistry. In this fresh venture, Lewis exhibits a wealth of musicality and delves into the Gothic indie realm of Dave Gahan, with his higher notes echoing his admiration for Rob Harvey. These unexplored dimensions in the chorus testify to Lewis' ability to play with his natural soul and rock 'n roll power, a skill that becomes intoxicating by the end.

Lewis’ first solo venture has proven to be more than fruitful. The psyche licks in the closing stages here, segue exquisitely from his days with Columbia into this new vision. Sonically still a force of a nature but now, with deft touches to elevate him to the next level.

Wull – Amber

Liverpool’s Wull returned with their new single, ‘Amber,’ at the start of May. It follows the raw power of ‘Overrun.’ Will it stack up?

*image courtesy of the band & This Feeling.

Where ‘Overrun’ took the ecstatic moments of The Strokes’ ‘Reptilla’ and the frantic joy of Interpol to dark places, ‘Amber’, while blessed with gothic tinges, has an effortless flow that takes their brand of post-punk to the edge of joyous.

With 'Amber ', Wull's musical evolution is evident. The hopeful energy reminiscent of New Order's ‘Crystal’ collides with the debut album mayhem of Fontaines DC. The climactic moments are like warning sirens, both dystopian and utopian, reflecting the past fourteen years of confusion, loss, and hope. It's a powerful metaphor for those wondering about the potential of incoming change.

Each band member's contribution becomes distinct as the mesh of styles reaches its climax. Drummer Oscar Hellewell's tirade of destruction elevates the record to another realm, while frontman Ben Coles' vocals take on a more ethereal quality. This dynamic allows everything to explode into a moment of post-punk brilliance.

Two singles into 2024 and Wull are looking like one of 2024’s breakout acts.