This Is War – Rotten

Liverpool’s This Is War return this Friday with their new EP ‘Rotten’. Recorded at Faktory Studios with The Verve’s Si Jones behind the mixing desk, it will be released via Bubblebrain Records. banner image courtesy of Chloe Randall.

Artwork courtesy of The Songbird HQ

2022 was a great journey for This Is War and their fans alike. A single every month, a year-long advent calendar of fine rock music. From ‘Autumn Savage Rose’ to ‘Weekend’, consistent outsider rock anthems were delivered. If this was all they ever made, it would stand proud and long in record collections. Arguably the hardest-working band in the UK, there would always be more! Can the EP stack up to last year’s quality?

Bridging the 2022 run of singles to the EP is the title track ‘Rotten’. The punk guitars of The Clash and The Pistols come out fighting before, This Is War’s innate ability to find something euphoric in a moment of abrasion emerges once more.

Last December saw the band support Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrel in their home city. Time well spent as Razorlight’s early flourish of greatness surfaces on ‘No Pressure’ and ‘Waves’. The sharp biting licks of ‘Up All Night’ are reimagined for This Is War’s indomitable stomp. The poetic hope of ‘Vice’ and the jagged glory of ‘To The Sea’ are reborn via Johnny Roberts hope filled guitars. ‘Waves’ at times, trips along with the joy of ‘In The Morning’ but continuously fades into something more despairing. There could be no better no sonic to light up the lives of working-class people in times of hardship. No matter how hard we try, there’s always another bill fucking you over! Despite this reflection, ‘Waves’ is also blessed great ambition in the closing stages. It brings the power of U2’s ‘War’ through to 2023 with aggression that demands your respect.  

When BRMC made ‘Howl’, something in the rock ‘n’ roll cosmos aligned, the acoustic guitars which seemed so ill-befitting on paper became their natural domain without them losing any outsider credentials. On ‘Promised Land’, This Is War treads a similar path. The acoustic guitars have found a place between Penny Lane and The La’s and shimmer like a memory of The Roses at their peak. Frontman Paul Carden’s vocals are so often a venomous punk rock weapon for people to unite behind a mesmeric. So many frontmen would just soften the delivery, Carden retains his Dylan-esque power but couples it with a pearl of forlorn wisdom to conjure images of Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood telling their younger selves what they know now.  

This is a huge step up in quality for This Is War. Their talent as musicians have gelled with their penchant for punk and rock anthems to produce timeless music. 2022 was a good year for the band by anyone’s standards. The step up in class is perhaps best personified by the acoustic version of last year’s ‘Mona Lisa’. What was gritty and fiery melts into a George Martin-produced classic with Mick Head on guitars.

This is War will playing the Kick Out The Jams stage at the Brighton Mix Up (free entry) next month:

Rolla: Lower Third, London

Manchester’s Rolla kicked off their UK tour at London’s Lower Third last Wednesday to celebrate the release of their debut EP ‘Nothing Less Than Everything’.

To say anything short of a brutal onslaught developed would be tantamount to treason. As their guitars howled with a bludgeoning power and real sense of defiance grew. Death-defying and fearless, Rolla announced themselves as the next headline act powerhouse on the UK scene.

Amid what is a staunchly powerful set, ‘What Kid’ and ‘Explain Yourself To No One’ emerged as behemoth rock ‘n’ roll beasts. The early Oasis and Kasabian machinations ‘Thinking of Tomorrow’ and ‘Sweet Lullaby’ were left looking redundant by their supreme stature. The guitars had an innate ability to cause a fog, a descent into the mire where lost souls became directionless on their own intoxicating terms.

It wasn’t all just blistering psychedelia though. ‘Hey You’, indebted to the twisted funk of ‘Gravity Grave’ grooved around its ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ rhetoric with an ease that oozed a coolness we all dream of, but few possess. ‘No Violence’ showcased a more melodic cadence to the vocals and bigger key changes which conjured a freeing euphoria the set desperately needed. The set’s real point of difference comes from the new EP’s ‘When Life’s Thunder Striking’. Slower in build, and gentler in sonic, it’s a gift-wrapped ticket to the big time. Despite it being the only rest bite in the set for the crowd, they’re not letting it pass without arms aloft and larynxes left in the gutter as badges of honour.

With lucrative record deals and charting singles, a thing of the past, a band’s way out to a better life is far less likely than ever before. What Rolla proved in London is it is still a worthwhile cause. Laying your soul bare to strive for creative greatness despite the world’s race to the bottom is perhaps the only pure thing left to do, and Rolla are showing us the way.

Bloxx – Television Promises

Uxbridge four-piece kick off the run to their new EP ‘Modern Day’ (released 11th August) with the new single ‘Television Promises’ via Scruff of the Neck Records.

Image and artwork courtesy of the band and Zeitgeist PR

Fee Booth’s vocal cadence is utterly majestic. Beset with wit, sarcasm, and a forlornness, Booth moves effortlessly through them all on this love/hate ode to reality TV. Booth has the indie cuteness of Maria Eriksson (The Concretes) and the gentler moments of Ellie Rosswell to lure the masses in but lurking throughout is a frustration threatening to spill over. The angst is divided up between the media and herself for allowing our screens and dreams to be flooded with such mindless drivel.

Lyrically, as much as Bloxx try to draw a cultural line in the sand, the pulling power of phones and aimless programming always pervades. Their honesty in this is what makes this record great. There’s no sense of cultural elitism. Their fallibility allows the listener into their world as its one they know well. Creatively however they are headings toward immortality with divine melodic uplifts and angular licks.

Their debut album ‘Lie Out Loud’ was blessed with some fine moments to launch the into the world. ‘Television Promises’ is a marked leap forward from their humble beginnings. They’re now ticking all the boxes; radio-friendly, great hooks, and culturally relevant. Simply put, it’s great alt-pop music.

Click the image below for tickets to their BBC Introducing show in Manchester:

Shambolics - U Serious Boi?

Shambolics release their debut EP ‘U Serious Boi?’ this Friday via Scruff of the Neck Records. It was recorded at Glasgow’s 7 West Studios and produced by Chris Marshall.

Image & artwork courtesy of Sonic PR

Pre-pandemic, Shambolics were making huge inroads into our hearts and minds with Johnny Marr licks via the DMA’s and Fleetwood Mac. They looked destined to break through like Blossoms and The Lathums with alt-pop gems such as ‘Dreams, Schemes, & Young Teams’ and ‘Sandra Speed’. The time away has done nothing to dampen their spirit but has given them time to reflect upon their sonic.

‘U Serious Boi?’ witnesses the band playing with fuzzy guitars and synths for the first time. Former single ‘Take It Or Leave It’ taps into a hooks of Blossoms and early Madonna then builds a groove around its undeniable bassline. Frontman Darren Forbes delivers a vocal hook so good that Stock Aitken and Waterman will be wondering how they missed it. On ‘Like A Breeze’, Forbes taps into his archetypal infectious Fife vocal as the fuzzed-up guitars bounce along like Ben Folds Five to the chorus.

Lyrically, the Shambolics have always had protagonists of a fragile stature. The frail nature of our heroines witnessed on ‘Sandra Speed’ and ‘Love Collide’ were lit up with great heart and soaring melody. A principle that serves them well on ‘Living In The Shadows’. Delicate beginnings lure souls from the darkness as they point out demons are only ever temporary. The build is gentle and cautious, reflecting the integrity and empath of the band to the plight of others in troubled times. The solo is powerful but brief, just the merest of lights shone to offer hope without ever being self-congratulatory. Elsewhere, the strings lend a cinematic Bacharach quality, bringing further tranquility to proceedings.  

On ‘Never Gonna Change’ and ‘What’s Going On Your Head’ the band reignites the fire of the pre-pandemic singles. The former is alight with the guitars of ‘Queen Is Dead’, ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’, and ‘Boy With The Thorn In His Side’ are given a Lee Mavers (The La’s) and Pete Reilly (The View) makeover. ‘What’s Going On Your Head’ has hints of glam-rock as the devilish guitars build to the finest solo to date. With The Lathums currently on top, both tracks are serving them notice as the Shambolics will surely surpass them sooner rather than later.

Where they’ve explored new textures they haven’t achieved the greatness of the sound we know and love. However, there are elements in those tracks that have teeth and which, if they can unlock fully could enhance their repertoire no end.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Usual Affairs – Elementary to Penitentiary

Edinburgh four-piece Usual Affairs fresh from supporting the mighty Marseille have released the new single ‘Elementary to Penitentiary’. Banner image courtesy Redwood Streets.

Artwork courtesy of the band.

A humbleness circulates lyrically and sonically, allowing their determination to break free from society’s pitfalls shine. Despite the earnestness, Jack Cordey’s emerges from indies’ shadows with a lo-fi take on The Pigeon Detectives and Shambolics to catapult him to stardom. His guitars continuously threaten to become unhinged before launching into a solo that could only erupt from the streets of his youth.

This generation is blessed with the finest array of guitar players since the mid-90s boom of bands. Josh Redding (The Utopiates), Joe Anderson (Pastel), JOe Labrum (Marseille), Joei Sylvester (formerly of The Shakes), Ryan Breslin (The K’s), Matthew Welsh (Ecko), and Andy Hall (The Institutes) have provided enthralling moments of destruction and ecstasy in recent times. On this display, Cordey is feverishly banging on the door to their club.

It begs the question, is their room for Usual Affairs with such prowess already prominent? What is absent from the above is the incisive polemic bassist Cal Gray serves up superbly here. The spirit of ‘Neds’ is lit up by his lyrics and frontman Scott Alexander’s vocal decreeing “How can a young boy’s garden grow / If burning grass is all he’ll ever know?” before they expertly lay the blame for lack of working-class choice at the door of this failed government:

“Charlatans rule the land so ignore their commands”

Their clarion call is devout but never patronising. Alexander’s vocal, akin to Kyle Falconer (The View) and Scott Forbes (Shambolics), has a warmth that leads you into the struggle by their side and never as a blind follower.

Usual Affairs’ story continues next month with a huge headline gig at the Mash House in Edinburgh. Click the image below for tickets:

Rolla - Nothing Less Than Everything

Manchester’s Rolla recently released their debut EP ‘Nothing Less Than Everything’ via Golden Robot Records. It was recorded at the iconic Rockfield Sudios with Nick Brine (Oasis / Stone Roses) producing and Gareth Nuttall (The Lottery Winners, The K’s) mixing.

Image and artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Recent singles ‘Ease My Mind’ and ‘Hey You’ chart a debauched course as they seek out the undiscovered. On ‘Ease My Mind’ Nick McCabe’s sense of exploration links with Serge’s sprawling dynamism on this tale of extracurriculars. While ‘Hey You’ is more nuanced, its power remains equally as feverish. Frontman James Gilmore harnesses the more melodic moments of Tm Meighan’s time in Kasabian alongside a venom not yet seen. The demonic nature of Richard Ashcroft on ‘This IS Music’ and ‘No Knock On My Door’ ooze from his soul whilst his brother Luke’s bass throbs with the grooves of criminally underrated ‘Gravity Grave’. Luke McConnell and Tom Paddon’s guitars have that hissing power of Oasis’ live presence circa 95-97 but, with the deft touches of McCabe. The latter’s influence looms much larger creatively as the band takes you on a journey without a destination to free your soul. The yelps of ‘Rolling People’, the howling furore of ‘A New Decade’, and the perilous defiance of ‘Come On’ unite on what is, as close to pure art as rock ‘n’ roll can sound.

On ‘Explain Yourself To No One’ and ‘What Kid’, they find new ways to soar. The psychedelic howl of Noel’s Union Jack guitar at Maine Road in ’95 and the venomous attitude of Ashcroft at Haigh Hall or Meighan in the 00s roars back to life on these febrile tracks. The former culminates in chest out, nose to the table set of BRMC guitars circa ‘Whatever Happened TO My Rock ‘n’ Roll’. On ‘What Kid’, Gilmore delivers a vocal to enter him into the history books as he nestles in between Tom Meighan and Peter Hayes (BRMC). This swirling cauldron of psychedelic aggression threatens to overspill into pure violence but, lyrically they embed the protagonist with heart and an underdog spirit that us mortals can live through.

Amid the chaos and rebellion, Rolla have delivered a moment of unity on the drugged-up ‘When Life’s Thunder Striking’.  They tap into the soaring orchestration of their peers The Institutes on this tale of melting away from life’s pressures. As sweet as a classic Embrace single and emotive as Ashcroft on ‘Space and Time’ or ‘Weeping Willow’, they’ve given a new generation that last-minute FA Cup final winners are still a possibility.

‘Nothing Less Than Everything’ is the sound of a band who have stared mortality in the face and told it to fuck off. There’s an ease with sex, drugs, and violence not witnessed in some time flowing through them. Defiance oozes through their veins as much as their obvious talent. Strap yourselves in, it’s going to be one of hell of a joyride to those arenas!

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour.

The Cavs – Again

Manchester outfit The Cavs, fresh from their Big In 2023 show with This Feeling are back with their new single ‘Again’. Banner image courtesy of Debbie Ellis.

Artwork by Russell Holden. Courtesy of Moon Man PR.

Elliot Craven’s vocals have hit upon a sweet spot from which the band should never deviate. Delicate enough to allow people to fall in love with him, but bullish enough to make you believe he’ll lead the good fight. The toing and froing from innocence to steeliness vocally lends this tale a sense of drama and peril to overcome which is strikingly rewarding.

Like their previous single ‘Music Is My Madness’, the guitars possess great purpose. With hints of James Dean Bradfield’s dramatic flamboyance, lead guitarist Chris is driving the band a debauched hedonistic space worthy of the ‘Almost famous’ soundtrack.

A fine follow up to their breakthrough EP last year. It’s only a matter of time they make the breakthrough to radio a-lists and main stages at festivals.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming live shows:

Body Type – Holding On

Australian band Body Type are back with their new single ‘Holding On’. It’s the lead single from the eagerly anticipated sophomore album ‘Expired Candy’ (Poison City Records) released 2nd June.

Artwork courtesy of Super Cat PR

Tales of submitting to the passing of time should be melancholic reflective pieces, right? Think on! ‘Holding On’ is a bombastic triumph. The infectious guitars and vocals of The Concretes, the angular licks of The Long Blondes, the harmonies of The Pipettes, and the overriding joy of Kenickie reign supreme.

The vocals Annabel, Sophie, and Georgia impart are nothing short of divine. The cute but spikey drawl of Kate Jackson and Lauren Laverne ignite an excitement that rapidly becomes intoxicating. Collectively they’ve an innate ability to lean into the wry humour of The Pipettes one moment and the antagonistic fire of Jemina Pearl (Be Your Own Pet) the next. The great vocal inflections are met with a solo which, had Mick Ronson spent time in The Long Blondes, he surely would have made.

Difficult second album? Nah!

Click the image below for tour tickets

The Lunar Towers – About Time

The childhood adventures of Cheltenham four-piece The Lunar Towers continue with the new single ‘About Time’. Released today via Colorama Records, it was produced by Ric James. Banner image courtesy of Conor Fensam.

Vocally, Rory Moore has tapped into the smoky form of ‘Pillar 2 Post’ once more. No matter the increased urgency of the guitars around him, he finds a way of evoking Sarah Records legend James Hackett (The Orchids) with his laid-back drawl.

Joe Richardson and Rob Sewell’s guitars were awash with influences on the ‘Hurry Up and Wait’ EP. Here they’ve honed the influences into a precise style that answers the question ‘what if Norman Blake joined The Orchids?’. The fire injection into the heavenly sonic conjures images of young minds emerging from history’s shadows to forge new paths of optimism.

Lurking throughout are moments REM, The Byrds, and the spirit of The Coral’s ‘Distance Inbetween’ looms large. The touchpoints of the greats are being reimagined for a new generation and, with spring in the air, so now is hope with The Lunar Towers.

The Lunar Towers celebrate the release of ‘About Time’ at The Night Owl, Finsbury, London tomorrow night. Click image for tickets:

Rolla – Hey You

Don't wait to be found
Come along with our sound

Image and artwork courtesy of Fear PR

Manchester’s Rolla follow up on their tour with Kasabian with their new single ‘Hey You’. The single is taken from their upcoming debut EP ‘Nothing Less Than Everything’ which will be released on April 5th.

It’s bizarre how a band so seminal as The Verve have remained so uninfluential these past 15 years. Exit Calm was a fine exponent of their work in the early part of the last decade but no one else has really stood up. Like buses, two have come at once in recent times from Manchester. There’s been Pastel, who have been beautifully in tune with delicate jams of ‘Storm In Heaven’. Whereas Rolla have pulled in the power of ‘A Northern Soul’ and the sprawling melody of ‘Urban Hymns’.

If Noel Gallagher had possessed Nick McCabe’s guitar ability then ‘Hey You’ could have been the sound of the Oasis’s third album. Luke McConnell and Tom Paddon’s guitars have that hissing power of Oasis’ live presence circa 95-97 but, with the deft touches of McCabe. The latter’s influence looms much larger creatively as the band takes you on a journey without a destination to free your soul. The yelps of ‘Rolling People’, the howling furore of ‘A New Decade’, and the perilous defiance of ‘Come On’ unite on what is, as close to pure art as rock ‘n’ roll can sound.

Frontman James Gilmore harness the more melodic moments of Tm Meighan’s time in Kasabian alongside a venom not yet seen. The demonic nature of Richard Ashcroft on ‘This IS Music’ and ‘No Knock On My Door’ ooze from his soul whilst his brother Luke’s bass throbs with the grooves of criminally underrated ‘Gravity grave’.

Rolla’s ascent to the top not only looks inevitable, it looks gloriously volatile. They throb with danger and excitement at every turn. They are reigniting the mysticism of the rock star and it’s intoxicating.

 Click here for the last remaining tickets for their UK tour:

The K's: Lafayette, London

Back in 2020, The K’s headlined This Feeling’s Big in 2020 showcase. The promise was there in abundance, but, in a world where record contracts absconded the galaxy and radio airplay is so difficult to come by (despite 4 national alternative stations), fans were left hoping maybe.

For many, the pandemic became a reason, an excuse to fold. Not The K’s. They produced the solemn ‘Valley One’ which grabbed a generation of guitar music fans by heartstrings. Five more singles later and they have a national sold tour to their names. Catch a break? Nah mate, talent plus graft every step of the way.

From the Newcastle fans’ stage left to the die-hards chanting “the K’s are on fire”, the sense of anticipation was oozing from every corner of London’s Lafayette. As anticipation gave way to reality it became obvious that The K’s are not a band of promise anymore. They’ve arrived in the hearts and minds of rock ‘n’ roll fans. Limbs and vocal chords are sacrificed alike as they blast out of the traps with ‘Picture’, ‘Got A Feeling’, ‘Relying On You’, and ‘TV’.

The set is utterly relentless as they follow with new single ‘Chancer’ and fan favourite ‘Glass Towns’. New singles on tour can be tricky, has anyone heard it yet, will it become a piss break. For bands on the up, it’s the chance for the fans to take ownership of it, and man, did they ever. The tale of a risk-taker living for the moment captured the dreams of the sold-out crowd yearning for their own escapism.

Former single ‘Hoping Maybe’ acts more as a lifeline to a crowd feverish with a desire to prove themselves to their new heroes. The singalong anthem has a hymnal quality and its boisterous congregation rejoiced in its illustrious stature.

A special night, a special tour, both sold out. The K’s are indeed on fire and the UK’s cumbersome radio stations are going to have to pay attention now. With an album on the way, it’s inevitable this will be The K’s year.

The Utopiates – Ups and Downs

London-based The Utopiates release the last single before their debut album ‘The Sun Also Rises comes out May 5th via V2 Records. ‘Ups and Downs’, released today follows the bombastic ‘Making History’, can it stand up to its quality?

Artwork and images courtesy of the band.

Former single ‘Best and Worst Days’ was a timeless piece of songwriting that waved goodbye to their early 20s and debauched weekenders. ‘Ups and Downs’ however lands them in the heart of those heady days with rave culture at its heart.

On ‘Illumanise’, ‘Devolution’, and ‘Making History’ a love of dance music has been creeping into their work, and here they let go completely and launch into a rave classic. Keyboardist Ed Godshaw taps into the looping pianos Asha JJ’s rave classic ‘Tribute’ which sends everything heavenwards. Keeping it there is Dan Poppelwell’s mesmerising vocal. Steely and always melodic, he carries the weight of our world on his shoulders with ease as he leads us back to the promised land.

In Josh Redding, The Utopiates may possess a generational talent on guitar. Here though, he steps back from his axe to allow their instinctive love of rave to take precedence. It harks back to Primal Scream’s ‘Screamadelica’ and Bobby Gillespie knowing when his time was in the shadows. The selflessness becomes as uplifting as the track itself.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Balado – Paper Airplanes

Glasgow five-piece Balado recently released their new single ‘Paper Airplanes’. Recorded at Mark Morrow’s Studio B with Ewan Simpson behind the mixing desk it follows their smoky-blues rock ‘n’ roll anthem ‘Black Shadow’ from last October.

Image & artwork courtesy of The Songbird PR.

‘Paper Airplanes’ tells the tale of the band’s journey through their teenage years as rogue students and how they got their rocks off. Danny Bonner’s opening riffs burrow straight to the heart with pangs of nostalgia which frontman Jamie Finnigan’s heightens exquisitely as he decrees:

“Those are the days that you will see never again for you and me”

Many would stay in this lane of nostalgia, especially with guitar parts this strong. Not Balado! They inject ‘Paper Airplanes’ with drum fills, hi-hats, and a solo of joyous defiance. The no-mark teacher who labelled “neds” well and truly exorcised from their past.

With two fingers up the 00s-esque solo resounds out proud, Balado will not have their past demeaned. Their playful sense of pride should breed confidence in future generations. Don’t let the bastards ground you down, the future is always unwritten.

The Kairos - Thick Of It

Liverpool outfit The Kairos recently released their new single ‘Thick Of It’. Recorded at The Motor Museum, it is the lead single from their upcoming EP ‘Better Late Than Never’.

Image & artwork courtesy of The Songbird PR

Through Tom Dempsey’s guitars, vocals, and Owen Forrester’s guitars, a huge sense of anticipation is conjured akin to the celestial dance meets rock music of Rob Harvey and Adam Nutter’s The Music.

Like their Leeds elders, the ability to slide from the mystical into a stomping guitar hook is prominent. Dempseys’ vocal is blessed with a grandness that builds such excitement it creates alternate realities to escape to. It’s the perfect platform for the band to switch up the tempo into something far more direct. The hook is reminiscent of Hot Chip’s classic solo on ‘Over and Over’ is the dictionary definition of indie floorfiller. Muscular but welcoming, it goes through the gears rapidly and begs you to stomp with arms aloft like you own the world!

‘Thick Of It’ follows a fine run of singles in ‘Time Keeper’, ‘Lazy Lethargic’, and ‘Round The Bend’. All of these show a band who have seriously kicked on from their initial pre-lockdown form. They are toying with the 00s hook-heavy scene and more expansive rock music with the skill of seasoned masters, not young upstarts. 2023 could well be their breakout year.

Click the image below for their hometown show in May:

Hazy Sundays – Hear The Truth

Back in January, Glasgow’s Hazy Sundays blew everyone’s hangovers away with the boozy anthem ‘Lose Control’. The four-piece are back again with their new single ‘Hear The Truth’

Oasis’ ‘Columbia’, an afterthought to many due to their pantheon of monster hits. For die-hard fans though, its swirling psyche was peak Oasis. A theme that Kasabian pursued with interest on their classic debut album. Hazy Sundays are now throwing their hat into the mix on ‘Hear The Truth’.

Lead guitarist Mark Devlin has the powerful simplicity of Peter Buck’s ‘What’s The Frequency’, the early hiss of Noel’s Gibson, and Serge’s ability to loop psychedelic riffs merging effortlessly. Devlin’s playing is beset with excess and hedonism which lay the platform for frontman Shaun Kenny’s vocal to snarl through the hysteria.

Like ‘Columbia’, ‘Hear The Truth’ remains in a groove too slow to dance to. Nevertheless, like it’s predecessor, it possesses a danger that takes you to the edge of chaos in a mystical fashion.

*image courtesy of the band

Click the image below for tickets to their support slot with Holy Coves:

Rosellas – Hideaway

Manchester’s Rosellas kicked off their UK tour last Thursday in fine style at London’s Grace. Marking the occasion was the release of their new single ‘Hideaway’.

To date, Rosellas have been a band with great promise. Single after single they showcased something fresh and, on ‘Hideaway’ they have pulled it all together. It’s a thunderous piece of rock-psyche that brings the five-piece out of indie’s shadows into the main stage spotlight.

The great harmonies developed on the ‘Slowdance’ and ‘Damaged’ are enhanced by a more direct approach to the guitar parts. Gone are the chilled stoner lo-fi guitars and in their place are bullish licks destined for stadiums. Squire’s flair collides with McCabe’s introverted genius on this brooding epic.

Many bands have a penny-drop moment. For The Libertines, it was seeing The Strokes live. Out went the 60s flower power melodies and in came the debauched punk we know and love. For the Rosellas, it’s the injection of aggression to their love of Shack and The Smiths. It’s taken the band to another level that few today can compete with.

*banner image courtesy of Fear Pr and Barnaby Fairley

Click the image for tickets to the Rosellas’ current tour:

Noah and The Loners – Protest Anger

London’s Noah and The Loners follow up their debut single ‘Teenage Tragedy’ with the throwback punk anthem ‘Protest Anger’ via Marshall Records.

The jagged edges of Wilko Johnson’s playing on ‘Roxette’ are given a visceral IDLES makeover on this tale of political angst. Their polemic spits venom like the Crass and Minor Threat but, unlike their punk elders, there’s a sense of building from the ground up rather than smashing the system.

Noah Lonergan’s vocal is a snarling mesh of Polystyrene’s innocence and Joe Talbot’s righteousness as he unleashes the spirit of ’76 to a new generation of rebels! Accompanying it is Joseph Boyle’s scintillating punk-cum blues solo that brings early Dr. Feelgood and Chris Spedding to the edge of Mick Jones’ explosive genius.

*image courtesy of End of the Trail Creative

Noah and The Loners play Brighton’s Great Escape Festival this May. Click the image for tickets:

The K’s – Chancer

Earlestown’s finest The K’s are back with their second single of 2023 ‘Chancer’. Since the release of ‘Hoping Maybe’ back in January, they have embarked on a sold-out tour and been added to the main stages of Godiva Festival, Golden Touch Festival, and the inaugural This Feeling By The Sea in Bridlington. Can they maintain the momentum?

Last time out they were in an achingly beautiful mood. ‘Chancer’ retains the cinematic beauty of ‘Hoping Maybe’ whilst returning to the instantaneous and muscular guitar power of their earlier singles. The ordinary streets of ‘Hometown’ resurface as our protagonist is separated from his friends but, embraces the night’s danger with the infectious “fuck it” attitude of Joe Dempsie’s portrayal of Chris in Skins.

‘Chancer’ is the sound of a band fully harmonious with its identity. Frontman Jamie Boyle is now toying with his vocal cadence like a seasoned master whilst guitarist Ryan Breslin, howls into the night sky like Edge at his best, massive yet understated.

Track by track The K’s are injecting the UK with a sense of hope. Their social comment is more poetic than cultural observers of Britpop and their guitars more unifying than the dirty rock ‘n’ rollers of the 00s. They are forging a new path for rock ‘n’ roll, log may it continue.

*image courtesy of Olivia McDowall & CDP Radio PR

Click the image below for tickets to This Feeling By The Sea:

The Lilacs - Sticky Dancefloors

Wigan outfit The Lilacs released their latest single ‘Sticky Dancefloors’ last week. Recorded at Sugar House Catalyst Studios in St. Helens it follows last year’s EP ‘Red Flags & Warning Signs’.

Artwork made by & courtesy of the band.

Lead guitarist Sam Birchall’s guitar parts have a muscular but inviting quality has finds a space between The Pigeon Detectives and ‘St. Jude’ era Courteeners on this tale of indie nightclubs. His raw power is gloriously offset by frontman Ollie Anglesa’s indie-soul power.

Anglesa’s vocal draws from the warmth of Tom Concannon (Stanleys) and the brash immediacy of The Clause’s Pearce Macca allowing the guitars to explode like fireworks. The guitars fizz with such power that Anglesa’s vocal is not just on point, it’s vital to the song’s success. It allows the listener a way into the sonic and an ability to feel a part of something greater. What could be a more perfect display of love for indie nightclubs?

*banner image courtesy of Barnaby Fairley

Click the image below for tickets to The Lilacs tour:

Senses – Harder Now (For Love)

Coventry’s Senses have followed in the footsteps of The Institutes by signing to the impeccable 42s Records. Last week they released their ‘Harder Now (For Love)’ which was produced by the legendary Gavin Monaghan (Fitzroy Holt / MOSES / Lyerr) at Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton.

Image & artwork courtesy of 42s Records.

On the surface, ‘Harder Now’ seems a straight-up rock ‘n’ roll number. Scratch beneath the surface and an array of influences and juxtapositions emerge. Brian Callan and Kevin Kavanagh’s brooding guitars are awash with great juxtaposition. There’s a Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre lo-fi quality chiming with the directness of Oasis’ ‘Heathen Chemistry’ and ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ era. When they combine with Callan’s lead and Ian Finnegan’s backing vocal, they create a wall of sound worthy of Soundtracks Of Our Lives peak.

Callan’s vocal takes Jonathan Richman’s drawl for a joyride with the sprawling psyche of Revolver’s Mat Flint and the punky-pop snarl of Senseless Things’ Mark Keds. Callan has an innate talent to glide toward spoken without fully landing there. It serves their lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll and punk instincts well by elevating the song’s drama during the glorious vocal hook of the chorus and the scintillating guitar parts in the closing stages.

‘Harder Now (For Love)’ will be the first of three singles via 42s Records in March and April. Click the image below for tickets to their album launch gig: