Motko - Home
- English (US)
This is a running era of singles. In the streaming time today, albums are increasingly treated as collections of singles. They are specifically designed for playlists. Sustained listening is secondary. A recent debut album by Motko, Home moves decisively in the opposite direction. Conceived as a cinematic, scene-based work rather than a sequence of standalone tracks, the record asks listeners to be with and in a world, a big no to consuming isolated moments. The result is an album that rewards patience. It unfolds like a mix of traditional rock release and a series of interconnected emotional landscapes.
Mad Painter - Spin Your Ventilator
- English (US)
There are some kinds of rock songs that have no interest in trying to modernize themselves. They step confidently into the past, borrow the swagger, groove, and theatricality of psychedelic rock while trusting that timeless riffs never really go out of style. Spin Your Ventilator, from Mad Painter's album Island Poetry, does exactly that.
ReeToxA - Bottle
- English (US)
Some songs are written in the moment. Others spend years waiting for the right time to be heard. Reetoxa's latest song Bottle belongs to the latter. Originally, the song was written by frontman Jason McKee in his teenage years before finding its place on Soliloquy. The track carries the rare weight of a song that has aged with its creator.
The Iddy-Biddies - The World Inside
- English (US)
The Iddy-Biddies is rooted in folk-inspired classic rock but brushed with a gentle haze of old-school pop rock.
Groovy Shirt Club - Believe
- English (US)
Groovy Shirt Club continues to carve out a distinctive space in the indie music scene with songs that balance nostalgia and sincerity.
Blues Corner - All That We Are
- English (US)
An album made for a road trip. The songs bring with them an electric charge. The gears and the genres shift together, and you know the trip is going to be a memorable one. All That We Are by Blues Corner is exactly that.
The Nightbirds - Art.
- English (US)
An album you would put on shuffle while travelling to the countryside. The drums build with acceleration, and your car moves on the smooth asphalt just as the beat progresses. Art. by The Nightbirds is just the pick.
Gary Dranow-Twisted Minds
Gary Dranow is kicking sound into a gear many of us will never know. He already has his release Destiny Road out, a Peter Frampton style track with some manic instrumentals. Now, we look at an overlooked but rock heavy track by him. This is his superb single, Twisted Minds. Some people search frantically for a road trip rock song. When you’re sick and tired of Whitesnake and Scorpions, understand there are some other axe wielders. Here, Gary Dranow brings his Deep Purple love out, with synth and guitar heavy rhythm. The layers and mix allows the track to be appreciated for the pub swinger that it is. The guitar licks have a delicious tang to it, something that puts it apart from pop punk drillers. While some rock tracks linger around the outside, you are invited for a sound spiral with this exciting and intriguing number. The guitar solo is exceptional, tasteful and melodically phrased. You’ll be repeatedly blasting this through your car till the trip ends. Special thanks to the keys solo as well!Films like Easy Rider and Dazed & Confused with Almost Famous come to mind. These are tracks where you go the distance, face changes head on and definitely rock on. The group in question is against all odds, and brings its own dynamic that is the showstopper and essential premise. Gary Dranow is the master orchestrator, and he has managed to conjure a vibe more powerful than most chart toppers have in the past few years. Rock out to his track and follow him!
The Freight-See Ya
The Freight are appropriately named. Charging in like a train from the past, they deliver to the future. Bringing the lost sound of 80s rock, this is a revival worth raving about. Their catchy music is inspired by entire decades of music. They were born with it, grew up listening to it, and give us an unadulterated version of it now. This is their latest single, See Ya. While the riffage style might be from the classic vault by the legends, they bring the execution From Mountain to Deep Purple, you can hear the sounds sharper than a train horn. Identifiable and enviable in the ease with which they perform, you would wish to hear this live. The synths, like Jon Lord, pull you out from the moment and set you back in with purpose. The guitars bring the noise as much as they do the melody, and you’re swinging in no time. You might be a newbie to their sound, but don’t tell me you’re not an instant fan. The Boston based band clear the tracks with just their presence, and you can cash in on that. This would fit any Quentin Tarantino action flick, but I’d like to see it in Kill Bill. Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk, would also rock this scene for the bus fight, which I encourage you to check out. Bottom line, The Freight enjoy what they make and do, and it shows. Check out their tracks like Show Me & Overrated for a good dosage of demolition drive rock. In case you haven’t boarded the train yet, see ya.
Mad Painter-Rock and Roll Samurai
Mad Painter has the pageantry and aplomb of a star group. Like Meatloaf, you can hear their songs to be visual and audio epics. Their sense of composition and arrangement is unparalleled for an indie project like this. Energy shifts from place to place in their songs, it is never lost. This is their latest single, Rock and Roll Samurai. I don’t know what visual might come to you when you hear that term. Welding a Gibson axe and an all leather karate gi, you can expect mayhem from this warrior. With a Deep Purple like intro, the synth immediately goes on the pedestal. Quick paced, energetic and full of drive, this song is only to be played on 5th gear. The organ support with the distorted guitar gives an Ian Gillian kind of edge to Mad Painter. You can expect nothing to take a backseat in this song. Right from the get-go, you’re treated to a 220V charged band like appeal, the zeal is electric. The chorus is unique and kick-ass, a balance very often lost due to trying too hard. Mad Painter’s way is to create an intensely catchy hook that you’d want to hum and sing when you feel like it. From Rock the Kasbah & School of Rock, this song bleeds rock and roll. It is an instant zap back to the late 70s, where this used to be airplay regularly. The attack and energy would make for some engaging scenes where rock-ery is in full form. Listen to Mad Painter’s self-titled debut and Illusion for some eye-opening rock revival. Devil Horns up and indulge!
Roxercat-Crime
The legacy of Roxercat will be through their fascinating music. If you haven’t heard of them, it’s a crime. You’ve never read foreshadowing like this. A trio that brings the life back to live music, we listen to their single today, called Crime. Sorry, but not sorry. Featured in their EP from earlier this year called Pearls, this is one of their hardest hitters. It is difficult to balance a groovy intro without it becoming the mainstay. However, if you have experience like Roxercat does, you’re going to live in the groove. With a bass intro leading to a swinging rock rhythm, you can feel the beat in your bones. When you thought that could be enough, a guitar solo pretty much kicks the door wide open. It’s like listening to Steve Vai, but there are incredible vocals involved. The bridge involves quite the exchange between the guitar and the vocals, and keeps the wattage of this song on max. If anything, I can guarantee you that you haven’t heard lead guitar work like that in several years from an indie band. There is a threshold of awesome that exists for a band to make a legacy. Roxercat crossed that threshold one EP ago. I can assure you this isn’t an advertisement of any sort, the proof is in the pudding. I’d have loved to have heard this one on The Italian Job, any really cool heist movie would do. I’m banking on an Ocean’s follow up just so that this band can make the soundtrack. You can listen to their EP and follow them on Spotify for more great rock and roll. For now, sign off with a calling card for crime.
Filip Dahl-Can You See the World
Sometimes it’s not enough to listen Filip Dahl belt out a song. You have to actually see it to believe it. A true rock fanatic with an ingrained essence of rock in his music, there is a special kind of sound this artist exudes. You can get to know it’s Filip with the extensive multi-instrumental madness, along with flowing melodies in any of his songs. This is his latest single, Can You See the World. With just the opening, you can hear so much. The mystery comes from a darker tone, which opens the song. It might be the dread of the current scenario we live through, narrated notationally. As the sweet solo opens it, you hear a tone maybe only Satch could control, but a soul to the sound only Gilmour could execute. The opening does sound all kinds of classic rock, like Wishbone Ash, but essentially like Filip Dahl. The lyrics are meaningful and create the pool of depth along with the guitar playing. The verse section instrumental itself has so much character, being a progression you rarely hear. I guess this is what you must expect from a virtuoso producer, performer and composer. Though the lyrics make it specific, a wonderful version of this song, maybe an instrumental, would be ideal for Blue Planet-the documentary. Filip has so much signature tone and sound with just his instruments, the original broth of the song is retained. Listen to his 2022 album Storyteller, for a masterclass in composition and narrative making. Follow him for more incredible music!