Snayx-Cigarette
If their 2018 track Deranged made you presume they were a one hit wonder, Snayx surprised you. Come 2019, they released Body Language, a kicking single that made you want to dance your boots off. Last year was another fun track False Friends, so you better bank on the fact that they aren’t taking it easy. This is Snayx with Cigarette. With a riff that revamps the Kyuss and early QOTSA years, Snayx have a penchant for drama. It’s all screen all formats OTT drama, so there’s really no time or place for it. With a catchy hook and equally catchy lyrics, they know exactly what adventure ride everyone likes to repeat at the park, and they’re giving out VIP tickets. Cigarette has the harmonics and musicality of a pop-punk hit, but by the time Snayx are done doctoring what you hear, you’re in a whole new spectrum. Coming off their huge sounds in Body Language and bass heavy riffs that have dominated their tracks, this group isn’t really scared of taking risks according to sound or what we hear. They’re very much in that “finding yourself” phase, but we get a kicker out of each spiritual renaissance. They take effort and give out top class produced tracks with no signs of slacking or sub-standard quality work. Luckily, they’re touring now in the UK, so whoever is lucky enough to listen to them live, please do so. We can promise you’ll need a cigarette afterwords. I surely see this tune in the movie Now You See Me, seems like a perfect fit for one of those high-octane scenes! Check out the movie here - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1670345/
Ali Pips-Yours Truly, Ms. Darkside
Ali Pips features once again as the anonymously elected queen of the scares. After her previous single Mad Queen, she has resurfaced after her nap in the grave for Yours Truly, Ms. Darkside. It is a jazz-fusion number based on rock-and has plenty to unpack. So let’s get 6 feet under for the song. Yours Truly, Ms. Darkside is showing Ali Pips sitting on her own throne of this genre, and this scale. Her melodies incite a certain helplessness, and ignite something you might dread. If this is a ramp walk with Mike Myers, Freddy & the other greats of scare, Ali Pips will walk as the headliner. You better bet this song will be playing, because it defines her signature piano playing and jazz alternative approach clearer than your demise at the climax of a horror film. Her style is assuredly leaning towards a darker sound, so the Halloween release makes a lot of sense. As she explores the theme she has chosen, or has chosen her, we see some interesting flourishes. The breakdown at the two minute mark is a melodic monologue of sorts, with the marching style beat dropping a dark shroud over the songs overall feel. The piano work sells the depth of the song, and shows how masterfully Ali can navigate her primary instrument. This song would fit great into the movie Wonderwoman! Check out the movie here - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wonder_woman_2017
Slooga-Jumpin’
I don’t know who else is obsessed with the Cobra Kai soundtrack, I know I am. Airbourne, Judas Priest, and AC/DC. They might have missed a great artist, Slooga. Everything you know you’ve missed after 3 seconds into the song. Their new track Jumpin‘ from the album of the same name is a blues rocker that is sure to be your “walking away from explosion” song. Slooga play some hot blues rock, so its no wonder their fans are huge ZZ Top and AC/DC fans. One listen of this song isn’t even close to enough, because that swinging riff needs a patent of its own. Inspired by the likes of Bonamassa and other blues legends, they lean into the rock half much more. With lyrics I couldn’t even pay attention because of the instrumentality, I have thoroughly enjoyed this track. There are elements of stone cold 70s-80s rock which can’t be missed even if you’re heading towards a blues infused aneurysm. That solo was so good, I had to start a new paragraph for it. Slinging with the energy and suave of a completely new track, it might need an autobiography of its own. Precursor to which is the riff that dominates it, the solo carves its own niche with shredding power along with slides and swings I can’t keep track of. This EP is going to dominate Slooga’s legacy, so I suggest you dive into this album with no premonitions and the intention of having your mind blown. This song easily fits into Cobra Kai like I mentioned right out of the gates! Check out the series here - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/cobra_kai
Near Death Experience(NDX) - Found
Near Death Experience have been in charge of reviving their version of psychedelic rock. Hailing from Ealing, London-this band has been giving electric live shows for some time now. For those who want those famous goosebumps while listening to music, Near Death Experience (NDX) can be of help. NDX have released an album Mouth to Mouth in 2019 and singles all the way to their new track. Found is their single for 2022, and is a dynamite entry back into the indie music game. After listening to their cascading capital of a track, I also had a chance to ask them some questions about their journey. Read on while listening to their track. 1) Found has the ability to transform into a massive jam track like Grateful Dead if the moment allows it. How do you go about writing such songs? Although we love crafting tight, catchy songs that fuse together rock, soul and funk wrapped in a psychedelic sound, we also love to improvise around these ideas, and have a great band chemistry that enables us to do this when playing live. This means that any song can morph into a seventies-style epic at any moment, particularly if the audience is getting into the groove. It makes for very spontaneous and exciting live performances. So the song comes first – but we also ain’t afraid to jam to take it to another place! All their songs have the ability to push boundaries and have a dynamic open ended relationship. The same goes for this track, an alt-rock revisit with their classic take on psychedelia with the sound. Finding peace within the pieces, making a perfect combination of sound from all the live instruments. You’ll be far fetched to find a vocalist you want to follow through the verses more than Ian here. 2) Your first album Mouth to Mouth was a unique take on this genre that shaped you. How was the journey finding your own sound? Each member of NDX has had their own music journey, which has been influenced by the rock, soul and psychedelia of the late sixties and early seventies. Our journeys converged in Ealing, London in late 2016, and we soon realized there was a great chemistry between us. First we worked on some of my (singer Ian ‘Lightning’ Whiteling) original songs, when started writing as a band, and very soon we found that we were creating a unique sound where rock, soul and funk collide. What’s more, each of our songs has a wonderful space and dynamic created by the fact that we bring together electric and acoustic guitars, rather than twin electric guitars. And the rhythmical complementary styles of me and guitarist Bill ’The Professor’ Marten on electric guitar makes for some fabulous interplay, while the drums of Alan ’The Milkman’ Perkins and bass of Amar ’The Groovemeister’ Grover lay down the grooves. The conscious decision to bring in one electric and one acoustic creates a diatonal effect which adds an exciting sound the kind of quirky dynamic of this band. It’s a slight departure from the sounds that made Mouth to Mouth, but we’re looking at an ever-evolving band that are game to jam if the moment asks for it. 3) Many of your tracks are well received because of how relatable and simple they are, and poetry through the instruments. Do you think about switching genres for a different sound? I think our sound is constantly developing, and we’ll bring more genres of the sixties and seventies into play as we progress, perhaps moving more into soul, or maybe funk, who knows! Recreating a renaissance sound with more quality means addition of several layers. This can be heard in all their songs since Lord, Everything and Religion. Instead of complicating the sounds and lyrics like some bands, Near Death Experience take joy in knowing that their audience will be grooving to what is coming. 4) Has the pandemic affected your take on performances and making music in general? We always live for playing live, so the pandemic hit us hard, but it also taught that you just have to keep on keeping on, and working through every problem you face as a band. So we knew we had to put playing live to one side, and we focused on writing and worked out a way to record all our parts separately and bring them all together in the studio. This saw us write and release a series of singles that honed our sound and are certainly our best work to date. Following your passion through this entire predicament is what has defined some bands from many quitters. Some circumstances have been stark in divide, yet some power through and move forward, never losing stride. 5) Does 2022 have the second album for NDX ready? How about touring and local shows? As soon as the London lockdown lifted in July 2021, we were ready to play live and embarked on a series of gigs around the UK capital called the Summer of Love Tour, because it was so euphoric for both us and our audiences to have live music back. This has carried on, turning into The Winter of Love tour, and we’re still going! This year we will launch our second album, The Release, which as originally planned in 2020. It will bring together our releases during the pandemic, with a couple of surprising extended versions, and some new songs still to come. This track will be a perfect fit for the movie Shanghai Noon, check out the movie here - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shanghai_noon
Crux-Save Me
There is a melange of sounds that collide to make Crux who they are. This is a band formed with varied influences, and it creates for a surprising journey that is tantalising and creative. Their latest single expresses all those emotives, and phrases of inspirations that have created this dramatic poetry you’ll hear. This is their single, Save Me. With phasing synths, we enter this unfamiliar realm that Crux creates. The intro is like a slow burn mystery, almost like a search for some truth. As we foray into this uncharted territory, the intro allows us to meditate before they take a Steven Wilson turn. The keys and the harmonised vocals are like an isolated choir, almost ominous. The vocals take the high pitched falsettos of Matt Bellamy, yet have the pained honesty of Max’s voice. This is absolution that will lead to redemption, and those are the routes the song will take. The synths supporting the vocals have the melancholy of strings, yet resonate with a much stronger sound. The preface being a long, convoluted intro helps in meditating over what the song aims to narrate. The visuals drawn up will be much more stark, films like Sean Penn’s Mystic River and Demolition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. It is a bleak break, a crack of light needed to change over from the sordid ways of this protagonist. Max’s voice and the band creating this mystery laced rhythm does justice to this song. So go ahead, and try to imagine what visuals this song created for you! If you want to get more of Crux, listen to their singles like Living in Dystopia & Radgie Gadgie, some of their best work. This is a perfect prose from Crux, so enjoy!
Agent Envy-No Friend
Agent Envy has the keys and means to the post-grunge rock universe. Starting off with incredible covers of her favourite songs, she has progressed to create some rattling, rocking originals. Today we look at No Friend, her snippet of the alt-rock creation that is organic yet obliterates any sense of doubt that this is a rock star in the making. Opening with an intriguing, mystery formulating bassline, her vocals come in soft, but wary. It is worth the warning she is issuing, creating a foreboding environment. This is where she capitalizes on her dynamic voice range, shifting from soft to aggressive with just a change in pitch or the modulation. As the overdrive guitars explode, you can hear the Deftones influence clear as day, the vocals taking the route of Chino’s alleyways and styles. As Agent Envy recedes into the verse, the second push is stronger, and brings more of the harmonics and layers. It is a perfect embodiment of who she identifies as a musician, forging a weapon so uniquely marked with her fingerprints-it is evident. The bridge brings the kind of build a chorus like this deserves, intensifying the emotion and range. Any classic revenge film comes to mind with this song, especially the scenes in John Wick and the Bourne series, where friend turns to enemy. Agent Envy banks on her speciality of the vocal ballet she can perform with her tantalizing and powerful voice, resonating with the lyrics she writes. Listen to her covers of Deftones and Nirvana, along with her soul shaking originals.
Gary Dranow-Destiny Road
Gary Dranow has one of those elusive tones. I don’t talk about his instruments, but his phrasing. He and his band, The Manic Emotions, have brought about a unique spectrum, something that is extremely rare nowadays. It is a comfortable slice between Peter Frampton and Gary Moore, if they were to collaborate. This might seem absurd now, but hear it in his single, Destiny Road. With a synth punch and the band kicking in together, this is something you don’t hear much now. People try to build to their sound, but Gary Dranow gives you the whole story together. A beautiful guitar intro brings us into their well sculpted verse. The arrangement keeps the song exciting, trying to blend in the fresh aspects of instrumentals and the lyrical surrealism. The breaks also focus on the magic of the guitar and the kind of shift it can bring, to the style. I’ve loved the synth sound for the entirety of the song, almost carrying the background till it hands the baton to the guitar. This is a song I can definitely hear in films that would be defined by songs, such as Rock of Ages and maybe in The Karate Kid follow-up series, Cobra Kai. It has the definitive early 70s rock touch to it, yet has the soul to ride in to any rock packed film or series. Listen to Fool Outta Me and & Twisted Minds as well, to see his entire dynamic range!
Alec Berlin-Minir Maad
Some artists can’t do without lyrics. Alec Berlin aims to do without them. His songwriting has a vocal ghost that trails it, making each instrumental part seem like choice verse sections. From the time I heard his single Life in the Bog, there was a tectonic shift. Phrasings and alternates to create this saucerful of notes is what we aim to hear. This is his latest single, Minir Maad. Shuffling through minor keys, Alec Berlin takes us through an Arabic wonderland. For this track, call him Scheherazade, because he is narrating an enamouring tale with just his stringed instrument. So the name of the track comes from Minor Mod, and the Algerian strain makes it something exotic! The choice of instrumental sorcery is abundant and scarce, shifting through paths and alleys to show us what he experienced. The “chorus” has some exciting bends and twists, making this song the carpet ride that it is. Here, Alec Berlin details a documentary as a traveller through the Arabian Peninsula. I could definitely see this featured on Somebody Feed Phil and Dark Tourist. Shows that definitely try to expand and broaden the horizons of thought with different takes in culture, that you must check out. If you truly want to hear Alec Berlin’s sound, you better shuffle through his entire catalogue. Each sound and approach is different. President’s Day, What I Wish I Had Said and Patchen Avenue are some favourites. So go ahead, travel the world of sounds with this talented guitar virtuoso.
Merrymount!-The State I'm In
The sound that Merrymount! has is unlike any other. They have found it through constant experimentation, or plain chemistry. This is a band that chases tone as much as it is deserved, to make this enthralling, unique, enveloping sound. After their 2018 album release, they are back with their latest single, The State I’m In. It is a brilliant scuba dive into a lagoon that is as personal as it is invigorating. A wave that is characterized by flowing guitar sounds pulls you out from the silence. The percussion rhythm section is unique, almost a gallop. As you traverse through this pastureland, it is evident that what is coming from this band is something special. The vocals float gently over these tidal flows of chord changes. The marching band kind of beat is something that is apt, yet feels experimental for when the bridge section comes in. One of those things where the thing you hear is what is concretized. The bridge section is a lovely departure from the usual choice that could have come as well. The balance and mix getting louder towards the 3-minute mark is the highlight, feels like the tide crash you’ve been waiting for. This song would have been perfect for Blue Valentine or new love, like The Big Sick. Though both are contrasting films, it is transparent, the emotion of love at the end of the film. This is a song that is rich in dynamic shifts and strays away from the norm. Check out Merrymount! in their 2018 album Heart of Universe as well, to enjoy a band that is always growing!
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!
Indya-Raise Ya Vibration
Indya commands the sound she carries. Her music is a cacophony cocktail that every true music fan will enjoy. Her energy is unmatched, and the delivery of vocals is incomparable. The kind of kick you get from her rock tracks is the spine of your party, that is what people wait for. This is her latest single, Raise Ya Vibration. Kick it to 5th gear instantly. Indya has not much time for build-ups, and her track shows. She has the drive and need to bring this intense punk rock tempo and energy. Her sound also tries to blend a new genre this time, a reggae swing. Though the aggressive distorted guitar and her fuel powered intensity is what gives the song its vibration, she keeps the song constructed within crests and waves. It pays off well, as we return to a crushing, explosive chorus with a guitar solo. It is the epitome of rock mixes, and is packed with the dynamite a song like this would need. Films like 6 Underground, Kill Bill and Mad Max could have kicked it with this song for the opening. Grabbing attention, it also classifies the protagonist as an instant badass. The tempo also allows the scene to flick by soon, while still carrying the kind of gravity it does. You would have heard her sound in indie playlists with tracks like I Wanna Be The One, Little Crush & Harder Faster among others. She is a bullet that has left the chamber, and will only gather more speed. Listen to her and support her incredible sound!
AnnaBella-Liar, Liar
AnnaBella is a duo you won’t find very often. A songwriter duo of a vintage doll, Anna and the singer/performer Bella, who have a symbiotic relationship in music. The doll writes, the singer performs. This results in a volatile combination of hard rock and voluminous guitar sounds. This is the latest single from this duo, Liar, Liar. There is more than a hint of contempt from AnnaBella. The truth can be evaded, but only for so long. They wait for judgement day, with hands clasped in joy. This is a rock song that brings slowly burns into the chorus, and is a rocking one. The chords strike hard and relinquish, trying every effect to bring in the drama for the lyrical push. The verse section has some simple, luring electric guitar groove. The drums help in leading the track to the punch of the chorus, the bridge almost reminiscent of a choir. The hook is in the chorus, brimming with the energy necessary to power the track through. The production allows the kick to be felt, not only heard. I would definitely chart this for the biography for AnnaBella. This is an interesting tale that would have an intriguing story, and the scene almost looks too perfect. As the guilty is traced, you see these masterminds cackling with joy. You can hear this intense combo in their other singles like Homewrecker & Replaced. They are just getting started, and we can’t wait to see where they go. Till then enjoy their single and watch your back!