Alternative » The Alternative Mixtapes

July 27, 2020June 3, 2023

Serenade The Stars – Rewind

Serenade The Stars is a U.K. alternative rock act reminiscent of bands from the late ’90s and early 2000s. While the production of their latest single, Rewind, may have some quirks, the song’s appealing vocals and nostalgic lyrics make it worth a listen. With potential to grow, we look forward to seeing what the band achieves.

Production issues or non-issues aside, I genuinely enjoy the song, and I believe the band’s lead singer has a great voice for alternative rock. The lyrics of “Rewind” explore the concept of revisiting happier times to rediscover our purpose during moments of uncertainty. Overall, I believe Serenade The Stars has significant potential, and we will be rooting for them to fulfill it. Give “Rewind” a listen below and share your thoughts with us—your views on this track are particularly intriguing to me.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative

July 23, 2020June 3, 2023

Neve – It’s Over Now

I wonder what would have happened to Neve if they had released their first and only album during the social media age. In 1999, they achieved a hit single with “It’s Over Now” after it was featured on the movie soundtrack for The Faculty, reaching #30 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. However, due to delays in album release and poor promotion, the record didn’t perform well, leading to Neve being dropped from the label. The band disbanded in 2001, and despite hints of a reunion on their Facebook page, no concrete plans have materialized.

Neve’s self-titled album remains one of my favorites from the 2000s, filled with solid alternative rock songs and the standout track, “It’s Over Now.” If you haven’t heard this song before, you’re in for a treat; and if you have, let’s reminisce about it as this week’s Throwback Thursday, while contemplating the possibilities had they received greater support from their label and fans.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative

July 21, 2020May 23, 2023

Needtobreathe – Hang On

Needtobreathe, stylized as NEEDTOBREATHE, is a band from South Carolina, United States, that has been around for nearly 20 years. During that time, they have consistently released strong and often successful albums (the last one debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart) but, nevertheless, they remain a mostly unknown band to the casual music fan outside the US. Their music style lies on the fence between folk, country and alternative rock. In a way, you could say they are an older and lesser-known version of Mumford & Sons.

The band will release their seventh studio album in August but a couple of their new songs have been made available already, with Hang On being one of those. It is a great song that perfectly represents what the band is about. With its upbeat rhythm and extremely catchy chorus, it got all the necessary ingredients to become a musical crush. Enjoy it below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative
Folk/Indie

July 16, 2020May 16, 2023

My Chemical Romance – Disenchanted

After breaking up in 2013, last year My Chemical Romance offered a concert on December 20 and announced an international tour in 2020. Obviously, due to covid-19, that has been postponed but the fact remains that the band is back together; with rumours of a new album seeing the light next year. In addition to that, Gerard Way has been busy not only releasing his own songs but also writing comic books, with one of them being so successful that Netflix adapted it into a TV series: The Umbrella Academy, which Gerard produces as well. With the second season of this show dropping this month and the return of MCR, I thought now would be as good a time as ever to feature one of my favorite songs from the band as this week’s throwback Thursday.

Disenchanted was included on the band’s third album: 2006’s very successful The Black Parade, and since it wasn’t released as a single on a record that contained several megahits, the song got overlooked. It is a great track, though. I love its acoustic intro that quickly evolves into a full-blown tune, accompanied by some great and deep lyrics from Way. All in all, as with all outstanding songs, Disenchanted should not be forgotten. Listen to it here:

“Well I was there on the day

They sold the cause for the queen

And when the lights all went out

We watched our lives on the screen

I hate the ending myself

But it started with an alright scene“
My Chemical Romance, Disenchanted

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative
Punk-Rock

July 15, 2020May 16, 2023

The Illness – Phrases Redacted

I have to say, Phrases Redacted is a weird song. It is basically Bob Nastanovich (from an old school indie rock band called Pavement) speaking over a stream of groovy sounds. Yet, I really dig it, because the music somehow perfectly complements Bob’s words in a hypnotic way. You can certainly tell that the musicians who form The Illness not only know each other well but also have been making music for a long time.

The band is a UK collective of members from different bands on Sea Records, who had been jamming together at times but procrastinating the formal release of new music until –of all years– 2020, when it finally happened. Phrases Redacted is one of two songs the band has dropped, and it got a similar vibe to “Let Forever Be” from The Chemical Brothers.

You have to listen to this unconventional track by yourself to see what I mean (or watch the video below). Good luck getting it out of your head afterwards.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative

July 14, 2020May 15, 2023

Fan Theories – Next Great Holiday

Next Great Holiday is the debut single of Fan Theories, a band from Helsinki, Finland, founded by two friends who met while they were playing for different bands. Now a 5-piece, the band was lucky to record a few songs just before the world got into lockdown mode due to the pandemic. This allowed them to released their first song this month, which comes accompanied by a very-well-done music video.

Even though they wrote the song last year, its lyrics strike a chord nowadays when we all dream about going on holidays without knowing when we will be able to (proper holidays without that many restrictions). What I really like about this track is its catchy chorus, which really elevates the whole song to another level. If they keep producing songs like Next Great Holiday, Fan Theories is going to be around for a long time.

Listen to this fine piece of Indie rock from Finland here:

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative
Folk/Indie

July 12, 2020May 14, 2023

The Goo Goo Dolls – Tonight, Together

Iris is one of the best alternative rock songs ever written, but The Goo Goo Dolls are much more than that single song. In fact, they have been one of the most consistent bands in the genre, releasing solid-to-great albums every three or four years pretty much since it all started in 1987. I have liked some of them more than others but I can’t recall having disliked any. It can’t get any more consistent than that. In addition to that, they sound really great live.

Just this week, the Goos –who have been pretty active on their social networks during the lockdown– released a deluxe edition of their 2019 album Miracle Pill featuring three previously unreleased songs. Tonight, Together is, in my humble opinion, the best of the bunch and it does sound great, which is why I decided to make an extra entry to the mixtapes today (luckily for me, I got more songs to recommend at the moment than time to write the posts). Do not expect a new Iris (or Slide or Acoustic #3), just enjoy this new track by the band from Buffalo, NY, for what it is: a pretty great rock song!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative

July 10, 2020May 14, 2023

Polar States – 2020

Polar States is a four-piece guitar band from Liverpool, UK (seriously, is there something in the water over there? Is it the Mersey?) that in all likelihood will become the next big British band to take the world by storm. The group got already a cult following despite releasing their first EP less than 3 years ago. They describe themselves as a ‘dark pop’ band but I think their genre is spot on alternative rock.

The band released just last week a new single, 2020, which is extremely catchy and already a musical crush of mine. It has huge potential to become a big hit and if you hadn’t listented to it before, this is your opportunity to do so before it does!

I can’t believe it was recorded in their own houses…

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative

July 2, 2020April 4, 2023

Semisonic – DND

With the news this week that Semisonic is back together with their first song out in 19 years (which is okay but not great), I thought it would be appropriate to reminisce about Semisonic’s great 1998 album, Feeling Strangely Fine, as this week’s #ThrowbackThursday. The record, which was the band’s second album, was without a doubt one of the best ones of 1998. It had three singles, with one of them being a massive success. In fact, some people might think that the band led by Dan Wilson was a one-hit-wonder because of Closing Time, but that would be wrong. The other two singles were also really good and got decent airplay (I do have a soft spot for Secret Smile). However, the song I wanted to highlight here was never a single. It was the sixth track on FSF: DND.

If you have listened to DND before, you probably agree with me on that it is a great tune with that memorable acoustic intro. And if you haven’t, please do yourself a favour and do it here now. Welcome back, Semisonic!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative

June 26, 2020May 13, 2023

Cultures – Away From Us

Cultures is an alternative/indie rock band from Greater Manchester that started just four years ago but has managed to get some attention in that short period of time. In fact, I would not be surprised if they became the next big thing to come out of the Manchester area. The group certainly got the talent for that.

Away From Us is their latest single and it showcases perfectly how much the band has evolved since 2016. It is a guitar-driven song about what it feels like to live away from home for the first time, something many of us can relate to. If this is an indication of where Cultures is heading to, it is clear then that the band is going up. Watch the brand new video (released today!) or listen to the song in the playlists below, and then you’ll be able to brag about listening to Cultures before they became big.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative