Manchester band Cultures, which you should know already if you’ve been paying attention ;-), are back with, in my humble opinion, an even better single than its predecessor (which was pretty good on its own). Shake is a catchier single with hooks from beginning to end that will probably still play on your mind long after the song has finished. Lyrically, it pertinently talks about how everything is better when you have good company, even being stuck in one place.
If Shake is a glimpse of where Cultures is headed now, then they’re going in the right direction. Here we are looking forward to more singles from this promising band.
Hopefully, by now, you are familiar with the work of The 93 after we featured them here back in June. I hadn’t been in contact with them before writing that entry but since that entry was published, I’ve got to know Sylwester (one of the two brothers who form this awesome duo) quite a bit and I can say he is one of the kindest and coolest person I have met (as well as one of the most active supporters of T.A.M!). This has allowed me, in some way, to be part of the process behind the release of their new EP, Space, which got out across all platforms in the last 2 days. They worked incredibly hard to get everything ready on time, from composing and making arrangements, to producing the songs, all of this while also taking care of their day jobs/occupations.
Now, something you have to understand about these two brothers is that they aren’t doing this for fame or money, but pure love of music. Their main goal is actually finding people who can connect with them, using music as a language. And that brings me to Space, inspired by their passion for sci-fi movies about space travel. I had an opportunity to listen to the whole EP before it was mastered and I can tell you that even then, the whole record -which consists on five tracks, an intro and an outro- sounded amazing. The 93 tried hard to make it sound as close to audiophile-grade as possible and you can certainly notice it. I simply cannot get enough of the guitar riffs on these songs.
We are familiar already with one of the tracks in this EP, 03, as it is the one featured here before. What I didn’t know then was that the theme of this song was mysticism in the future through sound. Even cooler, however, was what inspired the Intro and Outro, which was basically what you would feel if you were travelling in a space ship, looked out the window and saw a nebula for the first time. 12 is a great track about the current state of the world (2020, hi!) and how we should focus more on peace and prosperity. I was close to featuring this track today but, in the end, I opted for 09, because, quite simply, it is my favorite track in the EP.
From the intro that would make Tom DeLonge jealous for not coming up with it himself for Angels & Airwaves, to the surreal vocals and atmospheric soundscape of the track; everything in this song is flawless. Written as a letter to our architect (or God), The 93 meant to express with it their fears and doubts while respecting said architect. I assure you, you will want to put this song, and the whole album, on repeat.
These two brothers came from a small village in Poland to the UK a few years ago chasing the dream to do music, as they believed they had something to say. I personally think the whole world got lucky because of that. Don’t believe me, just give them a chance.
I got a request last week for this week’s #ThrowbackThursday entry: “If You Could Only See” from American alternative rock powerhouse, Tonic. So, naturally, I complied by featuring a different song from the same band (=. I got nothing against “If You Could Only See”. It’s a great song, possible Tonic’s best and undoubtedly their most iconic track to date (after all, it was 1997’s most-played song in rock radio), but that is precisely the reason I opted to talk about a different, lesser known gem included in their 2002 album, Head On Straight, Do You Know.
This song is a guitar-driven alternative rock song with a melodic chorus, but the reason why I’ve always liked it so much is that it got terrific lyrics, which shine the most during the great chorus. I don’t think this tune got much attention back then when it came out, but it’s not too late to give an overlooked outstanding song a second chance. Tonic and Do You Know certainly deserve it.
Remember that Egyptian Summer The fork lightning over the bay When we forgot everything We forgot our troubles When love was kind And the silence was noise But Underneath a marble sky I never seen you look so happy In your life.
And you were always cracking jokes And laughing at my funny ways And as the thunder rolled Well so did my sorrow We told lies We told them all the time But underneath a marble sky Nothing mattered.
I need a thunderstorm To distract from the pain Cause tomorrow might be the same damn sorrow I need something to happen The heavens to burst The sky to tear open The passion to run and flow like a river Out of my eyes Once it’s out of my heart It’s such a cold and desolate Happy ever when It’s such a cold and desolate Happiness never came.
We sat at the bar and we talked about the things we used to like And romanticised the pain Always remember it’s a crying shame Like reaching for the heavens but the heavens never came And I’ve played the victim long before you arrived These are not my people It’s not my scene not my style So I’m going back I’m going back to the city Please forgive me
Blame Baby are a Los Angeles trio that produces catchy indie rock with strong late 90s/early 2000s vibes. They only got three songs in their catalogue, but they got an EP on the way. Silhouette is their most recent release and, in my humble opinion, the best so far. A song about incomplete relationships, it got a nice combination of distorted guitars, good vocals and a chorus that gets stuck in your head. They recently made public the tune’s music video (you can watch it here), which is deliberately bad, in that so-bad-it-is-good kind of way.
I hope they do well enough to keep making music without having to change their sound and feature rappers or K-Pop groups as guest vocalists. They know how to write a good alternative rock song. They should keep doing just that.
in earnesthas the peculiarity of having not one but two lead singers: front-couple Sarah and Thomas, who are also the songwriters. As such, they aim for getting the listeners to connect with them through their honest and raw lyrics, in which they talk about their battles with mental illnesses, loneliness and other difficult subjects. This indie band from Southend-on-Sea, UK, is about to release its debut self-titled EP next month, but three of the tracks are available already, including the song we’re featuring today.
Put Me Under was written by Sarah, who also sings her heart out on this track. Talking about her struggles with anxiety and depression, her ethereal vocals are complemented outstandingly well by ambient soundscapes and acoustic guitars. With this song, in earnest managed to create a mesmerizing track that offers us just a glimpse of what they are capable of. Keep them on your radar and listen to their EP when it’s out.
As you may be aware now, the one condition I have for featuring songs here is that I have to genuinely like them. The bar is a bit higher for established musicians, but I can certainly say that I have liked every song featured so far. Sometimes, the decision isn’t easy. I’ve received songs from independent or up-and-coming artists that I don’t necessarily dislike, but do not love either; and then I have to ask for a 2nd opinion (usually my wife’s) just to make a decision. On the opposite side of that street, we have something far more unusual, which is hearing a song that I instantly like or even love. There’s something magical about those moments and it is a feeling I wish I could get every single day. Sadly, it is actually rare but the good news is that this happened to me with today’s song, Rotten Love, as it got a really enjoyable melody, a crisp production, great lyrics and sweet vocals. In short, it got the whole package.
It is scary to think that this piece is 21-year-old singer/songwriter Lucy Eaton‘s debut single. Can you imagine what she will be able to do with more experience? This talented artist was born and raised in Australia but then moved to California to study at UC Berkeley. There, she joined the songwriting club almost by chance and eventually became its vice-president, winning a few awards int he process. However, she never envisioned performing the pieces herself. That happened almost by chance but all the better for us because Lucy got a nice dulcet voice.
Musically, Rotten Love is a folksy ukulele-based tune, in the same vein as Grace VanderWaal when she won America’s Got Talent a few years back. Grace’s songs were good and catchy for somebody her age, but Rotten Love is just as catchy and got better lyrics. Even if you hate folk music and the sound of ukuleles, give this terrific song a chance. Lucy‘s talent cannot be denied.
If you search for Nick Box on Google, most of the results you will get are going to be related to Nickelodeon, but the Nick Box I’m referring to here is a talented musician who, as a solo artist, writes beautiful ambient piano music for our enjoyment. Additionally, he’s been involved in multiple musical projects across different genres, such as alternative/indie rock band, Sleeperstar. He is very talented indeed.
Reveal is one of the singles Nick has released this year under his own name. A magical cinematic piano-based composition that I could listen to all day without getting tired of it. To say that this song is relaxing would be a massive understatement. I highly recommend the work of this prolific musician. As a starter, listen to Reveal below.
When you visit Blure’s Soundcloud page, you quickly notice two things: that his real name is Luis Vegas, and that he was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. That’s about all the background information you can easily find online about this talented electronic music artist. He started in 2013 and since then he has released a high number of singles and EPs, garnering kind of an underground cult following among fans of ambient/chillstep music.
Amor Fati, which is a Latin phrase meaning “love of one’s fate”, is Blure‘s latest single. It represents very well the gorgeous and ethereal music that he makes. A lo-fi electronic soundscape that casts a spell on you for the duration of the track. I really don’t know if Blure wants to become a mainstream artist or not, but in terms of talent alone, he certainly deserves it. Listen to his work and you’ll agree with me.
Punk-rock is still alive. Wishful Thinking is an example of a new generation of pop punk bands ready to take the baton from Blink-182, New Found Glory, and All Time Low (in fact, at times you might think Tom DeLonge is the one singing) . This New Jersey act is not trying to reinvent the wheel as much as simply injecting a breath of fresh air into the genre. They started out in 2016 but after releasing an EP then, the band members decided to take a break to get better at songwriting. They returned this year with new tracks ahead of their debut album, which was released on the 22nd. Preoccupied is one of its singles.
This is a classic pop-punk song with a fast tempo, loud guitars and a catchy chorus. It is a clear example of what Wishful Thinking can do now and the potential they have to keep improving. If you like this genre, you should definitely check them out. You will like it.
We mentioned Bush last week and they recently released a new album as well (unfortunately, it didn’t move the needle for me), and since I’ve been away until now, it makes sense to feature them as today’s #ThrowbackThursday entry. After all, this British band got several legendary rock songs plenty of people love.
I actually wanted to write about Swallowed, but it is impossible to find the album version of that song on Spotify/Apple Music. Anyway, Glycerine is not a bad substitute at all. Bush released this track as the fourth single from Sixteen Stones, their debut album, in November 1995. It reached number one on the modern rock charts and is, to date, the band’s biggest pop hit, peaking at number 28 on Billboard’s Hot 100. As with most of their songs, Glycerine‘s lyrics are cryptic but it is an accepted fact that Gavin Rossdale wrote this tune about his girlfriend at the time (no, it wasn’t Gwen Stefani yet). The track is basically just Gavin’s raspy voice with a guitar and some strings here and there, yet it gets stuck on your head pretty much for the rest of your life.
Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest rock tracks from the 90s. Enjoy it again, here.
