Tag: Indie Rock

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Tonic – Do You Know

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

Good Strangers, Egyptian Summer

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Blame Baby – Silhouette

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.

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Nick Box – Reveal

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.

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Bush – Glycerine

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.

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Fedbysound – Face The Day

Some people get into the music business because they want to get famous and live the life of a rock star. Others are just passionate about music and want to do what they love: writing and recording songs. If they can make enough money to make ends meet, that would be the cherry on top. That is the case of California-based musician Mark Grider, who goes by the moniker Fedbysound. Back in July, he released an album, Resonate, with elements of alternative rock, progressive rock and hard rock. The last two are not really my cup of tea, but the first one is certainly right up my alley.

Face The Day is the track that closes the record. It is an alternative rock song with a chorus that reminds me at times of early 2000s Bush. This catchy tune gets even more impressive once you consider that Mark played all the instruments as well. Even his vocals are a perfect match for this type of music. Give him a chance if you are into the genres mentioned above. You’ll surely find something you’ll like. Artists such as Fedbysound deserve the opportunity to do what they love.

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beabadoobee – Care

beabadoobee - Care

Beatrice Laus, aka beabadoobee, took the alternative rock scene by storm after she started uploading her songs to Youtube and they became viral. Taking inspiration from Kimya Dawson and the soundtrack of the movie Juno, this Filipino-born British singer-songwriter has released several singles and EPs already, but her debut album is slated to drop later this year. She was predicted as one of the breakthrough acts for 2020, which is actually coming true despite the pandemic. Don’t lose track of her.

Care is the first single from Fake It Flowers, Bea‘s debut album. It got a strong 90s grunge rock fragrance, complete with guitar riffs and a rebellious attitude. From the moment the muted guitars start playing during the intro, this catchy tune will hook you in and not let you go until it’s over. After you listen to such a great song, you simply won’t be able to believe beabadoobee is just 20 years old. She’s just getting her feet wet.

Enjoy this stunning track here.

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Regiments – Beginnings

Regiments is a post-rock/orchestral musical project and, you guessed it, another one-man show (I’m starting to believe all cinematic rock acts are like that). Founded in 2019 by New Jersey-based Peter Cipparulo after falling in love with bands such as Explosions In The Sky, Regiments‘ goal is to create something interesting that could also evoke emotions. Well, I think it’s safe for Peter to say: “mission accomplished!”.

Beginnings is the name of Peter’s debut album under the Regiments moniker, and also its title track. It is a beautifully orchestrated song that uplifts your spirit and results in an emotive soundscape. I’ll just keep it short because there’s really no much else I can say here. Listen to Regiments‘ work, you won’t regret it, and you can start with Beginnings ,below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

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Freedom of the City – Turn It Up

In the same way not all bands from Liverpool sound like The Beatles, not all bands from Manchester sound like Oasis. That being said, I can’t help but get a Gallagher brothers vibe in Turn It Up, the latest single from Manchester-based band, Freedom Of The City. Mind you, it’s just a vibe, but that’s enough to result in an anthemic, alternative rock track full of energy that is ideal for live shows, whenever live music happens to be a thing again.

Freedom Of The City are a four-piece band founded by lead vocalist, George Brown. They have been playing together for a few years now, hitting the music festivals circuit all around the UK and getting a lot of attention and a fan base in the process. FOTC‘s debut album should drop anytime now, and if it is full of bangers just as Turn It Up, it will be a massive success.

I dare you to listen to this track and remain quiet. Can you do it?

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The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979

The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

In case you missed it, The Smashing Pumpkins released two new singles this week. While they may not reach the heights of their legendary hits from the MTV era, it’s time for a Throwback Thursday feature. Selecting a song was tough with their impressive back catalogue.

I recently binge-watched all 3 seasons of Netflix’s brilliant sci-fi series, Dark (loved it). The recurring phrase, ‘The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning,’ reminded me of The Smashing Pumpkins’ single, ‘The End is The Beginning Is The End,’ from the 1997 film Batman & Robin. Unfortunately, the original version isn’t available on major streaming platforms, just a lackluster remix.

That brought me back to square one, torn between featuring my all-time favorite song from Billy Corgan & Co, despite its popularity, other renowned tracks like “Disarm” or “Tonight, Tonight,” or a hidden gem like “Stand Inside Your Love” or “Untitled.” In the end, “1979” emerged as the clear winner. This remarkable track, the second single from “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” is simply exceptional and a must-have on my mixtapes. Don’t miss the fantastic music video below.”

There’s nothing more I can say about this #musicalcrush. Simply savor this nostalgic stroll down memory lane.

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Sister Hazel – Come Around

When it comes to the Throwback Thursday entries, I’m playing it by ear. It’s not easy to pick one relatively old good song amongst hundreds or thousands of them. For that reason, I’m letting random coincidences to choose one for me. For instance, in yesterday’s post I mentioned Sister Hazel and that was all it took for me to write today about that act from Gainesville, Florida. The band, named after a local missionary who took care of homeless people, formed in 1993 and besides being extremely productive with over 10 studio albums (plus EPs, live albums and compilations) over that span, they have also been shockingly stable, maintaining the same line-up throughout all these years. That’s pretty unusual to say the least.

Sister Hazel has had several minor hits and some loyal followers, but if there’s only one song you know from them, then it’s probably All For You. This track was part of the band’s debut album from 1994 but it was re-recorded for the follow-up from 1997and it was then when the song became a hit, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remains Sister Hazel’s most successful single to date.

However, the song that I want to highlight today is one of those minor hits Sister Hazel had, Come Around, from their excellent 2003 album: Chasing Daylight. This great tune is just as good as All For You but far less popular. It’s also a good example of the band’s trademark blend of alternative touch with southern rhythms.

Let’s remember this classic song today. Enjoy Come Around.

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