Category: Alternative

Tyler Quintanilla

The latest single by genre bending artist Tyler Quintanilla is a cinematic journey titled “Sexual Tension”. The haunting keys and beats are accompanied by mysterious voices echoing into the abysse. The track is avant garde reaching across time and space to deliver a transcendent emotional sound experience. We wish this track would keep going and take us farther down the rabbit hole; definitely has us waiting to exhale.  

Quintanilla’s previous single ALGEDONIC is much more in your face featuring crushed drums, bass and angry vocals soaked in reverb. ALGEDONIC is frenetic and gets your heart pumping with the uncertainty of a rollercoaster, not knowing what lies past the crest of the next hill. The world of alternative indie has a champion in the fresh and mysterious soundscapes of Tyler Quintanilla. Definitely add him on your social media and Spotify favorites to stay in step with this emerging artist! 

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Down the Rabbit Hole

The synth-rock single “Rabbit Hole” by L.A. based trio Cherry Glazerr features vocalist Clementine Creevy as she whispers the chorus in our ear “Try too hard not to be distasteful, will you let me down the rabbit hole?” The lyrics are abstract enough to be personal without being specific to Creevy’s point of view. The tone of the song is dark and reminds us of a hot night, top down, drive as the street lights and neon streak past our speeding car. Sonically the song offers infectious electronic drums and synths as well as a cutting guitar solo that reminds us this is a band that can not only create a killer track, they have the chops to perform it too. Listen now or head over to the band website for videos and some gorgeous vinyl. 

benzii

Freezing cold beats and arrangements invoke a seriously dangerous landscape in this single,  Defense Mechanism, by dream pop artist benzii. The vocal performance is white hot and reminds us of the very best of Florence and the Machine and Bjork while still presenting a very personal expression. We were fascinated by the video which had us worried about the fate of benzii as she is enveloped by the black water. Compelling stuff and we look forward to more by this artist (listen to the latest single Commodity now). Check out her Spotify and Youtube channels for more! 

EXUM

Midnight pop that tempts the senses with visions of inner voices and demons with “Dark Kept Secret”. EXUM provides a moody synth pop jam in a minor key. “I am the voice of your demons, I’m leaving”. The track has an infectious drum beat and enough ear candy to keep you listening as the repetitive chorus seeps into your consciousness and leaves an unsettled sense of wonder. Is this track reminding us of an emotional break up, dropping the cross of addiction, or maybe something more sinister? We don’t know, we have this one on repeat… also check out the video on YouTube.

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The Shoos

The Shoos latest single “Distance” is a moody, ethereal rock anthem! The song features evocative vocals surrounded by rich chiming spaced out guitars that break free into razor sharp power chords and driving drums. The epic shout chorus is perfectly complemented by personal verse lyrics like “Many times I’ve tried to trace your heart on mine and I’m always left asking… can we go the distance?”. The band has a deep discography that is a treasure trove of indie rock however we are truly loving the new album “Rescue Room” as it has a maturity and seasoned musicianship that is often missing in modern rock. Definitely check it out now on all platforms and dig the great video for “Distance” on YouTube! 

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Home Thru Hell

Deap Lips is a collaboration between Deap Vally and members of The Flaming Lips.

Psychedelic singer-songwriter garage rock? Yes please! We were thrilled to hear the collaboration of Deap Vally (duo) and impasarios of sound, The Flaming Lips, on this new set of material as the supergroup “Deap Lips”. The song we gravitated to “Home Thru Hell” features the vocals of Deap Vally (Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards) on a track that is heavily lipped. The lyrics and vocals keep the track rooted and substantial as the constantly evolving music tries desperately to veer off into space. Such a pleasurable track that offers so much that binge loop listening may be required. When they managed to slip in the lyric “flaming lips of youth” I almost fell out of my chair. If you love rock and long for artistic integrity, definitely check out this album now! 

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Comfy Covers

Have you listened to a cassette tape that was left too long in the hot sun, like on a car dashboard? Maybe your turntable needed the belt replaced, or maybe your boombox was just about to run out of battery life? The sound created is off, there is something wrong, but you love it, and when it ended you just wanted more. That’s what just happened as we listened to the latest three song set “99 Dreams” by artist “Hackiku”. The latest release covers three classics by Nena, Sia, and The Cranberries. The work is steeped in lo-fi beats, keyboard and effects. What remains true on all three is the present vocals provided by band mistro Anika Ostendorf which capture your ear as the tracks both support and dissolve her performance. The songs are a pleasure and a welcome diversion from both pop and art rock. Best described as dream pop or avant garde , Hackiku provides an infectious performance that leaves you wanting more of these sleepy covers. Hackiku will no doubt be busy touring this year so check the site for upcoming international dates. 

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The Virus

Atmospheric guitars and drums lure you into this alternative metal rocker by alt-rock trio, The Finite Beings. As “The Virus” builds the clean and clear vocal of Michael Nicholas speak directly to the listener “This enemy is alive, it comes to us and our humanity” as chorused guitar and bass tones give way to dark heavy slabs of burning energy that fuel the fire of this incendiary track. The wall of snarling guitars creates a perfect foundation as Nicholas asks “I wash my hands clean of this, am I in this alone?” speaking with responsive care about the global pandemic in a way that adds perspective and solace. The track continues to evolve and build until it reaches a full explosive peak with a stratospheric guitar solo that finally releases you back to earth. Comparisons to bands like Tool and Black Sabbath are worthy, but fall short, of describing the depth of this fresh New Jersey indie rock trio. Definitely check out “The Virus” and another track we really dig “Spirit Driven” on the band’s Spotify artist page. 

LISTEN NOW: Spotify       YouTube       Band Website