After their critically acclaimed debut album, Swedish garage rockers Pale Honey are back with an electrifying new single. The Gothenburg girls have a sound far more expansive and diverse than you’d expect from a rock duo and this slick snaking single is a real testament to their talents. Kicking off with a fierce, no-nonsense riff the various layers soon build up an exhilarating tension, a barely restrained chaos ready to erupt. It’s subtle labyrinthine twists and turns wouldn’t sound amiss coming from St Vincent and it is simply brimming with attitude and Baltic badassery. The band deftly maintain the balance between experimenting with new sounds and the age old garage rock ideal of keeping things simple and to the point. With a new album on the way in the spring it seems their star is set to rise.
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Album Review: Seasick Steve – Keepin’ The Horse Between Me And The Ground
Seasick Steve – Keepin’ The Horse Between Me And The Ground
Blues | Americana | Country
62%
Top Tracks: City Of Ashes – Sometimes
As part of world mental health day, Brighton based alternative rock outfit City Of Ashes have put together something special. With sponsorship and support from The National Lottery, Barclays, The London Eye and The Samaritans the band have put together this moving video (premiered via Louder Than War) to raise awareness and honour those suffering with depression. It comes as part of ‘The Sometimes Project’ which the band set up a few months ago to create a safe place online for people to talk about their struggles. The band have also set up ‘Stand As One’; a simultaneous benefit gig in different cities all across the UK on the 19th November in which the artists will also share their own experiences. ‘Sometimes’ is from the band’s upcoming album Rise.
Top Tracks: Celeb Car Crash – Let Me In
With their latest album People Are The Best Show due for release in the UK on the 25th November, these Italian alternative rockers have pulled out all the stops with this new single. With some top notch riffs, a truly menacing bass line and with an anthemic feel worthy of Alter Bridge or Coheed and Cambria, it’s a track that’s hard not to love. Perfectly paired with the dark and sinister music video featuring a mad scientist and his unwilling test subject it produces a thrilling combination that really gets the adrenaline pumping. The Italian rock scene is certainly thriving and if their forthcoming album lives up to the standard of this single then Celeb Car Crash are one of the bands leading the charge.
Spotlight!: Banana High
One of the best ways to become a truly influential and captivating band is to master a wide range of styles and genres and flick between them with the greatest of ease. As you can imagine that is a lot easier said than done, but Banana High are certainly on the right track. Their music is the curious lovechild of ska and post-hardcore, combining two very different genres to create something truly unique. The reggae infused tracks like ‘Little Time Away’ and ‘People Make Money (Make The World Go Round)’ have an irresistibly danceable groove and the band’s aesthetic is full of carefree fun. Songs like ‘Still In Disguise’ with it’s gritty yet slick harmonies and ‘All That We Are’ with it’s complex rhythms showcase the band’s darker side. On paper this combination shouldn’t work but yet here we are! It certainly helps matters that the band show a very high standard of musicianship, particularly the virtuoso guitar work that in places has subtle hints of flamenco. With a second EP on the way later this year we can all look forward to more of Banana High’s fascinating musical fusion.
Fans of The Specials, Lonely The Brave, Madness and Mallory Knox should check out their debut EP Join The Evolution.
Album Review: Alter Bridge – The Last Hero
Alter Bridge – The Last HeroTop Tracks: Amére – Young Love
Hailing from south Wales this quartet have combined two very different elements to create something truly unique. Equal parts mellow ambient sounds and in-your-face emo have resulted in an intriguing display of light and shade. The curious combination will surely be loved by people on both sides of the equation. Lyrically their debut single ‘Young Love’ deals with the fickle and fragile nature of relationships in our youth. It speaks of the guilt of hurting someone who once meant the world to you and of a love that was once so strong slowly fading away. Exploring both peaceful soundscapes and raw frantic emotion, and doing so with plenty of heart and adept storytelling, Amére’s fanbase is surely set to skyrocket.
Spotlight!: Hidden Charms
This south London quartet are quite possibly one of the most suave new bands in years. Oozing the kind of effortless cool that most people can only dream of they have tapped in to something that is simultaneously old at heart and invigoratingly refreshing. Tracks such as ‘Dreaming of Another Girl’ harks back to 60s mod legends such as The Who and The Kinks and ‘Long Way Down’ sounds like the curious offspring of The Doors and The Beach Boys. The fuzzy blues stomp of tracks such as ‘Love You ‘Cause You’re There’ fits perfectly alongside garage rock gods The White Stripes and The Black Keys. The fact that Vincent Davies and Ranald MacDonald share vocal duties throws an intriguing dynamic into the mix and thus far the artwork for their singles is nothing short of stunning. An all around feast for the senses Hidden Charms have a fair deal of flair and more than enough talent to back it up. This band are the missing piece of the puzzle that will fill a gap in your life that you never knew existed till now.
Fans of Jack White, Arctic Monkeys and Blossoms should keep an eye out for their debut EP Harder From Here out 21st October
Top Tracks: Gabriel Wolfchild & The Northern Light – Runaways
Though he boasts a name that wouldn’t sound amiss in a fantasy epic, Gabriel is better known for turning heads (and chairs) thanks to his arresting vocals and poetic storytelling. Finding himself in the limelight after his successful audition on The Voice US, he soon found like-minded people eager to create who would become his backing band The Northern Light. The ethereal folk that Gabriel creates has a feeling of celebration of all the beauty and inspiration that life brings. His latest track ‘Runaways’ talks of how we are all connected and how even small gifts of love and kindness can change the world. His debut EP Mornings Like These is set for release early next year and is sure to be filled with more masterful moments of hauntingly beautiful reflection.
Pixies – Head Carrier
Belwood Music 