by on

For us kids, of a certain age, 1984 was a time of huge musical hits, and the Summer filled with the sound of Laura Branigan’s “Self Control.” Toronto’s Jay Draper & the Subterraneans have revived the single, that was incidentally originally released in ’84 by Italy’s Raf, and now has been included in the soundtrack for the new horror movie MaxXxine. I guess this guarantees something a bit dark……

The original (Branigan) version was kind of a rock anthem with these big punctuations, followed by aahhhs, and this is something you should not expect from Draper. Draper has drawn on the electronic side of the force, while his singing is delicate and spidery, ramping up the creep factor during the verses. Do not mistake the delicate for weak as there is steel beneath, cold as the looped winds that sweep through “Self Control,” and it feels like there is a grieving lament in the powerful chorus. There is also a bonus b-side “Ascending to the Moonlight City” and this perfectly fits the mood as an instrumental piece, darkly lit by synths, casting their gloom on grim streets.

Hearing this track with Draper’s vocals is a bit of a spin-out being so used to Branigan’s, as I am not sure if I have ever heard a male cover, so that is pretty cool. He has created an attention grabbing atmosphere , which one might even say wavers between euphoric and claustrophobic, and this seems to be enough to cause shivers down the spine in complete delight. Yeah I can still hear the aahhs, but this is such a great choice for a horror movie and I have to say that I listened to this one too many times….addiction is a terrible thing *happy le sigh*.

Self Control (Single) | Jay Draper & The Subterraneans (bandcamp.com)

Jay Draper & the Subterraneans (@jay_draper_subterraneans) • Instagram photos and videos

by on

Norway’s Mayflower Madame is back with a new single called “Paint It All in Blue.” This is the second single off the yet to be released new album, Insight, out on the Night Cult Records label.

Photo by Astrid Serck

Looking at the cover, there is a hand with a wedding ring and the lyrics most definitely allude to a relationship where someone has given everything to another and it hasn’t been a healthy partnership. Their signature dark and heavy bass is present with the flowing dreamgaze guitars. The vocals reverberate sublimely as we are drawn into the song.

It is interesting that hands seem to feature so prominently visually for Mayflower Madame and it makes me wonder if it is about the act of holding onto a person or an ideal and the pleasure or pain that this can cause. “Paint It All in Blue” is blissful post-punk, holding you in a sea of forlorn and of course this is a beautiful thing.

Paint It All in Blue (single) | Mayflower Madame (bandcamp.com)

Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/mayflowermadame/

by on

Markus Majdalani and Johan Eckerström are the duo that make up Sweden’s darkwave act Hatif. In 2022, they debuted their album Everything Is Repetition and there you can find the track “City Beneath the City,” which has been given a music visualiser.

The song eerily rings true of current events, countries enduring a state of war where the streets, houses, schools and everything people have ever known are obliterated in air strikes, searching for family and trying to survive. A man on a loop, walks down a street, surrounded by debris, towards the light while you listen to the dulcet tones of Hatif, “City Beneath the City” is a great track to revisit, and if this is your first time listening to Hatif, then you should check out their album.

Music | Hatif (bandcamp.com)

Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/hatifband

by on

Some of my favourite bands are based in the ephemeral shoegaze sound, and I am going to thrust before you Talking to Shadows, a four piece from Baltimore, who Onyx last reviewed when they released the single “Soma.” Band members, Cat, Ron, Greg and Alex, dropped the single “Valentina” on the 26th of June.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Cat’s singing, then you are missing out. Smooth and evocative, that only enhances the dreamlike quality, swirling around your ears along with the guitars. There is that wall of guitar noise that lifts you up and takes you away….all of it wrenching a little at your heart.

It would be a shame to try and dissect the lyrics, which have both a visceral pain and at the same time utterly poetic, meaning you should just sit back and just lose yourself in the dark depths of that which is “Valentina.” Cat and the lads are influenced by possibly the most wonderful dreamy guitar group ever in Cocteau Twins and it shows. No, they aren’t Liz Fraser and Co., but then I would be disappointed if they were a carbon copy, and this is Talking to Shadows making their own beautiful music.

Valentina | Talking to Shadows (bandcamp.com)

Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/Talkingtoshadows/

https://linktr.ee/talking2shadows

by on

Polish industrial rock band Inside Her dropped the new single “Nikt Stąd Nie Wyjdzie Żywy” in May…….. yep, unless you speak Polish, you might kill yourself saying this title which more or less translates to no one will get out of here alive. The track features the vocals of Justyna Gryka and this is the second single off the soon to be released second album.

And it all started with a beat and the rumblings of a bass guitar, before the track leaps out at you. There is the introduction to the deep male vocals followed by a female whisper above, and surprisingly the synths are so light within the within the heavy crush of guitar. Gryka plays between demure and power singing, slipping easily between modes, holding her own, while the guitars soar from harsh to classical metal. Always there is that bass guitar. These guys remind me a lot of Germany’s Eisbrecher musically but Inside Her definitely pushing their own sound.

it starts with the feet | inside her (bandcamp.com)

Facebook

inside her (@insideherofficial) • Instagram photos and videos

by on

Tāmaki Makaurau lays in the Land of the Long White Cloud, aka Aotearoa, aka New Zealand and is also the home base for the three piece punk rock band BURDENZ, who have released their debut single “CULTZ.” Members Jimmy Coldham (vocals, guitar), Alex Ross Smith (bass, backing vocals) and Alex Gallagher (drums) are also involved in bands such as NUGGIEZ, Coffin Club, Jang, Shotgun the Couch and Soul Stroke.

The guitars rumble, soar and dominate in “CULTZ,” winding and fluctuating along with the equally eviscerating vocals searing the air without compromise. They drop into a false lull before once again descending into the vortex of instrument versus man.

Loud and unashamedly balls to the wall punk rock, not over produced and BURDENZ really know how to play. “CULTZ” is a pretty cool debut single from the fertile music scene that is bubbling away in New Zealand.

CULTZ | BURDENZ (bandcamp.com)

https://instagram.com/burdenz.band

by on

South Australian’s Brave Mistakes is now a fully fledged band, going from a solo project originally, created by a guy who thought he would challenge himself in putting out one song a month. That is pretty good going and says a lot about the character and song writing abilities of lead singer Garrett Cooper.

The vocals are very reminiscent of a soul filled Brian Ferry, combined with bitter sweet lyrics of love , because as we all know that love can hurt just as much as it can fix broken hearts. There is a wonderful play between the guitars that swirls into your ears, with the drums underpinning it all.

“Aching Enough” definitely draws on the alternative Australian sound, and you hear the reverberations of guitar bands such as The Hummingbirds, The Huxton Creepers, The Triffids or even The Screaming Tribesmen. This one really does pull at the heartstrings and there is a longing, leaving us waiting for more.

Aching Enough | Brave Mistakes (bandcamp.com)

Facebook

by on

Minneapolis based band, autumn, have been honing their post-punk music since their three member inception back in 1994. Julie Plante (vocals), Neil McKay (guitars/programming) and Jeff Leyda (bass) released their new single “catacombs,” in May, with William Faith (Bellwether Syndicate) recording, mixing, mastering and producing at 13 Studio. This track is off the new soon to be released album, songs about dying, out on Sett Records.

There is something warm and inviting in the tone of the guitars, rich and deep. Julie Plante is quite mesmerising as their lead singer and she sings you a song of love but in the end everything dies, and it all feels so fleeting. Sometimes memory is all we have and that we live on in the memories of others..

“This song really hits on many of the big themes still circulating in our lives right now, but it really came together during the COVID lockdown time. I knew my dad was nearing the end of his life, and I was finding myself really trying to make my peace with this fragile world and my own limited time in it. I was also really dealing with solitude in a way I hadn’t ever before: recognizing that we are each born alone and will ultimately die alone, and yet we are never alone… Much of the video footage was shot up north in the woods in the coldest part of winter, and that too felt right to me. The starkness of a northern winter landscape has always spoken volumes to me of the thin line between life and death.” – Plante

The music video is beautifully shot by Faith, between a snow laden forest and the group playing together. Bones might reside in “catacombs,” but those remains hold stories of lives with great loves and this track is genuinely a lovely gothic ode to life from autumn.

catacombs | autumn-us (bandcamp.com)

http://autumn-us.com/

Facebook

autumn-u.s. (@autumn_u.s.iii) • Instagram photos and videos

by on

When creating music, is the artist doing it for themselves to induce joy or for the audience, who may not be so receptive or critical? The latest track from Melbourne’s Velatine delves into this quagmire, delightfully called “FCK YOU ALL,” out on the Spooky Records label.

This is not some punk song, as this is doom coming to get you with death tolling bells and Lockwood is joined on vocals by Barb Dwyer. There is a more industrial tone to the electronics and indeed the chorus is a resounding ‘fuck you all.’

The commentary of the lyrics is about the toll of being an artistic type in the alternative genre, where it can be a thankless slog to gain recognition, often leading to mental health issues, then relying on substances like alcohol and drugs to get that kick. This is a much darker and harsher sound for Velatine, if that is possible for a goth project, and it is accompanied by a music video, shot in black and white by Mark Bakaitis , as the duo stalk through the night-time streets of Melbourne with no fucks given. And honestly, I think we all need to occasionally let off steam and say “FCK YOU ALL.”

FCK YOU ALL | Velatine (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/Velatine

by on

Few things are guaranteed… death and taxes seem to be universal, just ask the dynamic Melbourne duo of Louise Love and Luis Gutierrez, of the electronic indie pop band Roles as they bring you the single “Taxes.”

There is something very old school about the sound of the electronics, and maybe it is the way it reminds me very much of early New Order when they were more in their experimental phase, along with the chiming in guitar. All the while you can delight in Love’s always beautifully executed vocals.

Oh my oh my Roles, “Taxes” musically is a charming track, though there is that underlying sadness when it comes to the content of the lyrics, about a friend who is battling their inner demons, talking about the things they need to do but knowing that they might choose to leave this mortal plane. The sweet, the sour and the brevity of this gift called life encapsulated in this brilliant song called “Taxes.”

Taxes | Roles (bandcamp.com)

http://www.rolesband.com/

Facebook