Sweet Coins will pull everyone towards the front of the stage with their new anthemic single Worth It. Just their fourth release and by far their most rocking, the five piece band evolved with explosive energy to match their already present penchant for infectious melody . Worth It has the youthful spirit of turn of the century emo punk trailblazers Saves The Day, drawing visions of stage dives and guitar flips overlooking a raucous pit. They lift it with undeniably catchy songwriting and a subtle appreciation for pop.
Sweet Coins has mainstream appeal, but can also satisfy your appetite for upbeat alt-rock. There’s a hint of nostalgia, like a more youthful, energetic Gaslight Anthem. There’s evidence of a raw reckless approach but the execution is strong and the mix is crisp. The cross genre potential is wide, with fans of punk, emo, and pop finding something here to hold on to along with the aforementioned alternative connection.
As long as they can bottle up this energy and unleash it live, the future looks bright for Sweet Coins. Enjoy Worth It now on our Best New Rock playlist
Tulsa band Jasper Wilderness caught our attention with their new EP, Coming Home to Silence. The 6 song EP is a dynamic collection that spans a breadth of influence and affect. At times its introspective and moody, and at other times its pure energy and angst.
We are especially caught by the single The Poet Boy, which showcases the scope of their musical palette. It kicks off with the melodic presence of Brooklyn elites The National, in how the guitarists employ innovative voicings that bounce off of the drummers percussive phrasing. Singer Samuel Bowling has an infectious emotional howl with hints of Caleb Followhill’s genuine feel, and the band responds with an anthemic chorus reminiscent of Kings Of Leons underrated Come Around Sundown phase. There’s also a hint of where this might have came from, with evidence of the math melodic emo of classics like Thursday and the pop sensibility of The 1975 and Arctic Monkeys.
Alternative music fans and indie rock enthusiasts looking for something a little harder that retains a wide melodic spectrum will enjoy Jasper Wilderness and their multi-dimensional musical approach. Make no mistake, this is a full band effort with sharp syncopation and attention to detail that is lost on most bedroom indie. Their arrangements are evolving and at times progressive, reconnecting rock with its proper group-effort roots.
Bassist Jacob Brallier, multi instrumentalist Justin Scott, Keyboardist Jeremy Pelotte, and Drummer Nick Bowling hold nothing back on this calculated effort, and singer Gabriel Phillips has the signature sound to take this band national. Everybody is bringing their A Game to Coming Home To Silence. We are pumped to see these guys live. Dig in to The Poet Boy, now on our Best New Rock playlist.
Gritty guitars and pumping drums set the backbeat for the anthemic new single from Ex Ømerta, Thought this Was Love. The Winnipeg trio has been making noise since their debut album and a string of singles caught the attention of rock and punk enthusiasts alike. On their new single they channel a hint of T Rex style glam and some classic Johnny Rotten bred contempt as they gently recant that we can all just… well you just gotta dig into this track to find out.
Fans of the Black Keys and the White Stripes will enjoy their penchant for garage blues flair, but Ex Ømerta brings a little more street to match the cheeky attitude and dissonance of classic Jack White. Committed to a life of decadence and self destruction, they’re giving themselves to rock and roll. Thought This Was Love burns every bridge left to redemption, as they won’t be going back to this babe, not ever.
The lo-fi turntable intro honors their analog aesthetic. This group is all about real tone, playing it loud and letting the amps bleed beautiful hues of gain and grime from their crackling guitars. Even the drums are peaked to perfection in dirty resilience to the constraints of the compressor. It all reflects their contempt for the industry at large, and the cookie cutter parameters of rock and how it tries to contain them. They want to overrun the dirtiest club in town with real rock and roll fever and blow-out your after party before blowing your mind. This dirty punk anthem is best served raw, in your face, in collective youthful angst. Its meant to rip your shirt off in rebellious spirit and forget yourself to f*ck. This is sex drugs and rock and roll, its still here, so get it while it’s hot, cause these boys are gonna burn the wick to the bottom.
Hear Thought This Was Love now on our Best New Rock playlist.
We first fell for ibbi Too Vicious with the indie pop/rap mash up of Amethyst Skies. With his new rocking release Closed Doors, we are all in on his chameleon punk project. Whatever he is feeling, he takes a little of everything from his world and packages it with infectious energy and a rebellious spirit. Closed Doors has a college punk attitude and an indie pop appeal. The artists affinity for hip hop and catchy syncopated verses translates well in this indie punk package. Closed Doors has the young fresh feel of Del Water Gap’s monstrous Ode To A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat. There’s a touch of Build To Spill style emo-spirit with the indie rock energy of Band of Horses.
No matter how he projects it, ibbi Too Vicious is undeniably catchy. He’s on the fast track to Fresh Finds without the overdone cliches of four chord pop. He’s got more originality, more artistic integrity than just another soul selling starboy. ibbi is a truth seeker, citing Steve Jobs, The Beatles, and Young Thug all as influences in the same breath. He is unabashed by the perils of exclusivity, starting out selling short stories in elementary school for fifty cents. That process and practice bred a fierce wordsmith who can weave his way though our modern story in elegant prose.
“They an’t gotta know bout the hotels that we rented, they an’t gotta know bout the trouble we get into, they an’t gotta know how I f*cked you in the living room, I just wanna keep you to myself.” It’s fresh, it’s real, it’s what we truly feel. This is our modern world, this is our language, get with it!
Dig Closed Doors now on our Best New Rock playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 