It’s rare to find quality alternative rock bands who can refer to 90s grunge without a semblance of early 2000’s ill-fated hard rock. Fanchon delivers. rsm Smile is a rare entry that brings the spirit of Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Smashing Pumpkins with their own dreamy signature vocal twist. A smooth melodic female lead voice brings a patient shoe gaze style vocal with consistent affect, but bypasses the lure of reverb and echo in favor of a clean legible mix. Likewise, the entire recording is mixed clean and crisp. The guitars drip with bright fuzz, the bass heavy sections have a hint of warm distortion to bring it to the front with character.
rsm Smile is special, in that it can bypass the conventions of traditional indie writing as the riffs drift out of the scale, relying on the vocal to reconnect the song to its melodic roots. This gives it a dark, underground vibe that curtails its connection to mainstream rock. The vocal, however, is so undeniably intoxicating, it brings serious radio appeal.
Fanchon will please fans of Alvvays and Slowdive looking for the next great dream rock front woman. She’s got the sweet harmless demeanor of Avril Lavigne but with way more talent, and a style rooted in grunge instead of pop punk. Fanchon is exciting new discovery who has our full attention, we can’t wait to see what this project brings next.
Enjoy rsm Smile now on our Best New Rock playlist.
Estonian Rockers Cherry Tobacco conjure tribal rock on their driving new single The Sacred Fire.
Cherry Tobacco bring the native spirit of Jim Morrison and the Doors into the indie punk world, as if Jack White embarked on a spiritual trip and brought back this Shaman blues. It’s got the tom based groove of The White Stripes, but with more affinity for grunge as the trebly bass recalls Kris Novoselic and the early 90s Seattle Sound. The legacy of Nirvana even seeps into the unhinged gritty guitar performance, the grimey but melodic vocals, and the two chord verse section.
Cherry Tobacco brings a full sound in a small package, bypassing the lure of overproduction in favor of a more calculated approach. Between the driving drums, brooding bass, and raw guitar, everything has its place on The Sacred Fire. Each instrument brings something unique and exciting to the arrangement, everything is meant to do something impactful, live in their own space while lifting up the parts around them. The execution embraces the group origins of rock, as every instrument retains the integrity of a live performance, allowed to embrace the variation that brings character and personality to the performance. This is the combination of raw talent and resentful youth that drew the world to the Seattle Sound.
Enjoy The Sacred Fire, now on our Best New Rock playlist.
abductees bring a raw punk attitude to the Brit pop world on their new single Paris with a Broken Heart. The garage band feel of early White Stripes describes this initial bare bones arrangement, as a dirty tube heavy riff revolves over a hard hitting drummer. abductees is about a vibe, and getting lost in their clever lyrical commentary. It refers to raw punks first mainstream evolution, The Clash, and how they blended chord rock and catchy melodies to make the course of a gritty vocal more accessible. Additionally, they also acknowledge punks grease leather rockabilly origins with a swaggering rhythm that swings like a 50s sock hop.
Fans of classic Libertines and The Kooks will relish in this true brit street sound, as abductees brings an updated indie melodic sensibility while always staying fun and never taking themselves too seriously.
abductees offers something to hold on to, as they lament “There’s nothing worse than Paris with a broken heart.” The hopeless romantic is painfully retable, as he loathes in the regrettable experience. Paired in this raw rock package, it begs you to pour a proper pint and let it all hang out in rebellious relief.
A bitter lost-love song ready made for your next bad breakup. Bookmark Paris with a Broken Heart, now on our Best New Rock playlist.
In essence Safari Youth creates electronic music, but they bring an undeniable rock aesthetic. It has the dance rock spirit of the band The Music, and the energetic fire of acts like Prodigy who had major crossover success. It recalls 90s icons Filter and their affinity for alternative rock vocals over an electronic landscape. Safari Youth’s new single Animal also brings the post punk spirit of Public Image Ltd and how it took the attitude of punk and brought it into the EDM world. Animal has the same intention, but refers more to the early 2000’s alternative of bands like Muse who returned anthemic choruses to the rock world.
Safari Youth embraces the aforementioned classic crossover Neo-electronic-rock acts while soaking in some new inspiration from more modern EDM and dubstep releases. With advances in musical technology they have more tools at their disposal, and they employ them masterfully. Its no wonder that their production credits include Jungle, Noah Cyrus, and Girli. Safari Youth brings the pullbacks, breakdowns, and signature drops that make DJ culture so exhilarating. Paired with a live bass and a rebellious vocal, it’s guaranteed to get a festival near you raging.
Whether you’re looking to update some rave jams or a fiery combination of rock and EDM, Safari Youth has you covered. Enjoy Animal, now on our Best New Rock playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 