Indie-Rock – Booze & Reviews

Four Crooks instil anthem after anthem in latest EP ‘Black Magic’

One good thing out of lockdown is that musicians all across the globe have turned their creative juices into something positive. Four Crooks did exactly that too. Gathering their thoughts and talents together in a remote farmhouse to write and produce their new EP ‘Black Magic‘, the 3 track EP is a refreshing release that captures a youthful band destined for stardom.

Situated somewhere in between the attitude of The Black Keys and early Arctic Monkeys, the record takes centre stage and showcases a band that use their music as a sort of escapism.

‘Black Magic‘ is led by the first track of the same name, and describes feelings of addiction. A warning and a celebration of everything that can take hold of all your senses, the first single is an elevating tune that captures Four Crook’s youth.

‘Feel Alright‘ talks about walking out of a difficult relationship with your head held high, while EP-closer ‘Paranoia‘ is a hard-hitting number that describes how it feels to be trapped with anxiety and doubt.

Four Crooks are stating that rock and roll is far from over, it just has a refreshing new face.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fourcrooks
Twitter: twitter.com/fourcrooksband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fourcrooks/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fourcrooks
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/481eyDyRzknJPYeewo9SKN?si=Pe99LDC3RIq1z8ktrGH36A
Youtube: https://youtu.be/0vaNFaZ3Hag

Check out the latest episode of The Quite Great Radio Show

Watch the next episode “Just Checking In – Episode 2” on the Quite Great YouTube channel. Writer, Chloe Mogg covers ‘Is COVID-19 causing a surge of long term chronic illnesses?

REVIEW: Apache Rose ‘Blind Spot’

Indie-Rock

Apache Rose are back with their brand new single ‘Blind Spot’ and we got a sneak preview listen to the track ahead of its release on Friday.

The new single, which is a ‘tribute’ to reckless taxi drivers worldwide also contains an overarching theme of being careful not to put yourself in situations you can’t control. And we love it! It really gives us Arctic Monkey feels with its indie rock edge. With over a quarter of a million views on the YouTube video to the last hit ‘Attention!’, we think this new track will go down even better with fans and perhaps attract a few more, overseas.

Listen to their previous single here

Based in Moscow, Russia, Apache Rose somewhat ironically combine sounds from the British Invasion of the Sixties and the Alternative guitar bands of the Nineties. With inspirations coming from Guns and Roses, Arctic Monkey and The Strokes, we can see why the Russian band have become so popular in the UK and US in the last couple of months.

The new single precedes the band’s EP which is due to be released this summer – something to look forward to as we endure another few weeks of lockdown. In the meantime, get following the band on social media and see some behind the scenes of their recording of ‘Blind Spot’ in the basement of the historic Central Telegraph building, 100 metres from The Kremlin – cool right?!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApacheRoseMusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apache_rose_music/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/apache_rose_moscow

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe21HnvJEUqSskIUphhezmw

Canadian rocker Charmian Devi rises like a Phoenix with help of rock glitterati

folk, Indie-Rock, Rock

You can’t get a better name for a rock goddess than Charmian Devi, she sounds mean and you don’t mess with her that’s what we feel , but actually when you get donw to it Charmian’s style is beautifully poetic and actually pretty gentle, have a look at the video for her new track and see what you think –

You dig, yes? Well we do dig it indeed and we dig Charmian and even better her music is all ready for you to enjoy and stream:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Website

Soundcloud

Spotify

Youtube

What else do you need to know ? Try this for size, and you will now have the full story including what the legends within her band and the grammy producer think , then if you are not hooked, well there’s no pleasing you , but we know you will be hooked and you will just be shouting out your isolating window ‘ WE LOVE CHARMIAN!’

Based in Canada, after her father emigrated from London to Montreal, Charmian Devi has spent her life as a musician, from melodic garage bands through to lead singer and songwriter for 90s punk band, Wretched Ethyl who became one of Canada’s most talked-about bands, opening for the likes of Seattle grunge legends, 7 Year Bitch and punk icons, Nomeansno. Their demise after four fraught years sadly coincided with the tragic death of her husband – it was from the burning embers of this dark and harrowing time that Charmian Devi relocated to London for two years to rebuild her life. Still haunted by her turbulent past, she returned to Canada and a new Charmian emerged, a songwriter and musician who was truly able to crystallise her experiences and express them through her music.

“I really enjoyed recording with Charmian Devi…her songs remind me of bands like the Velvet Underground, raw intuitive and in-tune with the times” Bassist, Tony Garnier

Dedicated to a life in music and resolutely opposed to authoritarian regimes and dogma, Charmian is the embodiment of everything rock n roll stands for: truth; revolution and unyielding artistry. Her latest single, Radio of None is available on 8th April.

“I’ve really enjoyed producing Charmian because there are fewer and fewer artists today that play inspired & raw folk/rock music and are not trying to polish everything to sound more commercial. Her music speaks the truth and she puts all of herself into her songs. That’s also why I wanted to use musicians that are comfortable in an environment of spontaneous music that’s rough around the edges but carries a meaning and an attitude. Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and Sonic Youth are all raw and unapologetic and make great rock and/or folk music with powerful lyrics and meanings, so choosing Lenny, Tony and Steve was an obvious choice because that is exactly what Charmian does too!” Three-times Grammy Award-winning producer, Marc Urselli

Spirits in the Sky with Satellite Ravens

Beers, Indie, Indie-Rock

Space rock then. There can’t be many bands that have, on the surface, defined a time, a place and a level of inebriation than Hawkwind, yet it is largely their influence which has led to the emergence of Satellite Ravens. The tie-dyed heartbeat which thrums through their music is all oil on lightbulbs and whooshing guitar effects, a technique which has never entirely disappeared for reasons both musical and otherwise (none of which we condone, obv). Every decade has had their own take on the style, from Spacemen 3 in the 90s to Monster Magnet to Flaming Lips to, more recently, Comets on Fire. Satellite Ravens have an extra twist in that lead Raven (indeed, most of the time, only Raven) is primarily a bassist, meaning that the psychedlic stew is bolstered by a very pleasing funk flavour.

For drinking purposes, though mescal infusions would seem apt on the surface, we can’t miss the opportunity to mention Space Rock Pale Ale which promises nuggets of alien technology.

www.satelliteravens.com

https://www.shortsbrewing.com/beers/space-rock/

Slim Loris and the Country Rock Sound of Sweden!

Acoustic, Country-Rock, Indie, Indie-Rock, Shots

The Alt-Country boom in the mid-90’s was quite a thing – country as a genre had long been derided as rhinestones and fake smiles, but even before the commercial rebirth of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, bands had openly embraced the genre and added their own sympathetically subtle embellishments. Acts such as Giant Sand, Wilco and The Handsome Family brought the dust-swept art of story-telling into ultra-cool indie territory, despite (or maybe even because of) their heartfelt love of the simplicity of the music and the lyrics.

Though alt-country (or, if you prefer, Americana) has settled into its niche quietly now, the ethics and sound are appearing in the most unusual places. Perhaps the gold-standard of these is Slim Loris, a band based in Gothenburg, Sweden, who are producing some of the most life-affirming music you can imagine, whilst keeping a firm grip on reality. The first track to be aired from their forthcoming EP, “Wild & Untamed”, is “Burning Elephant”, one of the rockier tracks but still brilliantly melodic and wholly satisfying…

Which brings us to booze. What to pair? Presenting the combining of American and Swedish culture:

SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.com/slimloris

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4i1M26n7NN5vINKv3VfuHu

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvykGoHrbiiBqa33Ia_pPA

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Slim-Loris/214253388610637

Twitter

https://twitter.com/SlimLoris

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/slimloris/

Website

http://slimloris.com/

Survival of the Fittest – Survival Code’s Latest Single

Indie-Rock, Rock

Cooking and music – do they go together? Dublin/London duo Survival Code don’t strictly answer the question definitively but we’re hedging our bets with a “no”.

Their latest single, warmly praised by Hot Press (ho-ho) Not Working, is stridently upbeat despite the point the song is making, reflecting the incredibly energetic live shows the pair are well known for.

Although we wouldn’t recommend tomfoolery in the kitchen, there must necessarily be a suitable beverage to which one can enjoy Survival Code’s new track. Avoiding the obvious Guinness, we’ve though long and hard about what fits their melodic yet heavy brew – we found just the thing: malt, coffee, 5.8%. Marvellous!

www.thesurvivalcode.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thesurvivalcode

www.soundcloud.com/thesurvivalcode

www.spotify.com/thesurvivalcode

After Hours Post-Rock with Broken Islands

Ciders, Cocktails, Indie, Indie-Rock, Rock, Spirits

Broken Islands may be the most heart-breaking listening experience of your year – or maybe the most uplifting, such is the strange brew of raucous guitars and honeyed vocals. Post-rock may have had a somewhat tumultuous hay day, evolving from sheets of amplified power chords to orchestral, if rather directionless, suites of floppy-haired yawning. It was a brave attempt to bring classical techniques to rock and indie music but it failed as bands either misunderstood what they were trying to integrate or took themselves too seriously to an alarming degree. And then there’s Broken Islands.

Broken Islands are the band post-rock should have used as its template for glory. Exceptionally grand and widescreen in scope, this is utterly thrilling, indeed the temptation to wheel out cliched phrases of rapture is almost too much to resist. Listen to the track “Crown” and you risk arrest if not moved to tears. It’s a stunning testament to a band who have only unleashed themselves on the world when they had fully developed as both a band and songwriters. Their album, Wars, has just been released (on red vinyl) and is a potential game-changer.

What to accompany this emotional experience? Well, the band are from Canada so it would be nice to bring that into the mix. Lo’, please enjoy a heart (and body warming brew from those good people at Canada Dry

https://www.canadadry.com/recipes/warm-ginger-apple-rum-punch

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-475951978/sets/wars

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gpCj0xQj8BwdG3uXPUJRr

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvEJQKLM-qaFjTvMXxUMkWg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrokenislands/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/broken_islands

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thebrokenislands_/

Website: http://www.thebrokenislands.com/

For Greasy Garage Rock, It Has to be Vulpine Smile…or is that Vulpint?

Blues, Indie-Rock, Rock

Though when many people think of sixties music they conjure up sounds of pop and woozy psychedelia, we’re always partial to a slice of garage rock, the true precursor to punk and a style which has never lost its appeal. With exponents such as The Sonics and The Wailers, their unhinged breed of blues-inflected trashy, fuzzed-to-the-gills rock was a breath of fresh air and inspired anyone with a guitar, an amp and forgiving neighbours to kick out the jams and have a go themselves.

Jumping forwards to today and the model of garage rock still hangs heavy over White Stripes and Royal Blood, though their adoption of modern pedals and effects has seen them attract a much wider audience than their ancestors. Enter Vulpine Smile, a Cambridgeshire band who combine the blues progression and scuzzy guitars of yore but combine them with a soaring vocal which is very much in the Jeff Buckley mould. Their single, The Way it Flows, could not be more Booze and Reviews-friendly, both title-wise and content-wise, being intoxicating enough to make you feel half-pissed before you even start on the liquid refreshment. Talking of which, there can only be one tipple to drink along to Vulpine Smile, especially considering their musical heritage…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vulpinesmileband/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vulpinesmile/

Flying Tonight! Ikkarus Touch Down With 01800

Indie-Rock, Rock, Soft Drinks

As you might imagine, we strongly oppose drinking and driving at the best of times. To clarify, we have the same view of flying a plane and drinking, not as abstract a comment as you might think, with Ikkarus frontman, Javier, having a secret life as an airline pilot. Ikkarus have elements of contemporary rock, alongside an early 90’s sound, which evokes aural memories of Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The funk elements is an odd addition to the mix but for the most part works well, cutting through the guitar and vocals and changing the structure of the songs enough that each track has a very definite personality of its own.

Though based in Mexico, Ikkarus have a sound which is typically alt-rock American, with dashes of Linkin Park more than a little liberally scattered through the tracks. Lead single from the album, 01800, showcases the band at their top speed, a punky, vicious track which grabs hold quickly and refuses to let go. It’s a primer for an album which varies from bouncy rock to atmospheric washes of sound which go beyond mere genre sterotypes.

What to drink with Ikkarus? Well, no alcohol, so that’s tequila out – here’s an alcohol-free margarita, livened up with jalepenos!

Pink Milk to Listen to but What to Drink?

Indie-Rock, Spirits

Sweden’s Pink Milk are a male and female duo who excel at contorting deafening sound into strange and wonderful sculptures. Their sound is both hypnotic and bewildering, as much influenced by the spectral Gotland backdrop in which their album was recorded in as the dark ideas spewing forth from their minds.

Their earlier singles have received rave reviews from the likes of Clash and 6Music, in particular their disarming song and video “Detroit” and their slowly unraveling cover version of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is”, which is turned inside out and becomes both a lowing lullaby and sinister entreaty. As an entity, they are a testament to how minimalism can actually be huge, expansive and incredibly powerful, and their album, Purple, a rare treat. And that drink to accompany your listening experience? Oh, yeah…

http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink1wx4755.html

Links:

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/pinkmilktheband

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pfkVhn2nBIYUEu9nKHdLV

Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvRWoJAz6IGcGmuw3qqah9A

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pinkmilkmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/pm_theband