Bands That Rock – INDIE ROCK CAFE

The Offspring guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman: ‘Music doesn’t have as much worth as…’

Posted on 06/11/202106/13/2021 by UPI

Guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman and singer Bryan “Dexter” Holland recently took part in a virtual meet-and-greet with listeners of the Austin, Texas radio station 101X. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

Speaking about how the music industry has been turned upside down with the advent of the Internet and digital technology, Noodles said: “Back [in the late 1990s], we weren’t sure exactly how the Internet was gonna change. We knew things were changing — the ground was kind of shaking — but we didn’t really know what it meant. But we were kind of positive about the effects that the Internet could have. I mean, things like this [discussion] — we’re talking one-on-one right now. When I get tweets, I can talk to people right away. We could talk to ’em on our web site back in the day. Now it’s on Facebook, we can respond right away. So that stuff’s all good. Unfortunately, it almost feels like music doesn’t have as much worth as it did when we were growing up. I mean, we would all go buy vinyl and pore over the liner notes. If we wanted to hear a song, we had to pick the needle up and go back. You know what though? Vinyl’s still a thing; you can still get vinyl. Most of our records are out on vinyl, so you can still live that, if you want to. You can still pick up that needle. Wait, wait — I don’t know if we wanna be telling kids to pick up needles. Wrong message.”

In a 2012 interview with Metroactive, Holland said: “The Internet is something I’ve always been comfortable with because I’ve always thought of the Internet as a way to directly connect to fans. It’s what we were trying to do in little clubs as a punk band. The bands that I loved are the bands that invited the audience on stage. We did a lot of that too. I always thought of punk shows as being really inclusive of their audience, like you’re part of an event. So when the Internet came along, you had your own webpage, your own chat room and your own Facebook — Twitter now is even more direct. It fits in very natural to what our band was already about.”

THE OFFSPRING‘s latest album, “Let The Bad Times Roll”, arrived on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012’s “Days Go By” was once again produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band’s last two LPs.

Holland, Wasserman, drummer Pete Parada and new bassist Todd Morse wrote and recorded “Let The Bad Times Roll” in the last few years at various locations, including the band’s studio in Huntington Beach, California.

5 Bands That Rock, Vol. X – Welshly Arms, The Scarlet Son, YourEnvy, Sunblaze Lane, Glorious Moonrockets

Posted on 06/02/201607/22/2021 by August W. Zander

This amazing edition of 5 Bands That Rock features a killer collection of rock music from artists and bands from our archives that most of you have probably never heard of until today. And if you have – damn, you’re up on your DIY bands that rock!

In this 10th installment of 5 Bands That Rock:

Welshly Arms – Cleveland, Ohio
The Scarlet Son – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
YourEnvy – Dryden, Ontario
Sunblaze Lane – Westchester, Pennsylvania
Glorious Moonrockets – Ottawa, Ontario

Welshly Arms – Cleveland, Ohio

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, blues garage rock band Welshly Arms knows how to rock. Formed in 2012, the band has released a couple of EP that have garnered them attention in their hometown, which appropriately is the location of the world famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Their amazing track, “The Touch,” with it’s gritty, attitude-oozing, even somewhat spooky thrust, is irresistible for anyone that loves stomping, kick-ass rock. The song would be perfect on the soundtrack of HBO’s series Vinyl. Come on, Mick and Martin – listen to this track. We’d even be so bold as to say that these guys are a yet-to-be-discovered Black Keys (except with more people).

MP3: “The Touch” – Welshly Arms from Welcome

Band members Sam Getz on guitar and vocals; Jimmy Weaver on bass; Mikey Gould on drums and Brett Lindemann on keys are all competent and accomplished musicians in their own right, which is part of their appeal.

The band members are heavily influenced by artists like The Black Keys, The James Gang, The Ojays, Jimi Hendrix, Alabama Shakes and Howlin’ Wolf.

Combining rhythm and soul, rock and jazz, with lots of blues, the band has knocked out a string of riveting, creative and exciting home brewed guitar rockers over the past few years.

In the summer of 2014, the band’s ripping riffer, “Dirty Work,” was released and used in a promotional video for the band’s hometown baseball team’s (Cleveland Indians) new season. That’s a pretty big deal for a home town band in the city known worldwide for rock and roll.

MP3: “Two Seconds Too Late“ – Welshly Arms from Welcome

Bonus MP3: “Run Right Out Of Here“ – Welshly Arms from Welcome

Welshly Arms on Facebook

The Scarlet Son – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Scarlet Son band from Pittsburgh is a heavy alt. rock band that began as a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Kris Litman before his friend and bass player Sterling Taylor joined followed by drummer Colin Mcbride and guitarist Dan Winschel.

The first single, “Silence,” is cloaked by a dark and heavy shadow, full of hard driving beats, blazing, buzzsaw guitars, and at times, even slight pop rock elements. There’s no question their sound is partly influenced by the 80’s metal and hard rock bands – just without the teased hair, make-up and tights (and that’s definitely a good). The second track, “Consumed,” is another solid rocker from the band’s self-titled debut.

MP3: “Silence“ – The Scarlet Son from The Scarlet Sun

Bonus MP3: “Consumed“ – The Scarlet Son from The Scarlet Sun
The Scarlet Son on Facebook

YourEnvy – Dryden, Ontario

Well-honed, good ole fashioned rock and roll blues is the signature sound of Dryden, Ontario duo YourEnvy‘s album, Darkside, featuring standout rockers like “Blue Ale,” that harken back to a bygone era when rock ruled the world.

If you know anything about Detroit rock from the 70s and early 80s (Iggy and The Stooges; MC5; Ted Nugent; Alice Cooper, etc.), that’s where YourEnvy has its roots. The track “Dirt Hill Woman II” is a rock radio blast from the past, reminiscent of classic rock bands like KISS, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple with a flare of T. Rex. These guys are tight!

MP3: “Blue Ale“ – YourEnvy from Darkside

Inspired by both American blues and British hard rock, YourEnvy have emerged from deep within the forests of northern Ontario with a twisted saga of battle, romance, and nature. All the instruments are performed by Shawn Sherwood, with vocals from Clint Gottinger. The duo has opened for bands like Black Jack, Dayblind, and Stratovarius, and list their top musical influences, a bit surprisingly (but not really), as Helloween, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Guns N Roses.

Bonus MP3: “Dirt Hill Woman II“ – YourEnvy from Darkside

YourEnvy on Facebook

Sunblaze Lane – Westchester, Pennsylvania

Since 2014, the Westchester, Pennsylvania DIY rock band Sunblaze Lane has released one single at a time, bucking the tradition of a new band dropping either a debut EP or LP. But it doesn’t really matter because smoking songs like “I’m Coming Home” and “All I ever Wanted,” show how talented the band is; great band name by the way.

“It’s easy to avoid sounding like one type of music because our influences are all very different,” says lead guitarist Justin Smith. “Without getting into too much detail, our biggest challenges have to do with alcohol, women, money, and the law. All of us have similar interests, but common problems.”

The other band members, all in their mid-20s, include frontman and guitarist Nick Hopton, drummer John Lamplugh and bassist Addison Scott.

Sunblaze Lane has opened for bands like The Moxy, The Quireboys, Goodman Fiske, Hello Cleveland, and are mainly influenced by Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Arctic Monkeys.

MP3: “I’m Coming Home“ – Sunblaze Lane from The Way She Goes

Bonus MP3: “All I Ever Wanted“ – Sunblaze Lane from The Way She Goes

Sunblaze Lane on Facebook

The Glorious Moonrockets – Ottawa, Ontario

From their home base in the Ontario capital of Ottawa, indie rock band The Glorious MoonRockets belt out a gripping trashy, gritty punk rock sound that has rightfully earned them a spot in the Bands That Rock series. Formed in 2011, the band has kept busy with recording and releasing new material as well as touring throughout eastern Canada.

With their garage and psych rock influences, notable 90’s grunge tinges and raw, driving lo-fi power chords notable on the band’s menacing, edgy track, “Down On Their Luck” – a gritty chugging track that is ripe for the soundtrack of a series like Vinyl – and “3 Dollar Dinner,” a blazing rocker. The band members are fans of Motorhead, AC/DC, MC5, and Dictators.

MP3: “Down On Their Luck“ – Glorious MoonRockets from More Other Stuff

Bonus MP3: “3 Dollar Dinner“ – Glorious MoonRockets from More Other Stuff

Glorious MoonRockets on Facebook

Bands That Rock! #IX – Birth of Joy, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, A Victim of Society, Mary Goes Wild

Posted on 04/28/201504/15/2021 by indierocker

If you love rock and roll, don’t worry: it’s not dead despite what the cynics may say. For those of you who have followed IRC for all these years, you know we love hard-hitting, riff-heavy, and head-banging rock. It’s amazing how many DIY and under-the-radar bad ass rock bands there are that don’t get the coverage they deserve.

We’re not talking about The Black Keys or Cage The Elephant – they get the love they deserve. We’re talking about seriously talented bands that are better than average and committed to keeping rock and roll alive and well. When you give these talented and serious rockers a shot, they will amp up your appreciation for all the great rock that is out there for the listening.

IRC is one of the few music blogs that doesn’t follow the latest buzz bands, but instead focuses on many of the incredibly talented DIY and under-the-radar rock bands that don’t get the love they deserve. It has been a while since we’ve done a 5 Bands That Rock installment, and we plan to do more in the ensuing months. This installment is specifically geared towards highlighting amazing overseas bands that rock, including Birth of Joy (Amsterdam, Netherlands); Transvaal Diamond Syndicate (Brisbane, Australia); A Victim Of Society (Athens, Greece); Mary Goes Wild (Munich, Germany).

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Birth of Joy – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Founded back in 2005, the Amsterdam rock band, Birth of Joy, have been one of the most popular rock bands in Europe over the past decade, getting huge radio play and selling out shows from Poland to France, Germany to Italy. While they’ve toured in the U.S., the band still has yet to grow a large U.S. following to rival that in Europe. Now it’s time for more U.S. rock fans to hear Birth of Joy’s raunchy, electric force blasting through their speakers.

The band released its fourth album, Prisoner, via Surburban Records last March, and are recording their latest album now as well as continuing to tour. Prisoner features a sleuth of great rock songs, including the haunting “Three Day Road,” , “Keep Your Eyes Shut” and “The Sound,” followed by a popular music video for the killer song, “Rock and Roll Show.”

Prisoner was produced by Joris Wolff (e.g. De Staat, Within Temptation and Mister and Mississippi) and mastered by Brian Lucey (e.g. The Black Keys, Artic Monkeys, David Lynch and Dr. John).

Birth of Joy band members – Kevin Stunnenberg, Bob Hogenelst and Gertjan Gutmanare – are fans of, and emulate, classic rock bands like MC5, The Doors and Pink Floyd. At the same time they introduce a modern twist influenced by stoner, grunge and punk and hence create their own.

With a drummer that could be Keith Moon’s son, a keyboard player that pushes his instrument to the limit and a singer/guitarist that seems to be an amped up descendant of Jim Morrison, Birth of Joy is one of the best still relatively unknown (at least in the States) rock bands today. Check out this “Make Things Happen” music video from the band. Do you hear those Jim Morrison moments? The video achieved over 150,000 views; no small feat.

“Keep Your Eyes Shut“ – Birth of Joy from Prisoner

“Three Day Road“ – Birth of Joy from Prisoner

Listen to all tracks by the band and follow Birth of Joy on Spotify. Previous to the release of Prisoner, Birth of Joy released Make Things Happen. The album’s title track has received over 350,000 streams on Spotify, YouTube and other sources. See the “Make Things Happen” official video or watch the band play it live. These guys rock!

“Make Things Happen“ – Birth of Joy from Make Things Happen

Birth of Joy on Facebook

Transvaal Diamond Syndicate – Brisbane, Australia

Since 2009, Australia’s Brisbane-based blues rock band, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, have been touring the country and building a huge fan base. The ‘Sunshine Coast’ band members – Christian Tryhorn on guitar and vocals, Jus Alfrey on bass, and Chris Nunn on drums – are today renowned Down Under for their raw, lively and electric stage performances, and have played most of Australia’s blues and rock festivals, as well as picked up a number of acclaimed awards for their contributions to Australian blues rock history.

Over the past five years, TDS has been one of the biggest touring bands in the country, racking up over 200,000 kilometers across the continent. They’ve dropped four releases, had four songs on Triple J Radio and have been among the most requested bands on Australian Community Radio. TDS’s most recent album is Estranged Blues, released via Beats Cartel. A new EP is currently in the works for release later this year.

TDS has opened for bands like The Beards, The Fumes, Dallas Frasca, and count among their biggest influences The Fumes, The Royal Artillery, Queens of The Stone Age, Rage Against The Machine, and Howlin’ Wolf.

“Long Lines“ – Transvaal Diamond Syndicate from Estranged Blues

“So Sweet“ – Transvaal Diamond Syndicate from Estranged Blues [watch the video]

Transvaal Diamond Syndicate on Facebook

A Victim Of Society – Athens, Greece

From the same increasingly fertile DIY scene of Athens, Greece that spawned rock bands like Acid Baby Jesus, Baby Guru, and The Callas, A Victim of Society create a soundtrack for a nightmarish post-urban landscape. Formed by Vagelis Makris (vocals, guitars) and Fotis Ntouskas (bass, guitar) – AVOS combines uncanny and dark melodies cut with menacing guitar notes, raspy vocalizations and sardonic sneers surrounded by blistering noise and distortion. The band’s music is a plaintive, lo-fi mixture of hard rock nostalgia wrapped in deeply ingrained noir undertones.

AVOS’s first demo track, “You’re Gonna Hate Me“ was included in the compilation Reverb Conspiracy, Vol. 1, released from Fuzz Club Records in collaboration with the Austin Psych Festival.

AVOS has opened for bands like The Black Angels, Moon Duo, Dirty Beaches and Disappears. Their debut album, Distractions, was recorded at Sonic Playground Studios by Nikos Triantafyllou and mastered by Jamal Ruhe at West West Side Music Studio in New York. The band name was inspired by the painting, A Victim of Society, by George Grosz.

“Enough Said“ – A Victim of Society from Distractions

“Sweet Girl“ – A Victim of Society from Distractions

A Victim of Society on Facebook

Mary Goes Wild – Munich, Germany

Mary Goes Wild is a Munich based DIY garage rock, surf and blues duo formed in 2013 by Danny Wild (guitar, vocals) and Freddy Jones (drums). MGW is one of the more promising overseas DIY rock bands we’ve heard recently. The duo’s meticulous performance and edgy swagger in the delivery of their predominantly blues roots rock signature style and sound of riffs and beats squarely places them in the Bands That Rock series.

For die-hard fans of rock, Mary Goes Wild is a roots rock band that draws from garage rock, surf and definitely blues elements. Their sound consists of back-to-the-roots blues with garage rock and surf elements. Mary Goes Wild’s live performances are known to be excessive and extremely noisy, an effect the band strives to achieve with each show by stacking multiple amplifiers to create a modern “wall-of-sound” effect. For a band of only two members, these guys sound amazingly loud.

From the first couple of notes on the track, “Redheaded Chain,” Mary Goes Wild belts out a wicked rock sound that communicates to the listener right away that they’re not messing around with any synths, drum machines or cookie cutter riffs; their music is organic, raw and untamed. On the track, “Do Anything,” the duo kick out blistering guitar riffs and pounding drums. The band’s top musical influences include The White Stripes, Ty Segall, The Blackbox Revelation, Bass Drum Of Death, Wavves, and The Black Keys.

“Redheaded Chain“ – Mary Goes Wild from Next Time, Analog

“Do Anything” – Mary Goes Wild from Next Time, Analog

Mary Goes Wild Official Website

5 Bands That Rock, Vol. VIII – Lions for Real, Tijuana Bullfight, One High Five, BRUCE! and Atlas Complex

Posted on 01/29/201407/22/2021 by Max Hammer

The Bands That Rock profile and playlist series has been one of the most popular playlist series on Indie Rock Cafe over the past couple of years. This new edition of Bands That Rock features mostly DIY bands, but they all do one thing the same – they rock out with the kind of raw rock power we love. But most of these bands are practically unknown and under the radar. Not anymore. With so many electronics, samples, synths, drum machines, and so on in so much music these days (and plenty of it that is terrific and featured on IRC regularly), it is more important than ever for hard-working, talented, and original rock bands – that pay tribute to the roots of hard rock – to get the notice they deserve.

Lions For Real – Nashville, Tennessee

For the past couple of years, Lions for Real, a gritty, high energy rock band based in Nashville, have been making in-roads within the emerging alternative rock scene of a city long associated with country music. As the band members worked hard at honing their sound and paying their dues, Lions For Real was booked as the opening band for shows from popular bands like Cage the Elephant, Little Big Town, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gov’t Mule, and Brother Cane. The members of Lions For Real include among their top influences artists such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Ramones, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix.

Lions For Real’s raw, melodic, and excitingly original sound, apparent on songs like “It’s On” and “The Movement.” In the two years since their formation, the band has been gaining attention from industry insiders from New York City to Los Angeles – including Hollywood-based record label, Werewolf Heart Records (Ryan Gosling’s Dead Man’s Bones, Ima Robot), who signed Lions For Real briefly in 2012. When that partnership fell apart, Lions for Real decided they preferred to go at it DIY-style, and subsequently released their debut EP, Heathens, in July of 2013.

Lions For Real on Facebook

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Tijuana Bullfight – Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles hard rock band, Tijuana Bullfight, known in the LA music scene as the band to popularize what is referred to as the “SoCal Sludge sound,” will release their sophomore album, aptly titled Southern California, in February. TBF’s latest album demonstrates the significant experience and contributions of core band members Anthony Binikos and Mark Atienza to the southern California ‘sludge’ sound with clever fusions of southern California rock, punk, metal and indie.

“With so many clubs and promoters in LA mashing different styles of music,” Atienza told IRC, “we had to cater to a different audience at every show; it evolved from there. LA is a big mash pot of different styles of fashion, music, art and lifestyle, kinda [sic] like one big ‘sludge.'” Recently the band put out a cover version of the Psychedelic Furs’ track, “Heaven.”

The band’s ability to answer the demand for a mashed, multi-genre hard rock sound, and to do so in a completely original way, with their famously raw, dynamic and powerful sound, have made Tijuana Bullfight popular and influential within LA’s booming rock scene, and led to bookings with bands like Ween, The Cramps, Ratt, Palo Alto, Cage 9, The Dollrots, Kittie, Revolver, Skinnie, and One Size Zero.

It wasn’t until the release of the band’s 2012 double-single, “Fat Baby/Red Head,” that we were introduced to the band. Even though they formed in 2003, Southern California is only the band’s second album. But like their debut, it’s busting out with rip-curling energy and gusto. Among the band’s top musical influences include artists like Bad Brains, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Failure, Beatles, Rolling Stones, QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Oasis, and Mastadon. Fans of those bands will likely dig TBF’s sounds.

“Desire” – Tijuana Bullfight from Southern California

“Fat Baby” – Tijuana Bullfight from 7″

“Red Head” – Tijuana Bullfight from 7″

Tijuana Bullfight Official Website

Tijuana Bullfight on Facebook

One High Five – Long Beach, California

One High Five is a DIY rock and pop punk band from Long Beach,, California. After the band received airplay on Los Angeles’s 106.7 KROQ‘s Locals Only program, they were invited to play their first show at the famous Viper Room, where High Voltage Magazine tweeted: “There’s a party on the stage, and it’s called ‘One High Five!'”

Since then, singer/songwriter David Sauer has taken the party across the United States, overseas to China, and into the ears of rock ‘n rollers on three continents. The music blog, Muse’s Muse, called them a “force to be reckoned with” and Hear Me Out wrote that One High Five “stand out above the rest.”

One High Five’s sound is based in layers of guitars, orchestration and harmonies that combine to create a genre-blending musical adventure, that pay tribute to Sauer’s influences including Green Day, The Beach Boys, NOFX, Superdrag, Electric Light Orchestra and CAKE. His lyrics reflect personal experiences and encourage listeners to challenge themselves and push through battles of hopelessness and despair. The band has opened for artists like Green Jelly, The Wellingtons (Australia), Red Bacteria Vacuum (Japan), and The Steelwells.

Songs are written in Sauer’s head and flushed out with plenty of repetitive thoughts and manic pacing; he records demos at his studio and collaborates with a rotating crew of friends and strangers for the band’s live shows. The fuel that rockets One High Five is Sauer’s value of hard work, passion and resolve. The impact can definitely be felt on their eclectic and energetic debut album, Here, Hear!

“Fully Operational” – One High Five from Here, Hear! – Feb. 19th

“Tear Down the Wall” – One High Five from Here, Hear!

One High Five Official Site
One High Five’s Facebook Page

BRUCE! – Wollongong, Australia

Loud blazing guitars, brash rhythms, growling bass lines, aggressive drumming and passionate driving vocals are the pillars of BRUCE, a gritty heavy metal indie rock band from Wollongong, Australia comprised of Michael Curley (vocals /guitar); Mick Brady (vocals /guitar), Luke Armstrong (vocals/ bass) and Elwyn Brindle-Jones (vocals/drums). The band major music influences include Queens of the Stone Age, Turbonegro, The Bronx, Ted Nugent, Regurgitator, and The Misfits.

This four headed beast was born from the ashes of rock trio Hytest (which toured Europe with Nick Oliveri in Mondo Generator back in 2010), and have been honing their craft ever since, resulting in the production of 13 songs recorded with Jonboy Rock at Megaphon Studios in Sydney, which became the band’s self-titled debut album.

“Money And Go” – BRUCE! from BRUCE! – May 2nd

“Someday” – BRUCE! from BRUCE!

BRUCE on Bandcamp

Atlas Complex – Miami, Florida

Miami DIY band Atlas Complex was formed by Phillip Bower in 2009. and had a lot of musicians going in and out, until June 2012, when the current line up got together and started weekly jams and writing original material.

In January of 2013, after a couple of local gigs, the quartet decided to record live in the warehouse where they practice, and the first six original tracks were completed and released two weeks later on Atlas Complex’s debut EP, Moon Within. As a totally DIY band, their artwork and website were developed by the band vocalist, Chryz, and the recording, mixing and mastering of the EP was produced by guitarist Phillip Bower. Currently Atlas Complex is working on recording a full LP, and booking more local gigs to continue to grow. The band’s major influences include Nirvana, Tool, Radiohead, NIN, Satriani, and A Perfect Circle.

“Attack” – Atlas Complex from Moon Within – Jan. 12th

“Seattle” – Atlas Complex from Moon Within

Atlas Complex Official Website
Atlas Complex on Facebook

5 Bands That Rock, Vol. VII – Tsar, Dreamers, Eight Feet Deep, The Bitter Roots, and The New Self-Defense

Posted on 05/28/201310/16/2021 by Kat Nip Carver

The Bands That Rock playlist and profile series reviews rock bands, often DIY or under-the-radar, whose talents should not go unnoticed. Most of the bands in this series – as with many other of our playlist series – sent their music in for review. In fact, we receive close to, or more than, a hundred submissions a month.

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In the past, the Bands that Rock series has been popular with IRC readers, and this marks the seventh installment of this particular series, highlighting bands like Tsar, Dreamers, Eight Feet Deep, The Bitter Roots and The New Self Defense.

Tsar – Los Angeles

Los Angeles rock, punk and glam band Tsar have been a fixture of LA’s underground rock scene for 15 years. Last fall the band dropped a new EP last fall titled The Dark Stuff, featuring the two blistering tracks below. Over all the years – and 15 years is a long time for a band – Tsar’s line-up has remained intact from the beginning, featuring Jeff Whalen (vocals, guitar), Dan Kern (guitar, vocals), Jeff Solomon (bass), and Steve Coulter (drums).

From the moment they broke out on the LA scene in 1998, they were quickly signed to Aderra Records. We were not unaware of Tsar; in fact, years ago we saw them play in LA and we were rocked to the core by their blazing, guttural sound. Over time, like so many bands, we had lost track of them. So, it was a pleasant surprise to see the band pop up on our radar again with a couple of fresh tracks they had sent in to for review. The Dark Stuff EP is the band’s first release of new material in seven years.

The lead single, “Police Station,” comes blazing out of the gates from start with lively kinetic energy of blazing guitar riffs and bombastic drumming. Over the years, Tsar have shared the stage with bands like Jet, The Walkmen, Marvelous 3, Eve 6, New York Dolls, Duran Duran, and Social Distortion. Their major musical influences include T. Rex, The Pooh Sticks, MGMT, The Replacements, The Hives, David Bowie, The Stooges, and the New York Dolls.

Dreamers – Warwick, Rhode Island

Highly regarded for their firey and energetic live shows throughout New England and the New York metro area, Rhode Island DIY powerhouse rockers Dreamers have been on repeated rotation in our DIY bands playlist (that includes hundreds of unsigned bands) for a few months, and are a perfect fit for IRC’s Bands That Rock series. Lead singer and guitarist Christian Shields has quite a range to his voice, as demonstrated in the screaming rocker, “Way It Feels,” an edgy screecher and tribute to a 350 Chevy, packed with blistering, yet melodic hooks, crunchy power chords, head-banging beats, and rapid-fire bass playing. The second track the band submitted, “Live For Today,” is a hard rock ballad, and perhaps the most standout – and radio-ready – track on Dreamers’ debut LP, Turn It Up.

Dreamers has been mixing metal, pop and rock since their humble beginnings in 2010, and have become a local favorite throughout Rhode Island pretty much from the get-go; they’ve even garnered praise in blogs, newspapers and magazines throughout the New York metropolitan area. The band was started by brothers, Christian and Nathan Shields, who were both former members of Last One Standing. They’ve also shared the stage with artists like All That Remains, Burn Halo, Candlebox, Firewind, Hawthorne Heights, Hollywood Undead, Lynch Mob, Saliva and Saving Abel. Not surprisingly, Dreamers, which isn’t exactly a name that matches their hard rock sound, count among their top musical influences bands such as Kiss, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Senses Fail, Ratt, and Cinderella.

“Way it Feels” – Dreamers from Turn It Up

“Live For Today” – Dreamers from Turn It Up

Check out Dreamers’ Official Website or the band’s Facebook page.

Eight Feet Deep – Sayville, New York

Formed in 2010, Eight Feet Deep is a DIY progressive rock project of musician, songwriter and singer Billy ‘Pills’ Fridrich from Sayville, New York. Last year, he released EFD’s self-titled debut EP, even though we only learned about it recently when Fridrich sent us in a couple of singles from the EP to listen to.

In addition to songwriting and singing (with backup vocals from Mike DiMeo), Fridrich also plays all of the instruments (except for programmed drum beats), including guitars and bass. Fridrich is well-known in the Long Island music scene as a rocker with a melodic voice and keen songwriting abilities for his work as the frontman for bands like Celestial and Heavysurf. He also has another musical side project – No Excuses – performing 90’s cover songs.

Fridrich’s musical influences include Led Zeppelin, King’s X, Sevendust, Alter Bridge, and Pink Floyd. It is apparent in the songs he sent in that Fridrich also draws inspiration from classic late 80’s and early 90’s rock bands like Soundgarden, Candlebox, White Lion and Van Halen. If you’re interested in hearing other songs from the EP, you can do so on Spotify.

Eight Feet Deep’s Official Website

The Bitter Roots – Seattle, Washington

Seattle rock duo The Bitter Roots, formed in 2007, recently released a new album, Chiaroscuro that pays tribute to their musical heroes, and influences, including, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Carlos Santana, Bob Marley, Jane’s Addiction, U2, The Smiths, and The Cure, among others. The duo features Jeff Stetson and Ben Koostra. Their music has been heard on 50 radio stations from coast to coast and throughout Canada, Austrailia and The Netherlands. The duo only record live to analog tape, and make a point of stating that they do not use Auto Tune, Click Track, samples, programmed drum beats or employ other “short cuts” of modern recording. Combining elements of soul and rock, the duo focus on tight rhythms, driving beats and vocal harmonies. Stetson is the former lead singer of manSaveman, a fairly well-known Seattle band that were active in the early to mid 2000s. Stetson also played in the band Chiseler and Into the March. Koostra is a multi-instrumentalist and was the original drummer for the bands Ein Heit and Silkworm.

“For King and Country” – The Bitter Roots from Chiaroscuro

“Family Ties” – The Bitter Roots from Chiaroscuro

The Bitter Roots Official Website

The New Self Defense – New York, New York

It took us a few spins of the album, Meet Me Overboard, before we warmed up to New York post-hardcore, alternative rock band The New Self Defense. The band, originally formed in 2003, have been working for a decade on producing songs with blazing rock chords, heavy bass lines, and energetic drumming. The band formed out of the breakup of the New Jersey-based band Prevent Falls, and have opened for artists like Hey Mercedes, Shades Apart, New Beard, Vs. Antelope, and Damn This Desert Air. The NSD has written and collaborated with artists like Tim Brennan (Dropkick Murphys), Brian Carley (Penfold) and Alf Bartone (Damn This Desert Air, The Fire Still Burns and Ex Number Five).

They cite musical influences as Helmet, The Police, Quicksand, Peter Gabriel, Refused, and Glassjaw. The band’s music has been described before as “Quicksand/Helmet meets The Police on meth.” The band’s lead singer and guitarist, Jeff Carter, said: “Indie rock is the relentless and eternal battle against what MTV did to commercialize and otherwise gut the rock music scene.” So true.

“Loose Noose” – The New Self Defense from Meet Me Overboard

“The Dragon” – The New Self Defense from Meet Me Overboard

The Self Defense Official Website

5 Bands That Rock, Vol. VI – Sunday Kids, Great Zeus’ Beard, Flower Punch, Discount Guns, Anchor Thieves

Posted on 04/01/201301/09/2020 by Max Hammer

Recently we asked all of you via our Facebook page and our Twitter feed what genre of indie and alternative music do you want to hear more of. The overwhelming response echoed a call for more rock and punk.

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So, we dusted off an old rock-centric playlist series and dug through our submissions database to unearth more bands and singles featuring various sub-genres of rock – from alternative and classic rock-inspired to garage rock and surf rock, and in the process resurrected the Bands That Rock! playlist series that specifically highlights DIY and small label rock bands, mostly from submissions we’ve received over the past year or so. But we switched it up to ‘5 Bands’ like the 5 DIY Bands to Watch playlist series.

In recent months, we have gone through hundreds of submissions from mostly unsigned/DIY artists and bands, and filtered out the best among those submissions, which have been featured in a number of DIY and related posts – such as Top DIY Releases, Artist of the Week, 7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, DIY Bands to Watch.

By having so many artists and bands from the submission box to profile, it is increasingly necessary to group them into specific categories, and thus, the reasons for the newer series displayed above. Bands That Rock is fairly self-explanatory – the bands that are profiled have one thing in common: they are focused on writing, recording and performing primarily rock music. Anyone who has followed music for a decade or more has heard the erroneous lament, or proclamation, that “rock is dead.” That is just pure nonsense; absolute hogwash and dead wrong – as this profile/playlist demonstrates. Usually when people proclaim that ‘rock is dead,’ they say so within the confides of popular, mainstream corporate-driven music, not at all indie or alternative music, because those are two less commercially-driven genres where much of the best rock over the past 15 to 20 years has come from.

So, to discover talented, original rock music from small label and DIY bands as an alternative to the major label cookie-cutter ‘rock,’ we thankfully have the Internet, so that bands can send in their music to be reviewed. We aim to highlight the best among the submissions – talented, unsigned, largely unknown DIY rock bands, and ‘bedroom’ musicians or one-man bands, who write and record original, raw, lo-fi, low-budget (and untainted by industry hacks) rock, often without the help of a top-notch producer and engineer, or the backing of a big budget.

Sunday Kids – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Formed in 2012, Sunday Kids is an Amsterdam roots rock band signed to a small label, Undertow Recordings. We really don’t have much information about them because the band didn’t provide many details. Their sound is retro alternative rock with some elements of country rock mixed in here and there, although the name – Sunday Kids – is not exactly indicative of a rock band; in fact, it sounds much more like the name of an indie twee pop band. According to band member “Mr. Harmen,” the band’s musical influences include BRMC, The Stooges, Velvet Underground, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Black Crowes, and Captain Beefheart. As these two tracks demonstrate, and despite the silly band name, Sunday Kids can rock.

“Goin’ Home” – Sunday Kids from Twang Wolf Sessions – Jan. 18th

“Soho” – Sunday Kids from Twang Wolf Sessions

Sunday Kids Official Website

Great Zeus’ Beard – Wilmington, North Carolina

In the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, the DIY rock trio Great Zeus’ Beard are fairly well known within the local music scene for their experimental indie rock styles. GZB was founded in 2008 by group of experienced musicians who have performed with previous bands in some of the most legendary venues in the U.S., like New York‘s famous CBGB’s (sadly, the club closed in 2012), DC’s popular 9:30 Club, TLA in Philadelphia and the Middle East Club in Boston. Band members include Zack Williams (guitar), and brothers John Mousseau (drums) and Steve Mousseau (bass, keys, vocals).

GZB released their self titled EP in early 2009, their debut in 2010 and their sophomore album Symposium late last year. We think of their sound sort of like Pearl Jam mixed with Yes. Great Zeus’ Band has opened for bands like Big Wreck, Yellowcard, Blindside and OURS, and their top musical influences include The Mars Volta, Yes, Local Natives, Led Zeppelin, The Police, Rival Sons, Pink Floyd, Dust, and The New York Rock Ensemble.

“Alone” – Great Zeus’ Beard from Symposium

“Grizzly” – Great Zeus’ Beard from Symposium

Great Zeus Beard on Facebook

Flower Punch – Stockholm, Sweden

Formed by members from Australian grunge band Kitto and Swedish metal band Netherbird in 2011, Stockholm band Flower Punch sound like a band that has been playing together for a decade. Their expansive yet controlled rock sound is dynamic and mixes haunting Hindu rhythms to down tuned stoner rock, which is why they decided to plug their sound as Hindu-rock/grunge. The band’s musical influences include Wovenhand, The Melvins, and High on Fire. The lyrics are often dark and gritty, inspired by the mental struggles frontman Pna experienced during adolescence, as the amazing track “Blueprint” demonstrates. Without even having so much as released a demo, the band found themselves being booked for shows around Scandinavia, the U.K. and Australia, and are currently touring in support of their debut album, released in February.

“Blueprint” – Flower Punch from Flower Punch – Feb. 26th

“Lewis” – Flower Punch from Flower Punch

Flower Punch’s Official Website

Discount Guns – Louisville, Kentucky

Discount Guns is a garage rock/blues duo from Louisville, Kentucky that formed in the spring of 2011 to record a DIY EP in their basement, from which a couple songs saw local airplay on 91.9 WFPK. DG’s members, John Ford and Edward Vincent, switch between playing guitar and drums during live shows across Louisville and throughout southern Indiana. Their latest EP, Odessa, was released in August of 2012. Odessa was recorded in less than 18 hours, and then mixed and remastered in a couple of weeks. The duo are now working with DeadBird Studios and producer Kevin Ratterman (Wax Fang, My Morning Jacket) on their debut full length. The band’s influences include Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Marc Bolan and T.Rex, Noel Gallagher, and Jack White.

“The Water” – Discount Guns from Odessa – Aug. 10th

“Already Gone” – Discount Guns from Odessa

Discount Guns Official Website

Anchor Thieves – Nashville, Tennessee

Anchor Thieves is a three-piece alt rock band from Nashville, Tennessee that performs minimalist arrangements and buried harmonies with firm roots planted in alternative rock, solid pop songwriting and familiar fuzzy guitar tones. Their newer material “flirts with a broader array of styles and thicker arrangements. If you listen carefully, you might even detect a cautious optimism for the future of rock ‘n’ roll.'”

“Unusual” – Anchor Thieves from Malefactors – Sept. 4th

“Venus de Milo” – Anchor Thieves from Malefactors

Anchor Thieves Official Website

5 Bands That Rock! Vol. V: Bang Bang Eche, Awesome Color, Children Collide, and Bottle Up and Go

Posted on 09/19/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

After reviewing so many submissions, we occasionally find, and share with you, great and promising bands that otherwise don’t get the attention they deserve because the world is fucking unfair! Now rock that shit!

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Bang Bang Eche were never going to let being from New Zealand’s South Island town of Christchurch impede their success. For a band that formed less than three years ago, the distance covered by BBE’s tour bus is as impressive as their blistering, unabashed, and impassioned live shows.

Their unique brand of thrilling dance-punk causes a stir where ever they go, whether it’s with loyal fans who were with the band from the get-go or unknowing and awestruck audiences from New York’s CMJ and Austin’s SXSW festival, to the UK’s Great Escape and Sound City fests.

The band’s debut UK release SONIC DEATH C**TTTT is, as the title may suggest, a purposeful attempt to shake things up. From the first few bars of opener “Fist Full of Dollars,” there is a sense of youthful urgency that is unmistakable; extroverted front man, Zach Doney’s fast paced vocals are unleashed with a fierceness that is only matched by Charlie Ryder’s guitars and synth cuts and the explosive power of drummer James Sullivan and bassist T’Nealle Worsley.

Bang Bang Eche’s hardcore post-punk mixed with dance bass lines creates an insubordinate adolescent sound that is hard to ignore. Because we missed them at SXSW due a scheduling conflict, we’re trying to make up for it now by introducing BBE to a larger audience.

“Fist Full of Dollars” – Bang Bang Eche from Sonic Death Cu-tttt

“Fingers in the Till” – Bang Bang Eche from Sonic Death Cu-tttt

“4 to the Floor” – Bang Bang Eche from Sonic Death Cu-tttt

Awesome Color – Detroit, MI

Hailing from the once world capital of auto manufacturing, Detroit’s Awesome Color has an unlikely name in comparison to their hard-hitting punk/psychedelic rock sound. Their band name is more fitting of a feel-good 60’s pop retro band, but who the heck cares? Awesome Color deliver their huge following consistently well-produced, guitar-driven rock that have kept them going for years.

“Eyes of Light” – Awesome Color from Electric Aborigines

Children Collide – Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne has spawned yet another electrifying rock band with Children Collide, who released their 2009 debut LP, The Long Now, under the guidance of producer Dave Sardy (Dandy Warhols, Oasis, Wolfmother, Jet). The band’s signature sound of punk infused, artistic guitar rock has won them praise from bloggers and the mainstream music press. The band was first featured on IRC last summer; here’s a follow-up track.

“Brave Robot” – Children Collide from The Long Now

Bottle Up and Go – Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn blues rock duo Bottle Up and Go combine garage rock with indie sensibilities that result in nicely baked songs that tempt you to play them again and again. The band made a strong impression on attendees, bloggers and press at last year’s CMJ in NYC, and are scheduled to return when the fest kicks off next month.

“Wayward Son” – Bottle Up and Go from These Bones

Bands That Rock! Vol. III – Australia’s Violent Soho and Brooklyn’s Awesome Colors

Posted on 03/25/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Since we started the playlist mix series Bands That Rock! at the beginning of 2010, it has been fairly popular. The reason for doing it was to specifically focus on just pure rock and roll bands that we think you’ll love.

In the case of these next two bands – Violent Soho and Awesome Colors – they are on the same label, but come from places that are just about as far away from one another as any two locales on earth can be. But what they also have in common is the most important thing to us – they are amazing, full throttle rock bands.

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Violent Soho is a grunge rock revivalist band from Brisbane (Queensland), Australia, consisting of a quintet of mates who grew up together in the suburb of Mansfield (postal code: 4122, which shows up in much of the band’s artwork).

In 2007, the band toured with The Grates. Not long after the tour, Violent Soho released their widely acclaimed EP, Pigs & TV. Blunt Magazine said of the EP: “Sounding like The Vines fed on raw meat and produced on a fraction of the budget, Violent Soho are a boisterous pop rock combo from Brissyland reviving the spirit of the grunge era.”

One of the band’s newest tracks, “Jesus Stole My Girlfriend,” was released months ago as a single, and has also been among one of their most popular songs online. In fact, YouTube alone has over a dozen videos featuring the song; the version we selected above happens to be the best in video and audio we could find, and also happens to be from inside our favorite record store, Amoeba Records, in San Francisco.

That song, and the song featured below, “Son of Sam,” are originally from the band’s 2008 debut LP in Australia, We Don’t Belong Here, released via Emergency Music Records. Some months later, the band signed a deal with Ecstatic Peace Records, a label headed by Sonic Youth‘s Thurston Moore.

Earlier this month, Ecstatic essentially released We Don’t Belong Here (but as a self-titled LP) with completely remastered tracks, and targeted at a larger audience, which once you hear the album, you’ll see why.

“Son of Sam” – Violet Soho from s/t worldwide debut

Stream the entire album on the band’s official website.

Violent Soho on MySpace

Check out this new video of Violent Soho’s recent trip from LA to SF

On the other side of the world from Australia is Brooklyn‘s psychedelic punk rock trio Awesome Color, made up of Michigan natives Michael Troutman, Allison Busch and Derek Stanton. In 2005, shortly after forming, the band’s Detroit garage rock inspired sound caught the attention of Ecstatic’s Thurston Moore, who, like he did with Violent Soho, signed the band to the label, and got to work.

The band’s debut self-titled album was well received, and frequently compared to the 1970s punk band the Stooges. In fact, Stylus Magazine wrote: “there are times when you could play Fun House [a Stooges’ album] and this album back-to-back and not be able to tell the difference between the two”).

Their 2008 follow-up, Electric Aborigines, drew comparisons with The Scientists and Spacemen 3, with Rolling Stone magazine calling the band “a grimier version of Sonic Youth,” who subsequently toured with Built to Spill, The Dead Weather and Dinosaur Jr.

On April 6, the band will release their third LP, Massa Hypons, and based on the first single, “Transparent,” we can’t wait to listen to the entire album. Like their label mates, Violent Soho, Awesome Color performed during last week’s SXSW festival in Austin – and both bands were fantastic – their equal talent for mastering raw rock sounds was refreshing at a time when keyboards, drum machines and Macbooks are driving the popularity of so many other (and some, admittedly good) bands, duos and solo artists.

“Transparent” – Awesome Color from Massa Hypnos

“Eyes of Light” – Awesome Color from Electric Aborigines

Awesome Color on MySpace

Previous installments of Bands That Rock!

Bands That Rock! Vol. II: Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers and Stockholm’s The Legends

Bands That Rock! Vol. I: Argentina’s Lunaria and Portugal’s The Doups

Bands That Rock, Vol. II: Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers and Stockholm’s The Legends

Posted on 02/03/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The first installment of our new playlist series, Bands That Rock! was a huge success, introducing thousands of people worldwide to Lunaria and The Doups. There are many bands that we have lined up for this on-going series in the weeks and months to come, so if you are a rocker, you’ll want to check back often.

Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers deliver a wall of shoegaze noise, driven by big, aggressive guitar riffs, thunderous drumming and chunky bass playing, supported by the dark, loud vocals of singer and effects-pedal specialist, Oliver Ackermann.

Last spring, the band signed to Mute Records, who released their sophomore LP, Exploding Head, this past summer. The band has just wrapped up a successful tour of Europe where they dazzled fans with their unrepenting energy and killer light shows.

In Febuary, the band will play two shows in Australia before embarking on an extensive North American tour with fellow shoegaze rockers The Big Pink. The spring tour will kick off at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on March 10, 2010 and last through the end of April.

“In Your Heart” – A Place to Bury Strangers from Exploding Head (2009)

“To Fix The Gash in Your Head” – A Place to Bury Strangers from 10″ single (2008)

A Place to Bury Strangers on MySpace

Back in June, we featured the Swedish band, The Legends. Since then, we’ve been listening to their other releases as well, including their break-through, widely-acclaimed debut LP, Up Against The Legends. and have some more songs from the band to share with you.

The Legends’ 2009 LP, Over and Over, featured the mini-hit, “Always The Same,” featuring Liane Moccia from Tralala on lead vocals. The nine members of The Legends, hastily formed in 2003, belt out melodic power-pop with guitar and percussion driven white noise that has an energy and confidence similar to A Place to Bury Strangers.

Although The Legends are difficult to place in one music genre, they readily admit to being strongly inspired by the Motown and C-86 genres, with a particular affinity for post punk trailblazers like Television Personalities and Comet Gain.

The Legends are signed with one of our favorite European labels, Labrador Records, and in the U.S., they are distributed via Lakeside Records. The song, “When The Day Is Done,” was featured in the official soundtrack of the film, Wicker Park, and their track, “The Kids Just Wanna Have Fun,” was used by Nike to promote the 2006 ASEAN Football Championship.

“Always The Same” – The Legends from Over and Over (2009)

“Seconds Away” – The Legends from Over and Over (2009)

“The Kids Just Wanna Have Fun” – The Legends from Up Against The Legends (2006)

The Legends on MySpace

Bands That Rock! Vol. I: Argentina’s Lunaria and Portugal’s The Doups

Posted on 12/26/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Bands That Rock! is a new playlist mix series that we’re adding to IRC. The first band we want to share with you came as a pleasant surprise. After sending a couple of songs to us via email, the Argentinian rock band Lunaria immediately impressed us with their forward-driving beats, hooklicious guitar riffs and plenty of rock and roll attitude. Lunaria are absolutely on the indie rock radar.

After the split up of Vengador Toxico, surviving band members Javier De Luca (vocals, guitar) and Christian Urquijo (bassist) teamed up with Luis Cutone (drummer) to form Lunaria in 2006. Combining the prog-rock stylings of bands like the Editors and Interpol, as well as the punk, post-punk and alternative rock influences of bands like Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Sonic Youth, Bauhaus and Joy Division, Lunaria are poised for greatness beyond the borders of Argentina. Almost all of the band’s songs are mesmerizing; here is a triple threat of singles from their amazing 2009 LP release, Uniworse.

“Bleed It Out” – Lunaria from Uniworse (2009)

“Paralysed” – Lunaria from Uniworse (2009)

“The End Begins” – Lunaria from Uniworse (2009)

Lunaria on MySpace

The Doups crossed our radar after the band sent us a few songs from their EP, Six O’Clock Shadow, produced by Harvey Birrell (Dananananaykroyd, Johnny Foreigner, The Buzzcocks). The band have quietly been climbing up the ladder of notoriety, having opened for Franz Ferdinand earlier this month in their home country of Portugal.

The Doups formed in 2007 in Setúbal, and include band members João Rodrigues (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Nuno Cunha (lead guitar and back vocals), Gustavo Andrade (bass guitar) and André Rosa (drums). In 2008, The Doups placed in the Top 5 of the fan-driven Supajam “Fast track to Heineken FIB” Competition out of over 900 other bands across Europe. The band are currently unsigned and planning to release their debut LP in the spring of 2010.

“Dirty Fingers” – The Doups from Six O’Clock Shadow (2009)

“Try, Lie, Die, Whatever” – The Doups from Six O’Clock Shadow (2009)

The Doups on MySpace