The 30 Best Indie Rock Songs of 2016 (10 - 1)

No fucking about, let’s get into it. 

10. Red Cabin - I Can't Wait 

Red Cabin is Jonathan Foster, an indie pop multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter/producer from Long Island, New York. His sound falls somewhere between The Shins and Weezer. I Can't Wait (Feb'16) is an ebullient rock song with a vocal delivery that exudes joy. Unique.

9. Yak - Harbour The Feeling 

Yak are a psych-rock band from London, England. They sound like Pretty Vicious and VANT. Harbour The Feeling (Jan'16) is an intense and furious punk song designed for whipping up an instant crowd frenzy.

8. Sundara Karma - She Said 

Sundara Karma are an indie pop rock band from Reading, England. They sound like Blossoms and Get Inuit. She Said (Aug'16) is a slick and instantly catchy synth-pop song with jangly guitars. The heroin of songs.

7. VANT - Fly-By Alien 

VANT are a punk band from London, England. They sound like Public Access TV and Spring King. Fly-By Alien (Feb'16) is a punk song that takes a swipe at the apathy of the millennial generation. 

6. Nai Harvest - Just Like You

Nai Harvest are a punk duo from Sheffield, England. They sound like Cloud Nothings and The Cribs. Just Like You (Feb'16) is sweet punk with a big scuzzy riff and a shout-it-out-loud chorus. Essential. 

5. PARTYBABY - Your Old Man 

PARTYBABY are an indie rock band with glam stylings from Los Angeles, California. They sound like FIDLAR and SWMRS. Your Old Man (Dec'15) is an anthemic garage rock song that is elevated by the glam rock guitar. A fresh, savage, approach to indie rock.

 4. The Crispies - Bad Blood 

The Crispies are a garage rock band from Vienna, Austria. They sound like The White Stripes and The Arctic Monkeys. Bad Blood (June'16) is a gritty stomper with booming drums, that fires off nasty licks faster than lightening. It reeks of piss and blood in a basement where the band are elevating the crowd to Valhalla.

3. The Amazons - In My Mind 

The Amazons are an indie rock band from Reading, England. They sound between Royal Blood and Oasis. In My Mind (Sept'16) is a powerful rock song propelled by a massive riff, pounding rhythms, dense musical textures and desperate vocals. An indie rock tour de force.  

2. Low Cut High Tops - Lonely And Cold

Low Cut High Tops is multi-instrumentalist and producer David Burns. He is from Seattle, Washington. Low Cut High Tops sounds between The White Stripes and The Pixies. Lonely And Cold (Jan'16) is a grunge song that exudes an off-kilter sexuality while taking off musically with the power of a jet fighter. Blows your fucking head off. 

1. The Courteeners - The 17th 

The Courteeners are an indie rock band from Manchester, England. They sound like The Smiths and Catfish and the Bottlemen. The 17th (Aug'16) has a melancholic synth-pop feel that builds, painfully slowly but inexorably, into a joyful crescendo with a scream-it-to-the-heavens chorus. And that's it. The ultimate cock tease of a song. It'll keep you coming back for more.

YAK - Harbour The Feeling

 



1.    Who got what?

YAK are a psych rock band from London, England. They have been doing the do for a couple of years now. Harbour The Feeling (Jan’16) is the second single from the long player Alas Salvation (May’16).


2. What are YAK slinging?

Harbour The Feeling saunters out of their corner swinging big guitars riffs and in no hurry to hit the showers early. Harbour The Feeling bobs and weaves repetitious garage rock that is pure addiction for fans of the recent English rock’n’roll renaissance.  A statement of intent from another English band punching above their weight. YAK ain't no trippers.


3. Who do YAK sound like?

YAK swim in the same pool as Asylums and Spring King.


4. What’s the goodword from our friends in the press?

“As fast and furious as they come” – DIY.

“A scuzzed up barrage of grinding rifs and primal percussion” – The Line Of Best Fit.

“Riot inducing frenzy” – Monster Children.
 

5. Who put the shine on YAK’s boots?

YAK are influenced by Can, Clinic, Spacemen3, Todd Rungren and Lonnie Donegan or early electronic, Al Green, Turkish psychedelia, Suicide, Elvis Presley, Nick Cave and The Birthday Party, depending on which interview you read.

 
6. Why should I give Harbour The Feeling a butchers?

YAK are taking care of the business of rock'n'roll and business is good. Harbour The Feeling goes park off a bat swung in anger and isn't off kilter with English punk or West Coast garage. You'll be lacing up the boots after this one.


7. Do YAK have anymore bangers?

Give Victorious (National Anthem) a lash. It sounds like the Daleks formed a punk band.


8. Any more words fool?

YAK are signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records.

YAK have made friends and influenced people, warming the stage for supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets, Palma Violets, Beck and The Strokes.

YAK frontman and guitarist Oli Burslem tells a funny story about respectfully taking the piss out of Courtney Taylor from The Dandy Warhols that is worth the time of day.

“I’d sell my soul if I could”

 

 

Chinese Watermelon (Oct’15) is an installment of Riot Girl influenced grunge rock. White Lung and Pink Mountaintops came together as Pink Lung for a one-off single and was released on a mixed artists compilation, Cons EP V.3. Chinese Watermelon was called, “punk rock ruckus” by Exclaim.

“Give me that government good stuff”