Circa Waves - We Made It

 

1. Who are Circa Waves? 

Circa Waves are an indie pop rock band from Liverpool, England. They have been making music since 2013 and We Made It (October, 2024) is the lead single from their third album Death & Love Pt.1 (January, 2024).  

2. What kind of song is We Made It? 

We Made It is a perfectly serviceable radio friendly pop song that will make a welcome addition to anyone's playlist. It will never be anyone's favorite song but it did remind me of why Circa Waves were an exciting young band ten years ago although the excitement has faded like a street walkers smile.

3. Which band do Circa Waves sound like? 

Circa Waves are similar to Amazons, Sundara Karma, The Courteeners, and The Cribs.

4. Which bands influenced Circa Waves music? 

Some of  Circa Waves' influences include David Bowie, The Strokes, The Vaccines, and The Libertines.

5. What have the cut and paste bandits said about We Made It?

"Captures the vital optimism of their sound" -  When The Horn Blows.

"Oozes with Shudall's hope and optimism" - MNPR.

"A punchy pop rock anthem" - NME.

"Lost your mother,

Don't know if you'll recover,

Found the bottle,

Like so many others"

Circa Waves - Wake Up

1.    Who are they? 

Circa Waves are an indie rock band from Liverpool, England. They have a punk edge. Circa Waves have been making cunt punting rock since 2013 and have two albums on their resume.  Wake Up (Nov’16) is the lead single from their second album Different Creatures (March’17). 

2. What kind of song have they served up? 

Wake Up is motorway indie rock. It's got a dark edge to the heavy guitars but a lighter, lofty, chorus. Dense, but with gaps for the sun to shine through, and ultimately satisfying. 

3. Who do Circa Waves sound like? 

The Amazons, Sundara Karma and The Cribs.

4. What have the puppets in the press said about Wake Up? 

“Fierce, dark and sinister” – Clash Music.

“Frenzied” – DIY.

“Forceful” – Triple J.

5. Which bands influenced Circa Waves?

Their main influences are The Maccabees, Arcade Fire, The Buzzcocks, The Strokes and The Damned.

6. Why should I give Wake Up a spin on the turntable? 

For the hints of dour Northern honesty and the driving intensity. 

7. What are Circa Waves best songs? 

Get Away is the show stopper, an absolute belter. So Long and Young Chasers are lovely. 

8. Any more words? 

Different Creatures is produced by Alan Moulder (Twin Atlantic, Two Door Cinema Club and Bear Hands).

“Leaving, spitting sticks and stones”

Riot Kidz are a pop-punk band from Seoul, Korea. They have been together since 2011. They sing in English and sound like early Blink-182, Sum 41 or Good Charlotte. Stereotypes is a single from their debut mini-album My Last Holiday (Sept'16). Stereotypes is the sincerest form of flattery but unlike their predecessors they have something worthwhile to say.

The Amazons - Nightdriving

1   1.    Who are the saviours of rock’n’roll? 

     The Amazons. Indie rock band from Reading, England. Putting the world to rights in a couple of minutes since 2015 and a short player and a clutch of singles to the good. Nightdriving (June'16) is a stand alone single at the minute and a taster of their debut album due soon.

     2. What's Nightdriving like?  

     Nightdriving hurtles along like a runaway van; traditional English indie guitar noise capturing ephemeral excitement. The vibe is vital, the vocals impassioned and Nightdriving exudes the best of English rock sensibilities.

     3. Who are The Amazons similar to?

     Oasis, Sundara Karma and Catfish and The Bottlemen. 

     4. What have the venerable citizens of the fourth estate said about Nightdriving?

“A super catchy single with a feel good, upbeat tempo” – Redbrick.

“Driven guitars and a chorus made for bouncing to” – Music Scramble.

“Fucking big tune. Every chance this’ll be one of the songs of summer and The Amazons one of the breakthrough bands of the year” – Gigslutz.

5. Which bands have influenced The Amazons? 

The Vaccines, The Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Killers and Arcade Fire are just some of the bands that rock their boat. 

6. Why should I give Nightdriving a crack of the lash? 

The Amazons are a band on the make and this is one of the brightest gems in their indie rock crown. The tunes cracks along with barely a pause to take breath. Champion.

7. What are The Amazons' other barn burners? 

Stay With Me is the myth-maker, dragon-slayer and stuff of legend. Ultraviolet is bloody good too.

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8. Any more words muppet?

     Nightdriving was produced by Catherine Marks who has done the same for Wolf Alice, Foals and Sunset Sons.

“Diving in a pool of silhouettes I’ve seen”

     

     

     The Griswolds are a bubbly synth-pop band from Sydney, Australia. Slapping together happy-go-lucky tunes together since 2012 they have manufactured one solid long player Be Impressive (2014). Mississippi (2013) was the band's first big hit, making it to the top ten of U.S. college radio, and has choral vocals and a surprisingly deep soulful bent. Give it a crack.

     

“Here we go,

Walking down the Mississippi on our own”

INHEAVEN - Baby's Alright

1.    Who are INHEAVEN?

INHEAVEN are an indie rock band from South London. Baby’s Alright (Feb’16) is the band’s second single although they have a handful of songs available.


2. What kind of tune is Baby's Alright?

Baby’s Alright has crystal vocals offering up a critique on war-mongering and a me-first citizenry all underpinned by a rock solid band with post-punk trimmings. Catchy and meaningful.

3. Who are INHEAVEN similar to?

NME were feeling The Pixies listening to Baby's Alright. The Line Of Best Fit compared INHEAVEN’s music generally to My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

4. What have the press said about Baby’s Alright?

“The monster hit we have been waiting for” – DIY.

“Propulsive pop-rock belter with fuzz” – The Line Of Best Fit.

“Supersonic guitars and post-indie rock” – Velvet Independent.

5. Which bands have lathered INHEAVEN into a frenzy?

INHEAVEN have love for Nirvana, The Cure, The Clash, Sonic Youth, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Big Moon, Ought and Peluche.


6. Why should I give Baby’s Alright a listen?

INHEAVEN are a politically conscious band singing about the big themes, the things that matter. Baby's Alright rocks with purpose and pops for play.

7. Do INHEAVEN have any more goodies?

Bitter Town is the good oil.


8. Anything else?

The new album is being produced by Tom Dalgety who has done the same for Royal Blood, Broken Hands, Maccabees, The Family Rain and Band Of Skulls.

The first INHEAVEN single was put out on Julian Casablancas’ label Cult Records.

INHEAVEN have supported Blossoms, VANT and The Magic Gang. In May and June INHEAVEN will be fluffing for Sundara Karma.

“No they ain’t got your technology,

So we burn ‘em down with no apology”

 

The Cure are a new wave band from Crawley, England. Playing together since 1977 they have thirteen long players on their roll of honor, have sold in the region of thirty million albums worldwide and are still going strong. Just Like Heaven was The Cure's third single from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)  and the band's first American Top 40 hit. Singer songwriter Robert Smith considers Just Like Heaven the best pop song The Cure have ever done and Slant magazine called it, “simply stellar.”  Just Like Heaven is one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

“Show me, show me, show me, how you do that trick,
The one that makes me scream, she said”

The Amazons - Stay With Me

1.    Who are these fine gentlemen of rock’n’roll?

The Amazons are an indie rock band from Reading, England. These hard chargers are one short player and a single or two to the good. Stay With Me (March’16) is a stand alone single.

2. What gifts do The Amazon’s come bearing?

Stay With Me is proto-typical English guitar indie rock. It fits in a space inbetween Oasis and Royal Blood. Stay With Me rocks hard but is not hard rock. Concise, full throttle, melodic rock'n'roll that flows like a street riot being chased by the police and it is just as pumped full of adrenaline and unforgettable.


3. Who do The Amazon’s sound like?

NME were feeling Oasis and The Indie Rock Broadcast were put in mind of Sundara Karma and Catfish and The Bottlemen.


4. What have the plastic punchers said about Stay With Me?

“A gutsy guitar rock lament to young love” – NME

“A raucous and propulsive new track” – Shoot Match Day.

“A fantastically addictive guitar breakdown” – The Student Advertiser.

5. Which bands have put the fire in The Amazon’s belly?

The bands who impress The Amazons are Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, The Vaccines, The Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala and Ponds.


6. Why should I give Stay With Me a blast?

Stay With Me is another essential track in the recent English rock'n'roll renaissance and the sound of one of England's most exciting bands, top of the crop, hitting their straps. Hitting them hard. Stay With Me will be The Amazon's breakthrough hit if there is any justice in this world.

7. Have The Amazon’s graced us with any more of these belters?

Ultraviolet doesn't bang as hard but it is bloody fantastic. No fucking about.


8. Anything else to add?

Stay With Me is produced by Tom Dalgety who has sprinkled the gold dust on tunes for Royal Blood, Broken Hands and The Maccabees.

The Amazons are hitting the road and supporting The Strypes on a UK tour in March and fluffed for The Kooks last year.

“But being alone is being without you,

So stay with me”

The one two punch is delivered, hard, by Crows an alternative rock band from London with a single from their new short player Unwelcome Light (March'16). Pray (2015) is packed brim to the warehouse rafters with grainy garage riffs and a snarling vocal and is love at first lashing. BraceYourself called Pray “bloodthirsty and blunt like a fist wrapped in barbed wire.”

“His bloodshot eyes, his jagged teeth”

Spring King - Rectifier

1.    Who are these champions?

Spring King are a post-punk band from Manchester, England, that started in 2012. Spring King have released a couple of E.P.’s and singles. Rectifier (Feb’16) is a stand alone single.
 

 2. What kind of tune is Rectifier?

A bass string intro gives Rectifier bounce before it graduates to a full on rock out.
 

3. Who do Spring King sound similar to?

Estrons. Sundara Karma maybe.

4. What have the press said about Rectifier?

“Crisp build up, the distorted vocals and the delicious pop touch beneath the noise” – Clash Music.

“Pulsating” – It’s All Indie.

“One hectic motherfucker of a track” – When The Gramophone Rings.

 

5. Who puts the feedback in Spring King’s guitars?

Spring King’s list of influences are The Beach Boys, Arcade Fire, Ty Segall, The Clash, The Black Lips, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, The Projectors, Stan Getz, Chet Baker and Astrud Gilberto.

6. Why should I give Rectifier a fair crack of the whip?

Spring King’s opening blows in the fight for title of English rock’n’roll’s best newcomers, the singles City and Who Are You?, showed great promise. Rectifier comes good on that promise. Recitifier nails it. Rectfier is a rollicking piece of essential, noisy and addicitve rock’n’roll.


7. Do Spring King have any more bangers?

Who Are You? is the one you want.


8. Any more words?

Spring King were propelled into fame and fortune by Zane Lowe playing it as his first song on his new radio show.

If you want to know the bands favorite music and food and everything else then read this NME article. Boring ass shit but.


 

“I’m leaving this town”

 

 

 

 

 

Dessert is served by The Swedish post-punk band The Sounds. Started in 1999 and with five long players in the vault this band have been compared to Blondie and The Cars and have toured with The Strokes and The Foo Fighters. Yeah Yeah Yeah comes from their fourth album Something To Die For (2011) and is a tall strutting synth pop gem that kicks ass and doesn't take names.

“You don’t float like a butterfly or sting like Ali,

Dress like Prince but to the lowest degree”