The alt-rock genre is one of my favourite styles of music to play. Despite being considered by many to be a thing of the 90s, the genre has continued into the present day, with many modern rock bands including elements of alt-rock within their music. As such, I didn’t feel that it was a genre that I could ignore much longer here, so I decided to create a round-up review based on this style of music. All the bands and artists featured here are well worth you time – there’s also a full playlist at the end!
By Jane Howkins
Scott Hepple – Letting Go
Newcastle-based artist Scott Hepple has quite a retro sound to his music, with latest release Letting Go opening with a blues-soaked riff that wouldn’t be out of place in the 70s. However, the main chord sequence has that classic grungy alt-rock sound, as his vocals follow the main chord sequence. The production quality is a little raw, but it only serves to make the piece sound more genuine, and Scott’s guitar skills really are impressive. The track changes a little towards the end, seeing the vocals rise to a higher level in a beautiful way.
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Muules – Against Your Own
Sunshine Coast band Muules are doing something a little different to the alt-rock norms with their track Against Your Own, as it’s quite a bit heavier than expected. The song is full of killer riffs, with a distorted vocal style added to really heighten the intensity. The energy never lets up over the course of the song, keeping your interest piqued throughout. The track ends suddenly, making you want for more. Muules have a unique sound and it’s one you shouldn’t ignore!
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Garland Kelley – A Mind Of Your Own
As well as being a musician, Garland Kelley is also a music producer, showing a lot of talent! A Mind Of Your Own crosses the genre boundaries slightly, with a classic rock quality clearly prominent within the track. I was reminded a little of the sort of music produced by Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, but the track still has its own distinct flavour. The guitar melodies have a lovely sound on the verses, changing into something a little heavier later on. The chorus sees Garland’s vocals hitting higher notes, showing what a fantastic range he has!
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Tyler Elden – Our Good Name
We’ve featured Tyler Elden’s music on these pages before – his music is that good that I couldn’t resist adding his track, Our Good Name, to this list. It’s a slower song (particularly on the verses), seeing a pretty guitar melody run nicely alongside Tyler’s vocals. The verses are rather mellow, whereas the chorus raise the energy up higher with some killer riffs, mixing things up slightly. Our Good Name is rather melancholy, but it’s a fantastic track and well worth a listen!
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Arn-Identified Flying Objects And Alien Friends – I Dreamt I Met Elvis
Eagle-eyed viewers will be aware that we’ve featured Arn-Identified Flying Objects And Alien Friends a few times now – and for good reason! I Dreamt I Met Elvis is another killer rock and roll tune, although the country twang the track has makes it a little different to the other songs on this list. The backing vocals are outstanding, adding a lovely melodic quality to the track. The guitars have an old school retro vibe as they drift effortlessly through the music – it’s actually rather beautiful at times!
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Robbin and the Hoods – Hell Raiser
Hell Raiser is another song that mixes a few influences together – it also reminded me a lot of the early garage rock and punk days. The production quality is a little raw, but it actually works wonders with the style of music that Robbin and the Hoods make. Despite this, it’s still undeniably catchy, seeing the band mix chugging riffs with a catchy edge to really draw you in. You can really feel the emotion in the vocals as the band spit the lyrics out over the music, sounding very angsty indeed!
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Roger Ricks – Lost
Musician Roger Ricks creates a lot of his music for charity purposes, which is definitely something to be applauded! Lost is a heavy rocker, featuring some fantastic riffs that really show off Roger’s guitar skills. The chorus has an amazing main chord sequence which is catchy enough to get stuck in your head, without sounding too mainstream. It’s a really high energy tune with a groove that is unstoppable – the little guitar solos that run over the main licks also add a cool, bluesy quality the track.
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The Silent Era – Heavy Cure
This band might be called The Silent Era, but there’s nothing silent about them! Heavy Cure is an extremely noisy track, with the opening riff sounding like something you might expect more from the post-rock genre. The verses are slightly mellower, although the backing effects add a unique feel to the music. Different vocal types compete for attention here, soaring over the crashing riffs and huge drum beats. It’s one of the most experimental songs on this list but those that take the plunge should find something to love here!
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Elviise – Will we survive
It’s great to hear more female fronted bands on the scene – Swedish act Elviise are one such group. Will we survive actually seems to take a lot of influence from the symphonic rock genre, reminding me a little of Within Temptation at their heaviest. The dynamics change vastly between the verses and chorus – the former are quite mellow, featuring some lovely guitar lines in the background. The tension climbs up towards the chorus, with the crescendo of noise towards the end producing a fantastic guitar solo.
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Jack Quit the Band – Goodbye Wilfred
Jack Quit the Band describe their music as ‘country jazz punk’ on their Bandcamp, but I’d also argue that Goodbye Wilfred has elements of post-hardcore, modern rock and alt rock. It’s an incredibly fast song – the way the lead guitar plays throughout this track sounds amazing. The clean licks are played at a very high-tempo, showing just why this band describe their music as being somewhat jazzy. The song breaks down towards the end, tailing out in an utterly unpredictable way. Jack Quit the Band will certainly keep you on your toes!
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Dirty Mitts – My Show
The Dirty Mitts are quite unique in that their members hail from Poland, Egypt and the UK, bringing their eclectic backgrounds together on My Show. The first thing that struck me about this song was how amazing the production quality sounds – the riffs have a thick, crunchy sound. The vocals are possibly more suited to the classic rock genre, showing a great degree of power as they reign over the music. My Show is jam-packed full of killer riffage, chugging along in a stylistic way. The Dirty Mitts are set for big things!
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MNERVA – Love Song
Love Song opens with a gorgeous flowing piano melody, underpinning MNERVA’s soulful lead vocals. It’s one of the slowest songs on this list, aligning more with the singer-songwriter genre at first. However, the track picks up the tempo a little after the first chorus, adding more of a rock vibe to proceedings. The vocals have a wonderful clarity that is full of emotion – just try and listen to this without feeling something! It’s a fairly short number, making you wish for more by the time it’s finished!
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Maybe Human – The Unknown
The Unknown is the second single to be released from conceptual musical project Maybe Human’s album Ape Law, available now on Bandcamp. It’s one of the more unique offerings on this list, also containing elements of the post-rock and psychedelic rock genres. Differing guitar and bass melodies perform over each other against a tribal beat – the music changes every so often, diverting off slightly from the main melody of the track. It’s a really interesting piece of music and the rhythm will get inside your skin straight away – the video also suits the style of music well.
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AYTONE’S – Getting Lost
AYTONE’S is a contemporary rock band from Kyiv, with Getting Lost being their latest release. It’s an expansive piece of music, featuring a selection of delicious guitar motifs that swirl in lovely style in the background. The drums are quite busy in the background (despite the slower tone of the music), as the lead vocals draw you into AYTONE’S amazing world. The title is very apt, as it’s certainly the sort of song you can get lost in – there’s a lot more going on than first meets the ear, so you’ll need to listen to it through a few times!
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Lord Sonny The Unifier – Howl
Brooklyn-based hard rock band Lord Sonny The Unifier are another genre-bending group, with elements of psychedelic rock, hard rock, alt rock and indie all present in this eclectic tune. The organ is a really nice touch, adding an eerie quality to the music, alongside the synths and guitars. The vocals on Howl are a little eccentric at times, but they work perfectly with what the band are trying to cultivate here. I also felt there was something of a 60s vibe to the tune, making it sound very different to anything else on this list!
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