I have quite a wide music taste and I’m always on the lookout for music that’s a bit different to the norm, so I decided it was high time to showcase those acts making songs that could be classed as being quirky or experimental. Every band/artist here is slightly different, appealing to fans of different genres. If you like what you read here, a full playlist can also be found at the end of the review.
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by J Lym
J Lym – Empty
First up we have J Lym, an artist we’ve featured before. Empty is an electronic song of sorts, opening with an intense array of synths and a quiet drum beat that throbs away in the background like a heartbeat. The vocals are pretty low at times, hidden behind the music, but they actually work really well, adding more layers into the mix. The chorus really elevates things, creating a catchy synth melody that swirls in lovely style in the forefront of the track. Definitely one for those into their EDM!
Social media: Website, Spotify, Soundcloud, Instagram
Heart Foundation – Anniversary
Pop-rockers Heart Foundation bring a bit of Christmas cheer to this list with their new song Anniversary. It starts instantly with a wonderful slew of sounds and instruments, having an upbeat quality that will get stuck in your head straight away. The main melody is really catchy, jumping in as a nice bridge in between the verses. The bells add a holiday vibe into the mix, perfect for this time of year. However, it’s the sort of song that sounds perfect all year round, creating an anthemic singalong quality that I hope our readers will love!
Social media: Instagram
JPRIZM – Analog Dreams
Genre-bending artist JPRIZM brings another EDM inspired tune to this list – Analog Dreams. However, it’s got more of an 80s new wave/post-punk sound – particularly with the huge dream beats and the feel the throbbing bass has. The synths dance around in an awesome way in the background, really adding a unique character to this awesome piece of work. It’s also suitably catchy, making you want to dance along to the tune instantly. This is one song that will appeal to electronic music fans across the board!
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
The Margaret Hooligans – Alley Cat Stomp
Regular readers of these pages should be well aware of Philadelphia group The Margaret Hooligans by now. They’re back with an awesome new blues rocker titled Alley Cat Stomp. It opens with some intriguing backing effects and a unique percussion style, before a fuzzy garage rock guitar lick kicks in, which sounds really epic. The vocals are a little distant in the mix underneath the instrumentation, but they’ve got a nice melodic sound, making for a suitably catchy rock song. You need to check these guys out if you haven’t already!
Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
Sam Feinstein – Hamster Wheel
Sam Feinstein is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, creating quirky indie rock songs such as Hamster Wheel. The track has a proper groove to it, featuring a prominent bassline and some busy drums as the main instrumentation here. Sam’s vocals are pretty distinctive sounding, but they work pretty well with the music, adding a unique tone into the tune. It’s also infectiously catchy, ensuring the main bassline will get stuck in your head straight away. It’s pretty unusual to have a tune where the bass provides the main melody over the guitars, but it’s done exceedingly well here.
Social media: Linktree, Facebook, Soundcloud, YouTube, Instagram
Erick Castrillon – The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening is one of my favourite tracks on this list, created by Erick Castrillon. It opens with a dark guitar melody that creeps through the tune in an awesome way. The opening guitar motif has an almost Americana sound, but the rest of the track has more in common with the EDM/post-punk scenes, as the drums create a stomp of a rhythm that is sure to set your heart on fire. I’m not normally a massive fan of autotune, but the vocal effects are utilised well here, adding to the dark atmosphere of this track.
Social media: Instagram, Spotify
Blindness & Light – My Rolex Is Better Than Yours
Blindness & Light is another act that we’ve featured here in recent months, with My Rolex Is Better Than Yours being their new release. It’s certainly an avant-garde track, starting out with some eerie, Eastern musical effects, building up as the piece progresses. Some recorded spoken word vocals appear – whilst they appear to clash with the synths at first, they’re actually pretty cool, making this one of the quirkiest tracks on this list. The synths are absolutely amazing, keeping the tension raised high throughout.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify
SIR-VERE – Destroya
Milton Keynes-based artist SIR-VERE has created another unique electronic tune, in the form of Destroya. It’s characterised by an upbeat drum style and a prominent bassline, grooving along underneath the vocals in a catchy way. The vocals are more spoken than sung, but they add a lot of character into the mix, leading into the chorus in a cool way. The main guitar licks on the chorus is suitably impressive, adding both heaviness and melody into the tune. It’s certainly one of the more experimental tunes here, but it’s well worth a listen.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
Quirky – playlist by York Calling | Spotify