April’s iteration of my Monthly Favourites series is a little late this time around, but as the old saying goes, better late than never! However, the sun is finally shining, meaning it’s for the 28th edition of this series! If you’ve been keeping up with our regular Monthly Favourites articles, you should know what to expect by now. If you’re a newbie, you can expect a range of bands and artists spanning multiple genres, with a full playlist at the bottom to enjoy!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by The Margaret Hooligans
The Margaret Hooligans – Driver!
We’ve featured Philadelphia duo The Margaret Hooligans a few times now, with Driver! being their amazing new release. It’s another song with a garage rock/punk sound, but the vocals add a nice sense of melody alongside lead guitar licks, mixing well with the otherwise heavy sounds. The guitars have quite a staccato sound at times, making for a somewhat experimental vibe at times, but it all works surprisingly well together, creating something really unique in the modern music industry.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
Anthony Welford – Friendly Fire
Up next is British musician Antony Welford and Friendly Fire, another song with a touch of the experimental about it. It opens with some proggy guitar licks and heavy riffs, but there’s also a palpable sense of melody to the track, appealing across the genre lines. What’s most apparent is how strong Antony’s vocals are, drifting through the epic sounds on offer here with great style. There’s also a killer guitar solo towards the end of the tune, so make sure you listen to the entire thing to fully appreciate it all!
Social media: YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter
bikethrasher – Telepathetic
Boston alternative rock band bikethrasher have an emotive sound, displayed well in their latest single release, Telepathetic. The song features some really cool guitar work, playing with an eccentric manner in a stylistic way against the fast rhythm section. Telepathetic has a great sense of energy, appealing to fans into punk and indie rock, as well as the alt-rock scene. The production is a little raw but this factor only adds to the cool vibe the track oozes, drawing you into bikerthrasher’s world straight away.
Social media: Spotify, Instagram
Tommy Crawford – Mountain Song
Now it’s time for something different with American folk musician and singer-songwriter Tommy Crawford. Tommy performs a form of folk music with a traditional bent, as heard in Mountain Song. It’s a delightful piece of work with a positive vibe, due in part to the upbeat rhythm and playful sounds on display here. You can expect a range of conventional folk instruments here, with the violin being a particular favourite, performing in lovely style against Tommy’s smooth vocal stylings.
Social media: Website, Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
bobrosia – Only An Instance Does This World Endure
The intriguingly titled track, Only An Instance Does This World Endure, was created by Bayport artist bobrosia. It’s an avant-garde electronic song and it’s probably one of the most distinctive and experimental tracks we’ve shared in recent months. It’s the sort of song that keeps you constantly guessing, changing things up as the music progresses. There’s a lot going on here, meaning you’ll need to listen to it a few times over to fully appreciate everything. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty piece of music and one fans of leftfield electronic music should check out.
Social media: Twitter, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Instagram
Roxanne Fontana – Daydream in the Dark Night
London-based artist Roxanne Fontana has been on the music scene since the 80s, fine-tuning her songwriting game since then. Daydream in the Dark Night is the culmination of all her efforts, and it’s a real blinder of a song! It’s got something of an old school rock and roll vibe, using some nice guitar licks against the beat and prominent bassline. Roxanne’s vocals sound like something that would belong in a classic rock band, although they have a nice sense of melody to them too, adding a catchy touch into the track.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram
Monthly Favourites – playlist by York Calling | Spotify