In the first of our new features, I am going to bring you a series of reviews of new tracks from bands all over the world. From the biggest releases to debut singles, this feature could introduce you to your new favourite band. Make sure you follow each artist as well as Mind Noise Network on all social media accounts and also follow our Spotify playlist for this feature to keep up to date with all of the bands.
Nathan Owen – ‘Island’ – Alternative| Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
If you listened to Euphoria Morning by Chris Cornell then you will already be familiar with this style. It sits somewhere near the generic ‘rock’ description, but there’s just something about it that makes it a little less accessible than that. The sort of thing that if you can get over then the rewards are big. ‘Island’ is the kind of track you could put on in the background at a Summer party or blast out loud with the top down in your car…assuming it has a retractable roof. It’s simple and yet complex all at the same time – 7/10.
Lyon Estates – ‘Hokitika’ – Pop-Punk | Facebook | Soundcloud | BigCartel | Twitter
Released on June 1st, Hokitika may be one of the hardest song names to pronounce or type correctly first time. That’s where the difficulty ends though, as the track is such an easy listen it just floats by like driftwood. Soft vocals overlay some classic pop punk and create a track as polished as you’d expect from a band that have been around for 7 years. Despite recent lineup changes, the band are practical veterans of the scene now and these guys should be well and truly on your radar and Hokitika (got it right first time that time!) is the perfect opportunity to jump into their back catalogue – 8/10.
Lethe – ‘Control’ – Indie/Rock| Facebook | Bandcamp
With a powerful riff kicking off a slow, pounding opening to the track the vocals come as quite a surprise. The track has hallmarks of many genres with some indie mixed in with classic rock style vocals. It’s not an overly complicated track and the lyrics shadow that, it is the delivery that makes it stand out though with distortion used to enhance the already intriguing tones. At less than 3 minutes it feels very much like a preview of what is to come from the band so make sure you go and check them out and keep an eye on what is to come from them – 6/10.
Slowcoaches – ‘Found Down’ -Indie-punk | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter
‘Found Down’ bursts straight out of the blocks with a catchy riff ala Green Day and vocals similar to those from The Strokes but both with a lot more punk fuelled energy. For two minutes the track is unrelentingly fast until a short break from the pacey guitars where bassist-vocalist Heather Perkins’ softer tones are prevalent. A strong track and one that will be on rotation for a while – 8/10.
School Disco – ‘Kill The King’ – Surf Rock | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp
With an intro that’s oh so very ‘Wipeout’, ‘Kill The King’ immediately grabs the attention before descending into a 70’s style punk inspired anthem. The repetitive lyrics should get ‘old’ quickly but with the imperfect delivery and the standard of musicianship in behind them they don’t. If punk is your thing then there is very little more for me to say than this is right up your street. If it isn’t then a cheeky solo towards the end of the track should ensure this track is enjoyable for you – 7/10.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about some bands that you may not otherwise have heard. Now, to listen to the tracks we’ve featured that have been released so far check out our playlist. It will be updated each week with every band that we feature:
To get your band into the ‘Singles Only’ feature, please head to submithub.com.