When it comes to alternative musicians, there are probably dozens the average person would name before they got to Scott Helland. His name isn’t the most famous, but his contribution to the US alternative underground is massive, as is his discography. He first found relative fame as a member of hardcore band Deep Wound (alongside Dinosaur Jr men Lou Barlow and Joseph Mascis); he’s also been a member of Outpatients, released several solo albums, worked with Boom Boom Shake, Voltaire and Mark Malcahy and, somewhere along the way, launched a further side hustle as Guitarmy of One where he plays garage punk/surf instrumentals. Simply put, he seems to be one of those guys who’s always there, lurking in the shadows, but quietly working.
GAVIN BOWLES & THE DISTRACTIONS – Phoning It In
Sometimes appearances can be deceptive. Sometimes, they really aren’t. If you took one look at the artwork of this album from Gavin Bowles & The Distractions and thought it looked like an early 80s power pop record – aside from the copious facial hair – you wouldn’t be far wrong. Despite being geographically distant from bands like The Nerves, The Look and The Romantics, this Aussie band are totally indebted to a similarly retro sound, and ‘Phoning It In’ is a top grade musical love letter to the much-loved genre.
THE SUMMERTIMES – The Summertimes
During the first quarter of 2023, Australian band The Summertimes introduced themselves via a pair of very enjoyable singles. Both ‘The Perfect Wave’ and ‘Inside’ did a great job of selling the still new band’s power pop/guitar based sound, and on the former, a slice of surf rock embellished a very strong jangle, suggesting that these guys could be capable of a whole range of retro sounds.
THE INCITERS – Boot N Soul / Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)
Over the years, The Inciters have worked hard at injecting a real energy into a soul based sound. The ten piece band’s blend of Northern Soul coolness and mod friendly punch has thrilled audiences since the 90s, and one listen to this double pronged digital release makes it very clear why.
TULIPOMANIA – Dreaming Of Sleep
The word “alternative” gets bandied around a lot in the music world. It’s used to describe all kinds of guitar based music – even stuff that’s found its way into the mainstream long ago – but there are still plenty of genuinely alternative bands out there. It would be hard to consider the dark moods of Decommissioned Forests, or the strange jazz meets metal noise of Kilter as anything but. Tulipomania are another act who’ve wilfully taken their own musical path within a truly alternative niche, rarely concerned about commercial success.