Three former students from the Musicians Institute of Hollywood, The Quarantined bill themselves as a grunge punk band and on their second EP, the tight musical trio take the listener on a voyage through various sounds dragged back from the nineties into the second half of 2015. Their retro grooves also come with a socio-political eye, though there are times when this comes across as somewhat vague, sometimes more soundbites than truly focused anger. Concentrating purely on their musical talents, however, this EP has a fair amount of enjoyable tunage – especially for those perhaps too young to have appreciated some of the sledgehammer influences the first time around.
Tag Archives: alternative
ALPHA SHALLOWS – Set The Fires EP
Alpha Shallows are an indie/alt-rock quartet from the north of England whom set about making some fairly weighty sounds on their debut EP. These four songs, always heavy on the guitars, often appear quite interesting in terms of creating a good balance between retro influences and something a little sharper and more distinctive.
ALL THAT’S LEFT – All That’s Left EP
From Ontario, All That’s Left are a five piece rock band who clearly carry within them a restless spirit. The three songs on their debut EP present the work of a very talented band, while simultaneously sounding like a bunch of guys whom haven’t quite found their niche. That said, all three songs are enjoyable if listened to in isolation – they just don’t necessarily belong together.
WILDHONEY – Your Face Sideways
This third release from Wildhoney is very much a record of two halves. Side one finds the Baltimore shoegazers in a fairly poppy frame of mind on five joyous janglers that combine some greatly uplifting musical sounds with a few thoughtful lyrical concerns, while the flip-side is a flip-side in every sense. These two styles ensure that ‘Your Face Sideways’ defies convention by bravely trying to please most fans of dreampop and shoegaze movements in one hit – and actually succeeds. Those who want definite songs get some real belters, while those hoping to lose themselves in an other worldly haze are given ample opportunity as the record progresses.
THE SOFT SPOTS – Life Is But A Dream EP
At the beginning of 2015, Philadelphia’s The Soft Spots fused electronica, dream pop and a touch of ukulele twiddling on their debut EP ‘Gently Down The Stream’, resulting in a surprisingly enjoyable listen. Issued a few months later, their follow-up, ‘Life Is But a Dream’ brings more of the same – its five numbers clearly designed to compliment the earlier release.