Picastro have slowly been marking a place for themselves in the world of alternative music with their wandering soundscapes since the late 90s. Prior to this fifth release, they’ve toured with alt-folk/anti-folk acts Broken Social Scene, Scout Niblett and Devandra Banhart, their sound slowly evolving all the while. If you didn’t “get” the band previously, 2014’s ‘You’ is intent on making sure you still won’t. In fact, ‘You’ is far more experimental than most of their prior works (certainly true if measured solely against 2007’s ‘Red Your Blues’). Sure, they could channel their talents into something dreamy and in turn attract a larger audience of devotees, but then again, that would also destroy most of what makes the band so striking.
Tag Archives: alternative
New video from The Minx
Just in time for Christmas, alt-rock band The Minx have released a new single. ‘(Can You Find) My Head’ showcases the band’s excellent mix of guitar driven styles as well as anything on their debut EP. They’re building a cult following and can now count ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr among their fan base.
New single from Duke & The Darlings
Duke & The Darlings are all set to release a new single on Friday 20th December.
‘Svengali Says’, taken from the Manchester alt-rock band’s yet to be titled EP, will be available via iTunes and Spotify.
MUTINY MUTINY – Don’t Quit Your Day Job
In 2011, Seattle post-punk/noise rock trio Mutiny Mutiny self-released their debut album ‘Constellation’. Between the angular noises and bass heavy groove there lied a collection of surprisingly accessible numbers, cut from various classic influences including Sonic Youth, Slint and Fugazi. Although using a similar blueprint for their second release ‘Don’t Quit Your Day Job’, it’s immediately clear the band have grown in the intervening couple of years. There are a couple of moments where the band obviously falters – a natural phenomenon with regards to making a second record – but, thankfully, the missteps are few.
PEDALJETS – What’s In Between
Pedaljets released two albums in the late 80s and attracted a cult following, before splitting somewhat prematurely in 1990. Despite having supported Hüsker Dü, The Replacements and Meat Puppets (all of whom have long been considered cornerstones of the pre-grunge alternative rock and punk scene) and gaining national attention from the US press, the band have been largely overlooked in the rock history books.