Back in 2012, Scandinavian retro-pop outfit Rooni released their ‘Pilot‘ EP, an enjoyable collection of songs that really brought out the best in vocalist Gustav Nilsson‘s talents. Aside from Rooni’s stand-alone single ‘Ambulance’ (released sometime the year before), the new material from Rooni was arguably the best that Nilsson had ever committed to tape.
Tag Archives: retro
ANGELS ON THE FOURTH – Breaking Skin EP
In the summer of 2013, Skeletons In The Piano released their second full length album, ‘Please Don’t Die‘, a collection of very retro rock tunes that culled great influences from The Doors, Screaming Trees and a world of darkest psychedelia. Following some great press and live shows, the band split. So much goodness to be heard, but all good things must come to an end. Two years on, vocalist Elijah Hargrave resurrected the bands bones with a new line-up. Meanwhile, ex members Jeff Ayers (violin, keys) and Dustin Alexander (bass) decided the time was right for a musical sidestep and Angels On The Fourth was born.
RED MEANS RUN – Love Of Blindness EP
Philadelphia’s Red Means Run released their debut EP ‘All Things Said & Done‘ in 2014. Beneath the homespun recording sound, unfussy guitar work and occasionally wobbly vocals, there was a band who so clearly loved roots music and were keen to help keep Americana music traditions alive. Two years on, their ‘Love of Blindness’ EP represents a very, very welcome return. On this second outing, the vocals retain their same unfiltered and unpolished qualities, but much like their hero Neil Young’s approach from 1970 on, on some tracks, that roughness only adds to the charm. Like many of the greatest Americana acts, it’s the song writing that counts the most…and Red Means Run tackle these songs with a sense of love and understanding that no amount of polish would ever change.
HEYROCCO – Waiting On Cool EP
In 2015, Heyrocco released their ‘Teenage Movie Soundtrack’ full-length. Its ten songs packed a whole bunch of retro sounds into under forty minutes, often playing like a love letter to the 90s with clear influences from Pavement, Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr. and Smashing Pumpkins scattered throughout. Good as it was, there wasn’t especially much, stylistically speaking, that you’d think might attract the ears of retro-pop superstar and producer Brendan Benson, but for part of their follow up release, Heyrocco were booked into his Nashville studios and naturally Benson found himself in the producer’s chair.
WATTS – The Black Heart Of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Never shy of their love for The Stones and various garage rock bands, Boston’s Watts get better with age. Their second album ‘On The Dial’ was home to a few great tracks and some filler; it’s successor ‘Flash of White Light’ had far more sparkle and set the band on a higher pedestal, suggesting that their fourth release could be a classic. Here it is…and this time, the band draws from an even broader selection of influences. In their own words, ‘The Black Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ finds them “diving deep into their record collections for inspiration”. The result can often lead to a game of “spot the influence” for those fans who’ve surely treasured similar collections themselves, but there’s little doubt that ‘The Black Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ really gets the blood pumping and is a largely fun listen.