Every Tuesday we introduce you to new bands that you should have on your screen. We have collected some of the most exciting ones that we discovered for you in 2022 – and which we definitely want to hear more about in 2023 – here for you. Featuring Bob Vylan, Dazy, Fleshwater, Girl Scout, Gnome, Oversize, Plaiins, The Prize, Somnium and Stuffed Foxes.
Bob Vylan
Hometown: London, UK
Genre: Punk rock, hip hop, afro punk
For fans of: Sleaford Mods, Ho99o9, Enola Gay
Racism, class divisions, police brutality, unemployment – the Britain described by the duo behind Bob Vylan is neither beautiful nor friendly. The band consists of mouthpiece Pascal “Bobby Vylan” Robinson-Foster, an Ipswich poet, and drummer Bobb13. Since 2017, the Londoners have complained, initially on EPs and individual tracks, and now on two albums. The first features Fever 333’s Jason Aalon Butler on the song “Pulled Pork” and the second – “Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life” – was released on April 22nd. Gallows guitarist Laurent Barnard is involved in “GDP”. What the band fabricates best deserves the term Afropunk, a crossover of thick rock guitars, punk, reggae, dub, hip-hop and whatever else fits in.
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Album-Stream: Bob Vylan – “The Price Of Life”
Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life by Bob Vylan
Stream: Bob Vylan – “We Live Here” (4 Tracks)
We Live Here (Deluxe) by Bob Vylan
Dazy
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Genre: Indierock, Shoegaze
For fans of: The Jesus And Mary Chain, Culture Abuse, The Soup Dragons
James Goodson actually works as a press promoter for certain bands – for example for the indie/hardcore band Militarie Gun. He has already recorded the song “Pressure Cooker” with them under the name Dazy. He plays and records all instruments on his songs. He brings in Justin Pizzoferrato (Dinosaur Jr., Witch etc) for the mix and mastering. His short, snappy tracks have heaps of hooks, sometimes loud, sometimes clean guitars, gorgeous harmonies, and sound a lot like the sunnier sides of 90’s British shoegaze hype. After the tape “MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD: The First 24 Songs” in August 2021 offers a first outline, the first album “Out Of Body” with twelve crispy short songs will follow in October 2022.
Album-Stream: Dazy – “Outofbody”
Album-Stream: Dazy – “MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD: The First 24 Songs”
MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD: The First 24 Songs by Dazy
Fleshwater
Hometown: Georgetown, Massachusetts
Genre: Alternative, Shoegaze, Metal
For fans of: Deftones, Narrow Head, Vein.FM
The side project of Anthony DiDio, Jeremy Martin and Matt Wood of nu-metalcore band Vein.FM places far less emphasis on brutal breakdowns than on stirring melodies. Fleshwater emulate and vary the alternative metal sound of the 90’s. This is heavy shoegaze with thick guitars and massive grooves. In February 2020, Fleshwater hinted at what they’re capable of with a three-song demo. On November 4, 2022 – after a collaboration with recording manager and mixer Kurt Ballou (Converge) – the debut album “We’re Not Here To Be Loved” was released. Another ace up the band’s sleeve is vocalist and guitarist Marisa Shirar, who brings a glorious longing to the nine songs.
Album-Stream: Fleshwater – “We’re Not Here To Be Loved”
We’re Not Here To Be Loved by fleshwater
Girl Scout
Hometown: Stockholm
Genre: Indie rock
For fans of: Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, Wet Leg
In Stockholm there is the Royal College of Music – a gathering place for young, music-loving people. Four of them study jazz and get to know each other outside of the lectures. A duo is formed that tries to make money: “We’ve covered songs, played evergreens from the Beatles to Burt Bacharach and played at every event that was offered to us, from cocktail events to opening ceremonies.” The cover songs soon became their own pieces and the duo became the quartet Girl Scout. The band has released two songs so far – and they are a wonderful mix of singer/songwriter-like indie and 90s-heavy college rock. The accompanying debut EP “Real Life Human Garbage” will be released on February 17th via Made Records.
Video: Girl Scout – “Do You Remember Sally Moore?”
Video: Girl Scout – “All The Time And Everywhere”
Gnome
Hometown: Antwerp, Belgium
Genre: Progressive Stoner
For fans of: The Atomic Bitchwax, Lonely Kamel, Fatso Jetson
It may be that they have funny videos and don’t take themselves too seriously standing around on stage or in their videos with garden gnome hats on. They take their music very seriously. The power trio Gnome mixes stoner rock with progressive swerves and hard rock hooks. Seemingly effortlessly, they line up riff after riff and groove after groove, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. The instrumental debut “Father Of Time” was remarkably mature and fresh – although Gnome aren’t really doing anything new. With the mighty second album “King” – released on May 6th, 2022 – there are even snappier songs (e.g.: “Ambrosius” or “Wenceslas”) and more vocals. They were even able to win Oskar Logi from The Vintage Caravan for “Your Empire”. They are now part of Sound Of Liberation’s booking roster and will perform at Desertfest Berlin 2023.
Album-Stream: Gnome – “King”
Album-Stream: Gnome – “Father Of Time”
Oversize
Hometown: England
Genre: Alternative Rock, Shoegaze
For fans of: Basement, Narrow Head, Failure
A sound that adorns itself with broad, washed-out shoegaze guitars, incorporates a bit of grunge feeling and sounds like it did 30 years ago, a few bands have been playing that kind of sound lately. Gladly those that come from the post-hardcore environment. Turnover, Citizen, Basement, Superheaven, Superbloom, Puppy and Narrow Head may feel addressed. The latter have just been signed for the UK by Church Road – the label of Justine Jones, singer of metalcore band Employed To Serve. With Church Road she has now also signed the band Oversize. They are also familiar with a sound between shoegaze, grunge and melodic alternative rock. They released their first EP “In Balance” in December 2021, their new one – “Into The Ceiling” – was released on October 21, 2022. A wonderful journey back in time to the 90s.
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EP-Stream: Oversize – “Into The Ceiling” & “In Balance”
Broad
Hometown: Hamburg
Genre: Alternative, Noiserock
For fans: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Idles, Queens Of The Stone Age
Frontman Chris Reardon is from London, lived in Hong Kong for a while and moved to Hamburg during the pandemic. There he began writing songs that reflect the emotions and mood of the crisis. He soon found like-minded people in the port city. Together with the Israeli Tal Pinhas he finished some demos. Then Max Maeder and David Suhlrie from Hamburg joined and Plaiins were born. With “The Wolf”, “Piggies” and “Snvkes” there are three songs so far. They are aggressive to anthemic, sometimes noisy, sometimes catchy and open various reference boxes. Above all, it is rich, powerful sounding alternative rock.
Video: Plaiins – “The Wolf”
Video: Plaiins – “Piggies”
Video: Plaiins – “Snvkes”
The Prize
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Genre: Power-Pop
For fans of: Death By Unga Bunga, Civic, Blondie
Founded in 2021, between Covid rules and restrictions, The Prize somehow managed to become a band and settle on one sound. It focuses on the late 70s/early 80s, when punk and power pop resounded from youth rooms. So it’s no surprise that The Prize dedicated their debut four-song EP, Born On The Wrong Side Of Town, to obscure 1979 British power-poppers The Incredible Kidda Band’s “Fighting My Way Back.” .
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EP-Stream: The Prize – “Wrong Side Of Town”
Wrong Side of Town EP by The Prize
Dream
Hometown: Adelaide, Australia
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
For fans of: Tame Impala, All Them Witches, Turtle Skull
At this point we’ve ranted about the Australians and their psych bands before. But if there are always new ones washed up who are able to gain something fresh from the matter, then we would like to share it with you. Like: somnium. They started out as a trio, but James Dawes (guitar/voc/bass/synth) and Anthony Coota (drums) are currently continuing as a duo. They first appeared in 2017 with their debut album “Omnism”, which successfully combines airy psych pop, radioed jam rock and heavy stoner blues. That doesn’t change much on the playfully twisted second album “To Be Is To Be Perceived”, which was self-released by the band on November 18, 2022.
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Bandcamp | Facebook
Album-Stream: Somnium – “To Be Is To Be Perceived”
To Be Is To Be Perceived by Somnium
Album-Stream: Dream – “Omnism”
Stuffed Foxes
Hometown: Tours, France
Genre: Alternative, Noiserock, Post-Rock
For fans of: Antlered Man, Oceansize, Idles
What was even more noisy indie with shoegaze and dreampop tendencies on the debut EP “No Vacancy” from 2019 has long since developed further. On the first album “Songs/Revolving”, which will be released in January 2022, there are more and more noisy edges, progressive dangling and post-rock excursions. Stuffed Foxes are not easy to pin down. Especially since the sextet, sometimes with three guitars, sometimes with two synthesizers, stages its sound in a complex and variable way, bringing the loud and the quiet(er) into most of the songs. And the French are hard-working too: While the said debut was released in January, they already released their second album “Songs/Motion Return” on November 18, 2022.
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Album-Stream: Stuffed Foxes – “Songs/Motion Return”
Songs/Motion Return by Stuffed Foxes
Album-Stream: Stuffed Foxes – “Songs/Revolving”
Songs/Revolving by Stuffed Foxes