Curated by DJ Astrocreep and Monk
Here at Über Rock, we pride ourselves in championing the cause of new and emerging acts, often getting in on the very earliest stages of their careers… so we could think of no better theme for our latest special edition of the Singles Club than to feature artists who have just released, or are about to release, their first ever single, EP or full-length album. With that in mind, we’ve got both Astrocreep and Monk spinning the death decks and presenting an unbeatable tag team as they entertain us with their choices of some of the best brand new artists/projects around the globe at the moment!
It’s the big lad by the name of Astrocreep kicking things off, and he’s chosen an American AOR act in MC Roads, who tell us we can ‘Call It What You Want’. I know what I call it, some damn good melodic rock completed with soulful vocals that you deserve to have in your ears!
The Howlers have a classic psych-pop sound that defies the ages with ‘Lost Without You’ sounding like it would have fitted in perfectly back in the swinging ’60s without feeling dated in any way.
While Stöner, as individual musicians (in the form of the reunited Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri), are definitely nowhere near their debut release, this desert rock supergroup are taking ‘Nothin” for granted with this top-notch debut single!
Now for some heritage fishing metal – yes, really – as The Catch tells us all about their latest haul, the mighty ‘Sex Shark’! It’s the perfect cure for those annoying sea shanties we have had crawling around social media recently with it being some pretty catchy folk metal!
Monk is joining the party for the next few selections, and his first choice comes from another duo who have a wealth of individual experience under their belts, but are coming together for the first time. They are Finnish vocalists Netta Laurenne, from Smackbound and Noora Louhimo of Battle Beast, and they are summoning the ‘Bitch Fire’ with their powerful debut single, released under the somewhat unsurprising monicker of Laurenne/Louhimo, and which features a shredding solo from Lost Society guitarist Samy Eblanna:
The women are most definitely making their presence felt in this section of our playlist, as next up we have Bristol punk trio IDestroy, who are celebrating the recent release of their debut album, ‘We Are Girls’, with their hard-hitting latest single, ‘G.O.D.’:
Uninvited don’t live up to their name, as this young Glaswegian quartet are more than welcome, with their brand of shimmery indie pop and boundless enthusiasm, which is more than effectively demonstrated on their first ever single, the declarative ‘Tomboy’:
Italian garage rockers The Hornets have actually been kicking around for a little over half a decade now, but this summer will see them eventually getting around to releasing their debut album, which they are previewing by being the latest band to promote the ‘Female Creed’ (even though they’re actually four blokes!):
Reading rockers Mountainscape gained a large degree of ‘Acceptance’ from our very own Jonny B when they released their debut album back at the end of February. Now, they are making their debut in the Club, from where they no doubt will explode like the ‘Supernova’ that is the title of their latest single (be warned, thought, the accomapnying video contains flashing/strobe lights):
We’re not usually fans of Early Mornings here at ÜRHQ, but we are when it comes to this particular Manchester post-punk trio, who are telling us tales of ‘Days Spent’ as they prepare for the release of their debut EP next month:
We’ve a couple of more selections from Monk before the big man retakes his place behind the deathdecks, and the hooded one is reaching for the anti-histamines, as the ‘Pollen’ count has just gone through the ceiling, thanks to New York grunge revivalists Superbloom who are taking off the ‘Muzzle’ on their forthcoming debut album:
Now, we all know Monk is a fan of Swedish bands (something to do with his ancestral homeland), so what better way for him to sign off his slot that with a dose of majestic melodic rock from the appropriately named The Sonic Overlords, who are taking us to ‘Utopia’ with the latest taster from their forthcoming first album, which is due later in the summer:
Astrocreep has returned from his piss break to bring us another piece of superb garage pop from our friends in Rum Bar Records, as Curt Florczak ploughs a solo path and tells us all about his ‘Worry Stone’ in this melodic masterpiece!
Derby’s MuddiBrooke have an unsettling yet melodic track ‘Straight /Jacket’, with a great slice of alt-rock goodness filled with strong vocals and real rocking riffs!
One Last Day have a hard-hitting message in ‘This Bottle Got Me’, as vocalist Alex addresses a personal battle he fought – and luckily won – with this hard-rocking song with heavier elements and a darker feel appropriate for the subject matter!
Underdark have their single ‘Coyotes’ just out and the anti-fascist black metallers have merged something a bit softer sounding into some rather harsh vocals, creating a juxtaposition that may not be easy listening but is pretty rewarding if you persevere with a couple of listens!
Leed’s Caskets are already showing strongly as they get ‘Lost In Echoes’, with the track leaning heavily on the melodic electronic alt-metal side that should have a wide appeal to music lovers across the alternative board!
They Fell From The Sky are another act in this roundup to have experienced members, this time in the form of Colin Doran from Hundred Reasons and Jason Bowld of Pitchshifter/Bullet For My Valentine notoriety, combining for a new project, as they set out to ‘Crush This World’ in this melodic, heavy alt-punk track.
Death Pop Radio are ‘Flatliners’ in their latest single, with hints of grunge and alt-rock glistening through in their heavy rock track!
Psych-punkers Solar Eyes have passed the ‘Acid Test’ with their debut single by creating a dark feeling release that feels as though it owes as much to some of the Britpop legends as those of the 60s in this strangely melodic and hypnotising effort!
Undoubtedly, the most high profile of our debutantes is Kat Von D, who has made a name for herself in many other ways, but has now taken to music like the proverbial duck to water with debut track ‘Exorcism’. An electronic slice of alternative goodness, there’s an almost early EBM feel to this melodic track.
Our penultimate track is a bit of a sidestep from those as we present The Narcotix as their debut song ‘John/Joseph’ is a weird but very oddly addictive alt-art rock track with West African folk influences and prog time signatures in a rather endearing manner!
To close off this special edition, we have something VERY different: experimental NYC-based artist Jennifer Elster has created something very minimalist, creating heavy atmosphere with very little used in debut ‘C’mon Now Baby’:
So, there you have it… Our pick of some of hottest new sounds to have tickled our aural fancy. We wish each and every one of our debutantes all the best for the future, and look forward to hearing more from them in the future. Until next week, when Monk once again will be slipping the headphones on underneath his hood for a regular instalment of the Club, we’ll sign off in traditional ÜR style – keep ‘er lit. keep ‘er between the hedges and, above all, keep on rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’…
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