Skip to main content

New Noise: Strange Bones, Holy White Hounds, Cilver

In lieu of a new review this week (I should have done at least one, but haven't quite found the time for the deeper listening required), I thought I'd instead try out a new feature wherein I spotlight a few new (to me at least) artists who seem to be doing some good things.

It's hard to say how often these will come along, and I may expand the concept to cover new songs by already established artists; for instance, I would have like to include the new Thrice single in here because it's a beaut, but they've been around for over 15 years so they don't quite fit the motif of what I'm going for here (although if you want to hear it, and you should, click here).

So yeah, here are three new bands I've discovered in recent weeks; I may not get around to reviewing their records when they drop, but their singles are surely worth a listen.



STRANGE BONES
God Save the Teen
From: God Save the Teen EP
Release Date: TBA

I don't know all that much about Strange Bones, but I do know that they're an emerging buzz band from the UK, they're about to drop their second EP (produced by Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett), and the tweet announcing the release of this video was retweeted by Queens of the Stone Age. Sold!





HOLY WHITE HOUNDS
Switchblade
From: Sparkle Sparkle
Release Date: May 6, 2016

According to the Iowan band's bio, Holy White Hounds rose through the regional ranks with their debut EP just two years ago before ultimately signing with Razor & Tie, who are putting out their first album in May. The bio also boldly states that the band "coolly conjures The Strokes, Beck, Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age and the Pixies". Quotes like that open a song like Switchblade up to close scrutiny, but I can't deny that the song calls most of these artists to mind while Frankensteining its influences into something odd, charming and original.





CILVER
I'm America
From: Not the End of the World
Release Date: April 29, 2016

For a band on the cusp of releasing their debut, Cilver have already had their fair share of accomplishments. Uliana has already graced the pages of Revolver's "Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock" issue, they've had guitar virtuoso Bumblefoot guest on one of their songs, and they've played on a cruise ship with Motorhead. Talk about your reputation preceding you.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2016: Solo Artist Nominees

Artists who stand alone, who put their name on their album jackets and assume full responsibility for the art they give to the world, exhibit a kind of bravery that I've always admired. It takes courage to stand on that proverbial stage in solitude; this year's nominees faced varying degrees of challenges, but they all shared the desire to stare down the criticisms and expectations of every other individual they shared the air with and exclaim, "Don't worry. I've got this." Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Solo Artist Recording of the Year are:

Year in Rock 2024

  So, how weird is it to post a Year in Rock 2024 write-up a year late? Honestly, this is just for posterity; with a post to wrap up 2025 possibly posted by the time you see this, I couldn't stand the gap that would otherwise be present. I'll have more to say, but will wait until the Year in Rock 2025 post to say it. Instead, I'll just dive right in with the list. This will be the least exciting Year in Rock post you've ever seen.   25. The Smashing Pumpkins - "Aghori Mhori Mei" 24.  Japandroids - "Fate & Alcohol" 23. Pearl Jam - "Dark Matter" 22. Cheekface - "It's Sorted" 21. Kim Gordon - "The Collective" 20. High Vis - "Guided Tour" 19. Acid Mammoth - "Supersonic Megafauna Collision" 18. Microwave - "Let's Start Degeneracy" 17. IDLES - "TANGK" 16. Jerry Cantrell - "I Want Blood" 15. Chat Pile - "Cool World" 14. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ...