LISTEN: CHANG – ‘Tinderella’

Like blisters from a glass slipper, CHANG’s latest release epitomises the frustration we might feel when walking home from an abysmal date. A modern, grisly take to fairy tale romances, ‘Tinderella’ radiates a headbanging heat that would set a mosh-pit alight. Though catchy, its muddled, almost confused narration and sections of random noise are heavy haphazardness at its finest. Fuelled by drummer Jeff “The Jingle” Ingle’s feverish energy, this song angrily launches us into a regimented beat that is simultaneously crashing and catchy.

Though singer Alexandra “Geez” Amargianitakis’s pacing of the vocals in ‘Tinderella’ is reminiscent of Poly Styrene’s in ‘I am a Poseur’, her grungy tone pushes the band into the 90s Riot Grrrl arena, with her Courtney Love-esque crooning veiled in the vigour. Laced with allusions to Snow White with lyrics like “mirror mirror” and “who is the fairest of them all?”, the song reflects a world in which dating is doomed with debauchery. It’s when the song slows that we really get to see the lustre of some of the lyrics though. Alexandra’s sultry singing is juxtaposed with vividly grotesque imagery like “I’m a deep-fried slug / slithering deep back down to the earth.”

With various pace changes, it’s clear that ‘Tinderella isn’t mindless chaos but has pockets of deliberate, carefully constructed aptitude. Despite having garnered the attention of BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio X, it’s early days for CHANG. But one thing is for sure, there will be several monstrous melodies to come.

Watch the video for ‘Tinderella’ below.

Follow CHANG on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook

Jay Mitra
@punkofcolour

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Track Of The Day: Piney Gir – ‘Voice Of The Ages’

Following 2019’s seventh album You Are Here, London-based, Kansas-raised GIHE fave Piney Gir has now announced a new EP, Astral Spectra, which is set for release later this month. And now, ahead of the EP, she has just shared a characteristically uplifting new single.

Flowing with the jangle of twinkling hooks and an immersive sunny energy, ‘Voice Of The Ages’ reflects on the necessity of facing your demons to come out stronger in the end. As the distinctive shimmer of Piney’s luscious celestial vocals soar with an effervescent splendour alongside the striking grandeur of the track’s almost orchestral sounding musicality, a wonderfully majestic indie-pop anthem is created.

Oozing a swirling, psychedelic sense of nostalgia, ‘Voice Of The Ages’ retains its own unique sparkling grace, showcasing Piney Gir’s trademark honey-sweet and harmonious uplifting pop-sensibilities. Of the track, she explains:

“This song simply flowed, it was like a message from the subconscious mind or a force of the universe channelling through me. I couldn’t get it out of my head quickly enough; it couldn’t have been written any faster.” 

‘Voice Of The Ages’ is out now via Reckless Yes. Astral Spectra, the upcoming EP and the first part of a set of concept EPs, is set for release 25th June. Pre-order here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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EP: Bitch Hunt – ‘Shapeshifter’

Bitch Hunt have just released their debut EP and we couldn’t be happier. The non-binary alt-rock four-piece (and I’m sure there are plenty of other hyphenated terms you could apply – this is a band with range!) are alumni of the 2017 edition of London’s First Timers Fest – a festival with an impressive track record of assisting in the formation of some of the best music coming out of the city in the last few years (Big Joanie and Charmpit both played their first gigs at the festival). As such, it’s been something of a wait for this debut EP for those of us who were already aware of the band, but the wait has proved to be very much worth it.

Shapeshifter offers a shimmering collection of five songs characterised by a lo-fi aesthetic and heartfelt lyrics. EP highlight ‘Eau Claire’, which was released as a single back in April and described by us as “perfect punk pop”, is a nostalgic song (though a nostalgia with the rose-tint wiped clear) written about singer Sian’s time spent in a Wisconsin town of the same name. Fittingly then, Twin Peaks fans might even detect a hint of Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack in the slacker bassline in the verse here, but a closer point of reference might be The Breeders’ ‘Oh!’ from 1990 album Pod. There’s a similarly woozy feel to the guitars and vocal delivery which accentuates the bittersweet content of the lyrics. In fact, the EP as a whole warrants favourable comparison to the early 1990s output of Kim & Kelley Deal’s band. That’s not to say there is anything derivative about this, though, Bitch Hunt have carved out their own distinctive sound and on this track in particular there’s a real sense of a landscape portrayed in the breadth of the sound – no mean feat considering the relative simplicity of the arrangements.

Closing track, ‘I Wanna Be Un/Happy’, showcases another side to the band’s sound. Here the guitar and bass interweave in a manner reminiscent of Interpol on the verse before the song bursts into life in the chorus. The contrast hinted at in the ‘Un/Happy’ of the title is reflected in the difference in sound between the doom-filled verse and uplifting chorus.

A spiky guitar part on ‘Identity Clinic’ provides the clearest link between what appears to be some of the influences on this EP – ’90s britpop a la Elastica & the bluesy end of the early 2000s garage revival (White Stripes, Black Keys etc). The lyrics are disarmingly open while remaining playful – “leave me out to cry”, we’re implored – and listening to the EP as a whole, the listener is left with the feeling that this mix of honesty, heartache and a sense of humour might be the defining characteristic of Bitch Hunt’s songs. ‘Out of Eden’’s biblical references serve a similar purpose – playing with our familiar understanding of phrases to provide counterpoint and illumination to what appears to be a story of two relationships – one destructive and the other restorative.

The EP can be bought for the low low price of £5 over on the band’s bandcamp page and has been released by Reckless Yes – a label with impeccable taste – so this reviewer would urge you to do so. It’s a real treat.

Shapeshifter, the new EP from Bitch Hunt, is out now via Reckless Yes.

Gregory Metcalfe
@gregorysparty

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WATCH: Roxanne de Bastion – ‘Molecules’

Having just announced the her upcoming second album, due for release in September, London based artist Roxanne de Bastion has now shared a bewitching new video for latest single ‘Molecules’.

This newest slice of dark pop from Roxanne de Bastion, ‘Molecules’ is a philosophically searching hit, tinged with perfectly dramatic late ’60s influences. The track twists around moody, gothic melodies, until the beautiful clarity of de Bastion’s vocals cut through the eerie strings and grunge-infused feedback as it builds to a stormy crescendo. The lyrics speak of seeking spirituality in the everyday, as Roxanne explains, “What if we got it wrong? If there is such a thing as divinity, maybe it’s more on a modular level.”

‘Molecules’ is electrifying and evocative, toying with vintage sensibilities and dragging them firmly into the contemporary, and stationing Roxanne de Bastion as a remarkable performer and sonic force to be reckoned with.

Produced by Bernard Butler, the upcoming album is sure to sound similarly massive, as well as inventive; the track’s powering drum sounds are in fact clapping and hitting tambourines and floor toms in Bernard’s living room. 

Watch the White Stripes-inspired new video for ‘Molecules’ here:

You & Me, We Are The Same, the upcoming new album from Roxanne de Bastion, is set for release 3rd September via ROM.

Leonie Bellini
@teenpeachmovie

Photo Credit: Amanda Rose

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