RECENT ARTICLES

Jeanie Crystal: Jeanie’s Manifesto

Jeanie Crystal has a special way of seeing. While her bold, boundary-pushing vision of the world is defined by a riotous sense of fun, it simultaneously turns a serious lens to certain topics labeled taboo. The DJ and co-founder of FabooTV is the directorial mastermind behind the video for Eliza Rose’s international megahit ‘Baddest of the Them All’ (26 million views and counting.)

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Acid 4 U: The Decius Interview

Decius are a force to be reckoned with. The acid house-slash-hard techno outfit comprised of members of Trashmouth Records (Liam and Luke May) Paranoid London (Quinn Whalley) and Fat White Family (Lias Saoudi) have spent the past few years barnstorming London’s underground club scene. They’ve remixed tracks from artists ranging from Depeche Mode to Warmduscher, and they’ve released twelve original EPs (one of which, Decius Vol. 1, made DJ Mag’s list of top albums of 2022.)  The band has played in both the grimiest and the most glam of London venues, and their signature slick, sleazy rhythms are the backing tracks

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Why We Love: Tee Vee Repairmann

Australia. The backbone of several memes regarding its apparently nightmarish wildlife and the home of the late legend Steve Irwin, it has bred quite a lot of great bands throughout the decades. AC/DC, INXS, Men at Work, and Midnight Oil come to mind. Most recently, a trio called The Chats have been dominating the international punk scene with their humorous, punchy songs. However, The Chats are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s going down in the land down under. In recent years, a fairly spectacular underground music scene has developed in Australia. Featuring bands such

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Adventures in Limbo with Saul Adamczewski

It’s fitting that the final performance of Saul Adamczewski’s latest album, Adventures in Limbo, was staged in a gothic church in south London. Seated on a worn wooden chair on a dais banked with overblown white roses and candle-light, directly above a 300-year-old-crypt, in a church named for the patron saint of the disabled, he leant forward into the mike and intoned: “Dearly beloved…we are gathered here today…to celebrate…me.”

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White Devil Disco: RED

In the words of its founder, Joseph Pancucci, White Devil Disco is “…a bit of an illusion, an enigma existing on the cusp of your senses, ever changing, and evolving.”

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Crate Digging with Slack Alice

Ever wondered what your favourite musicians listen to when they need inspo? Slack Alice saw its dawn back in 2014 when resident DJs and old friends Kelan and Yokel decided to put on regular nights at The Surrey Vaults. It wasn’t long before the collective reached its final (and most powerful) form. Bristol legends Nadoone and Anina joined Slack Alice, and their vision helped unlock new levels of creativity and expression. Music lovers and fellow DJs started attending Slack Alice events regularly, and most of them remained time-tested supporters and collaborators. It could have been the need to escape trite

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Touch Me: The Ringards

Opening in the same way you would imagine a hit 1980s detective show, with a strong, parasitic bass line guaranteed to live in your ear for days to come, East London’s latest trailblazing avant-garde five-piece, The Ringards, have birthed yet another masterpiece. Much like the double lives led by detectives, “Touch Me” discusses the intricacies of being a performer: the vulnerability you have to be brave enough to endure and the difficulties in how you represent yourselves as musicians and as people in such a visible and public position. Being “accessible” and “relatable” may be key, but finding a balance

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Why We Love: Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton has become something of a hero to multiple generations of alternative rockers, power pop enthusiasts, and music lovers in general. First rising to fame in the late ’60s with the band The Box Tops, Chilton was just a teenager when the band’s debut single, “The Letter,” became a number one hit. For three more years, the group continued to release hits, though after multiple lineup changes, the group split.  Having been the frontman of a successful band for multiple years, Chilton could have done whatever he wanted. He contemplated going to college, he worked on multiple solo songs,

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Cowboyy: Britain’s Latest Bandits

If you’re a Londoner like myself who seemingly can’t stay away from the holy trinity of music venues, The Windmill, The Sebright Arms and The New Cross Inn,  you’d have certainly already heard about Cowboyy. The latest 4-piece lineup to come storming out of the UK’s woodwork has already rightly attracted the attention of music heads and BBC 6 DJs alike with their exceptional first single ‘Gmaps’.  At first glance, the band’s lineup is a patchwork of secondary school stereotypes, each styled like the four kids in your class you’d never thought would interact, let alone form a band. But

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Jessica Winter: “I Want to Find Something Real”

With a soaring magic carpet ride of a voice and a talent for writing pop hooks that rivals anybody on the charts today, Jessica Winter’s sound can’t be tucked neatly into any identifying genre but exists in a liminal space between electro-pop and indie goth, laced with jagged, searing punk rock rawness.

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Steely Dan: pyncher

Dark, moody, and full of energy and electricity all describe Manchester’s latest underground gem, pyncher, perfectly. The young band exude that raw, dirty, yet artful aesthetic that the post punk space is known for while making it entirely their own – falling somewhere between the gap of post punk and grunge rock. Sam Blakeley’s often elegantly guttural voice, heavily reminiscent of Lux Interior of The Cramps, creates this rich feeling of longing throughout their discography, in a way that, although similar to other punkesque artists, established pyncher as a powerful contender in the scene. Steely Dan, the band’s new single, released by

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Maggie The Cat: Donne Moi Ta Chose

“Donne Moi Ta Chose,” is the third single from Maggie the Cat’s, forthcoming album on Trashmouth Records (the title of which remains shrouded in delicious anticipation.) Expect kitsch, campy, glamour with avant-garde pop leanings and generous lashings of the old Madonnatron witches brew that we know and love.

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Children of the Pope: Thalidomide Boy

Juno Valentine, the group’s front man and chief lyricist, spoke about the song’s meaning in-detail: “The song is a short story I created about a juvenile opiate dealer who suffers from a sleep walking disorder…”

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Ave Maria: Bishopskin

Bishopskin and religious iconography are like bread and butter. Not only is it in their band name, song names, and running through their lyricism like a golden thread, but it is in their live performances, which feel like a spiritual awakening for both band and audience. Their new single, “Ave Maria,” is no different. Another postmodern indie rock canticle added to their discography that I’m sure is to be just as well received as their previous releases.     Tiger Nicholson, lead vocalist, opens the tune with a sombre prayer-like monologue, describing the tangibility and mysticism of his natural surroundings, partnered

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Alien Chicks release new single ‘Woodlouse’

Experimental post-punk power trio Alien Chicks released their addictively catchy third single “Woodlouse” on Friday. The Brixton-based band sold out their Windmill Brixton launch party and played to a packed venue on Friday night, causing a big scramble for spare tickets.  The launch was full of energy emanating from both the band and crowd, with a mosh pit throughout their set and more crowd surfers than we have ever witnessed at the Windmill. In matching three-piece costumes, Alien Chicks played a thrilling set, twisting and turning through elements of rap, ska, and jazz and touching on countless different time signatures,

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Humour: So Young’s Latest Hardcore Signing

Glaswegian 5-piece band Humour is the latest and most rip-roaring addition to the instantly addictive lineup of bands on So Young records’ roster. The boys, many of whom met at primary school or whilst studying in Glasgow, have poured their collective talents into their new EP, “PURE MISERY,” set for release on November 25th. The recent singles “yeah, mud!” and “alive and well” have teased a hard-hitting and unmissable six-track record later on this year. Totally Wired Magazine spoke to two of the band’s founding members, guitarist Jack Lyall and frontman (plus visual artist) Andreas Christodoulidis. Hi guys, what have

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Murder Capital Announce New Album and European Tour

Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital have announced their forthcoming second album Gigi’s Recovery, with a UK & EU tour to follow.

The announcement comes the morning after the release of their latest video for A Thousand Lives, the second track from the forthcoming album, paired with a striking video by Tommy Davies (Common People Films), a collaboration which has stirred our excitement for what’s still to come.

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Miles Apart: Kiwanuka At The Brighton Centre

‘Even if we are miles apart.’   These are the echoing last words of Michael Kiwanuka’s ‘Light.’ They’ve taken on new meaning with all that we’ve been through since its release at the end of 2019, which made finally getting to hear them from the man himself even more liberating.  It’s been a long time coming. He was originally set to embark on a UK tour two years ago in support of his eponymous third album, and while that obviously didn’t go to plan, the wait has proven a valuable asset, giving listeners time to fully absorb the record, and allowing

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Why We Love: The Cleaners from Venus (aka Martin Newell)

In 1980, Newell formed The Cleaners from Venus with Lawrence “Lol” Elliot, though since then, he has remained the only consistent member. Under this moniker, Newell has released a multitude of albums, and this isn’t even taking into consideration his wealth of material under his own name. Starting with Blow Away Your Troubles, Newell showed the world what to expect from The Cleaners from Venus: wonderful, jangly music that was staunchly lo-fi.

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Catching Up with PREGOBLIN

I can’t quite recall how or when I first heard PREGOBLIN’s 2019 single “Combustion,” but I do remember that within twenty-four hours, I’d listened to it about thirty times. The two minutes and 43 seconds of infectiously danceable beats and clever, darkly humorous lyrics (“Spontaneous combustion is the way I wanna go“) had me hooked; I was, and remain, an instant fan. PREGOBLIN was initially composed of sad music/crance sensation Jessica Winter and Alex Sebley. The duo wrote a string of excellent singles (including “Combustion,” which has racked up a million-plus streams on Spotify) accompanied by camp, highly imaginative, low-budget

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Deadletter Unleashes ‘Binge’

After building a reputation as paragons of the live performance, Deadletter soars even higher with ‘Binge,’ a biting incantation on intoxication. In a world of nicotine patches, ‘don’t talk to me before my morning coffee,’ and Klarna payment plans for your new shoes – frontman Zac Lawrence preaches at a world which demands everything immediately all the time. Instant porn, instant music, instant dating, and instant celebrity content have made us all shallow and impatient, and it’s hard to tell if ‘Binge’ is a call to arms against our current evolution or a sardonic ‘so what?’ ‘Binge’ brings us a

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An Analysis of The Beach Boys: 1967-74

From 1967 to 1974, The Beach Boys proved themselves to be remarkable composers, lyricists, and musicians, even with the dwindling participation of Brian, though he still contributed songs and ideas from time to time. Starting with Wild Honey and ending with Holland, there were ideas and gems abound on each tracklist.

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Alien Chicks Release New Single ’27 Stitches’

Alien Chicks’ explosive new single ’27 Stitches’ was released last week to a truly epic reception at the Brixton Windmill. Joined by other hot bands on the scene, Cowboyy and A Void, the most likewise stylish of London’s music lovers gathered to watch Alien Chicks’ captivating lineup tear up the stage. Fired-up fans left with a healthy fill of sweat-fueled mayhem and some carrying a small vial of the band’s shared bathwater around their neck. The band’s upcoming music video may give us some much-needed answers around that…  Listen to the new single here.

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Adwaith – Bato Mato: The Welsh Trio to Rule The World

The genre-defying Welsh language trio Adwaith hit their home music scene hard in 2015 and have since brought their spellbinding sound and punching attitude to stages at Glastonbury, Green Man and many others across the UK. The larger British music scene has quickly embraced the band’s extraordinary energy and our prayers have just been answered with Adwaiths new album Bato Mato. Fresh back from their weekend at Glasto, we spoke to Gwen, Hollie and Heledd about the album’s reinvigorated sound and their hopes for carrying Welsh language music to a mass of new listeners from across the world.

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Why We Love: Working For A Nuclear Free City

If you look up the word “Underrated” in the dictionary, you’ll find this band. Formed in Manchester in 1999, Working For A Nuclear Free City was an alternative, nu-gaze, boundary-pushing band that undoubtedly inspired and paved the way for countless bands and artists. With a career that spans just under two decades, the style and sound of their music were constantly evolving and redefining genres, resulting in an eclectic, inspiring, and impressive discography. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 2006 and quickly gained acclaim from a number of major media outlets, with the BBC stating: “it’s the way

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Why We Love: Animals As Leaders

Their meticulous breed of progressive metal is a daunting beast that grooves to an unfamiliar pulse, the alien heartbeat of instrumentalists Tosin Abasi, Javier Reyes, and Matt Garstka. Originally a vehicle for Abasi’s solo work, the project underwent a gradual evolution up until the trio first recorded together for 2014’s The Joy Of Motion, an album that immaculately showcased each of their distinct skillsets and set the stage for their future as a band. With the release of their fifth record, Parrhesia, the reasons for their success are clearer than ever.

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How To Let Go – Sigrid

Wow, I cannot believe Sigrid invented music. That’s how I felt after hearing the latest LP from singer/songwriter/superstar Sigrid. First of all, I’d like to point out that 2022 has gotten off to a fantastic start for the release of new music. Hell, this month alone has already made me nervous about just how this year’s wrap-up of our favourite albums will go down. But between you and I, I think I’ve found my winner. Upon the release of “Mirror” last year, I was ecstatic about the potential of Sigrid’s next musical outing. Sucker Punch was already one of my

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WE – Arcade Fire

Has it really been five years since Everything Now, perhaps one of Arcade Fire’s most polarising albums? And my my, what a road we’ve been on since then. So, it begs the question: Arcade Fire, where are we at? After the release of “The Lightning” I and II, we see that Win Butler and friends have taken a more traditional approach to their songwriting; not too dissimilar to sounds you’d find off any of their albums from Funeral to the Suburbs, but obviously with a much tighter approach to production. To me, WE sounds like the bridge between The Suburbs

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Fucking Hallelujah: Children of the Pope

The Children of the Pope—judging from the band’s name alone, you know you’re in for something good. Signed by Isolar Records in early 2022, the band’s rise since their formation in 2018 (in the “grimiest parts of South London,”) has been meticulously documented by Lou Smith, and they’ve shared stages alongside the likes of Insecure Men, Brian Destiny, and Honkies.

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The BIGMUTHA of all

Tennessee rapper Brittnee Moore (aka bbymutha) adds another jewel to the crown with her latest EP – left4dead.  With 3 songs and under 15 minutes long, it is a compelling journey through the visionary power that fuels bbymutha. Her ethos? As clear as ever: bold, sex-positive, and stress-free. The “part 1” EP is one of the few bite-sized tapes that Moore has been putting out since she announced last summer that she intends to retire. We’re glad she decided not to, for now, although her ambivalence to fame is keeping us on our toes. The former Miss Cherry Cocaine struck

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Squire: the next big thing from Newcastle

Rough Trade is a goldmine bursting to the brim of undiscovered and lesser known gems, artists on the up hill climb to stardom, who wholeheartedly deserve to be in the limelight. I discovered the band Squire, hailing from Newcastle, when I popped down to the Bristol Rough Trade a few weeks ago and what a gig they put on! Having released their first single, Drama, in 2019, the band have been steadily growing in popularity, breaking 10,000 streams on Spotify. Since then they have released nine more singles, all equally infectious. With incredible showmanship and their latest release, Lime, this new indie band is

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Everything All Of The Time: Kid A Revisited

Rick Simpson brings new life to Radiohead classics at The Jazz Cafe. Though it’s only a stone’s throw from Camden Town tube station, my dash to The Jazz Cafe on the night of Sunday, 20th February was a wet one.  Outside the venue, the latest in a volley of storms was raging through London’s streets. Inside, meanwhile, a drenched crowd was eagerly awaiting pianist and composer Rick Simpson, who was set to perform Everything All Of The Time: Kid A Revisited, his ode to the seminal Radiohead album.  A madly brilliant, sprawling recontextualisation of Kid A presented by way of

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Why We Love: Pons

I’ll start off this article with two words: two drummers. I’ll add another two for good measure: no bassist. That’s right, Pons is a three-piece band featuring a guitar, vocals, drums, and more drums. They’re truly a sight and sound to behold.

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Why We Love: Rosy Mackinnon

Rosy Mackinnon has been writing songs since the tender ago of 12. She joined her first band at 15, and by 16 had begun commandeering her dad’s computer to record her original tracks. (She figured out how to mix them, using Logic, on her own.) Her debut single, “Getting Home,” was released in December of 2021; her second release, “Kill Me Sarah,” is out today.

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Bishopskin: Lean Closer

Bishopskin call the track less “primal,” than their recent single, “I Was Born on an Island,” but the injection of a little modernity ultimately showcases the band’s wide range, and adept control at genre-bending.

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The Apocalyptic Indie Romance of Black Books

The Apocalyptic Indie Romance of Black Books, Austin, TX-based indie rockers Black Books have been teasing new material as of late.  The prospect of a new album has made me delve back into the band’s rich archives, which contain some of the most prescient, melodic tracks this side of the 20th century. Think Townes Van Zandt meets Pink Floyd…but in a bar off South Congress. The band’s 2020 single, “Goodbye Cool,” was released alongside a video that seemed to foretell the entire scope of the pandemic a month before it arrived. If the band’s past work can tell us anything about their upcoming release, it’s

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Audiobooks: Synths Like You’ve Never Heard Before

Art student Evangeline Ling and Producer David Wrench are the brilliant duo behind the otherworldly synth-pop band, Audiobooks. Brilliantly thought out alien landscapes crafted by Wrench meet the worldly lyrics of Evangeline Ling. Throw in a touch of Wednesday Addams and a hint of Saruman the Wise and there you have it, a phenomenal band.

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Why We Love: Glasvegas

I’ll never forget when I began listening to Scottish band Glasvegas. In seventh grade, I started branching out from the music I heard in the car or on the radio and almost accidentally started listening to them. My dad had received their 2008 self-titled debut album from my uncle, and because of that I began listening to it. I immediately fell in love with the atmospheric, dense sonic world that Glasvegas created on the album. Songs such as “Geraldine,” “Go Square Go,” “Daddy’s Gone,” and “It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry” tackled emotional themes while enveloping the listener in swirling guitars, rumbling bass, and simplistic yet effective drums. Although singer James Allen’s vocals were obscured by such a thick Scottish accent that I often had to look up the lyrics to understand what was being said, I still adored the album and still do to this day.

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Bishopskin: I Was Born on an Island

“No one can be free who has thousand ancestors.” I’m paraphrasing L.M. Montgomery, but it’s dead true. We’re shackled to the past because it’s what has melded the present. We’re chained to its rhythms. However many centuries away we are from the nomadic tribes we are descended from, the same drum beats, the same voices, get us going. Bishopskin riff off of that immutable bond, creating music that contains both the glassy slickness of modernity and the essential, humming, throb of music at the beginning of language. Music for music own’s sake: music, as Iggy Pop has said, for “the sheer

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Brian Destiny: Brian’s Got Talent

Brian Destiny (aka Nathan Saoudi of Fat White Family) has been gigging around London as a solo act since 2019. His debut EP, Brian’s Got Talent, was released on February 4th; expect introspective, up-tempo songs from the melodic mastermind behind Fat White Family’s hits such as “Feet,” and “Tastes Good with the Money.” Featured on the EP alongside Brian Destiny are brothers Dante and Gamaliel Traynor, who produced, recorded and co-wrote much of the material.

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An interview with Jimkata

Feel-good upbeat electro-rock flows through Jimkata’s Bonfires, released in July of 2021. With influences spanning from 80s new wave and 90/00’s hip hop and electronic, the band create a well-developed sophisticated palate to the ears. Playfully “dancy, melodic and energetic”, the music reflects the nature of the band, as I found out when interviewing them.  Like many other bands, Jimkata started out by covering songs by punk and grunge bands such as Nirvana, NOFX, Rage Against the Machine and Primus. Yet, besides this, they were also influenced by an array of different genres which was a perk of having grown

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Looking Back: ‘Oh Bondage! Up Yours’ and the Power of Poly Styrene

It is a hot summer’s day in Central London and my friend Millie and I are jumping up and down screeching along to “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” by X-Ray Spex. Their flat above the Charing Cross Road holds some punk memorabilia that belonged to their late mother, with the face of Johnny Rotten staring down at us from a high-up corner as we mosh in the living room. The song came to me as a godsend, at a point where I briefly lived with Millie at the end of 2016, a year of my life that was fuelled by sex

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Why We Love: Decius

With nine EPs to their credit, the group’s sound shifts lanes from marauding techno to acid house punctuated with unnerving falsetto vocals and unusually intricate lyrics. It’s so rare to find a fresh take on dance music, that when one finds it one should grab it by the jugular and hang on like grim death. But Decius’s addictive rhythms will probably grab you, first.

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Fix Yourself, Not The World

The Wombats have really outdone themselves, not to anyone’s surprise, however. If you’ve been a fan of the Liverpudlian trio for any amount of time, you’ll have seen firsthand that Murph, Tord, and Dan are an unstoppable indie force that isn’t to be reckoned with.  Since the release of the band’s last record Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, the boys have gone on to play across the world, conquer TikTok, and release bundles of music within individual projects. The hammer of the 2020 pandemic put a spanner in the works for the traditional way of writing and recording new

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Why We Love: Young Guv

The chorus of the song, which was called “Only Wanna See U Tonight,” floated into my ears. The song had the trappings of late 70’s power pop mixed with the sheen of mid-90’s alt rock. Shining guitars popped out over crisp drums, melodic bass, peppy tambourine, and the almost saccharine vocals of the project’s mastermind, Ben Cook.

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