The Indie Scene

We can all agree that 2020 has been a tumultuous journey from beginning to end, never failing to provide one disappointment after the other. Seemingly, the only rewarding thing about 2020 has been the music made in lockdown, the albums we've been blessed with or, for some people, it's Taylor Swift releasing not one but two full-length albums this year. Musicians have been unable to perform live, meaning The Night Cafe's 2019 tour is set to take place in 2030 if they're lucky.  I'll have to admit, I've been a bit behind. It'll take me a good few months to sit down and properly listen to an album unless a miracle happens and I listen to it the day it's released. You'll notice that the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Rina Sawayama aren't on here and, it isn't because I'm not a fan, I'm just the worst kind of procrastinator. I'm sure all of your favourites deserve a spot on here, so I'm going to cement my apology before I continue. 

Kira Riess, better known as the powerful and eclectic YNES, released her four track EP today after rebranding just last year. If you're into the likes of Kate Nash, GIRLI or Lily Allen then look no further, you've found your next unapologetically honest artist in the form of Coventry-based YNES.  First up is the opener, 'Im(Mature)', which sets the bar for the rest of the EP and makes an unforgettable statement. ' I'm not good at art ,' she shouts over the enigmatic guitar, despite having designed her own prints and, well, being pretty darn good at art than she gives herself credit for.  If I had to choose, my favourite from the EP would be the much needed and incredibly poignant 'Pretty Sure', which tells the tale of being cheated on and, where some people would perhaps blame the 'other woman', YNES decided to rise above it and show where the blame should in fact lay. If you really are a big fan of GIRLI, then check out the remix that she le

Since I was first introduced to the rock outfit hailing from Swansea, I've been hooked on their incredibly good back catalogue so, naturally, I was pretty excited to hear they would be releasing a new song and a re-recording of an old favourite of mine.  'Rainbow Sands' is a step in the right direction, showing exactly why Taxi Rank are one of the most exciting young bands to come out of Wales since Stereophonics came to prominence. Not only is it a tangible, easily digestible alternative rock song, it goes hand in hand with the b-side: a re-recording of 'Handprint'.  The production level with the re-recordings and the brand new songs are impeccable; where you could perhaps notice tiny flaws beforehand with previous recordings, they've smoothed them over and showed their progression by giving 'Handprint' a crystal clear new spin.  It's not just the songs that are captivating, but the striking and vibrant artwork that goes along with it. However, thi

After the release of their debut album ‘Dogrel’ last year, Dublin based indie rock band Fontaines D.C. had a lot of expectations to live up to with ‘A Hero’s Death,’ which they released on July 31st. Having studied at BIMM in Dublin, the five-piece band have gone on to achieve some incredible things, not to mention releasing two full-length albums and now being nominated for a Grammy (which, by the way, is quite a big deal, especially for these guys). First up is enigmatic and powerful ‘I Don’t Belong,’ that sets the mood for the rest of the album - it’s unforgiving, the statement they’re trying to display doesn’t struggle to be conceived. In my opinion, this is the perfect opener to the album and they couldn’t have chosen a better song to begin with. The music video to go along with it captures the dynamics of the song perfectly and leaves you wondering if there's anything this band can't do. Guaranteed, if you haven't already, this song will be stuck in your head by the e