Sometimes, as Twisted Sister once said, you wanna rock.
That’s what we have for you all today, friends. In this edition of Pack of Three, our weekly (or close to it!) series that puts the spotlight on three stand-out acts presenting new music for the masses, we focus on the RAWK side of the musical spectrum.
Who have we got to listen to, stomp to, smash up the seats to, today?
Find out below.
Indulge yourself! Plug in!
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“Astoria Jack” by Not Of
Name: Not Of
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sound: Post-punk inspired and riff-centric noise-rock that goes off in unexpected directions.
Story: Featuring on their upcoming record Hypocratic Oath (released on July 20, 2018), this Toronto duo recently spent an unexpected length of time in the studio as a songwriting frenzy took hold of them. This song, “Astoria Jack” was one of the products of that series of sessions, a tune that runs like a monstrous syncopated engine and, frankly, makes you want to break things. In good way.
Links:
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“Rachel” by The Soft Underground
Name: The Soft Underground
From: New York City, NY, USA
Sound: Nineties grunge meets seventies stoner rock with a generous dollop of sixties heavy psych.
Story: New York’s The Soft Underground channel classic Temple of the Dog/Stone Temple Pilots vibes on this cut, a harbinger for the band’s newest release Morning World (dropping July 27, 2018). This is a fuzzed out assault that includes a face-melting guitar solo about halfway through. You know how hard it is to write up a band after they’ve melted your face? Well, I do!
Links:
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“Hold Me Like I’m Leaving” by Welles
Name: Welles
From: Ozark, AR (now based in Nashville, TN, USA)
Sound: Cobainesque delivery meets a decidedly southern-fried rock tendency, complete with a cheeky Beatles reference.
Story: Certainly allied with a new classic rock movement (if that’s a thing!) as typified by Greta Van Fleet and The Sheepdogs, and bringing some southern swagger along with it, Welles (aka Jeh Sea Wells) lives and breathes rock music rooted in its sixties and seventies FM radio traditions. This cut quotes The Beatles’ “Can you take me back” outro on “Cry Baby Cry” from The White Album and builds a solid sonic fortress from those sturdy melodic foundations. Welles’ newest record, Red Trees and White Trashes is out right now.
Links:
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Now that the room you’ve listened to these tracks in is completely trashed and on fire (not your fault, it was the tunes!), give me your impressions, friends!
Happy listening!
Radio Free Lightning Bug 