Sex, Drugs, & Solos: This Week In Rock
With so many tours being announced and killer new riffs dropping all the time it’s pretty hard to keep track of what’s happening in the indie and alternative rock scenes! So we thought we’d save you the headache and publish a weekly wrap-up of the most important rock news and best new tunes, “Sex, Drugs, & Solos”. If you can’t check out AAA daily, hit us up every Friday for the news you need to know and the riffs you need to hear!
Oh, and here’s the best new tunes according to us – have a listen while you read + follow the playlist & AAA on Spotify!
In this edition of Sex, Drugs, & Solos: Bruce Springsteen, Jet, River Blue, Kestrels, Castlecomer, Gang Of Youths, King No-One, Two Door Cinema Club, Sera, Green Day, and Kings Of Leon.
Bruce Springsteen Announces Aussie Tour + Jet Reform
One of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest living legends Bruce Springsteen is heading back to our shores with the E Street Band in tow for a seven show run that is sure to blow fans away. His first visit since 2014, The Boss and band will be ushering in the worldwide phenomenon that has been ‘The River’ Tour, which Aussie fans have been foaming at the mouth for a taste of.
Alongside the tour announcement comes the news Melbourne legends Jet are jumping back into the game for a select number of shows with ‘The Boss. As one of Australia’s most successful rock bands in history, Jet’s debut album ‘Get Born’ reached 10x platinum certification in Australia, as well as earning platinum in the USA and UK. The album contained a string of hugely successful singles, including Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Rollover DJ, and Look What You’ve Done. After calling it a day in 2012, and refusing to reform despite frequent requests, Jet are back for what is sure to be an incredible run of shows!
Kings Of Leon Are Back With A Bang!
American rockers Kings Of Leon have released their latest single Waste A Moment in anticipation for their new album ‘Walls’, set for release in mid-October.
Waste A Moment is reminiscent of earlier Kings Of Leon songs, with an upbeat melody and layered instrumentation that drive the song forward nicely. The bass line demands to be listened to, as the guitars jangle along a building melody.
The vocals are raw, emotive, and distinctly Kings Of Leon, and the song has an overall similar sound to the band’s 2013 single Supersoaker. Check it our below!
Green Day Drop New Single, New Album’s Shaping Up Nicely
Put your Chuck Taylors on and gel that hair high ‘cause Green Day have thrown us their second single from upcoming album ‘Revolution Radio’. The title-track isn’t short on energy and sounds like it would fit right in with their early noughties collection (that’s a pretty big compliment!).
Revolution Radio follows on from the outfit’s debut single Bang Bang, a hard-hitting song that has so far seen mixed reviews. Their second single has confirmed they haven’t lost their punk charm just yet. The drumming form Tré Cool firm, the arrangement is wild, and Billie Joe Armstrong’s famous double-vocals effect gives the tune that rebellious sound that make Green Day so damn cool.
Revolution Radio proves they’re still the politically charged group you remember and love. Frontman Armstrong said the song has a strong message behind it, especially the chorus line “We will be seen and not heard”. Check it out below!
Sera Mix Synths & Rock Perfectly In New Single
Brisbane synth-pop rockers Sera are back and killin’ it with their fresh single Silhouette. The group are mixing it up with a slightly different vibe from their previous tracks, but for now, trust us, it’s going to be a rocker!
With upbeat rhythms and driving percussion, Silhouette delivers a rocking dance beat that will get your feet tapping. The guitar really kicks in towards the end and drives home the song with a bang. This tune is bound to get you feeling nostalgic about the 80’s and 90’s, with influences from John Mayer, Coldplay and Blondie to name a few.
Two Door Cinema Club Drop Glitchy Video For Bad Decisions
Beloved indietronic 3-piece Two Door Cinema Club have made no Bad Decisions in their latest, and most glitchy music video to date.
The clip for Bad Decisions sees an animated Two Door Cinema Club move through a vividly computer generated world. Between ‘Tron’ style car racing, poorly cel-shaded objects, and tumblr-like GIFs, the video marks the trio’s first attempt to make a purely CG video. Check it out below!
King No-One Hook Us In With New Track Halo
At some point nobody may have known their names, but British band King No-One are finally getting noticed after releasing their latest single Halo.
The York-based band may have a touch of The Killers and Arctic Monkeys throughout their material, but they have truly developed their own unique sound in this new single which captivates you from the first guitar hook!
Gang Of Youths’ Frontman Opens Up About The Band’s Origins
Sydney rockers Gang Of Youths are one of the hottest bands in the country right now. They played to a packed Amphitheatre crowd at Splendour In The Grass, their latest EP ‘Let Me Be Clear’ topped charts, and both men and women think lead singer David Le’aupepe is God’s gift to the Aussie rock scene.
However, new fans of the band may not know of the dark, almost downright depressing origin story of how Le’aupepe began writing songs which eventually formed ‘The Positions’ and the new EP. SBS’ ‘The Feed’ sat down with the frontman in a bar for a quick, but very deep, chat about cancer, marriage, and the AMAZING story behind their single Magnolia. If you want to know more, read our recent interview with Le’aupepe HERE
Castlecomer Crazy Video + Tour Announcement
Sydney Indie rockers Castlecomer have just dropped the music video for their single Judy. The track is taken from their soon-to-be released EP ‘All of the Noise’ and is more weird and wonderful than we could’ve ever expected.
Even though you’re probably not entirely sure what you just watched, Castlecomer got you dancing along anyway. If you want to groove to this whacky band live (and you definitely do), you can catch them on their upcoming ‘All of the Noise’ national tour. Check out the music video and tour dates HERE
You Need To Hear Kestrels’ New Track
In case you haven’t heard (which we know you haven’t because we’re Australian), Canadian trio Kestrels are about to released their third studio album on the 30th of September.
The album’s opening track No Alternative opens strong with a banger drum intro before tip-toeing on the line between soft melody, and an indie rock track with that little bit of extra attitude. We’d also definitely recommend giving Suspect a listen, as it showcases just about the best guitar riff on the entire album before Paul Brown on the drums carries it the rest of the way.
Like Springsteen? We Think You’ll Like River Blue…
Melbourne rocker River Blue is turning plenty of heads with his Bruce Springsteen-esque new single Iron Rivers…heck, it’s one of our fav new rock songs! We asked the rising artist about his more hairy experiences on trains and the inspiration behind his rockin’ new single in our Q & A HERE – check out the track below!
