Featured image: Kaitlyn Brockley
Channelling the ultimate Riot Grrrl energy is Open Fly, famed for their chaotic live presence across the Manchester punk scene. Combining spoken word with baring barks, Open Fly fuses the creative songwriting of Sonic Youth with the sauntering swagger of L7 to create a sound that is dynamic, noisy, bold and fun. After grafting away at live shows, the band is ready to open the doors to the wider world of Open Fly, inviting others to join their sprawling technicolour world.
Spawned in the emerging Liverpool alternative scene, Rozemary combine spiky riffs with frontwoman Izabel Lavin’s guttural growls and soaring vocals. Citing Spiritbox and Heriot as influences, and notably named after the hit Deftones’ track, Rozemary combine the chaos with the calm and are steadily building a reputation amongst the metal community for their raucous live shows. With a slew of shows across the country and their upcoming slot at Liverpool’s No Play Festival 2025, the sky is surely the limit for the Merseyside metalcore quartet.
Now more than ever, the world needs punk music. Manchester trio Humongous Fungus firmly place their politics at the forefront of their music, frequently playing at fundraisers for LGBTQ+ youth and using their voice on social media platforms. Their technical prowess is unmistakable: lead guitarist and singer Willow Grieves crafts sludgy, meandering riffs over crooning vocals, backed by Selina Per, then tied together neatly in a bow by drummer Venus Lee. Now a fixture in Manchester’s blossoming punk scene, you’ll also catch singer Willow in goth-punk outfit Dierotica.
Labyrinthine Oceans craft sultry-sweet shoegaze that floats between tender and abrasive, creating a wall of noise reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine and Deftones. Spanning a multitude of genres from dream pop to grunge, their work is cinematic and sprawling, cultivating a world that is shrouded in nostalgia, but uniquely their own. However, it can also take a gritty path: the track ‘untitled’ harks back to early PJ Harvey – gravelly, ferocious and defiant.
One of the most exciting offerings from Leeds’ thriving hardcore scene, Love Rarely combine math-rock with screamo vocals to create work that is beautiful and ferocious at the same time. Standout track ‘Mould’ demonstrates this with vocals that melt into intricate guitars, before seemingly imploding into distorted growls and throbbing bass. After touring with UK metal royalty Loathe and Static Dress, and announcing their first headline show in their hometown, they look set to hit the big league and become a household name themselves.
Featured image: Isabelle Dargue A powerful new film documenting Manchester’s Lights Up movement will premiere at The Savoy Cinema on 9 March as part of International Women’s Day celebrations. Lights Up is a free, community-led event organised by Bee Pedal Ready and Station South in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, We Are Cycling UK, MCRActive,…
Following the passing of iconic Stone Roses and Primal Scream Bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mountfield, there have been growing calls for him to be immortalised in a way that reflects both his cultural impact and the deep affection shared between the musician and his home city. GRIT Studios has answered the calls from fans, announcing plans…
Featured image: Evie Peattie Often overshadowed in popular narratives by the heritage houses of Paris or Milan, London’s fashion ecosystem has long traded on creative freedom. As London Fashion Week prepares for its 42nd year, running from the 19 to 23 February, the British capital is poised to reaffirm its reputation not simply as a…
Featured image: Sebastian Garraway Beats vibrate through a polished floor. Bodies move with a swinging grace, surrendering to the rhythm without hesitation. An instinctual sliding jig sways wide-legged jeans cut just above the ankle. Sweat drips from sharp scissor-cut hairstyles onto porous Fred Perry polos. You’ve guessed it: Northern Soul. The late 1960s phenomenon is…
Leave a reply