The Future of Alternative Rock
Gaze into the crystal ball for some of 2015's most promising bands
As we kick off twenty-fifteen it’s time to get excited about the year ahead. Everybody needs something to look forward to, right? Well if these eight bands aren’t your thing, don’t fret, there’s plenty more to come.
Diiv
If anyone in the modern indie rock sphere feels the weight of expectation bearing down upon them it’s Diiv’s Zachary Cole Smith. Some of it comes from within, but being compared to Kurt Cobain (both personally and artistically) also creates a lot of pressure. Musically, Diiv is more spacial and starry-eyed than Nirvana, but they share the same “tortured rock star” attitude. Ever since the fuss around their debut record waned, various band members have been in the media for all the wrong reasons. Smith will be looking for his new record to shift people’s attention away from their personal lives and back to their music.
Release info: Early 2015
Viet Cong
Canadian noise-punks WOMEN only released two studio albums before they disbanded, but those records gained them a cult following. In early 2012 guitarist Chris Reimer tragically passed away (RIP) and the remaining members went on to other projects. Matt Flegel and Michael Wallace formed Viet Cong, keeping WOMEN’s caustic tones but with a nod to psychedelia and the brooding post-punk rhythms of Bauhaus.
Their debut album has been described as a “winter record” due to its icy guitar riffs, but wherever you are in the world this record should orbit your eardrums.
Release Info: January 20 via Jagjaguwar and Flemish Eye
Sky Ferreira
I’ve long argued that Sky Ferreira is an alternative-rock musician rather than a pop artist. Her second record, due for release in 2015, might finally settle it. Her first, Night Time, My Time, was at times punishing, emotional and audacious but at its best it was frank, honest and heroic. Like Best Coast before her, Ferreira swept up a flurry of young teenage fans, eager to accept her as the alternative voice of their generation.
Night Time, My Time was unexpectedly dark. Record number two could also surprise us.
Release Info: TBD
The Soft Moon
If corrosive rock’s your thing then The Soft Moon’s got you covered. Luis Vasquez could be described as a futurist, mixing 80s new wave, industrial rock and sci-fi punk. There’s something anarchistic about his music; adopting a boundless philosophy that leads to some very dark places. It’s heavy, pulsing, throbbing music—the type of music needed to help you completely zone out. Vasquez left Oakland, California to record his latest record in Venice, Italy, near the hometown of pioneering electronic producer Giorgio Moroder.
If first single “Black” is indicative of what’s to come, expect Deeper to be a dark, aggressive record.
Release Info: March 30 via Captured Tracks
Pond
Australian psych-rockers Pond are set to release their third record. The first two singles have already dropped, indicating that Man, It Feels Like Space Again is going to be an overload of fuzzy, face-melting guitar riffs and heavy bass. There’s some obvious similarities to their previous record, 2013's Hobo Rocket, retaining a heavy rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, but where Hobo Rocket had the darkness of Black Sabbath, Man, It Feels Like Space Again looks set to shine a strobe light towards The Flaming Lips.
If you’re still listening to Tame Impala and haven’t yet discovered Pond, now’s the time.
Release Info: January 23 via Modular
Savages
Savages have been credited with leading a post-punk revival in the UK — but that revival hasn’t yielded much, except for Savages. The band gained global attention before playing any shows outside of Europe, but now that fans have had the opportunity to hear what they can do on stage, expectations for their second record will be sky high.
If Savages can get their live sound to translate well onto a record they will become one of the biggest forces in rock music. 2015 could be their year.
Release Info: TBD
Zen Mantra
No one writes about New Zealand indie rock music without mentioning Flying Nun. Well forget about it, Zen Mantra is post-all-that, you could say post-Flying Nun if you want to be fancy. Zen Mantra is Christchurch teen Sam Perry — you’ve probably never heard of him, unless you read NME or Noisey. He released his debut record in 2013, titled How Many Padmes Hum?, and it should have been a hit record. Every song has a catchy melody and it never gets derivative. It was definitely one of the most overlooked indie rock records of 2013.
Perry’s currently touring with Yumi Zouma, but get ready for Zen Mantra to make waves when he returns to the South Pacific.
Release Info: TBD
Colleen Green
Colleen Green’s DIY approach has recently been uprooted. Previously the Californian has been staunchly solo, but to help prepare her next record she has enlisted some friends (notably Jake Orrall from Nashville punk duo JEFF the Brotherhood). The minimal-drum-machine Colleen Green has been replaced with a new version, a rock ‘n’ roll Colleen Green with a fuzz pedal. But don’t worry, she’s still singing about growing old and questioning the meaning of life.
90s nostalgia is still in fashion, so don’t go selling your denim jacket just yet. Keep an eye out for I Want To Grow Up.
Release Info: February 24 via Hardly Art
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