Monday Music Spotlight: 90s Inspired Heavy Stuff

Before the likes of Miles Kane, Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses and Oasis, I was into music which could be best described as 'a tad heavy'. This isn't to say it was metal, or even hard rock, that caught my interest in music. Nah pal, it was more early Muse stuff, not so early Biffy Clyro stuff, and Queens of the Stone Age, with the odd bit of Rage Against the Machine for good measure.

These were the bands which took me from my early teenage phase of pop-music purgatory and surrounded me with something possessing a bit more volume and emotion. Of course, I'm not saying that enjoying pop tunes is a bad thing, I just happen to remember that time as one sound-tracked by songs which I now find cringe-worthy. Dark times indeed. 

So, if like myself back in 2007, you're desperately in need of some songs with the occasional distorted guitar, hopefully you'll find something here.  

Own Charter - Geometric Monster

Apologies in advance, but the video doesn't really do this song any favours. If you want it that badly, I'm sure that you know how to copy, paste and search.

When I found this on SoundCloud, I loved the track. I enjoyed how the heavy and dark riff in the verses was transformed into an uplifting chorus. It has everything you need for a rock song, until the video exposes the lyrics, which sound like a Swedish teenager tried to use Google Translate to look up affectionate terms to impress ladies. Unfortunately, this seems to be a recurring theme with Own Charter, (see 'Unknown Str.'), but in all fairness, the lads aren't native English speakers, so don't be too hard on them.

You don't need to know the lyrics. They're present, and that's all that matters really. This song would be cracking on a GTA radio station, simply for the instantaneous atmosphere it creates. 

Scary People - (It's Never Quiet on the) Western Front

Throwing impartiality out of the window for a moment, I'd just like to say that these lads are my favourite on this list, and a band that has stuck around from when I first began scouring SoundCloud for good tracks. 

These chaps from Scotland have managed to make a song which sounds half like your good ol' Rage, and half like Biffy Clyro, (and in light of their latest album, that's something we need). 

Songs like this prove that you don't always need astounding prowess when it comes to guitar playing; sometimes you just need some cracking, big and arguably simple riffs. Everything else is merely filler to get you to said riffs. 

These guys are just starting to kick out new tunes too, with their latest track, 'You're an Experiment' coming out a month ago. It seems that Scary People are doing something which alternative rock has needed for a while, and giving us a familar sound, with a few twists along the way.

FalseHeads - Wrap Up

For an article which has already compared one band to Biffy Clyro and Rage Against the Machine, you'd be right to think that any further songs couldn't get any more mental. However, life is also cruel, and you would be wrong, thanks to three London-based lads. 

When you get some critical acclaim from Iggy Pop, you know you're doing something right. The main riff of the track sounds like the triplet are about to go into a post-song breakdown, and it just continues to get more and more intense. The lads are certainly adept at championing their own brand of destructive punk-rock energy, leading the song to sound like a constant series of near-drops; the song always seems on the verge of breaking down into anarchy, but thankfully never does. 

And if you're after something a bit more relevant, you also can't go wrong with their latest number, 'Thick Skin'. Truly cracking stuff. 

Hopefully that's managed to scratch your musical itch for a week, if problems keep persisting, you should probably see a doctor. Or just be patient and wait until next week, where the best cover songs will be on display right here.