Kristen Sinclair

In Waiting (Source: Pillow Queens' Bandcamp) ‘Highly anticipated’ is a cliché attached to many debut albums, but after four years of EP releases and relentless touring, In Waiting from Dublin’s Pillow Queens has lived up to its title. Brooding melodies, fuzzy guitar and hazy harmonies meet anthemic choruses in this cathartic exploration of being young in modern Ireland. Recorded in rural Donegal, the LP sees Pillow Queens grapple with spirituality and religion, family, politics and the crises of late-stage capitalism. Touching on everything from queer identity to life and gentrification in the Irish capital, impassioned vocals channel the anger of punk into rousing indie rock. In a country where almost half of people aged 25 to 29 still live at home with their parents, this frustration is tangible. ‘Handsome Wife’, a single from 2019, is a rejection of the nine-to-five, marriage and kids, white picket fence lifestyle that still feels expected even in today’s society. Riff-d...

Lisasinson by Victoria Herranz Spanish garage rock is almost entirely synonymous with Hinds , the rambunctious, all-female band who took Madrid’s sounds to international ears in 2016 with their jangly debut Leave Me Alone . Formed in 2011 by Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote, the frontwomen joined forces with bassist Ade Martín and drummer Amber Grimbergen to become Spain’s most internationally successful indie export, sparking an interest in the Spanish capital’s thriving underground scene. For a country raised on the tontipop of Las Ketchup , Eurodisco acts like Baccara and hallmarks of tradition like Julio Iglesias , a new generation of bands were emerging who had always had to look abroad for the ramshackle rock ‘n’ roll sounds that their own country wasn’t making. As the now well-documented Madrid scene came to light, it became clear that not since the countercultural Movida Madrileña movement in the 70s and 80s following Franco’s dictatorship had the city’s scene been so vi...

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Radiohead, Foals and Depeche Mode, Dublin four-piece Ivy Nations have unleashed their brand of shoegaze-inspired indie rock with the launch of their latest single ‘Live By Design’. Only their third release, the band have worked with producer Phil Magee (Kodaline, The Script) and received international airplay as far away as Australia. Despite having already struck a winning formula, ‘Live By Design’ sees the quartet venture into gloomier territory, riding a dark wave of moody indie. Ivy Nations are a tight outfit who create a big sound, complete with soaring riffs, controlled yet powerful vocals and seismic basslines that would give The Cure a run for their money. ‘Live By Design’ gradually picks up tempo just as the listener is getting comfortable, breaking into the towering chorus “to escape the thoughts of someone else”.  The visual accompaniment to the track is an eerie, dystopian video courtesy of Blacktooth Films, in which one human at...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2017. Source: GiggingNI Celebrating its eighteenth year in style, on Thursday night Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival welcomed Spanish garage rockers The Parrots to the city for the first time. Formed at university in Madrid, Diego García, Alex de Lucas and Larry Balboa brought their scuzzy rock ‘n’ roll to an unusually sunny Ireland, playing – ironically – one of Belfast’s most gothic venues, Voodoo on Fountain Street. Warming up the admittedly small crowd in the stage area above the bar is local act The Penny Dreadfuls . From the beginning of their set, the 70s influence is undeniable; clad in suede tassels and sporting impressive sideburns, the quintet’s sound is characterised by groove-heavy bass and loud reverb. Their brand of boisterous blues rock would give Ozzy Osbourne a run for his money, accentuated by kickass drumming which melds tracks seamlessly into one another. Raspy vocals recall a L...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct altmusicbox in 2016. Source: wikipedia.org It’s no secret that women have provided many of 2016’s most exciting releases so far, and Los Angeles indie rockers Warpaint are only adding to – if not topping – that list, with their latest studio LP Heads Up . The album is the band’s third release following its members working on solo projects or collaborating with other artists, including Hot Chip and Kurt Vile. Listening to Heads Up from start to finish, the quartet’s new ethos of simplicity is beautifully apparent: “[When we] agree that we’re stoked about [a new song], we’re done. That’s a lesson we’ve learned—not to overanalyse,” vocalist and guitarist Emily Kokal told NME .  Mixing of the LA ladies’ latest studio offering began as early as January this year, and they’ve never sounded fresher, or, dare it be said, cooler. As a band known for sharing singing and instrumental duties, the wonderful mélange of summery keyb...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct altmusicbox in 2016. Source: Stereogum I hesitate to use the term ‘girl band’ when talking about Spanish four piece Hinds (FKA Deers). You’d never hear an all-male band referred to as such, and whilst these four madrileñas are shaking up the gender politics of the garage rock scene, the fact that they are women does not override but in fact brings a unique new dynamic to their summery, ramshackle indie pop. “It’s so difficult because there are so few women in rock that people see you as a woman first, not in garage or pop or any genre… We’re gonna disappoint you as perfect women. In rock, no one is perfect,” vocalist Ana Perrote told i-D of the band’s experiences. The foursome’s hotly anticipated debut ‘Leave Me Alone’ is characterised by a jangly, upbeat sound complete with fuzzy surf pop riffs, chugging drums and delightfully dazed vocals. Formed in the Spanish capital in 2011, Perrote, Charlotta Cosials, Ade Martin an...