The Best New Bands: Rock
Guitar Planet continues to celebrate the thrill of the new by turning our attention to rock. More raucous than indie, less demented than metal, these upstarts are overflowing with adrenaline.
Deap Vally
Who Are They: Lindsey Troy (vocals/guitar), Julie Edwards (drums)
Where Are They From: Los Angeles, California
What Do They Sound Like: The primal heirs to The White Stripes’ throne. The Deap Vally aesthetic is simple and sexy as hell: it’s big snarling, minimalistic riffs and pounding drums. Precision is entirely secondary to force. Lindsey Troy is seemingly in competition with her own guitar to see who can howl the most ferociously. Following in Jack White and DFA1979’s footsteps the riffs are simple, animalistic, and incredibly danceable.
Why They Rock: There is nowhere to hide on a Deap Vally record: their sound is spartan and unrelenting. This duo are a welcome reminder that rock’n’roll bands can still be wild and spontaneous – whether that means convincing audience members to strip naked or busting out an impromptu jam, depends entirely on Lindsey and Julie’s whims.
The Essential Track: “I’m Gonna Make My Own Money”
What Next: “Lies” and “End Of The World”
Heaven’s Basement
Who Are They: Aaron Buchanan (vocals), Sid Glover (guitar), Rob ‘Bones’ Ellershaw (bass/guitar), Chris Rivers (drums)
Where Are They From: Kettering, England
What Do They Sound Like: A balls to the wall rock band. Heaven’s Basement are so bombastic and unashamed to be themselves that at times they verge on a leather clad, headband toting cliché. Whether they represent your latest love or a quick laugh, Heaven’s Basement are combining 80s metal grandeur with modern post-hardcore’s straining-at-every-sinew emotional sensibility.
Why They Rock: Quite simply, because they give it their all. They’ll belt out each stadium size chorus, each hair blowing in the wind solo and every blood curdling scream with a straight face and an unshakeable intensity. They might be a little bit silly, but overlook Heaven’s Basement at your peril.
The Essential Track: “Nothing Left To Lose”
What Next: Their long awaited debut album Flithy Empire was released in 2013.
If You Liked Deap Vally and Heaven’s Basement try: Don Broco and Sharks
The Who Hits 50: But Where Do They Go From Here?
Don’t Call It A Comeback: Muse, Blur & Faith No More
Album Round-up: Blackberry Smoke, Papa Roach & Venom
5 Things We Learned From The Grammys
Hype Check: The Sound Of 2015
The Guitarist Of The Year 2014: Scott Holiday
The Guitarist Of The Year: 2. Angus Young
The Guitarist Of The Year: 3. St. Vincent
The Guitarist Of The Year: 4. Sturgill Simpson
Follow Us
In The Magazine
Enter Shikari – The Mindsweep
Enter Shikari renew their archly political assault while expanding their sonic horizons on The Mindsweep.
The Guitarist Of The Year: 5. Mike Kerr
Brutish, brazen and ungodly satisfying, Royal Blood rode a barrage of chugging bass grooves all the way to the top of the charts in 2014.
The Guitarist Of The Year: 6. Mikael Akerfeldt/Fredrik Akesson
Opeth may preach exclusively to the converted, but to overlook the Swedes’ staggeringly consistent brilliance is foolhardy.
The Guitarist Of The Year: 7. Adam Granduciel
Soothing and sorrow-laden in equal measure, Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs left Guitar Planet speechless.
The Guitarist Of The Year: 8. Slash
Guitar Planet has had a love/hate relationship with Slash since Velvet Revolver split, but it remains impossible to deny his freewheeling riffs and slippery solos.
