Boston Manor, courtesy.

This week we feature hard rock anthems by Indian Handcrafts and Boston Manor, the experimental punk fusion of The Foxies and Cherie Amour, and explore Sundressed’s and Quinton Brock’s states of mind.

Indian Handcrafts, “CRIMINAL” — This Ontario, Canada duo delivers grungy and abrasive riffs alongside the strained vocals of lead singer Daniel Brendon Allen. Joining the mix is the cantankerous drum-pounding by Brandyn James Alkins. Allen screeches the lyrics that detail the story of a woman who comes to learn how no good deed goes unpunished. For the uninitiated who may take issue with the band’s name, it’s worth noting that Allen is indigenous.

***

Sundressed, “Winner” — This song by the Arizona indie punk outfit shares a similar message with the poem “Ozymandius” by Percy Shelley. Lead singer Trevor Hedges described the song as being about wanting to leave an impact, a common sentiment shared by artists. He croons over the steady driving rock rhythm carried by banging snares. This single comes as the band approaches it’s 10-year anniversary, birthed out of hardship from recovery as Hedges pours out about his struggles openly.

The Foxies, “If Life Were A Movie” — Imagine the melodic stylings of Cindy Lauper’s “Time After Time” by way of Paramore, and you’d get this single by Nashville trio The Foxies. It’s an inverted breakup song of sorts, with vocalist Julia Bullock writing off each of her exes with the expendability of all the side characters in a slasher flick. It’s playful and morbid all at once, subverting the pop rock aesthetics in which this track is dressed up.

***

Boston Manor, “Passenger” — As soon as this song kicks off, listeners will be given a whiplash to several different eras. What we have here is a mishmash of Nirvana and Linkin Park, with the scratchy, wailing guitars and an infectious, balladic chorus. The song explores emotional overload; in particular, how we feed into and manipulate each other’s emotional states—whether intentionaly or not.

Cherie Amour, “Love’s Not Your Thing” — I hadn’t heard of Nu Punk until listening to the newest single by this Baltimore outfit. With elements of pop-punk, metal and R&B, I can’t exactly compare it to anything I’ve heard before. Lead singer Trey Miller wails over the blaring guitars, horns and vocal distortion as he breaks off a relationship that has become far too strenuous to deal with.

***

Quinton Brock, “My Shadow” — Closing out with a bit of surf rock influence, Quinton Brock delivers a playful number that explores isolation. Brock laments that being alone with his own thoughts has led him to become “scared of my shadow,” while simultaneously struggling to bring himself to interact with others. The song reminds me of “Message In A Bottle” by The Police.

Tim’s pick: This week was a hard choice, because as I was listening to each track, I came to realize that there was a void where surf rock and melodic hardcore fit. Quinton Brock expertly delivered a fun, grooving surf rock number tackling issues of anxiety and isolation, but I gotta give it to Boston Manor. Listening to the song made me want to pick up Linkin Park and Nirvana again, with the somber, wailing choruses that hit a deep and angsty nerve that has been largely untouched for some time.

Follow hip-hop writer Tim Hoffman at Twitter.com/hipsterp0tamus.