Mala Mortensa

What does the name Billy Martin mean to you? Does it call to mind an artist who’s spent decades performing as a multi-instrumentalist under Good Charlotte?  Don’t worry, that’s totally spot on. As we’ve previously established, though, Martin is a prominent force in shaping the modern alternative music scene. Between numerous production...

In a scene chock-full of prolific bands, solo artists have often felt like a rarity. Still, that hasn’t prevented musicians such as Avril Lavigne and Olivia Rodrigo from gaining significant prominence within the alternative sphere. No surprise, the underground is brimming with soloists who are ready to take their specific genres by storm. From...

In case you don’t have a reminder programmed, last week marked a significant, albeit painful, emo milestone. That is, we’re now 15 years out from the June 6, 2006 release of AFI’s DECEMBERUNDERGROUND. That’s a decade-and-a-half of practicing the “Miss Murder” scream as we flat iron our hair and permanently adorning overpriced shoes in haphazardly scrawled “Love Like Winter” song lyrics. Because we

AFI certainly know how to rouse suspense—just look back to the effective erasure of vocalist Davey Havok's existence prior to The Missing Man announcement... Still, when whispers of their 11th album began in 2019, nobody suspected that it would take two years to actualize. Of course...

Flashback to your 2000s scene phase. You’re a day out from a road trip and focused entirely on prepping. Does that mean double-checking your suitcase or gas tank, though? Of course not. You’re more concerned with loading up your iPod with alternative summer hits. Fortuna...

If there's anything that holds true throughout the alternative music scene, it's an inclination toward vulnerable self-expression. For decades, artists have worn their hearts on their sleeves while navigating conflict, both external and inward-facing, to remind their audiences that, no matter how isolating the circumstance, you're never truly alone. Such ...

Ludovico Technique have just released a new music video for “Becoming Numb” exclusively via Alternative Press.  “Becoming Numb," which dropped in March, is the fourth in a series of 13 staggered singles comprising their third album, Haunted People. Preceded by “Live As ...

Back in February, Alternative Press hailed Pinkshift as one of 100 Artists You Need To Know. Now, vocalist Ashrita Kumar is expanding that list with 18 of her favorite emerging pop-punk-adjacent bands. It might not surprise you to learn that the Baltimore-based outfit’s influences are just as eclectic as their sound. In fact, Kumar is q...

Prior to picking up a needle at age 18, Manuela Soto Sosa never imagined that she’d embark on a career as a tattoo artist. Today, she stands on the backend of over a decade’s worth of experience. Her tenure has seen her through world tours, the launch of a streetwear brand, studio ownership and significant self-discovery. At the cen...

Today, ONE OK ROCK issued a rallying cry with their new single “Renegades” and its accompanying music video. Co-written alongside Ed Sheeran, the anthemic track will serve as the theme song for the live-action, manga-adapted film, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, which drops April 23. The hig...

It's been just over a year since Nova Twins dropped their debut full-length, Who Are The Girls?, and hit us full blast with their eclectic and empowering brand of thrashy punk rock. Now, in the first-ever official remix to grace their discography, "Undertaker" has been tackled by none other than alternative powerhouse FEVER 333. Spear...

In the modern age of rapid releases, instant gratification and seemingly endless content, it's easy to take singles for granted. After all, it's hard to fully appreciate a new track—or even an album—for what it's worth when you've got hundreds to choose from. Throwback ...

We knew we meant it when we said it wasn't a phase. What we didn't know, however, was just how attached we were going to be to 2000s pop punk forever. Fortunately, despite the mainstream decline, the genre is alive and well. While many early favorites such as All Time Low and Mayday Parade continue to thrive, we're also seeing new bands step into the spotlight. Quite a few o...

We may be taught not to judge books by their covers, but are we always so kind to albums? In a sea of iconic cover art designed by prolific artists, the importance of release presentation can't be understated. So, naturally, when we see musicians taking on the daunting task of designing the artwork themselves, we can't help but be impressed...

Nothing beats the first time hearing one of your favorite songs. It's a feeling we never fully appreciate at the moment but then nostalgically crave forever. Fortunately, alternative artists frequently grant us the opportunity to once again hear these tracks from new perspectives through reimagined versions...

You don't have to look back at the Hot Topic crowd's fixation with Hello Kitty to see the influence of Japanese culture on the alternative scene. The music speaks for itself. We've already taken you around the Western world—from Canada to the U.K. and even out to Australia—in our examinati...

When asked if she’d ever expected for her 2020 debut under Skullcrusher to receive such immediate and widespread critical acclaim, singer-songwriter Helen Ballentine at first answers with a simple “No.” “It’s quite overwhelming,” she goes on to explain. “I didn’t have that smooth transit...

In music, there are few universal truths. That said, the inherent ability for a well-crafted spoken-word part to send a shiver down the spine of anyone who hears it is definitely one. Of course, that goes double when such a moment is your first introduction to a song...

If there's one universal truth to alternative music, it's that there's no one path to success. Many talented artists grind for years, putting out record after record until one day they accumulate a global following. Others may find commercial success following the release of their debut album...

We recently took a look back at our favorite songs from 2001 and realized, to our utmost horror, that Alkaline Trio's From Here To Infirmary celebrates its 20th birthday April 3. They grow up so fast... That said, the devastating cliché of watching two decades go by in the blink of an eye still doesn't hold a candle to the heart wreck that the record imposed on us. Though delivered wit... Read Mor