Am I Too Brown To Be Emo? How Alternative Beauty Favours Whiteness

Though progress is slow, awareness and activism inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years has marked a turning point, particularly for alternative culture. Social media is a great place to start challenging what we perceive as the alternative norm. Marley is a YouTuber and the CEO of Glam Goth Beauty , and a pioneer for many young Black women and non-binary alternative beauty lovers. On Instagram, her beauty brand has a reach of 50.5k followers and champions alternative people
Alternative Press Magazine •

Ashnikko's biggest goal is "to not lose my f*cking mind"

This is the new age of alternative pop. Charging at the frontline, eyeball tentacles and all, is Californian pop-rap sensation Ashnikko. Over the span of 18 months Ashnikko, aka Ashton Nicole Casey, reached TikTok virality with their track “STUPID.” Though many of her other singles would also become viral hits and garner just shy of over 8 million monthly Spotify listeners within a year, it was their DEMIDEVIL debut mixtape that solidified Ashnikko as much more than a trend, but rather a force t
Loudwire •

What Can We Learn About the Double Standard Toward Women in Rock?

As Loudwire reported last month, on a night intended to celebrate the latest and greatest in rock and metal, things were swiftly cut short when the Heavy Music Awards 2021 caught a righteous case of nip slips and fat bass rips that resulted in the Twitch stream being cut short. Streaming live from the 02 Forum London on Thursday Sept. 2, fans enjoying a raucous performance from Trash Boat and Wargasm bassist Milkie Way — or some patiently awaiting Sleep Token’s headlining set — were left disapp
Alternative Press Magazine •

FEVER 333's Jason Aalon Butler believes rock must undergo real change

The year 2020 was encapsulated in misery and doom-scrolling. When 2021 reared its ugly head, FEVER 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler charged at it with all his might — dangling from ceilings, scaling stage structures and making headlines all the while. Becoming an outspoken figure in alternative music last year during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, and emotionally laboring all the turmoil of that time into his EP, you’d think Butler might take some time off in 2021, right? Wrong.

My Keloid Scars Went TikTok Viral. Here's How I Really Feel About Them

My keloid scars weren't always this big and painful. When I was 17, I decided to get four ear piercings in the space of a few months. What I wouldn't give to warn the wide-eyed, rebellious teen sat in a piercing shop that it might not be such a genius idea. Why not wait and see how they heal? I'd ask myself. As much as it pains me to write this sentence, maybe my parents were right when they said I didn't know absolutely everything. But by that point, I'd already donned my choppy black fringe an
Loudwire •

Op-Ed: Is Marilyn Manson Turning to Christianity + Why Does it Matter?

Reports of Marilyn Manson’s appearance at Kanye West’s Sunday Service sent the internet into a frenzy of chaos and division and now some are questioning whether the self-professed Antichrist Superstar’s unexpected turn to Christinaity has ulterior motives. Manson, whose career has been partly defined by criticizing and rejecting Christianity, was spotted at Ye’s Sunday Service not only as an attendee but as a participant in a prayer with Ye and Justin Bieber. This was a rare public appearance f
Loudwire •

7 Times Musicians Battled Their Record Labels

Musicians have been talking about defying “the man” since the dawn of time — it’s the rock ’n’ roll ethos, right? It seems to some bands that “man” was their record label, and “defying” them actually resulted in a few lengthy court battles to fight over ownership of music, fulfilment of contracts, album prices and much more. Rather than battle of the bands, the music industry has had far too many battles with the labels. We’ve selected some of the more intense or notable battles artists have un
Loudwire •

11 Bands Leading the Screamo Revival

Remember those studded belts and knee-high Converse you’ve been clinging onto for dear life as the last reminder of “the good ol’ days” – MySpace, damaged backcombed hair and an unorthodox amount of energy drinks. Relics of your former life now collecting dust in your parents attic? Well, unlike the overdue Beanie Baby return, it may be time to crack those bad boys out because screamo is back with a vengeance. /. Social media has been the catalyst for this return, marking a decade of the Rawrin
NME •

Abby Roberts: "Working with Arctic Monkeys - is that not the dream?"

You may already be familiar with Abby Roberts through her huge TikTok presence. Having amassed over 17 million followers with her posts about make-up, beauty and art, she’s since worked with the likes of Yungblud, Zara Larsson and Liam Payne, and recently featured as a guest judge on the BBC’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star. The 20-year-old online sensation is now entering the world of music, with a six-track EP of hard-hitting anthems that come from a place of great emotional and mental

How I Celebrate My Indian Culture Alongside My Alt Beauty Identity

I have never been ashamed of my South Asian heritage – and I never will – but I admit to being afraid to flaunt it, given my father’s experience. The word ‘struggle’ doesn’t go far enough to describe the inhumane treatment he endured. His youth was consumed by 'P*ki-bashing', whereby South Asians would be chased home, beaten up, have their belongings stolen and, in some cases, murdered. As a budding engineer in his teens and early 20s, he would push himself to exhaustion in an effort to prove hi

4 Bright & Bold Nail Art Ideas Perfect For Celebrating Pride 2021

With lockdown restrictions slowly lifting across the U.K., timing couldn’t be more perfect as we dive into a severely missed summer of Pride: glitter, iconic anthems, reuniting with old friends and boldly celebrating queerness as we should, loud and proud. Pride is integral to the LGBTQIA+ community when queerness is under constant threat. It's one of the few times LGBTQIA+ folk can express themselves in their own way: from the tattoos on their body to the clothes on their backs to the nail art
NME •

Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Kid Bookie

Next month, South East Londoner Kid Bookie will release his cathartic debut album ‘Cheaper Than Therapy’. The genre-spanning record offers rage-fuelled, screamo-trap-metal anthems that embody his self-described “no fucks given” mantra; in other words, these are songs that you’ll want to get absolutely bodied in a mosh pit to. After first breaking into the industry at 16 when he featured on Tim Westwood’s BBC 1Xtra radio show – an appearance that catapulted him into the world of rap and grime –

Why Is Enjoying Beauty When You're Non-Binary So Difficult?

As a non-binary person – someone who doesn’t identify as male or female – my relationship with beauty has always been a battle of never fitting in (nor wanting to). Growing up, I was an awkward, brown emo kid in a body I wasn’t sure was my own. I donned a choppy, Avril Lavigne-esque haircut and smudged black eyeliner to stray far away from the assigned idea of femininity which society had attributed to me and my vagina. Soon, alternative beauty became a solace and allowed me to reject very 'girl
NME •

Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with LILHUDDY

Chase Hudson has had a uniquely strange career trajectory. Before the age of 18 he’s amassed millions of followers on TikTok, co-founded the widely successful online group The Hype House and acted in Machine Gun Kelly’s film Downfalls High. Now, though, 19-year-old Hudson has adopted the moniker LILHUDDY and is embracing his musical aspirations. Creating eccentric pop-punk anthems which are reminiscent of Blink-182’s self-titled era, he’s already treated fans to a handful of killer singles, all

Are These Popular Beauty Trends Racist?

"The fox eye trend is catastrophic to the Asian community," agrees tattoo artist Alex Lawson . As the fox eye peaked in popularity, many pointed out that it relies on taking facial features from East Asians; features which have often been mocked. It's wrong – not to mention racist – to glorify these features on white faces alone. "I've had strangers in the street pulling their eyes and shouting slurs at me," continues Lawson. "People want to wear Asian features without living the effect of being
Loudwire •

Pop Punk's Inevitable Comeback - How Did it Even Survive?

You might have heard everyone raving and rejoicing that pop punk is “finally” back. A new generation of teenagers are reviving the genre’s beloved years through viral trends on TikTok while artists such as Machine Gun Kelly and All Time Low storm the mainstream front with it. While critics will dispute that it never really died, no one’s asking how the hell it even survived? Gatekeepers, allegations and breakups — pop punk has barely made it out alive. Here’s how it did. Pop Punk Never Died, S
Metal Hammer Magazine •

Spiritbox: the post-metalcore trio set to own 2021

Whether they’re immersed in true crime podcasts or creating horror in their music videos, genre-splicing Canadians Spiritbox – named, quite literally, after a device that supposedly helps you contact ghosts – immerse themselves in all things unusual. “It’s weird but I’ve always been interested in dark stuff,” says vocalist Courtney LaPlante. “I think it’s an anxiety thing; it’s a way for me to explore things that make me anxious, but in a ‘safe’ way.” Following their 2017 self-titled debut that
Metal Hammer Magazine •

Nihilistic nu metal with electro-punk attitude? Wargasm have got it covered

Take some catchy nu metal riffs, throw in a bit of riot grrrl flare and wash it down with a healthy dosage of post-apocalyptic angst and you’ve got the cataclysmic but charismatic Wargasm. Joint forces of scene veteran and guitarist Sam Matlock and international model and bassist Milkie Way, the unstoppable pair dub themselves as “angry music for sad people” and are packed with nihilistic grooves that resonate with today’s unpredictable times. “I don’t know how people function in music without
NME •

Fever 333: "When people say 'I don't see colour', that's ignorance"

Last October, Fever 333 released ‘Wrong Generation’, a knockout EP that coupled hard truths with a genre-defying blend of hip-hop, rock and metal. It spoke to the seedy underbelly of racial inequalities in the present day, demanding a call to action for revolution and unity against bigotry. It was written in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, where Fever 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler spent 13 days marching on the streets for the Black Lives Matter movement. On the 14th day, he returned ho