Grave Jones

Former Slutterhouse frontman, Grave Jones (real name Rabih Salloum), is not your typical rock musician. For a start, he's spent extensive time in the world of academia, working as a philosophy lecturer. He's also an author, model, nightclub-owner and, apparently, “only owns black clothes.” Lebanese electro-pop duo Slutterhouse disbanded almost a decade ago. “Smithereens,” the lead single from a forthcoming album, marks Salloum's welcome return to the music world, on a self-stated mission to “bring rock back to the pop charts.”

The song itself calls upon the spirit of rock from the 1950s onwards. You'll hear hazy 60s vibes, traces of 70s glam, straight-ahead 80s swagger, 90s introspection and a forward-thinking, space-age ethos which really feels quite new and unique. Fuelled by fuzzy guitars and keening vocals, “Smithereens” offers up a highly likeable slice of pop-rock, which will serve as a good antidote to processed beats and auto-tuned constructions.