New music from Madeaux is always cause for celebration. His self-titled EP that dropped earlier this year was a soulful and hella sexy romp through chopped vocals and squelchy synths that made for some of the best chilled-out beats we've heard in 2013. A couple of weeks ago new track Noir was unveiled and made for a slightly more abrasive listen than we've come to expect; but he's back to his silky best on another new track, released this week. Self-described as "a meditation on dichotomy", She [...]
Words by Tom Johnson I sleep terribly. Actually, I sleep okay but I wake terribly. No wait, I wake brilliantly, unfortunately it's always far too early every single day, whether I like it or not. This means that I mostly search for new music either very late at night or very early in the morning. This morning was no different and sure enough, despite having no reason whatsoever to be awake, I found myself there, mug of tea in hand, trawling Bandcamp, at 7.15am. Only today I didn't mind too much. It [...]
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Words by Tom Johnson Mesita's firm under-the-radar stance is a continued frustration. It's not that he's under-appreciated at all - his fan-base is a dedicated and expanding one - but the annoyance exists because he's an artist that could, and should, reach a far wider audience. His short, but bountiful career has produced a seemingly endless collection of smart, varied and wonderfully diverse pop music. He's one of those artists who you genuinely feel is only one tiny slice-of-luck away from from cross-over success. These frustrations are, of course, all [...]
Über-cool label Kissability continues along its charmingly amiable path with a breezy new single; but all is not quite how it first appears... More a dreamy ode to the sense of love-fueled longing that can creep in on even the brightest of days, than an outright blast of carefree summer lovin', Alleyways is the new single from Swansea-based quartet The Adelines . Released on May 6, Alleyways comes backed by another new track, Park The Car. Jennie Morris's honeyed, alluring vocals are undoubtedly the star here. They forge a path through [...]
Words by Matt Yau It’s been three years now since the release of the Spanish duo’s debut album and their shimmering sounds still shine with splendour. ‘ Remembering Better Times ’ is the third single from their LP, Hope Only Brings Pain , and also the albums opening track. Layer by layer, this wistful track builds patiently; creating the kind of atmospheric swelling that could make it a movie soundtrack. For similar reasons, it’s a wonderful album opener too; a mood-setter for the rest of the LP. As a [...]
Words by Mark Robinson The Lieblings hail from Helsinki, Finland, which is all the details I have available on them. Luckily a lot can be said for "It's All Gonna Fall", which is quite simply the finest two minutes of fuzz-pop to be heard in 2013 so far. The buzz-saw fuzz of the rhythm guitars have been pulled straight out of the early 902s, while the lead guitar and bass connect together like a homage to the best of 802s indie. Including memorable melodies and a simple lyrical setup; [...]
"This won't end with a smile, my love" sings Devon Welsh on Bugs Don't Buzz ; and we're certainly not ones to doubt him. In fact, in this context, it feels like a truer word has never been sung spoken. Bug's Dont Buzz is the latest track to drop from Majical Cloudz forthcoming Impersonator LP and it's perhaps the most haunting and haunted they've sounded yet. Almost suffocating in it's delivery, the transfixing vocal rides high above a leaden piano thump that rings with an ever-increasing [...]
Heart-Ships are the kind of band that inspire, nae demand, passionate rapture. The first time I heard them I wanted to run out in the street, grab strangers by the scruff of the neck and hiss the lyrics in to their ears. They're a band that don't really belong here, wherever here may be. They sound like a weird and wonderful band that exist only in the garden of Spencer Krug's secretive retreat, bashing on guitars, strolling around waist-high grass in the sunshine, spinning yarns of mythical creatures and broken hearts. In unfortunate reality, [...]
You always take a bands list of influences with a pinch of salt, but when one reads as ' Fleetwood Mac, George Michael, Bruce Hornsby and Spiritualized ' it certainly does a good job of creating intrigue. Said list comes courtesy of Stay Bless, freshly signed to London's 37 Adventures label, who have just released the first track from forthcoming debut EP, Faded . The list of influences makes sense too. Always has lush and vibrant production, very much in-the-now, but at its heart lies a swagger firmly [...]
We're rather excited about Wampire's debut LP, and you should be too. Why, you ask? Well, firstly, they're called Wampire . WAM! Secondly, they're from Portland. Thirdly, Curiosity is being released via Polyvinyl. Fourthly, everything that has surfaced from it so far has been gold. Is that enough so far? If ethereal-slacker wasn't a thing before them, it certainly is now. Their music holds that magic ace of feeling both unhinged and perfectly formed at the same time; [...]
The great unknown always carries with it both fear and excitement. The trepidation is understandable, but that heart-racing thrill comes from somewhere else entirely. And it comes from a place we can never really be sure of; existing only in some, while others thrive off it. Die For You is the second track from espher and the undistinguished isolation is completely gripping. A new producer from Manchester, he's currently taking tentative steps, working on his craft while slowly unveiling his intriguing mastery. Die For You, the follow-up to You Are [...]
Words by Tom Johnson There's a spirited playfulness that creeps out from the opening few bars of Filberts new record, Chronographic - and its an exuberance that makes this collection of strange and compelling ditties both easy to champion and eminently listenable. The hushed conversational tone of the vocals bring to mind Yoni Wolf at his most baked, while the sense of down-trodden honesty that drops in and out brings the same kind of yearning, human warmth that helped to keep [...]
Track-by-track | Adventure Gun by Olympians Mountains Mountains was actually the first song me and Ben wrote together quite a few years ago and I can't really remember why we never learned to play it as a whole band. When we chose the name Olympians it was a bit of a joke, and we wanted to only have songs that had lots of shouting in and lyrics about how great we were. The immediate outcome is this song, with the chorus 'don't [...]
Words by Matt Yau Electro-pop trio Little Daylight are fast developing a reputation for crafting sky-soaring tracks radiating with vitality. ‘ Name in Lights ’ is the brightest of them all; a true escapist’s track. It may seem difficult then to see how LA duo Pacific Air could add anything to it. But immediately, the warbling bass lurches with substance while the spectral vocals stir a shadow. All over the tune are Pacific Air’s meandering trails that muddy the clean original. Beneath the 802s tinge, subtle textures and sharp melodies glimmer deep [...]
Track by Track | Fortress by Helen Hamilton, Death Rattle White Ropes A song of contrasting positive and negative emotions, White Ropes touches on the conflicts of my inner voice. The controlled, clinical verses bring lyrics of attempting to hold things together and remain calm in times of dark despair... 'Slow down, heavy heart, hold on to a fresh start'. The chorus contrasts both musically a lyrically with a defiant marching snare and unrelenting synth line both juxtaposed with lyrics of surrender [...]
Matthew E. White Sunday 21st April | Thekla, Bristol Words by Thomas Spooner When I first heard Matthew E White's Big Inner I got over-excited. It had been a while since I'd heard a man whisper so sweetly over such seriously soulful grooves. I listened to it some more and the hooks went deeper – flesh, muscle, cartilage, bone, heart – as this music subtly tore its way into my being. Then I got around to listening to the lyrics [...]
As well as possessing a name that rings with childhood delight, Polly Scattergood is also graced with a voice that creates a genuine sense of youthful adventure and nostalgia. New single Wanderlust is a delight. Based around the idea of escapism, it's three-and-a-half minutes of scratchy, energetic synths wrapped up in the magic of her alluring vocal - while the wonderful video (below) further entices you in to her world. Her new album, Arrows , is released this coming June via Mute and we [...]
Words by Mark Robinson Now this is an interesting one. Dead Gaze by Dead Gaze (the moniker for Mississippi’s R. Cole Furlow ) is a furious slice of noise-pop. The ‘noise’ this time round isn’t through the traditional means of many, many guitars being strangled though, instead it’s down to the production - in particular the bitcrusher plug-in being amped up to twelve. The end result is both a positive and detriment. The album has a very unique sound; it’s too harsh to be dream pop, [...]
Words by Matt Yau You don’t always need theatrical dance moves and a big, albeit commercial, sound to take your music from the orient to the west. Tokyo-based Taquwami proves just that by conjuring a scything sound that is regarded alongside those of Giraffage, XXYYXX, Beat Culture and even Gold Panda. The chilled vibes of ‘ T Eyes ’ makes you want to lick it but the abrasive textures – those glitchy high-hats especially – would certainly tingle. And beneath it all is a delicate ambience that turns this into an intricately complete track; [...]
Words by Ryan Barham It’s a crucial time for Phoenix as they prepare to release their fifth album ‘ Bankrupt! ’. Their first release since 2009’s mainstream breakthrough ‘ Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix ’, the album follows on from an unexpected but well-received headline slot at Coachella and preludes a number of high-profile festival slots throughout Europe in the summer months. The band promised a more expansive and experimental sound on this long-awaited album and initial signs are extremely positive. Not just any band would be able to get R Kelly [...]
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Tom Odell – Long Way Down
Willow Beats: Top 5 experimental tracks
introducing Sophie
