Another week, another load of songs we’ve found that you should probably listen to. Though I was tempted to put Fat Les’ ‘Vindaloo’ in here to complement last week’s ‘3 Lions’, I didn’t want to feel the wrath of the whole Welsh nation. Also there was a shit load of much MUCH better songs that came out this week. So many in fact, that I haven’t managed to fit in Peter Gabriel’s new song ‘I’m Amazing’ but then, not gonna lie, it’s terrible. Anyways, here’s some definitely non-terrible songs for you:
Chuman – Art Fag
“I used to smoke weed, I’ve never smoked crack” Chuman insightfully tells us, “I’m gonna go smoke an art fag.” Off his new Breakfast Records released EP Midnight Barbeque, ‘Art Fag’ is bizarre in the best way. Every line on this lo-fi punk ditty is a punchline, and every punchline revolves around Chuman smoking an art fag (I’m still unsure what an art fag is (I assume it’s just a particularly inspiring cigarette? Let me know)) . Oh yeah, he also rips off The Police in the middle eight, and you can’t do much better than that really.
Exam Season – A Petty Song
The first time you listen to ‘A Petty Song’, or indeed any of the tracks off Exam Season’s debut EP Mostly Homely you might get so caught up in the delicate guitars and wonderful lo-fi charm that you miss the lyrics. Dig deep though, and you’ll find a young artist with the same lyrical quirks as Trust Fund or Los Campesinos!
Giant Swan – Earn
Off their new EP of the same name, ‘Earn’ cleans up the murky echochamber of Giant Swan’s previous releases, instead offering a track of dark, minimal, absorbing techno. There’s obviously no shortage of menacing, disorientating samples, but the track is definitely something different from the duo.
Hockeysmith – Let’s Dagger
Pulsating and intense, ‘Let’s Dagger’ is the first song that Falmouth based duo Hockeysmith have given us in two whole years. TWO WHOLE YEARS. It’s tantalisingly minimalist, constructed around one cutting synth note that morphs and distorts throughout the track. Simple but massively effective.
Fake Laugh – Ice
The first tune off the Londoner’s new EP, also called Ice, finds him shedding the slacker vibes for a driven, direct gritty pop banger. Keep your ears open for some wonderful falsetto work, including what I’m 100% sure is a Justin Hawkins impression.
Chain Wallet – Muted Colours
Chain wallets aren’t very cool. But Chain Wallet are very cool. The young Norwegian act have been slowly gathering a following all over Europe with their dreamy, chilled pop. ‘Muted Colours’ is nothing like it’s name, full of vibrancy, cascading synths and a effortless cool that only Scandinavians seem to pull off.
Maggie Rogers – Alaska
What’s good for Pharrell is good for the rest of us bozos right? In this case yeah. Pharrell lost his shit to a rough version of this song that got circulated a year ago and now we finally have the proper version. Calm and unassuming, the track slowly but surely constructs itself round Maggie’s wonderful vocals.
Club Kuru – Tonight
What happens when you take a bedroom producer and stick him with a 5 piece band? Psychedelic madness obvs. ‘Tonight’ is a far cry from Club Kuru’s previous work. It’s a lush masterpiece of dripping synths, tempo changes and dreamy vocals. It’s almost like the perfect blend of Pond and Tame Impala, experimental and unforgiving, but with a thick vein of pop juice running through the centre.
Esper Scout – Gaps In The Border Fence
Released as a split 7” with Zozo on Come Play With Me, ‘Gaps In The Border Fence’ perfectly sums up the cold distance of the USSR with crashing post punk guitars and impassioned vocals. While it starts off slow and atmospheric, ‘Gaps In The Border Fence’ grows to encompass you, with wall of sound guitars and layers upon layers of reverb.
Weaves – Tick
I feel like I’ve been waiting for Weaves to release their self titled debut for ages and IT’S FINALLY HERE. Technically, ‘Tick’ has been out awhile, but check out it’s fantastic video and try tell me it doesn’t deserve re-posting. Go on, try. I won’t listen. Combining a punk core with wiry Pixies style guitar lines, ‘Tick’ is just a tiny part of Weaves’ fantastic debut.
Check back here next week for some more tracks.