DATE ARCHIVES : October 2018

Thumper – ‘(You’re Bringing Me) Down’

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‘(You’re Bringing Me) Down’ is the second single – following ‘AFL‘ – lifted from THUMPER‘s forthcoming EP Out of Body Auto-Message, due out in November.

The Dublin five-piece deliver a thrilling (sort of oddball) seven minutes of spiraling effects, psych fuzz, repetition and tension. Hyperactive guitar riffs saw their way through the fuzz and fueled by a steady, rock solid drum beat as frontman Oisin Leahy Furlong screams, demanding your attention. It’s a bit of slacker noise-pop, a bit power-pop, a bit psych but a whole lot of magnificent. Not for the faint of heart, it is thrilling trip that spirals out of control in the final moments. It’s not often that a song of seven minutes will ebb and flow to such a degree as to keep you on the edge of your seat guessing where it will charge to next but ‘(You’re Bringing Me) Down’ does, and at a frenetic pace. A raucous, seven-minutes of irresistible noise-pop loaded with contagious energy and loaded with purpose that is all kinds of brilliant.

Tune into ‘(You’re Bringing Me) Down’ below now & keep an eye out for the forthcoming EP, & THUMPER play a late show on Friday, November 30 in the Workmans, Dublin.

Mayfly – ‘Breathe’

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London’s Mayfly conjures up deceptively sad magical electronic pop songs that captivate and transfix.

Debut track ‘Losing You’ was a breathtaking introduction to Mayfly’s abilities and returning with her stunning new single ‘Breathe’, confirms it was not a one off. Written, produced and performed by Mayfly, ‘Breathe’ moves cautiously forward, quivering along a minimalist melodic synth-line before unearthing a powerful inner strength summoning a rising tide of choppy synths and soaring textures, before steadily returning to a sea of calm. As dramatic and compelling as the music is, it is the space afforded in between which seals the deal and allowing for the stupendous vocals to breathe to mesmerise. Written in an attempt to portray the experience of living with anxiety and panic attacks on a daily basis, and finally overcoming them – it certainly does that and more.

An absolutely stunning and absorbing piece of electronic pop. Take a listen for yourself below.

Tender Glue – ‘Back Home’

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New York City-based folk singer-songwriter Tom Gluewicki, aka Tender Glue, released new record Closet Leftovers, last month.

Similar to previous singles, ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Rudy’, ‘Back Home’ is a gentle, rich and heartfelt piece of lo-fi dream-pop recorded in the closet of his apartment. A tender and melancholic guitar-driven ballad, the guitar chimes amid a dusky, autumnal sort of atmosphere, as Gluewicki voice longingly strives to be heard above its misty surroundings. ‘Back Home’ is yet another powerful, heartfelt and beautiful song from the NYC artist.

Listen to ‘Back Home’ below and you can check out Tender Glue‘s new album Closet Leftovers, right here.

Bad Sav – ‘Hens Teeth’

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Bad Sav are New Zealand droning shoegaze noisemakers comprised of Death And The Maiden guitarist/vocalist Hope Robertson and bassist/vocalist Lucinda King, plus Shifting Sands’ Mike McLeod on drums.

The trio’s self-titled album was released toward the end of September and it is a bright, shimmering album right from the get go, as Bad Sav proceed to explore the worlds of ‘90s indie rock, shoegaze, psychedelic noise-rock and dream pop that is full of youthful yearning and glistening guitar lines. Their electrifying, sonic alchemy, bursting with colossal, majestic, melodic noise is conjured up no better than on new single ‘Hens Teeth’. A melodic guitar-heavy beast, it is propelled by a ferocious, surging energy and chugging rhythms, all cloaked in fuzz and distortion. While the whimsical and lethargic vocals are splattered with melancholy, the choruses are brimming with euphoria, and the huge hooks and crunching guitar horsepower seal the deal.

In case you were ever in any doubt, Bad Sav prove there’s still a thrill and a power in a trio playing guitar, bass and drums.

Tune into ‘Hens Teeth’ below and if that is to your liking, their self-titled album is available here.

Bearson – ‘It’s Not This (feat. Lemaitre and Josh Pan)’

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With latest single ‘It’s Not This’ 24-year-old Norway native Bearson (Jakob Bjørn Hansen) is bringing all the deliciously catchy, colourful and chilled pop vibes.

Teaming up with Lemaitre and Josh Pan, Bearson’s latest is a gentle and dreamy piece of pristine pop. Playful piano chords and synth melodies dance over a bouncy hip-hop indebted beat as ‘It’s Not This’ slithers along a smooth slinking groove as Josh Pan muses in a relaxed contemplative daydream manner with crisp, soulful vocals. Fusing bright pop hooks with an irresistible groove and hip hop beats, Bearson and company serve up an unbelievably catchy three minutes of electronic pop heaven.

Tune into ‘It’s Not This (feat. Lemaitre and Josh Pan)’ below and judge for yourself:

The Magic Es – ‘Fine Lines’

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Since their formation in 2014, Norwich-based trio The Magic Es set themselves an enviable quest, namely to create “original rock ‘n’ roll reminiscent of a time when guitar pop dominated the charts and the terraces”.

So far, in releasing a debut LP and a string of super singles, they have proven more than adept in brewing upbeat bursts of melodic, infectious indie that sticks like glue – something the trio’s latest single ‘Fine Lines’ demonstrates in abundance. It is a britpop era indebted indie rocker bursting with melody and infectious energy. With nods to ’60s pop too, it is supremely catchy, melodic and anthemic as guitars twang and shimmer, as all roads lead to a memorable, rousing chorus. Quite reminiscent of Shack, ‘Fine Lines’ is just very easy on the ear and you know what, sometimes that is quite enough.

You can listen to ‘Fine Lines’ below:

Niki Moss – ‘There Must Be Something In The Water’

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Hailing from Portugal, Niki Moss is the musical guise of Miguel Vilhena, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, lead vocalist for the psych-rock band Savana and founder for the record label Pontiaq.

The playful, off-kilter and uber-catchy ‘Soylent Green’ was his opening introduction and now Moss has shared ‘There Must Be Something In The Water’; the second single lifted his debut album Gooey, penned for release in early 2019. It is an effervescent piece of luminescent psych-pop that is colorful, vibrant and fizzes with vitality. Skirting the border between psych and avant-pop, it storms off at breakneck speed with a whirlwind of frantic rhythms, racing synths, buzzing riffs and vivacious drums. ‘There Must Be Something In The Water’ is a four-minute excursion to a flashy, neon bright world of experimental pop that gets its hooks in nice and early, and doesn’t let go.

‘There Must Be Something In The Water’ indeed, tune in below.

Improvement Movement – ‘It’s a Situation’

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Improvement Movement are an Atlanta-based psychedelic-pop outfit, comprised of Anthony Aparo (guitar, vocals), Zach Pyles (keys, synth), and Tim Friesen (bass).

Formed from the ashes Culture Culture (a synth pop band also based in Atlanta), the trio have earmarked 2018 for releasing a slew of singles, to be followed by a full-length record sometime next year.

It is their most recent single ‘It’s a Situation’ which draws our attention today and in just over three and a half minutes, it encapsulates everything that is endearing about their enigmatic, intriguing and playful approach to kaleidoscopic psych-pop. Flashing along a frenetic drum & bass, coruscating colours, bubbling bassline, spacey synth and all manner of frazzled sounds are thrown about in merry abandon. While musically it is labyrinthine and hypnotic, up top floats soft, hushed and mellow vocals, adding a perfect balance to this whimsical sonic expedition. There is no doubting ‘It’s a Situation’ is unusual but it works, and how!

Listen to ‘It’s a Situation’ below.

Ducks! – ‘Pinprick In’

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Formed in 2014, Ducks! are the Berlin-based Australian pairing of Lani Bagley and Craig Schuftan who employ all manner of wizardry to bring about their spacey synth-disco.

Their latest single ‘Pinprick In’ is the third song released from Ducks!’ forthcoming album, the duo’s third LP and expected in early 2019. A slick, slinky groover, crisp, neon beats and reverberating bass blast a path through the glittering phasing synth, sizzling percussion and heavenly vocals as ‘Pinprick In’ oscillates onto the dancefloor and beyond. A tantalizingly marvel, ‘Pinprick In’ is a slinky, hazy and hedonistic indie disco adventure so strap in, Ducks!’ sizzling, spacey synth-disco is one hell of a ride!

Check out the beautifully crafted interstellar disco sounds of ‘Pinprick In’ below:

King Willow – ‘Talk Like That’

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Revolving around sisters Amanda and Julianna Salguero, King Willow are San Francisco-based purveyors of sweet indie-pop sounds, or “sister-pop” as they like to call it themselves.

The sibling pair released their self-titled EP in March 2017 and new single ‘Talk Like That’ is the first new material since. ‘Talk Like That’ is pure indie-pop heaven. An upbeat, melodic and irresistibly catchy number brimming with shimmering harmonies, catchy hooks, a seductively addictive groove and toe-tapping and infectious goodness. Harking back to classic tunes of the ’50s and ’60s, this is pop at its finest; rich, harmonious and completely and utterly beautiful.

Listen to ‘Talk Like That’ below now: