Remember, remember the 7th November, cos it’s Tracks of the Week, but then it will be on 14th, and 21st, and 28th if we haven’t been vaporised, frozen or starved to death. Whilst we can afford the electricity (or you’re stealing it from your work place, in which case, good on ya), here’s a load more brilliant new music shit. Push it in your ear holes.
Hundred Reasons – Glorious Sunset
Why We Love It: we’ve got to the point now where bands who had their heyday in the early 00’s are now ripe for the veteran label, but not for this haggard old hack, this one is refusing to accept that it’s 20 years since the Hundred Reasons boys released their barnstorming debut album Ideas Above Our Station, but it was in fact just a few years ago and I am in my twenties still. No, you fuck off.
I was in the midst of the early days of this band having grown up in the local Farnborough/Aldershot area, frequenting the West End Centre and Tumbledown Dick pub, alongside other alumni Vex Red and Reuben, and can remember them when they were called Floor.
This first single from their brand new, and possibly final LP, is a beautifully heavy throwback to those heady days, and carries extra gravitas as the lyrics are about singer Colin Doran’s mother passing away. Their trademark sound is all up in your face and will slide in perfectly to the live set in time for the anniversary gigs in March next year. You don’t want bands like this to change, you want euphoric ear destroying rock. Thanks boys. (Jim Auton)
Fuzz Lightyear – Dense Worship
Why we love it: Come Play With Me (CPWM) is a multi-faceted, non-profit, music development organisation specialising in supporting people from marginalised communities as well as being a record label putting out 7” single releases from emerging talent in the West Yorkshire region.
CPWM last week announced what will be the last issue from this series of singles club releases. And it is one helluva high note on which to go out. ‘Dense Worship’ from the wonderfully-named Leeds’ quartet, Fuzz Lightyear is a feral blast of uncompromising, undiluted noise. It is not for those of a nervous disposition.
Ben Parry (vocals, guitar) on ‘Dense Worship’: “I wrote the lyrics as I recorded the vocals in my living room and snow was falling outside. It was a particularly bleak day. I kept going until it was dark, stopping only to smoke, drink coffee, and listen to THANK’s debut. Dense Worship is about picking apart the parts of yourself and trying to sort the good from the bad and the damaged from the healthy. Trauma affects your mind in horrific ways and causes you to be someone you know you aren’t. You cope with it in different ways and try to cover it up, but that never works out healthily. You must confront yourself to grow.” (Simon Godley)
DAMEFRISØR – Horizon
Why We Love It: Bristol-based band DAMEFRISØR have announced their debut EP Island of Light, due for release 24th February 2023 via Permanent Creeps Records. The EP was recorded with Alex Greaves (Working Men’s Club, bdrmm, Lice) at The Nave Studios, Leeds and the first release is single ‘Horizon’. On first listen you can hear why DAMEFRISØR looked to work with Alex. The texturally rich soundscape fuses club and dance influences with their more industrial sound of earlier work. The vocal is expressive and full of passion and conviction, and the slightly off-kilter rhythm against the beat of the drum adds to the otherworldliness. The synth adds a delicious layer, both haunting and visceral. The vocal moves between sung and spoken again emphasizing the themes being described.
Speaking on the themes of the new single frontman Kazhi Jahfar says: “’Horizon’ focuses on my observations and experiences of the people who the city relies on to function, and yet they are constantly made to feel expendable… My partner, mum, sister, myself and a lot of friends around me were working hard during the pandemic and this was definitely a big subconscious inspiration for the record, and this song in particular. We’ve never written anything intentionally political, but I think as an artist it would be practically impossible to create anything that didn’t in some way relate to what we’ve all been going through these past 3 years.” (Julia Mason)
Last Living Cannibal – Samson
Why we love it: Last Living Cannibal is the solo project of Allister Kellaway, the self-described “lonely space rocker based in Pergatory”, were that place on earth called Hastings, East Sussex. On the evidence of ‘Samson’ alone, he produces quite beautiful, desolate music.
Taken from Last Living Cannibal’s EP A Perfect Earth – out 25th November on Nothing Fancy – and featuring the Norwegian pop star, EERA on backing vocals, ‘Samson’ is a supremely melodic, melancholic ballad in which Kellaway’s voice and the song’s arrangement combine to such a considerable emotional effect. The end result is given even greater dramatic resonance when taken in tandem with the powerful video directed by Fergus Worrall.
As Last Living Cannibal explains, “‘Samson’ is about feeling like things are crumbling around you a bit, like at any moment things could give way and the house implodes with you in it. In the end it’s like salvation comes in the form of some external unforgiving force that could equally make things better or worse. Somehow that feels like a better option than everything falling apart by no cause other than just random bad luck.” (Simon Godley)
Maruja – Thunder
Why We Love It: The jazz-punks Maruja from Manchester have released their new single ‘Thunder’. At just over five minutes it is longer than your average track, but believe me you want to listen to every second.
Opening with the saxophone of Joe Carroll before the spoken vocals of Harry Wilkinson (guitar), the track very quickly descends into glorious chaos and mayhem. The vocal has become shouty before ‘Thunder’ is then thrown into a collision of guitars and drums and saxophone. Thunderous indeed, perfectly encapsulating its title. Midtrack calm is temporarily restored and the gentle drums of Jacob Hayes accompany a quieter saxophone section, however this simply grows again, this time slowly and steadily but grows nonetheless.
The track enters the eye of the storm with a ferocious energy increased by the bass of Matt Buonaccorsi and crashing cymbals. To close the saxophone again takes centre stage, with a sense of melancholy and solitude. ‘Thunder’ seems to finish midnote, as if to be continued. This is music that reaches into your very soul. Maruja are creating a unique sound in the current post-punk world and having experienced their music live, it’s a joy to have them around.
The band further expands on the track explaining that: “Thunder’s bold, distinct, and formidable nature, exhibits our live performances better than any of our tracks have to date. Whilst it provides earsplitting riffs, industrious waves of noise and an infectious EDM element, it also displays the dynamism and passion of our ever-developing sound.” (Julia Mason)
Softcult – Drain
Why We Love It: Softcult are twins Mercedes (She/Her) and Phoenix Arn-Horn (They/Them), and they share their new single ‘Drain’ inspired by themes of climate change, specifically the shameless greed of corporations and the government officials that are fuelling it. It’s heart-breaking that the Arts have to become activists. Softcult take their frustrations and disappointments and pour it into their music, thus giving it that edge and passion.
The video was directed/produced/edited by Mercedes and she captures the intense reality their generation faces: a dying planet, and capitalistic gluttony running riot. Recently supporting Incubus on their UK tour, and opening for MUSE in Canada, Softcult are absolutely making a name for themselves and generating interest in their obvious talent.
On the track Mercedes says: “It’s disgusting how making a profit is a higher priority for those in power than a sustainable environment. Seeing hollow shows of performative “action” from these world leaders and multi-million dollar companies that don’t offer any actual solutions just adds to my frustration, because it feels like we’re being manipulated and lied to in the most disgustingly condescending way.”
“There are people out there who could end world hunger right now in exchange for 10% less of their billions. There are legislations that could reverse climate change in time to save this dying planet and spare future generations a pretty horrific existence. But these bloated fucking dragons would rather die hoarding more wealth than they could ever spend in a lifetime than part with a little to help save the world. To think these billionaires actually give a shit about us or our quality of life is just naive. So because of the one percent’s greed, their legacy will be our eventual extinction.” (Julia Mason)
SWELTR – What’s It Gonna Be
Why We Love It: SWELTR are Noel Dempsey (drums) and Tony Keyes (vocals, guitar) from the North Dublin region and the duo have released their debut single ‘What’s It Gonna Be?’ produced by the band themselves and mixed and mastered by Tony.
The track opens with a buzzing static with the dial being turned up into it heads full throttle into the song. The guitars seems to swing between two points and then the vocal kicks in: “Clear as the day gets, clear as the mind could be.” The duo are setting out on a new musical endeavour with SWELTR and this song come from a place of new beginnings and new mindsets. However new beginnings are not without their challenges and frustrations and the versus goes on to express this. The raw edgy soundscape of the guitars and drums reflect the attitude behind ‘What’s It’s Gonna Be?’
“You had me wrong”
“You got me good”
Recorded in October in a shed, SWELTR are taking a DIY approach to getting the sound they want. And that final reverb at the end simply reinforces that they are looking forward with energy and vigour, taking inspiration from what they experienced as children, teens, and now adults, and pouring it into their music. If this debut is anything to go by, that raucous enthusiasm will produce more tantalising music like ‘What’s It Gonna Be?’ (Julia Mason)
Sobs – Air Guitar
Why we love it: ‘Air Guitar,’ is the awesome lead single and title track of Sobs’ second record which came out at the end of October. The Singapore trio deliver a kick-ass power pop anthem with such unstoppable exuberance and perky, addictive anthemic qualities that it belies the inner turmoil at the song’s heart. As vocalist Celine Autumn wrestles with a relationship on the rocks: “Thought it was done and over, I was searching for peace/But you swept through like nature, changed the trajectory.” Coated in soaring melodies as sweet as cherry pie, drop-down dynamics and huge guitar hooks it could easily soundtrack a Hollywood rom-com! If you are a fan of the likes of the catchy power punk anthems of Beach Bunny or the bittersweet indie pop of beabadoobee then this is a pick-me-up for your Monday blues! (Bill Cummings)
Unflirt – Out of Time
Why we love it: Shifting from a skippy strum with feathery vocals, unfurling into a wonderful and wistful anthem for letting go of something that isn’t working, no matter how hard you try. With gorgeous choral pops, like infectious clouds of melody that float past your nose, this is addictive and oscillates wonderfully between the intimate pop tones of Billie Eilish, and the more upbeat moments of Phoebe Bridgers’s work. It’s a highly promising and catchy single that ripples with emotional depths.
Unflirt reflects; “Out of Time is about coming to terms that something is over. I think it encapsulates the whole process from denial to acceptance, and it’s a song that helped me accept that simply some things are just not meant to be, no matter how much I wanted them to be.”
Unflirt’s debut EP Bitter Sweet, which is set to come out in early 2023. Immensely proud of her heritage, Unflirt is a first generation immigrant, born and raised in West London to Filipino parents. Her earliest musical experiences are performing karaoke ballads of Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and The Beegees with her mum and dad – and with no formal music training, her guitar skills were imparted via basic lessons from her father. (Bill Cummings)
