Sunday evenings are a bad bad time for England to be playing football. We don’t want that kind of stress on the day of rest. Not that that would concern any Welsh, Scottish, Northern or Southern Irish people. And that’s not a slight against any of those countries not making the Euros. Honestly. Anyway, these are some choice choons to wake us up, and banish those naughty school day hangovers. Slide into these bad Mother Hubbards.
Color Green – God In A $
Why we love it: because the Color Green continues to glow in the dark. Life can get pretty grim at times – a look around the world right now tells us just as much – but if the Los Angeles rock’n’roll quartet continue to belt out songs like this there will always be some light getting through.
‘God In A $’ is the latest track to be shared by Color Green from their upcoming album Fool’s Parade which will be out on 12th July via New West Records. Co-produced by the band and Mike Kriebel (Osees, Wand), the nine-song set was recorded at Discount Mirrors and Golden Beat Studios in Los Angeles and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London. It features guest appearances by members of Osees, the Nude Party, and more.
Speaking about the track, the band say “‘God in a $’ invoked a nostalgia, a way to bring the listener to a time of youthful carelessness, a time where introspection is the least of concern. The video is a playful take on the deeper meaning of the track. The band self-shot the footage during a friend’s birthday at the Santa Anita raceway during the Corgi Nationals. Matched with the surreal juxtaposition of Corgis and Horses racing, the video blurs the line between careless fun and reckless behaviour… a motif that is all too relatable in the search for meaning of the monotonous.”
Give it a spin. In fact, place it on repeat and you will see and hear exactly what they mean. ‘God in a $’ is the sound of a band high on life and flexing their considerable sonic muscle. The end product is an unquestionable thrill. (Simon Godley)
BEAK> – The Seal
Why we love it: because BEAK> just continue to go quietly about their business without any fuss or fanfare. Without any real prior warning the Bristol trio of Geoff Barrow (drums/vocals), Billy Fuller (bass), and Will Young (keys) released their fourth album >>>> a couple of weeks ago via Invada and Temporary Residence Ltd. And now they have followed suit with a brand new video for ‘The Seal’, the second track on the album.
The video is directed by the filmmaker Tom Geens who says “I fell in love with the house when I first laid eyes on it. It was falling apart but in a really beautiful way. It was begging for something to be shot there, but as it was going to get demolished soon, I had to act fast. The last time I worked with Beak> was about 10 years ago on the exquisite soundtrack for my film COUPLE IN A HOLE and I felt their sound and the house were somehow a great match.”
The fusion of location, BEAK>’s experimental electronics, and the surrealism of Geens’ imagination make for a wonderfully disquieting experience. More certainty and advance warning, though, comes ahead of their return to live action later this year. Tickets for these dates can be bought here. (Simon Godley)
Dakota Suite & Quentin Sirjacq – These Unimaginable Things That You Bear (for Nick)
Why we love it: because this is the most fitting of tributes to the loss of a dear friend. The Leeds’ musician and composer Chris Hooson, the man who is Dakota Suite, has collaborated with his French counterpart Quentin Sirjacq to create ‘These Unimaginable Things That You Bear’ in memory of Hooson’s close friend Nick Hawley who passed away on the 4th of August last year after a battle with cancer.
On this deeply moving piece Chris Hooson plays guitar with Quentin Sirjaq joining him on piano, synths, effects and treatments. Together they have produced a work that whilst immersed in melancholy also speaks of an unfathomable love and friendship.
I also knew Nick Hawley personally, albeit not to that level or degree, and‘These Unimaginable Things That You Bear (For Nick)’ captures the true essence of the man, embracing his fierce sense of fairness, equanimity, kindness, and serenity. The deep emotional arc of Ira Hooson’s accompanying film adds to the poignancy of the occasion. As the late Mark Linkous rightly observed, it is a sad and beautiful world.
‘These Unimaginable Things That You Bear (For Nick)’ is the first single to be taken from the forthcoming LP forever breathes the lonely word, a suite of hymns for Nick Hawley. The single will be released on the first anniversary of Nick’s passing and can be pre-ordered here. (Simon Godley)
Mo Kenney – Evening Dream
Why we love it: Lead single from Nova Scotian songwriter Mo Kenney‘s upcoming album From Nowhere (out 6 September), ‘Evening Dream’ perfectly captures the post-summer blues. Not wanting to wish away a summer that’s barely yet peeped through the clouds, we’re still hooked by this song’s squishy feels about a romance that wasn’t meant to last. With lyrics that embrace the messy, zig-zag nature of growing up and holding onto blemished but cherished memories, Mo blends dreamy folk, alt-country, and lo-fi pop to stir up mixed emotions. (Trev Elkin)
Rebecca Lappa – Underneath Me
Why we love it: because ‘Underneath ‘Me’ feels as refreshing as a cool mountain stream. Speaking of her latest single, the Canadian singer-songwriter Rebecca Lappa says: ‘I wrote “Underneath Me” about missing someone who is far away, wanting to feel their touch, and longing for the separation to be over.’ The song certainly references separation and loss but arrives with special restorative powers as Lappa’s dramatic, expressive voice levitates over a warm bed of synth and drums. It all makes for the most potent of additions to the pantheon of indie-pop.
Born in San Francisco but raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Rebecca Lappa has been singing since childhood and plays multiple instruments. After watching Taylor Swift open for Brad Paisley, she decided “That’s like me. I want to do that.” She subsequently went on to be nominated five times for the Canadian Folk Music Awards, winning young Performer of the Year in 2015. In 2019, Lappa was nominated for three titles at the Edmonton Music Awards, taking home the win for Singer-Songwriter Recording of the Year.
Among Rebecca Lappa’s previous releases are 2016’s Reckless Heart, 2017’s Spirit EP, 2019’s Unfiltered EP, and last year’s Tales of a Taurus EP which heralded her shift into newer indie-pop territory which we can hear developed even further on ‘Underneath Me’ with even more impressive results. (Simon Godley)
The Buoys – Check Mate
Why we love it: Sydney’s The Buoys recently announced their debut album, ‘Lustre’, coming July 12. Alongside it, they shared their new single and video for Check Mate.
Juxtaposing introspective lyrics with a soaring sing along chorus with fantastic skidding guitar solos, Check Mate by The Buoys is awesome! Co-written with Alex Lahey, its an excellent single that taps into that feeling of celebrating friendship, yearning for connection ut also apologising for not always being availabme, it reminds one of songs by the likes of The Beths or Momma. Directed by Tas Wilson, the accompanying video recreates the road trip with mates.
The Buoys on the single: “Check Mate was inspired by my mates checking up on me when I was really burnt out (hence the title Check Mate rather than Checkmate). I think a lot of people can relate to the pressures of always being contactable by phone, little red notifications that used to be a hit of dopamine are now a source of pressure to always be on and available. I have some amazingly supportive friends, and this song is about feeling guilty for not being there for my friends in the same ways that they’re there for me because I was dealing with serious burn out. I love the idea of ‘home’ being where your friends and family are and not necessarily a place. This song is definitely about yearning to be in the presence of your loved ones in hard times.” (Bill Cummings)
Yellow Belly – Golden Hour
Yellow Belly is the project of Dominique Finnegan, ‘Golden Hour‘ is an evocative capturing of a moment in time, subtle synth textures that float like plumes of smoke in the atmosphere are carefully laid with Finnegan’s haunting and intimate vocals, fans of the likes of Portishead and Cocteau Twins will find much to admire here, it’s an impressive teaser of a forthcoming album entitled Ghostwriter. She says:
“The majority of the tracks on ‘Ghostwriter’ were written during a difficult period in my life. Now I am in a much better head space, these songs resonate with me in a completely different way. It’s almost as if someone else wrote them.” (Bill Cummings)
