I was paddling in to the office this morning and I passed Noah in his ark, sat bestrode a mighty beast betwixt his legs. He looked at me, doffed his captain’s cap, stroked his big white beard and nodded. It was then I realised it was Captain Birdseye, and it was not a live animal he was resting his sweet meats on but the buxom figurehead at the front of his ship. All of a sudden he became Lieutenant Dan from Forest Gump screaming at the incoming Storm Berk to “do it’s worst”, cigar clamped between his teeth. He turned back at me and it was Keith Richards in Pirates of the Caribbean with brown teeth and pirates hat, sailing on his yacht. I then woke up.
Here’s TOTW. Oooooh Arrrrrr.
Rosie Frater-Taylor – In A Dream
Why we love it: because on this evidence alone Rosie Frater-Taylor’s brilliant set at the Love Supreme festival earlier this year was clearly not just an illusion. On ‘In A Dream’ the fast-emerging British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and great advocate for women in music / female multi-instrumentalists confirms that her huge talent is not merely confined to a live setting.
‘In A Dream’ is taken from her upcoming Featherweight – Deluxe Edition album which is out on 21st November. Featherweight – her third studio album – was released back in February and the new, expanded record features all of the album’s original tracks, new original tracks, a cover of the Kate Bush classic ‘Running Up That Hill’, and reworked, demo and live versions of some of her standout album tracks.
On the video for ‘In A Dream,’ Rosie Frater-Taylor is in a white swan pedalo drifting serenely across a boating lake in summer. The visuals are a perfect accompaniment to the new single, capturing its innate sense of innocence and magic. It’s a most blissful way to start your day. (Simon Godley)
Desire – Drama Queen
Why we love it: because this is the way you do it, the way that you distil decades-worth of disco, house, and pop into one single song. ‘Drama Queen’ is that song and Desire is that band.
Megan Louise and Johnny Jewel are the Canadian electronic duo Desire and together they produce an exhilarating brand of synth-pop of which their single ‘Drama Queen’ is but the latest example. Taken from their upcoming album Games People Play, which is coming soon via the American independent record label Italians Do It Better, ‘Drama Queen’ affirms their reputation for reinterpretation.
With its relentless energy and unapologetic nod towards Madonna’s 1990 chart smash ‘Vogue’, ‘Drama Queen’ will fill many a dance floor on Desire’s current tour of the UK and Europe. (Simon Godley)
The Delines – Left Hook Like Frazier
Why we love it: because any new music from The Delines is always a cause for celebration. And ‘Left Hook Like Frazier’ – the lead single from their upcoming album, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom (due out 14th February via Decor Records) – falls firmly into this category. Whilst it isn’t exactly new – it was road tested two years ago when Portland Oregon’s finest last played in this country – the song is now getting an official release. And ‘Left Hook Like Frazier’ is everything and more than when I first heard it back then.
The narrative of ‘Left Hook Like Frazier’ is one familiar to The Delines where the band’s songwriter and guitarist Willie Vlautin reflects upon a doomed relationship and the heartache it brings. Such despondency, though, is lifted by a melody that positively swings, where. Cory Gray’s trumpet punctures the darkness and Vlautin’s guitar echoes of one of Curtis Mayfield’s supremely soulful licks.
It will be great to hear it again in concert when The Delines return to these shores next March for a tour of the UK and Europe. (Simon Godley)
GRUB – Ghost
Why we love it: Debut single from Walyalup/Fremantle’s GRUB peaks like a lightning strike—sudden, ferocious, and impossible to ignore. ‘Ghost’ channels raw, unfiltered power, punctuated by moments of eerie quiet that linger just long enough to unnerve. As you lean into the quieter bits, it unleashes a storm and holds you there. With its feral energy and razor-sharp edge, this is essential listening for fans of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Viagra Boys, and Hole.
Written during her recovery from cancer three years ago, frontwoman Matilda Beales transforms personal struggle into biting lyricism: “Honey, grab the mirror won’t ya, I swear I’m changing shape”. Backed by Duncan Strachan and Mitch Macdonald’s jagged, punkish guitars, Edo Ekic’s rumbling basslines, and Peter Bibby’s thunderous drumming, the track shifts between uneasy introspection and blustering defiance. After supporting acts like Full Flower Moon Band and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, GRUB sharpens their live energy into ‘Ghost,’ a debut that surges with restless intensity, refusing to settle into anything predictable. (Trev Elkin)
Cosmic Crooner – Mosquito In The Photo Booth
Why we love it : We simply adored Joep Meyer’s debut record The Perks of Being A Hypocrite, his Cosmic Crooner persona drawing elegantly from a colourful yet sepia-tinged musical history whilst offering his unique perspective on the world. With a new album to look forward to next year this, the second single from it, is a slow hip-on-hip smooch with bossa nova beats and tilts and twists.
Yes indeed, there is that familiar wit and mischief fully present – ‘For this song I asked myself the question ‘‘What’s the use of an Egg Chair without a home’?”’ he explains. ‘I guess I used my passion for furniture to make some rich metaphors’ – but the space and warm slow jazz sophistication hints at further complexities.
For follow-up to last month’s single ‘Never Wear Your Own Merch‘ Meyer draws on Jorge Ben Jor and Chico Buarque, and longstanding favourites Serge Gainsbourg & Leonard Cohen.
The video for “Mosquito In The Photo Booth”, directed by Cosmic Crooner himself, was shot on 16mm in a charming village in southern Spain where streets are covered in sand. “It was a lot of fun to shoot the video,” he recalls. “The locals were very friendly and eager to help.” (Cath Holland)
Disgusting Sisters – Killing it
Why we love it: Because it’s better than caffeine. Disgusting Sisters, the Anglo-French sibling duo and self-appointed “Gucci Beavis and Butt-Head” arrive enraged and unhinged with ‘Killing It’, a song that launches a middle finger sky-high to unsolicited advice and judgement. Embracing a healthy nihilistic streak and a wicked scepticism for the Live, Laugh Love pack, ‘Killing It’ lays down a marker for the pair’s witty, blunt dissections of life lived increasingly under a lens, continually subject to the opinion of strangers. It’s the sound of sisters grinning through that judgement and laughing all the way to the afters. Buoyant in your face, electric riffs dance with delicious defiance in this Speedy Singles release as tastemakers Speedy Wunderground continue to raise the bar.
‘Killing It’ seems destined to soundtrack basement indie shows and sticky-floored club nights alike. Disgusting Sisters explain the song some more: “Killing It is a song about owning your own life so completely that even if you chose to wreck it, you’re still in control – because in the end, the personal freedom to live on your own terms is what really matters.” The duo played at Reading & Leeds, Left of the Dial, Pitchfork Paris and The Great Escape First 50 last week. This is exactly the right subversive energy the music world needs right now (Carmel Walsh)
DITZ – Taxi Man
Why We love it: Because they are one of the best live acts on the scene right now. Brighton quintet DITZ have shared their new single ‘Taxi Man’ taken from their recently announced album Never Exhale out in January. Their live shows have become the stuff of legend and their latest release ‘Taxi Man’ is a fan favourite. Slick, dark stylish and buoyant with gothic energy propulsive riffs and driving percussion this fierce widescreen track soars to a scuzzy slanted wall of sound as mosh-ready hooks soar. It’s an epic multisensory banger.
Singer C.A. Francis said of the track, “We’ve been talking playing most of this new album live for a year now. Out of all the tracks, Taxi Man has been the most requested. We wrote it across a couple of days in Cologne, in a disused air raid bunker. We properly fell out while we were writing it. There was nothing coming for so long until we stumbled into Taxi Man. The whole song came together pretty quickly and is now collectively our favourite track to play live. It’s one of those moments you hope to recreate again sometime but can’t really imagine the scenario.” Never Exhale album is out is out on 24th January via Republic Of Music/Domino Publishing accompanied by UK in-stores and a huge 2025 EU/UK tour so catch them while you can! (Carmel Walsh)
