This week had so many good songs I couldn’t narrow it down to just 10, so I threw an extra one in because I’m an independent lady and you can’t tell me what to do.
Kidding, but seriously, this week has been awesome for new singles of all styles. This playlist is positively brimming with musical goodness, and you can check it all out below!
Mossy, Electric Chair (Slum Sociable Remix)
Mossy is I Oh You‘s latest signing, and his first single, Electric Chair, picked up a lot of love worldwide thanks to his sinister, hazy synths and peculiar voice. Now, Slum Sociable have picked up the track and spun it into a brand new remix, and the combining of the two make for quite a great track indeed. Sped up synths that sound almost like a theremin, stuttered vocals and a groovy beat that thrust it into dance floor territory, this is a rework we can definitely get on board with!
Kilter, Fool For You (Ft. Micah Jey)
Kilter triumphantly returns to the scene with this new single. Titled Fool For You, he’s teamed up with Micah Jey for some powerful vocals and sassy lyrics, whilst he delves even further into his electro styling a with a hook of epic proportions. Explosive drums, metallic synth jabs and an array of samples firing off, Fool For You is definitely one of Kilter’s hottest tracks. Hopefully this song signifies a turning point for Kilter, who should be so much bigger than he is. I still have faith though, and it’s songs like this that will get him to where he deserves to be – Flume big!
Loose Tooth, Sherry
Loose Tooth became my favourite band ever purely because of their press pic. It’s just a bonus that they make really good rock. Kind of slacker, kind of indie, kind of pop, Loose a Tooth do their own thing and that’s what makes them them. Sherry is their latest single and its a gentle number with a lot to give. Some angelic harmonies, scuzzy guitar, rumbling bass and enough DIY vibes to hold them in good stead with the continually burgeoning garage scene, Sherry is 3 minutes of gorgeous garage rock and garage pop blended together to make one really great tune.
Stina Tester & Cinta Masters, Mystery
Stina Tester & Cinta Masters have a penchant for the dramatic, and we have a penchant for them. Theatrical synths, piercing and insistent drum beats and their over-the-top-in-all-the-right-ways vocals, Mystery is the next taste from their forthcoming record, Awake and Dreaming, which is set to be released this month via LISTEN Records. We first heard Deep Sleep, and now Mystery shows us another side of their new album – a side we can definitely get around. Its been a long time coming, but if these two singles are anything to go by, it’s going to be more than worth the wait!
Iman, Naive
This song actually came out last week, but I heard it this week so it still counts (sort of, don’t judge me). Even if it doesn’t count, you will forgive me once you hear Iman’s voice. Naive is a stunning song, featuring some impeccable vocals intertwined with rich, atmospheric sounds that blend into an absolutely beautiful pop song. The emotion is rich, the production is flawless and I just can’t get enough of how Iman sings. Her lyrics are unashamedly about being head over heels in love, and it’s just about enough to make you do the same. She’s relatively new on the scene, hailing from London, there are huge things on the horizon for this superstar in the making!
Gonzo Jones, Misty Dreams
Gonzo Jones is the latest signee to the always on point roster at Good Manners, and it’s no wonder they nabbed him before anyone else did. Misty Dreams is his first single, and as far as debuts go, Jones has hit the nail on the head with this one. It’s got a health mix of both indie rock and dream pop, but it’s his vocals that nab your attention. Said to be taken off a forthcoming EP, I hope we can continue to hear him borrow elements from pop, rock and psychedelia and tie them together with electronica, as it’s an intoxicating mix that I can’t get enough of!
Nadia Nair, Dear Brother
Nadia Nair is tipped to be Sweden’s next big thing, and you only have to listen to any of her songs to know why. Her latest track is Dear Brother, and is her best yet. Dark, shifting beats, captivating vocals and a bed of rich bass and synth to keep it fresh, Dear Brother is equal parts hypnotic as it is entrancing, with its persistent drums and enchanting vocals. Borrowing influence from her Malaysian-Indian heritage, Nadia Nair flirts with darker themes and sounds here, and pulls them off so well. Sounding like four different songs in one, Dear Brother is the perfect example of the Swedish star-in-the-making, and our only hope is that we hear a lot more from her in the future.
Spookyland, Big Head
Spookyland are one of the most hyped bands in the world right now, and they’ve just released their latest single in time to wow audiences at SXSW this week. Big Head is one of their more explosive songs, and would be an absolute stand out in a live setting, with an anthemic hook and rocking, driving guitars carrying it along. Vocalist Marcus Gordon sounds better than ever, and said of the track that it is “giving gender tradition a little rattle, but as the bald face love song, not the straight-laced Facebook post. I was trying to celebrate the promiscuous woman; raise up some kind of female James Dean.” In honour of International Women’s Day this week, I feel this message is quite fitting. Yas, Spookyland, yaaaaassssss!
Jameszoo, Flake
Jameszoo is a name you should get used to seeing. It’s the name of Dutch producer and musician Mitchel van Dinther, who is the latest signee on Flying Lotus‘ Brainfeeder label. Flake marks his first release on the imprint, and considering just how much is going on in this track, it makes sense why he’s now rubbing musical shoulders with FlyLo. Borrowing from jazz, hip-hop, electronic and so much more, it’s certainly not a song you’ve heard before by any means, but also one you won’t forget any time soon. The weirder the better in this writer’s opinion, and Jameszoo is as weird as this week comes.
Yuma X, You Said
We’ve had our eyes on Yuma X for a while now, so it’s been really great watching their musical journey so far. You Said is their latest single, and it’s a far cry from their debut last year. Their production is stronger, their influences more diverse and their experimentation becoming more and more curious; all elements that make You Said such a beautiful song. It also marks their fourth and final release on their Home Recordings EP, and their strongest release yet. They’re set to support ODESZA in just a few weeks on their Groovin’ The Moo sideshows, and if this is anything at all to go by, they are bound for really big things this year!
Hoodlem, 4 Real
Hoodlem are so underrated it hurts my soul, but with each release they slowly but surely seem to be achieving the recognition they so obviously deserve. I remember catching this live last year and it was so explosive I stopped dancing for a while just to see the duo live in action. It was then I realised just how much they have going on as an act, and when I realised how underrated they were. So, when I saw today that this was their latest single, I was very happy indeed. The stuttered track stops and starts quick enough to give you whiplash, but it’s so lush as well that you don’t mind at all. Its one of their most experimental tracks so far, and also one of their best. If these two aren’t on your radar yet, you had better change that with this bad boy!