Melbourne garage pop trio Loose Tooth have just released their debut EP, Saturn Returns. Out now on Milk! Records (you know, Courtney Barnett‘s label), the three piece make the sweetest damn DIY pop music I have heard in quite some time, and I don’t mean it in the sickly kind of way, but rather the “this is fucking sweet” way.

With tracks like Bites Will Bleed and Everything Changes, Loose Tooth stick to their guns, and stay true to themselves, which in turn creates an uncompromising and formidable force that is undeniable. We’re pretty into them here at H&E, so we asked one third of the band, Etta Curry, to tell us a little bit more about herself and what three albums have had the biggest effect on her. Check out her somewhat surprising answers below, and jump on Saturn Returns pronto! It’s not an EP you’ll want to miss!

Simon Curry, Soca Goals! 

Soca Goals! is not technically an ‘album’ as such, but more a curated collection of Caribbean classics that my dad put onto a cassette for us all to listen to while cruising around in his 1980s Merc. My earliest musical memory is grooving to the up-stroke, windows down, smiles up, whilst dancing/sliding around the back on the tan leather seats. The mixtape included a selection of ska, reggae, dub, rocksteady, and soca and introduced me to car sing-a-longs, making playlists and was most definitely the first ‘album’ I was truly passionate about! It included crossover Soca favorite, Hot Hot Hot by Arrow, Barrington Levy, Ken Booth, Lord Kitchener as well as Explainer and Gregory Isaacs. It’s completely surprising I never got into smoking weed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz92BR_b3jY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-XmNm0inyM

Paul Williams, Bugsy Malone Soundtrack

I really loved musicals as a kid. Bugsy Malone was probably my favourite, but I alternated between watching Bugsy, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors. I didn’t watch anything else. I was a weirdo. I wanted to be like Tallulah (played by a 13 yr old Jodie Foster) and sing in a chorus. Maybe my dreams came true after all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1FgpBxXho4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ9KtuRHXRc

The Strokes, Is This It

Is This It came out when I was 13. I just hit high school and the angst was beginning. It seemed to capture the raw rock noise that was beginning to form in my mind. I’d never heard anything like it. Then I took up the drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-JxFMsbr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXkm6h6uq0k

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!

It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet, of this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:

TOKiMONSTA – Put It Down (ft. Anderson .Paak and KRNE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7Yi7cCHx4&feature=youtu.be

First up is LA producer TOKiMONSTA, who has recruited a couple of big names for her latest. Put It Down features recent Aftermath Records signee Anderson .Paak providing some croons and tag teams the production duties with fellow Californian KRNE for a West Coast extravaganza. The track is the latest single in the lead up to her mini-album Fovere, due out in just a fortnight. It’s a banger alright, the drop before the chorus just superb. It’s hip-hop and electronic combined to perfection.

Red and black is the motif the music video has gone with, full of confronting visuals (the milk squirting out of that one guy’s nose made me feel so very uncomfortable), and watching .Paak get thrown around the dark room he’s dancing in by some unseen force every chorus is some wonderful unintentional comedy.

Fovere is out March 4th on Young Art Records.

MOSSY – Electric Chair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIyq1HFrclo

A brand new name for one of the best labels in Australia right now, I Oh You, is Sydney producer MOSSY and his debut single Electric Chair. Crafted in a basement in New York City’s Lower East Side, the track is as auspicious a debut as it gets. As someone who appreciates electronic music but leans more towards rock and roll, I absolutely relish hearing producers mixing in big guitars with their synths and MOSSY has done an outstanding job of it here. It’s a twisting, crooked track, anchored by psychedelic vocals, dreamy synths and yes, those big guitars at the end that are just the cherry on top.

Music video is creepy as hell too; a dark and dusty cave, a ballerina dancing with a skeleton in an empty palace and a gloomy forest. It’s a modern interpretation of the Ancient Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo. There’s a tarantula too because of course. The whole shebang is an auditory and visual experience and it looks like I Oh You have struck even more gold here.

MOSSY releases his debut self-titled EP May 13th on I Oh You.

Hoodlem – Kintsugi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro4hXmUj_Us

Just shy of releasing their debut EP, Melbourne-based duo Hoodlem have released a haunting video to accompany their latest single Kintsugi this week. Slick beats and a molasses-thick bassline drive the track along with some cavernous vocals.

Shot in black and white and directed by David Ward, the accompanying video looks like the kind that to watch will ensure a horrible death after seven days. The title of the song refers to the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold dust and the lyrics and video draw focus on this quite heavily. Despite its utter creepiness, it’s still visually stunning with lashings of gold cutting through the monochrome.

Hoodlem’s debut EP is out March 25th via Caroline Australia

Fait – Chasing Youth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwKOeWTruNk&feature=youtu.be

On to Perth and a superbly talented young woman by the name of Elise Higgins, known more commonly as Fait and her latest single Chasing Youth. Currently in London in the process of creating her next record, Fait released the visuals to this breathtaking track all about (obviously) chasing, and capturing, youth.

The song is a multilayered soundscape, moody and atmospheric and uplifting and joyous all at once, the timing and placement of each instrument creating a song able to convey so many emotions without ever saying a word. The video is a heartwarmer, dappled in afternoon sunshine, the adult protagonist capturing that elusive youth we’re all chasing and spending it swinging in tyres and dancing around sprinklers among other activities most of us consider ourselves too old for.

Look out for a new record from Fait in mid-2016.

Loose Tooth – Bites Will Bleed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtOplMDNXdM

Announcing their debut EP Saturn Returns earlier this week, Melbourne trio Loose Tooth marked the occasion by also releasing a brand new single from said EP, the punchy Bites Will Bleed. With riffs that are straight power pop with the feel of a musty garage and a shitbox amp, the track chugs along guided by the ethereal vocals of singer/drummer (boy do I have respect for anyone who can do that) Etta Curry and is some wonderful noise.

The video is centred around a house party that starts out innocently enough with toilet hook-ups and spin the bottle but quickly goes straight to hell when several of the guests turn out to be bloodthirsty vampires (don’t you hate that).

Saturn Returns is out April 1st on Milk! Records.

Surahn – Into The Distance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdFObrhzb9A

From Perth to Adelaide and the latest single by producer Surahn (who you may also know from The Swiss, as Sidwho? and from touring duties with Empire Of The Sun) Into The Distance. It’s the second from his upcoming LP Utopian State and it is a cracker of a tune. It’s jazzy and dreamy, Surahn’s measured vocals wavering melodies over a simple backbeat.

The video is outstanding, adding to the lucid dreamlike qualities of the track itself. It’s a solo dirtbike ride across a beach at sunset, and if it doesn’t make you want to go out and do exactly that right now then there’s something wrong, it looks amazing.

Catch Surahn at WOMAD Festival in Adelaide March 11-14.

Ha The Unclear – Secret Lives Of Furniture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4HPR2MfGP8

Across the Tasman to New Zealand (South Dunedin to be exact) for this one with alt-pop group Ha The Unclear and the latest single Secret Lives Of Furniture. It’s a slow-burning rock number that cranks up the riffs for the chorus, with almost spoken word vocals throughout the verses in that inimitable accent to give it some very unique flair.

Were we expecting a song and dance about furniture that comes to life when its owners aren’t at home? A Chair Story of sorts? Yes, absolutely, and we were not disappointed in the slightest! Everything in the protagonist’s living room has an unsettling level of sentience and have no qualms making things awkward and creepy for their owner after he manages to find himself a date.

Catch Ha The Unclear in Adelaide tonight and tomorrow night!

Cub Sport – I Can’t Save You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh-ggXk5n1M

Back to Brisbane indie-poppers and all around legends Cub Sport, who returned in 2015 with their first single in two years (!). They’re back at it in 2016, with their second single and its accompanying video out this week in the form of I Can’t Save You. It’s from their hotly anticipated next album This Is Our Vice arriving later this year. The track features pulsing retro synths and a chorus that positively soars, a fantastically dance-y number.

The video is a great story, documenting the downward spiral of a soap opera starlet that, in itself, is its own soap opera. Soapception I’m dubbing it, the clip was directed by Joe Agius of The Creases and even features Luke McDonald from The John Steel Singers as the fictional director, to keep it all in the (Brisbane) family. It’s always way more interesting when music videos have such a clear and absorbing narrative like this.

This Is Our Vice is out March 4th via Title Track.

Santigold – Can’t Get Enough Of Myself

This one we don’t have a video link for exactly, given that it isn’t really YouTube-compatible. It’s actually a brand new and interactive video from Santigold for the latest single from her third album, 99¢, that drops today!

Best thing about it? It stars yourself! If you use Chrome and have a webcam (basically everyone who isn’t 10 years ago) you can go here and insert your very own mug into a for real no fooling music video. We won’t spoil it for you, just go have fun pretending that you and Santigold are tight enough to collab.

99¢ is out today via Atlantic Records. See you next week!

As far as best songs go, these are ten of the best. We’re now in February and the consistently high quality of music output that we’ve seen over the past four weeks ago hasn’t dwindled once in the new month. If anything, it’s gotten even better. See for yourself below!

AAA+, Disciple Of Love

Adelaide artist AAA+ dropped a doozy this week with Disciple Of Love– a retro-futuristic electro-pop jam with a lot to give. Sounding like he’s borrowed elements from everyone like Cut Copy to The Chemical Brothers, Disciple Of Love is a pulsing, pounding track that’s driven by its bouncy synth line and crashing drum beat. He’s been kicking around for a while but has never really taken off in his home country – until now!

Summer Flake, Shoot And Score

The more I hear Summer Flake, the more I enjoy her. Taken from her sophomore album, Hello Friends, this tune is called Shoot And Score and is four-and-a-half minutes of droning, mesmerising bliss. “Shoot and score, take what’s yours,” she sings, her guitars thick and heavy as they carry the emotion in her lyrics and voice. This track is dripping in reverb-y goodness, and has done yet another excellent job in reminding me why Summer Flake is so great!

Annabel Jones, IOU

IOU by Annabel Jones has already got the approval of one Zane Lowe, who she debuted it with this week on his Beats 1 show. Now she can add approval from Howl & Echoes too, as I was instantly hooked from the first serene note that kicks the song off. From here, it just gets better and better, with it’s bassy groove and quirky arrangements- not to mention her sassy af lyrics that take it to another level. Total jam.

Pandamic, Heck!

Following along the same vein as bands like Violent Soho and Dune Rats, Pandamic’s new belter Heck! is a beer-drenched anthem with thrashy guitars and punchy drums- but don’t let the bravado fool you. It’s a forlorn love song at it’s heart, it just tricks you for a second. With a ripper of a chorus that would no doubt be unreal to join in with at a live show, Heck! is a huge step forward for the boys and one in a direction I can’t wait to see them go down.

Gallant, Skipping Stones (Ft. Jhene Aiko)

Skipping Stones represents when two worlds collide in the best possible way. Featuring two of music’s most incredible voices around at the moment, Gallant and Jhene Aiko have teamed up and it is stunning. Both artists bring their A-game here in a big way as they sing about their empty hearts and beds in a way that casts a spell on you with it’s dreamy arrangement accompanying it. Sounding like Leon Bridges mixed with Sam Smith, Gallant has never sounded this good before, whilst Aiko shows off why she is one of the most hyped up acts in the world- and why she’s so deserving.

Two People, Fading

Fun fact: Two People are actually two people from the now defunct-Snakadaktal. Phoebe Lou and Joey Clough are now trying their hand at a different game, and the first taste of it is impressive to say the least. Hypnotic and spell-binding, Fading is a swirling dream featuring static-y rain, Four Tet-esque production and heavenly vocals. There are huge things in store for these two.

Tinashe, Ride Of Your Life (Prod. Metro Boomin)

Tinashe is the next big pop star, and you only need to listen to any one of her songs to hear why. She has one of the best voices around, possessing a certain “superstar” quality that comes naturally to her. She also has an uncanny knack of picking the right producers to work with, and this latest track with Metro Boomin is no exception. Seductive both in Tinashe’s vocals and Metro Boomin’s trap-styled beats, the two bring out the best in each other with Ride Of Your Life– yet another feather in Tinashe’s already very full cap.

Nina Las Vegas, Now Or Never (Ft. CZ & Swick)

Australian dance music’s leading lady Nina Las Vegas is at it again, dropping another banger via her brand new record label, NLV Records. She teased us all last year with a sampler that featured an original track from each artist on the label – herself included – and now we can finally hear what else she’s been sitting on this whole time. Practically redefining the term “banger” Nina goes in on this track, teaming up with CZ and Swick as if it wasn’t good enough already. It’s like PC Music sent into overdrive, and is a seriously solid release from one of Australia’s most prolific tastemakers. Yaaaaaaas!

Carmada, Realise (Chrome Sparks Remix)

Chrome Sparks is just about to touch down in Australia for a string of shows at the end of the month, and it seems like he’s really getting into the spirit of things by taking Carmada’s hit track, Realise and running with it. Turning it inside out in his own special way, Chrome Sparks shakes up Realise and reassembles it with some slightly off-kilter beats, thick synths and unpredictable drops throughout. This is part of an entire EP of Realise remixes, but we’ve got our money on this being the best one. Chrome Sparks can’t be beaten!

Loose Tooth, Bites Will Bleed

Melbourne three-piece have just today announced that not only are they teaming up with Milk! Records (Courtney Barnett’s label), but that they are dropping a brand new EP on April 1 titled Saturn Returns. To celebrate, the trio have released an absolute wailer in the for of Bites Will Bleed. Scuzzy guitar, booming drums, and vocals that cut through the fuzz, Loose Tooth immediately got me very keen indeed to hear Saturn Returns. Hopefully there is more where this came from!

Image via Two People’s Facebook