Happy 2016, Howl readers! Thanks for staying with us! To treat you for making it through the first week of the new year, we’ve once again kept an eye on the music that has come out this week and have narrowed it down to the very best songs you need in and around your ear drums right now.

Smerz, Because

Copehagen female producer duo Smerz kicked off the year in style with this club-ready banger. Bass heavy and super sassy, it features vocals a la Little Dragon and a slick finish that is synonymous with the European club scene. This one will have you grooving almost instantly!

Rosie Lowe, Woman

It’s just over a month until we finally get to hear Rosie Lowe’s debut album, Control, and whilst we were already excited for that to drop, our anticipation levels have been kicked into overdrive after hearing this gem. Inspirational, vulnerable, exposing and just so damn enjoyable, Woman is one of Lowe’s best songs yet and has us practically counting down the days until her February 19 release date!

Sunflower Bean, Easier Said

Speaking of new albums, Sunflower Bean are just weeks away from releasing their debut album, Human Ceremony (February 5th). Dreamy rock’n’roll at it’s finest, this trio are quickly becoming one of our favourites and it’s tracks like Easier Said that reaffirm our growing love for them.

Bon Voyage, Don’t Tread On Me

Bon Voyage first came on our radar when he released Booshie – a badass track that had us hooked instantly. Now he’s back with Don’t Tread On Me, and it seems he’s continuing this trend of grabbing our attention within seconds. This track is a total earworm that won’t leave your head for days, but it’s just so much fun, we don’t really mind!

Editors, Ocean of Night (Henri PFR Remix)

Although I wouldn’t initially think a piano house remix would be well suited for an Editors song, I am more than prepared to eat my words after hearing this song. This pulsing floor filler combines the unique, soulful vocals of Editors’ frontman Tom Smith with deep house flourishes and a classic house synth line to make an explosive, near euphoric remix. You may be a little apprehensive if you’re an Editors fan, but you will also be pleasantly surprised.

Oisima, Grovers Lament ft. Adam Page

We are huge fans of Oisima here at Howl & Echoes, so any new material from his is fine by us. Taken from his stellar album Nicaragua Nights, Grovers Lament is an exotic breath of fresh in a sometimes stale climate when it comes to Australian electronic music. Featuring the seductive saxophone, intricate drum patterns, soulful vocal cuts and tremendous production, Grovers Lament is one of the many highlights on Nicaragua Nights.

Cosmo’s Midnight, Falling Out (ft Lido)

Having just announced a nationwide tour, electro-dance duo Cosmo’s Midnight aren’t wasting any time making sure everyone is as keen as they possibly can be for their new set of shows, and have released their latest single. This time teaming up with prolific beatmaker Lido, the Cosmo’s boys have stepped up more than a few notches here, and they sound all the better for it!

Trudy, Baby I’m Blue

For fans of bands like The Black Keys or The Rubens, Trudy’s new song Baby I’m Blue is definitely the track for you. Rhyming aside, this is good ol’ rock’n’roll at it’s best, but with a certain alternative flair that makes it just that little bit more interesting and takes it to another level. It could be the clunky drums, the staggering riff, the unique vocals or a combination of all three, but something’s got us hooked and we’re totally okay with it.

Raleigh Ritchie, Keep It Simple (ft Stormzy)

Raleigh Ritchie, as in the guy from Game Of Thrones, has a new album on the way and we couldn’t be more excited. Not only is he a popular favourite on GoT, but he’s also quite the talented musician, and his latest release may just be our favourite of all. Teaming up with grime MC Stormzy, the pair work so well together over a bed of warm synths and steady drums. This song is a total jam.

If there’s two things I love, it’s hip-hop/R&B and Game of Thrones. So when I first discovered that GoT actor Jacob Anderson (aka Grey Worm) was not only the leader of of the Unsullied, but an incredibly talented producer and singer who goes by the name Raleigh Ritchie, you can guarantee my heart skipped a beat. He’s been making music for some time, so I’m admittedly late to the table – but I arrived just in time for dessert. Ritchie has announced that he will be releasing his long-anticipated debut album You’re A Man Now, Boy, in early 2016.

The 12-track offering features new and old tracks, including the gorgeous recent single Bloodsport ’15. While each track was written by Ritchie, he worked with an incredible star-studded production team, including TDE’s in-house legend Sounwave, Cris Loco (Kwabs), Justin Broad and Paul Herman (Eminem, EmeliSande), Mike Elizondo (Dre/Eminem) and DJ Dahi (Drake, also part of DiamondDahi).

Ritchie has opened for Kendrick Lamar and George Ezra among others, and this year he performed at Reading/Leeds, Glastonbury and Wireless Festival, alongside a solo headline tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrnCnCmUrE8&feature=youtu.be

You’re A Man Now, Boy comes out on Feb 26 2016 via Columbia and Sony. Pre-order it here.

YOU’RE A MAN NOW, BOY Track-listing:

  1. Werld Is Mine
  2. Stronger Than Ever
  3. Bloodsport ‘15
  4. I Can Change
  5. Keep It Simple feat. Stormzy
  6. The Greatest
  7. Never Better
  8. Cowards
  9. A Moor
  10. Young & Stupid
  11. You’re A Man Now, Boy
  12. The Last Romance

Grey Worm is just so damn talented. Raleigh Ritchie, perhaps more widely known as Jacob Anderson, the British actor who portrays the character Grey Worm on the smash hit television series Game of Thrones, has just released a new single, Never Say Die, in the lead up to his debut album release.

The track is a heartfelt insight into an individual out on the road, travelling and constantly hopping between countries, never forming solid connections. Voicing his inspiration behind the track, Ritchie states that, “I guess the song explores the idea that even the most fast living people hit a roadblock at some point, and actually those people are more vulnerable to self-destruction. You can spread yourself out too thinly until there’s not much left of you. I was one of those people for a time and I guess I just wanted to talk about it, try and find a way to make peace with it.”

On a recent trip to America, the British actor/singer met with acclaimed Top Dawg Entertainment producer Sounwave, who has most recently featured heavily behind the scenes of Kendrick Lamar‘s acclaimed 2015 release To Pimp a Butterfly. The TDE influence is very apparent, the beat of the track maintains a trap inspired vibe whilst staying rooted in a heartfelt and sombre tone. Speaking on his relationship with Sounwave, Raleigh states, “We just work really fluently together, he’s one of my favourite people to write with. He’s got a real ear for detail in his production but also a real openness to the way he approaches a song.”

If that wasn’t enough to get you hyped, Ritchie also details the further work that these two have done, “One of my favourite songs on the album is another one we did. I’m looking forward to people hearing that too”.

When he isn’t slaying people in Westeros, Raleigh Ritchie is working on slaying the rap game, and he is doing a mighty fine job so far.

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