Another month and another immense list of songs for your aural pleasure. Don’t let anyone ever tell you there is no good new music about these days…
As usual, there is an evil Spotify playlist for you to sample the songs before you go to the artists own sites to buy their music if you like it….
The Black Delta Movement – Zip Tie & Photograph
Zip Tie from garage rockers The Black Delta Movement is initially an understated slow burner, a low and slow sinister rumble that builds in speed and increases in intensity as the song reaches its powerfully climactic zenith. Photograph meanwhile maintains a fuzz laden mean and moody late night slow pulsating growl.
Exit Child – Dormant
Dormant is the first single from Exit Child, the new project from ex Sœur guitarist/vocalist Anya Pulver. Grungy undertones to this one, crashing guitars mixed with a delicate and personal vocal, written based on her own experiences with her mental health, the song has a poignantly delivered closing line “Don’t know if I’ll make it out of my head”.
Jemma Freeman & the Cosmic Something – Huge
Huge is a great description of Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something’s sound, as this latest epic track from their second album Miffed suggests, how Jemma and co. can fit so much into just shy of 2 and a half minutes is nothing short of incredible, and if you think that is impressive, go and see them live, you’ll be blown away.
Jemma Freeman & the Cosmic Something
Casual Worker – Flooding
From the forthcoming EP, Model Number, being released on Last Night From Glasgow it’s Glasgow southsiders Casual Worker and their atmospheric electronic dark wave gothic alt-pop in the form of Flooding. Musically like Disintegration era Cure crossed with Depeche Mode at their darkest, with bewitchingly hypnotic vocals from Eve King
The Bloody Nerve – Hard Hard Winter – Episode 7
The Bloody Nerve continue on their musical journey with the first offering from Act 3. Episode 7 aka Hard Hard Winter is a barnstormer of a tune packed with soaring classic hard rock guitar riffs from Stacey Blood topped off with a powerfully resonant vocal from Laurie Ann…
Monsterpop – Rollin’ Home
With Three Minute Heroes back on the road gigging again, Jimmy has also been continuing to record under his Monsterpop incarnation. Rollin’ Home adds folky twists to his huge power pop sound as well bringing back memories of Big Country with its singing e-bow riffs.
Sunstinger – Dead for You/Feel the Sun
Dead for You from the double a-sider from the mighty Sunstinger is as laid back as it is in your face intense, a mellifluent and mellow breezy vocal glides along gracefully below a crashing layered wall of blistering shoegaze guitars.
Kohla – Bedroom
Following up the exquisite Sweetest Love single, Kohla excels herself once again with this trippily hypnotic dream pop single, her heartfelt luxuriously soulful vocal recounting a loving sensual relationship.
Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls – Crazy Little Demon in Love
Another cut from their latest long player I’ll Put My Voodoo On You, Crazy Little Demon in Love is another uniquely exquisite slice of swamp trash horror blues.
Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls
Savage Cut – For My Indiscretions
This collaboration with Paul Souness Miller cuts a 60’s psychedelic groove with its coolly nonchalant strutting swagger and wah wah guitars, the understated laidback vocal adding to the overall feel and bringing a bit of a Stone Roses spirit to the mix.
The Strangerz – Hit the Ground
First coming to my attention in 2021 with their superb debut single Straight Gay Brother, The Strangerz are back with single number 3, Hit the Ground, which is exactly what they on this single. Hitting the ground running with great gusto, a rumbling bass introduces subtle post punk guitar lines underlining Martha’s vocal, both of which build to a ferocious potency for the torrid hot blooded chorus. There has been a notable progression in the band sound over their three singles to date, whetting the appetite with anticipation for what comes next.
The Strangerz
Eater – Ann
Andy Blade’s new version of Eater continue to impress with this re-recording of the song Anne (this time sans e) from the band’s debut “The Album”, which according to Blade was never finished when it was first released. Having joined forces with the exceptional glam rock band Jo Jo & the Teeth, this version has injected new life into the song, previously remixed/mastered for the re-release of The Album as Ant. The flip side of the single is a rerecorded version of Eater demo, Point of View.
Performance Enhancing Suppositories – Drinking by Myself
Bringing the drunken debauchery to this months round up is the mightily fucked up Performance Enhancing Suppositories, bringing punk fuckery mixed with elements of the B52’s and chanting “stockholm syndrome” like Fred Schnieder on the Buckie. What’s not to love, I’m off to the fridge for a can of super lager…
Performance Enhancing Suppositories
Day Sleeper – Everything There Is
The second single from Leo Bargery’s new band, Day Sleeper, Everything There Is, is a stunningly beautiful song, musically silky smooth and utterly gorgeous, giving a perfect platform for Leo’s enchantingly evocative vocal. I could get used to this… give me more…
Pearling – Crystal Lake Lover (Lullaby)
As well as providing solid bass rhythms for the wonderful Tina Sandwich, Morven’s other musical incarnation is the electro/synth pop of Pearling, the latest release being this gossamer smooth trance like dreamy hypnotic track, Crystal Lake Lover (Lullaby).
Jim Bob – Thanks For Reaching Out
Jim Bob on top form with this melancholic gesture of love front-loaded with a heart rending and wistful lyric, but building gloriously with a glimpse of hope, and packing a punch musically with added brass giving the driving instrumentation an added sheen of hope.
His Lordship – Buzzkill
Incendiary new single from one of the most amazing live bands currently on the circuit, the staccato nature of the chorus swapping places with punk as fuck in your face chorus that Buzzcocks would have been proud of. Having just seen the band live for the second time, I can report that it is even better live. Get along to see them if you can.
The Pearl Harts – Hypocritical
Audacious and flamboyant, with a certain cocksure self assertion, Hypocritical is a bold and assured statement of intent. Don’t fuck with the girls.
Baby Daisy – Smitten Sex Kitten
1950s Rock ‘n’ roll styling with 50s style blonde bombshell pinup on the prowl signalling danger to anyone who messes with her, her claws are as sharp as her sass. This is bluesy rockabilly crossed with B52s meets The Cramps.
Body Type – Holding On
Three minutes of bracing and reviving post punk from this Sydney based quartet, a potent and electrically charged song steamrollering you with its exhilarating foot to the floor vigour.
Sir Chloe – Salivate
An effortless coolness emanates from Sir Chloe, a feeling of nonchalance in the opening bars of Salivate, before screaming riffs kick in adding a element of spirited verve to the mix, while Sir Chloe maintains that air of accomplished cool and confidence.
Librarians With Hickeys – Cant Wait ’til Summer
Refreshing summer 60s psychedelic power pop vibes from the legendary Librarians with Hickeys. This is the sound of carefree sunny days and leaving all your stresses and worries behind. Blissful.
Chalk – Asking
From bright sunny days, to darkness and raw visceral energy from Chalk. An intense brooding darkness building with ticking drums and chime after chime to a brutal wall of industrial strength gothic noise.
Deux Furieuses – Let Them Pass
Another single from the tremendous Songs From Planet Earth album, Let Them Pass is less raucous than some of their earlier singles, but its sombre nature doesn’t reduce the politicised anger contained within the lyrics aimed squarely at a lack of humanity displayed by governments in allowing loved ones access to their dying relatives in care homes during the pandemic.
Cloth – Never Know
With new album Secret Measure out in May, Rachael and Paul release Never Know, five minutes of pure class, with its gloriously luxuriant layered rhythms and silky smooth haunting vocals. Another triumph from Cloth.
Dead Sheeran – There’s Nothing Great About Britain
Mr Sheeran is back with a song with which most of us right (as in the opposite of wrong not the opposite of left) minded individuals are thinking. There’s been nothing great about Britain for a while, as he went to in great detail on his last album, but now is worse than ever. On the bright side… plenty of material for his next album.
Tape Runs Out – 90C
Another single from album Floodhead, released at the end of March, 90C has a certain intriguing complexity with an experimental Radiohead feel to it.
A Cloud of Ravens – Parable
Synth heavy darkwave/goth rock to follow up previously featured single Requiem for the Sun, Parable cements what the earlier single hinted at confirming A Cloud of Ravens as champions for keeping “proper” goth infused rock alive alongside the likes of pMad and their ilk.
Miesha & the Spanks – Moms Jeans/Moms Genes
Top quality garage rock that channels both The Bobby Lees and Death Valley Girls, with Miesha’s vocal taking on a vibrato not unlike Bonnie Bloomgarden of the latter band.
Ingrid & the Ministers – Last Night I Dreamt I Shot Myself & Bowie
Two songs from Ingrid and the Ministers who blend bluesy rock with punk attitude like an amalgam of Jo Jo and the Teeth and Amyl and the Sniffers if you like. One of my new favourite bands…
cruush – Features
Perhaps taking inspiration from one of this month’s other featured artists, The Telescopes, and Slowdive, cruush continue to impress with Features, a more laid back single than previous releases but with their trademark shimmering shoegaze guitars shining through delicate empyrean vocal.
Fuzzbox (ft. Maggie Dunne and Sugary Staple) – Voodoo Feline 239
Initially more of a spoken word performance than a song, Voodoo Feline takes on a Slits like feel at times, adding tribal drums as the vocal slinks and prowls with a quiet enigmatic furtive reticence.
Hip Priests – Just to Get By
Bringing more of the high octane sleaze rock to proceedings, third month in a row on the Singles Round Up, its the magnificent seedy trash rock n roll of The Hip Priests. I’m pretty sure they’ve already got another song out by the time this gets published (Pissed on Power), so I’m sure they’ll be in the April round up too.
Silver Moth – The Eternal
With Kate Dickie appearing in the video for single The Eternal, Silver Moth (featuring Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite and Elisabeth Elektra amongst others) confirm that Black Bay will be one of the essential purchases on 2023. Mesmerisingly beautiful, somehow managing to be both delicately fragile and dramatically powerful.
Doom Regulator – Raid
Almost a return of Operation Ivy with this Hellcat Singles Club release from Doom Regulator, featuring both Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels from then band. Raid is everything you would want from this pairing, a sublime slice of addictive ska punk.
The Telescopes – Butterfly
One of the finest bands of their ilk, The Telescopes go from strength to strength with this, the first single from their 15th album, Of Tomorrow. Butterfly, as its name may suggest, points to a slight change in musical direction. While undoubtedly the sound of The Telescopes, Stephen Lawrie’s vocal really comes to the fore on the song, driving the direction and overall sound of the song.
Saloon Dion – Happiness
Bristol’s Saloon Dion continue to impress with their tense disquieting post punk, terse angular guitars and thunderous drums bringing a feeling of hesitant unease despite the title of the single.
Lichen Slow – Preset
A comment on the state of music today and the way people consume music, or just use it as a background to their social media these days “Shit is a preset”.states Middleton in his typically sardonic way as the lyrics go on to slate songs of today “shit bands singing shit songs they’re everywhere”, but no-one escapes “but even good bands are singing shit songs these days” and typically tongue in cheek self deprecatingly suggests recording a shit song in tribute… Fantastic.
Three Out of Four – Rain
Hailing from the Scottish Borders (no pun intended), Three Out of Four follow up their 2022 single Heroin with this highly intoxicating single. “This song is about how anxiety can creep up on you like the weather. How a few spots of “rain” can turn very quickly into a crashing thunderstorm“. The initial insistency of the drums feels like an out of control heartbeat, before the rich reverberations of the resounding guitars kick in as the song reaches its cacophonus conclusion.
Los Dedos – The Hunt
How can you not love The Hunt? Classic surf rock guitar stylings from Bristol trio Los Dedos, sweepingly cinematic, Link Wray would be proud. Get off yer arse and dance!
Samuel Nicholson – West Coast Feeling
New single from Samuel Nicholson, (also a member of Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something) is this goose bump inducing, emotion packed, gut wrenched open, heart on sleeve rollercoaster. The sheer emotion is bursting through this impassioned vocal.
Rowsie – Makeshift Grave
Talking of impassioned pleas, Makeshift Grave from Rowsie is a fervently sincere anti-war commentary on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine with all proceeds of the sale of the single on Bandcamp going to the British Ukraine appeal.
Jody & the Jerms – Insatiable
Jody & the Jerms play a couple of Scottish dates early next month – May 3rd in Leith Depot, Edinburgh and on the 4th in Slouch, Glasgow. Expect to hear them play this voraciously catchy single.
Emi Li – Roller Derby
We’ve had pinups & burlesque meets rockabilly, so why not some pure pop beats meets roller derby from Sweden…
The Cult – Vendetta X
I’m really enjoying the new material from The Cult, Vendetta X being the latest in their recent slew of singles from their excellent new album Under the Midnight Sun.
Mary Hennessy – Teeth
Teeth is an immediate catchy little indie pop earworm which wastes no time in working its way into your brain and taking up residence. “Something’s stuck in my teeth, will you get it out for me”” sings Hennessey. Something’s stuck in my ears, I’m quite happy for it to stay….
When Rivers Meet – Play My Game
Grace and Aaron make a triumphant return with yet another stonkingly powerful bluesy rock number, set to be an electrifying highlight of their upcoming UK tour.
Bob Vylan -The Delicate Nature (ft Laurie Vincent)
There’s nothing delicate about the dancefloor Chimpizm remix of the Price of Life track featuring Slaves Laurie Vincent. Play it Loud.
Unstuck – Working Man
Hailing from Wexford, this Irish trio create a quirkily upbeat fuzzed up indie pop noise, with some surprises along the way, the song brings nothing but joy despite the mundanity of the subject of the song “I’m just working ’til I die”. Great things beckon.
Berries – Control
Berries prove that their superb debut album was only the start with their new single Control. Razor sharp jagged riffs, stabbing bass bristling with belligerence, and combative thumping drums come together in a stinging three pronged attack on the senses.
The Gulps – Surrender
Unintentional juxtapositioning following Control with Surrender! But the Gulps show absolutely no sign of surrender. This time The Gulps go straight for the jugular taking a foot to the floor full on boisterously punchy rock route, almost going down the Hanoi Rocks glam route but maintaining some of their own unique swagger.
Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton – Riders
Samantha Fish joins forces with country guitar supremo Jesse Dayton on this song, the musical equivalent of a road movie with their vocals playing off against each other perfectly, Jesse’s seemingly effortless guitar playing providing a foil for Samantha’s smooth slide guitar.
Scorpio Leisure – Feral Life
Hot on the heels of a triumphant Glasgow gig in The Rum Shack, comes this latest release from Scorpio Leisure. Feral Life sounds exactly as its title suggests, the audio equivalent of prowling the streets late at night, guitars shriek like caterwauling cats, atop a steady pounding rhythm, while Hettie seduces your eardrums with her tantalisingly alluring vocal. Give us an album soon!