The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
With the World Cup kicking off in Mexico, festival-goers returning drenched from Barcelona’s Primavera Sound, and even more festival-goers getting drenched at Download Festival, this past week has been a rather momentous one, the highlights of which are, as always, catalogued here, in The Big Indie Playlist.
If you are looking for the perfect soundtrack to the World Cup, look towards our extensive list of artistic representatives from each competing nation. For those who are already growing tired of the footballing focus of the coming few weeks, we cannot promise that the ‘beautiful game’ bears no influence on the musical offerings of this week, but it is far from being a main focus – we promise.
There is, after all, plenty to get excited about, even if you don’t care about football. For instance, the music offerings of this week include names as legendary as Jack White, Interpol, and former Beastie Boy Mike D, among various others. While the Big Indie Playlist covers artists big and small, it does seem as though the past seven days have been particularly productive for the big-hitters of the alternative music world.
Elsewhere, Leeds’ most promising newcomer, Cyclist, unveils its debut EP, while Brighton up-and-comers Lemonsuckr similarly unleash a new direction on their EP, which is sure to blow any remaining cobwebs from these summer months.
You should all know the drill by now, but to avoid any doubt, this weekly round-up does not discriminate by genre. Whether it’s indie, garage punk, experimental noise, or infectious tropical funk, everything is considered here. In short, if it’s worth listening to, it is here.
Must-hear: The best new releases of the week
Ty Segall – ‘Black Paint’: There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes, and a new Ty Segall album on the horizon. The announcement of the garage rock hero’s new record, Chrome, comes complete with a fittingly energetic shot of his fuzzy guitar-fueled mastery, in the form of ‘Black Paint’, which ranks second on a list of songs about black paint. [4.5/5]
Jack White – ‘Dollar Bill’: Another garage rock veteran with a discography that seemingly cannot be halted, Jack White announced a surprise new album this week – as he is wont to do – and the single ‘Dollar Bill’ is an excellent meeting point between the old and new-school of White’s output, blending Lazeretto-esque blues references with the sonic spirit of his old days in the White Stripes. [4.5/5]
Mike D – ‘True Colors’: If you are coming into Mike D’s new solo single expecting a Beastie Boys-esque jaunt of youthful energy, you will be sorely disappointed. Nevertheless, its psychedelic tinges and stripped-back sound certainly hint at some interesting, innovative ideas in the producer’s head, building anticipation for the full release, due out in August. [3.5/5]
Interpol – ‘See Out Loud’: Post-punk poster boys Interpol are among the many veteran favourites returning this week, opting for a much brighter, more upbeat sound than their moody origins on new single ‘See Out Loud’, the first to be taken from This Mirror Weighs A Ton. [3.5/5]
The Mountain Goats – ‘Shallow Grave’: Indie favourites The Mountain Goats continue their string of excellent new singles with this unassuming yet incredible, endearing storytelling song that exists somewhere between Jonathan Richman, Squeeze, and the Goats’ fan favourite material from back in the 2000s. [4/5]
Future Utopia – ‘The Wire’: Providing the week’s prescription for synth-fueled indie pop, Future Utopia’s newly announced record, Being Human, arrives with this earworm of a single, harking back to the synth-pop of the early 1980s and enmeshing it within their own distinctive Fraser T. Smith-styled pop. [3/5]
Show Me The Body – ‘Eat For Peace’: Turning the energy up, post-hardcore heroes Show Me The Body go back to their roots on new single ‘Eat For Peace’, a driving hardcore punk firecracker with a fittingly grimy bassline and enough infectious adrenaline to fuel a particularly chaotic moshpit. [4/5]
Lemonsuckr – ‘Rugrat’: The old band-name of Brighton’s Lemonsuckr lives on in this new single, taken from their brilliantly confrontational Life is a Heist EP, reaffirming beyond any doubt why the group are rapidly establishing themselves among the most exciting new groups in the ever-expanding music scene of seaside Brighton. [4/5]
Cyclist – ‘lennie is a punk’: Scarcely a week goes by without a masterful new release emerging from Leeds’ music scene, but few of them are quite as exciting as Cyclist’s debut EP, popular appeal, on which ‘lennie is a punk’ is a notable highlight for its fuzzy, rough-around-the-edges slacker rock energy, succeeding in creating an atmosphere which is difficult not to get swept up in. [4.5/5]
Mary In The Junkyard – ‘Mouse’: A brooding, Bronte-esque landscape of hushed vocals and gentle rhythms usher in the latest effort from London’s Mary In The Junkyard, on which the beauty of Clari Freeman-Taylor’s voice is placed firmly centre-stage. [3.5/5]
Horse Lords – ‘Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!’: You could mistake the introduction to this song for a ringtone, but stay with it. These scattered synth and bell sounds eventually find a rhythm, and once they do, bass and drums kick in, and a funk-infused foot tapper ensues. A relatively repetitive beat has sections taken away and added over these upbeat eight minutes to make what is a pretty infectious title track. [3/5]
Sylvan Esso – ‘Hot Slob’: Channelling the kind of thing you’d hear through the toilet door of a dive bar as you splash water on your face, Sylvan Esso has really knocked it out of the park with ‘Hot Slob’. A combination of punk, indie and rock, it’s melodic, chaotic, and a joy to listen to from start to finish. [3.5/5]
Oral Habit – ‘Chekhov’: Don’t think that you have this song sussed out, you don’t. This indie rock banger comes equipped with changes in rhythm, structure and tempo. Oral Habit packs a hell of a lot into a three and a half minute track, so much so that a lot of other bands would collapse when faced with the challenge, but ‘Chekhov’ is a great listen. [4.5/5]
YELKA – ‘Roll Over’: From their newest album, Jeans, ‘Roll Over’ is a lovely track that allows a smooth instrumental to cut through it like a knife. It’s hard to describe it as anything other than a nice listen, as the music is sweet, the vocals are stunning, and the track is tricky to pick fault with. [3.5/5]
Sorcha Richardson – ‘Illinois Again’: This is a song made for road trips, and not just because the opening line sings of Four Wheel Drive. The continuous melody, descriptive lyrics and catchy chorus require a window down, an arm outside, and the music turned up loud. [3/5]
Off the Beaten Track: Left-field sounds
Dulce Neves – ‘T’chuba T’chiba’: For those who are still unaware of the incredible rhythms of Afro Zouk and the Gumbe style of West Africa, Paris’ Hot Casa Records have this week announced a seven-inch reissue of Dulce Neves’ 2007 masterpiece ‘T’chuba T’chiba’, a song which has yet to lose any of its dancefloor-filling prowess. [4/5]
Demz Fyah – ‘Revelation’: An incredible instalment of Names You Can Trust’s Swing-A-Ling series, this seven-inch slice of reggae excellence captures multi-instrumentalist Demz Fyah at their best, armed with a Wurlitzer organ and enough grooving reggae rhythm to keep a soundsystem crowd dancing in the sunshine. [4/5]
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