The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
It has been a strange week on this small blue dot we call Earth. Music seems to have dominated the conversation with regard to many news stories of the week – from performances at the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris to Charli XCX calling US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris “brat”. So, if you are looking for some incredible new tracks to distract you from the chaotic nature of the world at present, look no further than The Big Indie Playlist this week.
As festival season reaches its peak, this week’s new music releases offer an incredibly diverse range of sounds to fit your own summer vibe. From established stars like Nick Cave and A Certain Ratio to promising young stars like Australian punks Gut Health, there is truly something for everybody this week. We also witnessed the long-awaited return of Gillian Welch, who unveiled ‘Empty Trainload Of Sky’, the first original composition by Welch and her partner David Rawlings since 2011’s The Harrow & the Harvest.
The past week has also been particularly good for fans of more left-field sounds, as Swedish composer and master of concept albums, Sven Wunder, unveiled ‘Free Time’ alongside San Diego jazz-rock collective Drumetrics. Japanese noise project Merzebow also resurfaced this week with the release of the captivating soundscape ‘Inside Richard Serra Sculptures’ created in collaboration with Pedro Vian.
There have been more than a few notable album releases over the past seven days, including particularly good releases from Crack Cloud and Humanist. So, if you’re in for a longer listening experience, head over to this week’s Alternative Album Chart, but if you’re after some quick hits of musical excellence, take a deep dive into the wide-reaching, genre-defying, Big Indie Playlist.
The best new music of the week:
Track of the week
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘Long Dark Night’: There are some things in life that will, most likely, never change: the sun rising in the East and setting in the West, old people being threatened by new trends in youth culture, and Nick Cave’s innate ability to absolutely break your heart. On this newly unveiled track, ‘Long Dark Night’, Cave takes his cues from the 16th-century Spanish poet St. John of the Cross, creating a sombre track which is imbued with a sense of timelessness.
This track is certainly the strongest effort to be released from the upcoming album Wild God, due to arrive on August 30 via PIAS. It might have been inspired by a centuries-old Spanish poem. Cave’s track follows many of the conventions of country music. While a cynical listener might accuse the Australian songwriter of jumping on the current wave of country hysteria, Cave has been a follower of the genre for decades, and that fact is reflected in the polished excellence of ‘Long Dark Night’. [4.5/5]
Instant Classics – The biggest new releases of the week
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – ‘Empty Trainload Of Sky’: On their first original composition since 2011, Welch and Rawlings demonstrate their penchant for deeply personal songwriting and compelling performance. A journey through their clear adoration of folk and country music, ‘Empty Trainload Of Sky’ is the perfect accompaniment to a summer’s evening, even if you don’t reside on a ranch in the rural United States. [4/5]
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – ‘Hog Calling Contest’: It is a wonder that the musicians behind King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard ever get a chance to sleep. Over the course of their 14-year reign, the Australian band has released an awe-inspiring amount of material which rarely falters in quality. The bizarre new single ‘Hog Calling Contest’ continues that quality, evoking the sounds of old-school surf rock psychedelia mixed with their usual sense of humour. [4/5]
Tess Parks – ‘Koalas’: An emotionally charged effort from the psychedelic vocalist, ‘Koalas’ is the latest single to be released from Parks’ upcoming record Pomegranate, due out later this year. By now, the compelling nature of Parks’ vocals should come as no real surprise, but this new track still manages to build excitement for the upcoming release. [4/5]
Dummy – ‘Nine Clean Nails’: Los Angeles avant-pop outfit Dummy continue to spread the gospel of indie rock reinvention on their latest track ‘Nine Clean Nails’. The longer you listen, the more intricacies and curiosities you hear in the seemingly simple indie-pop anthem, encapsulating the unsuspecting brilliance of the band’s songwriting. [3.5/5]
Hinds – ‘Superstar’: The new era of Spanish indie rock duo Hinds seems to be going from strength to strength. ‘Superstar’ offers some variety from the other singles released by the pair recently, swapping sun-soaked optimism for something a little more varied in its approach. Starting off quite downbeat, Hinds soon take us on a motivating journey of guitar-led rock that compliments the summer months perfectly. [3/5]
Yannis & The Yaw – ‘Rain Can’t Reach Us’: It is virtually impossible to separate the distinctive vocals of Yannis Philippakis from the music of Foals, but the tracks released from this upcoming collaboration between Philippakis and the late, great Tony Allen offer a captivating insight into what might happen if Foals diversified their sound somewhat. [3/5]
On the rise – New releases to note this week
A Certain Ratio – ‘Clockwork Orange’: Not long after the release of the incredible studio album It All Comes Down To This, Mancunian musical icons A Certain Ratio have returned with this Speedy Wunderground-released slice of electronic excellence. Taking its title from the classic novel by Anthony Burgess, ACR captures the violence and unpredictability of the source material while updating it for the digital age. [4/5]
Show Me The Body – ‘CREEP’: A dark, abrasive, and excellent offering from the greatest post-hardcore group currently in operation. Created alongside Texan rapper B L A C K I E, ‘CREEP’ blends the adrenaline-fueled sounds of hardcore punk with the infectious nature of hip-hop. The only complaint is that it is not longer. [4/5]
Flora Hibberd – ‘Canopy’: With a grandiose quiver to her voice in a style not dissimilar to Aldous Harding, Flora Hibberd brings a quirky essence to her new folk ditty. A beautiful arrangement showcases her compositional class. [4/5]
Gut Health – ‘Cool Moderator’: Following their incredibly successful tour of Europe, Melbourne-based post-punk outfit Gut Health have returned with this striking new track, ‘Cool Moderator’. Featuring the distinctive attitude of frontwoman Athina Uh Oh and backed with diverse instrumentation, the track offers some great promise from the young band. [3.5/5]
Alien Nosejob – ‘Bird Strike’: The first track to be released from Turns the Colour of Bad Shit, the new album from Jake Robertson’s one-man DIY project. Blending punk and hardcore with synth and a strangely ghoulish saxophone, Robertson once again refuses to adhere to the conventions of only one genre at a time, and the results speak for themselves. [3.5/5]
Bonança – ‘Cereais’: The vibrancy of the indie rock scene in Portugal has been something of a well-kept secret outside of its home nation, but that is beginning to change thanks to incredible musicians like Bonança. The Queluz-based artist’s latest offering mixes indie romanticism with defiant garage rock influences to create something as infectious as it is sonically diverse. [3.5/5]
James Alexander Bright – ‘Cool Cool’: The title track from Bright’s newly released album, via Athens Of The North, is a stripped-back, intimate offering from the Hampshire-based musician and songwriter. His voice is as tender as ever, and ‘Cool Cool’ provides an opportunity to hear Bright away from his usual surroundings. [3/5]
Flat Party – ‘Shotgun’: London six-piece Flat Party take the pop sensibilities of mid-2010s indie and drags them kicking and screaming into the present day. ‘Shotgun’ is a fun jaunt through guitar-led indie rock which occasionally hints at something a little more profound just below the surface. [3/5]
Orla Gartland – ‘The Hit’: Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland announced her second studio album this week, and was generous enough to treat audiences to the first single from it, ‘The Hit’. Exemplifying Gartland’s vocal proficiency and the openness of her songwriting, the new single succeeds in building anticipation for the release of Everybody Needs A Hero. [3/5]
First spin – Debut single of the week
Georgian – ‘Big Lips in Leather’: Manchester-based artist Georgian, this week unveiled their first official release ‘Big Lips in Leather’; a brooding, retro-inspired love song which hints at something a little darker. While the influences of groups like Wolf Alice are explicit, to say the least, the song does offer a lot of promise of what is to come from the talented vocalist and her equally talented backing band. [3.5/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds
Pedro Vian, Merzebow – ‘Inside Richard Serra Sculptures’: A 40-minute field recording split into two parts, this industrial noise soundscape spearheaded by Merzebow is complemented by the ambient melodies of Vian. Reportedly, the pair created the abstract track by placing microphones inside sculptures by Richard Serra before mixing in their own compositions. You certainly won’t hear anything else like it this week. [4.5/5]
Sven Wunder & Drumetics – ‘Free Time’: Swedish composer Sven Wunder is among the most exciting jazz artists currently on the scene, and this newly released collaboration with San Diego collective Drumetics does a lot to bolster that reputation. Imbued with the unique sounds of Anatolian folk and psychedelia, Wunder’s usual jazz-funk style takes on multiple new layers on ‘Free Time’. [4.5/5]
Exclusive Os Cabides – ‘Siris Paradinhos Em Um Cantinho Bem de Boa’: Rarely does a constant switch-up of arrangements and time structures seem so seamless. This group from Florianopolis, Brazil, make the song seem like a day at the beach, with the tune changing along with shifts in the vista before you. [4/5]
Claude Fontaine – ‘Vaqueiro’: The lead track from the California-based vocalist’s upcoming record La Mer, ‘Vaqueiro’ features a genre-defying mix of Latin jazz, retro yé-yé pop and modern sensibilities. Fontaine’s voice is captivatingly ethereal, commanding your attention and transporting you to the sandy shores of a tropical island far away. [4/5]
