The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
Another week has been and gone, and the relentless march of the music industry continues. Whether you’re hiding from spring showers or embracing the earliest emergence of this year’s festival season, a fantastic soundtrack awaits you, courtesy of The Big Indie Playlist.
As is to be expected when the world of independent music is gearing up for a long summer of tireless festivals, underground gigs, and showcases, it has been a bumper week for new releases. Here, we aim to share the greatest new tracks of the past seven days, which is why you won’t find the newly unveiled singles by The Strokes or The Rolling Stones included here, because they’re awful.
Instead, we bring you a selection of releases by old favourites like The Mountain Goats, and rip-roaring new discoveries from the likes of Smuj, Hutch, and Artificial Go, to name only a few.
Despite the name of this weekly round-up, all genres are considered under the umbrella of the Big Indie Playlist, and this week’s edition is a particularly expansive example, spanning the spectrum from experimental no wave to old-school Jamaican reggae.
So, whether you’re in need of some tunes for a laid-back weekend in the sunshine, or simply need something to fill the void in between sets at this week’s Great Escape festival, we’ve got you covered.
Must-hear: The best new music of the week:
The Mountain Goats – ‘Charlie Sheen Reaches Out to the Feds’: With the announcement of an upcoming new album, Days, offbeat indie heroes The Mountain Goats treat us all to this endearing and unsuspectingly catchy track named after the former Two and a Half Men star and the current state of Hollywood. [4.5/5]
Show Me The Body – ‘No God’: If you’re looking to relieve some tension, look no further than this brilliantly cathartic post-hardcore assault from New York’s Show Me The Body, whose discography continues to evolve, thrashing and screaming, ahead of their upcoming record Alone Together, due out in July. [4/5]
Smuj – ‘1234’: High octane garage rock with a runtime of less than 90 seconds (just as the punk gods intended), this energetic earworm from the Newcastle-based outfit comes fresh from the new double-EP cassette release on Leeds’ Shooting Tzars label, a key pillar of West Yorkshire’s ever-expanding scene. [3.5/5]
ShellShock – ‘Step Aside’: Ushering in a summer of mosh pit injuries and the realisation that an entirely black wardrobe doesn’t pair well with the sunshine, Virginia’s Punk Valley Records introduce us to ShellShock, the surf punk heroes who hail from Brăila, Romania, and can thrash out a tune at a moment’s notice, if this masterful opening track is anything to go by. [4/5]
Artificial Go – ‘Triple Ones’: Angular DIY art pop with a certain no wave flavour and some compelling vocals courtesy of lead singer Angie Willcutt, Cincinnati’s Artificial Go exemplify their penchant for sonic growth on this new single, due out as a seven-inch via Carpark Records next month. [3.5/5]
Rhododendron – ‘Family Photo’: Reject the bright skies of spring by immersing yourself in this darkly mysterious, experimental offering from Portland’s plant-loving Rhododendron – taken from the tracklisting of their new record, Ascent Effort – which explodes into a righteous fury before sinking back into a brooding bassline. [3.5/5]
Alison Cotton – ‘Sprigs of Heather’: For a less abrasive listening experience, Alison Cotton’s pulchritudinous new offering, reaffirming her credentials as an incredibly emotive vocalist and avant-folk composer, evokes the feeling of strolling through wide-open moorlands or the ruins of an old church – both of which are worthwhile activities, if you happen to be in need of weekend plans. [4/5]
Guantanamo Baywatch – ‘Jungle Bride’: Existing in an unpinnable position on the spectrum between The Cramps, The B-52s, and the kind of bizarre rockabilly tracks you uncover in your grandparents’ record collections, Portland’s Guantanamo Baywatch new record, Darling…It’s Too Late, marks a much-needed resurgence in off-the-wall garage surf and rockabilly, and ‘Jungle Bride’ is a particular highlight. [3.5/5]
LIFE – ‘Wild Grasses’: Hull’s veteran alt-rock outfit LIFE appear to be drawing from the retro-styled sounds of fellow Yorkshire outfit The Human League on this synth-led new single, the third to be released from the upcoming ABSTRACT / NATURAL LP, via EMI North, offering a new interpretation of their distinctive sound. [3/5]
Marcia Griffiths – ‘How To Love Again’: A new single from bona fide reggae legend Marcia Griffiths was not on my cards for this week, but rarely are surprises as welcome as on this sun-soaked, summer-ready slice of off-beat optimism. Over 60 years on from her first recordings, Griffiths is still going strong – perhaps she could teach The Rolling Stones a thing or two… [3.5/5]
Soft Top – ‘Not Enough’: Brighton’s Soft Top, on the fourth single released from their upcoming debut, reiterate their knack for soft indie songwriting, albeit far more intimate and introspective than on their previous releases. [3/5]
Hutch – ‘Taking Your Time’: Another indicator that Brighton is the key destination on the musical map this week, Hutch offer up ‘Taking Your Time’, a fittingly jangly, psych-slanted EP which is befitting of its flowery artwork, and seems tailor-made for open-air sets in the summer breeze. [3/5]
Off the Beaten Track – Leftfield sounds:
Tamikrest – ‘Inizdjam’: Crafting a beautiful desert blues soundscape on their new album, Assikel, Tinzawaten’s Tamikrest pay faithful homage to the Tuareg tradition while simultaneously injecting the style with some analogue rock and roll brilliance, as marked by the masterful single ‘Inidzjam’. [4.5/5]
Calibro 35 – ‘Riots’: Milan’s Calibro 35 break away from the giallo sounds of their previous record on ‘Riots’, a high-energy crime thriller of a track, set to feature in the documentary flick Ellroy vs L.A., which demonstrates the band’s unparalleled aptitude for creating cinematic, funk-fueled records without losing the soul of their sound. [3.5/5]
Luchito & Néstor – ‘Day Tripper’: Just when you think there are enough Beatles covers in this world, London’s Original Gravity unveil this Latin boogaloo-fueled rendition of the Fab Four’s timeless 1965 single, with Luchito and Néstor expertly demonstrating the endless appeal of those Afro-Cuban rhythms and the lasting genius of the Lennon-McCartney partnership. [4/5]
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.