The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week, curated by Holly Head
Against all the odds, we have survived another week here on planet Earth. ‘What is our reward?’ I hear you cry. Well, if the Big Indie Playlist is any indication, then your reward comes in the form of another week’s worth of incredible new music.
After a bumper week of heavy-hitters in last week’s playlist, with new efforts from the likes of Jack White, The Mountain Goats, and Beastie Boys alum Mike D, this week was one for the little guys. A reassuringly excellent week for the up-and-comers suggests that the global music scene is as strong as it has ever been. From East LA and Thee Sinseers, to Manchester and Holly Head, the past seven days have witnessed countless groundbreaking releases from across the globe, and across the spectrum of genres.
On the topic of Holly Head, the Mancunian outfit – specifically frontman Joe Moss – has been kind enough to curate a section of this week’s playlist, highlighting some of their favourite releases from recent weeks, and giving an invaluable insight into the listening habits of one of the most exciting, promising groups in Manchester’s ever-expanding music scene.
You should all know the drill by now, but if it wasn’t obvious already, The Big Indie Playlist provides a home for all genres, and this week is no exception, stretching from intimate folk offerings to adrenaline-fueled noise rock and relishing in every stop along the way. The only barrier for entry is quality, which is why the new single by the band masquerading as The Fall has not been included.
Whether you’re looking to expand your musical horizons or simply need something to keep you occupied while waiting up all hours of the night to watch the World Cup, let this week’s Big Indie Playlist be your guide.
Must-hear: Curated by Holly Head
Wu-Lu – ‘Times’: “This song was essentially the blueprint for Holly Head. We love all the rhythmic elements in his music, and this song in particular, the dynamics are insane, and everything we want to be”.
The Scuttlers – ‘Public Holiday’: “These lot are tight. They have very creative parts, especially in the guitar, and all the instruments intertwine so well with each other. Myer as a front man is so riveting to watch, and it’s certainly a band you should see live”.
Pushbike – ‘Bet You Know’: “This song is the definition of fun and rock and roll. These guys never fail to blow the roof off any venue with the volume they play at, it’s almost worth going deaf just to hear the power from it”.
Elwell – ‘Go Faster’: “Good friends of ours from Leeds. They’re brilliant songwriters, sonically they’re a bit abrasive but in a very pretty way. Making indie cool again, with hints of emo in the mix. Some of the best new music in the country”.
Shaking Hand – ‘Italics’: “Shaking Hand are without a doubt making some of the best music in the UK at the moment. We reckon they’ll come to be a band that’s talked about for a very long time, especially in Manchester music history. Here’s a lighter point in the album in Italics, but their whole debut album really is of the highest quality. Sonically brilliant, beautifully eerie”.
University – ‘Notre Dame Made Of Flesh’: “Break neck, frantic emo from Crewe, just an incredible thing to witness and listen to. They sound like they’ve all drank 17 Monsters each and are transcending into new heights of supercharged heartfelt mayhem”.
Mleko – ‘Tom’s Tune’: “Mleko are not only good friends of ours, but they also write some pretty darn mega tunes. One is Tom’s Tune, filled with great, tender lyrical lines throughout, and the band really uses all of their seven members to weave a beautifully immersive woolly balaclava to put on yourself too. One that soothes the soul”.
The Great Unwashed – ‘I Do Try’: “Serene and sedating like not any other band, let alone a local band, around at the moment or ever really. Salford’s The Great Unwashed really are up there with some of the best post-rock music ever made. We’re real glad to have them right nearby and to have seen them play on our doorstep a load over the last couple years”.
The best new music of the week
Holly Head – ‘I’ve Had Want’: In addition to curating a stellar playlist for us this week, Holly Head also unveiled their latest single, an infectiously driving, melodic offering drawing from multiple different avenues of their expansive pool of influences, from old-school indie to the more abrasive, noise-heavy sounds that have made their live shows so irrefutable. [4.5/5]
Sparks – ‘Whippings and Apologies (Live on the Moon)’: Such is the weird and wonderful world of Sparks that the Mael brothers can release an album recorded ‘Live on the Moon’ and it is accepted as though it were an ordinary occurrence. Regardless of whether this – their first-ever live album – was actually recorded at the Taruntius Crater or not, this newly-released live version of their 1972 track ‘Whippings and Apologies’ is out of this world. [4/5]
Frank Lloyd Wleft – ‘I Have Been In The Desert So Long’: Do not be fooled by his cowboy hat or affected American accent, Frank Lloyd Wleft is London-based, and his latest effort is post-punk-cum-rockabilly odyssey blending lyrics of the Old West with a knowing sense of humour and a particularly enchanting bassline. [3/5]
Alison Cotton – ‘What Were Those Words You Spoke to Me?’: If you’re looking for the most haunting release of the week, look no further. On her fifth LP, The Gods Laugh, Alison Cotton’s avant-garde sensibilities and folk sound come together in a simultaneously beautiful and unsettling way, with the atmospheric, almost pious ‘What Were Those Words You Spoke to Me?’ marking a particular stand-out from the album. [4/5]
The Homesick – ‘Policelessness’: Existing in an unpinnable space between 1970s space disco, The Mighty Boosh, and innovative art-pop, the latest single by Dutch outfit The Homesick would be a rather confusing listening experience, were it not for the fact that its driving groove and contagious energy prevent any deep pondering. [3.5/5]
Mesh – ‘Violent Peasant’: At long last, Philadelphia’s Mesh are gearing up to release their debut album, and the first wonderfully fuzzy garage rock single to be taken from that momentous LP – due out in late July – suggests that the five-year wait was certainly worth it. [4/5]
Celestial Power – ‘Politics of Ecstasy’: A Timothy Leary audio sample provides a fittingly intriguing introduction to this droning post-rock psychedelia, the opening track of a new project by members of Manchester’s Dead Sea Apes and Dave Cambridge of Cardinal Fuzz. As you might expect from that line-up, the track is as heavy as it is mind-expanding. [3/5]
Parks, Squares and Alleys – ‘Alisa’: From one end of the rock spectrum to the other, the latest offering by dreampop veterans Parks, Squares and Alleys provides a fittingly laid-back, sunsoaked soundtrack to these summer months, blending lo-fi shoegaze influences with classic dreampop indie. [3.5/5]
Curiosity Shop – ‘Crows’: While Scotland’s week had been soundtracked by triumphant bagpipes through the streets of Boston, back home Edinburgh-based, Kintyre-born Curiosity Shop opt for a distinctly more downbeat mood, with this gorgeous folk-centric effort, paying homage to the musical heritage of Scotland while also drawing upon their fair share of more contemporary, indie-folk influences. [3.5/5]
Squirrel Flower – ‘Reelin’: Another endearing indie-folk effort to arise from the airwaves this week, ‘Reelin’ coincides with the announcement of a new album by Chicago’s Squirrel Flower, and its vulnerable, intimate performance evokes the voice of Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting confidence of Courtney Barnett. [3/5]
Annabelle Dinda – ‘Whatever You Wanna’: Upbeat acoustic pop courtesy of New York’s Annabelle Dinda, currently on tour with Lola Young, the songwriter proves she is more than a few viral soundbites, creating something that feels rather timeless as well as being infectiously upbeat. [3.5/5]
Off the Beaten Track: Left-field sounds
Thee Sinseers – ‘Let’s Fall In Love (Again)’: On this latest Colemine-released single, Thee Sinseers reaffirm their credentials as the torchholders of contemporary Chicano soul, with ‘Let’s Fall In Love (Again)’ taking the inspiration of those classic sounds and driving them forward into the 21st-century, paying homage to the past without becoming trapped within it. [4.5/5]
The Illusions – ‘Float’: If you weren’t aware that Ibiza-based collective The Illusions deal almost solely in live improvisations, then this funk-fueled journey of soulful Afrobeat influences should confirm that fact. Capturing the spontaneity and funk and soul euphoria of their live shows was never going to be an easy task, but on their debut record Find Your Way, and ‘Float’ most notably, they make it look almost effortless.
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