Photo: Press
It's been a massive day for new releases with War On Drugs and QOTSA having new albums out. It's also been great to see new music from Beck and Jesus and Mary Chain. Then there's some truly exciting twisted techno from Machine Woman and perfect, off-kilter pop from Ardyn and more to dig through. Enjoy listening and enjoy Bank Holiday.
Beck – 'Dear Life'
Taken from his eagerly anticipated new album, Colors – the thirteenth of his career – Beck’s new track, ‘Dear Life’ is an upbeat, piano-driven track taking listeners back to the vintage simplicity of his debut, Losers. Mixed by Serban Ghenea and Beck himself, the song is lyrically distinctive, imaginative and ridiculously catchy. As with anything made by Beck, it’s perfectly-judged and timely. Cool snatches of harmony are balanced alongside a jaunty, drunken low-fi piano. Scuzzy rifts and ethereal harmonies top off a track that leaves us excited for the album’s release on October 13th. (LA)
Jesus and Mary Chain – 'The Two of Us feat. Sky Ferreira'
Listening to this, you wouldn’t think The Jesus and Mary Chain had been away for 19 years. Teaming up with Sky Ferreia on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, the band have collaborated again, this time to record a fresh version of ‘The Two of Us’, originally featuring Isobel Campbell on the album. Sixties like, the distorted riffs and rock n roll sounds of William Reid complement the uplifting, delicate vocals of Ferreira perfectly. Entirely uplifting and gloriously upbeat, this is the perfect antidote for the world-weary. (LA)
Listen to it here
Queens of the Stone Age – 'Hideaway'
The American rockers released their latest album, Villains, last night on the back of single successes ‘The Way You Used To Do’ and ‘The Evil has Landed.’ ‘Hideaway’ is, in our opinion, one of the most interesting on the album. Adding dark synths to their favoured guitar heavy songs helps to create some sexy, gloom-ridden psychedelia. It’s a troubling song, one about an addictive relationship that’s all a bit predatory.
The protagonist is gloriously dark: “you’ll stay fast and lonely,” he says. “New prey, soft and easy, tangled forever in my arms / You’ll feel love,” he ominously tells the object of his desires. Mixing the best of QOTSA with some sultry synths results in one of the best tracks on the album. (LA)
War on Drugs – 'Holding On'
Philadelphia’s finest channel Springsteen on ‘Holding On’, one of the standout tracks from new album A Deeper Understanding. Combining more classic American-roots rock and pop, it’s a distinctive move away from their earlier experimental style. This is certainly a track for cynical times – it’s hard for the listener not to be swept along on their joyous tidal wave of Born to Run like xylophones, drums and uplifting, vintage sounding 80’s synths. A song with earworm written all over it. (LA)
The Ninth Wave, Demob Happy remix – 'Reformation'
Collaborating with Demob Happy, The Ninth Wave’s latest track, ‘Reformation’ is based on the idea of self-worth and finding a place to fit in. According to Hayden from the band, the song is about “wishing you could be made into a better version of yourself, but being too focussed on your own self destruction to let anybody actually help you.”
The remix is more otherworldly with ethereal vocals that ascend to a powerful climax. Left-right sound switching makes for a ghostly, haunting delicacy creating a sense of unease. “It deals with the problem of needing to confirm to a set out plan, a life of expectancy and the way that things should be done just because that’s what everyone else does or says,” Hayden further explains. The stunning track is included on the band’s forthcoming Reformation EP out on September 22nd. (LA)
Ardyn - 'Throwing Stones'
‘Throwing Stones’ by brother and sister duo Ardyn is a master class of the less-is-more school of thought. This is, in part, down to producer Tourist and his delicate, but stark, electronic flourishes, juxtaposed with Katy’s rich and warming vocals. Imagine Kate Bush bring remixed by, well, Tourist and you’re on the right track. Chugging synth stabs keep things ticking over, while soaring vocals float above it like fog, playing into Kate Bush’s imagery again. Expect big things from Katy and Rob Pearson if they continue create music of this beauty and clarity. (NR)
Machine Woman - 'Camile From OHM Makes Me Feel Loved'
Bouncers very rarely get written about, and when they do it’s generally in a negative light. Anastasia Vtorova AKA Machine Woman has decided to write a minimal techno ode to her favourite one on her latest EP ‘When Lobster Comes Home’. "Everyone always talks about Sven from Berghain," says Anna. "But everyone should talk about Camile from OHM". 'Camile From OHM Makes Me Feel Loved' is just over four minutes of dark and twisted techno that makes me long for basement clubs with bone shattering sound systems and a friendly face on the way in and out. ‘When Lobster Comes Home’ is released on August 25th through Technicolour Records. (NR)
Cristobal And The Sea - 'Steal My Phone'
What happens if you mix Portugal, Spain, France, Egypt, America and London? Cristobal and the Sea of course! Their bossa-indie music is infectious, almost impossible to ignore and incredibly danceable. About the video for ‘Steal My Phone’ the band said "We decided to release some tension. We also fancied a little dancing, a little homage to all those cheesy 90's MTV videos we all grew up watching. Unfortunately, it just came to proof that none of the boys on the band can dance. Leila was stellar, though.” ‘Steal My Phone’ sounds like Django Django covering Gorillaz. And ultimately who doesn’t want to hear, or dance to, that? (NR)
