It’s a double feature this week, with ten artists to get excited about, from riot grrrl punk to ambient, explorer pop. The net has been cast wide so there’s something for everyone here.
Lunar Sounds – Reputation
Leeds riot grrrl band Lunar Sounds released their debut official single this week, titled ‘Reputation’. A three-piece comprised of Chesca Henderson-Cox, Anna Reed and Caris Shekell, Lunar Sounds create chunky, punk music with a bite much harsher than you could imagine. ‘Reputation’ focuses in on the idea of how men view women in modern dating, with women feeling the need to portray an ideal version of themselves. Lunar Sounds callout app and hookup culture, with a barefaced attack of gritty guitar riffs that breath true punk energy.
Gengahr – Everything & More
The London group are back, this time with their 3rd LP announcement and lead single ‘Everything & More’. The whispy guitars of John Victor return in full force on ‘Everything & More’ as Felix Bushe slowly creeps in with his eclectic vocals, making that signature Gengahr sound, with even more excitement. The expansion into math rock that has been uprooted by the dramatics of White Lies indie rock is truly spectacular, leaving nothing but excitement for “Sanctuary” next year.
VIVIE ANN – Euphoria
Taken from her “When The Harbour Becomes The Sea” LP, Hamburg’s VIVIE ANN made quite the scene after shooting the video for ‘Euphoria’. During the fictional interrogation of herself, VIVIE ANN brings her inner demons to the surface, revealing a multitude of different faces lying behind the pop artist and her work. Ending with VIVIE ANN finding a bullet in her skull, the German pop artist at the time, had no time for her prosthetics to be removed, so left to get a train with the fake bullet hole still on her forehead.
Low Island – Long Answer
An achievement of algorithmic thinking, London’s Low Island are a Jackson Pollock painting turned into music. Low Island are a group who the longer you listened to their work, the more ideas and influences come pouring out of their work. ‘Long Answer’ is a never-ending expanse of colour, transfusing from jazz, funk, to indie pop and post house, tropical pop and more, all while blending together in complete unison for an explosion of magnificent genre unification.
Luna Rosa – MK Ultra
The Northamptonshire group follow up ‘I In The Centre Of Pride’ with the equally bold and straight forward ‘MK Ultra’. “It’s a song about being trapped inside your own head and only having the voices within to speak to, but still managing to have faith and try to move forward” Luna Rosa tell us. Balancing together gritty, unfiltered rock riffs, with the harsh reality of punks lyricism, ‘MK Ultra’ uses it’s anthemic, marching call of a chorus to send Luna Rosa hurtling towards the future as one of rocks brightest new names.
FHAT – Packin’
A middle finger to misogyny, and those who think it’s their birthright to objectify women, pop duo FHAT turn the world on its edge with new single ‘Packin”. The Berlin/LA residents just filled the voguing floors the world over with ‘She Can’t Love You’ and now ‘Packin” is ready to have the world question its morales. Making men the objectified on ‘Packin’, FHAT remains respectable on the topic, while blasting disco beats and a sinking bass hook that deserves no other reaction than a full-on meltdown, collective yaas and a full-on dance routine.
Rina Mushonga – Cassiopeia
The Dutch-Zimbabwean released her sophomore LP, In A Galaxy, earlier this year and is now ready with new material, sharing ‘Cassiopeia’ with us. Utilising her dual-heritage throughout all of her music, ‘Cassiopeia’ is no different, with natural African rhythms and European creativity bleeding through every moment of the track. Mushonga always brings unrivalled confidence with her work, but ‘Cassiopeia’ is an unshakeable behemoth of lucid, synthpop; filled with the energy and free-flowing nature of Africa and the boundary-pushing style of mainland Europe’s pop music.
Julien Baker – Tokyo
The moment that a sense of unfamiliarity awakens Julien Baker on ‘Tokyo’, is the instant that the Tennessee star reminds us all why she’s one of the leading forces in crafting beautifully solemn folk-pop. ‘Tokyo’ begins as a slowly changing day, hopeful with the chance of change, before the rain clouds of Julien Baker slowly fill up the sky. But much like rain-filled skies singing you to sleep, Baker crafts another lullaby for the emotionally restless, allowing the broken and worried minds of the world, to fall peacefully into the comforting solemness of her music.
Orouni – The Lives Of Elevators
A Parisian group, Orouni craft cinematic pop cast through the lens of an 80’s VHS player, capturing grainy, poetic pop music with a delightfully nostalgic sound to it. On ‘The Lives Of Elevators’, Orouni tells the tale of an employee stuck in an elevator for 41 hours, capturing the brief glimpses of interaction and desperation during this time. While Ange Leccia’s video work depicts bustling New York carrying on outside, Orouni slowly picks their nostalgic, cheery sound apart, as the growing fear of their narrative sinks in for what feels like an independent film we all should have seen.
Kylie Spence – Walk Away
Having spent a portion of her youth mastering her songwriting skills due to illness, Montana’s Kylie Spence, is a highly welcomed new face to the world of dark, neo-pop music. Having already amassed over 1 million streams to date through previous singles and collaborations, Spence is hardly a newcomer, but a breathe of fresh air to her genre. ‘Walk Away’ is straight forward in narrative, making the decision to walk away from someone leading you on, but Spence’s warped house/EDM beats mirror that of Lorde during her early moments before exploding into the forefront of everyones mind.
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