10. The Roadside Bandits Project -Wastelands
Soon after the incredibly successful release of their critically acclaimed self titled debut album, The Roadside Bandits Project have arrived with a new single featuring The King’s Pistol vocalist Julian Casewell. ‘Wastelands’ is an emblematic classic rock tune that’s got an irresistible electric guitar solo, an emphatically delivered vocal performance, and a luscious soundscape that combines a myriad of different sounds all loosely under the general umbrella of rock music.
The single also features renowned guest musicians, such as Jamiroquai’s keyboard player Matt Johnson on electric piano, Noel Gallagher, Adele and Sting bass player Mark Neary and drummer Daniel Delgado. At close to six minutes long, it doesn’t bore you one bit. Replete with little moments that constantly make you perk your ears up, its a testament to how magical rock music production has evolved over the years. The Roadside Bandits Project are one such group who are unrelenting in their ability to create a multitude of wondrous moments in one. Any fan of classical rock music would do well to check Wastelands out.
9. Elkvillla – Just kids
The solo project of Adam Dudek, an Australian singer-songwriter based in Berlin, elkvilla is every bit as exciting as his background might suggest. The indie folk duet with a summer vibe reminiscing about youth, young love and the need to move on from each other was recorded in both of Adam’s homes across the globe. It’s a darker indie folk tune that still carries with it an air of upliftment and positive nostalgia.
A mellow, easy-going acoustic driven folk song sung with a honey-dew duet that melodically flow off of each other. It’s got a transient feeling to it that made me reimagine moments from before with rose-tinted glasses. A song that is bound to leave a smile on your face and put you in a better state of mind. If you enjoy acts like Death Cab for Cutie, then Elkvilla’s ‘Just Kids’ is ideal for you.
8. Marc Delgado – The Cautionary Tale of Richard Manuel
Marc Delgado’s latest endeavour is ambitious, a little old-school, and inspired. On the first single of his concept record, he’s pushing storytelling boundaries to tell a tale about coming home. The psychedelic and cinematic single is an immensely immersive experience that takes you through Delgado’s own experience in the form of Richard Manuel. To those unaware, Richard Manuel was the pianist and primary vocalist of one of rock music’s most storied and influential groups — The Band. Although he had an immensely successful career, Manuel’s life was plagued with substance issues and alcoholism. Ultimately, the storied frontman died of suicide just a few hours after a show by the group in 1984.
Delgado’s sing is achingly emotive, perfectly highlighting the struggles and hardships that mental illness and substance abuse can throw over an individual. It’s a song that has wonderful storytelling, undeniable passion, and a message to remember. On top of being inspired by one of my favourite musicians to walk this earth, Marc Delgado’s latest single is a gem for any rock lover who appreciates a touch of storytelling.
7. Carl Adams – To Traverse the Hereafter
Simplicity and relaxation define the first minute of Carl Adams’ synthwave opus ‘To Traverse the Hereafter’. Beginning with a calming beat that lulls you into a false sense of security, Adams takes a sharp turn after a minute to install a drop that gifts the entire song with a luscious cosmic mood. It certainly feels supersonic in scope and mood. At one point it’s subtle and ambient and at another it’s unabashedly euphoric, with a cinematic scope to it. A powerful electronic tune that has waves upon waves of synth layers that just instil a powerful feeling in you as you play it through.
Amazingly, Adams made the song on the spot in two hours time, a testament to the sheer production wizardry he carries with him. The Atlanta based artist is a gift to the electronic scene and I can’t wait for some more exciting tunes on his end.
6. O Connell Brothers – Down on the Quays
A gun blazing folk rocker is exactly the kind of outwardly oxymoronic song descriptions that is bound to perk my ears. The O Connell Brothers have a way with their guitars, creating entire moods and soundscapes by merely playing off each other. The interweaving of their strings is the most obvious highlight of ‘Down on the Quays’, but as the song progresses the larger production soundscape reveals itself to be the folk rocker that t they describe it as.
Developing with a nigh cinematic opulence to it, ‘Down On The Quays’ is a powerful folk piece that incorporates atmospheric production backing to sit behind the wonderful interplay between the acoustics. The vocal harmonies, deep and mellowly reassuring, give the song a rustic feel to it that play into the grandiosity of its folk landscape
5. JEZTLS -Affair
On the outside, JEZTLS’ ‘Affair’ is a wavy and transient tune. But within it lies an experience that is as personal as it is traumatic. For the first time in his life, the producer picked up the mic to provide vocals for his track, and the pain and hurt he unravels is so powerfully written and performed. Speaking on the song, the producer said “Affair to me is such a representative song. I dealt with so much hurt after being assaulted, I spent two weeks stuck in a tiny room in student accommodation in a foreign country. I was so stunned after it happened, it felt like it took a lifetime to fully process – so when I finally got out of bed and pulled up this beat I’d made for another artists session, the truth all fell out.
JEZTLS experience was so impacting that he felt that he was the only person who could speak his own truth. From wanting to work on a collaboration album, he shifted to make a project that was personal and his own. Combining elements of grime and r&b under a production style heavily influenced by the likes of James Blake, it is a truly modern take on the current landscape of hip-hop and pop.
4. Fire Jane – Alien
Alien sounds as futuristic and otherworldly as the name would suggest. Fire Jane’s latest track is a trance inducing EDM house track that is keenly melodic through and through. It tells an age old story of attraction between two outsiders who fight against the odds to stay true to themselves.
To me, Alien is a massive throwback. The raw energy, unbridled and pumping beats that maintain a serene melody take me back to the heyday of EDM in the late 00s and early 10s. It’s got that same core to it, an unending passion for positivity that is just so integral and ingrained into what EDM should be. An ideal song for the dancefloor, for a run, or to just sing to in the shower. Fire Jane has the right idea, and ‘Alien’ is future pop done right.
3. Ferrier – As It Goes
A song for the summer of freedom, ‘As It Goes’, is an alt pop song for the next generation. It’s a breakup song that sounds like you’re falling in love, an oxymoronic blissful experience that can be described as euphoric and melancholic all at once. Ferrier, the Camden based producer and singer-songwriter is another member of the genre defying eclectic sound embracing crop of artists. To him, he feels set apart by his own mental space — he understands that this over emphasis on finding yourself and your own sense of individuality is overblown. At the end of the day, it’s okay to be unsure.
I find both Ferrier’s mindset and music incredibly relatable and appealing. He’s able to combine highs and lows together in a song that makes you want to dance and wallow all at once. Navigating who we are in a space where everyone else seems like they’re on the path to greatness can be difficult, but sometimes music can be the best outlet to reassure you that your time will come and you will understand where your place in the world is. ‘As It Goes’ is fun and solemn, a unique piece of alt-pop that’s bound to have you excited.
2. Lucy Burke – Please Stay
Please Stay is all about amends, restoration, and connection. An impassioned acoustic ode on the desire to reconnect, Lucy Burke’s voice is powerful and wonderfully intonated throughout the song. Her music career is just one facet to her person, with the artist having a true and devout love for animals. The accompanying music video employs the metaphor of dogs that are best mates being unfairly separated, as one is adopted from an illicit dog seller, leaving behind the other. Anyone who has seen the way stray dogs are treated by authorities and regulators would be well aware of this treatment.
The Sydney based singer songwriter has a dreamy voice and powerful presence that lends her the ability to perform softer acoustic tunes to more powerful jazz ones. Influenced by a range of artists from Radiohead to Norah Jones, her music is eclectic and engaging. An act to watch out for in the Australian singer-songwriter space for sure.
1. Lyons – Honeydripper
Honeydripper is the latest single from detroit based rock and roll outfit ‘Lyons’. The group who oscillate between rockabilly revival to modernist alternative pop are quite clearly genre undefined in their style and sounds. They are, however, a powerfully loud and impassioned garage rock influenced outfit that have a rawness to their sound that is strikingly confident and inspired.
With an opening that sounds like a classical blues track out of the 1950s, the almost eccentric and cacophonic midsection features sounds that jump around your speaker waywardly. They describe their sound as what 1950s rock n roll would be if it never became modern rock music, and that couldn’t be more apt. Lyons are just filled with swagger, style, and suave. Even if the music itself might take a moment to digest, that sheer energy and passion for their music is so pointed and creative that they are bound to make a fan out of you.
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