This week we have collected ten cracking tunes from the past seven days of new releases.
1. Mark Lanegan & Beth Orton – Your Kisses Burn (Marc Almond & Nico cover)
2. Kurt Vile – Pretty Pimpin’
3. Ghetto Ghouls – Hezbollah
4. Nathaniel Rateliff – Look It Here
5. Blossoms – Blown Rose
6. Chelsea Wolfe – Grey Days
7. Mild High Club – Undeniable
8. Fuzz -Pollinate
9. DRINKS – Laying Down Rock
10. Hinds – Chili Town
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Follow @madmackerelPerhaps unusually, this year seemed a better one for albums rather than individual tracks with some fabulous releases over the past twelve months. There were many contenders for our end of year list, but here, after much deliberation, is Part One of our favourites of 2013.
50 Daughn Gibson – Me Moan
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49 The Men – New Moon
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48 Pissed Jeans – Honeys
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47 The Dodos – Confidence
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46 Holograms – Forever
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45 Colleen Green – Sock It To Me
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44 Blank Realm – Go Easy
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43 Night Beds – Country Sleep
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42 Agnes Obel – Aventine
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41 Grass House – A Sun Full And Drowning
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40 The Oblivians – Desperation
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39 Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Any Port In A Storm
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38 No Age – An Object
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37 Public Service Broadcasting – Inform – Educate – Entertain
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36 Cate Le Bon – Mug Museum
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35 Okkervil River – The Silver Gymnasium
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34 John Grant – Pale Green Ghosts
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33 Fuzz – Fuzz
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32 I See Hawks In L.A. – Mystery Drug
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31 Savages – Silence Yourself
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As well as our Top 100 tunes of the year that we’ve posted over the past few days, each of the MM contributors have put together their own lists. The fifth and final instalment is our own.
20. Colleen Green – Heavy Shit
Totally infectious, stoned punk.
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19. Harmed Brothers – Love Song For The Assumed
Mixing folk and bluegrass with a wistful twist of poignant melancholy, Love Song For The Assumed was as sweet and as simple a song of heartbreak and longed for resolution as we heard in the whole year.
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18. Black Angels – Indigo Meadow
Tribal drumming, 60s Hammer-Horror organ, and reverb.
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17. Courtney Barnett – History Eraser
A late entry – deadpan, conversational, charming, funny, literal and literate – a drunken night’s tale told with an upbeat lo-fi jangle and amiable vocal delivery.
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16. Holograms – A Blaze On The Hillside
Most thrilling riff of the year?
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15. John Grant – GMF
One part waspish humour, one part resigned melancholy and one part bitter dislocation. Superb.
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14. Fuzz – Sleigh Ride
Heaviest riff of the year?
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13. Cass McCombs – Big Wheel
Hypnotic, rumbling, country-dirt travelogue.
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12. Dune Rats – Stoner Pop
In a parallel world somewhere, this was the smash hit of the summer.
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11. Blitzen Trapper – Feel The Chill
“That old wreck of a shack buried in evergreen and murky darkness at the bend in the road up on Jackson Hill where we used to drink and never failed to give me a chill driving by in the old Impala for it’s implacable mystery.” That’s where Feel the Chill takes place.
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10. Public Service Broadcasting – Signal 30
Brilliant and mesmerising combination of high octane guitar riffage, retro public information film samples and electro beats.
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9. Parquet Courts – You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now
Stoned and Starving would have been our song of the year, but for its minor self-release in 2012. No matter scrappy, swaggering, nihilistic NY punks Parquet Courts gave us this gem instead. A highlight of their performance at the Green Man festival and our undoubted gig of the year.
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8. Foxygen – No Destruction
We may have lost Lou Reed this year, but his spirit lives on in No Destruction, a natural pretender to his throne, and this song has the best use of “weaseled” in any song we’ve heard.
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7. Wooden Shjips – Everybody Knows
Channeling Neil Young by way of Hawkwind, Wooden Shjips gave us this hypnotically evocative and brilliant slab of psych rock on latest album Back To Land
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6. Terry Malts – I Was Not There
To do simple, balls-to-the-floor, screw-you punk rock this brilliantly well takes real talent. Terry Malts have it.
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5. Big Haunt – Burn Me Up
We received an e-mail. It said, “We are a Portland, Oregon band called Big Haunt. We play spooky, gospel infused big beat indy folk. This is our first single, “Burn Me Up.” It’s a song about ritualistic fire sacrifice and murder. We thought you might like it.“ We did. We liked it very much.
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4. Martha’s Vineyard Ferries – Blonde On Blood
Like the best ever Fall single played at 78rpm. This is, of course, a very good thing indeed.
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3. Low – Plastic Cup
One of those few songs that feels like it could have been written any time in the past 40 years. Timeless is over-used, but this really is that good.
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2. T. Hardy Morris – OK Corral
The sound of a ghost town set to song.
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1. Phosphorescent – Ride on/Right On
While I might be at odds with my shoalmates, this track from Phosphorescent’s peerless Muchacho album was my tune of the year. A little bit of funky rhythm and a whole lot of country grit combined to make the most compelling and enduring song of 2013.
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Best songs we heard this year, but released prior to 2013.
Parquet Courts – Stoned And Starving
A stonewall classic and worthy successors to the currently vacant slacker indie and resigned punk rockers crown.
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Edmund Wayne (with River Giant) – To The Bugs On My Ceiling
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Hank Williams III – Country Heroes
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And The Song We Wished We’d Heard Before We’d Compiled Our Top Twenty
Clara Berry & Wooldog – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
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You can see our favourite cover songs of the year here.
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The countdown of our one hundred favourite tracks of 2013 continues…today we reach halfway as we bring you 75 down to 51.
75 GRMLN – Summer Days
Thrashy, catchy, singalong rock’n’roll with platform shoes and ridiculous flares.
Download GRMLN – Summer Days mp3
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74 Sisters – Clearhead
Here are my shoes. See how I gaze at them. It says 2013 on the label, but I’ve gone back to the early 90s. Lovely. (Mrs M)
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73 Courtney Barnett – History Eraser
Deadpan, conversational, charming, funny, literal and literate – a drunken night’s tale told with an upbeat lo-fi jangle and amiable vocal delivery.
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72 Pickwick – Lady Luck
Gorgeous cover of the Richard Swift tune, and featuring Sharon Van Etten.
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71 Holograms – A Blaze On The Hillside
Most thrilling riff of the year?
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70 Willie Nile – American Ride
The best roadtrip song we’ve heard in many a moon, impassioned and infectious.
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69 Cerny Brothers – Whiskey
Moonshine Americana straight from the back porch.
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68 Mickey Gloss – Are You Happy
Wry social commentary meets punk DIY and garage psychedelia in a distillation of antipodean sun and London melancholia.
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67 Nick Cave – Wide Lovely Eyes
Oh clever, clever Nicholas Cave and his voice so hypnotic, deep and dark. You could imagine this as part of a recruitment drive to join a cult (yes you, with your wide lovely eyes). With a teasing yet subdued musical arrangement, this is the gospel according to St Nick. (Mrs M)
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66 Barbarossa – The Load
A sparse and delicate ballad, undercut by a distorted organ refrain, and constructed around remarkable and tender vocals.
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65 The Orwells – Who Needs Who
Roaring drums and aggressive, snapping vocals gave us the most thrilling garage punk single of the year.
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64 Fuzz – Sleigh Ride
Heaviest riff of the year?
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63 Cass McCombs – Big Wheel
Hypnotic, rumbling, country-dirt travelogue.
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62 Arcade Fire – Reflektor
We are right in the mix here: a bit of dance therapy needed. Remember the hypnotic triangle of cooker/fridge/sink? Throw some shapes, make a curry, go knock yourself out; I didn’t want to dance, but they made me. (Mrs M)
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61 Chelsea Light Moving – Lip
Hardcore anthem of the year.
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60 The Cave Singers – Canopy
Sun-drenched, mellow indie folk opener from their Naomi album.
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59 Coma Cinema – Virgin Veins
Spare and haunting. Talking of quiet suffering, loneliness, ugliness and confusion, “The heart is a monument / to a childhood of abuse.“
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58 Dune Rats – Stoner Pop
In a parallel world somewhere, this was the smash hit of the summer.
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57 Wooden Wand & The World War IV – I Hate The Nightlife
On Wooden Wand’s wrist is a tattoo: WWNYD – What Would Neil Young Do? Our guess? Buy this record. Epic, taut, tense, and full of the fiery guitar so beloved of NY.
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56 The Head & The Heart – Shake
The bass drum kicks this one into action, a little bit of clapping and then, hello, the rest of the band follows. There’s a sweet change of tempo for the chorus: ‘And the memories we made will never be lost, no.’ Maybe not, but watch out for that prevailing wind. (Mrs M)
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55 Half Moon Run – Full Circle
A captivating blend of exquisite guitar lines and delicate folk melodies.
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54 Quiet American – Wild Bill Jones
Old time folk for modern times, Quiet American bring new light to the many faceted tale of all-American bad boy Wild Bill Jones.
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53 Gaz Coombes Presents – One Of These Days
Heartfelt, beautiful melancholia set to a piano and strings and a pulsing bass line.
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52 Blitzen Trapper – Feel The Chill
“That old wreck of a shack buried in evergreen and murky darkness at the bend in the road up on Jackson Hill where we used to drink and never failed to give me a chill driving by in the old Impala for it’s implacable mystery.” That’s where Feel the Chill takes place.
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51 Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Gammy Leg
I underestimated this offering from Australia’s finest when I first listened to it. Essentially a tale of the immense bad luck befalling the protagonist and his ‘gammy leg’ it’s easy to dismiss. That would be a mistake. The wonderful deadpan, matter of fact delivery is laced with some brilliant throwaway lines and the black humour never wavers for a second. (CP)
A brilliant month for new music means a mix of more than 35 tracks compiled for you in our selection of our favourite downloads from July’s posts. And, as always, a few brand new tunes to round the collection off.
They’re all yours…and check out all the other Best of the Month mixes using the sidebar links too.
SNØFFELTØFFS – Pretty Girl
Storming garage punk.
[Click through for free download]
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Dinosaur Bones – Sleepsick
Alluring, hooked out blend of dark pop and broody indie rock.
[Click through for free download]
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Cat Meat – Goodnight Miss Belle
Sweeping mournful murder ballad telling the tale of a young drunk’s ill-fated dalliance with the town harlot.
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Fiver – Undertaker
Opening with a weaving organ that sounds like it was drawn from the soundtrack of an Italian horror film, the song is a macabre masterwork.
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Construction & Destruction – The Horse Returns
Opens with a single ominous guitar refrain before exploding into a frenzy of percussion and vocals that calls to mind PJ Harvey at her most tumultuous.
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Kings Of Lowertown – Shotgun Preacher
Takes a classic dirt-blues riff, and layers some distorted vocals over the top to provide just over two and a half minutes of visceral rock ‘n’ roll.
[Click through for free download]
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This Frontier Needs Heroes – Hooky
More gorgeous Americana from duo’s forthcoming album of the same name.
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Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Lesbian Wife
Wryly original garage pop.
[Click through for free download]
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Shark Week – Baby Maybe
Gravelly baritone, screeching guitar solos, jangly guitar leads, pulsating bass rhythms and pounding drums – a ramshackle, yet swaggering, joy to the ears.
[Click through for free download]
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White Hills – In Your Room
Brilliant, persistently hypnotic psych-rock.
[Click through for free download]
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FUZZ – Loose Sutres
Thrilling slab of slow burning distorted rock ‘n’ roll sleaze from Ty Segall’s side project.
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Shadows At Play – Into The Sun
Upbeat, ethereal folk song.
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Quiet Life – Devil’s Kin
Propulsive, galloping folk-rock that begs to be played loud on the open road, and sits somewhere between vintage Creedence, The Band and perhaps even a whiff of Buddy Holly.
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Black Tambourines – Bodies
Typically alluring of hook-filled, sunny garage-psych goodness.
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Dim Peaks – Reason
Sweetly melodic blend of Americana that is effortlessly evocative:
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Morning Smoke – DYWD
Roars in on pulsating drums and vocals echoing Joy Division before the song quickly unfolds with a statuesque controlled power.
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Cash Savage And The Last Drinks – Hypnotiser
Dark country blues that swings from emotion to emotion.
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Yuck – Rebirth
Sits somewhere between Beach House’s dream pop and some of the less histrionic and fragile soundscapes of MBV.
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Big Haunt – Burn Me Up
Spooky, gospel infused big beat indy folk and a song about ritualistic fire sacrifice and murder.
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D.B. Rouse – I-90
More outsider folk from roaming troubadour.
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Expwy – Scraping Blue Terra Cotta (Waterloo Cannibals)
Power pop gem and something that Mikal Cronin would be mighty proud of…
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Gross Relations – Cut The Final Scene
Plenty of fuzz and lackadaisically-delivered lyrics reeled in by insistent, irresistible riffs.
[Click through for free download]
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Hollis Brown – Doghouse Blues
Combines raw rock sensibilities with sweet melodies and hearfelt lyrics to create a rich, warm sound.
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Dinosaur Feathers – Juror B37
Plaintive, evocative and obviously topical tune from indie psych-rockers.
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The Smoking Flowers – Something I Said
Begins as a sparsely arranged, folkish ballad that grows exponentially in intensity and feeling to a climax that is something more akin to the territory stalked by Radiohead.
[Click through for free download]
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Ming City Rockers – She’s A Wrong ‘Un
Snarling, spitting bad boy rock’n’roll in the spirit of Eddie Cochran and the Stooges.
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Dream Boys – Born Yesterday
Brittle, swirling psychedelic pop music.
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Kyle Adem – After Jackson
Singer-songwriter exorcises demons of dealing with personal trauma.
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Chloë Sunshine – Want You
Wonderful blend of jangly, shoegazey pop with echoing vocals and Beach Boys style harmonies.
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Boho Dancer – Bohemian Child
Porcelain like vocals deliver atmospheric, haunting and picturesque lyrics, evoking a journey though the mountains, where the Nordic trio escape and dissolve into the landscape.
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Night Beats – Outta Mind
Reverb laden slab of psych-rock with echoes of blues and soul and a healthy nod to the mind-bending sonics of the sixties.
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Download The Mother Hips – Song For JB mp3
Classic cosmic country rock.
Download Jefferson Ross – Two Horses mp3
A unique acoustic guitar style and southern, soulful voice spin some of the finest story songs to come out of Deep Dixie in a long while.
And to finish off this mammoth post, four more great new tracks from infectious indie-popsters Potty Mouth, heavy sludge-psych rockers White Orange, noirish surf-pop from La Luz, and last, but by no means least, we have Atlantic, the catchy, jangly new single from Brooklyn based psych-surf rock collective Fishdoctor.
[Click through for free download]
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A sudden plethora of new tunes have hit the web, and here are eight of our favourites for your aural delight.
First up is psych-heavyweights White Hills persistently hypnotic In Your Room that comes from the space rockers forthoming album So You Are … So You’ll Be, which is out next month on Thrill Jockey. Regina Spektor has an upbeat new song featuring in new Netflix comedy Orange Is The New Black, called You’ve Got Time. Third we have Titus Andronicus and their awesome eight minute cover of Icona Pop’s I Love It, only retitled as I Don’t Care.
Via Brooklyn Vegan, we have Ty Segall’s side project FUZZ who have offered up Loose Sutres – a thrilling slab of slow burning distorted rock ‘n’ roll sleaze from their soon to be released self-titled debut long player. The wonderful Widowspeak have a new single of woozy, narcotic folk that is truly stunning, True Believer comes from their Swamps EP due out in October on Captured Tracks.
Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado is releasing a solo EP titled Law And Order in September, this is Hand In Mine that sounds like it might be an undiscovered gem from Lou Reed’s back catalogue. Next is Owl Paws and their lush, but haunting track Cold Lead Path that is the title track of their upcoming acoustic EP of indie-folk. Lastly we have a track from EONS called Brothers & Sisters which is a wonderfully intimate marriage of fragile folk and sonic exploration. It comes from new album Arctic Radio.
[Click through for free download]
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