One of the most exciting things we can hear in new music is when a track takes a direction that you didn’t expect. We all hear so much music now-a-days that it can be hard to hear something unique, but I think this week’s playlist has just that – uniqueness. Listen with an open mind, expect the unexpected and lose yourself with ten of the best new tracks you’ll hear this year.
For me, there is no more anticipated album this year than Montaigne’s. It’s been three (long) years since Such Glorious Heights, which was so hugely impressive for a debut, that following it up was always going to be tough. I have absolutely no doubt, after hearing the second new track, READY, that the new album is going to step things up. Mark down the 30th of August for Complex; an album that already has the scent of experimentation, that soaring and powerful vocal along with song-writing that explores political frustration and an anger at the state of the nation.
Every single new release from RAAVE TAPES is better than the last. Seriously, listen to dancing because i’m sad and tell me it is not a stonker of a track. It just screams release. Get to the dance-floor, let the sound envelope you and just let go of your inhibitions. The bass is pumping, the guitar is soaring, you’re sweating and you don’t want it to stop. That is what the Newcastle trio represent and promote – Just. Be You. If they’ve got a show near you, don’t miss it.
When I saw Eilish Gilligan support Montaigne this year, I was taken aback. Even with the her very pop sensibilities, she draws on a drama that builds and swirls to deliver a thoughtful passion on stage. This is obvious in her new track, Someone Else. Personal sadness is portrayed in a pumping pop beat, layered with synths and polished production. Her voice is given that platform to shine. Dramatic, Euphoric and very very good.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. There is no better DJ in this country than jayteehazard. Whether it be remixing, spinning the wheels of steel for huge artists or creating his own solo material, he is continually and consistently creating music that is of a ridiculously high standard. (oh, and watch him scratch. HOT DAMN.) Ahh.200 marks the latest release of regular singles we’ve been seeing from the Newcastle talent; infiltrating your mind with synth, eclectic beats and taking your cerebellum on a unknown journey that could end anywhere. Aaah, indeed.
The third single from Greta Stanley’s forth-coming EP maintains a high standard that is becoming the norm from this Mena Creek (FNQ) singer-songwriter. Follow Suit starts sensitively – “Here comes the night/Heavy as she grows”, setting the scene for what could be a dialled back pop-folk track, but without warning it builds to a bass-heavy brooding chorus. This results in revealing the diversity of an artist that is anything but your regular indie-folk act. There’s an edginess and passion under the surface that is peeking through and I like it.
As long as leftprojects release music, I’ll be including them in my playlist, because if you don’t know about them yet, you bloody well should. Can I Love You is their airy, gorgeous new track. Sarah Corry’s voice again floats over the atmosphere from Jono Graham. The song ebbs and flows around your head with high-hat and percussion tickling your senses, but the layered synths, the exquisite production and that enduring vocal, will stay with you. “It’s about finding the person you will love forever.” Your first step to getting there is to follow this Sydney duo.
They’ve wasted no time in making a name for themselves. Voiid create crunchy, punchy and hectic take-no-prisoners music that might scare the neighbours but is driven by a melodic punk ethos that so many bands try, but don’t always nail. “I don’t wanna be drunk”, ironically declares the lead singer, but haven’t we all been there after a big night? Clocking in just under 3 minutes, Drunk doesn’t try to be any more than it is, but it sets the pace for their second EP, Drool, that explores what it’s like to be a woman in the modern age and how to have fucking fun while you’re at it.
After checking out The Beautiful Monument at Download this year and being hugely impressed, I was determined to keep an eye out for new music from this female alt-rock four-piece. I didn’t have to wait long. Reaper is not only their pumping new track, but reveals the title of their upcoming new album, I’m The Reaper, out on the 28th of June via Greyscale Records. Sure, there’s angst, there’s grit and there’s killer riffs, but there’s also some spot-on harmonies and solid production. Maybe you should jump on board as well.
Garrett Kato has the warmest voice you’ll hear this year. Distant Land transports you, elevates you and gives you a good reason to wish you too lived in Byron Bay near one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Canadian-born, but now a very happy local, Kato has released a 5-track EP, with this, his lead and title track. He has made a gorgeously poised song that feels simple, but has a lot of elements positioned just right to deliver something wonderful along with a rollicking little ending.
A debut track from any group is something to cherish, and when it’s this good you can’t help but take notice. Dream Dali, a project from former Miami Horror member, Aaron Shanahan, explores dark-psych music that infiltrates your soul. Hurt Me features a pulsing bass-line, that underlies the savage fuzz-synth, and addicts you straight away. The layers build, the vocals stay restrained, but the intensity grows and grows. It’s not necessarily a comfortable listen, but it’s well constructed and certainly an exciting start to a new project that is already touring with a single launch at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory this Wednesday (19th June)
(Spotify playlist updates with the latest week, each week)
(click on album art to view videos of tracks)
(Click through to Spotify profile for all monthly playlists)
