Four-piece indie rock band Pretty Mafia (formerly known as Ascendo) have stamped their new intentions with authority on their blistering new single, ‘Benny Blanco’. The Wakefield band have written a song here inspired by 1990’s epic gangster movies and as such the track itself is mesmerising and intelligent. Pretty Mafia’s sound is clean and direct with memorable guitar work topped off by a raw vocal from frontman Charlie Williams. ‘Benny Blanco’ is our Single Of The Week and a must listen. Listen out for our interview with the band on next week’s podcast.
Wes King earlier this year impressed on his Liam Gallagher-esque solo release ‘Living Strange’ and he returns this week with his new single, ‘Loaded Gun’. While his first release was a poignant ballad of sorts, ‘Loaded Gun’ is a glam rock inspired stomper, with a verve and attitude to match. An indie-disco floor filler, this new single is an example of King’s songwriting range and frankly, huge talent. A favorite here at Our Sound Music, Wes King has an assured sound that is justified. Hopefully there is an album on the horizon as we can’t get enough of King’s output…’Moaning Again’ is the new upbeat indie-rock tune from South London trio Ski Lift. The song tackles the hidden nature of mental health issues, albeit dressed up in a bright and forthcoming sound. ‘Moaning Again’ is a fine track that builds on the band’s previous two releases...The Harriets are a band entwined with us here at Our Sound Music, having the honour (?) of having the first album we reviewed during our launch. The album, ‘Hopefuls’, went on to receive a tremendous review in Rolling Stone Magazine so you know, we are in good company. The Harriets are back with a new five track EP titled ‘A Little Something’, a fine collection of songs that further cements the bands foundations. All of the songs here are piano-lead ranging from heartfelt on the first two tracks or more upbeat heard on the final track ‘For You’ which for us is the standout song here...The New Nostalgia return with their second release of the year, following on from January’s well received ‘Millennial Love’. On ‘Bridges’, the band here have created a surging track that has a much welcomed hard indie rock sound. The hard working quartet impress again...Edinburgh band Swim School have a love-at-first-listen song on their hands with their new release ‘Outside’. Channelling the energy and sound of the best of 1990’s grunge and dream pop, it is immediately evident that Swim School are on their way to being a very special band indeed. Their aura is magnetizing, with singer Alice Johnson’s vocals here perfectly washing through the band’s overall sound. ‘Outside’ is a tremendous listen…’Amsterdam’ is the new release from The Lilly Wave, an impressive effort that harks back to the days of classic guitar pop songwriting of the 80’s while remaining contemporary. Not enough artists make music like this any more, you know ‘proper’ music. Easy to listen to and clearly great. In a different era The Lilly Wave would be all over national radio and Saturday morning chart shows with ‘Amsterdam’ - a song that demands repeat listens...Hot Puds get the whole ‘less is more’ thing on their debut EP release, ‘Hot Puds’. This four song EP has a total running time of under six minutes and opens with previous single release ‘My Beans’. It’s all very Weezer-esque and a thread of endearing humour runs throughout. Bizarre or brilliant? Perhaps a little of both…’Two Times Emptiness’ is the debut release from duo Laurel Canyon, a song recorded at the Diamond City Studio in New York. The single is a rock n roll masterclass, which draws from inspirations from The Byrds to The Doors, that much is evident but there is more here. ‘Two Times Emptiness’ is a statement from the new duo and whets our appetite for what is to come...The Skinner Brothers have been bubbling under for a couple of years now, albeit a global pandemic and lack of live show availability doesn’t help matters. Their new four track EP, ‘Iconic’ is out now and is sure to accelerate their growing attention. The title track, ‘Iconic’ has been selected as the Hottest Track Of The Week on our latest podcast by our deputy editor Adam Wright who joins myself in being a fan of the band. ‘Iconic’ is a great track that references artists important to songwriter Zac Skinner as the track pumps along sounding huge complete with handclaps and a Britpop style guitar solo...Chesterfield band Clear Vinyl have released ‘Show Me How To Live’, a clear and rousing anthem. Certainly the band’s best work to date, ‘Show Me How To Live’ is ready made for a live audience...Alt-rock band Elephant Memoirs bring us ‘Ordinary Life’, a song that is immediately brought to life by a notable strummed-guitar intro. Showcasing a more mature side to the Newcastle band’s songwriting, ‘Ordinary Life’ is a sweeping, glorious track…’Sunflower, Are You There?’ is the new single from Dizzy, performed alongside Kevin Garrett. The track is off the band’s upcoming collaboration EP ‘Separate Places’ which comes our way on the 11th of next month. This new single has a familiar chord structure such is Dizzy's knack for writing memorable tunes, as showcased on their acclaimed album 2018 debut album release. ‘Sunflower, Are You There?’ is a chilled, soft sounding song that drifts effortlessly across the sphere, complete with a topper sounding guitar solo...Jack Cattell, now backed by a band, has brought us his latest release ‘What I See’. The sound here is positive, with elements of indie rock and pop wrestling beneath the assuredness of Cattell’s vocal. The hook is catchy enough and in between Cattell delivers intelligent lyrics...Manchester band M60, who are on tour in late September, are a popular band who racked up over half a million Spotify streams last year. Their latest single, ‘Backseat’ is sure to significantly add to that tally, with its guitar driven, popular indie sensibilities. A strong release that demands a playlist place...New alt-pop performer JAKL brings us ‘Hear’, his heartfelt debut single. Deeply personal, (the track was written for his comatosed father) ‘Hear’, put in that context, is a deeply emotional song, compounded by the soaring vocal that is the centerpiece of this release. An incredibly impressive debut.
All of the above music can be listened to on our weekly updated Spotify Playlist here.
Our weekly podcast, that brings you the best of the week’s new releases and some great interviews, can be listened to here.
We are hosting an all day gig in Hull this September with some of the most talented bands and performers from around the UK music scene. Click here for more info and tickets (which are selling fast).
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