Skelocrats
It’s all things alternative in this week’s Unknown Pleasures, with Getintothis’ Patrick Clarke on a tri-continental hunt for the finest new artists of the week.
Chilean three-piece Edgar Van de Wingard know how to announce themselves – Saviour, the first taste of upcoming album Planet Snorkel, out this May, is a phenomenally well-honed burst of alternative rock and electronica that’s nothing short of anthemic in scope.
Perhaps most akin to Liverpool’s own Tea Street Band in their propulsive blend of organic and synthesised textures, the track also hints at Caribou‘s swirling dovetails of vocals, as well as a closing crescendo of enswarming sonics with it’s roots in a rich tradition of stadium-sized dance (Orbital et al.)
With the clout of 6 Music already behind them, and the accolade of being the only Chilean band to be featured by MTV UK. They’ve even secured a spot at Lollapalooza this year; it seems those heady heights might well be on the cards to come.
Off-kilter Dublin jangle-poppers Skelocrats are a change of pace entirely, and though they might be an acquired taste if their quirks are up your street then there’s plenty to get your teeth stuck into.
A supergroup of sorts from other bands of the fertile Irish indie circuit, their latest album Bella Bella on cult label Popical Island is simultaneously shambolic and sublime, forthright boy/girl vocals pushing themselves atop lilting, lo-fi guitars with an eye on a C86 aesthetic that’s to e adored.
Jay Taylor‘s one-man band The Loving is more eccentric still, though closer to The Flaming Lips than The Pastels. His debut single Love, the Only Power is pure eccentricity, the likes of which can take a few listens to wrap your head around, but a rewarding track regardless.
Distinctly Coyne-esque high harmonies meet pop melodics buried under a psychedelic cornucopia of injected textures, the resulting swirl an absorbingly obscure and affably freakish effort that shows an ability to hint at still finer things to come.
