Cabezudos
Getintothis’ Matthew Wood welcomes in the new year with all the latest, hot off the press numbers, getting the feel for a Sound City act’s latest, zoning out numerous times to some ambient drone and falling for some endearing slacker rock.
We’ll save all the drivel of post-port and mince pie blues and begin by offering you a warm welcome to another year of spectacular new music! We’ll be here fortnightly with a platter of the juiciest new tracks 2016 has to offer. So have a scroll through the first Singles Club of 2016 and get yourself placed firmly in the loop from the off.
Single of the Week
Palehound – Molly
Its not hard to believe that Ellen Kempner aka Palehound once shared a room with Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz. Their songwriting follow similar veins, Kempner channels that endearing, slacker rock that refuses to sugarcoat anything, depicting life as it truly is.
Molly is crammed full of rapid, cyclical riffs that would be totally annoying were it not for Palehound’s irresistible vocal and the downright radness of the track.
Her album Dry Food is out now and its gnarly/awesome/off the hook/sick. Take your pick, its all of them.
Wild Nothing – Reichpop
A new Wild Nothing album is nothing but great news, and 19th February is the day for your calendars for another dose of dreampop, actually, make that Reichpop. (Fret not, there’s nothing distasteful here, ‘reich’ actually translates to ‘realm’ , just as long as we avoid sticking a number infant of it) Talk about Godwin’s law eh?
Anyway, this brilliant track features some mind boggling arpeggiated steel drums and everything you could possibly need for a boogie.
The downside? its pretty much a copy of anything from Bombay Bicycle Club’s So Long See You Tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong its great, but you can’t deny the shameless replication.
Cabezudos – Foolish
By far the best track on their 4 track EP, She Waits, Foolish meanders cleverly to some notable experimental rock milestones, featuring impressive bass work, a couple of cracking solos and a transformation of the song towards the end.
Its certainly an exhibition of influence but it carries a few too many familiarities without pinpointing any kind of sound in particular.
With the right guidance, however, this oddly named band could offer us something far bigger and better. Google Cabezudos, seriously, its bound to freak you out.
Alex Vargas – Shackled Up
Emerging from a ghost-like quivering vocal, one that haunts playfully before transforming into a glorious hook, Shackled Up is slick, heartfelt and expertly mastered.
Icy pinches of guitar strings take residence as the backbone of the track giving a gloomy tinge, resonant of The XX while a tapestry of hip hop charged electronica floats neatly around Vargas’ crisp vocal.
A delightful track once you get past his unforgivable topknot…
The Dandy Warhols – You Are Killing Me
Going to Sound City? Of course you are. Here’s a little taster of what to expect from them Dandy Warhols, that band with a rich career of extremes.
From playing with David Bowie live, after being personally chosen by the man himself, to the drug fuelled chaos between themselves and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Warhols have always carried a certain something with them.
This latest track sounds a bit like a grunge-d up Magnetic Fields and its growing on me with every listen, see what you think.
Wet – All The Ways
An album out on 29th January and an ever growing fanbase, Wet and their incredibly radio friendly electronic pop are surging towards something pretty huge.
For me its one of those tracks that you’re forced to endure in Topshop while your girlfriend tries on 8 different items, emerging with zero. But I can’t deny that i’d be humming along by the end of it and probably tapping along.
While they’re a little bit, well, wet for my liking, but they’re clean as anything and vocalist Kelly Zutrau rivals pretty much any female vocalist you’ll hear.
Immersion – Always The Sea
A great one to zone out to when your mind is pure mush. Ambient drone outfit Immersion emerged during the 90’s and have been somewhat on hiatus since the Millennium.
They take the layering approach, an intuitive stacking of sounds that encapsulate and stupefy listeners. I found myself zoning out to this one multiple times despite it being only 3 and a half minutes long.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Rich Wife Full of Happiness
Ahead of the release of a collection of John Peel Sessions titled Pond Scum, William Oldham aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billie has released a reworking of his 2001 track Rich Wife Full of Happiness.
Wood, steel and an earthy voice of wisdom, Oldham falls to his knees and offers up a beautiful, well carved piece of himself.
Oldham’s warm, poetic number blows us back to the likes of Neil Young and Nick Drake in a gentle breeze, warmed by slow chord strums that are simple yet all that is necessary.
Get a free download right now from the link below.
http://www.dominorecordco.com/pondscum/
OHLAYINDIGO – Love You To The Moon
With her roots in Oslo, her music career taking flight in Liverpool, and having resided in San Francisco, Hanna Ponth a half of OHLAYINDIGO (alongside drummer Zak Shrapnell) can boast a vast range of influence, and it shows.
Love You To The Moon is their fifth single and is perhaps more refined than their earlier single Heartbeat. The track sees Ponth shine brightest amongst a steel drum synth that tiptoes alongside, while the chorus is a candy coated, uplifting slice of sunshine.
A fresh infusion that is acquiring many admirers.
Sea Pinks – Yr Horoscope
Belfast based boys with a soft spot for sea glass, Sea Pinks sound like a parallel universe Vaccines, if they’d retained their youthful charm and taken to a cottage by the sea (rather than living with the thought that they’re the biggest band in the world).
Yr Horoscope is a joyful 2 minutes of all things simple and I assure you, you won’t listen to this once just once.
Also, their album Soft Days is out now!
Jess Harwood – Real Love
The latest offering from Blackpool’s Jess Harwood is so orthodox it veritably comes across as something unique and out of the ordinary – the girl next door in a room full of eccentrics, a cosy British pub in a street full of hipster joints.
Now backed permanently by her own rhythm section, her sound in Real Love is bulkier and more dramatic, the extra dimension she’s been crying out for. Her vocal is, as always, pristine and her songwriting whip-smart and infectious.
In an industry undergoing what seems like a contest to see who can be the most genre-defying and avant-garde, sometimes, you do just need fish & chips and a pint.
Keep an eye out for Jess’ show at The Jacaranda soon, date TBC.
Courtney Barnett – Three Packs A Day
Melbourne’s finest current singer-songwriter may have already proved to us that no topic is too mundane for a song, whether its commenting on ceilings or buying organic vegetables.
Yet its her charming delivery and ability to shroud the mundane in a cracking tune that makes her by far one of the most exciting talents of late.
Her latest? Well Barnett seems to have developed a crippling addiction to instant ramen (obviously) and is hoping to kick her MSG fuelled habit with this one.
It’s a flipping hilarious track with some Pavement style chords and a belting harmonica solo.
Just add headphones and leave to stand for 2 minutes 50.
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