If we generally assume that music releases go a little quiet in the summer holiday season, then we probably need to have a rethink as the past month or two hasn’t seen a let-up in impressive new tracks. So press play, and take in the regular blast of alt rock & indie, plus some dream pop, baggy surf, psychedelic synth, & more. Enjoy…
The Fresh on the Net school year has come to an end again and we’re now on our summer break, however I’ve been through my little black book for the past 11 months and, as always, there’s been a huge array of excellent music submitted to us during that time.
So, from the 5,000 – 6,000 tracks I’ve personally heard, I’ve created a playlist with 10 of my favourites for you to browse. So press play, and take in some alt rock & indie, troubadour rap, electronica, drum ‘n’ bass, and more. Enjoy…
As some of us look to head off into the sunshine & relax, others have remained hard at work creating some impressive new music for our enjoyment. So press play and enjoy the ten tracks in the latest mixtape, which take us through some indie pop, alt rock, tropical folk, experimental electronica, & more. Enjoy…
Photo by Dan Bridge
Michael Jablonka is a London based singer, songwriter, and guitarist. I first saw him perform live a few years ago when he was with his previous band The Dark Tides, and went home raving about his mesmerising guitar skills. In recent years he’s released a few singles and EPs under his own name, the latest being the fuzzy lo-fi blues rock EP Go-Go, which came out in May. I’m obviously not the only person to have been hugely impressed by his guitar work though, as in recent years he’s also been part of Michael Kiwanuka’s band, and so it was a real treat to meet Michael and see him perform again last weekend at Glastonbury. Before he headed for the festival however, he took part in this Q&A, so read on to find out more about the EP, drum machines, and banana cake! Continue reading
Here’s another monthly mixtape of impressive new music from emerging and under-the-radar artists, so have a wander through an energetic array of alt rock & indie, plus a warm sprinkling of urban-pop, psych, and even some tomato based trance dirge! Enjoy…
Photos by Cameron Craggs
Newcastle Upon Tyne 3-piece Motel Carnation are a new band, with just one track released to date. Dig deeper though, and you find it’s collective of some of the finest CV’s from the local music scene as, from left to right (above), we have Austin Tweddle (vox, guitar, & Scalesia), Conor McBride (drums, Deep.Sleep, & Casual Threats), and Alexander Soper (vox, guitar, & Coquin Migale). That teaser track, Saul, hints at both a moody-psychedelic and indie-dance sound for the band, so read on as we chat to Alex about the formation of the trio, their first release, Ozzy Osbourne’s driving potential, and chicken wings!
Continue reading
I hate reducing the monthly mixtape longlist down to 10 tracks, as the quality of outstanding music from under-the-radar artists never dips or disappoints. So here’s May’s 10, and it’s another eclectic array, so I hope you enjoy browsing a bit of grunge rock, indie pop, alt-folk, orchestral drum n bass, psych & dream pop… & er, some burning zips!
Plastic Mermaids are a 5-piece experimental & indie synthpop band from the Isle of Wight, comprising of brothers Jamie and Douglas Richards (vocals, synths & samples), Chris Newnham (guitar), Tom Farren (bass), and Chris Jones (drums). They’ve already released a few EPs but their first full LP, the self-produced Suddenly Everyone Explodes, is released on May 24th.
The outstanding 1996 was the first taster of a hugely promising album, but the release of I Still Like Kelis takes the anticipation to a whole new level. It’s a superbly produced 3 1/2 minutes of distorted dancefloor shoegaze brilliance, while the self-made video must have taken light years to make, given that it mixes quantum theory and plasticine!
I’ll spin the same as you…
Bandcamp | Spotify | Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Songkick | YouTube
Do also check this Emerging article on the band.
Spotify | Soundcloud | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Songkick
When Scouse meets Spaghetti Western! That’s what I wrote when Liverpool 6-piece Red Rum Club won an Alternative Friday award in 2018. Mixing a wonderful array of anthemic indie rock & Americana, full of lively melodies and driving choruses, the added blast of a solitary trumpet really creates an infectious wild west vibe. They released their debut album Matador in January, which just confirmed the strength of the band’s songwriting over ten tracks.
The new music scene is so impressive at the moment I was again forced to whittle down an encouragingly strong shortlist in order to limit this month’s mixtape to ten tracks! That’s a good thing I hope, and as usual the selection is an eclectic array too, so jump in and explore a bit of alternative & indie, soul, blues Americana, chamber pop, piano jazz fusion, & a largely instrumental hip-hop track. Enjoy…
Alternative Friday 