Clementine Valentine – Endless Night
Why we love it: Clementine and Valentine Nixon are sisters. They are an Aotearoa/New Zealand art-pop duo. Once they were Purple Pilgrims. Now they are Clementine Valentine. And they have just released their first music under that name. ‘Endless Night’ is their debut single. It is brought to us via Flying Nun Record and it is a mighty fine way to start your recording career.
Speaking about ‘Endless Night’ the band say: “All songs are moments in time trapped in amber. This one feels particularly so. A relic of a past joy, crystallised behind dusty glass. Part self-fulfilling prophecy, part heartfelt sarcasm”.
Soft to the touch, ‘Endless Night’ is a gentle caress of the ears. An enigmatic, emotional, ethereal sound it is as serene as it is exquisite and it comes as little surprise that Clementine Valentine have already bagged themselves a support slot on a couple of dates this week on Weyes Blood tour of New Zealand. (Simon Godley)
Self-Immolation Music – Kaleidoscope
Why we love it: This is a soaring salute to the memory of a motorik beat. Add in the undoubted emotional charge of some beautifully off-kilter psychedelia and you have got yourselves a mighty fine record indeed. It is called ‘Kaleidoscope’ and it comes to us courtesy of Self-Immolation Music. The five-piece band hail from West Yorkshire and their sound reflects much of the character, drive, and determination of the White Rose County.
Self-Immolation Music is made up of current and past members of various Leeds-based heavy music outfits. Guitarist Tom also plays in Rocket Recording’s The Shits and Iron Lung’s Frisk. Drummer Patrick featured in Static Shock’s Beta Blockers and currently plays in Leeds D-Beat ensemble, Tramadol. The rest of the band cut their teeth in DIY punk and hardcore bands like Implement, Cheap Surgery and Lugubrious Children.
Reflecting upon the quandary of modernity, ‘Kaleidoscope’ is the lead single from Self-Immolation Music’s forthcoming debut album, Infinity Trip, which will be out on the 9th of June via Delicious Clam Records. Get yourself ahead of the game by giving it a listen. (Simon Godley)
Matthew And The Atlas – Nineteen
Why we love it: “I wrote ‘Nineteen’ during a period when I was making music but struggling to focus on a clear direction to take it in, and I began to feel like I was losing my way creatively. This led me to reminiscing on how I felt about music when I was younger. I used to run an off-licence in my early twenties and a friend of mine would always drop by. We would stand out at the front of the shop, talking about bands we loved from America, what it would be like to tour there and if we’d ever be able to do music full time. The shop was in a little Hampshire town, next to a railway line which seemed very far away from that world, but it all seemed possible still. ‘Nineteen’ is trying to recapture that feeling of excitement and possibility I had back then when we were kids.”
This is Matt Hegarty talking about the track ‘Nineteen’, the brand new single from Matthew And The Atlas. And Hegarty should know, given he is Matthew And The Atlas. The record heralds the arrival of the forthcoming album The Place We Live which will be released on October 13th via Communion Records. The Place We live not only signals Matthew And The Atlas’s first full-length release since 2019’s Morning Dancer, but also sees him make welcome return to Communion Records, a move that brings him full circle as the first ever signing to the acclaimed label with his 2010 debut ‘To The North’ EP.
And ‘Nineteen’ has been well worth the wait. It is a beautifully focussed slice of nostalgia, carving out as it does so a lovely space for wistful memory. (Simon Godley)
Cable Ties – Thoughts Back
Why we love it:
‘Thoughts Back’ is the latest single from Australian garage rock trio Cable Ties. Its taken from their forthcoming album All Her Plans, set for release on 23 June via Merge Records and features lead vocals by drummer Shauna Boyle for the first time. The track is a potent expression of the unique frustrations associated with mental illness, especially as it pertains to self-care and caring for others.
Shauna Boyle further expands on the track: “I wrote this song mostly centred around my own experiences with mental illness and how consuming and overwhelming it was, and is, for countless people around the world. It also plays into the themes of the record, such as care-giving and mental workload. So often people give up their own lives to help others and as a result, rarely have their voices, their experiences or their history acknowledged.”
What a brilliant turn of phrase: “I want my thoughts back.” Poignant and thought-provoking. The first half of the track starts calmy enough but as per the subject matter the frustrations grow as the track progresses. The emotion and the soundscape become more exasperated, just as with the passage of time such feeling would spill over. Until a quiet but demanding “I want my thoughts back” to finish. The album All Her Plans is set for release on 23 June. It’s definitely on my list. (Julia Mason)
Softee – Molly
Why we love it: The superlative, ‘Molly‘ finds Brooklyn’s Softee in full funky pop mode, ripe with body popping beats, illuminating keys, brass and choppy guitars. She tip toes through end of the night euphoria with a soulful yet mischievous delivery; a celebration of getting high and falling in love. It’s also a damn good earworm. Lifted from the new album Natural out now on City Slang.
Softee explores complex themes of identity and transformation with a light-hearted, self-deprecating touch. Written during the course of a painful break up, and soon after amidst the throes of new love, through a world of spirited characters she tackles heavy emotions and bares her heart with striking honesty.
Nina Grollman’s moniker, Softee, isn’t just a sardonic nod to the thrifty, soft-serve giant, it’s an earnest – sometimes painfully so – descriptor of the Brooklyn based artist’s approach to love and music. The pandemic found Softee in and out of love with a pace that could demolish the emotionally unprepared, but the artist found solace in her emotions, and soothed herself with influences of R&B, funk, hip hop, and the pure melodrama of 80s pop. (Bill Cummings)
Joe Blow – Sunshine
Why we love it: Everybody loves the sunshine? Well not quite, but we have been enjoying a heat wave here in South Wales and Joe Blow’s latest single ‘Sunshine’ on Circle Eight Records, is a summery soundtrack weaving a sample of Roy Ayers’ classic ‘Everyone Loves the Sunshine‘ with drum and bass and ragga MC that sketch out the summery scenes of sun kissed BBQs and pool sides. They say,“The liquid vibes in this track are perfect for sunny days and guaranteed to get you moving.”
Joe Blow is known for his unique sound and innovative approach to urban music.
“I wanted to create a track that would capture the feeling of summertime,” said Joe Blow. “I think we’ve achieved that with ‘Sunshine.’ It’s a track that’s all about good vibes and having a good time.”
deary – Beauty In All Blue Satin
London-based dreampop duo deary follow their fantastic debut single ‘Fairground’ with their brooding new offering ‘Beauty In All Blue Satin’. Chiming with elements of early slowdive, or the likes of Cranes, this elegant track, pairs chiming whirlpool of gaze and elements of Cure-like shadowy post punk, with a deliciously intriguing vocals that are both delicate, yet ripe with longing and trauma, bubbling under before kicks in with fuzz pedals and a ethereal vocal crescendos, its simply exquisite.
“We felt it was important to show a different side of us on this single,” says Ben. “‘Fairground’ is rooted in its looping samples and repetition, which could seemingly go on forever, whereas if ‘Beauty in all Blue Satin’ was stripped down to the bare bones, it’s essentially a lament.“
“It was written after an exhaustive few weeks in lockdown listening to Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights, which is one of my favourite records. The guitars constantly battle with the vocals for attention, and I wanted to write a guitar line that leads everything else, weaving between the vocals and layering as the track builds.”
“When I first heard the demo, I was immediately struck by its sultry darkness and wanted the vocals and lyrics to tell a similar tale,” adds Dottie. “I found the drums particularly inspiring, with the snare punching through the shimmering guitars creating a vision equally glamorous and dirty; a Great Gatsby-esque party, with the prettiest satin and pearls hiding a wealth of secrets.” (Bill Cummings)