milk. – I Hate the Way You’re Looking at Me (Lately)
Hot on the heels of The 1975 is Dublin-born alt-pop quartet, milk.. Their bright new offering, ‘I Hate the Way You’re Looking at Me (Lately)’ is full of looping synths, catchy riffs and lulling vocals that immediately lure you in for more.
Benji Lewis has been busy songwriting during 2020. Written with his new friend Tom Eggert and bonding over their love of home-made smoothies, ‘Stay Around’ is about the progression of love in every subsequent relationship.
Sounds like: The 1975, The Kite String Tangle, Antony Hegarty, Active Child, Gallant, Sam Smith, Solomon Grey, James Blake, Yazz, Jack Garratt, Disclosure, Lauv, Boy In Space, Zachary Knowles
UK R&B artist Asha Gold shares new single ‘Oscar’. It’s written about award-winning liars and cheats who deserve to be called out for their deception and good-for-nothing behaviour.
Norwegian songwriter Solå strongly encourages us to value ourselves in new single ‘B Mine’. It’s a hazy piece of electro-pop that perfectly showcases her talent as both a intricate songwriter and performer.
Intriguing newcomer whatshisface is on the precipice of jumping into our hearts. His new single ‘Magic Disaster’ is a gloriously melancholic invitation, brimming with dense and warming aesthetics, creating an altogether sweeping atmosphere.
Sounds like: James Blake, George Gretton, Billie Eilish
Introducing eclectic Ohio-based outfit Mungbean. Performed as only seasoned performers would, new single ‘Slow Motion’ has layered and heavy synths to accelerate the track’s dreamy and kaleidoscopic intention.
French synth-dance duo Caspian Pool likes to keep us on our toes with their wide-ranging selection of electronic music. Cue the colour-fuelled visuals for the foot-thumping ‘Insider’.
Sounds like: Nimmo, The Chemical Brothers, Hercules & Love Affair, Goldfrapp, Joe Goddard, Chvrches, Digitalism, Holy Ghost!, Boys Noize, Little Dragon, Cut Copy, Icona Pop
Anthemic alt-rock band Psyence returns with psychedelic sensibilities in rousing new single ‘Retrospect’, reminding us that every bitter end has a new beginning.
Distinctive Norwegian voice, Beharie shares his soulful, folk and ambient blend in the form of ‘Me and My Lonely’. Pastoral and beautiful, the track orbits a peaceful finger-picked acoustic riff.
Wigan-based four-piece Flechettes share the radio-ready and uplifting ‘Chasing Youth’, with blazing indie-pop guitar riffs and catchy vocals, making for a seriously dynamic record.
Sounds like: Sea Girls, Red Rum Club, The Blinders, Stanleys, Garden Party
22-year-old producer, songwriter and musician Ethan Bedell – aka Chillhum – shares ‘Dancing Alone’, a stripped back and melodic blissed-out track that celebrates the joys of being alone.
Sounds like: Gaspar Narby, Couro, Flume, Ed Sheeran, Flume, Louis The Child, Petit Biscuit, Troye Sivan, Robotaki
Songwriting heavyweight Bre Kennedy winds down for the cooler months with her acoustic track ‘Where Did Summer Go’, a nostalgic ballad that symbolises the passing and loss of time and dreams that never got to see the heat of summer.
Dark-pop artist Izza chronicles the ups and downs of dealing with anxiety and depression in a world where people are obsessed with the perceived perfection of their online selves, in new single ‘Lows’.
Nashville-based singer and songwriter and all-round rock’n’roller Beau Turrentine shares his new single ‘Animals’, taking a closer look at how unpredictable and animalistic human nature can be.
Continuing the rock vibes is Kip Macklejar and his new single, ‘The Coal Miner’s Daughter’. Surprisingly, Kip is from Copenhagen, and this is not your usual Scandi-music affair – you won’t find any ethereal dreamscapes here.
Reckless Norweigian punks, Lazy Queen shares ‘Last Call’. Reminiscent of raw garage demos recorded in garages in the early Noughties, the track sees lead singer Henrik take an objective view on personal struggles surrounding addiction & mental health.
Time for some authentic indie from Liverpudlian four-piece SHARDS. Their new single ‘2020 (I want to go home)’ sums up how we’re probably all feeling about the year in a hazy and nostalgic manner.
Rising Norwegian pop songwriter jens shares ‘Tough Love’, taken from his new EP, ‘Call Me Back When You Get A Moment’. It’s another feel-good pop anthem, firmly rooted with a potent chorus hook and instant danceability.
Sounds like: Troye Sivan, Myylo, Charlie Puth, Dagny
From one Norweigan act to another. At completely different ends of the spectrum, alt-rock outfit Lazy Queen shares brazen new single, ‘Gutted’. Discussing the topic of self-destruction, addiction and recovery, it’s spirited punk rock with an upbeat pop hook throughout.
Chicago producers Chase Durrett and Casey Bruce – aka j. pastel – formed in the summer of 2019, and have been fusing 80’s synths and dreamy guitars with funk moves in their bedroom ever since. Listen to ‘Senegal’ below.
Los Angeles Phil Good is back with a new breakup-inspired track called ‘Falling’. Despite being laid-back, the music video manages to convey the emotion of the song.
Sounds like: Honne, Joseph Salvat, Miike Snow, Glass Animals, Joywave, Just Kiddin’, San Holo
At just 16, it’s hard to believe that pop singer-songwriter Gillian Heidi is already creating such raw and emotive tracks that reflect about relationships in a poetic eloquence not often seen of this age group. Listen to ‘Fray’ below.
Kickass trio Wild Horse shares the slow-burning, yet anthemic single, ‘Don’t Want You To Go’.
With it’s soaring and dynamic energy, it gives us a snippet of what’s to come from their upcoming album, ‘We Are In An Identity Crisis… But We Love It!’.
Montreal-based electronic artist CRi is quickly becoming a household name within the ambient electronic scene.
Having already released on TOKiMONSTA’s label, Young Art, and Anjunadeep, his new single ‘Never Really Get There’ is driven by his anxieties and desires for introspection, represented in expansive synths and Jesse Mac Cormack‘s elegant vocals.
Oslo-based alt-rock/punk outfit Lazy Queen share the potent new single, ‘Sober’.
Discussing the complex nature of addiction – a subject close to lead singer Henrik’s heart – it’s a frenetic and unpredictable beacon of sound as the band explore to find balance and normality.
What a way to kick off the gems this week! Welcome back XY&O.
Teasing a debut album (finally!) comes ‘Left Alone’ – another slice of hazy pop with simple and effective melodic structures, and of course, Skip Curtis’ luscious vocal mix.
When you are in flow, you are completely engrossed in the task in hand. Hours can pass without even noticing. This appears to have happened to South London multi-instrumentalist, performer and bedroom producer Jamws whilst working on his debut EP ‘Toronto’.
The five heartfelt tracks describe various stages of heartbreak, starting with a separation, following his partner of ten years moving to Toronto.
Max Alexander is a new alt-pop singer/songwriter from London.
Originally an acoustic artist by heart, he’s decided to go straight in with the electric guitar, to create an all together fist-to-chest sound in ‘Stay Where You Are’.
It’s always worthwhile to take a step back sometimes, and reflect.
NYC-based singer-songwriter/vocalist VictorPerry does exactly that in his lyrically mature new song ‘What I Observe’. As he croons in a poetic form of self-expression, we witness a subtle electro-pop space in which the track really starts to breathe.
Singer/songwriter Amy Milner shares her new single, ‘Wildside’.
Written about catching yourself before you lose control, facing those demons and welcoming the dark side of your mind, it’s energetic commercial alt-pop at its finest.
School of X (aka Rasmus Littauer) shares the visuals for new single, ‘Forgot Me on the Moon’.
What starts off as a sombre beginning, soon turns into an uplifting slice of pop.
Ten years ago, a much younger Littauer first wrote the chorus to an unfinished song out of anger, unable to take the initiative of moving on from a fading love. However, the song now shows a newfound sense of resolve in the face of heartbreak and confusion.
His debut album ‘Armlock’ is out next week.
Sounds like: Augustine, MØ, Máni Orrason, Soleima, Goss, Mura Masa, Clairo, Röyksopp, Lo Moon, Mew, Thomas Azier
The wonderful Dagny drops the video for ‘Somebody’ – possibly the ultimate love song to exist.
Strong words…but that’s how much we love her.
It’s a dance-floor-ready rhythm with bubbling synths open up around Dagny’s magisterial pop vocal. A song written with a goal of conveying the ultimate “in-love” experience, Dagny explains,
“It’s the all-consuming and exciting feeling when everything is still new. I’ve been lucky to experience it. I find that when I’m in love I feel everything ten times more than usual. With ‘Somebody’ for me it’s not just the lyrics but the whole vibe of the song that represents that: when I listen to it I get a lot of positive energy and I just wanna throw myself into something new and exciting.”
Dagny will release her long-awaited debut album this September.
Contemporary Oslo bedroom duo Jouska – aka Marit Othilie Thorvik and Hans Olav Settem – shares ‘Born In Cash’.
With an underlying driving beat, the introverted club banger takes influence from the likes of The Internet, Grimes and Sassy 009, and is written about the internal conflicts associated with being in a toxic relationship.
Introducing the new project by Pietro Filippone – aka uomo.
His latest release, ‘All I Hear’, is the first song that Filippone has written by himself for the project. A decent bit of autotune in there, the softer house elements give the song a gorgeously gentle uplift.
Sounds like: Henry Green, Roosevelt, Goldroom, Hayden James, Elderbrook
Bristol-based quartet Tungz combines effortless funk riffs with infectious vocal melodies and indie-pop sounds in new single, ‘Can’t We Just Be Friends Again’, out now via Heist or Hit.
It speaks of the confusion and the weird frustration that comes with wanting to snap back to being happy with someone you’ve only ever really been cool with before.
Sounds like: Ben Khan, Christine & The Queens, Patawawa, Bamily
DJ and producer Amtrac has teamed up with Grammy Award-winning British musician, DJ and producer Alex Metric on vocals in new single, ‘So Afraid’.
Looping vocals contemplate a simple question, “why you so afraid of love?” as Alex Metric’s breathy, enunciated voice lends an edge to the droning synths beneath, forming a steady crescendo of sound and passion that blooms.
UK duo Dirty Nice releases ‘100,000 Heartbeats’. A synth-wave pop at the core, it’s the perfect counterpart to the more lo-fi B-side, ‘Love Team’.
Originally presented as a special Valentines Day release, Dirty Nice sent a number of personalised cards to fans. Continuing this theme on their Instagram, an intergalactic cartoon epic has unfolded with a new card revealed every day.
Sounds like: Elder Island, Camel Power Club, Gorillaz, Everyone You Know, 10 O’Clock Chemical
Norwegian native, singer/songwriter and producer Rebekka Danielsson – aka EKKO – shares the visuals for ‘Off My Mind’.
Highly energetic, glorious pop with addictive melodic hooks and immaculate production this tune ticks all the boxes to be a serious club anthem and floor filler.
Expect her debut EP ‘Symptoms’ out later in the year.
Sounds like: Tove Lo, Chelsea Lankes, Allie X, ALMA, Kim Petras
Rising Danish pop songstress ELBA is making waves.
Starting her musical journey in the local choir at the age of six, it was clear her destiny was singing. Her new single ‘Remember Me’ showcases her powerful vocal range, and perfectly fits with the electro-pop production.
The Norweigan artists are smashing it this week, and it’s truly great to see Emilie Nicolas return.
Showing a new side to her music – less “cool pop” and more reflective – ‘Who’s Gonna Love You’ is centred around the difficulties of letting go of a relationship, succinctly capturing despair, unbridled joy, and the desire to dance.
Stockholm siblings Alva & August Heldt are The Endorphins.
As their name suggests, their feel-good future pop is set to induce endorphins. As they put it – “It’s about love, friendship, parties and sex“, and what’s wrong with that!
Listen to self-expressive ‘Dead Or Alive’ below.
Sounds like: The Magnettes, Banks, Fabich, Pastel, Midnight Pool Party, Keljet
