Hockeysmith is the exciting solo project of Annie Hockeysmith.
Spending time traveling between Cornwall and Copenhagen, in her new single ‘Lonely Loving Me’, Hockeysmith explores the theme of underground music communities in an adventurous and refreshing way, tempering post-punk with rave-infused electronica and pop intentions.
Expect her new EP ‘Tears At My Age’ out on 25 Jan via Ex-Local.
London duo IDER today share the inspiring visuals for ‘Mirror,’ a breakup anthem reviewing the loss of self-identity following a breakup, which almost always ends in a triumphant celebration of your own personal strength.
Shot by Lily Rose Thomas on Bromley High Street, the visuals are simplistic and honest, perfectly echoing the vulnerability of the song and the instinctive harmony of the girls.
Sounds like: The Japanese House, Imogen Heap, Oh Wonder, Shura, The 1975, Tegan and Sara, MUNA, Aurora, Tourist, Wet, London Grammar
Big news. Ben Khan returns with the announcement of his debut album (hurrah!) and a self-directed dystopian video for spine-tingling new single ‘2000 Angels’.
The album – set for release in the summer – was produced alongside Flood (PJHarvey, DepecheMode, Nine Inch Nails) and mixed by Spike Stent (Björk, Frank Ocean), with Ben playing every instrument on the record.
Always with a creative hands-on approach, Ben also plans to launch his new interactive website, The Foundation, which offers an insight into the richness and depth of the album’s story.
Sounds like: Leo Kalyan, Twin Shadow, Jai Paul, JUNGLE, Disclosure, Prince, Blood Orange, Harts, Oyinda, Shy Girls
OTR manages to get the chilled but tense vibe just right with his latest single, ‘Close’, which includes the soulful vocals by Kai Straw.
The 25-year old aerospace engineer-turned-producer uses his mathematical mind as a key component when it comes to his music, producing off-kilter melodies and electronic sounds.
Sounds like: Hotel Garuda, Gryffin, ODESZA, Petit Biscuit, Porter Robinson
NAVA is the highly energetic project of Persian songwriter Nava Golchini and three other Italian musicians. Visually, NAVA is a mix of horror and fashion inspired by the works of visionary designer Gareth Pugh.
The debut single ‘Ritual’ gives us a glimpse into the NAVA world – full of electro arrangements, tribal instruments and dark metropolitan landscapes.
It could be 2014 again, and boy it feels good! During your visit, expect luscious vocals, addictive synth drops and and nu-disco undertone. All this, courtesy of Betablock3r and the new single ‘Make You Happy’.
It is the first single off their debut EP Monolith, out now.
It wouldn’t be a decent weekly gems feature without some pop in there. This week Tanners is the chosen one.
Tanners is the moniker of New York City-based songwriter and producer Tanner Peterson. Leading the way for women in creative music tech, Tanners has also spoken at TEDxTeen.
Inspired by her childhood love for the beach, ‘Holy Water’ celebrates the beauty and electricity born from allowing yourself to be completely vulnerable and enveloped by the ocean. “It’s a thank you song to the ocean for teaching me to embrace vulnerability,” Tanners says of the track.
Meet emerging alt-pop trio Young Sierra, who were born from a school friendship, and bonded “over a shared love of low bit-rate Drake mp3s, eighties pop and hot-sauce”.
They have the kind of frantic energy of ArcadeFire and the cheeky nature of The1975. Naughty.
Sounds like: Arcade Fire, Electric Youth, The 1975, Night Panther, Bad Sounds
Mysterious UK-based duo Weslee share their visuals for ‘Boy Like You’.
Another lip-smacking and dreamy song, the Alexandra Gavillet-directed video for ‘Boy Like You’ takes inspiration from Kanye West and centres on the infatuation of the lead male figure through a series of personal camcorder style shots filmed around a hazy American summer.
Sounds like: Ben Khan, Kacy Hill, Blood Orange, Wet, Off Bloom
Scene Writers vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners – Real Life Baby
Exciting Berlin-based duo Scene Writers (aka Christian Huerter and Sebastian Nouvortne) take inspiration from the art amidst the urban sprawl of Berlin.
They have produced a vibrant re-work of 3 Burners‘ ‘Real Life Baby’, which you can listen to below.
Continuing their knack for producing heartbreaking pop songs with a retro twist, ‘Tokyo’ is inspired by that moment of falling for someone but your time is running out.
Sounds like: Shura, Two Door Cinema Club, St. Lucia, LANY, Great Good Fine Ok, The 1975
Boom! Argonaut & Wasp are back with a funky new number called ‘Radio Sound’.
It is part of a double single, and combines elements of alternative, pop, indie, and funk to provide a bright sound, inspired by the bustling streets of Brooklyn.
It is released on the band’s own Bang! Jango Records.
Sounds like: The Strokes, Bad Sounds, Modest Mouse, Talking Heads, Phoenix, Miami Horror, Bag Raiders
Swedish trio ELD share their brilliant new single ‘Desire’.
Creating a big emotions and an anthemic sound reminiscent of Arcade Fire and The National, ‘Desire’ amalgamates electronica with post punk elements, and even enters the shoegaze realm in parts.
Listen below and prepare to be blown away.
Sounds like: Arcade Fire, The National, Interpol, Ulrich Schnauss
Rising Swedish teenager Amanda Mair shares ‘Empty Blockings’.
In the video, Amanda broaches the highly important topic of anxiety and depression,
“I wanted to show the feeling of the continuously searchers desperation. The every day hope for running away from anxiety and sorrow but the faith is to weak and puts you in a circle of running and running until you don’t know what you’re running away from.”
Austrian producer filous has also been an inquisitive soul, and a fast learner, perfecting a number of instruments at the tender age of 10. Fast forward 10 years, and filous finds himself nestled amongst the likes of Flume and ODESZA with his electronic music.
‘Already Gone’ features the delicate vocals of top songwriter Emily Warren (The Chainsmokers, FRENSHIP) and is out now via Ultra Music.
UK jazz singer Jazz Morley enters the realms of electro-soul in ‘Safe Place’.
The song considers the idea of Jazz moving back to her seaside hometown of Bournemouth, to escape the stresses of city life;
‘This is a love song written about where I live and who I have in my life. It marks a shift in my own mental health, happiness and creativity. Being a full-time musician, life can be exciting, spontaneous and hugely rewarding but also chaotic, unpredictable and at times, unstable. For the first time in my life, I am happy with who I am, and where I reside – next to the sea, along the beautiful Dorset coastline.’
We receive a huge amount of submissions via SubmitHub, and unfortunately cannot review all of the tracks, so we have decided to compile those tracks into a weekly segment of gems we’ve particularly enjoyed.
Dream Lake – Midnight Sun
Swedish electro-pop duo Dream Lake share the dreamy ‘Midnight Sun’.
This song perfectly encapsulates the airy, long days of light during the summer in Sweden, with dreamy vocals and romantic keys.
Vanguards are a indie pop focused four-piece from Brighton.
‘Rosie & The Blackheart’ is a bittersweet love song that echoes 80’s guitar legends. The track was recorded live and produced by Steve Harris (Kodaline, DaveMatthews, KaiserChiefs).
Sounds like: INXS, Kings Of Leon, The 1975, Kodaline
US-based Tigers and Thieves share ‘Change Your Mind’, an indie rock track that has all the markings of a hit, despite being recorded in their garage studio. It’s been mixed by Brian McTear (TheWar on Drugs, Sharon Van Etten, LocalNatives).
Sounds like: Local Natives, Foster the People, The Neighbourhood, alt-J, Surfer Blood, The Temper Trap, Nick Mulvey
Los Angeles-based pop duo ALKE release ‘Without You’.
There is no denying the obvious chemistry shown between Jameson Flood (production, guitar, keys) and AK Karrasch (vocals) on the track as it explores love versus independence.
‘Someone’ is the lead single taken from Anna Of The North‘s debut album, ‘Lovers’.
From the get go, ‘Someone’ is a spellbinding explosion of 80’s inspired synths, and is set to be the soundtrack to your summer.
Speaking about ‘Someone’, the band say,
“We think almost everyone has woken up after a big night, instantly regretting something that happened. It’s about how easy it is to break your promises when you’ve had a couple of drinks. Going deeper, the song is about accepting that you’re only human and to learn how to forgive yourself for your own mistakes and accepting that sometimes we need someone to save us from repeating any old habits.”
‘Lovers’ is due for release on 8 Sept via Different Recordings / Honeymoon / +1 Records.
Anna’s vocals also feature on Tyler, The Creator’s new single ‘911’, alongside Frank Ocean, out last Friday.
Sounds like: Shura, Grimes, Ballet School, Claire, MØ, Lykke Li, The Chain Gang of 1974, Chvrches, I Am Karate
Jagara are three sisters from London making genre-bending mature pop music, or so their press release says.
When reviewing music, we usually enjoy having a good listen through what we get sent before we even cast our eyes on what we’re supposed to think about it, so putting the press release out of mind is a good starting point.
On first listen nothing about their new single ‘Real Love’ drags us in, then nothing is making us switch off either. Musically it is quite simple with an under-produced feel (in a good way), good arrangements with a strange and interesting appeal. There is a vague but pleasing sense of familiarity and that coupled with that by the third and fourth listens the vocals begin to become really catchy means that we can see how this three piece are building up a great reputation.
Jagara have recently been on tour supporting Bastille on their sold out arena tour and we can see and hear the link to a group like Bastille, and fans of Bastille will definitely be on board, even though we feel ‘Real Love’ displays a more pleasant subtlety to it than most of what we’ve heard from Bastille.
There are definite elements of past pop triumphs with plenty of influences rooted in the 80’s but Jagara have used only hints of these to give a sense of something you might know and their abilities as writers and musicians carry these through to make a good, albeit slightly uninspiring piece of music. On the whole ‘Real Love’ will no doubt push Jagara further to where they need to be, it’s catchy, it’s poppy, it’s familiar but it isn’t pushing the boundaries of their abilities let alone the boundaries of music. We feel there is much more to come from Jagara and we’re really looking forward to hearing how the next single or two develops from here.
Sounds like: Shura, Bastille, New Order, Grimes, Blondie
Headed up by front woman Edith Violet, best friends, FOURS, have a lot to say on a few topics.
Possibly entitled after the well known alcoholic drink has a reputation for making men lose control, their new track ‘Stella’ is about “calling out all the sleazy men that go out on their own, wait for you and your girls to get drunk, then spend the night non consensually dry humping your leg and ignoring your repeated rejections. Fuck you, and get off my arm.”
Sounds like: Fickle Friends, Florence + The Machine, Foxes, Shura, Wolf Alice, The Hunna, Two Door Cinema Club