This month there’s a bunch of great music to shout about but I’m picking twenty songs that have piqued my interest over a variety of styles and genres - there’s something for everyone and everything for everyone if your minds are open and you’re not too fussy! Bandcamp links attached because guess what happens on Friday 1st October?
1) Devil’s Advocate by Louis and the Shakes
“You won’t like what you hear” according to, erm presumably Louis. He’s wrong of course, you’ll love it. This is taken from their debut album fresh out the traps. Louis and the Shakes are a London band who have been releasing banging indie blues songs for the past year and five of those appear here alongside some new songs to my ears. It’s a great album, soon to be released on vinyl and titled “How Badly Do You Want It?” Quite a bit in my case. www.louisandtheshakes.com
2) A Broken Bond by Joe Adhemar
The opening song from Joe’s fourth album is an instant classic and is released in time for the long awaited return of the Bond franchise. The narrator is a jaded assassin reflecting on his life as a killer for the state. Apparently, this is closer to how 007 is portrayed in Ian Fleming’s novels than in the movies. I only read one Bond novel - I was 11 and it bored me. Anyway back to the music. This is only available on Bandcamp at the moment and it’s Bandcamp Friday on 1st October so do yourself a favour and buy Joe Adhemar’s Existential Dreadlocks to own this and nine other excellent songs of dystopian pop. Joe will also be my special guest and help pick the songs on my next DAFT POM radio show on 16th October. Joe Adhemar's Bandcamp page
3) Silver Morning by A Ritual Sea
Image a song built around the opening minute of The Smith’s Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me and hauntingly sung by angelic sirens. The mythical creatures not car alarms. That’s the closest I can come to describing Silver Morning, the closing track on their self titled debut album. It’s another excellent album available to stream or buy on bandcamp if the mood takes you. A Ritual Sea's Bandcamp page
4) Burn by Oh! Paulo
A magnificent song that sees Oh! Paulo layering his vocals as he sings of laying fires around himself. The song ignites in the final third into a full blown choir of Culter Loons singing about burning it all down to the ground. A Caravan of Love for Pyromaniacs. Oh! Paulo's Bandcamp page
5) Greaseballs to Glitter by Baabes
Sleazy glam punk from Boston who sound like a modern version of the New York Dolls. Baabes' Bandcamp page
6) Parallel Love Affair by Big Image
The first single under the new identity of Big Image. The band previously known as Ivory Wave hadn’t released anything since 2019 to my knowledge. Check out this new baggy banger and their previous material now collected on the Dream Nights EP. This Midland’s based band are like a Happy Mondays for the Twenties.
7) I Won’t Lie by The Lathums
I don’t suppose anyone reading this hasn’t discovered The Lathums but I wasn’t going to leave them out. I won’t lie is one of the four songs I hadn’t heard when the album was released and it’s an upbeat indie pop romp that reminds me of The Housemartins. The album is obviously excellent so make sure you own it. They are about to take out #1 in the UK album charts which can only be a good thing for the revival of indie guitar music. The Lathums talent and dedication is pushing them into the major leagues and that deserves to be celebrated.
8) I Don’t Want, I Don’t Care by Sky Diving Penguins
This has been out on Bandcamp for a few months but now also released on other streaming sites. The Sky Diving Penguins lead their return to music with this piano driven Beatles-esque slackers song. There’s also a weird back story explained on their website. https://skydivingpenguins.com/biography
This story could not be independently fact checked! Anyway it’s the music that counts and expect more coming ahead of their album next year. Sky Diving Penguins' Bandcamp page
9) Wookie by Gomrund
An artist I discovered whilst compiling the playlist for the #AtoZNewIndieMusic challenge on Twitter. This task has taken up much of my life this month! I hope to find time to listen to everything but it’s already passed 1000 songs so that’s unlikely. Anyway Wookie is a big beat banger full of beats, riffs and squelchy bits. Top drawer! Gomrund's Bandcamp page
10) Colors on the Canvas by Velvet Starlings
Taken from the new album Technicolor Shakedown, this L.A. Psychedelic rock band are becoming firm favourites with everyone who hears them. This song is a bit more hippy Sixties Doors than the majority of the album but it’s great to find that they can play a variety of styles. Velvet Starlings' Bandcamp page
11) Bleak Midwinter by The Pretty Petty Thieves
The Cornish indie rockers have just released their debut album and it’s jangling guitars to the fore. Bleak Midwinter has a hints of Johnny Marr’s Hand In Glove about it. Ones to watch!
12) Shoot Me Down by Perry Manning
“You can shoot me down, but you’re never keep me down” Perry Manning’s latest is unconventional. A voice reading a poem with an acoustic guitar and some strings. It’s a captivating performance and yes he had my attention on the first of several plays.
13) This Bird by Novelty Island
Keeping the strumming acoustic guitars, strumming are Novelty Island with their trippy song about birds with Beatleesque Edward Lear nonsense lyrics. I’ve used Beatlesque more than once in this blog. I don’t think I’ve ever typed it before and I certainly don’t know how to spell it. But it’s undeniable here and you would be forgiven if you thought George Harrison was playing the electric guitar towards the end. Novelty Island's Bandcamp page
14) Danger Man by Dojo Rise
Adelaide’s finest reggae band have released a five track mini album A Better Place. Three previously released singles are joined by two new cuts. Some fine Aussie grooves to combat stress. Dojo Rise's Bandcamp page
15) Tunnel Vision by Leigh Thomas
Melbourne based, Leigh Thomas with a beautiful downbeat acoustic song. It’s a lament on love, life and the universe with some wonderful blues guitar licks towards the end. Leigh Thomas Bandcamp page
16) Summertime Sadness by The Empty Mirrors
The Empty Mirrors are more prolific than rabbits. It’s yet another gorgeous song. The Empty Mirrors Bandcamp page
17) Animals by Cat Dowling
Cat Dowling with a devilishly catchy love song. Not sure if wild animals do much hand holding but otherwise I can’t fault it. New album available to pre-order. Cat Dowling's Bandcamp page
18) Need The Needle by Graeme The King of Bispham
A topical hard rock song about Covid vaccination jabs and whether you need one to survive or obey? Personally my body’s a temple and I wouldn’t risk experimenting with… no hang on a minute I’m thinking of someone else.
19) Rat Race (Parker Rework) by Alright
Blackpool’s Alright with a fabulous new version of Rat Race with a critique on why we’re trapped in the rat race and afraid to risk following our dreams.
20) What You Heard by The Deepshakerz and Rowetta
It’s a bloody dance floor banger sung by Rowetta - what more do you need to know? It’s got a hypnotic groove and it will make your rump shake. Play it loud!
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