This is fine.
New to me Cardiff based band SYBS just dropped this new single today called “Gwacter” that you should definitely check out below. It features a great, indie rock sound that doesn’t tend to mess about and gets straight to energy and power from the get go. Hopefully it will improve what may have been a downer of a day. Stay tuned for more from SYBS as a debut album is coming soon and will feature more of this badassery.
Sheffield’s Sister Wives have a new album coming out at the end of the month, and perhaps this little tease from the record gets you to throw a dollar down or more. Opening with this heavy psychedelic pulse, the vocals seem to take their choral nature in contrast to the darkened edge of the song’s underbelly; it creates this beautiful melancholy that paves the wave for the rest of the song to unfold. About 2 minutes in, the song slows to a crawl, the beat slows and the song turns towards a haunting sonic exploration that builds in anxiety until its final breath. Y Gawres will be released by Libertino on October 28th.
It’s funny that the email I got about YNYS mentions T. Rex in a nod to the string work on the band’s latest single, as I was just thinking there was something about Bolan lurking in the shadows of this song. There’s this bit of bravado and swagger to the performance of Dylan Hughes here, but don’t let that deceive you as this is every bit a big sweeping pop tune. From the arrangements to the backing melodies, every note seems intent upon carrying you away with huge emotions, albeit with a little bit of that effortless cool. Guess I’m just a big old sucker for pop tunes; the band release their self-titled album on November 4th via Libertino.
I’ve spent a lot of this year relishing in my adoration of Spanish indiepop, but I need to also remember all the various languages should enjoy as much consideration, which is how I’ve stumbled upon Welsh act Papur Wal. On the band’s latest single it’s this odd lo-fi slacker journey, sort of plodding along with indifference; it all seems just like a casual stroll down the street. But, just as you’ve settled in, someone jumps on the pedal and the song blasts off into this world of discordant pop music. It’s a fun twist that adds a nice energetic kick to the tune; the release is being handled by Libertino.
Welsh outfit Silent Forum are kicking it with my favorite genre of post-punk; they offer this shuffling danceable guitar pop that’s built to lift your spirits. It’s weird, almost as if the band stole some riffs from U2 and made them cool, throwing in some jittery cymbal work to round out the rhythm section. In doing so, they bring to mind the early days of Bloc Party or maybe even Foals when they were cool; I know that regardless it’s a sound that’s a whole heap of fun on a Monday. We should expect a full length debut from this group in the new year via Libertino.
There’s not too much information out on Ilu other than Welsh lineage. But, rest assured, spend any time with the track below and you’ll be both pleased and intrigued. The opening moments have this almost Germanic-electronica element…you know propulsive beat and sterile atmosphere. Then suddenly these vocals float in all angelic and your’e transfixed by an almost psychedelic experience with guitars moving beneath the electronic wash that pre-existed. It walks a fine line between the two genres throughout, almost tip-toeing between the two so as not of offend everyone…but also to draw everyone into their sound. As of now, this is just their single…dropping August 3rd via Libertino.
Up until today, the song’s we’ve heard from Alex Dingley have mostly revolved around a sort of arty indie rock. But, eager to show you he’s no one-trick pony, Alex drops this new entrancing tune to show you his skills as a balladeer. A plodding piano backbone helps keep the balance of the song, with minimal percussion helping for slight accompaniment. Dingley, for his part, takes his distinctive vocals and offers a performance that ingrains itself in your brain. Don’t forget to grab your copy of Beat the Babble, which just came out last Friday via Libertino.
It’s easy to be impressed with Alex Dingley, even having known very little about the Welsh songwriter; his new LP was recorded with Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley. If you’ve listened to that duo’s work as Drinks, you might have a glimmer of what the group sounds like. The drums craft a rolling feeling while chords seem to provide throbbing bounce; this all happens while Dingley delivers his folk-inflected vocals, oddly akin to Jeff Mangum. You’ll also have to give an ear to the song’s closing moment, a musical essay on the joy of songwriting. Beat the Babble will appear in the UK via Libertino, with a US release already handled by Birth Records.
