Here are 12 of the best new songs we’ve heard in the past week, tried, tested and true for you.
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1.
Friendly Fires
Heaven Let Me In
‘Heaven Let Me In’ is the latest single from Hertfordshire’s finest band Friendly Fires. Co-produced by Disclosure, the track is dancefloor disco at it’s finest and comes complete with syncopated all of the drum patterns and grainy synth stabs that both Friendly Fires and Disclosure are known for. The band released ‘Love Like Waves’ earlier this year, which was their first single since 2011’s Pala. ‘Heaven Let Me In’ is taken from their third album, due for release in 2019.
2.
Planningtorock
Much To Touch feat. Maija Karhunen
Planningtorock is the alias of Berlin based producer Jam Rostron. Rostron’s music is interesting because it challenges gendered pop music conforms by pitch-shifting the lead vocals, rendering it difficult to decipher whether it’s a male or female singing. Their new electro-pop infused single ‘Much To Touch’ is taken from his upcoming album (due out on November 9th) and features Olof Dreijer of The Knife on co-production. The single further challenges pop stereotypes in its music video, which features a dwarf enthroned in lush surroundings of a fur under bright spotlights.
3.
Love Sick
Medusa
LOVE SICK are a new synth-pop duo from Glasgow composed of Julie and Shaun, who first met each other at a Christmas work party (they both used to work for an insurance company). Their new single ‘Medusa‘ is brooding, with delicate lyrics juxtaposed by weighty synth swells, “you cut my head off and ask if I’m ok”. Head bobbing at the chorus is an involuntary reflux. It’s Love Sick’s second feature on this list.
4.
Ross From Friends
Squaz
Ross From Friends’ new single ‘Squaz‘ showcases exactly what the English producer does best with intricate, mechanical drum rhythms combined with spacey synth lines and strange vocoders. The track was released by LA based label Brainfeeder ahead of their 10-year-anniversary compilation album Brainfeeder X.
5.
IDER
Mirror
‘Mirror‘ is the latest of a string of gorgeous and poignant singles from London duo IDER. The track is an honest depiction of all the ugly bits that come with a break up; checking when your ex was last online, not recognising yourself when you look in the mirror. The track builds upon layers and layers of synths and vocals before a compelling chorus, illustrating exactly what the band do best. Their new album is set for release in 2019 and we can’t wait to hear it. IDER were one of our new artists of 2018.
6.
Empress Of
I Don’t Even Smoke Weed
Lorely Rodriguez is the moniker of LA singer-songwriter Empress Of. ‘I Don’t Even Smoke Weed’ was the final single to be released from her new album Us last week before it’s official release last week. The track sees Rodriguez compare the high that she experiences from her lover’s company to type you’d get from narcotics, complete with appropriately dreamy and airy production and instrumentation. She also just announced a Dublin show for next year.
7.
Barrie
Michigan
Barrie are a new dream pop band from Brooklyn who made their debut release earlier this year with ‘Canyons‘. The five-piece stem from all over the US – Baltimore, Boston, upstate New York, London, and Brazil – and met by chance in New York last year. Their new single ‘Michigan‘ is a synth driven, feel-good ballad that makes a case for completely losing yourself to someone, “there’s nothing left to do but go crazy on you”.
8.
Rival Consoles
Them Is Us
Ryan Lee West, AKA Rival Consoles released his new album Persona earlier this year, and have wasted no time producing a predecessor. ‘Them Is Us’, which was written for the Adult Swim Series, is a euphoric, electro-infused instrumental track with varying percussion lines and unusual string patterns. It’s hard not to become totally invested in the rhythms as the song progresses; intricacy meets pure hypnosis.
9.
Loyle Carner featuring Jordan Rakei
Ottolenghi
‘Ottolenghi’ is everything you want from a Loyle Carner song; it’s smooth, clever and laced in nostalgia. The title is based on the famous chef Yotam Ottolenghi (who features in the video); the chef inspired Loyle’s culinary side-career (Google ‘chilli con carner’). Jordan Rakei provides soulful vocals while Carner delivers the effortless rhymes that he’s known for. Carner announced a Dublin show last week.
10.
Roisín Murphy
The Rumble / World’s Crazy
‘The Rumble / World’s Crazy’ a double single release from Arklow hailing Roisín Murphy. The tracks follow in similar vein to her recent disco focussed singles such as ‘Jacuzzi Rollercoaster’ and ‘Can’t Hang On‘, complete with four to the floor kick drums and sizzling trapped high hats. The track will be released on vinyl this November 2nd.
11.
Beirut
Gallipoli
It’s been four years since Beirut released their last album No No No, and word of their new one was accompanied by the title track last week. ‘Gallipoli‘ is a quirky, brass-focussed track with heavily EQd vocals that summons images of sunny sojourns and long strolls by the beach. Zachary of the band said that “we stumbled into a medieval-fortressed island town of Gallipoli one night and followed a brass band procession fronted by priests carrying a statue of the town’s saint through the winding narrow streets behind what seemed like the entire town, before returning late to Sudestudio. The next day I wrote the song I ended up calling ‘Gallipoli’ entirely in one sitting, pausing only to eat.”
12.
Bitch Falcon
Prime Number
Bitch Falcon are regularly featured here at Nialler9, and their new single ‘Prime Number’ asserts exactly why. The track is high-energy rock with lead singer Lizzie Fitzpatrick’s vocal at the forefront, bold and loud. The humorous music video sees the band give an intimate performance to a zany Bitch Falcon fan, where things get stranger by the second.
