The 20 best songs of October

Morgana

I’ll Cry When I’m Dead

‘I’ll Cry When I’m Dead’, the debut single from Morgana MacIntyre amplifies the epic reaches that was often present in the music of Saint Sister, her previous band with Gemma Doherty, across two albums Shape of Silence (2018) and Where I Should End (2021). Morgana has already stated the project’s modus operandi of sorts: “prepared to party, ready to cry”.

The melodic nous in the vocals and declarative chorus is also familiar to fans of Saint Sister, but the Morgana project operates in a different palette of synthesized pop (and treated backing vocals), a bright and gilded song of euphoric intent about keeping the fire burning, through partying, codependency and seeking advice.

Morgana plays a debut solo headline show at Button Factory in Dublin on December 20th. Tickets on sale Friday.

A London show happens at The Lexington on November 13th

Morgana also plays Kino for Quiet Lights in Cork on Sunday November 27th.

Tyler, The Creator

Thought I Was Dead

We’ve an entire hour long podcast on Chromakopia this week, so I won’t go into it too much, but ‘Thought I Was Dead’ is my current favourite from the record, its horror stabs brass and bassline buttressing some tight rap verses from Tyler and Schoolboy Q with backing vocals from Santigold.

See also: ‘Sticky‘ for more of this kind of rap from the album.

LCD Soundsystem

x-ray eyes

As premiered on NTS last week, ‘x-ray eyes’ was the first confirmation of new LCD Soundsystem before Primavera Sound announced a new LCD album would be released in 2025.

‘x-ray eyes’ has a low-key 12″ feel that reminds me of their very first releases, aura: play it in a dive bar.

As for the album, James Murphy sez:

it’s the first single of what’s shaping up to be a new album.  don’t ask me when that is, because we’re still working on it.  but it feels very good to be putting out new music. … but, no, there’s no finished LP yet.  but when we’re not playing shows, it’s getting closer and closer to completion.  so that’s the news.  anything else you hear is bullshit speculation.

Olive Hatake, Daryl Bengo

Ghosts

I hosted a listening party for Olive Hatake and his new album Boys Need Love last week, and what struck me about the Kildare producer’s outlook is one of chasing joy and euphoria, even in the face of grief and personal loss.

Olive also competed at the Jiu-Jitsu European championships in Paris earlier this year, along with finishing this album, which takes that euphoria and embeds it on these songs.

Along with the epic reaching ‘Ghosts’ there are features with Jafaris and regular collaborator Tony Konstone (Hare Squead).

Live shows:

National Gallery, Dublin: Nov 7th

Workman’s Cellar, Dublin: Nov 10th

Silverbacks

Look At All You’ve Done

A weird little country indie rock song from Irish band Silverbacks’ third record, Easy Being A Winner, which is the band’s strongest and most singular collection of music to date.

Easy Being A Winner expands the band’s sound beyond the post-punk alt-rock that was present on the first two records, finding a new slipway of uniqueness to explore.

RÓIS

OH LOVELY APPEARANCE OF DEATH

Róis is a Fermanagh composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and electronic artist who has just-released the Mo Léan EP, EP’s theme of celebrating Ireland’s ancient traditions around death.

With additional production from John Spud Murphy (OXN/Lankum), the Ep was inspired by recordings of keening songs, and the combination of electronics, trad and atmospherics is the sound of something really unique and special to these ears.

I covered ‘Caoine’ previously, and today I recommend the stirring synth-trad of ‘OH LOVELY APPEARANCE OF DEATH’.

Live, a recent Workman ‘s Cellar show featured a set of two halves, with a set of the keening-based songs folllowed by a more robust and electronic set.

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Afterlife

Sharon Van Etten returns with her touring band officially named as The Attachment Theory who are Jorge Balbi (drums, machines), Devra Hoff (bass, vocals), and Teeny Lieberson (synth, piano, guitar, vocals).

The new project name denotes a more collaborative process for the album of the same name and musically, ‘Afterlife’ lifts Van Etten’s songwriting with subtle analogue and electronic arrangements that hold a quiet euphoria.

The album is out in February.

 
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory Tour Dates
Fri. Feb. 28 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller *
Sat. Mar. 1 – Stockholm, SE @ Fållan *
Sun. Mar. 2 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega *
Tue. Mar. 4 – Berlin, DE @ Astra Kulturhaus *
Thu. Mar. 6 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon *
Fri. Mar. 7 – Antwerp, BE @ De Roma *
Sat. Mar. 8 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso *
Mon. Mar. 10 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall *
Tue. Mar. 11 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall *
Wed. Mar. 12 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom *
* with special guest Nabihah Iqbal
 

Skinner

Geek Love

As Skinner’s manager, I’m obviously biased in liking his music, and ‘Geek Love’ is another fine twist of the no-wave knife, which is collected on a short-EP alongside the previously released songs ‘New Wave Vaudeville’ and ‘Tell My Ma’.

‘Geek Love’ is pure taut noisy punk-funk with bongo percussion, firey saxophone, razor-wire guitars and a lyric that celebrates the outsiders. A debut album is released in January.

“This song is inspired by one of my favourite books “Geek Love” by Katherine Dunn. It’s about a bunch of circus freaks that live in an isolated travelling circus community who never interact with the general public apart from their live shows for fear of harassment and persecution for who they are. I think being a functional member of society can be claustrophobic at the best of times and it’s draining to constantly be trying to meet people’s standards and fit in if you’re different. I liked the book because it celebrates being weird and original instead of always trying to sweep that part of your existence under the carpet. I also think it’s quite empowering to be able to make someone uncomfortable by doing nothing more than just being yourself.”

Bricknasty, Aby Coulibaly

gas

Prince and D’Angelo meets Dublin from a short and sharp highlight from Bricknasty’s new XONGZ አስቀያሚ ጡብ EP.

‘gas’ is a slinky little track from 9-track EP which captures “the band’s journey through loss, recovery, and the embrace of the unknown. “

Błoto

Muchomor

Błoto are a Polish experimental jazz group with hip-hop influences whose 2021 album Kwasy i zasady put them on my radar.

Their fourth album Grxybnia (which means “Mycelium”) was just released and ‘Muchomor’ sounds like a Bernard Herrman horror score, a Psycho-esque stringed tension mounting instrumental as played by BadBadNotGood.

The Horrors

The Silence That Remains

A new iteration of The Horrors has returned, with a new album too, their first since Tom Furse left the band in 2021.

The band’s sixth album Night Life, is out March 21st 2025, and was made with core duo vocalist Faris Badwan and bassist Rhys Webb, now joined by Amelia Kidd on keys and Telegram’s Jordan Cook on drums.

‘The Silence That Remains’ heralds the album, with a typically atmospheric metallic rock cut form the band.

““The Silence that Remains” is a 3am insomnia walk through the city, retracing our steps and putting the past to bed…..The Horrors are never-ending.”

The Horrors Live Dates:

Wed 27 Nov 2024, Bedford, Esquires
Thu 28 Nov 2024, London, The ICA
Tue 3 Dec 2024, Manchester, Yes (Pink Room)
Wed 4 Dec 2024, Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
Thu 5 Dec 2024, Glasgow, Room 2
Thu 12 Dec 2024, Blackpool, Bootleg Social
Fri 13 Dec 2024, Bristol, Strange Brew
Sat 14 Dec 2024, Southend, Chinnerys

Soda Blonde

Bully

Soda Blonde have released their first new song since 2023’s album Dream Big.

The song is written from singer Faye O’Rourke’s self-description of “brain rot”, and musically it’s got a bright Talking Heads / Cut Copy ’80s vibe to it in the best way.

“‘Bully’ is a stubborn knot of internal dialogue, unrequited love and my own longing for acceptance.”

It’s a song that will be aired live, at upcoming gigs in Dublin’s on December 7th at Vicar Street after UK dates in London on December 3rd, followed by Leeds on December 4th and Glasgow on December 5th.

Martin Luke Brown

hello !

Known as a member of FIZZ and a solo artist in his own right, Martin Luke Brown has announced his new album man oh man ! out February 21st via AMK.

‘hello !’ is an understated psych pop song that has echoes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Mac Demarco with cosmic jazz undertones.

Ahmed, With Love.

GeorgianFlip.

Dublin/Sierra Leonean rapper Ahmed Karim Tamu’s debut mixtape Comma, Full Stop (instructions for the stylising of his name) dropped last week, and among the nine-track 25-minute collection of vibey hip-hop and Brazilian-influenced tracks is this short and memorable beat that demands an elongated guest verse remix if you ask me.

Hiro Ama

Bon Dance

Music for Peace and Harmony is the new album Hiro Ama, the Japan-born, London-based composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Hiro Ama ( of Teleman).

‘Bon Dance’ reminds me of Beverly Glenn-Copeland, in its stirring minimal Japanese electro-acoustic synth work. An obscure 1980s Japanese synthesiser called the Waraku – the work translated means “peace and harmony”

The album also features collaborations from British singer Keeley Forsyth and flautist Gail Tasker.

“A lot of things are fragile and chaotic at the moment in this world, and I wanted to make music to soothe my mind and heart. Modern music sometimes sounds too pristine and sanitised. I like those spontaneous sounds. “

Ruthven

Cautious

Sean Nelson was one of the enigmatic artists released under the Paul Institute’s initial artist roster, and since Jai Paul came back with live shows last year, we’ve had debut albums (through XL Recordings) from Fabiana Palladino and as of last week, Ruthven with the album Rough & Ready.

The album opener features a microcosm of the firefighter’s appealing characteristics: soulful clear vocal melodies, billowing synths and layered ’80s lite-funk production. I love the song’s closing interloping harmonies.

Yenkee

Southside

The Cork artist Graham Cooney has released his debut album Night Golf on Soft Boy Records, and Yenkee leans soft glow daydream indie pop and mellow psych guitar music he’s known for across the record.

‘Southside’ with its Thriller-esque pulsing bassline and hooky chorus is my current favourite of the non-single album tracks so far.

Yenkee has live dates in Dublin, London, Brighton and Cork in December- tickets are on sale now.

1st Dec: Whelans (Upstairs), Dublin

10th Dec: Old Blue Last, London

15th Dec: Folklore Rooms, Brighton

21st Dec: City Hall, Cork

Moin, Sophia Al-Maria

Lift You

Understated ’90s alt-rock and slowcore provide the foundation for the latest highlight form Moin’s forthcoming album You Never End, with spoken word by Qatari/American artist Sophia Al-Maria.

The UK trio of Valentina Magaletti, Tom Halstead and Joe Andrews’ album is out October 25th

F3Miii

Say My Name

‘Say My Name’ is a beguiling track drawing on the DNA of Timbaland-chart club R&B and dance atmospherics that has been reappearing on my rotation for its repeatable simplicity and short running time (1 minute 38 seconds).

F3Miii’s releases have consistently piqued my ears lately so another feature was long overdue.

Mk.gee

Rockman

Mk.gee’s guitar funk R&B music is just the right side of “sounds like The Police”, and just enough of “Frank Ocean soundalike” that it still feels like its own thing.

‘Rockman’ is the second single he’s released since his much acclaimed vibey album Two Star & The Dream Police in February, an album destined to be on a lot of end of year lists.