Hello world,
Here’s your latest FP Picks update .. loads of great new music as always inc trx fm The Pill, Villagers, Misty Miller & lots more. If you like what you hear please follow and share this playlist, it helps us keep doing our thing by getting the algorithms on our side. Also please support the artists featured in any way you can!
Until next week
Helen (Futureproof) x
Wax-Tree-Cast – Argue Like I Love You
Indie duo Wax-Tree-Cast have shared new single Argue Like I Love You, taken from their upcoming EP Entanglements To Affairs Part 2 and it’s an expansive, scuzzy guitar-flecked number, which explores the dynamics of volatile and toxic relationships. Decked out in all-pink and matching blissful, classic indie-pop songwriting with striking visuals and unmistakable West Yorkshire cool, the duo have already been championed across BBC 6 Music by DJ’s Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq and Chris Hawkins as well as by trusted tastemaker John Kennedy on his Radio X ‘X-posure’ show. What an absolute belter – poignant songwriting on this infectious track.
GUINEVERE – INTO
This highly accessible slice of alt-pop from GUINEVERE has some cool touches to its production. Talking Heads style guitars, a Wet Leg influenced groove plus a highly sing-along chorus with an Imelda May style delivery, all combine to pleasing effect. However, we know nothing about this artist at all but presume they’re in good company on the music making front, going by how this record’s been put together. With lyrics like “I don’t understand why you ignore me, while you tell all your friends how you adore me”, the song seemingly expresses ideas of unrequited love & not getting what you want, all of which play nicely against the happy upbeat vibe in the music – but then contradiction works well at keeping its audience guessing.. & that’s pop music at its best!
Ela Minus – BROKEN
Colombian singer-producer Ela Minus has dropped atmospheric new single BROKEN from the upcoming album DIA. Ela wrote the album all around the globe, making stints in California’s Mojave Desert, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Mexico City, and London. Like much of the record, BROKEN sees Ela imbue her electronic roots with the heart of classic singer-songwriter music, putting her vocals at the forefront over a four-on-the-floor beat. Ela states: “I started writing this thinking I was perfectly fine and finished writing knowing I was not.” The album has been described as “both introspective and expansive, the wide sweep of its songs revealing more of Ela as person and producer than ever before.”
Misty Miller – Too Heavy
No one does dark & sombre quite like Misty Miller and this latest offering from the South London artist is well up there with the best of Leonard Cohen when setting the scene on a story about personal dysfunction – but don’t get me wrong as she’s much more that just that, with her multi-faceted personality laid bare for all to see in the music. One of the most credible artists on the London live scene I’ve witnessed in the last decade or so, Misty’s composition & delivery on this record are both potent & profound. The song builds to a crescendo leading the listener along its eventful path, only to have the vocal emotionally crack right at the end – just beautiful.
Villagers – Mountain out of a Molehill
Irish artist Villagers (aka Conor O’Brien) has shared a surprise new single in Mountain out of a Molehill, following the recent release of the album That Golden Time. Villagers states: “I see it as a kind of psychodrama; a song to quell that relentless attention-seeker within. It’s just some self-administered advice to me and my undulating ego.” The track is described as being calming, beautiful and graceful melodically, but reveals lyrical drama that frames discussion of conversational use of language. Conor told Hot Press: “Creating anything that you’ve really put your heart and soul into – which is what I’ve done here – is hopeful, in my mind. Even if it’s going into the darker sides of things.”
Everyone Says Hi – On The Same Side
Everyone Says Hi, the new band fronted by ex-Kaiser Chiefs songwriter and drummer Nick Hodgson, have shared their latest track On The Same Side, about feuds and making up. The song – originally written for Liam Gallagher, but ultimately rejected – is taken from the band’s forthcoming self-titled debut album. Hodgson says: “This is the oldest song on the album. Justin Parker (Video Games – Lana Del Rey) was asked to write something for Liam Gallagher and he asked me to collaborate. We wrote On The Same Side one day and we were feeling really good about it, we could picture Liam singing it in its full anthemic glory. He turned it down because he didn’t want songs written by a Kaiser Chief. I’m really pleased how it turned out though, definitely Liam’s loss and our gain.” Indeed! We’re loving this soaring, heartfelt banger with its powerful strings and dramatic chorus.
Bartees Strange – Sober
Bartees Strange has shared new single Sober, taken from the upcoming album Horror and it’s an 80-style heartland rocker. Strange states: “This song is about falling short in a relationship, over and over, and drinking because of it. I think this is something a lot of people can probably relate to. Being in love but not being the best at showing it or feeling successful within it. And being afraid that this is something you’ll always deal with because you never really saw a better example of how love works.” The album is inspired by Strange’s experience growing up queer and Black in Oklahoma — being afraid and being feared, and it reaches out to people who may be afraid of things too. Great songwriting on this powerful track – can’t wait for the album!
Bull – Head Exploder
Bull dropped the energetic anthem Head Exploder a while back now but what a belter! With a raucous blend of jangling guitars and frenetic percussion that harkens back to the golden era of slacker rock, singer/guitarist Tom Beer’s vocals soar with a magnetic intensity, perfectly complementing the frenzied instrumentation. Drawing inspiration from iconic bands like Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, and Yuck, Bull effortlessly channels the spirit of their heroes while carving out a distinct sound of their own. The result is a track that brims with nostalgia yet feels undeniably fresh and relevant. Head Exploder is a reminder of the transformative power of authentic, unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll.
The Pill – Scaffolding Man
Isle of Wight’s punk outfit The Pill have shared their witty new single Scaffolding Man, addictively balanced between scuzzy, jumpy guitars and sweet, soft moments that give you a second to sway before tumbling back into the chaos. The track tells a fairytale love story of being caught in the bath or dancing naked in your kitchen by the guy doing the scaffolding outside your house. The duo prompts: “Are you in love? Or are you just freaked out. How about both? Scaffolding Man is a love song with attitude; a romance for the stage, but maybe not for your wedding day. Pick up the bubble bath and open the curtains, The Pill’s second single has arrived.” A fun, uplifting, infectious earworm – what’s not to like?! Lovin’ it here!
Geordie Greep – Blues
Geordie Greep takes familiar sounds to a new level on eclectic new single Blues, taken from his upcoming debut solo album The New Sounds. The song opens with breakneck prog riffs, before glitching into the track proper. There, we’re met with jagged musical precision and another of the former Black Midi vocalist’s problematic lyrical subjects. He states: “I wanted to do a song where it’s like, ‘Oh, look at this wanker’ — then again, we’re all kind of wankers. We’ve all been 18. I wanted to do a song about when you think you’re the shit, and you have this feeling when you’re walking down the street, and you can imagine it’s a movie. Like, what a wanker! It’s just a load of funny lines strung together, really, with the theme of like 18-year-old pretentiousness.”
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