Happy Music Christmas, Dear Reader. It’s the best day of the ‘working’ week – the sun’s out, summer is in full swing, and we’ve got a new batch of bangers to dive into.
With a slew of big albums added to a week already packed with pop megahits, we’ve got some big players teeing up this Friday – and that’s without including the acts getting early hits in earlier in the week.
So, without further delay, here are the new records you should be sticking in your carefully curated playlists today. You can hear the full thing on Spotify here, or, if you want to get the new cut every Friday direct to your Spotify account, follow the main playlist here.
Don’t forget to vote for your favourites in the Dork Buzz Chart. There’s a new rundown every Sunday at 5pm on Dork Radio. Get more info and the current top 10 here, and find a full list of every track you can vote for here.
Years & Years All For You
If you’ve picked up our most recent edition, you’ll have seen we gave Years & Years’ second album ‘Palo Santo’ six stars out of five. It’s not unheard of, apparently. If you’re doubting why we’d burst past the 100% barrier, you’ve clearly not heard their latest track. We’d say banger, but the banger feels too limiting a structure for what Olly and co. are producing at the moment. Are nuclear-blasters a thing?
Pale Waves Noises
MY MIND MAKES NOISES! TOO MUCH! It’s finally hear, pop pickers. Pale Waves have been teasing this one for what seems like forever. As one of the final tasters of new music before we get news of that much anticipated debut album, it’s the perfect crystallisation of everything the band do best. Will it stop your boring mate who claims all their songs sound the same, all the time listening to a parade of identikit blokes with bad beards? Nah. Do we care? Not a bit.
Charli XCX Focus / No Angel
We’re getting to the point where we think Beyonce’s ‘Run The World (Girls)’ should have been more specific. After all, with the run of pixel perfect pop HRH Queen of Everything Charli XCX has been dropping for what seems like an age now, she must surely be in charge of some shadowy ruling cabal, right? ‘Focus’ and ‘No Angel’ are no different, building on her recent mainstreamification (yes, that’s a word now – ed) of that PC Music sound with hooks so hooky they’re hooked on themselves. If you have to pick one, go for ‘No Angel’. It’s glorious.
Florence + The Machine Patricia
Oh Pat. Who’s Pat? Why’s our Flo warbling about her? Who cares. Indie’s big belter is back! Back!! Back!!! With new album ‘High As Hope’ out today, we’re blessed with a slew of Massive Festival Anthem Contenders. Sing ’em loud – people are staring because you’re smashing it, you absolute champ.
Gorillaz Tranz
Damon ‘Damon’ Albarn has taken much less outside influence on Gorillaz’ new album ‘The Now Now’. A concentrated blast of his brilliant mind, it may not be as bells and whistles as some of what came before, but taken to its core influence, it’s a record that delivers some brilliant moments. ‘Tranz’ is Albarn stumbling into a pile of LCD Soundsystem 12-inches and covering them in his innate pop magpie charm. Clocking in at under 3 minutes, it’s staggeringly good.
Honne I Got You (ft. Nana Rogues)
No, you pop ignoramus. Nana Rogues isn’t someone’s Nan. He is adding some smooth sauce to Honne’s latest offering – a hint of a second album to follow later this summer. Perfect vibes for the bright and balmy climate, sit back, chill out and open a cold one. They got you.
Let’s Eat Grandma I Will Be Waiting
How many ways can we say this – Let’s Eat Grandma’s second album ‘I’m All Ears’ is staggeringly good. Like, close-your-mouth-Barry-you’re-dribbling-on-the-carpet good. It’s a proven case from the three lead singles from the record, ‘Hot Pink’, ‘Falling Into Me’ and ‘It’s Not Just Me’ – but if you want to put goosebumps on-top of goosebumps, it’s ‘I Will Be Waiting’ you’re looking for. A shimmering, actually perfect slice of awesome, it manages to raise pulses and stop hearts within four and a half minutes of sheer genius. There’s nobody else on LEG’s level right now.
SPINN It’s Not Getting Better
When they’re done bantering about being ripped off in the ‘branding department’ by some of the biggest bands on Planet Indie, SPINN are actually quite good at the music thing too. Their latest single ‘It’s Not Getting Better’ is – despite the title – a perfect summer spritzer, all jingle-jangles and soaring possibilities, a juxtaposition that comes out tasting of Starburst and fizzy pop. They’ll have your head in a…. yeah. You got it.
HMLTD Proxy Love
WAKE UP. WAKE UP! WAKE THE FUCK UP! HMLTD heard we were after bangers, and took the suggestion literally. ‘Proxy Love’ is anything but a shy, retiring moment from a band who wouldn’t know how to keep it low key if they tried. Brash, brassy and bombastic, it’s the spirit of the Pet Shop Boys taken to the sex dungeon. There’s the reckless abandon of Scissor Sisters and the abrasive texture of bloodied sandpaper, all delivered with a strobing urgency that’s unmatched. Glorious.
Deaf Havana Hell
Deaf Havana’s first track back, ‘Sinner’, was a shock to the system. A pop hue to a band who showed little hint of a technicolour jump previously, it stuck it in the mixer and let the rest of it sort itself out. Second cut ‘Hell’ is closer to their rock roots. Still shimmering with the bleeps and bloops, it matches against a dark, brooding undertone. Not a new trick, but an effective one nonetheless.
Black Honey I Only Hurt The Ones I Love
Finally, Black Honey are ready to bless us with their much anticipated debut album, and they’re doing it with the most Black Honey track ever committed to record. After the shock to the system of ‘Bad Friends’, the fab four are back on their film noir pop bangerwagon, swooning and brooding in glistening limelight. In Izzy B. Phillips, we’ve clearly got one of indie’s next great icons in waiting. Her moment is about to arrive.
Mitski Nobody
Let us count the ways Mitski is brilliant. Except, of course, we can’t – because while numbers are unlimited, Mitski’s awesomeness is infinite. ‘Nobody’ might well be the greatest example to date, packing a high hat riding disco strut and a key change that would get any boyband out of their seats and into the upper atmosphere. Maybe they can quantify her greatness from space.
Oscar 1UP (ft. Sarah Bonito)
Beepy bleepy bloopy blop. Oscar is back(! Back!! Back!!!), trapped in an 8-to-16-bit realm of power ups, extra lives and a constant need for inserted coins. Signing up Sarah of Kero Kero Bonito adds the perfect complementary edge to a track that manages to find the heart in the digital realm. Like a Sonic Slow Jam, it’ll loop to loop straight into your repeat queue.
Want all of these bangers in one place? We’ve got a playlist for that. Here’s this week’s Brand New Bangers on Spotify. If you want to get the updated version direct to your Spotify profile every Friday, follow the The Cut here.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd
Honne I Got You (ft. Nana Rogues)
No, you pop ignoramus. Nana Rogues isn’t someone’s Nan. He is adding some smooth sauce to Honne’s latest offering – a hint of a second album to follow later this summer. Perfect vibes for the bright and balmy climate, sit back, chill out and open a cold one. They got you.
