THE BEST MUSIC: NEW & OLD
Hands down one of my favourite tracks from the past few years. Drawn is a beautiful collab between Little Dragon and hip-hop royalty De La Soul. It’s delicate, it’s strong, it’s brilliant. My only criticism is that it doesn’t go on for long enough.
Little Dragon is playing alongside Harvey Sutherland at Printworks this Friday. Cannot. Wait.
P.S. the image is taken from the video. It’s a good one. Watch it here
Sitting somewhere between dream-pop, shoegaze and indie-rock, you’ll find Beach House. 7 is the duo’s seventh album (clever). My highlights are the tense and foreboding Lemon Glow, and Black Car. I’m off to see them for the first time at The Troxy tonight. Very excited.
Bonus track: Sparks is my favourite. Guitar comes screeching through some chanting and takes you on a magical ride before you know what’s happening. It’s good, trust me. Try the album Depression Cherry for more of the same.
Moody. Unsettling. Spooky. Bewitching. Enchanting. A Rolling Stone review of this 2012 album, the band’s first, described it as “the sound of heartbreak and celebration happening simultaneously.” I love that. Basically, Poliça are a 5-piece outfit from Minneapolis making synth-pop music fit for a Hallowe’en party. Get to know.
Also, they are on tour. I have 2 tickets for sale at face value at London’s ICA on Saturday 3rd November. Let me know if you want them.
Oh, and one last thing – chill, I’ve got you covered.
Masked duo Jadu Heart are back releasing music with a new EP, The Gloom That Looms. It’s their first release since they entered the scene with their awesome EP Wanderflower on Mura Masa’s Anchor Point records. In The Cure they capture their original catchy screwed-up electro-poppy style – if a little less raw than their previous outing. I’m a bit disappointed by the other track on the release tbh, but hey, can’t win ’em all.
Watching them live last year, the gig had that exciting kind of energy you get when you are watching a band ‘before they’re big’. They are playing another date in London at OMEARA on 21st November. Tickets on sale now. (By they way, they make you feel real old)
I keep a little list of artists that I really really want to see live. Little Dragon has been on that list for a while. And then; 1) Little Dragon is playing London in November; 2) Little Dragon is playing at Printworks*; 3) Harvey Sutherland is supporting. So I’m pretty happy about all this.
* Probably the best soundsystem in the city
Tried is her latest release – a typically soulful and funky collab with BADBADNOTGOOD. They a bunch of jazzy joker from Ontario. One of my highlights from Glasto last year was seeing them bop around the stage barefoot enjoying themselves just about as much as anyone else in the crowd.
Bonus track: my favourite Harvey Sutherland tune:
Sylvan Esso are a lovable duo from North Carolina. Listening to them always makes me feel some mix of nostalgic, happy, hopeful and wistful. In this live EP they invited a group of their musician friends to perform their tracks for a day – they only did a few takes to make sure the compositions feel fresh, and it really really works. If you know the band the tracks are instantly recognisable, but still feel completely new. To be honest, they are worth listening to for the sax alone.
New music from Bristolian three-piece Elder Island! Their music is tough to describe, so I’ll leave it to them: “raw electronic pop with a soulful house, indie persuasion”. Can’t say fairer than that.
If you are new to the band, check out Elder Island, their first EP release from 2014 for a taster.
These guys sound great in your headphones, and even better live. They embark on a UK tour in early November (including a sold out gig at Village Underground). If you can’t get your hands on tickets for that, they’ll be back in London in February at new Hackney venue EartH (tickets on DICE).
HARRY'S MUSICAL EMPORIUM 