5. Just Hanging On The Hill

Rootsy London-based quintet The Hanging Stars this week shared their new single, The House On The Hill. The track is a prelude to their debut album, Over The Silvery Lake which won’t see the light of day until early next year.

The House On The Hill is a dark slice of psychedelic-Americana in the mould of Erland & The Carnival, which tells the tale of a young girl who drowns herself in the sea after having her heart broken by a young ne’er do well. This track was recorded in LA, but the albums recording was split between California and Walthamstow, and the band have suggested the album reflects both areas in equal measure. Come 2016 we’ll be able to judge that for ourselves.

The House On The Hill is released via Great Pop Supplement on October 9th. The Hanging Stars single launch is at The Shacklewell Arms October 22nd, before the band head on a European tour in November.

4. Jenny Hval Can Take Care Of Herself

Norwegian Jenny Hval is an artist as much as a musician, and the video for her latest single, Take Care Of Yourself, demonstrates just that. It is a clip of one of her live shows, which have been challenging, baffling and inspiring audiences across the globe in recent months. We caught Jenny supporting Perfume Genius and were intrigued, if not entirely sure.

Take Care Of Yourself, taken from her latest album Apocalypse Girl, is reliant on just the sparsest of musical backdrops. A repeated refrain of four notes on a synthesiser, giving her impressive vocal the chance to shine, and her lyrics the chance to make their point. The lyrics explore sexuality, feminism and what it is to be a woman in 2015. Like the album as a whole it’s fascinating and challenging in equal measure, Jenny will be back with live dates later this year, which are well worth looking into.

Apocalypse Girl is out now on Sacred Bones. Jenny Hval tours the UK in November.

3. In Football We Trust

Trust Fund this week announced details of their second album release of the year. The prolific Bristolians, led by singer Ellis Jones, confirmed that Seems Unfair, produced by MJ from Hookworms, would be released next month via Turnstile.

They also shared the first taste of the album, in the shape of new single Football. With an appropriately brilliant video where Ellis falls asleep watching what sounds like the 1988 FA Cup Final and dreams of a hilariously surreal football match in a park, the track is possibly their best yet. With shades of fellow football fans Los Campesinos! and featuring a remarkably fun guitar solo, the track is an ode to football’s ability to fill gaps in conversation and keep people together.

Seems Unfair is out October 30th via Turnstile. Trust Fund head out supporting Speedy Ortiz in October, before embarking on a headline tour in November.

READ OUR INTRODUCTION TO TRUST FUND HERE.

2. Leave Hinds Alone

After building the anticipation for what seems like the best part of two years now, Hinds have finally confirmed the release of their debut album, Leave Me Alone. The album, produced by Diego García from The Parrots, won’t arrive until the start of next year, but to continue the whetting their fans appetites they’ve shared new single, Garden.

Garden is something of a departure for the Madrileño four-piece, foregoing their normally positive sound, this is a ramshackle lo-fi ballad. Guitars with shades of Jesus & Mary Chain at their most poppy, and latterly a riff which could have been lifted from Cornershop’s Brimful of Asha provide the musical backdrop for a lyrical tale of a lover who’s got too many secrets and scars. It shows that as the band themselves have said, this album isn’t going to be, “all party and cheerfulness” and might be considerably more interesting than that.

Leave Me Alone is out via Lucky Number on 8 January 2016. Hinds have just finished their UK tour.

1. Rhythmic Gardening

Cicada Rhythm are Georgia based Double Bass player and Juilliard graduate Andrea De Marcus and the, “disheveled vagabond of a guitar player” Dave Kirsilis. Describing their coming to together, Andrea tells of how Dave apparently, “jumped off a freight train and into her life.” Despite their very different musical backgrounds, they seem to have stumbled onto something special.

They will release their self-titled debut album later this year on Normaltown Records, but this week they shared the album’s first single In The Garden. The track showcases their rootsy sound reminiscent of Hurray For The Riff Raff, as well as their superb playing, and excellent Southern States vocal stylings. All bodes well for their upcoming album, which you can mark off as one of the most exciting Americana records of the year.

Cicada Rhythm’s self titled debut album is out October 30th via Normaltown Records.