5. Savages Get Even Savager

Savages have this week announced details of Adore Life, the hotly anticipated follow up to their excellent debut album, 2013’s Silence Yourself. Having previously teased the record with a rather bizarre clip of Henry Rollins reading from the book Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time by Phyllis Rose, Savages have also this week shared the first track from the record, The Answer.

The Answer steps away from the angular post-punk of their debut and hits the listener with a brutal assault of sound. Pitched somewhere between The Cooper Temple Clause and Queens Of The Stone Age, the track is resplendent with booming repetitive bass-lines, heavy-hitting drum beats, and guitars laden with screeching feedback, this is the sound of Savages at their most visceral and bruising. Whether this is a sign of things to come on Adore Life, we’ll find out next year, for now we’re going to invest in some high-quality ear plugs in anticipation.

Adore Life is out on January 22nd via Matador Records. Savages play the 100 Club on January 26th.

4. An Odd(Box) New Track From Wolf Girl

South-London based four-piece, Wolf Girl, have this week shared their brand new single Deep Sea Diver. While they were at it they also announced details of their upcoming record We Tried, which will see the light of day on Odd Box Records in, we can only assume, the not too distant future.

Deep Sea Diver is three minutes of melodious vocals, crunching guitar lines and the most laid back vocal-delivery imaginable. Whilst they transport the listener back to the early 1990’s hey-day of Indie labels and scuzzy-guitar pop, they’ve got enough hooks and ideas to keep things suitably fresh. Part of an increasingly exciting crop of bands popping up on the London scene, alongside the likes of Chorusgirl, Keel Her and Desperate Journalist, this track suggest Wolf Girl are going to be yet another reason to be excited about what’s going on the capital.

We Tried will be out in the future on Odd Box Records. Wolf Girl have various dates largely in London, click HERE for details.

3. Florence And The Dar-reen

Before we get to the point, we’d just like to confirm that yes we are very proud of the above pun despite it being awful. Anyway back to the point the ever interesting Darren Hayman is back with a brand new project, and for starters has shared a brand new song/video, entitled intriguingly, Nuns Runs The Apothecary.

The track is lifted from his upcoming album Florence, which is Darren’s first ever entirely solo release, that is to say it features no other musicians. Written and recorded, fittingly enough in Florence whilst staying with Allo Darlin’s Elizabeth Moss and Making Marks’ Ola Innset, the record is Darren at his most stripped back and honest, a sound that it turns out suits him perfectly. You’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for the album, but for now enjoy the excellent single, and its charming video.

Florence is out November 6th via Fika Recordings. Darren Hayman is playing in Cheltenham tonight, and probably has some other dates planned.

2. Andy’s New Home

It has been quite the year for Canadian songwriter Andy Shauf. It was only back in June that he released his debut solo album, The Bearer Of Bad News on Tender Loving Empire and this week he has confirmed a signing to the Anti-Records, home to unknown types like, Tom Waits, Kate Bush and Wilco. Not bad company we are sure you’ll agree.

Whilst celebrating this exciting news, Andy has also delivered a sparkling new single, Jenny Come Home. The track tells the age-old tale of a cheating husband who gets caught out, which is pretty classic Andy territory; the music however is more of a departure, despite the signature clarinet, it’s a considerably more jaunty and upbeat affair than his previous output, even lightly jazzy and calypso influenced in places. An excellent track delivered in what we are sure is a very exciting time for Andy, and how nice it is to see a musician getting the recognition they so clearly deserve.

Jenny Come Home is available now via Anti Records. Andy is currently on tour in North America.

1. Amber de Graaf Generator

Amber Arcades is the stage-name of Dutch musician, Annelotte de Graaf. This week Annelotte has shared her latest record, the Patiently EP, and has been kind enough to give it away for free. It’s a collection of dreamy folk songs, dressed in lush reverberating guitar lines, fuzzy organs and a mesmerising vocal, pitched somewhere between Alvvays’ Molly Rankin and Cross Records’ Emily Cross.

Annelotte started writing songs after finding inspiration whilst living in Philadelphia, and on returning home to the Netherlands she recorded and released her first EP. Wanting to step out of her bedroom and into a more high-profile environment she reached out to Beach Fossils producer Ben Greenberg, and earlier this year flew to New York to record her new EP. Based on what we’ve heard that was a very good idea, and it’ll be intriguing to see what comes next for Amber Arcades.

The Patiently EP is available for free now by clicking HERE. Amber Arcades play The Social in London November 4th and the excellent looking SWN Festival in Cardiff November 6th.