Further Listening: Tim’s Rice, Be Charlotte, Former Bullies, Michael Chapman, Sam Skinner, Horse Thief, Stef Chura, Jens Lekman, Desperate Journalist, Tres Oui, Zuzu, Bonny Doon, Vansire, Louis Schefano, Young Romance, Viewfinder, San Fermin, Julien Baker, Lomelda, Julie Byrne, ELLA, Century Palm, American Wrestlers, Irma Vep, Sodastream, Lilith, Exam Season, Courtney Marie Andrews, Hiccup, No Thank You, Half Waif, Rebekka Karijord, Laura Marling, Lowly, British Sea Power, EAT FAST, Mercy Weiss, Menace Beach, Cate Le Bon, Bruising, Spiral Stairs, Bone Collector and the bizarre and brilliant proggy collaboration between Weyes Blood & Ariel Pink.

5. We’re Glued To The New Luxury Death Track

Following on from their three introductory singles of last year, Manchester boyfriend/girlfriend-duo Luxury Death have this week announced the release of their debut EP, Glue. As well as that announcement, the band who formed out of a desire for, “something else to do in the bedroom” (although sleep hygiene fans – experts recommend doing nothing but sleeping in the bedroom), have also this week shared the EP’s title track.

Describing the inspiration behind the track, Luxury Death have described it as, “a conversation between two lovers at different stages in their lives. They are chained together; simultaneously holding each other close & pulling each other apart. Glue is an expression of that tight, unbalanced unity”. Certainly, Glue smolders with with an uneasy romantic tension, the pair sharing vocal duties as scratchy organs and crashing drums clatter behind them. The track crescendos with a moment of unity, both voices chiming, “you do it ’cause it hurts” before the voices are lost to the bright organ outro. Keep your eyes glued (get it?!) on what this pair do next.

Glue EP out February 24th via PNKSLM Recordings. Click HERE for all upcoming Luxury Death live shows.

4. Give Molly Burch A Try

LA-born songwriter Molly Burch has this week shared the video to her sparkling new single, Try. Filmed in Dripping Springs, the home of the wonderful Cross Record, the video merges grainy footage of beautiful scenery and studio recordings that makes us want to a.) form a band and b.) move to rural Texas.

Molly is no stranger to the glamorous world of moving pictures having grown up the daughter of a writer/producer father and a casting director mother, indeed her parents showbiz background may go some way to explaining Molly’s classic-pop stylings. Try is a fabulous track; the pulsing double bass and rattling percussion infusing the track with a bruised, smoldering romance, while Molly’s beautifully enunciated and smoky vocals are divine. A track that’ll have you reaching for your velvet smoking jacket, pouring a double brandy and waltzing the night away in front of a roaring fire – or is that just us?

Please Be Mine is out February 17th via Captured Tracks. Click HERE for all upcoming Moly Burch shows.

3. Red Sun At Night Psychic Delight

Formed in 2013, and named after a 1-900 psychic hotline, Psychic Love is the self-styled “dream-grunge” project of songwriter, Laura Peters. They released their excellent debut album, The Hive Mind at the back end of last year, and have this week shared the latest offering from it, Red Sun.

Very on topic with recent discussions about the effect of the internet bubble, Laura has implied Red Sun is, ” a song about seeking the full spectrum of human experience, even when those experiences are sometimes ugly or painful.” Musically, like Molly Burch this is classic Lee Hazlewoodian-pop, all twanging, atmospheric guitars and steady ticking drums, while Laura’s voice brings to mind Charlie Hilton or even, yes, Nancy Sinatra. A highlight on this, or indeed any album, and an excellent choice of single.

The Hive Mind is out now. Click HERE for all upcoming Psychic Love shows.

2. Let Your Imagination Play Tricks On You

A lover of noisy guitars and classic R&B in equal measure, Imaginary Tricks is the new project from Brooklyn’s Mike Visser, formerly of the band Frank Jordan. This week Mike has announced details of his new album, Skommel, which is out later in the spring on Friendship Fever. Mike has also shared the first taste of his new material, in the shape of single, Bird.

Bird is a combination of Jame Mercer’s passionate vocal delivery, and Chris Cohen’s easy-going, hazy-pop. A steady rhythm of guitar and drums, is infused with a gently evolving pallet of layered backing vocals, textured electric guitars and warm pulses of synth, creating a perfect slab of smooth dream-pop, before a buzzing lead-guitar cuts through the whole thing leading the track to a blissful, fuzzed out finale. Basically it’s wonderful, and well worth taking four minutes out of your day to get utterly lost in its sun-dappled beauty.

Skommel is out March 24th via Friendship Fever. Click HERE for all upcoming Imaginary Tricks shows.

1. Diet Induced Tummy Ache

In an age when most bands seem to arrive with an album already to roll, there’s been a quietly reassuring build up to the announcement of Diet Cig’s debut album. Having only shared a handful of tracks with the world so far, the New York duo have none the less garnered a strong following on the back of some riotous live shows, and near relentless touring. This week the band have announced details of their debut record, Swear I’m Good At This, as well as plotting out a huge tour of the US, with dates across the world to follow.

As well as all the exciting things still to come, Diet Cig have also this week shared a brand new, and rather brilliant new single with the world. Tummy Ache is a blur of hefty drum beats, crunching guitar chords, and Alex Luciano’s passionate, scathing vocal. Lyrically it deals with the difficulty of being a woman in a male dominated world, as Alex puts it, “Its the shout into my pillow when what I’m saying isn’t being heard, and a big old I FEEL YA to all the femme folks creating space for themselves in a world that wants to keep us quiet.” Cathartic, energetic, and seemingly unstoppable, Diet Cig are on the verge of something incredibly special; we’d argue they’re exactly the band the world needs right now, and it’s not hard to imagine crowds of thousands singing along to Tummy Ache’s final anthemic refrain.

Swear I’m Good At This is out April 7th via French Kiss Records. Click HERE for all upcoming Diet Cit shows.