Further Listening: Sacred Paws, Alyeska, Horse Beach, Ryan Vail and Jealous Of The Birds, Bonfire Nights,  Aldous Harding, Jay Som, Spiral Stairs, Keto, Ela Minus, Laucan, The Shadow Band, Tara Jane O’Neil, Hiccup, False Advertising, ShitKid, PWR BTTM, C.Duncan, DRINKS, Cross Record, Wesley Gonzalez, Luxury Death, Pet Crow, Gold Connections, Diagrams, Adam Torres, Jeremy Tuplin, Sodastream, Jessica Dennison + Jones, The Wooden Sky, Lance Bangs, Enderby’s Room, Lila Blue, sir Was, Froth and the latest track from the hotly anticipated new Timber Timbre record.

5. Satan, Satan, Go Away Come Again Another Day

There’s a joy to discovering an artist who already has a well-stocked back catalogue, and for us that’s the case with Swedish songwriter Molly Nilsson. Molly has been releasing music for a number of years now, and already has six albums in her repertoire. That’ll be seven come the end of May, when Molly releases her new album Imaginations, and this week Molly has shared the latest taste of that record, her brilliantly titled new single, Not Today Satan.

Building on a bed of warm 1980’s inspired synths and gentle, distant brass interludes, this is wistful dream-pop; sitting in the untapped middle ground of Jenny Lewis and Tame Impala. Whilst we love a hazy wash of melody as much as anyone, this track really leaps out because of the contrastingly focused lyrics, Molly calling on us all to stand up to our demons, as she sings, “don’t be sad, but do get mad”. There’s plenty of intrigue building around the release of Imaginations, a record that is already looking like a huge step forward for Molly, yet another jewel to emerge from Sweden’s fertile music scene.

Imaginations is out May 26th via Dark Skies Association/Night School Records. Click HERE for all upcoming Molly Nilsson shows.

4. Analog Candle Spin A Webb

Hailing from New York City via England, Chicago, New Orleans and Boston – Analog Candle are a loosely formed collective based around head-honcho Callum Plews. The band recently released an EP, Winter ’15 and have this week shared the latest track from that record, Scarlett’s Webb.

The band, whose name is a play on Arcade Fire’s album title Neon Bible, cite influences from Xiu Xiu to Franz Kafka, and Animal Collective to, you guessed it, Arcade Fire. Scarlett’s Webb is a fine example of their sound; the gentle tick of strummed acoustic guitar chords, accompanied by gently meandering keys, it brings to mind one of those great minute long Eels instrumentals. The most gentle female vocal imaginable chimes in wistfully, “I see where my words should go but I don’t know where to start” – then the whole track stops and re-emerges as a distant, disarming swirl of electronics, with more than a hint of a swarm of bees about it – for some reason. Like many collectives, Analog Candle seem to have lofty ambitions for changing the way we look at music, thankfully they’re doing so in a way that is both tuneful and accessible; so what if they don’t reinvent the wheel, just as long as they keep sounding this good trying.

Winter ’15 is out now. Click HERE for more information on Analog Candle. 

3. Lunch Is Overrated

New Jersey dream-popper Lunch Ladies, are actually only one-quarter ladies and as of yet have provided us nothing in the way of food – none the less we’ll forgive them these oversights if they keep releasing tracks as good as their new single, Love Is Overrated.

Love Is Overrated is lifted from the quartets upcoming debut album, Down On Sunset strip, and was fittingly shared to coincide with Valentines Day; serving as the anti-corporate love day anthem we can all get behind, single or otherwise. The bass guitar and a bright, tremulous guitar play out a Be My Baby like intro, before a rush of drums and an Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark like twinkling of keys push the track along in a rush of beautiful melodies. The star though is the stunning vocal, courtesy of bassist Cynthia Rittenbach, a melancholic, harmonious swoon, she brings to mind Alvvays’ Molly Rankin or even The Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser. Discussing the lyrical inspiration Cynthia has suggested, “Love definitely isn’t overrated. Love is very important, always, and especially in times like these. I wrote this song during a period where I didn’t get other people’s relationships and the drama that comes with it, and felt happy being on my own”. This is a wonderful single, and like lunch itself, Lunch Ladies’ debut album is something we’re willing to wait for, but are none the less very interested in sampling as soon as possible.

Down On Sunset Strip is out March 10th via Good Eye Records. Click HERE for more details on Lunch Ladies and upcoming tour dates.

2. Adwaith In It For The Long Haul

We’re huge fans of the mysterious Welsh-language wonders Adwaith, but sometimes we just wish we had a better grasp on just what they’re actually up to. This week they’ve shared a new single, Haul, the follow-up to their blindingly good debut offering, Pwysau, a track so good we picked them as a tip for 2017 despite knowing absolutely nothing about what they’ve got planned for this year.

Whether Haul is the taste of an album to come, or just a new stand-alone single, well your guess is as good as ours. Frankly though, we don’t care, because whatever Haul is, it’s absolutely wonderful. The track builds around a pulsating processed beat, lurching acoustic guitar and those vocal harmonies; delightfully unshowy to the point of almost sounding uninterested, but none the less are jaw droppingly perfect. Perhaps Adwaith’s biggest strength is that they sound like nobody else we’ve ever heard, and whatever the Carmarthen-based quartet are planning next, we’re very excited to find out.

Haul is available now via Decidedly Records. Click HERE for more information on Adwaith.

1. The Fall And Rise Of Los Campesinos!

There’s two opinions that seem to proliferate where Los Campesinos! are concerned; you’re either someone who’s aware they’ve been releasing consistently brilliant music for over a decade, or you’ll look a little blankly and ask, “that You! Me! Dancing band? They’re still making music?” The answer is luckily yes, lucky because they are still very good at writing absolutely brilliant, heart-breaking, emotional pop songs – further evidence came this week in the shape of new single, The Fall Of Home.

Lifted from their upcoming album Sick Scenes, The Fall Of Home is the bands tribute to those who left small towns behind for their own sanity and, “return “home” for Christmas and funerals, feeling like a tourist” as well as, “those who didn’t want to or couldn’t leave, and are still hanging in there“. It’s a beautifully downbeat offering from a band whose ability to tug at the heart-strings remains undiminished; musically it blurs sweet glockenspiels, gorgeous swathes of cello and gently plucked acoustic guitars, all sitting beneath subtly layered vocals, who chime in unison, “left your home town for somewhere new, don’t be surprised now it’s leaving you”. Los Campesinos! sound has evolved hugely from those early recordings, but they remain one of the true gems of the UK indie-scene. Los Campesinos! are a band who still thoroughly deserve your attention, and the world is a better for having bands like them in it.

Sick Scenes is out February 24th via Wichita Recordings. Los Campesinos! tour the UK starting in April, click HERE for details.