Further Listening:

5. The Other Side Of Sam Doores

While you might not know him yet, there’s a good chance you’ve heard Sam Doores play. As a former member of Hurray For The Riff Raff, and one of the principle songwriters in The Deslondes, Sam has been a key figure in the modern re-invention of the New Orleans sound. Add in a healthy dose of heartache and the somewhat alien environs of Berlin, and Sam found himself writing a solo record, and the self-titled offering will see the light of day in March. This week Sam has shared the latest track from it, Other Side Of Town.

Featuring the inimitable vocals of his former bandmate, Hurray For The Riff Raff’s main-lady, Alynda Mariposa Segarra, Other Side Of Town, in Sam’s own words, “mixes New Orleans R&B with doo-wop gang vocals in a psychedelic blender”. The track serves as something of a departure from the melancholy tunes elsewhere on Sam’s debut, a swampy slice of yakety-pop fun, with delightful call and response vocals, that are somewhere between a classic track from The Crystals and the Monster Mash. Turns out when it doesn’t take itself too seriously, heartbreak sounds better than ever.

Sam Doores is out March 13th via New West Records. Click HERE for more information on Sam Doores.

4. If You’re Asking, Then ĠENN Are Dancing

Described as an, “Anglo-Maltese musical riot”, ĠENN arrived with a simple sounding goal in mind, “to rock your ears and mess with your brain”. The Brighton-based trans-nationals formed over the internet and set about winning over audiences with their impressive live shows and infectiously fun songwriting. This week, the band have shared their brand new single, Duda Dance, their first release to come out on Everything Sucks Music.

Duda Dance is a slice of bright post-punk, that seems to nod in equal measures to the rambunctiousness of Hinds and the angular yelps of New Young Pony Club. Discussing the track, ĠENN have suggested it’s about, “not caring about what other people think of you or say about you, and just enjoying life,” which is exactly what the accompanying music sounds like as well! Their name, short for Ġennata might translate for craziness, however by the sound of this you’d be crazy not to.

Duda Dance is out now via Everything Sucks Music. Click HERE for more information on ĠENN.

3. Who Knew You Could Get Such Super Milk From Bulls?

We were sad to hear last year of the amicable split of indie-rock powerhouse, Doe, who’d caught the ear of many with their two excellent albums and impressive live shows. However, sometimes an end can bring new focus elsewhere, as is the case for Supermilk, the project from the band’s former drummer, Jake Popyura. After a couple of low key EP releases, Supermilk are set for bigger things this year with the release of the debut album, Death Is The Best Thing For You Now, which has recently been previewed in the guise of new single, Bullheaded Boy.

Recorded on an industrial estate in Watford, whilst binge watching wrestling drama GLOW, Death Is The Best Thing For You Now, was a self-recorded album made, “in relative secrecy”, with only the apparently unimpressed studio owner for company. Discussing Bullheaded Boy, Jake has suggested it is a reflection on those dangerous people, “who charge through life head-first with only their best interests in mind”. It serves as a reminder that the world is beautiful, we just have to stop those intent on destroying it, “nobody moved but everybody got hurt. Don’t come and see me once the planet is erased, I’m getting sick of your face”. Musically, the track has some of Doe’s indie-rock sounds, only given a fuzzy and less bombastic makeover, a track that will appeal to those who know Jake’s previous work and newcomers in equal measure. We’re not sure where the milk comes into it, this is definitely super though.

Death Is The Best Thing For You Now is out March 27th via Keroleen Records. Click HERE for more information on Supermilk. 

2. Welcome To The Karaoke Mansion

With the release of their debut album, Revision Ballads, Savage Mansion created one of our favourite records of 2019. For the band’s chief songwriter, Craig Angus, that album was a number of years in the making, and as such it shouldn’t perhaps be a great surprise that the follow-up is already on the way. The band’s second album, Weird Country, comes out in April on Lost Map, and this week they’ve shared the first taster from it, Karaoke.

Described by Craig as, “an homage to Glasgow”, Karaoke is something of a unsure tribute to his home city, “a complex, troubled, fucked up place. I suppose it’s a love song to the city, the neighbourhood and most of its people”. Musically, Karaoke seems to show a gentle progress to Craig’s songwriting, the slacker-rock sounds of Revision Ballads are here given a bit of a bar-band makeover, with near honky-tonk piano lines, gorgeous vocal harmonies and jangling guitars walking the middle line of The Byrds and Bright Eyes. As ever with Savage Mansion, there’s also a choice of brilliantly off-beat lyrics to catch your ear, we can’t currently choose our favourite between, “we’ll sing Karaoke, we’re Robbie and Kylie, until the neighbours complain, when you’re sick on the stairs”, and, “don’t piss on my bonfire, don’t piss in my oatmilk, don’t spoil my fun”. A pleasantly rapid return for one of the country’s most intriguing new songwriters, on this evidence Savage Mansion are just getting started.

Weird Country is out April 3rd via Lost Map. Click HERE for more information on Savage Mansion.

1. Margaret Glaspy Moves In For The Kill

Cast your mind back to 2016, and there’s a good chance playing in the background was the music of Margaret Glaspy. The Brooklyn-based songwriter was pretty much everywhere courtesy of her acclaimed debut album Emotions and Math, introducing the world to her fizzing guitar playing and uniquely wonderful vocal style. Now four years later, Margaret has this week confirmed details of the long anticipated follow-up, Devotion, due out in March, as well as sharing the first single from it, Killing What Keeps Us Alive.

Instantly, Killing What Keeps Us Alive is a shift in musical gears for Margaret, her voice enters, processed and distorted, before becoming engulfed in a pulse of static noise, then gives way to an easy pulsing keyboard line and processed sounding rhythms. While still unmistakably the work of Margaret Glaspy, the track has a lushness and a rhythmic quality we’ve never heard from her before. Lyrically, too this feels like a different mood to Emotion & Math, while on that record Margaret had a youthful sass, here there’s a more nuanced and open feel, as she seems to be opening herself up to the possibility of love, “my love knows no end for you, nothing’s ours, so I’ll sell my soul and buy the stars for you”. An exciting first step, Devotion already sounds like it’s going to be well worth the wait,

Devotion is out March 27th via ATO Records. Click HERE for more information on Margaret Glaspy.

Header photo is Margaret Glaspy by Josh Goleman – http://joshgoleman.com/