It’s time for some new music! This time round, we’ve got new music from bands that were hot back in their 80s heyday, as well as bands who are making waves in 2015. Read on to find out who we’ve featured this week.
DEERHUNTER – SNAKESKIN (Stream here)
Our track of the week this week comes courtesy of Atlanta four-piece Deerhunter, who released brand new studio album Fading Frontier last week. Spanning nine songs, the record climaxes in ultimate high point Snakeskin. The backbone of the song is formed by funky, Nile Rodgers-esque guitars and a shuffling percussion section, both of which accompany frontman Bradford Cox’s effects-laden voice. “I was born already nailed to the cross” sings Cox on the song’s opening line, before later adding that he dreamt of “a man with a neon back”. The lyrics, albeit very simple, perfectly complement Snakeskin’s alt-funk undertones, fitting in nicely in and amongst the rest of Fading Frontier.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL – OH GIRL (Stream here)
Following quite some time out of the game, ‘cock rock’ duo Eagles of Death Metal finally returned this month with a brand new album – Zipper Down. Featuring the eclectic frontman Jesse Hughes (aka Boots Electric) and Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Josh Homme (on drum duties), Zipper Down is 40 minutes of balls-to-the-walls rock ‘n roll. Oh Girl is the high point on the whole record, encompassing a sludgy, dirty riff and Hughes’ raunchy vocal tones. It may not be as fast and upbeat as album compatriots Complexity or Got a Woman, but it’s deep, dark riff still packs a big enough punch to blow you away.
Picture by Bart Notermans for 3voor12.
JEFF LYNNE’S ELO (AKA ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA) – WHEN THE
NIGHT COMES (Stream here)
ELO’s heyday may have been in the 70s and 80s, but it hasn’t stopped original frontman Jeff Lynne (whose name is now featured in the band’s full moniker) from keeping the band alive up until this day. Him and co-member Richard Tandy are currently keeping the force alive, with their 14th studio album (and first since 2001) Alone in the Universe set to come out next month. Its lead single When I Was a Boy followed the subtle ballad path, with new release When the Night Comes subsequently encompassing hints of demure rhythm and, as The Guardian put it, a ‘cosmic groove’. It might not be up there with the likes of ELO’s old classics, but it’s definitely a nice reminder that Jeff Lynne still knows what he’s doing.
NOTHING BUT THIEVES – HOSTAGE (Stream here)
Hostage is one of five previously unheard tracks on Nothing But Thieves’ fantastic debut album, and it opens with an eerie female vocal and ambient feedback noise. Once her voice disappears, the synths and the funk enter the game in a song which sounds nothing like what came before it. Suddenly, Mason’s vocals are heavily altered and Blake’s bass sounds like a 70s disco stomp-machine. “I want you to be happy” declared Mason, with effects-laden guitars sounding like swooshing synths. “Sometimes I feel like a hostage, point it at my heart” continues Mason, before his earlier declaration becomes the choruses focal point. It’s an upbeat whirlwind of a track, and live it’s sure to be absolutely explosive. That this song hadn’t been pre-released isn’t a surprise, because it sounds exactly like the big surprise the Essex lads had up their sleeves this whole time. Hostage is one of the biggest songs on the album, there’s no doubt about that.
STATE CHAMPS – ALL YOU ARE IS HISTORY (Stream here)
American pop punkers State Champs are just the latest outfit having a stab at making their mark in an extremely saturated scene. Although debut album Around the World and Back isn’t the most unique piece of music out there right now, it does feature one of the best pop punk tracks of the year in the bouncy All You Are is History. “I’ve had enough of all the talk on how you’re saving me” sings frontman Derek Discanio over upbeat riffs, pounding drums and pulsating bass as he subsequently powers his way through a powerful chorus filled with arena-ready antics. State Champs may be ‘just another band’, but they’re certainly doing it right by all means.
KASSASSIN STREET – YEAH IT’S ON (Stream here)
Rounding up our list this week is the Southsea outfit Kassassin Street, who’ve just finished up a stint on the road with Clay. Last week, the band put out the Radio Silence EP and it’s already received good reviews from UK media. The final track on this EP goes by the name of Yeah It’s On, and it’s by far one of the best songs the Rowan Bastable-fronted band have put out. Scattered percussion, jangly guitars and Bastable’s voice (which dominates the foreground of the song) all complement each other nicely, proving exactly why Kassassin Street are the kind of band worth getting excited about in the UK right now.
Check back in two weeks for more new music.
