IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles.
EP OF THE WEEK: FREEDOM FRY – FRIENDS + ENEMIES EP: Freedom Fry is the LA based duo of Parisian born Marie Seyrat and Michigan native Bruce Driscoll. Seyrat, who had been singing since before she could talk, initially pursued a career in fashion and styling where she did PR for Gucci and even dressed the likes of Sharon Stone. Driscoll, meanwhile, cut his teeth in the music industry as a producer and touring musician from a very young age. He toured extensively, playing live with the likes of James Iha and Ivy and sharing bills with bands like Stars, Cake, Tahiti 80 and the Trashcan Sinatras. Now that they’ve found each other, they have put out several critically-acclaimed EPs, the latest of which is the excellent Friends + Enemies. The three tracks highlight their recent experimentation with writing bass-line driven, dark, minimal, organic, danceable songs. The single, Friends + Enemies, is about the beauty and danger involved in friendship and how vulnerable you can become once you open yourself up and fully trust another person. It’s a superb taster. The combined vocals are superb and combine ethereal tendencies with something bordering on euphoric, while the slow layering of electronics, bass and beats gives rise to an inspired creation, the eventual breeziness of which belies the darker lyricism. But that’s not all. The Sea Invisible has a more brooding, even cinematic vibe attached, courtesy of a really distinct bass-line, a more deliberate beat and a moody set of vocals. And With The New Crowd has a kind of future-pop funk vibe that is more usually the reserve of artists like Beck (and, in particular, his work with Charlotte Gainsbourg). It’s laidback, effortlessly cool and, quite simply, great. Now roll on a full album!
Rating: 5 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: JAKE BUGG – BROKEN: Jake Bugg once again shows his sensitive side with the delicate ballad Broken. Another highlight to emerge from his eponymous debut LP, this has a broken feel to it that is backed by the tender acoustic guitar licks and restrained percussion. Bugg’s vocal style has a vulnerable quality to it that comes in stark contrast to some of his more robust, hard-rocking offerings and which – perhaps most tellingly – displays a maturity beyond his years. The lyrics are heartbreaking. This is a cigarette lighter moment par excellence and a ballad to savour… not least for the way in which it slow-builds to something quite special. And that’s also because this single version has been re-recorded with producer Rick Rubin in his Malibu studio and includes a performance from drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and string arrangements from David Campbell, who works with Metallica. Bugg is set to continue working with Rubin on his second album later this year.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: ITCH – BEST SHOT: London based MC iTCH is continuing his aural assault with his new single Best Shot – and it’s a heavy hitter that’s impossible to ignore. Featuring a woozy electronic backdrop and some emphatic beats, it’s in-your-face style is backed by anger-driven rapped lyrics that declare: “Fuck all the haters, I’m with James bitch!” And yet, in spite of its volatility, there’s something pretty damn irresistible about it. The beats, in particular, energise you, while a sung chorus brings in radio friendly melodies and an almost sing-along vibe. It’s a crossover track of immense pedigree, that has already been championed by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1. iTCh himself describes Best Shot as a vicious statement of intent and a rousing war cry for life’s outsiders. Always one to go against the grain, iTCH says: “Best Shot is a song written for the underdogs, the fighters, the ones who never give up. It’s for those who stand proud defiantly.” It’s empowering and inspiring.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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PETER ARISTONE – SUNLIGHT: Peter Aristone is a singer-songwriter who crosses over many genres and styles to create his debut single Sunlight, which is described as an unashamedly optimistic feel-good summer track. Opening with an electronic piano sound that seems to be heading into Robert Miles’ Children, it then adopts a more soft-rock approach before then careering into a euphoric chorus that’s more cheesy that good. Aristone has a decent set of vocals and there are moments when the track gets under your skin. But it’s nowhere near the feel-good summer anthem that Aristone intends. That said, a harder Wideboys Club Radio Edit does succeed in giving the track an extra spurt of energy and this is the version that’s really worth listening to. The video for the track features up-and-coming actress Kelly Eastwood and was filmed in and around Kensal Rise. Aristone says of the track himself: “My first single release in the UK had to be a song that meant something to me. Sunlight is a perfect song for this time of year… optimistic, fun, and all about good times with friends. It’s an escapist, track but if you pick between the lyric there is a bitter-sweet theme underneath.”
Rating: 3 out of 5
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JUPITER LION – BLACK MOUTH: Hotly tipped psych outfit, Jupiter Lion, release their debut album, Silver Mouth, via seminal underground label BCore on August 5. Prior to that, however, they drop the single Black Mouth and succeed in displaying some impressive credentials. Driven by some propulsive beats and a throbbing electronic loop that eventually gives way to some swirling, even head-spinning arrangements (augmented by a driving bass-line), this is a fun instrumental workout that also makes no bones about deriving some of its inspiration from acts like Krautrock. There’s an infectious sense of energy surrounding the track (which is heightened by a slick black-and-white video), which also can lay claim to boasting hypnotic qualities as well. These guys are clearly an act to keep an eye on.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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ALEXIA COLEY – KEEP THE FAITH: Alexia Coley releases her debut single Keep The Faith on Jalapeno Records and immediately impresses with some smouldering, old school vocals. Her background as a big band jazz singer and then as lead singer for West London crew The Rotten Hill Gang has prepared her for the attention that this year is already bringing and with her debut album nearly recorded you can expect to hear her name a lot more from her before the year is out. Keep The Faith is steeped in the same kind of retro qualities that helped Amy Winehouse get noticed, albeit with a slightly more Northern Soul vibe as well. The beats have a foot-stomping quality, there’s some nice background Hammond organ, a classy guitar solo and – overall – a feisty set of vocals that can’t help but enable Coley to get noticed. This young lady is going places. If you feel they don’t make records like they used to, then think again. This combines retro cool with contemporary edge.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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PHLO FINISTER – COCA COLA CLASSIC: Californian singer and self-styled ‘Youthquaker’ Phlo Finister drops her Poster Girl EP, a taster of which comes in the form of the effortlessly cool Coca Cola Classic. Set against a haunting synth backdrop and some incendiary lyrics (“you’re fucking with a real bitch”), this also manages to indulge listeners with a sultry, softy-softly vocal from Phlo that hypnotises almost from the first moment you hear it. She’s sassy, too… despite being laidback, declaring at a later point: “I need that real love, fuck that fake shit.” The chorus, though, is high on melody and invites you to sing-along, albeit in similarly chilled out fashion. It’s a disarmingly potent offering that suggests this Californian native is destined for big things. A Jupiter Jax remix of the track is also pretty darn special, heightening the nocturnal nature of the synth sound and injecting some urgency courtesy of drum ‘n’ bass inspired beats.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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ELIZA DOOLITTLE – BIG WHEN I WAS LITTLE: For her latest offering, Eliza Doolittle opts to do a little reminiscing about the good ol’ days of yesteryear… a person who made her laugh and a time when cassettes ruled the way and Malcolm In The Middle was the TV programme to go to. This is all couched in the singer’s trademark vocal style, some jazzy stabs of brass, emphatic beats and a heightened sense of melody that is all about attempting to bottle the sound of the summer. It’s an effortless listen (reminiscent, at times, of Lily Allen) and one that passes the time pleasantly without ever threatening to become essential.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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VULKANO – VISION TRICKS: Erupting from the coast of Stockholm, Sweden, Vulkano is an explosive new duo who aim to push punk forward on their own terms. Taking inspiration from Pink Floyd (especially the live clips from Pompeii), Siouxie & the Banshees, Bo Hansson, Velvet Underground and films such as Lucifer Rising, Barbarella, Holy Mountain and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Vulkano want to explore the realms of art, music, film, fashion and performance. They want to amaze, make people react and interact and they want to abuse their art school roots. Debut single Vision Tricks is steeped in retro ‘80s values, combining elements of Siouxie & The Banshees with Vultravox (in the synth sound). But it’s this vibe that lends the track a dated feel, which in turn struggles to make it as enjoyable as it should be. You can’t help but feel – on the showing of this record at least – they’re a few decades too late.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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SWEET BABOO – C’MON, LET’S MOSH!: Following on from the release of his critically acclaimed fourth album Ships and a stellar performance at last month’s Glastonbury festival, Sweet Baboo now releases new single C’Mon Let’s Mosh!. And anyone expecting something akin to a Nirvana-inspired full-on assault had best think again… this is, instead, a breezy combination of snappy brass elements, foot-tapping beats and folk-pop tinged acoustic guitars. If anything, it has more to do with Belle & Sebastian’s sound, with a retro splash of The Kinks, all delivered in a style that marries easy-on-the-ear melodies with a celebratory lyricism (the chorus invites you to “let’s dance and then make love”). It’s engaging, if not especially memorable.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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THE BALLET – TURN YOU: Unashamedly “sissy” and explicitly queer, The Ballet marry the DIY ethos of the Hidden Cameras with the wry poeticism of The Magnetic Fields and the romantic pop of Jens Lekman, to create literate infectious pop gems. New single Turn You is billed as one of the standout tracks and the obvious single from their highly praised new album I Blame Society and offers an upbeat slice of pure synth-pop heaven that takes seriously and romanticises the idea that one might be “turned gay,” in opposition to the more common formulation of queerness as something that nobody can, or would, choose. Hence, the track can be said to be thought-provoking and fun, combining giddy melodicism and sugar-rush beats with intellectual lyrics. It’s infectious and you’ll probably find yourself dancing along in spite of yourself.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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