Order of the Toad – Lady's Mantle

With their second album due out this autumn, Order of the Toad have returned with their lead single Lady's Mantle. Released via Gringo Records and Reckless Yes, it is digitally released on all platforms now.

The supergroup of Gemma Fleet (The Wharves) and Robert Sotelo (Upset The Rhythm) and Christopher Taylor have returned with their unique styles to traverse topics such as past lives, conception and fate.

Gloriously pastiche, they evoke the Syd Barret, Fairport Convention and Jefferson Airplane on this exploration folk-cum-psyche adventure. Yet, via Fleet's vocals, they manage to fresh enough to warrant the alternative music lover of today's attention. She splices in punk of her label mates Bugeye and a resilient but cute level of pop heaven.

Definitely ones to look out for this fall. Their music is available on their Bandcamp page.

Black Needle Noise – She Talks To Angels

The single is available on their Bandcamp page.

This Mortal Coil's John Fryer has teamed up with Anjela Piccard on his side project Black Needle Noise's latest single. The legendary producer (Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, Wire) has chosen to cover the Black Crowes classic 'She Talks To Angels' as the first release from the upcoming album 'These Mortal Covers'.

Out go the iconic guitars and income big resounding synths and Piccard's dystopian vocals. The destructive and futuristic sonic heighten the tracks sense of destruction. With Trump's potential re-election in the fall, it highlights the need for people to reflect seriously and emotionally on what that means for science, racism, public debate, press freedom and common deceny.

Piccard's vocals are formidable. Powerful and soulful, they carry the songs narrative towards the cinematic landscapes painted by the Fryer's doomtastic production. Piccard isn't just showcasing a set of lungs though. Inner turmoil and isolation permeate the narrative to excellent effect.

Katherine Abbott - Lullaby For Lucas

Katherine Abbott is a singer-songwriter from Stratford-upon-Avon. She began her career by playing working men’s clubs in Coventry and the West Midlands. From humble beginnings, come great things and, her latest single is proof of this.

‘Lullaby For Lucas’ was written about an Austrian opera singer she met walking the Camino De Santiago. Lucas had lost his voice and taken up a nomadic lifestyle. Abbott, borrowing takes from Peggy Sue and Emmy The Great and paints ethereal strokes.

It’s dream like stasis sets the mood for personal reflection on snap judgments we make at the expense of people like Lucas. A lesson that the online world would do well to learn.

Nobodies Birthday – Bridges

At the beginning of lockdown, Reading outfit Nobodies Birthday released double a-side 'No Place To Hide' and 'Drift Away'. On 27th July, they release their next single 'Bridges'.

With their heads in the clouds and their hearts in the stars, they have produced their biggest sound to date. It doesn't land cleanly like the dreamy 'Drift Away' or the rasping 'No Place To Hide' but, it's ambition is heartwarming. Too many strum an acoustic guitar and play it safe with bland melodies. Nobodies Birthday have taken a huge swing and, its not hit the middle of the bat, but it's made solid contact.

To create these vast landscapes without the backing of label money should warrant serious attention. They are right on the cusp of something and we wait with baited breath to see how big it is.

Check back here on release day to hear their rock ‘n’ roll epic!

*Image courtesy of Benji Walker

The Novus – Man On The Bridge

The Novus really stepped up the quality on their last single 'Frosty' (full review here) in February. The Stourbridge outfit returned to the studio with Gavin Monaghan (The Blinders, MOSES, Editors) to record the latest offering 'Man On The Bridge'.

After gigging in London, they witnessed one of Camden's cult heroes. The elder statesman who cuts shapes by Camden Lock inspired them to write this single.

Urgent and undeniable, The Novus have delivered a 00s indie-punk masterclass. The danger of The Rascals locks horns with the riotous Jamie T. What better way to pay homage to Camden's top raver.

Refusing to be just a musical nod to their childhoods, they splice in divine Gothic nuggets which keep the track fresh.

Despite 2020 falling by the wayside, The Novus have lit it up with two great singles so far. Roll on the hat-trick.

Sam Valdez - Clean

Sam Valdez has followed up the critically acclaimed ‘Toothache’ with her latest single ‘Clean’.

Drenched in dreampop guitars, Valdez takes The Cocteau Twins for a mournful journey through the desert. Los, but never without hope, she imparts a creative integrity many spend a lifetime searching for.

This tale is seemingly dark as the protagonist descends into a tumultuous state. However, the deliberate nature of the plunge allows the guitars to catch the odd fragment of hope. There is always a sense of emerging the other side a better person.

Perhaps the intense and immersive landscapes of her home state Nevada are informing her writing. Where else is a tale of soulful redemption better staged than the home of Las Vegas?

Her ability to play with light and dark textures in her fledgling status suggests more than just a bright future.

The Holy Knives – Always Gone (Jamie Hince Remix)

New Orleans brothers Kyle and Kody Valentine are The Holy Knives. Their latest single, ‘Always Gone’, is remixed by the legendary Jamie Hince of The Kills.

Frontman Kody, beds his vocals in somewhere between gloomy glory of The National’s Matt Berninger and the husky drawl of Nick Cave. All the while, their guitars re-create the Western styles of Ennio Morricone (God rest his soul) via Portishead’s 4am misadventures.

Instant images of smoke filled pubs and shady characters are built on this single. A bright and cinematic future lies ahead for these brothers.

In Earnest – Come Upstairs

Southend’s In Earnest are a alt-indie band who write about their experiences with mental health issues.

On their debut single (full review here), Sarah Holburn took vocal duties. It focused on her chronic anxiety and depression. This time round, band member and partner Thomas Eatherton takes the lead.

Eatherton details the difficulties of their relationship with an astonishing honesty. As he describes himself as “woefully unprepared”, desperation floods the senses. He goes on to crush your soul with the line “there is a war in every silence” and then break your heart with “no relief to heal the shame…….no proof that exists”.

Despite this, they utilise cinematic and Celtic folk orchestration to build something sonically rousing. This is coupled with the darkest but most romantic lyrics since The Smiths:

“And if a double-decker bus / Crashes into us / To die by your side / Is such a heavenly way to die”

Eathernet tops this with:

“We could both lock lips / On this sinking ship, watch it all go down / We could seal our fate / On a frozen lake, and just drown”

In a world where mental health services are chronically underfunded, their ability to produce great art from their own turmoil is a triumph of the human spirit.

The Taboos - Innovative Thinking

Hailing from the South of England and forged in East London, The Taboos are back latest single ‘Innovative Thinking’.

With technology’s influence on the human condition creeping further into everyday discourse, the three piece outline their two cents in this violent and fragile piece of indie rock.

Their despondent lyrics and chilling guitars create a world on the precipice of disaster. Sound familiar? With Dostoyevsky’s ‘Demons’ in their hearts, the search for meaning beyond the science.  

Frontman Alex Martin inevitably will draw fans from all quarters. Like Orlando Weeks, he makes sounding epic vulnerable and, when he switches to spoken word, he lands powerful rhetoric.

A bright future lies ahead.

The Institutes – Heal In Time

Coventry four-piece The Institutes returned on Friday with their latest single ‘Heal In Time’. With support from the legendary Lammo, might this be their breakthrough?

Lockdown has been tiresome and for many, imprisoning. The Institutes’ return flicks the V’s and decrees “what lockdown”. It galvanises the soul with self-belief in a future us mortals cannot yet see.

The pop kissed acoustic guitars of The Primitives align with colossal driving riffs and solos from their own playbook. Once heard, Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Embrace, the orchestral Oasis numbers will be taking a back seat, your record collection has a new hero now.

Drummers so rarely garner attention but, Kirk Savage’s drumming is otherworldly here. Ferocious yet subtle, it catches the eye like Matt Tong’s early work and has the stylistic fluidity of Reni.

‘Heal In Time’ could and should be their breakthrough. It is the roguish counterpoint to the epoch-defining pop of CHVRCHES ‘The Mother We Share’. Both are equally brilliant, but now, now is time for a band to light up the big festival stages.

Glass Violet – Clockwork

Bristol’s Glass Violet are back with their third single ‘Clockwork’. Released on the 19th June, Clockwork

Many rock ‘n’ roll bands conjure dreams of escape. Glass Violet have already freed themselves of their shackles. This is the sound of rock band sat proudly upon their throne with adoring subjects looking on.

Free flowing and aggressive, ‘Clockwork’ holds immediate power. The kind that lifts you of the canvas and fully recharges dreams. The heavenly backing vocals and spirally psyche guitars serve Tom Hurdiss’ vocals as they explode into euphoria.

Glass Violet are not only on their way to big crowds, they are reigniting the idea that, a working class hero is still something to be.

Andrew Cushin - Waiting For The Rain

Newcastle’s Andrew Cushin is back with his new single ‘Waiting For The Rain’. Cushin originally wrote this as a 15-year-old and has worked this up during lockdown.

With nuance deteriorating and misunderstanding rife, Cushin’s moment of personal reflection is a welcomed step back from the affray. Utilising the defiance of Richard Ashcroft’s ‘They Don’t Own Me’ and the melancholic beauty of Johnny Greenwood’s ‘High and Dry’, he allows the world to contemplate what truly matters.

His soulful vocals will linger on your heartstrings. More polished than his new best mate Noel Gallagher’s, but, equal in their ability to create an aching sense of escapism. Coupled with the lyrics about a family argument he ran out on as a child to his best friend, and something truly special is materialising.

Fontaines D.C. - I Don't Belong

Dublin’s Fontaines D.C. returned this month with ‘I Don’t Belong’. It’s the opening track from their forthcoming album ‘A Hero’s Death’ – out July 31 via Partisan. The video was directed by the band’s bassist Connor Deegan III.

Consciously ignoring the resounding comeback album, they have tapped into a lo-fi Seafood meets Idlewild sound.

The song details both heroic and moronic cases of isolation. The first verse recounts the tale of a principled soldier rejecting his medal of commendation. The second verse shines a light on the bloke who erupts violence in the pub and can never be talked down. For the second verse, frontman Grian Chattan donned his Daniel Day Lewis hat and had a few beers before recording to emphasise the protagonist’s lack of clarity.

In an epoch of short careers, their emotive lyrics and innovation in drawing people’s attention are surely the blueprints to longevity.

*Image courtesy of Pooneh Ghana

Argh Kid ft Isaac Taylor – Dickhead DNA

Manchester’s Argh Kid, in the wake of the descent of the far right on London, wrote and recorded ‘Dickhead DNA’ in three days. Accompanied by Isaac Taylor, ‘Dickhead DNA’ is available on Bandcamp, alongside a powerful freestyled spoken piece about George Floyd and Argh Kid’s lived experiences in Manchester.

Vocally nestling in alongside Jason Williamson, Tom Meighan, and Preston Samuel circa ‘Brassbound’, this polemic offers up Specials-esque dub and spiky basslines from Arctic Monkeys debut. It culminates in all the great sounds of Britain’s counter-culture standing up for what’s right.

Unsurprisingly, the lyrics take aim at the Trump-supporting, sieg heiling all lives matters delinquents who equate patriotism to far-right nationalism. Undoubtedly, humanity needs bringing together right now but lines in the sand must be drawn and Britain First types shall not cross Argh Kid’s.

*Image courtesy of Rocklands

IDLES – Grounds

Bristol icons, IDLES, are back with their new single ‘Grounds’. Taken from their upcoming third album ‘ULTRA MONO’, and, will be released 25th September via Partisan Records. Produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire) in Paris, does this mark a brave new direction for the band?

Their unique punk fury has dissipated but, their power has grown immeasurably. Frontman Joe Talbot, speaking of the track said:

“We wanted to make the sound of our own hearts’ marching band, armed with a jack hammer and a smile.”

Unifying society has never sounded this destructive. When Pulp called time on the Tories in 1996 with ‘Mis-Shapes’, it was ecstatic and exhilarating. IDLES have binned the clarion call and delivered a violent reckoning.

Despite lacking their usual energy, this single marks their entrance into a more thoughtful sonic realm. It has a vastness and a breath taking power they haven’t matched before. Roll on September.

*Image courtesy of Tom Ham

CALM - Is There Anybody Out There? / Something Changed

The DIY indie five piece are back with a double a-side ‘Is There Anybody Alive Out There?’ and ‘Something’s Changing’. CALM wrote both songs in lockdown and, was produced in Adam James’ (lead vox/guitars) bedroom, they both look at the effects on the human condition during covid19.  

‘Is There Anybody Out There’ is straight out of the pop masterclass book of Blossoms and the tropical vibes of Riscas. Every note is determined to be the pop hook that you fawn over. James’ vocals sit somewhere between Ride’s Andy Bell and Mark Gardner but, have the emotive immediacy of Night Café’s Sean Martin.

‘Something Changing’, indebted to Blossoms’ debut ramps up the intensity and takes a wander with DMA’s ‘Life Is A Game of Changing’. The synth driven anthem seeks to grasp the reflections of the Western world at present. They manage to reel in seismic discourse quite neatly but, poetically, this record sounds out of control.

Check back hear Friday 26th June to hear both tracks.

The Maitlands – Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Manchester’s The Maitlands released their latest single ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong’ last week. Recorded back in Janaury 2020, it is another single set to take on a new life of its own during the Covid19 pandemic.

With the ambition of Spector and the destruction of Ist Ist, The Maitlands are back. They’ve conjured another set of massive sounding riffs that traverse euphoria via the darkness. Detailing the digital race to the bottom should be a bleak affair but, they manage to find the human touch that is sure to resonate.

At the heart of this connection are Carl L. Ingram’s vocals. Switching from aching beauty of Matt Berninger (The National) and pop bombast of Harry McVeigh (White Lies), he manages to land some massive emotive punches.

The single excels in creating drama. The booming psyche guitars against the backdrop of modern technology in the hands of the greedy, creates the us versus the world mentality this generation is facing. Maybe

The K’s - Valley One

The K’s set This Feeling’s ‘Big In 2020’ alight in January and followed that up with sold out shows Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. This was there year!

Cue, covid19!

The Earlestown outfit’s inevitable rise to stardom has been curtailed. It’s not easy to survive in a band when Spotify pays you 7p for a million streams. These are more than testing times for the band and their fans.

However, on May 15th, they released ‘Valley One’ and proved they still have their finger of Britain’s cultural pulse. The solemn affair captures the aching isolation so many have endured:

“now I’m back home I am seeing your shadow from anyone”.

You’ll be hard pressed not to snigger at Dominic Cummings when frontman Jamie Boyle decrees “even Midas would find it surprising you’re out here devising a plan for me”.

Winston Churchill once said, “never waste a good crisis”. The K’s have used their diminished platform expertly here. This might still be their year yet!

*Image courtesy of Ricky Atterby.

Trampolene ft Pete Doherty - Uncle Brian's Abattoir

Swansea’s Trampolene, with a little help from their hero Pete Doherty, are back with their new single ‘Uncle Brian’s Abattoir’. Recorded during lockdown, it recounts the day front man Jack Jones picked up his cousin from an art class. His cousin had painted a world where animals and humans lived in harmony but, had mistakenly called it an abattoir.

Trampolene, to date, have either been aggressive indie rockers indebted to the Manic Street Preachers or, poetic masters of The Libertines Albion dream.

Here, they have visibly grown musically. Shades of light and dark and juxtaposition of childlike innocence and world weariness combine. Singer, songwriter and poet Jones embellishes on the tale of his cousin’s artwork with Blake-esque style of poetry.

Still inspired by Welsh music heroes, they have taken the psychedelic grace of Gruff Rhys. Poised and delicate throughout, they have struck upon a Rhys meets Unknown Mortal Orchestra tapestry. One, that, they should delve into much deeper in the future.

Harry Stafford - Gothic Urban Blues

Manchester’s Harry Stafford is back with his latest single ‘Gothic Urban Blues’. The title track from his critically acclaimed album. It was produced and mixed by Ding Archer and is available on his Bandcamp page.

The blues is not a genre that gets updated much. In fact, in many circles, it’s frowned upon. Stafford though, has hit the blues in face with a monstrous haymaker on his latest single. Effortlessly cool, it staggers his Mancuninan streets with the danger of Cabbage and the reckless abandon of the Mondays. Meanwhile, his Cave-esque vocals are accompanied by wandering basslines are beckoning the next Peaky Blinders soundtrack.

The album of the same name is out now via Black Lagoon Records.

*Image courtesy of Richard Davis