Titled ‘Hallelujah Love’, Damon Albarn and Co have released a brand new single featuring former Mercury Award winner Benjamin Clementine. The music video is gloriously anti-Trump and is as visually intriguing as you would expect from the band.
With Clementine’s howling, punchy vocals and the synthy instrumentals we all expect from one of the most acclaimed British bands in modern music, it is hard to fault the track and the band’s long awaited return.
Give it a listen for yourself and look out for even more new releases in the coming months, before their album drops later this year.
Hailing from Brixton, Gaika is one of the most politically driven and interesting Artists out there in the UK. Reminding me of a variety of Acts, from Massive Attack to Danny Brown, it is hard to pin a specific genre on the Londoner but this could be the closest we have to Trip Hop for a while. Prolific in his releases, Gaika released an album and EP last year, go check them out.
6. Bad Nerves
If I was going to compare this outfit to anyone, it would be TY Segall and if they can be as frequent in their releases as one of their prime influences then we should be seeing a lot of new material from them soon. Expect the East-London based band to be very busy in 2017.
5. A2
Last month A2 released another EP on his Soundcloud page and it did everything but disappoint. After finding him a few months ago, I just couldn’t stop listening to ‘X2 (Dble)’, the blend of heavy bass and introvert synths are near on unheard of in the UK rap scene.
4. Shame
I only found out about Shame recently when I saw them support Slaves. Not knowing what to expect I went with an open mind and came out loving the band. Getting a mosh pit going as a support Act would be hard for most Artists, but not for this one. Their energy on stage transfers into carnage in the audience, tracks like ‘The Lick’ will have you smashing your head to their unique blend of indie rock.
3. AJ Tracey
If 2017 is as successful as 2016 was for grime then this year will be the year for AJ Tracey. Stepping onto the scene with bangers like ‘Spirit Bomb’ and ‘Thiago Silver’, who knows what this year has in store for the West London rapper, expect a big year for him and grime I’m general.
2. Goat Girl
With both of their released tracks barely making the 2 minute mark, it is fair to say Goat Girl don’t have a lot of material but what they do have is some of the most catchy and brilliantly twangy tracks I’ve heard for ages. If they don’t blow up this year I don’t know what will.
1. Cabbage
Back in September I saw Cabbage support Blossoms on their UK tour; I came out of the gig genuinely believing that Blossoms should have been supporting Cabbage. Their provocative live set will go down a treat this year; many other critics have made them their choice for 2017, including The Sun, which provoked them to write a brilliant political outburst on the tabloid. One thing is for sure you should keep an eye on the Manchester outfit this year.
One of the most promising hip hop prospects currently in the UK, Benjamin Coyle-Larner has been busy releasing new material over the past year or so. Since his acclaimed debut EP ‘A Little Late’ he has grown a passionate following, selling out Shepherds Bush and playing stunning festival sets at the likes of Latitude and Bestival.
The music video itself is one of the most moving I have ever seen, the powerful visuals compliment the touching verses that Carner expresses on all his tracks, ‘The Isle Of Arran’ being no different. With piano based hooks, the tune takes a direction similar to that of ‘Florence’, one of the South London rapper’s previous releases but the old soul/hip hop samples just add so much more to this one.
This is a music video you have to check out, go and give it a click below:
To coincide with his latest album ‘Skin’, Flume is now debuting 4 new songs all in a similar vein to the material on his release earlier this year. Rich in punchy synths, beautiful, howling vocals and samples of an endless list of peculiar instruments, The tracks could have easily made the cut for his second album; but this just shows how strong of a record ‘Skin’ was.
My favourite tune from the EP has to be ‘Heater’, a song using similar synth patterns to innocence; the climatic build and crashing blend of electronic instrumentation makes it one of the best songs Harley has produced this year. Flume is one of the most important electronic artists of the decade and is constantly changing the way we perceive ‘EDM’ music, go and check out his new material below.
Whenever I see Slaves there is a unique atmosphere, the kind of vibe that would only surround one of the most important British bands over the past few years. In the space of an annum they have gone from playing a tiny pub, called the Portland Arms, in Cambridge to the biggest venue the city has to offer. Adding to everyone’s pure ecstasy to see the duo, we were treated by two up and coming English punk bands called ‘Life’ and ‘Shame’ who did more than warm up an emphatic crowd.
Kicking off with ‘Shame’, a band with the swagger of The Fat White Family, the outfit took me by surprise. I had never really checked out the 5 piece but I sure will be over the next few days as they soared through a visceral live set with the pressure of supporting Slaves evidently never phasing them. Over the last few weeks ‘Shame’ have debuted a couple of tracks in ‘Gold Hole’ and ‘The Lick’ and if they don’t make you want to go and see the South London band then I don’t know what will.
By the time ‘Life’ came on, the venue was already rammed with Punks, Skinheads and Indies; despite evidently making punk bangers Slaves have a versatile following and the main support lived up to this as well as any band would. Their performance was gritty and the snarling tone of Mez’s vocals enhanced the sweaty aroma of the audience.
This was the 7th time I had seen Slaves and, as cliché as it sounds, this was by far the best I had seen them. With new material from recent release ‘Take Control’ Isaac and Laurie had a setlist rich in absolute belters, they played their classics, like ‘Cheer Up London’ and ‘The Hunter’, but personally the tracks that sent me into madness were ‘Same Again’ and ‘People That You Meet’. You just can not fault the raw energy of the Kent based lads, they powered through a triumphant headline show, looking down upon a sea of moshers and dedicated crowd surfers that gave the security a hell of a night. Finishing with the lead single from their new LP, ‘Spit It Out’ topped off an amazing night and one that I will not be forgetting for a while. Go and check out the support acts latest releases and of course Slaves’ unbelievable new album ‘Take Control‘.
Pioneering the new wave of psychedelic rock, King Gizzard have released yet another song; it’s getting hard to keep up with all of their new material. In fact the Aussie boys claim that they will be releasing five albums in 2017 alone, how? I have no idea; singer Stu Mackenzie reckons he will “lose my mind by the end of the year” and if he doesn’t then I would be very impressed.
As for the tune itself, it is 8 minutes of scuzzy bass lines, restless rhythms and even the occasional harmonica. I managed to catch their set at Latitude a couple of years back and it was one of the maddest sets I’ve seen to date, the members had to be crammed on the stage but that didn’t stop them from creating a dusty rout. Mackenzie and co have also released an unbelievably trippy music video to coincide with the psychedelia of the song so you can check that out below.
You can preorder King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s 9th studio album ‘Flying Microtonal Banana’ here
Featuring on the set list of his latest tour, Jordan Cardy’s new Gorillaz-esque single has just had its first ever official spin. The DJs at Radio 1 have been supporting Rat Boy ever since the release of his first mixtape, titled ‘The Mixtape’, and this song is sure to enhance the Chelmsford born boy’s loyal following.
The track is in the vain of everything from The Talking Heads to The Human League, any project of Damon Albarn’s, who is proving to be a big influence on Jordan’s music, and even The Streets. It is an unbelievably captivating and addictive song; the direction Cardy is going in is hard to fault, his tracks are more hip hop and synth based but still stay true to his indie roots that got him the recognition he deserves. Personally I think this is one of his best tunes yet: rich in jangly melodies, guitar hooks and unusual samples; the clip features a short interview with himself and Liam, his bassist, so go and give it a listen.
Released shortly after his previous single ‘D.R.U.G.S’ Rejjie Snow is back with a vid for his latest track ‘Pink Beetle’, and it’s a gory one. Fitting halloween perfectly, the visuals show Snow having a bit of a weird, and extremely painful, dental appointment. Once again the Dublin born rapper has matched the creativity of his music with the video to go with it, all of his content makes for an extremely intriguing watch and this one is no different.
The track itself is a blissful 3 minutes of hip hop, rich in hooks of pianos and snare drums. The beat is infectious, as are the vocals on the chorus, and of course Rejjie absolutely kills it with his trade mark flow and soothing voice. Produced by ‘Rahki’, the song is just a snippet of how incredible Snow’s up coming album could potentially be; the producer has worked with the likes of ‘Kendrick Lamar’ and ‘School Boy Q’ and so if Rejjie and Rahki can replicate the work of these two artists then we are really in for a treat.
Playing Reading and Leeds and Latitude this year, whilst amplifying their playful punk rock sound, the 4 piece are starting to gain the attention that they deserve. DJs in the calibre of Huw Stephens have been supporting Superglu for a while now and the charismatic outfit have just dropped a new track that will hopefully carry on their rise in the world of music.
‘Dreams’ oozes in modern punk rock melodies and screeching vocals, about ‘bb guns’ and ‘Rollerskating’; it is impossible to not like this song. I remember hearing it faintly in the distance after coming out, half dead, from the Cage The Elephant set at Reading and I just wish I had enough energy to go and catch the end of them headlining the introducing stage. Not going is a decision I am now hugely regretting.
Anyway go and check out their new single, it has energy and visceral guitar hooks in abundances so if you need waking up this morning just click the link below, the song is premiering on Gigslutz right now.
Getting Jamie T tickets all the way back in July meant that it was only this week that it hit me I was going to witness one of the best live performers to come out of the UK in recent years. With a new album under his belt and The Wytches as part of the package I was anticipating a storming night, and it truly was.
Kicking off with the Wytches, the band slammed through 30 minutes of their most thrashing tunes, including the likes of ‘Gravedweller’ and new thunder bolt ‘Ghost House’, which is my favourite cut from ‘All Your Happy Life’. Both the new and the old tracks were fairly well received, how can you not enjoy 4 long haired lads head banging and busting out grungy riffs? However at points I felt as if the crowd didn’t give them the reception they deserved but for me, who was just as thrilled to be watching The Wytches as Jamie T, it was a brilliant performance and one that’s edged me even closer to buying a ticket for their upcoming tour.
Next up was the infamous Jamie T who had a crowd surprisingly varied in age. From 17 year olds to 30 year olds to even 50-60 year olds, there was a true variation in generations but the one similarity we all had was we all went absolutely mental for the Wimbledon born boy. Setting the bar with new track ‘Power Over Men’, the most popular song from ‘Trick’, the audience were up for it throughout. ‘Tescoland’ and ‘Tinfoil Boy’ were equally as well received from the new LP but of course it was the classics like ‘British Intelligence’ and ‘Sticks and Stones’ that summoned a riot at the Corn Exchange. Everyone belted out the ballads too, my personal favourite being ‘Don’t You Find’. Adding to this, the light show was amazing, with glaring spotlights descending onto Treays’ body making him look like a haunting silhouette.
After being ill only a week or so ago I just cannot believe how good a performer Jamie T was. This had to be one of my favourite gigs of the year and one I won’t forget. If you ever have the chance to see either Jamie T or The Wytches live be sure to grab the opportunity because otherwise it will be a decision you’ll regret.
Want to see a clip of Jamie T live? Just click below.
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