1. LULS – Swing Low
A relatively new three-piece from London, LULS (strictly in the shouting, caps-lock format only), are moving up very fast. Earlier in the summer they released Young – the B-side to this track which was bloody brilliant. This is perhaps even better and with soaring vocals and distorted guitar strokes, ‘Swing Low’ has the makings of an anthem. A guitar riff that is insanely powerful and reminiscent of old-school Smashing Pumpkins dominates the song, but it also manages to provide you with a buoyant, indie-feel good factor. This is almost a new genre blend, and it works very well. Swing Low / Young is out now.
2. Splassh – ‘Vacation’
Another bunch of Londoners this time, only there’s four of them evoking the punk spirit. It’s a definite throwback to the 90s, awash with reverb and the summery beach vibe that bands such as The Drums and Surfer Blood helped to popularise. The vocals are slightly distorted and echoing; the guitars are quite frankly, infectiously insane. ‘Vacation’ is available from November 5th and the band play a free show at the Portsmouth Registry on Friday.
3. Gross Magic – ‘Yesterdays’
Hailing from Brighton and originally a one man show in the form of Sam McGarrigle, Gross Magic is a rather manic product. There’s grunge influences left, right and centre, through the melancholic vocals and the deep guitars, but there’s also an unpolished aura that is easily to relate to. ‘Yesterdays’ is a heavy mix of music rhythms and the band offers up something that is genuinely lyrically and vocally different; it’s a new stage of indie-psychedelia at it’s finest and is really woozy.
4. Roosevelt – ‘Sea’
This German based producer seems to have missed out slightly on the summer season, but let that no detract from this electro-pop gem. There’s guitars, a liberal dose of synths and ‘Sea’ easily breezes into existence, and the track slides along with the production styles of St. Lucia but with a minimalist, calmer nature. The recently released track is available now via the Greco-Roman label.
Contributions from Nátt Day and David Martin
