It’s hot. It’s mega super, sticky, sweaty hot. Luckily for all you music fans, Rodeo Magazine has compiled this week’s brand new, refreshing tracks ready to be consumed and loved, just as much as an ice bath would be right now.
TRACK OF THE WEEK: Sprints – Up and Comer
After first hearing Sprints’s brand new track back in February at their chaotic, sweaty Bristol gig, the track’s release has long been in my calendar. Plastered across the band’s Instagram, the track and upcoming album is described as a tale of “pain, passion and perseverance”. With the band’s recognisable thrashing guitars and Karla Chubb’s anguish-filled vocals, the track takes the band’s past under one arm whilst welcoming a new start and new sound into the other. Irish post-punk never sounded better. [ND]
Also new this week…
Divorce – Scratch Your Metal
Nottingham’s most successful Divorce story is back with yet another synth-filled banger, adding to their chart-climbing track repertoire. ‘Scratch Your Metal’ features harmoniously married dual vocals, far from the divorcing point, paired with refreshing pop undertones, overall combining deliciously to create, arguably, the band’s first love song. [ND]
CMAT – Stay For Something
Rodeo’s front cover Americana-country goddess has returned with her brand-spanking-new track ‘Stay For Something’, reflecting on her romantic past and her choice to remain in a relationship for a future promise and the bare minimum. The artist has described the track as an attempt at energy, passion and emotion rather than lyrical complexity and poetics, but no matter what CMAT’s new track still packs a hearty punch. [ND]
Church Girls – Nightmare Nights
The Philadelphia punk rockers are back with a new, nightmare-themed single just in time for spooky szn. The band continues to hone their sound and tighten up with every song they put out. One of the most exciting up-and-comers around, ‘Nightmare Nights’ should not only be on your radar today, but turned up LOUD. Pick it up on Bandcamp. [TJ]
Coach Party – Be That Girl
Ahead of Coach Party’s much-awaited release of ‘Killjoy’, single ‘Be That Girl’ reveals a new vulnerability to the band in comparison to hardcore, headbangers ‘Parasite’ and ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’. The track is delicate in its sound yet heavy in its theme, providing some of the rawest and most personal lyrics from the band yet, whilst still featuring the band’s quintessential rock-princess instrumental sections. [ND]
Lauren Mayberry – Are You Awake?
You know her from CHVRCHES, and now Lauren Mayberry has launched her solo music. Choosing soft pianos over the edgy-synth pop of her group work, she’s still lyrically and vocally exciting in her own right on ‘Are You Awake?’, which is the perfect track to put on when you’re getting caught up in your feelings. [VG]
Fever – A Place You Call Home
Fever are back with their punchiest song yet. Through twinkling synth lines and catchy songwriting, ‘A Place You Call Home’ shows the band’s maturity and is the result of several years of hard work and time on the road. An indie pop belter. [JR]
Ellie Bleach – Lakehouse
You know that feeling when September comes around – you know you have to focus on work, or studying, but the sun’s still out so you just want to lounge around outside? That’s what ‘Lakehouse’ feels like – the summer’s coming to an end, but for the length of a song, you can keep feeling it for a little longer. [VG]
The Gaslight Anthem – Little Fires
The whole “bands reuniting to make a record after nearly a decade” trend has spawned as many misses as it has hits in the last year or two. The Gaslight Anthem is the first one to actually stump me – I’m not sure which category they will inevitably fall into. Take new single ‘Little Fires’, for example: it has its moments I suppose, but I wouldn’t say it harkens back to the band’s glory days. [TJ]
The Velvet Hands – Meet Me in the City
‘Meet Me in the City’ is some serious old-school cool. If you listen to it, you’ll probably feel really cool as well. Yes, it has a more modern post-punk sound but there are also elements of classic indie bands like XTC and a hint of glam rock in the mix, too. The song is taken from their upcoming second album, which promises a magical mix of rock genres. [VG]
Scattered Ashes – Homeowners
Irish post-punk is always a good time, and Scattered Ashes are a name that you should be keeping a very close eye on. ‘Homeowners’ is anthemic, with a dark post-punk sound and a chorus that you’ll be singing all weekend. Catch them on their UK and Ireland tour that’s coming up soon, including dates with She Past Away and She Wants Revenge. [VG]
Meatraffle – Lovesong Industrial Complex There’s a decent point in here somewhere, beyond the on-the-nose assembly-line rhythms and lyrics delivered half-slurred. Today’s “love” songs are often unnecessarily sexual, correct, but they do not mask the charts as they once did in, say, Rihanna’s innuendo era. What Meatraffle have against love songs I don’t know, even a lustful one can be really good (need I mention someone called Marvin Gaye). Someone broke their heart and sadly, their belief in romantic music, which we’re now paying for as the song is driven by this message. [SL]
Ellur – Free
Like a grungier Florence Welch, Ellur’s vocal glides over a bed of ethereal guitars, captivating us listeners with every lyric. Really can’t wait for Ellur to soundtrack the impending Fall season – ‘Free’ is one of those songs that’s near impossible to turn off. Not that we’re suggesting you should try; that would be extremely silly. [TJ]
Contributor Key:
[ND] Neve Dawson, [JR] Johnny Rogerson, [VG] Vicky Greer, [SL] Sam Lasley, [TJ] TJ Foster
