Tag Archives: alternative synth pop

Alt- Pop, electro- pop, Electronic, Indie, Indie Electro, Indie Pop, New Music, Synth-pop

Little Grace ‘My Bed’

Contemporary R&B three piece Little Grace have recently released their third single ‘My Bed’. Taking inspiration from Tracey Emin’s art installation, the single proves how connected all art forms are whilst also exploring themes of mental health. With a percentage of all earnings from the single going towards men’s mental health charity CALM, the boys become transparent through their music and hope to encourage the removal of the stigma. Based in North West England, Little Grace have worked with some notable names, including Bristol based drum & bass producer TC, German producer and DJ Robin Schulz (James Blunt, Nick Jonas) and Liverpool based XamVolo. My Bed was written in a day after a surge of inspiration after visiting The Tate Museum, written about the peril of getting lost in your own worries and struggles the track explores daily battles. The accompanying video, created by Spanish animators Eira Ramos and Guillem Guarro, reverses half way through, representing the vicious cycle sufferers of mental health can get caught up in.

‘My Bed’ is a rich full bodied number that sweetly blends electronic and R&B through gripping soundscapes and moving lyrics. Smooth vocals caress the catchy riveting melody with a delicate tenderness while swirling electronics whirl and sweep in the background churning with hair raising emotion and subtle little burst of adrenaline throughout. A sticky gloopy beat slaps and crawls its way around delicate twinkling synths for the verses building the track to its infectious magnetic chorus. This richly produced track glides and simmers around dark tones and eerie soundscapes while the synth pop flavours and velvety vocals sweeten the track and make for a captivating listen.

Watch the video for ‘My Bed’ below

 

 

 


Alt- Pop, Art Funk, electro- pop, Electronic, Indie, Indie Pop, New Music

Cocoa Futures ‘Sink in the Water’

Cocoa Futures return after a year off with a very slick number ‘Sink in the Water’. The band teamed up with producer Brendan Willams who is the handyman behind bands such as Dutch Uncles and GoGo Penguin. It’s a groove driven slice of art funk laced in rich and diverse swirling synths. Maintaining a spacious format this tack takes its time building and increasing steadily to its crescendo. Rich rhythms are plentiful as Cocoa Futures make the most of the aerial space by filling it with luscious deep percussion pulses and gooey slaps. Twinkling guitar riffs saturate the track with a zealous refreshing zest while the electronic soundscapes glisten and wisp about in a tranquilizing yet groove infested danceable manner. It’s darkly hued and tightly bound to create a wholly mesmerising, compelling listen. The velvety vocals and mellow melody subdue you into an easy going state while the fluctuant wavy percussion gives a jittery foundation to create a joyously dance ready number. It’s an ambitious and impressive tune that contains all the blissful sweetness of synth pop in its purest concentration and combines this with a healthy dose of swagger sprinkled on top.

After several sold out shows in London last year and appearances at The Great Escape, Cocoa Futures is poised to take 2018 by storm with five more releases planned to be released before the year is out.

Stream ‘Sink in the Water’ below


Alt- Pop, Electronic, Indie, Indie Pop, New Music, Synth-pop, Worth A Listen

Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From April Towers

Nottingham duo April Towers have announced their long awaited debut album ‘Certified Freaky’ which will be released this spring through their own imprint Full Frequency Sounds/Republic of Music. To coincide with the announcement, April Towers have shared a new single ‘Tel Aviv’ which is taken from their debut. Having played together in other bands previously, the duo of Alex Noble (vocals, guitars & keyboards) and Charlie Burley (production, samples, guitars & keyboards) embarked on their latest project in August 2013 and April Towers were born. A series of 6 singles and EPs culminating in last summer’s ‘Takes One To Know One’ followed suit, one of which (2015’s ‘A Little Bit Of Fear’) earned them a place on the official FIFA 2016 soundtrack. Throughout their existence they’ve been building momentum and working towards ‘Certified Freaky’ . The single is the first song Alex and Charlie wrote together when they formed as a duo 4 years ago, ‘Tel Aviv’ is a two faced song in many ways: upbeat tempo and vocal highs are coupled with pretty dark lyrics. Recorded at Soho’s legendary Dean Street Studios (in the same room David Bowie recorded Diamond Dogs) over the course of last year, the album was co-produced by the band along with respected electronic artist/DJ Ben Pearce, mixed by Nathan Boddy (Gary Numan, Shame, James Blake) and mastered by Geoff Pesche (Gorillaz, Kylie Minogue, Pulp) at Abbey Road Studios. The whole album was crowd funded via Pledge Music and the band played a sold out show in their native city of Nottingham last September to commemorate this.

‘Tel Aviv’ is a shimmering, infectious slice of synthetic pop encased in luscious snappy soundscapes with a delicious melody iced on top. A sticky beat slaps and whacks between flashing synths and subtle swirling electronics creating a surge of adrenaline throughout the track. Smooth vocals caress this pop drizzled melody while lush backing vocals coo with an eerie haunting undertone filling out the sound. The snappy rhythm creates a dancable groove that is infectious and captivating as the ethereal soundscapes rush past giving a soaring aerial feel. It’s tightly bound to create a charming wall of sound that is captivating and utterly infectious.

April Towers’ live set has also developed over time to incorporate live bass, drums and percussion which gives it a more organic and less mechanistic feel while retaining the vibrant energy of a late night in clubland. Since forming, they’ve played numerous festivals both in the UK and Europe and this summer are already scheduled to play Y Not as well as their first ever headline slot at Deerstock in July.The duo have already confirmed a string of UK dates in April, with many more to be announced soon.

SATURDAY 7TH APRIL, FOX AND NEWT – LEEDS 
SATURDAY 14TH APRIL,WESTON HOMES COMMUNITY STADIUM COLCHESTER
THURSDAY 19TH APRIL, ARCHSPACE – LONDON w/ DISKOPUNK 

Stream ‘Tel Aviv’ below


Alt- Pop, electro- pop, Electronic, Indie, Indie Electro, Indie Pop, New Music, Single Premiere

Niki Kand ‘Bleeding Hearts’

Niki Kand is a musician and visual artist based in Liverpool. She is a DIY musician whose love of Kate Bush and The Beatles mixed with her drive that comes from an imaginary world, has given life to her music. Her tunes are self-produced and entirely her own creation. She has recently released her new single ‘Bleeding Hearts’ which is the first single off her debut extended play ‘Pinkish’ which is set for release August 29.

‘Bleeding Hearts’ is a sultry concoction of swirling electronics playfully weaving between twinkling keys and a snappy beat. Niki’s clean, crisp vocals lure and entice over the sticky muggy beat while the catchy melody hooks you into the tracks magnetising depths. The flickering, breezy soundscapes have a hypnotic effect with an eerie quality that is darkly luring yet cheery enough to coax you to dance and sway joyously. It’s light and dreamy with grooves that make you want to move and clap along. This track is superbly produced and crafted. Its sound is pristine and clean with simple little effects that make this an ear worm you wont be able to prise from your mind.A superb track from an outstanding DIY musician.

Stream ‘Bleeding Hearts’ below


Alt Rock, electro - rock, Indie, Indie Disco, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Synth Rock, Synth-pop

The Jackobins ‘Outside’

 

Liverpool based four-piece The Jackobins have released their hugely anticipated new single ‘Outside’. The band have taken the UK’s music scene by storm, regionally championed by BBC Introducing Merseyside the band have also received national airplay, with most recent singles ‘Nightfire’ and ‘Hasty’ named Radio X’s Track of The Week and previous singles ‘Waiting On The Sun’ and ‘One More Chance’ also airing on BBC Introducing Merseyside, BBC 6 and Radio X respectively.

‘Outside’ follows their string of smashers. This biting smack of intensified indie, blisters and boils with dark undertones and agonising emotion. They scatter a nice dose of synths over the track which adds a glittery disco vibe. It’s anthemic and breezy with mighty fist pump energy and punch. With an arena ready chorus and pop drizzled melody, it’s an instant indie hit. These guys have a knack for catchy indie tracks but this time they have turned their hand to an electronic fused blend to their sound and it does not disappoint. The electronics flicker in and out of the melody adding flashes of scintillation for the verse before exploding along with crashing strident guitars into the potent chorus. It’s ethereal and blustery, a force to be reckoned with. Another incredible track from The Jackobins.

The band say of the single, “Outside was written about the dangers of solitude. It’s about the kid in school who has no true friends, the guy who is after a girl who doesn’t know he exists, the girl who isolates herself from others because she doesn’t yet know who she is. The track deals with the seductive danger of escaping to somewhere that isn’t real, descending into your own fantasy in isolation. In a world dominated by social media people are becoming lonelier, and often those left on the outside become jealous observers of other peoples’ airbrushed lives. This is probably our darkest track to date thematically.”

Following a successful year of headlining full capacity venues across the country whilst also appearing on some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals including: Isle of Wight, Reading and Leeds, Kendal Calling. Tramlines, Live at Leeds, Sound City, Y Not Festival and Dot To Dot, The Jackobins are set to round off another busy year by returning to the studio and embarking on a new UK Tour supporting The Wholls as well as a  handful of festivals.

Stream ‘Outside’ below


electro - rock, electro- pop, Hypnotic, Indie Dance, Indie Psychedelic, New Music, Psych-Pop, psychedelic

Ivory Wave ‘Separate Beat’

Birmingham’s Ivory Wave have released their new single ‘Separate Beat’. The new track which the band have been debuting live at gigs across the midlands, is produced by Matt Terry and recorded at Warwickshire’s Vada Studios.

‘Separate Beat’ is a psychedelic trip swirling with narcotic dizzying soundscapes. Sparkling zealous guitars  and mind expanding synths swirl with euphoric bliss while lush lulling backing vocals take the track to a hazy dreamy state. The commanding vocals and heavy beat becomes the steady anchor to hold on to while the track attempts to sweep you up into its woozy hypnotic  electronics. Its a track for relentless dancing.

You can catch Ivory Wave live at

May 20th The Sunflower Lounge (single Launch) The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

June 9th Record Junkee, Sheffield

June 10th Verve Bar, Leeds

Stream ‘ Separate Beat’ below


Indie, Indie Dance, Indie Pop, New Music, Synth Rock, Synth-pop

Ivy Nations ‘Live By Design’

Indie-pop quartet, Ivy Nations have released their new single ‘Live By Design’. The band are setting the dance-rock scene on fire in their native Dublin. Only two singles deep, the group have been praised for the refined sound that they have established with producer Phil Magee (Kodaline, The Script). Their previous releases have broken the HypeM chart top 5 and received international airplay in the US, Australia and Ireland. They’ve toured with major artists such as Kodaline and have also released their first ever music video, for ‘Live By Design’ directed and produced by Blacktooth Films.

‘Live By Design’ fleshes out Ivy Nations energetic dynamic indie pop only with darker tones. Haunting twinkling guitar gives flashes of light through the eerie shadowy mysterious track. A murky bass line gives the foundation to the ghostly verses. The track explodes into a fruitful full bodied sonic flashing chorus. The woozy hectic chorus accelerates the track into a dynamic dance anthem. Blending and churning intense dreamy verses with high energy chorus’ Ivy nations create a sublime fun track that hits all the right spots. The shredding stinging guitar solo builds the track up to the mighty crescendo. Ivy nations brings us a chilling track that is both goosebump inducing and thrilling while also vibrant and dynamic.

Stream the video for ‘Live By Design’ below.


Indie, Indie Pop, New Music, Synth-pop

Bayonet ‘Call Me When It’s Over’

Sheffield’s indie four piece Bayonet have released their new single ‘Call Me When It’s Over’. Bayonet have rapidly made a name for themselves as Sheffield’s indie poster boys,with their last single ‘Heart Attack’ premiering on Rebel Culture back in November, the last few months have seen Bayonet’s focus turn to the writing and recording of new material, their own inimitable brand of synth-pop now honed to polished perfection thanks to the handful of headline shows the band have already enjoyed this year.2016 saw band members Lewis Cain (Lead vocals/Guitar), Vince Ringrose (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Danny Higgins (Bass/Backing Vocals)and Sam Chapman (Drums/Backing Vocals) sell out various venues, wow crowds at both Dot to Dot and Tramlines festivals and release four rapturously received singles.
New single ‘Call Me When It’s Over’ follows this upward climb to success. Glowing with bright shimmering indie pop Bayonet display their smooth polished sun-kissed sound with a sugar coated melody against spongy beaming soundscapes. Twinkling guitars lift the track with peppy bright jabs and warm golden licks while the soft cushioned rhythm adds a bouncy vitality. Flowing in waves of cool tones of wistful longing this track is silky smooth and instantly likeable. Velvety vocals soothe with slick panache while the track takes a subtle groovy almost disco vibe. Bayonet skillfully balance sombre chilly tones with optimistic energetic instrumentation giving a well formed glossy track.
Stream ‘Call Me When It’s Over’ below

 


Alt- Pop, electro - rock, electro- pop, Electronic, Indie, Indie Electro, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music, Synth Rock, Synth-pop

Everywhere ‘Man Up’

UK band Everywhere have announced their first 2017 offering in the form of new single ‘Man Up’. The single is currently available for streaming on Soundcloud and the official release to all digital stores including Spotify will happen on June 9th. At the end of last year, Everywhere released their critically praised sophomore EP ‘Fiction Act’. The EP single ‘Some Other Dude’ was featured on BBC Introducing in London and has received over a million streams on Spotify.
They made their first International appearance at the 2013 NME Awards in the UK, playing alongside Django Django and Palma Violets and later went on to support the Kaiser Chiefs and headline Notting Hill Arts Club in London. New single ‘Man Up’ continues the bands strike for world domination.
‘Man Up’ is a blissful explosion of sweet electro- pop. Swirling electronics kick the track off to a suspenseful start. Followed by a catchy chorus and infectious beat, this track seeps sugary pop from its core while holding enough raw cool tones to contain the sugar rush. The addition of vocals from Swedish singer-songwriter Rebecca Nohr blends smoothly and perfectly with the track and with Max Berga’s velvety vocals. With a funky dynamic bassline and shimmering synths this track is packed with oomph and honey coated melodies that will compel you to put  ‘Man Up’ on repeat.
Stream ‘Man Up’ below

 

 


Alt- Pop, Indie, Indie Pop, New Music, Synth-pop

Heir ‘I’ll Pick You Up’

Heir are an alt-pop band based in Leeds. The band consists of members Tom Hammond, Sam Luca, Harry Vernon, Ste Fisher and Samuel Newham. The indie pop quintet have been selling out venues in their hometown.They have also enjoyed support from the BBC, and completed a European tour following the release of their debut EP last year. They have also supported the likes of Honne, The Dunwells and Karima Francis and have now released their new single ‘I’ll Pick You Up’.
‘I’ll Pick You Up’ is an ebullient zippy track that bursts with refreshing zesty vibes, cooled with smooth vocals and shimmering synths. Funky buoyant riffs give the track an infectious groove and bounce. Smothered in effortlessly cool swagger and a strut-like glide the track is chilled yet packed with upbeat feel good vibes. The punchy ductile bass adds animation and spring while the subtle twinkling synths add a laid back drift and cruise mellowing out the effulgent boppy track. Sweet lush harmonies glide along adding a delicate silky texture to the track. ‘I’ll Pick You Up’ is a catchy clap along refreshing glass of indie pop sprinkled with funky zealous blends and radiant vibes chilled with cool tones.
Stream ‘I’ll Pick You Up’ below