Deep Cuts #25 featuring Aimee Steven, The Delian Pool, Mosley Bar, DAZE and more – best new tracks March 2019

As the start of 2019 comes and goes, Getintothis writers launch into March with a bag full of new tunes for your listening pleasure.

My first time was at the tender age of 21, at the end of third year in the very early summer of 2017. It was a feeling I’d kind of felt before, more and more as I progressed through adolescence. But this, this was different. Warm, yet cold. Comforting, and at the same time distressing. I’d heard people talk about it before, always wondering when it would be my time.

It’s a funny thing, nostalgia. Reminding you of a time from before, not totally gone forever, but never the same as today.

I found myself nostalgic for the thrill of uni before I’d even left – remembering the care free times of first year even though it wasn’t all that different. I still left my assignments to the last minute and I was actually going out more too. It’s all about looking back on the past with rose tinted glasses and rewriting the past to be what you wish it was.

One time in particular was T in the Park 2015. My first and only time at the festival was marred with complaints all weekend long from myself and everyone else I traveled with. Sparked by a lack of sun cream and blazing rays, minimal nightlife, what felt like an hour-long trek from tent to stage, and one camper’s refusal to piss in anything but our water bottles.

But when we all get together and talk about our trek to Strathallan Castle, it’s remembered fondly for the great line-up and the discarded cans we managed to salvage. Suddenly our wander around the outside of the campsite to find a mysterious car park doesn’t seem so bad.

Music is one of my biggest triggers all with differing levels of accuracy. Foals is year seven, Oasis for year eight French, and The Kooks is the entirety of secondary school. Viva Brother is my sixteenth birthday.

It’s a mystery we can only half explain. Recently, Anderson Paak has become the soundtrack to my time in college despite not having heard of him until last year.

The main thing I’ve taken away from this feeling is that nothing is as bad as it seems. Hindsight is a bitch, but it’s crucial to learning from the past and helping you feel better about what’s been and gone.

Dropping my phone in a portaloo isn’t the disaster it seemed at the time. And now I’m equipped to potentially save it from becoming an ornament. It’s important to not let the rose gold tint of yesterday dampen the shine of today, to embrace it but not smother it.

Nostalgia is key to holding those relationships with that person you wouldn’t be friends with if you met them today. Just like everything in life, it all about moderation. – Nathan Scally

Aimee Steven: My Name

The north end of Liverpool has been brewing for a little while – and here’s another act to pique your interest.

Walton’s Aimee Steven has been working hard behind the scenes for several months now with Jon Withnall, the engineer who carved out Louis Berry‘s early tracks and has worked with a stream of Merseyside artists (The Coral, Space) through to UK heads (I Am Kloot, Chris Martin Band) and even a certain Rihanna. Judging by her first offering, Withnall‘s latest protege seems like the real deal.

Recorded in small studio on an Ormskirk industrial estate the result couldn’t be more contrasting; West Coast melodies meld with swelling Peter Buck guitar twangs and an almost Antipodean twang of a vocal – a distinctive and alluring voice which warrants further investigation.

They’re calling it Red Beret Pop – and while that sounds a little too close to a certain Prince flavour – we’re all kinds of enamoured with Ms Steven. She’s bagged Kendal Calling and Liverpool Sound City slots and with a plugger plus new independent label At Large behind her it seems the wheels are well in motion. – Peter Guy

DAZE: BIG

The latest single from North London four piece DAZE is an anthem of seismic proportions.

It explodes with screeching guitar, before being followed up by powerful drums. In places, it’s akin to Glasvegas, but its no surprise to learn that it was produced by Viola Beach and Pale Waves collaborators Sugar House.

It bellows with reverb and at the end comes to a shock standstill at just less than three minutes.

While it feels like a track that could have gone on to above four, it’s a pretty sharp effort that will leave listeners interested whether the step from indie pop to shoegaze anthem will continue or help the band grow into a multi-faceted outfit. Either way, they are an exciting prospect. – Lewis Ridley

Kat Skills: Bandits

Dutch duo Kat Skills formed back in April 2018. A creative collaboration between singer-songwriter Delouise and producer/multi-instrumentalist Ingmar Spaaij, their latest single Bandits is a seductively brooding electronic affair.

Both Delouise and Spaaij possess well fleshed-out musical CVs, and this second Kat Skills release sees them at the top of their game.

Haunting vocals are at once drawing, gently laid over timeless, mesmerising 80s electronic beats.

Throw in a couple of 00’s pop tropes (synth sounds and vocal lines hearkening back to Britney and Kylie in their prime) and you’ve a well-rounded musical treat. Tuck in. – Luke Halls

Edited People: Midnight

Midnight is the sophomore release of fresh Leeds alt-rockers Edited People. A mixing pot of changing melodies as the song evolves within itself as it touches on heavy vibes from System Of A Down all the way to Kate Bush.

Opening with a plucky riff from guitarist Josh Elinor as mixing with Alisha Vickers’ vocals a power build-up and sense of foreshadowing is skillfully created before bassist Thomas Whitaker and drummer Laura Bentley join the raucousness.

The guitar becomes seemingly possessed as the aforementioned System Of A Down vibes come through strongly. Jangling and contrasting metal ascensions from the guitar with powerful vocals take over as the outburst is popped like a bubble to return to the main riff.

The foreboding and powerfully toned bridge riffs emerge again into an almost theatrical entrance into a slow mid-section which trips you out with crashing cymbals and ethereal guitar lines. Then, bam! An unexpected ballsy solo allows the song transforms yet again with battling Black Sabbath-escque guitar lines as the charming alt-pop ditty that started flourishes into only a few degrees away from an arty metal pit-anthem.

At less than 3 and a half minutes it feels a lot longer at first listen as there is just so much going on. This is a track that leaves you confused so you return to it to find one more new motif to enjoy.

It is still early days for the Yorkshire rockers with only a handful of shows planned east of the Pennines- and this only their second single released independently. However, no doubt we will see them venture to Liverpool with future eclectic bangers soon. Definitely for fans of Scouse art rockers, SPQR. – Will Whitby

Azura Kings: Logic

Azura Kings are a Liverpool 4 piece who are so fresh out of the blocks that they describe themselves as ‘operating out of our bedrooms‘.

In contrast, their music sounds like it has been waiting in the wings for a long time, waiting for a chance to prove itself. Logic is an accomplished track that has a swagger in its stride and plenty of sonic bombast to back it all up.

There is a nice loud/quite/loud structure to Logic that again suggests experience and some considerable songwriting skills.  Other tracks of theirs showcase an ambitious and expansive sound and leave us wanting to hear more.

We hope they are now ready to leave their bedrooms and take on Liverpool’s stages. Personally I can’t wait to hear Azura Kings live and loud. I suspect that will be an experience to remember. – Banjo

Household Dogs: Lonely Lover

A couple of things I love in life: reviewing a song with absolutely no information on the act involved and, therefore, no preconceptions, and a song that is immediate enough that you can make your judgment on one listen.

And a thing that I’m continually tortured by: I already lived the eighties. I hear the references all over the place. So, Lonely Lover by Household Dogs.

A lovely bit of spaghetti Western guitar, think Morricone or Adam & The Ants, both work. The backing vocals from Spear of Destiny‘s Do You Believe In The Westworld. And, in the build to the chorus, the guitar from The Bunnymen‘s ‘Over The Wall’. All perfectly beautiful things to be influenced by. And, if you’re younger than me, you may find it all fresh and wonderful. – Ian Salmon

The Delian Pool: Conductor Please!

Conductor, Please! is a brilliant anthemic electronic/indie rock effort. The track, characterized by alternatively pulsing synths, revolves around the earworm of a chorus.

Despite the rather punkish fierce lead guitar lines, the track still retains a touching sentimentality to it; the lyrics: “classical music on radio stations” marks the introduction of orchestral instrumentation – a peculiar compositional mix that sounds fantastically huge.

The track really builds right from the off, eventually reaching a brilliantly grandiose breaking point – and one which the tender orchestral strings carry off as the song sinks away.

The combination of the classical, rock and electronic makes for an exquisite listen and if the album is anything like this track, it will be an absolute pleasure to listen to. – Matty Lear

Mosley Bar: Strange Place

North west four-piece Mosley Bar are back with their latest single Strange Place. It’s a track that bursts into life from the very beginning, with a smashing drum beat and fast electric riff laying down their intentions.

The roughian vocals of singer Ryan Ward arrive as as an additional to the track and all of a sudden it becomes a incredibly well rounded effort.

It’s a proper live track, and is probably best imagined as having the ability to blow roofs off those smaller venues in the area. Strange Place slots nicely into the band’s already released material, as well as adding a new edge to their set list.

With air time on local radio already, this song could well prove to be a watershed moment for the band. – Amos Wynn

Niggy Raw: Day By Day

Niggy Raw is a name that seems to be cropping up more and more on both the local and national rap scene, and with tunes like Day by Day it’s easy to see why. He is slowly releasing a mass of material of varied styles, and this track sees him in a reflective, almost mournful mood.

His thoughtful, soulful delivery suits the hypnotic beat, reminiscent of some of The Streets latest new tracks, almost bleak.

The occasional Scouse twang in his voice gives it at times an angry angle to the message, which adds to the potency of the lyrics.

He’s an interesting one to look out for as part of a scene on Merseyside that is progressing at a real rate of knots. – Steven Doherty

The DSM IV: Funland

The DSM IV is the new outfit fronted by Guy McKnight, formerly of punk mentalists, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. A new outfit that is fast becoming one of the more talked about bands on Merseyside, with their enigmatic character and genre spanning work.

With their forthcoming appearance at Getintothis Deep Cuts on March 7, DSM IV‘s new track, Funland sees McKnight and his band weaving in and out of a post-punk aesthetic that drips with sleaze. It is typical of this band, and a fine introduction to them.

It’s a track for punks, goths, and degenerates to get a bit crazy to. – Simon Kirk

Cowgirl: You’re Not There

Did you ever see Dig? Did it ever leave you mulling over if a fusion would sound any good – could The Dandy Brian Jonestown Warhols Massacre be your new favourite band? Think no more, their child has finally arrived in York’s Cowgirl.

You’re Not There, their second single out on Desert Mine Music is slacker rock aged in your favourite American mid-west vibe laced barrel. It ain’t groundbreaking but might just break your tiny-tweetered Bluetooth speakers if you’re listening at a level you need to be.

The psychedelic sounds of obligatory long drawn out garage rock chords chime freely with just a large enough pinch of rock noir to suitably spice things up. It reminds us of a more simpler time, when booze was weaker, clothes far looser, summers warmer and music felt like it had avenues up its sleeve left to explore.

With a few gigs coming up, they may just be the soundtrack to your spring at least. – Howard Doupe

Bandit: Waster

Liverpool-based indie-rock band Bandit have released their debut single, Waster. With the tracks driving guitar tones and distorted vocals, it’s not hard to imagine a crowd singing and dancing along, drinks spilling over onto raised arms.

The band, made up of four lads studying at LIPA, state their music captures the essence of Saturday night and the hangover that follows on Sunday morning and this single is solid evidence to that claim.

Their single launch went down this past weekend at EBGBs, but you can catch Bandit on the March 22 at Zanzibar, or on April 27 in EBGBs once again. – Abby Meysenburg

Ted Russet: Can We Be Friends?

Hailing from Shrewsbury but firmly cementing himself in the North West music scene, Ted Russet releases his third track Can We Be Friends, a self written and produced indie pop toe tapper. The third single Russet has independently released, and after listening to the other two tracks, it seems he keeps on getting better and better.

Can We Be Friends is an exploration into modern day relationships and how they are truly dominated by an online presence.

In a testament to Russet’s own sense of humour, he messaged 100 people with the question: “Can We Be Friends?” and now shares the responses from the heartwarming to the heartbreaking (available to see on Facebook).

A really novel and intelligent way to promote the latest single, showing that there’s more than just a good ear for a melody in his arsenal.

This single combines elements of 80s nostalgia and modern day indie pop, imagine if you will, that Mystery Jets or Two Door Cinema Club were founded in 1985 in Shropshire. The melody is infectious, the vocals are clean and crisp as is the rest of the production, a very mature sounding track from an artist who clearly cares about his craft.

The launch for Can We Be Friends was a sold out gig at Liverpool’s Sound, and as the 150 strong crowd were singing along to every word of every song, you can’t help but think there really is something special coming from Ted Russet. Stay tuned. – Nathan Lord

Anni Hogan ft. Lydia Lunch: Blue Contempt

Anni Hogan and Lydia Lunch’s Blue Contempt is a dark, brooding atmospheric track channelling influences from a wide range of artists, perhaps including Lou Reed and Tom Waits amongst others.

Boasting a moody piano track accompanying the beautifully haunting spoken-word vocals, this eerie track lingers in the mind of the listener even after the track has finished, telling of the quality of music on offer.

The unnerving nature of the music is partially helped by the sparsity of the track, mainly focusing on block chords with very little melodic material to latch onto, resulting in a beautifully melancholic track with a unique stylistic delivery.

It comes from Hogans upcoming album which features a number of collaborations including former Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür. Lost In Blue will be released on March 8. – Max Richardson

[paypal-donation]

Comments

comments