| Essential new singles also including Robber Robber, Tara Clerkin Trio, Huarinami and Joseph Futak & Relimu. | | Iceage by Alva Le Febvre | Words: Brad Sked, Hazel Blacher, Elvis Thirlwell | | | The Danish quintet Iceage are back after a five year absence, sharing 'Star', their first release since 2021's 'Seek Shelter', via the wonderful Mexican Summer imprint. The newest offering from the Copenhagen juggernauts is a jangled indie art-punk tinnie-spiller, possessing an effortless, early Strokes-esque swagger that feels both warmly nostalgic and coolly contemporary. "You got me dying like a star" wails vocalist Elias Rønnenfelt in their near guttural croon, channelling the "catastrophic culmination" of a star's death into metaphorical sonic form. An unapologetic, scuzz-laden love song, 'Star' marks a fantastic return from the ever-cool Iceage. Alongside the new single, Iceage have shared a music video, directed by Thinh T. Petrus Nguyen. (Brad Sked) | | Chinese American Bear – 'Mama (妈妈)' | | Exulting in the balmy comforts of radiant midsummer, Chinese American Bear's new single 'Mama (妈妈)' is a coastal cruise of immaculate psych-pop abandon – sunroof open and worries far, far away. Silky string flutters melt into the track's funky guitar crunch, swept along by an ambling groove and Anne Tong's buttery vocal melodies, sung in a mixture of English and Mandarin. Serving as the latest teaser from the Seattle-based duo's upcoming album 'Dim Sum & Then Some', due in May via Moshi Moshi, 'Mama (妈妈)' was inspired by Tong's childhood family meals. She explains: "I've always wanted to write a song with the phrase 'chi fan le'. In Chinese families, every day revolves around meal times. Food is an extremely important part of the culture. Typically when a meal is cooked and ready to eat, moms will yell the phrase 'chi fan le', which translates to 'it's time to eat!'. And every Chinese kid knows that Chinese moms hate it when you're late to the meal table, so you better run to the table the first time 'chi fan le' is yelled." (Hazel Blacher) | | Winding a baggy beat into a psych-rock hauntology reminiscent of Lorelle Meets the Obsolete, Melody's Echo Chamber or Fire Talk labelmates Wombo, the latest single from Vermont quartet Robber Robber is as effortlessly cool as they come. Inspired, we're told, by what happens when your life falls apart ("You'll end up with a piece."), it's the latest single from forthcoming new album 'Two Wheels Move The Soul, due 3rd April. The record is prefaced by the horror of band members Cates and James' longtime home being demolished at a moment's notice, leaving them homeless in the middle of winter (i.e life falling apart. i.e fuck landlords). Judging by the singles teased so far – varying anywhere from clattering noise to tight-ass 00s leaning indie-rock – Two Wheels Move The Soul promises an inviting, unpredictable listen, informed by and transcending the trauma that defined it. (Elvis Thirlwell) | | Tara Clerkin Trio – 'Somewhere Good' | | Lingering in the quiet liminality between wakefulness and sleep, just before consciousness slips into hallucination, Tara Clerkin Trio's 'Somewhere Good' is a slow, sublime psychedelic meditation for the soul. Cultivating a singular, arresting blend of hypnagogic indie, avant-folk and contemporary classical, the Bristol trio's new single builds on their stunning, eclectic catalogue of work to date. Hypnotic electric guitar repetitions intertwine with ponderous drums, glistering with delicate orchestral ornamentations arranged with tasteful subtlety and restraint. Arriving via World Of Echo, 'Somewhere Good' has also been announced as the titular track from their long awaited debut album 'Somewhere Good', due for release on 5th June. (Hazel Blacher) | | Huarinami – 'Carried Away' | | Led by Pauline Janier and Kevin Siou, regular frequenters of the capital's sweatiest grassroots venues, French London-based group Huarinami are back with their new single 'Carried Away'. The quartet also shared the news of their upcoming sophomore EP 'Nothing Ever Happens', set for release on the 6th June. An art-rock riot, gloriously embroidered with a trance-inducing motorik groove and laced with New York-esque post-punk sensibilities akin Television or Bodega, 'Carried Away' launches into a riff-cyclone that would make for the perfect indie-sleaze club night needle drop. Alongside the news of their latest single and EP, Huarinami will be taking their groove-laden fun to Sebright Arms on the 6th April, alongside Dura Mater and Lugnut. (Brad Sked) | | Joseph Futak & Relimu – 'Don't Mind the Wait' | | Switch off your phones, spark up a campfire, load up on the marshmallows and bang out some serious heart to hearts. These are just some of the activities Joseph Futak and Relimu (real name George Davies) might have been doing in preparation for their latest single 'Don't Mind The Wait'. A collaboration inspired by an artistic and emotional friendship that has existed between the pair for over a decade, it's a gorgeously tender and wistful cut of alt-folk purity, capturing the intimacies of Richard Hawley or Elliott Smith in its delicate guitar strokes and crystalline harmonies. While Relimu has been sessioning live with the likes of Jacob Augustine, Tall Child and My Mercury, Joseph Futak, alongside a solo output glittering with softly spoken gems like these, has been a much treasured mainstay of the South London scene for quite some time now, producing much-loved records from Clementine March, Tapir!, Lilo and The Howl and The Hum. (Elvis Thirlwell) | | | | |
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