My Best Unbeaten Brother is a new South London-based trio featuring the critically lauded Ben and Adam Parker (Nosferatu D2 / Tempertwig / Superman Revenge Squad) and bassist Ben Fry.
The group debuted with “Slayer on a Sunny Day” in November on Joyzine’s 20 Years of Joy compilation. Now they are sharing the new cut titled “Time on Our Hands, Spider-Man” — a raw, emotional, and unapologetically authentic single. It would be a part of Pessimistic Pizza, the debut mini-album, set for release on June 28.
FFO: Los Campesinos!, The Fall, Johnny Foreigner, Art Brut, The Hold Steady.
Liminal Space, the new EP by Welsh-born, Bristol rockers The Pleasure Dome, is an emotional exploration of the complexities of life set against the backdrop of tumultuous times for the band. It follows the release of their acclaimed debut album Equinox and serves as a continuation and next step for the group (before they proceed to record the second LP).
Despite recent personal upheavals and line-up changes, the result is a confident collection of big rock numbers, a ferocious tsunami of raw emotion and unfiltered energy that crashes through the speakers and leaves an indelible mark on the listener’s soul. It’s a cathartic experience, an emotional rollercoaster, and a rallying cry for the disenchanted.
All the songs take on personal themes, and beneath the fury and the noise here lies a profound sense of vulnerability and humanity. Be that a message of hope on “The Duke Part II (Friends and Enemies)”, a take on the complexities of the relationships on “Your Fucking Smile” or an intensely emotional acoustic number “Suicide” — it is an outstanding mini-album from hard-working musicians who are passionate and deadly serious about what they are doing.
Stream below and purchase the release on vinyl here, out now through Hound Gawd! Records.
Signing to brilliant Mango Wax Records (Lando Manning, Maximilian) Daisy and The Deadheads share the new single “Baby”, along with an announcement of their three track-EP Butter Wouldn’t Melt (out June 7).
With textures stripped bare and layered atop each other, culminating in a fuzzed-out neo-psychedelia climax, this gorgeous gem explores important, urgent and often-marginalised themes of gender politics in fertility, as frontwoman Daisy Tortuga elucidates:
“The ‘Baby’ in question isn’t that of a doo-wop teenage love affair, but the original, wailing-on-all-fours variety, with lyrics delving into the profound and often unspoken struggles surrounding fertility. We’ve used a big danceable sound to transport an emotionally complex story. A vulnerable yet empowered reflection of my own experiences. ‘Baby’ is an attempt to grapple with the difficult reality of this often untold story and the roles expected of women, even today”.
Brighton quintet Van Zon make a striking entrance with their exhilarating debut single “Cannon Fodder”, a mesmerizing 8-minute fusion of experimental folk-infused post-rock, which builds up to the breathtaking crescendo in the second half.
Deliberately crafted as the band’s manifesto, the single strives to echo the perspectives of every member within the group, as they articulate:
“Cannon Fodder represents our first year as a fully-formed band. It serves as a musical collage of each member of the group, taking all aspects of our influences and enabling them to co-exist. The lyricism concludes a narrative that stretches throughout the Van Zon discography; we’re beginning at the end”.
On Friday, British-Nigerian producer, pianist and composer Tony Njoku released his new EP Last Bloom (for cult PRAH Recordings), and it marks the subsequent daring move forward in his musical journey.
The mini-album is equally innovative and accessible, it floats smoothly and never gets boring. The artist had managed to do a truly impressive thing — components of classical music, ambient and electronica are organically combined here to fantastic results. At the same time, all the songs are seasoned and decorated with a layer of art pop elements, one-of-a-kind Njoku’s artistic touch and successful experiments.
Add to this all also creative visual pieces (just check out a stunning new visualiser for “BIAFRA” and a beautiful music video for “La Ruée”) and we get one of the coolest musical projects of 2024 so far. Tony will do an intimate show at The Old Church, Stoke Newington on May 9 to present Last Bloom (buy tickets here).
Acute Pop 