Tony Njoku has announced a new EP Last Bloom, which is set for release on May 3 via cult label PRAH Recordings.
Along with the news he is sharing a single/video “La Ruée” (French for “The Rush”). The song is a true musical jewel, which masterfully combines experimental soundscapes with modern classical. It stands as a shining example of Njoku’s talent for crafting songs that are not only musically innovative but also rich in narrative depth, offering listeners a space for reflection and connection.
Last month Brooklyn art punk group BODEGA announced their new LP Our Brand Could Be Yr Life, which will be out on April 12 via their new label home Chrysalis Records.
BODEGA live in Milan’22
The album is a full ‘remake’ of an old band BODEGA BAY’s sole LP which was a self-released 33-track album from 2015. As mentioned, they approached this project like how a director might ‘remake’ one of their old films which meant writing several new songs and developing old ideas in new directions.
We already heard “Tarkovski”, and now the group presents another new single “City Is Taken”. It shows a different side of the outfit and demonstrates a gorgeous number with a narrative about the band’s relationship to gentrification.
The track is out with the music video directed by Luca Balser that features BODEGA’s Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio performing the track throughout a nocturnal NYC in front of defunct venues from the city’s storied musical past alongside the commercial banks and chain restaurants of today.
Cardinals return today with “Runaway”, their follow-up to last year’s debut single proper, “Roseland”. It is another standout track that exemplifies the band’s energy and timeless indie rock sound and is a shining example of why they are one of the coolest new outfits that appeared on the scene recently.
Frontman Euan Manning had the following to say about the song:
“Unreal was written in the back of a Ford Transit van that I happened to be living in at the time. It reminds me of warm days spent on the beaches at home back in Cork. I remember learning a Beach Boys song, taking one of the chords from it, and building a whole new song, this one, around it”.
Lambrini Girls performing live at Micro Festival’13, Liege’23
Last year Lambrini Girls released their outstanding debut EP You’re Welcome, and now they are sharing a new single/video, an angry noise punk ripper “God’s Country” (recorded by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox).
The trio is well-known for their unapologetically raw and boundary-pushing sound; here they deliver another strong punch. In this track, the band dives headfirst into the tumultuous waters of the current Great Britain, offering listeners a sonic journey through the chaos that defines our modern existence. Speaking on the track, the group explained:
“Gods Country is our long, overdue call-out of the government and rise of the far right. We wrote this a few months back, when the political landscape had evidently reached a global boiling point. Great Britain. Think colonial, shit-hole, chunk of land. Thriving off unhinged nationalism, fed to us by the right red hand of unelected prime ministers.
Despite this, we have the audacity to call our country ‘Great’. So we ask you, ‘Are you sure?’ We could deep dive into inspirations and influences- but the songs about politics, not us. We hope the song speaks for itself. Rishi, Cameron, Cummings, Starmer – you’re all on our shit list”.
Cult indie rock band Grandaddy (whose new LP Blu Wav will be out this Friday already) shared a new music video for “Long as I’m Not the One”, created and directed by auteur Aaron Beckham.
Inspired by old Hollywood and the Three Amigos, the visuals follow the story of a lonely cowboy. It is accompanied by the heartbreak ballad that exemplifies Grandaddy’s distinctive mixture of indie rock, lo-fi aesthetics, and introspective lyricism.
Acute Pop 