ITS SUMMER! You’re most likely moving back home whilst I’m living it back up in the city for my last week (I feel so emo that I went to do karaoke last night…) yet i’ve been having the best time ever covering dot to dot for your wonderful eyes along with Long Division, but you already know about all that from my blog, right? RIGHT?! As I said last month, which is completely relevant, I hope you have all been revising fabulously and smash your exams, BIG BIG LOVE! Here are some tunes to carry you though regardless… X

Haim

A trio of super-good looking sisters (seriously…check them out!) making folk-pop straight out of LA sounds as baffling to one as having salt on your cornflakes but once in a while, you should give everything a whirl. Fusing together tousling vocals, pronging strings and glockenspiel under-tinges with a touch of slinking R&B bassline grooves, DOES seem absurd but the Haim sisters achieve it dexterously. Just listen to the title track off their free ‘Forever’ EP and you’ll immediately question why no-one has even come successfully close to pulling off this recipe before. Known for being fans of the likes of En Vogue and clearly taking influences from total rock n’ roll babe Stevie Nicks, infusions of lush, brittle stories are told with just a pinch of musing illusion, to formulate into an all over funk-meets-chillwave track.

Pond

Having heard amazing things along the grapevine, all about members of Tame Impala moving onto a punchier project under the name of ‘Pond’, I was told to expect a much heavier progression from their aforementioned work but what I wasn’t contemplating was a full-on show of carnage and such magnitude. With an album entitled Beard Wives Denim cunjouring up images of Kings Of Leon when they hit their mid-fifties, these Australian dudes drawing on eccentric flavours of David Bowie come the bridge on ‘Moths Wings’ (an absolute stand-out on the record, if you ask me) with added components of a more-energetic Ty Segall, these boys are certainly more fantastic as opposed to Followill.  The underlying guitars adopted on the track are blissful and psyched-out when combined with the multiple harmonies and warped riffs that clearly hint at their past identities, however, Pond is well and truly the next resurrection of these talents. As Jay Watson (who has played in both ventures) told us, “Pond is Tame Impala when we’re not being pussies”- now he may not have the best way with words but he doesn’t need to, not when the commotion and commanding aura of  Beard Wives Denim, not to mention their turbulent live shows which have caused them quite a reputation for all things rock n roll, speaking for itself.

Kahn

Kahn  is the latest in line of a long list of producers coming fresh out the UK but with the aid of his cadence beats and chopped female vocal rudiments on track ‘Like We Used To’, he is setting him apart from his alumni in this often over-saturated genre. Linking dark, caliginous elements of dance flourishingly alongside disguising melodies, this track sounds like its blown straight out of those rare dance-orientated clubnights where the DJ’s actually know their shit (for once…) and even adopts aspects of early house from its origin. Perfect for a 2am Red Sripe-swigging crowd to bob along to (I say that with love), Kahn is never going to be one that gets the party roaring but  assuredly keeps the blissed-out sensation going in full-flow.

Jessie Ware

I love Jessie Ware. There I said it. Having caught my eye when Disclosure remixed her track ‘Running’ into a conclusive banger and an alluring collaboration with Sampha back in 2011, she is now stepping out on her own, with debut album Devotion set to be released on PMR this August. Lead track from the record ‘110%’, features an oxymoron of mellow keys and snares coupled with curving dub facets such as an obscure vocal sample wriggling its way in. With the track being produced by rhythm -master of the moment Julio Bashmore, it is evident to see where his influence upon the whole thing has left an imprint, yet Jessie’s stunning rendition of “My eyes only see to your heart/ You keep me wishing in the dark” highlights her ability as an artist and impressive talents leading to shine on their own, Bashmore just adds that little shimmer of dust to proceedings. Reminiscent of Little Dragon meets AlunaGeorge with a slither of angelic frosting all over the top, we predict big things for Jessie ahead of the summer season.

The Vaselines

Where do I even begin with The Vaselines?! We all know that the ground-breaking SubPop Glaswegian duo were cited as one of Kurt Cobain’s favourite bands- which even lead to Nirvana covering ‘Jesus Doesn’t want me for a Sunbeam’ on their early-90s MTV Unplugged album- but Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly will never truly be justified until you have had the rare experience of their live show. Their euphemistic tales, raw guitars and evident bond between McKee and Kelly translates within the chemistry and utilisation of their talents, which can be heared through and through on their earlier releases of the 80s. This enrapturing duo was, basically, what The Moldy Peaches destined to be but never actually had the balls or guts to pull off. One of my personal favourites, ‘Son of a Gun’, accentuates their anti-folk, adolescent sound allround with achingly sweet vocals and optimistic melodies- plus, can we all just take a second to appreciate how much of a babe Frances was/is dreamyyyy!

Crocodiles

Comprised of Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell, Crocodiles deliver Jesus and Mary Chain murk along with New Order utilisations of electronica as seen on their bleached-out, garage band releases ‘Summer of Hate’ and ‘Sleep Forver’ (Eeeesh, cheer up guys!). The band have now returned with their latest submission, redirecting a softer yet just as edgy approach on new release Endless Flowers. Tracks such as ‘No Black Clouds for DeeDee’ (in reference to his wonderful wife, DeeDee of Dum Dum Girls) is emotive, melancholic and truly the most beautiful stuff they’ve ever done. Etchy, coarse and absolutely beautiful, Corocodiles have well and truly hit an exalated progression in comparison to their past application. Plus, have you seen their new album artwork? Totally naught unless you’re at least eighteen and open minded…

Stealing Sheep

Stealing Sheep  (talk about the worst band name ever, AND that is coming from a fellow Scouser…) sounds like something straight off  a bad Ikea advert, yet , angular vocals along with teased hymns that accumulate into quite something special, make for a whole new kind of kaleidoscopic  vibe. Expect rolling drum beats and progressive , vehement harmonies along with at least delicatge vocals, although, ‘Shut Eye’, some of their finest work, concludes into an dazzling episode of dexterous enlightenment, then again, that’s just me. Listen for yourself and see why these Scouse pretties are putting Liverpool bavck on the map…

Listen on Spotify here. 

Words: Leah Connolly