Editors' Picks

Everywhere you go, Billie Eilish’s name seems to be projected on every street corner, and talked about by just about everybody.

Jon Anderson remains one of the most iconic voices and songwriters in prog rock. His more than forty-year history with Yes yielded some of the genre’s defining tracks, and saw the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Yet throughout his career, Anderson has constantly sought out other creative channels for his music, from working with the likes of King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, and Vangelis, to his own prolific solo career.

Loveable West Coast punk troubadours NOFX and English folk-punk poet Frank Turner aren’t the most unlikely of bedfellows, but even so, a Frank Turner / NOFX split covers record must have turned some heads when it was announced.

Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro have further whet their fans’ appetites for the upcoming release of their new album A Celebration Of Endings – due out on August 14th – by dropping a new single from the record, titled Weird Leisure. It’s a typical Biffy track, with rapid tempo changes, and a dizzying array of guitars and drums tunnelled out by frontman Simon Neil’s trademark voice.

Jagged Little Pill took Alanis Morissette from the middle of the road dance-pop and ballads of her first two albums and made her one of the 1990s defining female voices. It was a sardonic, yet melody-driven behemoth of a record that has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and paved the way for a whole new generation of women in music.

Bastille is back and better than ever in their latest single ‘What You Gonna Do’. In the last couple of years, the English band has dabbled in mostly light pop with strokes of alternative thrown in.

Sam Fischer’s latest number ‘The Usual’ is a sombre melody that doesn’t hold back from the damning matters of the heart.

Ava Max’s latest single ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ is a delightful, infectious tune that showcases the artist as one of the most empowering singers in her generation.

The world has been blessed once again with another song from Jacob Collier, Straight Outta Love his fifth and final single from his upcoming album Djesse Vol. 3.

Often, when bands or artist release demo compilations or albums, it can feel a bit like trying to cash in. Such compilations tend to offer little to the uninitiated, but can be treasure troves for dedicated fans, who want nothing more than to see deeper inside the genesis of some of their favourite songs.

Lori Mckenna is a huge name within American country music. As a songwriter, she won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2016 for co-writing Little Big Town’s hit single Girl Crush, which was also nominated for Song of the Year.

It’s impossible to review any of the work of Steven Gene Wold – better known as Seasick Steve – without viewing it through the lens of his own enigma. How much, or otherwise, you buy into his well-publicised and analysed back story probably influences what and how much you take from his music, but at surface level at least, he continues to specialise in incredibly accessible blues rock with a big old slice of Americana on the side.

Kiwi electronic duo The Naked and Famous, now comprised of just Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards) and Thom Powers (vocals, guitars), are back with their fourth studio album, Recover, their first full-length release since 2016’s Simple Forms.

Arizona native Courtney Marie Andrews has already packed an awful lot into her career, despite being just 29 years old. From touring at the age of 16, to working as a session musician and backing singer for acts including Jimmy Eat World and Damien Jurado, and all the way up to 2018’s critically acclaimed solo album May Your Kindness Remain, she has transcended styles and genres, with often spectacular results.

As one half of Moon Duo and the frontman of west coast psychedelic rockers Wooden Shjips, Ripley Johnson must be a busy man. Add to that, he’s now released his second album as Rose City Band, his almost one-man show of hazy, dreamy country rock.

Ask any Metallica fan what their least favourite album is from the metal titans and you will inevitably get the same answer. “St Anger,” which dropped in mid-2003, has not earned the same favour as any of their other releases. Likewise, critics have often offered low reviews, and few have had good things to say about it.

London-based singer, songwriter, artist and producer Anna Straker has released a stirring new track, accompanied by a beautiful video. “London Knows” is a masterfully constructed piece of music that will tug at your heartstrings and fill you with a sense of hope and desire to heal. 

Vastly reminiscent of times past in multiple genres, such as post-rock and hardcore, while also looking ahead in sound and style, Honeyspider’s latest single Marbles is a treat to listen to.

Manchester-based rockers The Blinders are back with their second studio album, the superbly titled Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath, which was produced by Rob Ellis, released through Modern Sky UK, and is available to buy and stream now.

As if this song wasn’t epic enough when it first dropped in April, Florida metal titans Trivium have gone and outdone themselves. An acoustic version of “Bleed into Me” has just landed, available on all streaming platforms and it truly is something special. 

Lancaster rockers Massive Wagons have been writing killer rock songs and enjoying doing it for over a decade now, nurturing a reputation for high energy shows mixed with a healthy dose of high jinks along the way.

David Bowden, otherwise known as Pink Sweat$, has been gaining momentum at a frightening rate for an artist whose debut album is yet to be released. His upward trajectory has been propelled in large part by his hit song Honesty, which racked up an incredible two million streams on Spotify in less than eight weeks when it was released in 2018, and currently has more than 35 million plays on YouTube.

Anne-Marie and Doja Cat team up for their laid-back, slice-of-life number ‘To Be Young’. The former has built a reputation out of creating playful, charming tunes that encapsulate what it’s like to be a young millennial in this day and age.

Picture the corniest dramatic scene from a romantic movie in your head: the rain’s gently sizzling on the window, all the while the couple on the screen are slow dancing to themselves with a hazing tune playing on a cheap radio. Well, that tune very well might be Someday, Somewhere, Palace’s wonderful, heart-tugging new single.

Matthew Murphy’s debut solo album under his Love Fame Tragedy moniker (taken from a Pablo Picasso exhibition) landed last week, and it’s an interesting mix of sounds and styles from one of the current indie scene’s longest-serving songwriters.

What is the secret recipe to make a summer hit song? If you posed this question to a producer, they would most likely answer with the following: popping electronic drums on an energetic tempo, acoustic guitar coupled with thin Stratocaster chord punches, catchy vocal melodies, heavy compression, all toppled with a variety of production gimmicks finished with a seasoning of synth swoops and plucks. Just thinking on all those, you could probably make your own summer anthem for your thoughts alone, or you could be blackbear and exercise all these in an eccentric new summer anthem, queen of broken hearts.

Zara Larsson’s latest single ‘Love Me Land’ is a sparkling declaration of love. The Swedish singer and songwriter have never shied away from embracing her glamorous, seductive energy, and she does so with aplomb in her latest venture.

Aussie three-piece DMA’s have made a name for themselves as a swaggering indie rock band shaped by the heady heights of the Britpop days. Comprised of Thomas O’Dell (lead vocals), Matthew Mason (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Johnny Took (guitar), their first two albums, 2016’s Hills End and For Now in 2018, both cracked the top ten of the album charts in their homeland, and last year they collected the ultimate lad rock accolade of supporting Liam Gallagher on tour.

Jasmine Rose Wilson, who writes and performs as Baby Rose, has one of those voices that just stops you in your tracks. It’s husky and haunting but with a delicate undertone that has you hanging on her every word; it’s rich enough to fill an arena but intimate enough to feel like she’s singing to you and you alone. And she’s got the songs to go with it.

Fresh-faced and hotly tipped for success, The Academic crashed into the Irish charts when their debut album Tales from the Backseat hit number one back in 2018, propelled in part by smash hit single Bear Claws, and it’s ‘live looper’ music video which went viral and racked up over one million views on YouTube in its first 48 hours.

The three singles that have been released prior to Jacob’s newest offering, He Won’t Hold You, have been absolutely stellar to say the least.

Margo Price is one of the undisputed rising stars of the country scene. Her story – from drug use, a spell in prison and one of homelessness, to the tragic loss of her infant son – means shes endured more than her share of pain, and can walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

There can be few musicians as prolific as Mike Kinsella. In his various guises with bands including Cap’n Jazz, American Football, Joan of Arc, and Owls, the Chicago-born singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has released an astonishing 43 albums since 1995.

At the end of June, Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield released two new singles from his upcoming solo album Even In Exile, which is due for release on August 14.

Emily Burns’ newest single, Curse, is truly a gem in disguise. Upon first listening to the track, one might think that this song rides on the sound Finneas and Billie Eilish have built in the last few years: Emily’s voice is meek and vulnerable, backed by a shy piano and dreamy synth-scapes cradling the composition.

Rodney, CMAT’s newest single, feels like a warm serving of the favorite dish your mom makes for you when you come back home. It always feels like you haven’t had it in a long time, and tastes of memories and nostalgia. 

Loveday is back with a brand-new single, fresh off her last offering “Superficial Life” earning airplay on BBC’s Radio 1.

Pop newcomer Kiara Nelson is back with her second offering since her debut single “Adore You” captivated us all and earned over 1.5 million streams on Spotify. Her new single, “Kisses For Breakfast” is as sweet as it is catchy. It is a track that feels destined to fill dancefloors everywhere, a delicious fusion of pop, soul and R&B. Truly, the ultimate part crowd pleasing combination.

Australian four-piece Spacey Jane have been winning fans in their homeland and beyond over the last couple of years with their own brand of raucous but deeply melodic sounds and a swiftly growing reputation for breathless live shows and knockout festival performances.

Phoebe Bridgers has the world at her feet. With her highly accomplished and lauded debut album Stranger in the Alps already under her belt, and blossoming projects with darlings of the indie world Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus (Boygenius), and Conor Oberst (Better Oblivion Community Center) gathering steam and winning fans, it’s easy to forget that Bridgers is just 25 years old.

Country artist Jason Aldean has warmed our hearts with a beautiful new video for his latest single “Got What I Got.” Giving us a sneak peek into his life behind the music, Aldean shares some very personal moments with his family.

It’s more than 15 years since Ray LaMontagne was catapulted to international fame with his debut album Trouble, a folk rock smash hit that sold more than half a million copies worldwide and made the Nashua-born singer-songwriter a household name, despite his often publicised desire to stay firmly out of the limelight.

Raised in London, with Irish and Egyptian heritage, Shaefri’s music is as worldly and eclectic as you might expect. Her vocals, meanwhile, have a hypnotic, almost otherworldly quality to them, which combine to give her a sound that is truly her own. She has written with a number of artists and producers in the last few years, including Major Lazer, Christine and the Queens, and Daft Punk.

Evanescence are a staple when it comes to early 2000’s emo/rock anthems. Fans of the genre and casual listeners alike all around the world could easily come together in harmony and belt the chorus for the band’s 2003 opus, Bring Me to Life. Everyone knows that song.

David Gilmour is an industry titan. He has a career spanning well over sixty years now, being a part of Pink Floyd and highly regarded as one of the greatest guitar players to ever exist.

Another Sky’s newest single, Fell In Love With The City, is a musical journey.

Jacob Collier is back with his third single for his upcoming multi-album project, Djesse Vol. 3. In the same vein as the previous tracks released from the album, Time Alone With You and In My Bones, this song pulses in electric beauty, which is very jarring when you compared it to his other work from last year’s Djesse Vol 2, such as Feel and It Don’t Matter.

Charlie Puth’s latest single ‘Girlfriend’ is the funky pop earworm his fans have been absolutely itching for. It’s smooth, it’s suave, it’s got a killer bassline reminiscent of Puth’s earlier works — the slow but striking notes on the synth will immediately beguile you from the get-go.

Chloe x Halle’s second venture ‘Ungodly Hour’ will cement them as one of the most stunning acts in R&B at the moment.

Technically, this German metal band are not strictly metalcore, nor are they newcomers. Formed back in 2012 in Ingolstadt, their style has defied simple classification.

Premiered today, Katie Melua returns with her latest track ‘A Love Like That’. The song and video gives a James Bond-esque feel, evoking a strong image and mood backed by an impressive orchestral arrangement.

UK singer songwriter Tom Walker has released a beautiful new single entitled “Wait for You,” written and recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns. As an added bonus, he has also graced us with a stunning video to accompany the track, filmed separately by dancers from all over the world. The song and video together creates a visually stunning and emotive experience, feeling incredibly apt for the current times. 

American country music trio Runaway June have released an upbeat new single, “We Were Rich,” the first with their newest band member, Natalie Stovall.

American metal titans Lamb of God have finally unleashed their first studio album in five years and there is no doubt it has been worth the wait.

American singer songwriter Dylan Scott has warmed hearts and caused huge smiles everywhere with his beautiful new single and the sweet video that came with it. “Nobody” is a deeply personal and touching tribute of love and devotion. As an added bonus, the song is catchy, fun and you cannot help but sing along to the gorgeous lyrics that speak of the immense love he holds for his wife, Blair Robinson.