So returning, with the start of a new hot list.
What have I been listening too? What’s hot and cool? Who should be on your new playlist?
Well I’m going to do a monthly blog or blogs of some of the finest so you can check them out. I’ll also do a playlist for you to enjoy. 2021 is all about the giving.
Well anyone that thought January would be quiet for new music is well and truly wrong. As I nursed a self induced New Year hang over, my in box and notifications started to ping and before long I was brought back to life by some seriously great songs from musicians I’d heard before but also new artists, all ready to join the fight and bring Indie back to the masses.
First up and making a bit of an impact with their laid back and melodic country vibes of Liverpool is Hegarty and the song The Cloudwalker – and what a song it is. David Hegarty is the main man and his voice is like a smoother version of Sir Rodney Stewart or Kelly Jones – It’s really great and doesn’t grate. Musically it’s very uplifting and catchy, it brings back the more acoustic aspects of The Faces or even Ronnie Lanes solo work – it also has a good smattering of Ocean Colour Scene and good old Irish bands like The Dubliners. Watch them fly this year.
The Jobs are a totally new band to me and they sent me their excellent sounding Sailing Upon The Times EP for a listen.
They are a feel good band and as such they can be summarized as indie rock laced with warm vibes, pop hooks, surf over tones, with elements of shoegaze and new wave. Its a very confident sounding EP despite the band only releasing 3 songs to date. It’s chocked full of jangle pop as you would expect and you hear echoes of Ride and Doves in places as well as great harmonies akin to Teenage Fanclub. Lead track La Serena is excellent but the whole EP deserves a listen and add to your new music of 21 playlists.
Sam Lambeth is another new to me artist and someone that has gone solo after being in bands. His song The King (You and Me) dropped on the 12th January and was my track of the day – its another Country twinged rocker from a guy from the Midlands (as you do) – Its a very accomplished track with excellent vocals from Sam and a killer chorus of “What ever happened to you and me”. I can see this track going down with many and I look forward to hearing more from Sam.
Now the next track I want you to hold onto your hats because its as big of a depature from the above songs as you could want.
South African DJ and Producer Shi Kargo has sent me this absolute beast of a track called Funkey Reel from the dancefloors and raves of his native country. And I’m really glad he did.
I’m no expert on the South African dance scene and it sounds trite to say its Afro-Beat but I guess that’s the best way to describe it here. Its built upon a funky beat and hypnotic trance like sounds underpinned by a great bass line by legendary Bassist & Heavy Music Producer Vuyo Manyike (Shi told me this and I can see why), its Jazzy, its funky its really rather good and like everything in my blog its cool. Go and give this a listen you’ll dig it I’m telling you.
I’ll end this little piece with a couple of exclusives that are coming up very soon.
The Shop Window are about to drop their best song yet in my humble opinion with Out Of Reach – an up beat jangle pop masterclass that shows the talents of Carl, Syd and the lads off to their best. Its catchy as you would expect with great lyrics and chorus. The guitar riff gets in your head big time. The single will be released on 7 inch vinyl backed with Evacuate which is the brilliant single from last year that switched me and lots of others onto them. I can see this doing very well and played a lot on radio – so buy the single ok. I did.
Finally – Hot off the press and just as I was about to finish this article – The Perps hit me with their new song All Puppets No Strings and Wow what a song this is. They have thrown a gauntlet down early doors in January to show people they mean some business this year. An anthemic guitar track that builds, built upon a great piano and drum sound. The vocals are strong with a more controlled attitude then before coming through. Its gunna blow up big and make a lot of people sit up and pay attention.
So that’s part 1 done – I will do part 2 in a week or so and introduce you too more great songs.
Until then – behave.
PNL
Michael
The Rebirth Of Cool 