Clockwise, starting from top left: Camp Claude, I Have A Tribe, Skinny Blonde, Sløtface
NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION‘s weekly round-up of new songs, musical discoveries and lovely little gems that definitely didn’t deserve to slip under your radar. This is what last week sounded like.
Camp Claude – ‘Don’t Hold Back’
The performance of French band CAMP CLAUDE was one of the finest once NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION witnessed back in last December at the Transmusicales Festival in Rennes. They are now preparing the release of their debut LP Swimming Lessons for May 27 via Believe Digital. Don’t Hold Back is its first single and those of you who enjoy high quality wave pop with a synthetic foundation should take a closer look at the hypnotic music video.
Sara Hartman – ‘Satellite’
Satellite by crafted new artist SARA HARTMAN is one of those songs you will listen to all summer this year. It will be everywhere, from your local coffee spot, to the radio and probably also a potential car commercial. Why are so sure about it? It’s one hell of an addictive pop song that comes with a high gloss production and an irresistible groove. An EP by the same name has just been released and it’s time to fall for this little pop gem right now before everybody else does.
I Have A Tribe – ‘Buddy Holly’
No, Dublin-based songwriter Dublin’s Patrick O’Laoghaire didn’t cover WEEZER’s 90s collage rock classic. Instead, the latest single of his alter ego I HAVE A TRIBE is a carefully crafted piece of folk music. Still, there is a connection to Buddy Holly as the artist states: ‘When I played this song for a piano teacher of mine 7 or 8 years ago, I remember she started to sing Buddy Holly, It’s Raining In My Heart. So I went and I listened to that song, and it was a nice comfort to hear the same pattern at the start.’ The I HAVE A TRIBE debut LP Beneath A Yellow Moon arrives on May 27.
Me + Marie – ‘One Eyed Love’
You always get us with a gentle black & white music video. And in the case of Maria de Val and Roland Scandella aka ME + MARIE we’re also getting a gentle piece of folk pop with it. There’s some highly addictive hit potential in this one, so you better watch out for their album which also goes by the name One Eyed Love and is out on May 6, 2016.
Skinny Blonde – ‘King’
First of all, a bizarre and utterly pointless fact I came across when researching this piece: Skinny Blonde is apparently the name of a craft beer created by THE VINES’ (remember them?) drummer Hamish Rosser. SKINNY BLONDE is also the musical alias of Michael Turzilli, a New Yorker whose single King is seductive in a crawl under your skin way. It pairs lilting, slick guitar lines with Turzilli’s Marianas Trench – deep croon to create a perfect piece of sleazy, scuzzy indie-rock. His debut EP City Girls is out on June 6th.
New Portals – ‘Groove Boy’
Now, that’s the sort of groove we could use today. Mike and Ruth Aicken are NEW PORTALS, a fresh duo from the UK and Groove Boy is their shimmering new single. And if Radio 1 and The Guardian are already fans who are we to not follow the buzz? Groove Boy delivers sensual easy listening vibes with a tender 80s undertone. Really a sweet pop song and hopefully there’s more from these in the future.
Sophia Somajo – ‘Sapphire’
SOPHIA SOMAJO marked herself as an innovator back in 2008, when she created her smart-pop debut The Laptop Diaries using only, well, her laptop (this was a much bigger deal back then than it is now, when even your mum is popping her Garageband files up on Soundcloud). She’s continued to push the boundaries of forward-thinking pop since then. Her new single Sapphire is widescreen, dark electronic pop, synths rippling and building in intensity before it all explodes into a massive chorus. A new EP, Freudian Slip Vol. 1, is due out later this year.
Elvis Depressedly – ‘slip’
Dream-indie duo ELVIS DEPRESSEDLY have a new LP coming out soon. Holo pleasures / california dreamin’ combines the band’s 2013 EP holo pleasures with six songs of new material, the california dreamin’ b side of the record. Their new release slip gives us a taste of what that’ll sound like. It’s a sleepily-charming song, an emotional openness buried deep within its hazy fuzz pop. Holo pleasures / calforina dreamin’ is out on June 3rd on Run For Cover Records.
Sløtface – ‘Sponge State’
Do you remember the summer you discovered BON IVER? Well, Norwegian band SLØTFACE do and they even wrote a song about it. Sponge State is a powerful indie rock anthem that is also a protest song against Nordic Mining. You can support the good cause at http://savethefjords.com and also enjoy this really sweet piece below. SLØTFACE are also playing at the Ja Ja Ja Club Night in Hamburg (May 11) and Berlin (May 12), presented by NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION.
Keep Shelly In Athens – ‘Bright Morning’
It’s been a while since we heard new music by Greek chillwave project KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS. Now, they return with a sweet new instrumental piece which goes by the name Bright Morning and sounds exactly like we expect a song with such a title to sound like. It almost feels like a lost tune from an old Cafe Del Mar sampler of the late 90s, wouldn’t you agree? Enjoy it right here.
If you want the latest sounds don’t forget to follow NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION‘s ‘New Releases’ playlist on Spotify, featuring the 50 freshest new songs we recently featured on our page. For other more frequent news don’t forget to follow NBHAP on Twitter and Facebook as well.