A relative newcomer with only two fairly low-key releases under her belt; diminutive singer DeLooze showed her mettle recently, blitzing a sold-out Electrowerkz with her infectious tonic of crunchy, industrial instrumental sections and pop diva vocal hooks. 

The fiery singer is to release ‘Lost Army’, her third single – the first from her forthcoming debut LP – via Giant Haystacks/Label Fandango on 1 July and we’re delighted to host the first thrilling listen below.

Sharply rasping beats and meaty bass riffs form the backbone of the melody; a boisterous springboard for DeLooze’s magnetic alterations in tone and pitch. But beneath the distorted rhythm section lie some rather more delicate textures: spritely idiophones, perfumed brass and softly stabbing synth strings. Only when these contrasting elements meet in the final, glorious cacophony does ‘Lost Army’ transcend to the status of gothic-pop gem. Who said less is always more anyway?

Spooky atmospherics are carved open by some thick soulful ooohs, glitzy guitars and snapping snares on ‘Platoon’, the debut track from Chess Club Records’ new signing, Jungle.

Quickly gathering tempo, it becomes a sort of mildly stoned stamp through an undergrowth teeming with musky drum fills and flickering, reverb-slathered guitars by the mid-section. Although at the very heart of this groovy little safari lie those marvelously primal hoot and howl vocal harmonies; tempting us, luring us further into the sweat-drenched melody like the promise of lost gold among buzzing flora and fauna.

The elusive outfit will release ‘Platoon’ – and accompanying track ‘Drops’ – on 15 July via Chess Club Records.

Hot on the heels of recent single ’The Road I Know’, Azure Blue returns today with another offering of wistful nostalgia.

Lifted from the forthcoming album Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt, ‘Willows and Pines’ sees Tobias Isasksson in contemplative mode – the track’s soft and steady synth backing building throughout whilst Isaksson’s soft croon mourns a love gone sour.

‘Willows and Pines’ is available now via iTunes and Spotify. Stream in full below.

Stockholm duo Eliot Grace have been quietly beavering away for twelve months on a handful of tracks made public via their SoundCloud, but it’s with ‘Rebecka’ that the pair really intend to take off. Sweeping, grandiose pop boasting a forceful romantic tug at the heart strings and a hook that’s borderline inescapable.

The first ‘official’ single from the group, ‘Rebecka’ is doused in sweeping eighties production that’s so on point right now, but comes from such an honest and true place, you can’t fail to fall under its charms.

Take a listen below.

Drenge’s 2012 demos ‘Dogmeat’ and ‘People In Love Make Me Feel Yuck’, were mere skipping stones of concentrated fuzzy, fuck you rock ‘n roll, compared to this year’s apocalyptic asteroid-sized debut, ‘Bloodsports’.

Crowned Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record in the World on Radio 1 just moments ago, new single, ‘Backwaters’, will firmly place the brothers Loveless, and their spittle-soaked work into critical context.

In all likelihood, said context will be ‘GUITAR MUSIC REVIVAL’. The painfully clumsy and shamelessly bland pseudo-genre recycled across pop criticism every year.  A throwaway tag in most cases but – if/when applied here – an insult to the considered depth of Drenge’s scratchy, gut-busting guitar tones on this ode to shit towns up and down the UK. They’ve got the two-piece dynamic totally nailed down now: Eoin attends to guitar-god solos, Rory rains down upon his kit with eye-wincing ferocity. ‘Backwaters’ bounds along on a QOTSA rifling combo of rubbery guitar, tinny snare whips and open hi-hats.The duo bare their bloodied gums at the 1.50 mark; a snarling crunching riff compliments their warped harmonies, a sort of slit-throat gurgling, ‘I got missin’ teethhh, gotta lot of those’.

‘Backwaters’ culminates with Eoin’s cold, calculated baritone cutting across the malaise of feedback and ‘verb like a rebellious loudhailer announcement; it’s a call to arms in the ‘guitar music’ nanny state, a one-fingered salute to all the patronizing penmen who have uttered that slovenly term in the last twelve months. These Loveless boys aren’t interested in serving as kindling for your ‘revival’. Hell, they’re interested in little more than carving their names into the garage-rock Wall of Fame with broken beer bottles. Cherish them.

A mainstay here at Best Fit, MØ returns with ‘Waste of Time’ – the fourth track we’ve now seen aired online from the Danish singer songwriter.

And, as per this years hype machine, you should expect close comparisons to the likes of Grimes and Lana Del Ray. But this doesn’t feel like another bloggers track – its wholesome, catchy, and shows a warm vocalist who shouldn’t fall feat to the prey of hipster labels.

Unlike most of the torrents of deadpan, dark, egotistical music that seems to be catching the eyes of the hipster elite in 2013, MØ shows something all the more interesting.

Before heading down to Brighton for UK showcase festival The Great Escape festival this week, brand new Kissability signings, Glitches have unveiled their new single ‘Only Time Will Tell’.

The East London three-piece, often reported to live above a night club in close proximity to the, erm, African mafia, have constructed a song a world away from that urban setting. Opening with shimmering guitar lines and bursting, suddenly, into festival-ripe anthemic indie pop. There’s an immediate emotional resonance here from the hopeful vocals and soaring repeated refrain of “only time will tell”. Listen below.

The band will be playing at the Metro Hub stage at The Great Escape on Thursday 16 May.

Huw Costin‘s time as the frontman in Nottingham desert-rock four piece Earth the Californian Love Dream is almost imperceptible among the swirling intelligent-pop soundscapes of his solo work.

You may recall ‘Something/Nothing’, which our friends at The Quietus premiered last month, a track that was sonic-Escher: a looping-back-on-itself vocal and rumbling instrumentation that engendered the serene in a quite spectacular way.

Next up to tease Costin’s second long-player Something/Nothing (which drops on 10 June via SpecialSoundUnit) - is a new track ‘Disconnected’. More traditional in structure and possessing a folkier slant, the track finds its USP at around the one minute mark when there’s a glorious build-up/breakdown reminiscent of latter-day Radiohead.

Watch the video below, by Midlands-based animator Emma Reading who also brought ‘Something/Nothing’ to life, only on Best Fit.

Cut from their forthcoming double a-side single ‘Break You’/'Goodbye’, Ligers‘ brand new video encapsulates their sound perfectly: all hazy, kaleidoscopic light flashes and bright, pop colours.

The slower of the two tracks, ‘Goodbye’ is marked by gentle, cyclic guitar rhythms, powerful wide-ranging vocals courtesy of singer Liz Stott and broad, classic indie pop strokes. Filmed by Elva Rodriquez at the bands studio in Kilburn, this early outing aligns the London four-piece with a pained, nostalgic and straight-cut sound we can’t wait to hear develop.

‘Break You’/'Goodbye’ is due out on 27 May via the band’s own label MEME.

Neo-soul shivers run up the spine of Oxfordshire quartet Glass Animals’ sultry new single, ‘Black Mambo’.

Sing-songy storytelling slinks across bouncy xylophone notes and slow, jazzy drums, while drips of hollow coo’s dance with the candlelight shadows projected on the wall.

The band that wow’d us in 2012 with their fantastic Leaflings EP, Glass Animals continue to evolve their blend of billowing hip hop beats and inviting tales told after the lights have been turned out, and all tied together by stunningly polished production, and still managing to sounds like nothing else we’ve ever heard. If they’re not on your list of acts to watch in 2013, you’re doing it wrong.

‘Black Mambo’ / ‘Exxus’ is out next month on Paul Epworth‘s Wolf Tone label.

What we have here is less a remix and more what used to be called a ‘12” Version’, the kind producers like Arthur Baker would turn in when asked to transform a summery three minute pop hit into a darker, nine minute floor filler.  It’s a medium frequent Lindstrom collaborator Prins Thomas has clearly studied closely.

Where the Shout Out Louds’ original ‘Illusions’ burned brightly but briefly, Thomas’s version smoulders – he’s detonated some  dynamite under its synthesisers, blasting all its composite sections off to inhabit their own distinct territory, with each afforded more space to breathe and reveal its melodic charms.  It’s a reinterpretation so masterful it almost makes the original sound a little bit hurried.

Shout Out Louds return to London next month after their sold out show at The Lexington in April. The Swedish five-piece play XOYO on June 13, presented by Schoneberg Concerts and The Line Of Best Fit, tickets are available here.

Since the release of Kate Boy‘s critically acclaimed debut EP Northern Lights back in January, there has been an unsettling lack of musical output from the promising Australian-Swedish electro-pop quartet.

Thank goodness, then, that they’ve finally ended the wait and stormed back on to the scene with ‘The Way We Are’, a future-retro synth-driven pop sensation. Punchy, powerful, with a military rhythm reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Really Care About Us’; the track has an instant appeal, solidified by a rousing arms aloft chorus.

Kate (Akhurst), the Australian singer-songwriter, and her Swedish band-mates are currently playing a series of European shows, and will be touring the US in June. The band make their UK debut at London’s Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 19 June.

LA’s most promising house talent, Taylor Freels aka Urulu has finally sucked it up and taken his dark, pulsating grooves on the road…permanently. Recently relocating to London, (and loving it) Urulu convinced his down under pals Chaos In The CBD to come visit, they also thought it would be fun to drop a fantastic collaborative EP for London’s own Needwant label. No big deal.

The four track Never Again EP moves through thrashing percussion and groovy weird pops, to fluid jumpy synths that play a game of hopscotch through raspy come-hither words on loop. Sharp bouts of brassy horns melt through the hum of synthesizers as jazzy percussion keeps the bpms at a just danceable rate. Distorted ripples, catchy beats and sexed up claps are all ready to take you away on Urulu and Chaos In The CBD’s collaborative effort you need in your life.

Chaos In The CBD play Needwant’s label night TONIGHT at Basing House supporting house music’s rising star Ejeca. Don’t hate fun, but please mind the gap. Get tickets here.

This might be a comment relying on my admittedly embarrassing level of French, but the new track from Norwegian Alexander Von Mehren is undoubtedly one of the best songs dedicated to a shower.

The 29 year old musician from Bergen brings to bear his classical training, and love for vintage instruments, on this opening track to his forthcoming album Aeropop. It’s an overwhelmingly pleasant slice of lounge-y chamber pop, which struts with a cheeky grin, saxophone solo, and the lush feel of its instrumentation. As all good showers should be, it’s a refreshing start to the day. Sung in French, it’s a pretty and prim take on sweet pop. Listen for yourself below.

La Chanson de Douche comes from Von Mehren’s aforementioned forthcoming album, which has been gestating since 2006, and features international production credits, and a six-piece ensemble.

One of London’s real leading rock quartets, Wolf Alice, show their softer side with their most relaxed outing to date.

This B-Side to latest single, the nostalgic ode to childhood friendship, ‘Bros’, displays poise and subtlety to juxtapose their previously more brazen approach.

The warm synthesised pads, hypnotic woodwind refrain and gentle whirring organ wrap Ellie’s soothing vocal in cotton wool for this inherently emotional track, with it’s soft uplifting subtext. Listen to this most recent assured release from the increasingly impressive outfit below.

Though built around a nucleus of drummer Tim James and his brother Chris on guitar and vocals, there are in fact six people who make up LA newcomers KG Bird – not that you’d guess from the delicacy of ‘Suffer Tiny Whales’.

You know the specific sound an instrument makes when you’ve got its amp turned up very loud, but you’re playing it really softly?  KG Birds, all half-dozen of ‘em, love that sound.  It gives this otherwise gentle number an ominous sense of trouble, concocted in a similar way to how Low and Lambchop make the simplest of folky chord progressions sound far more muscular than they’ve any right to.

‘Suffer Tiny Whales’ is taken from a debut EP due for arrival on May 6th. Don’t be surprised if it contains a few Crazy Horse-style wig outs.

Norwegian pop behemoth and Best Fit favourite Annie makes her long awaited return today with a brand new song and video which preceeds a new EP, produced by long-term collaborator Richard X.

‘Tube Stops and Lonely Hearts’ is released this coming Wednesday and, according to Annie is “inspired by the rave scene in Bergen”.

This is the first release from Annie since 2009′s classic (but shamefully overlooked) album Don’t Stop and was initially hinted as having a March release in a recent interview with Norwegian publication Bergen Puls. The star has supposedly been working on new material since 2010 but until today, has failed to deliver anything but rumours and anticipation.

However, the wait is finally over and the results are unsurprisingly exhilerating. All hail! The (real) Queen of Pop is back.

Newcastle art-rock enthusiasts Symphonic Pictures  are releasing their eponymous debut EP on 6 May via Northern imprint Cottage Industries. Having offered a window into the record with lead track ‘Feathers’ last year; the traditionally grounded quintet have returned with another alluring teaser titled ‘Backwoods’. 

Their mild infatuation with Roxy Music continues to simmer with an intro of glittering keys, spliced through droning synth string wafts and thundercrack snare-work. The tempo slows as Nahema Adele’s airy saxophone swells glide over translucent, washed-out vocals and a curlicue of zingy guitar before those effervescent drum patterns start to snap and pop at the fore once again.

By flirting with the romantic, krauty structures that propelled TOY into the spotlight last year; Symphonic’s seem intent on bridging the gap between 70s glam-rock and current reverb-infused psych with a gracefully hypnotic flair. And they’re making a pretty good fist of it so far.

The ambient melancholia of exciting newcomers, Woman’s Hour is given a bouncing reworking from Richard Formby.

The Leeds-based producer brings the experience from work with the likes of Darkstar, Ghostpoet and Wild Beasts to conjure up a stand-alone track out of the Kendal/Manchester quartet’s ‘Our Love Has No Rhythm’.

Despite the chunky increase in manufactured beats and hypnotic synth lines, emotion from the original remains, thanks to the gentle implementation of Burgess’ serene vocal and intuitive moments of dissonance. Bursting with rhythm, stream this kaleidoscopic remix below.

Best Fit caught up with Woman’s Hour recently – you can read our Introducing piece here.

Woman’s Hour open for Still Corners on their forthcoming UK tour. Dates as follows.

May
6 – Prince Albert, Brighton
8 – Portland Arms, Cambridge
9 – XOYO, London
10 – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
11 – Louisiana, Bristol

We are beyond excited to be the first (along with our friends at Gorilla vs Bear) to introduce you to Olympia, Washington’s best kept secret, producer Braxton/Palmer and 2013′s perfect dance track, ‘Creeper, Pt. 2’.

Braxton/Palmer’s debut single combines hints of disco flair that hoover over moody house beats, while D’Angelo’s husky croons capture your attention in a whole new way. Being an inventive producer in an age where pitching-down Janet Jackson or Beyonce vocals, and adding a few 808s is the norm, producer/DJ Sonny Thomas is calling out this style of lazy production and giving a lesson in the art of sampling, one track at a time.

Thomas’ first offering fills your speakers with distorted breathy effects and murmuring basslines, that give way to metallic clanks and an infectious 4-4 beat that will have you tripping over yourself unable to comprehend how you could love your new discovery so much, so quickly. Glassy piano notes make sporadic appearances, as chunky synth shake their bottoms onto a dancefloor littered with muted drops, sexy clicks and organ waves. The just recognizable sample beckons for you to partake in risque behaviors right there on the dancefloor, which only pulls you deeper into Braxton/Palmer’s soul-laced trance. An ingenious take on dance music that all but transcends time and will leave you dripping with excitement (and dying to press play again), we’re obsessed.

Braxton/Palmer’s ‘Creeper, Pt.2′ single is out 14th May via Ceremony Recordings.

The smart dayglo electro-pop of LCMDF has been an infectious noise in ours ears since we first met them at London’s Ja Ja Ja club night, almost eighteen months back. One of a generous handful of talented Finnish bands getting us excited at the moment, they also graced our exclusive Record Store Day limited vinyl.

New track ‘Douchebag’ sees sisters Mia and Emma Kemppainen raise a smirking middle finger to the song’s subject. Drenched in their trademark pop hooks and playful attitude, the track mines a Rivers Cuomo vibe, with a college-rock shuffling guitar and catchy-as-hell chorus.

The track is a taster for the second in the Finnish sisters’ Mental Health EP Trilogy and it’s available to stream and download free exclusively on Best Fit, via the below:

The four track EP Mental Health Pt.II is released via the band’s own FAN recordings on 6 May.

London duo Snakehips continue their rise as producers to watch with this achingly sweet new cut featuring a guest turn from Best Fit favourite George Maple. 

Following on from their remix work for Wild Belle, Bondax and Willie Hale, ‘On & On’ is the follow up track to the rousing soul-tinged joy of ‘Miss U Always’.

Benefiting massively from Maple’s honeyed tones, ‘On & On’ glistens like speckles of sunshine bouncing off the ocean. Its groove so easy and care free, within three short minutes you’re transported head first into the Mediterranean. Destined to be on heavy rotation throughout the ensuing summer months and beyond, Snakehips and George Maple have dealt up one of the finest collaborations of the year so far.

In addition to her work with Snakehips and much coveted collaborations with Flume and Flight Facilities, George Maple is set to perform her eagerly anticipated debut live show on Wednesday 1 May at London’s Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, presented by SJM Concerts and The Line Of Best Fit. Click the poster below for more info / tickets.

The 19-year old Glaswegian producer Koreless is preparing to step out on his own after a busy start to 2013 as remixer and collaborator as half of Short Stories.

Jackmaster dropped the new track from the UK producer on his Radio 1 slot last night, having seemingly become the opener de jour for many UK DJs – Jacques Greene, on whose Vase imprint Koreless appeared last year, included.

It figures that it will also open proceedings for the upcoming Yugen EP, released on Young Turks, being laden with an epic sense of drama that feels like the melodic transposing of a space ship rocketing into the intergalactic regions.

In the vein of his early live sets, it’s less bothered about hitting hard with the beats, and more with the grand wash of warm synths and engulfing atmospherics. It resists taking off in the traditional electronic sense, and rises steadily past the point of the drop, to its victorious, vivid conclusion. Listen above.

With typical atmosphere and poignancy London Grammar continue to prove why they are one of the most accomplished young bands this country has to offer.

The Capital-city three piece have unveiled another stunning track to follow on from where ‘Hey Now’ and ‘Metal & Dust’ left off. Released June 16th, ‘Wasting My Young Years’ once again focuses largely on the striking vocal, which demonstrates almost operatic power and sores above the ambient accompaniment.

Florence and the Machine comparisons may be existent, but there is something so much more soothing about the sound they have found such comfort it, while the sentimental theme mirrors the emotion of the track. Underlying melancholy is becoming their trademark and this, their most touching offering to date, allied with a scarily complete live show, signals real intent. Don’t waste another minute – listen to this gorgeous new single below.

Although the break-up of pioneering Scottish indie-poppers The Pastels never got the official stamp, the 16 years since their last offering definitely qualifies as a pretty healthy hiatus.

But 2013 (officially the year of the comeback?) sees the band release their first official full-length offering since 1997′s Illumination. It’s called Slow Summits, and follows the band’s dipping into soundtracks, theatre music, and collaboration this side of the millennium.

The first track released from that album, “Check My Heart”, is a summery slice of breezy optimism, and its feel of business-as-usual will be unlikely to leave long pining fans disappointed. The band may have in the past skirted around the ‘twee’ tag often branded on those involved in the C86 movement, but here seem pretty relaxed to plump for the genre’s charming cheer, and sweet pop sentiment.

As ever, the band’s two vocalists provide the perfect foil for each other in their complementing pitch and tonality, with Stephen McRobbie here providing the melancholic edge to the song’s emotional dynamic, with Katrina Mitchell taking care of the bright earworm of the lead melody. A welcome return.

Drake names track after Queen Bey and even enlists James Fauntleroy to sing Destiny’s Child’s ‘Say My Name’. I would be a bit worried if I was Jay-Z especially after a certain Buzzfeed article.

The artwork features the same shard motif as previous track ’5AM in Toronto’ and may feature on Drake’s upcoming new album.

Until that drops, listen to ‘Girls Love Beyonce’ below:

One of the UK’s most exciting guitar-wielding up-and-comers, Thumpers return with another indie-pop gem just in time for this elusive summer that is so desperately trying to emerge.

Implementing typically intuitive rhythm, the Warwickshire duo prove what a knack they have for producing massively uplifting, smile-inducing choruses that have the power to get you on your feet, thanks to another genuinely anthemic and intensely memorable refrain.

Complete with thick layers of voices, including sisterly assistance on backing vocals, the track continues to point a finger at the band as one of the likely saviours of the never-ending UK pop-rock saga. Sit still if you dare with this latest faultless effort from Thumpers.

‘Unkinder (A Tougher Love)’ is the first track from the band’s forthcoming EP Unkinder, due 3 June via Transgressive.

Photo credit: Sanna Lindberg

Combine the futuristic noir of Vangelis, the otherworldliness of Mazzy Star and the pop knowingness of A-Ha and you’d be some way to fathoming the sound of Stockholm’s Azure Blue and his epic return with single ‘The Road I Know’.

A six-minute long cacophony of vintage synthesizers battling for attention over a bed of whiplash electronic drums, all toned down by Tobias Isaksson’s romantic, softly delivered vocals.  By the time the chorus comes knocking at around the 2 minute mark, notably, the delivery of the line “now the winter’s here, I’m not going to tell you again”, the sense of nostalgia is so overwhelming and sincere, tear ducts will struggle to keep dry.

The single, released today via Hybris, is the first to be lifted off Azure Blue’s new album - Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt – which drops next month.

Cayucas lay their cards on the table from the start – their sound is not only imbued with Californian sunshine, but on ‘East Coast Girl’, longing for the UV rays that fall on San Luis Obispo is exactly what they’re singing about.  Plus, when they chant of “pictures of men in denim shirts and worn out jeans”, they’re pretty much just describing their own press shots. 

It’s about as edgy as the Platonic form of a sphere, but it also sounds like Paul Simon’s ‘Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard’ played by fifty Paul Simons at once, which makes it somewhat lovely.

Lead by chief songwriter Zach Yudin, Cayucas are to release their debut album Bigfoot via Secretly Canadian (home to the likes of Yeasayer and Jens Lekman, who seem like ideal neighbours) on 30 April.

On this evidence, it might just possess enough snappy rhythms, hand claps, and yelped “oh oh oh”s to satiate those angry that Local Natives ever went all mature on our asses.

Say Lou Lou made a welcome return just a couple of weeks ago with new single ‘Julian’ – a brooding, sweeping mid-paced ballad of epic proportions. Here, French producer Monsieur Adi flips the song on its head and turns it into a future dancefloor staple.

Having recently remixed the likes of Lana Del Rey, Bastille, Swiss Lips and Laura Mvula, Monsieur Adi masterfully retains the pensive elements of the original – the tension and romantic longing ever present – yet a throbbing French House backing ignites the track and, come the chorus, shoots it skyward with a euphoric explosion.

The video for ‘Julian’ is set to drop soon (see above for a sneaky snap shot of the footage) and, with additional remixes from the likes of Dan Lissvik and Best Fit Recordings alumni Montauk to follow, there’s plenty more to look forward to from this talented Swedish duo.

Say Lou Lou are set to perform at London’s Madame Jojo’s on April 30, brought to you by The Line Of Best Fit and White Heat.

To win a pair of tickets to the show, simply ‘like’ or ‘share’ this post via Facebook – we’ll pick a winner at random a few days before the event and get in touch via Facebook. 

Tickets for the April 30 show are on sale now priced at just £6 (plus booking fee).

After reaching a highly respectable Number 32 in our Favourite 50 Favourite Songs of 2012 with debut single ‘How Will I Know / All That We Had Is Lost’, Sweden’s Postiljonen had big boots to fill in terms of a follow-up release. With the suitably titled ‘Supreme’, they’ve delivered the goods – and then some.

Still drenched with the same sense of teenage longing and wistful nostalgic haze of their previous release, ‘Supreme’ is everything we originally loved about this mysterious group to begin with – only bigger. Postiljonen on steroids, if you will. Effervescent synths instantly ignite the song and propel the track to anthemic status within seconds, whilst the distant multi-layered vocals  - reminiscent of M83‘s ‘Midnight City’ – soften the edges; all swooning, subdued and massively endearing.

Its accompanying Ty Olson directed video, premiered below, depicts a love triangle between three (painfully attractive) youngsters: – all wistful, gazing looks and lingering kisses set against a truly stunning coastal backdrop.

If the above visuals are all too much to take in, then enjoy the stream of the track – alongside a lovingly crafted remix by fellow Swede Niva – below.

‘Supreme’ is released digitally via Hybris today and available to purchase immediately through iTunes.

The Phoenix Foundation are set to release their new album Fandango on 22 April. The expansive double LP will be the New Zealander’s fifth and only the second to arrive on European shores.

Previous output from the sextet has often glided between genres, a bit of psych folk here, a touch of progressive rock there and rather
than being loose and ramshackle, songs are always awfully well put together. The latest example of which is Side A album track ‘Modern Rock’.

Here the band steadily gather pace, bringing you along with them on their journey throughout the chorus vocal refrain of “running away”. There are teases of glistening psychedelia bubbling under too, but it’s all appropriately restrained and just enough to peak interest into hearing it performed expansively in a live setting.

Check out the band’s UK tour dates below. Fandango is out 22 April via Memphis Industries.

May
9 – Glasgow, Oran Mor
10 – Manchester, The Deaf Institute
11 – Liverpool, Kazimier
13 – Brighton, Audio
14 – London, Electric Ballroom
16 – Bristol, Thekla

Stockholm based quartet Tussilago today reveal an intriguing taster of what’s to follow in 2013 with the delicate instrumental track ‘Farewell’ – the first release from their forthcoming debut EP, due out later this year via INGRID.

A short, calming teaser of progressive dream-like meditation – ‘Farewell’ (and indeed the rest of the EP) boasts Petter Winnberg on production duties. Famous for his work with the Miike Snow live shows and as member of the band Little Majorette.

With the soft, gentle hum of distant female backing vocals that lay over a delicate bed of beautifully paced instrumentation, ‘Farewell’ and its accompanying visuals – shot in India earlier this year and directed by Frode & Marcus – premieres below.

Melbourne trio I’lls have unveiled their new EP, entitled A Warm Reception. The follow up to 2011 debut Threads is due out on 21 May via Best Fit label crush Yes Please and after hearing its first cut, ‘Plans Only Drawn’ we’re already licking our lips at the prospect of more delicately constructed electronica.

As difficult and uncomfortable as lumbering an emerging band with the weight of a Radiohead comparison is, it must be said that there’s a noticeable tint of Kid A’s purifying aura clinging to ‘Plans Only Drawn’. Perhaps it’s the warped vocals of an insistent Simon Lam, those pulmonic percussive ticks, the atmospheric lulls or the impossibly slick symbiosis between narcoleptic organ swells and oily guitar strokes. Whatever the hell it is, I’lls probably aren’t the next Radiohead, but they sure know how to make beautiful music.

Brighton/London musician Cosmo Sheldrake isn’t your average modern day recording artist. Not only does he possess a moniker akin to a minor character from Game Of Thrones, he’s also the son of renowned author and biochemist Rupert Sheldrake and the producer behind ‘Rich’, the most intriguing demo we’ve come across over this lethargic Easter weekend.

Cosmo wields an impressively broad cavalcade of instrumentation from the traditional (parping horns and plucked strings) to the quirky (found sound cat purrs and rustling handclaps) with an understated guile and finesse. You get the distinct impression that this ain’t his first rodeo. And you’d be right, young Cosmo has been playing piano since the age of four but it’s his savvy use of Anna Roo’s looping vocals – delivered with a flicker of childlike wonderment – that lift elevate his rich, bucolic melody making above the current crop of folk-rooted contemporaries in our eyes.

Montreal based pop outfit Le Couleur have teamed up with French Horn Rebellion for the first single and video from the forthcoming Le Couleur EP Voyage Love due to drop 30 April via Lisbon Lux.

A super slick and decadent homage to the synth fuelled camp pop of the eighties, ‘Vacances de 87′ is unapologetic vintage disco with a suitably fitting accompanying video.

Midlands electro/bass producer Sam Manville has been honing his craft under the FTSE moniker for a little while now and this latest vowel-defying release entitled ‘CNT HLP MSLF’ demonstrates his most acute refinements thus far.

A booming kick drum and now customary vocal sample open proceedings but it takes those jagged snare whips to really ignite ‘CNT HLP MSLF’. Melding rasping percussive sounds with crystalline synth loops, slick part-vocoded vocals and calming keyboard sequences; FTSE has crafted a shimmering anthem to soundtrack both downtime and dancefloor.

Experimental pop band Everything Everything revealed their new single ‘Duet’ last month and now here’s the vinyl only b-side ‘+Pendolino ’.

Originally recorded in a studio session in which the band ad-libed over a number of days at the back end of 2011, it now serves as their first official instrumental track.

The song skitters around with looped sequences and innumerable frantic footstep like synths as the band wear their Kraftwerk influences firmly on their (record) sleeves. There are also hints towards house music with brief, rising breaks midway through before returning to sci-fi electronic mode.

Jeremy Pritchard of the band had the following to say about the inspiration behind ‘+Pendolino’.

This track came about initially during a session with David Kosten at the very end of 2011. The idea was to spend three or four days in the studio but bring no prepared material, just work off the gear and see where it lead. I started with a Jupiter 8 synth arpeggiating at random, then David and I cut various loops out of it and added a few clicks whirrs.

It remained in this state for over a year. We had always liked the loops (which we essentially regarded as an aping of Kraftwerk), though we had never found a home for it, so we just decided to make a very minimal instrumental out of it. I think I’m right in saying it’s the first Everything Everything instrumental. Michael and I finished it with our friend Brometer (who had already remixed Cough Cough for us) at his studio in Chester, forming a structure, adding bits n pieces, including a piano with a tea towels wedged in it.

Its cold calculation is sort of antithetical to its host A-Side too, which appeals to us too. Gotta keep it varied…

The 7″ is available from 24 March via RCA Victor.

There’s no use beating around the bush, South London based duo Elephant are quite simply one of our strongest band crushes at the moment. They unveiled their swoonsome, soaring new single ‘Skyscraper’ at the beginning of last month and to celebrate its release today, we’re delighted to debut the gleefully pared back b-side ‘Spies’.

Sounding drunk on too much fizzy cola, the Memphis Industries signees make use of giddy synth sweeps and a charming ’Toothpaste Kisses’-style guitar motif to counterbalance the rather more propulsive nature of the a-side. A shimmering wash of Warpaint-recalling vocal effects cloak Amelia’s tender tones; tinting the track with the same moreish delicacy as the LA sirens’ lovers note ‘Baby’. ‘Spies’ is a thing of genuine lip-quivering beauty; another heartstring to the precocious duo’s bow.

Elephant play London’s The Waiting Room on 22 May with tickets exclusively available via the band’s tumblr.

In his latest attempt to destroy both the radio airwaves and the internet by sheer weight of expectation, Julio Bashmore has announced details of an new EP in collaboration with Kowton along with a stream of its main track ‘Mirror Song’. First played on Jackmaster’s In New DJs We Trust Radio 1 show the song shuffles out of the speakers before riding on the type of aggressive beat you’d dance to uncontrollably if played as part of a DJ set for a midnight beach rave somewhere on the coast of Eastern Europe.

Along with ‘Mirror Song’ the three-track EP features a techno remix of the title track and Bristolian Kowton’s ‘And What’. Pick up the 12″ on 5 May via Broadwalk Records. Stream below.

London dwelling electro-soul songstress Rina Sawayama first pricked up our ears last month with her sultry slow jam ‘Sleeping In Waking’.

Said track is varnished with another layer of breathtaking sensuality thanks to this gorgeous Jack Greeley-Ward directed monochrome promo video that focuses attention on the Japanese starlet whispering her sweet nothings over a backdrop of pulsing bass and shuddering beats. Intoxicating barely covers this sumptuous piece.

‘Sleeping In Waking’ is set for release on 15 April via Make Mine Records. Catch Rina Sawayama live at The Monarch, London on 17 April alongside Best Fit favourite Echo Park. RSVP via Facebook.

We can only assume that Whitechapel via Lecce isn’t a path that has been trod by many dreamy lo-fi acts in the past. Nevertheless we’re eternally grateful that Echopark aka Antonio Elia Forte has made it this far. The Italian musician recently unveiled ‘Teleportation’ – the first track to be drawn from his debut LP Trees – and he’s back again today, bottling more concentrated, sun-drenched glee with an accompanying video.

Forte’s horizontally laidback vocals chime in perfect harmony with radiant ripples of fingerpicked guitar and robust helpings of pounding bass drum. The simmering atmospherics and staccato beats marry seamlessly with shots of dog days procrastination; kite flying, surfing and skateboarding included. ‘Teleporation’ teases with a tantalising caress of heat, invoking a vision of life after this seemingly endless winter has thawed.

Catch Echopark performing with a full band live at The Monarch, London on 17 April alongside Best Fit favourite Rina Sawayama. RSVP via Facebook.

Music’s two hottest come together as Duke Dumont puts deep house to one side to rework 2013′s sisters of pop, Haim.

Responsible for the mind-numbingly infectious ‘The Giver’ and daytime radio’s ‘I Need You (110%)’, Dumont is quickly joining the Cyril Hahns of this world by remixing hand-picked pop hits and bringing dance music to the masses.

‘Falling’ loses none of its 80s fun in this reinvention however, as that increasingly distinctive Haim sound (despite its Fleetwood Mac echoes) is given room to float through over lush synths and a balearic beat. Championed by queen of the airwaves Annie Mac, this one can sit nicely alongside the flurry of brilliant reworkings to emerge in recent weeks. Disco dance with our Song of the Day below.

London electronic production-whiz, Kelpe has announced two new musical projects in the form of ‘maxi-single’ ‘Answered’ and his aptly-named fourth full-length LP, Fourth: The Golden Eagle. Both records will be released on Kelpe’s newly-minted imprint DRUT Records.

The title cut drawn from ‘Answered’ is a disorientating seven-minute long sonic safari journeying through the plethora of skewed minimalist techniques Kel McKeown has honed during his distinguished, decade-spanning career. Viscous electronic bubbles rise to the surface before popping on curls of warm prickly guitar. While Scandinavian vocal loops lend a colourful, hymnic texture to the arrangement until the spartan drum beat marches in, carrying the swirling melody aloft towards a euphoric downtempo climax. It’s great to have you back Kel.

‘Answered’ is out on 15 April with Fourth: The Golden Eagle set to follow in June.

South Shields raised soul songstress Lulu James is set to release her new single ‘Closer’ on 8 April through RCA. Lulu has also announced her debut London headline show at Birthdays on 11 April to celebrate the release with support coming from Double Denim-signed production wunderkind Brolin.

The masked maestro polishes the potent grooves of the original; gently muting the undulating bass wobbles and deftly sprinkling his own ethereal vocal tones over the mix. The resulting composition has a distinctly alien feel. No longer an angular dancefloor weapon of mass destruction but rather a sweet and touching futuristic pop duet; shrouded in a sensual murk pierced only by the twinkling of laconic synth notes. Let’s hope this is just the thrilling first stage of a longstanding creative association.

Photo: Tonje Thilesen

Late last year, Berlin based pop duo Iberia dropped what we described as the “aural equivalent of paradise” with ‘An Ending (Ascent)’ – a song so true and pure, mere adjectives fail to do it justice.

Fast forward four months and the pair return with ‘Everyday’, yet another slice of heaven. Whilst ‘An Ending’ hit hard on the heart, ‘Everyday’ sets its sights on the senses. Skipping, synthesised beats lay the foundation for Maja Mathé Milner’s other-worldly vocal that floats gently against the pulse like nature of the track. Impeccably produced, ‘Everyday’ is yet another step in the right direction for one of the most intriguing nu-pop acts in recent times.

via No Fear Of Pop

Adding an undeniable bounce to the already buoyant sounds of the latest Shout Out Louds single, Gothenburg producer de jour Dan Lissvik strikes gold yet again with this fantastic re-work.

The third time Lissvik has worked with a Shout Out Louds song (‘Impossible’ in 2007 and in 2011 with SOL side-project Serenades’ ‘Birds’), the remix sticks carefully to the original’s structure – taking an ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach – Lissvik instead adds shine and sparkle to an already irresistible offering of indie pop.

Shout Out Louds will play a sold out Best Fit presents show at The Lexington, London on Tuesday 2 April and will return for a second London date at XOYO on Friday 13 June – tickets available here.

With its four to the floor beat, Balearic tinged percussion and pretty as a picture vocal line from Mereki, LA based producer Goldroom has single-handedly welcomed the sunshine back into our lives with this, his latest single ‘Only You Can Show Me’ that dropped yesterday via Pitchfork.

Perched to hit the mainstream at any moment alongside fellow producers Bondax, Ryan Hemsworth and Flume, Goldroom fills the void left by nu-Balearic pioneers Air France  with aplomb. ‘Only You Can Show Me’ is destined to be a mainstay of Summer playlists from here on in.

London’s Jamie N Commons comes growling back with his latest ‘Rumble and Sway’, from the forthcoming EP of the same name, which drops via Fiction 6 May.

Growing up in America honed his style and the track screams smokey bars and firey confrontations with it’s crackling production, twinkling piano and warm, jazzy brass. The crunchy, infectious chorus comes round with satisfying regularity and justifies the songs title perfectly. Commons’ vocal is filled with equally rousing grit and controlled aggravation that propels this piece away from the ordinary and into a dark and relatively unknown alley for recent times. Inhale a deep smoke-infused breath of ‘Rumble and Sway’ below.

Jamie N Commons plays 7 dates across the UK in April.

April
23 – CAMBRIDGE, Portland Arms
24 – MANCHESTER, Deaf Institute
25 – NOTTINGHAM, Bodega Social Club
27 – OXFORD, The Jericho
28 – BRISTOL, The Louisiana
29 – BRIGHTON, Komedia
30 – LONDON, The Lexington

Brooklyn songstress Empress Of is streaming ‘Hat Trick’ the first track from her debut extended play entitled Systems. The work of Lorely Rodriguez was initially shrouded in mystery thanks to her eclectic, ear-catching “colourminutes” videos and cryptic blogging practices but now we’re finding more and more of her charming intentions laid bare with each new full release.

Where 2012 single “Champagne” laid dreamy foundations for Lorely’s sugary coos to balance deftly upon; the New Yorker prefers to build this time around, constructing towering skyscrapers of melody from stellar synth loops and cyclical snare thuds. Her smoky vocal chords darting in and out of layered digital swoops and rubbery bass notes all the while.

Negotiating the perfect rapport between Grimes’ hypnotic dronetronica and Purity Ring’s prodigious eye for an infectious hook, Empress Of has just staked her claim to the experimental pop throne. We certainly don’t need much more convincing of her sovereign credentials.

Empress Of will release Systems on limited edition 12″ via Double Denim in the UK and Terrible in the United States. Orders will ship late April.