Just Added - May 2016

Tuesday 31 May, Helen Hobday Team Charles

In the early hours of the morning, this crazy good version of the Speedy Ortiz track 'Puffer' was released online. It's a remix by American alternative Hip-Hop artist Open Mike Eagle and we just couldn't resist a play, so onto the list it goes.

Speedy Ortiz - Puffer (Open Mike Eagle Remix)

Speedy Ortiz "the band that plays shows and eats stuff" are gearing up to release their new EP 'Foiled Again', which is the companion record to 2015's 'Foil Deer'. This wonderful remix is another taster of what to expect when the record is released this Friday. Having already shared tracks featuring the work of Lizzo and underground Hip-Hop producer Lazerbreak, this Open Mike Eagle version is yet more proof that when two genres collide, it can sound quite incredible.

Monday May 30, by Helen Hobday Team Charles

With her first LP in four years due this Summer, Bat for Lashes dropped this new tracks and accompanying video late last week. It follows teaser tracks 'I Do' and 'In God's House and it's completely beautiful, so naturally we had to pop it on the Just Added playlist.

Bat for Lashes - Sunday Love

The Bride is a concept album, which was written with a film soundtrack in mind. The story follows a woman whose fiancé has been killed in a crash on the way to the church for their wedding. The record unfolds as a dark narrative, which considers love, loss and grief. It's released on the 1st of July and Natasha will be in session for Lauren a few days later on the 4th.

Friday 27 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Yesterday Julian Casablancas premiered a brand new Strokes song on the first episode of a monthly radio show he’s hosting on US station SiriusXMU. It was the first taste of a four track EP from the band and we’re sticking the rather whimsical ‘Threat Of Joy’ on our Just Added playlist.

The Strokes – Threat Of Joy

‘Threat Of Joy’ is one of three new tracks on the EP the band released yesterday. Future Present Past is out on 3rd June on Cult Records and contains lead single ‘OBLIVIUS’, a remix of said song by drummer Fab Moretti, and psyche-pop space jam ‘Drag Queen’. The EP was recorded over the past year in Austin and New York with the help of producer, Gus Oberg, and rumour has it the band are currently at work on more new material. Which is the kind of good news we like to kick off all weekends with.

Thursday 26 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Unknown Mortal Orchestra premiered a brand new track last night and it finds the band is in sprightly form. There’s Chic-esque guitar stabs, a popping bass line, and lines about eating birthday cake inside a disco. In short, it’s utterly brilliant and it’s going straight on our Just Added playlist.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – First World Problem

This is the first material that UMO have released since last year’s truly excellent Multi-Love, their third album. Frontman Ruban explains the inspiration behind the song: “’First World Problem’ is about modern love in a crumbling empire. The feeling that you’re trying to build your life and get what you need while a decadent world falls apart around you.” If the band is that funky when dealing with such weighty issues, imagine the groove they’ll create when dealing with more upbeat topics? UMO have headline shows in Cambridge and Liverpool in June, before swinging by Worthy Farm for what should be a captivating Glastonbury set. Here’s hoping there’s more material, and that it’s got as much of a sassy swagger as this.

Wednesday 25 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

It’s only been out in the world for an hour or so, but we already love the new Jurassic 5 record. The west coast collective have been back gigging for a few years now, but we’ve been waiting eagerly for fresh material. When it landed this morning, it went straight onto our Just Added playlist.

Jurassic 5 – Customer Service

It’s been quite a while since J5 released new music, and we’re hyped to have them back. ‘Customer Service’ is out on Monday 5th June and is the 1st release since Feedback dropped in 2006. Feedback was the first record they made as a quintet (following the departure of Cut Chemist) and the Jayou crew went on a hiatus following its release. Happily they reformed in 2013 with Cut Chemist back in the fold, and have been touring to rapturous crowds fairly regularly since. They’re back in the UK from July for various dates including Truck Fest, Tramlines in Sheffield and Nozstock in Herefordshire. Go and check them out if you can, the quality control is still pretty high.

Tuesday 24 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

We’ve a World Exclusive 1st play of the new Wild Beasts this morning, and it’s going straight on our Just Added playlist. It comes with news of a record and globetrotting tour, plus a video of Hayden channelling his inner Timberlake.

Wild Beasts – Get My Bang

Back for their 5th record, Hayden Thorpe, Tom Fleming, Ben Little and Chris Talbot are in a visceral, focussed mood. The new album is entitled Boy King and will come out on Domino on 5th August 2016. Having spent a year in East London finessing their sound, the band decamped to Dallas to work with producer John Congleton, of St Vincent, Swans & War On Drugs fame. Hayden's revealed the LP delves deep into the male psyche, tapping into a 21st century malaise; imagery counteracted and complimented by the brooding pop sensibilities of music. Always surprising and forward-driving, the return of Wild Beasts is good news for us all. There are UK dates and festival appearances aplenty from June through to October, giving us all ample chance to enter the court of the Boy King.

Monday 23 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Our week on Just Added kicks off with new material from an icon. Whether in Bikini Kill, Le Tigre or The Julie Ruin, Kathleen Hanna has been at the vanguard of punk for over two decades now. Here’s a taster of her latest offering with a healthy dose of defiance to start Monday off right.

The Julie Ruin – I’m Done

This is the 2nd single to come from The Julie Ruin’s new album Hit Reset due out on Hardly Art Records on the 8th July. The band formed in 2009 when Bikini Kill and Le Tigre’s Kathleen Hanna decided she was ready to start releasing music again following a five year hiatus. Pulling together former Bikini Kill bandmate Kathi Wilcox on bass, and adding Carmine Covelli, Sara Landeau & Kenny Mellman to the mix, they self-released Run Fast in 2013. From the sounds of this, and 1st single ‘I Decide’, Kathleen is as pointed and empowered as ever.

Friday 20 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Going on our Just Added playlist today is a charismatic antipodean with a penchant for the neo-psychedelic. We played his first single back in April, so were delighted when his new EP landed this week. The album’s kicked off gloriously with this West Coast inflected gem, over to you Wes.

Wesley Fuller – Runaway Renee

Melbourne’s Wesley Fuller has just announced the release of his debut 5-song EP Melvista on 8th July via 1965 Records. ‘Runaway Renee’ is the lead track from it and it glistens on with all the technicolour melody and bravado that the front cover suggests. Wesley explained that he’d been listening to a lot of Mamas & Papas and Nuggets at the time, and that heritage seeps through the crackle of the lo-fi beat. We hear a UK tour is in the planning, but for now, we have this excellent debut to strut around to.

Thursday 19 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Brand new music from Pixx appeared online a couple of days ago, and it sent us into such a summer reverie that we had to pop it on our Just Added playlist so you could float around with us too. It’s a captivating ode to friendship, so have a listen then send it on to that special mate.

Pixx - Baboo

This is the first new material from Pixx since her debut EP Fall In which came out on 4AD last year. The track finds Hannah Rodgers, the woman behind Pixx, delivering a paean to her best friend, Alice, who she explains has shown her “so much about the world and whose friendship I cherish more than anything else”. It’s hard not to get swept along in the beguiling, warped world the track creates, there’s a dreamlike video directed by James Slater that paints the perfect picture. There are gigs and festival dates aplenty this summer, and a Globe Theatre appearance in London at a Wonder Women event curated by a certain Lauren Laverne. Head to her site for all the info you need.

Wednesday 18 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Last night four of our favourite Canadians dropped a track from their soon-to-arrive 5th LP. What’s more, BADBADNOTGOOD have enlisted the help of a certain Future Islands’ frontman to deliver a record that fittingly sounds utterly timeless.

BADBADNOTGOOD - ‘Time Moves Slow’ (Feat. Sam Herring)

The Toronto four-piece teased us with a new track ‘Speaking Gently’ last month, and last night they revealed another taste of their new album, this time featuring the unmistakable vocals of Future Island’s Sam Herring. Information we know about the record: it’s called IV, it’ll be released on Innovative Leisure on July 8th, and features appearance from aforementioned Herring, Kaytranada, Mick Jenkins, Charlotte Day Wilson and Colin Stetson. Information we know about this track: it might just be the best thing they’ve done.

Monday 16 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

It’s been three years in coming, but we’re delighted to have brand new Sampha on our Just Added playlist today. He dropped it late last night and it’s as sublime and soulful as you could hope for.

Sampha – Timmy’s Prayer

Sampha’s been somewhat out of the spotlight since his 2013 Dual EP, save for a couple of guest spots for Drake, Kanye West and SBTRKT. The London born performer launched ‘Timmy’s Prayer’ with a message to his fans: “It’s been a while. I’ve had a lot to process these past couple of years, as we all do. And it’s hard to articulate sometimes. I wanted to say thank you to all the people who’ve shown me so much love and support. I’m looking forward to sharing my music with you again.” A welcome return indeed, we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears peeled for any more news.

Monday 16 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

We’re kicking off our Just Added week with another World Exclusive First Play, and it’s from one of our favourite people. Róisín Murphy’s back with a new album and this nugget of perfectly packaged pop is the first single from it.

Róisín Murphy - Ten Miles High

This is the official first single from Róisín’s new album Take Her Up To Monto, following swiftly on from the teaser track ‘Mastermind’ which was premièred on Pitchfork last month. Due for release on July 8th on Play It Again Sam, Róisín’s latest record sees her re-emergence continuing full steam ahead: a process that began began with 2014’s Mi Senti EP and 2015’s critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize nominated album Hairless Toys. She’s got plenty of festival appearances coming up through the summer, a landmark performance at Shakepeare’s Globe Theatre, and following her show-stealing performance at our 6 Music Festival in Bristol, we really do insist you go and see her.

Friday 13 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

The Super Furry’s are back with new music, they want everyone to come together in song this summer, and they want that song to be ‘Bing Bong’. It’s a Just Added world exclusive, it put a massive smile on our faces and we think it will on yours too.

Super Furry Animals – Bing Bong

Since re-uniting and touring in 2015 it seems the rapturous fan response coupled with the inspirational rise of the Welsh football team, has blown a fresh breeze into the sails of the Super Furry Animals as they announce their first new music since 2009’s Dark Days/Light Years. Recorded in Cardiff late last year, they're releasing ‘Bing Bong’ on 12” on Friday 17th June; by which time the Welsh Euro 2016 campaign will be in full swing. Further information on the single is to be announced in the coming weeks, with music, live performance and video remaining under wraps until then.

When a 2nd iconic band lands new material on your desk on a Thursday night, you've only got one option. Super Friday Double Whammy Just Added. It’s been 21 years in coming, it’s called ‘All For One’ and it’s by the Stone Roses.

Stone Roses – All For One

Hints about the track first appeared at the start of the week, when the Stone Roses' lemon logo appeared on billboards around Manchester. By Thursday afternoon they announced the single's imminent arrival on Twitter and then at 8pm it dropped. There’s been talk of new material since 2011, with speculation increasing when band members were spotted visiting super-producer Paul Epworth’s Church Studios in London. Ian Brown then confirmed in March that they had been working with Paul and that it was ‘going like a dream’. Now we have the first product of those sessions and a bunch of live dates on the near horizon. It seems the legendary band are in a period of happy creative harmony, and long may it continue.

Thursday 12 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

Metronomy’s last album Love Letters earned them a top ten chat position, sold out shows and festival headline slots. So when new material came clattering into our inbox, cowbells and all, we threw it straight on our Just Added list.

Metronomy – Old Skool

A new Metronomy record is huge news for their fans, whose numbers can boast names as diverse as Kanye West, Lady Gaga and Josh Homme. Their 5th album Summer 08 will be released on July 1st on Because Music, and ‘Old Skool’ is the excellent first single. Band founder Joe Mount has enlisted his childhood hero, Beastie Boys’ turntablist Mix Master Mike, to introduce a scratching frenzy to the finale of yet another belter served up by the band. Joe’s ambition for the LP was to create an eclectic pop record in the vein of Outkast, Bowie and Daft Punk; a level of ambition that has always stood Metronomy apart, and has got us desperate for more.

Wednesday 11 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

The brand new record from 18+ landed on our desk yesterday so we thought we’d give you a little sneak preview of what you can expect from Collect. In a sentence: it’s distorted, it’s original, it’s brilliant, it’s layered and it’s unlike anything else you’ll hear all year.

18+ - Gliders

Having featured its excellent lead single ‘Drama’ as our MPFree back in April, we knew the new record from 18+ was going to be something special. Collect is out on 20th May via Houndstooth and we’ve cherry picked ‘Gliders’ from it to give you a flavour of Justin and Sami’s second LP. Recorded at the duo’s respective homes in Berlin and Honolulu, the new record explores notions of distance and communication, making use of sampled phone calls and personal field recordings in the process. They’re playing London’s Pickle Factory on 20th May for a chance to absorb yourself into their disorientating, genre-defying world.

Tuesday 10 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

We were so taken with Melanie De Biasio’s latest composition when it land on our desk, we had to give it a Just Added spot. It being a rolling rhapsody of nearly half an hour, we’ve had to take an excerpt, but it’ll be more than enough to tempt you towards the full piece, we’re sure.

Melanie De Biasio - 'Blackened Cities'

Much lauded since the release of No Deal, her second album in 2014, Melanie De Biasio will release this new composition on 20th May through Play It Again Sam. Taking inspiration from a post-industrial landscape, a backdrop of unexpected hope rediscovered in cities such as Manchester, Detroit, Bilbao and De Biasio’s home city of Charleroi, Blackened Cities emerged as a 25-minute piece “I followed what the music told me, like a gut feeling.” Melanie explains. Heralded by Gilles Peterson on the release of No Deal as one the most exciting artists in the jazz world, a series of reworkings from various artists curated by Peterson resulted in the acclaimed No Deal Remixed album.

Monday 09 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

It’s Monday, it’s Just Added and we’ve got a premier to kick the week off. Prepare for a tropical slice of summer breeze delivered by our friends Beyond the Wizards Sleeve, whose musical odyssey continues in intriguingly brilliant ways.

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve - Creation

Hot on the heels of dream pop single ‘Diagram Girl’ Beyond the Wizards Sleeve’s next cut has arrived. ‘Creation’ is the 2nd offering from Erol Alkan and Richard Norris’ debut album The Soft Bounce with both the single and LP released on 1st July on Phantasy. There’s a host of guests popping up on the record; Blaine Harrison, Eros Child, and in the case of ‘Creation’ Hannah Peel and Jane Weaver lend their hazy vocals to the excellent mix. If you’re in and around London there’s an album launch at Moth Club on the 1st of July, then a chance to catch them at Bluedot Festival in Cheshire on the 24th. More summer dates to follow we’re sure.

Friday 06 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

We love a Friday surprise, especially when that surprise is a brand new James Blake album in all its brilliant glory. Following teaser tracks, a teaser mural and a teaser billboard, The Colour In Anything is very suddenly out now and sounding exquisite.

James Blake – Modern Soul

Having announced its arrival and premièred a couple of tracks on Radio 1 yesterday, James Blake’s long awaited 3rd record The Colour In Anything is released today on Universal. Measuring a tantalising 17 tracks long, we’ve been eagerly working our way through all morning and have plucked ‘Modern Soul’ out for our Just Added Playlist. Following up on 2013’s Mercury Prize winning Overgrown must have been a daunting task, so for the new record James has called in contributions from Justin Vernon, Frank Ocean and Connan Mockasin with production support from the mighty Rick Rubin. He’s also enlisted the legendary Sir Quentin Blake to complete the album artwork. If that’s not enough to get you to stop reading this and go and listen, then we don’t know what else we can say.

Thursday 05 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

We’re delighted to have brand new Haley Bonar in our Just Added slot today. Laced with both fragility and strength ‘I Can Change’ sees the Minnesotan songstress in glorious, storytelling form.

Haley Bonar – I Can Change

Due for release on 24th June via Memphis Industries, this is the first material from Haley’s new album Impossible Dream which will be with us in August. Recorded on analogue tape, the new album is the follow-up to 2014’s Last War, and Haley will be touring it in the UK later in October, including some support slots with our good friends Field Music. Since being discovered by Low’s Alan Sparhawk at a local club, and immediately whisked away on tour with the band, Haley has been prolific and consistently inventive over the last decade, including notable collaborations with Andrew Bird and Justin Vernon. She’s described her latest record as ten separate stories, and we can’t wait to see delve into each one of them.

Wednesday 04 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

It’s lush, it’s orchestral, it warns of a low flying panic attack and it landed yesterday. It’s brand new Radiohead and of course it’s going straight on our Just Added playlist.

Radiohead – Burn The Witch

After a social media blackout at the start of the week, an ominous leaflet campaign and the appearance of two short claymation clips, we finally received new music from Radiohead at 4pm yesterday, and now it’s out there in the digital world for you too. ‘Burn The Witch’ we presume is the first offering from the bands ninth album, and is accompanied by an excellent Camberwick Green meets Wicker Man film by Chris Hopewell – conceived, designed built and animated in 14 days. With three dates at the Roundhouse in May and a succession of European dates through the summer, we’re sure more news and music is imminent. The how and the when is anyone’s guess. In the meantime ‘Burn The Witch’ is a wonderful thing to wait with.

Tuesday 03 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

We’re putting a touch of Gothic on our Just Added playlist today, with Wooden Arms dramatic, Poe-inspired new single. With the Norwich based band clearly ramping up the tension we’re coining the term Noirfolk for all things dark and East Anglian, if it hasn’t been taken already.

Wooden Arms - Burial

Inspired by an Edgar Allen Poe Short story, this is the first offering from the quintet’s sophomore record Trick of the Light which is due later this year. The dark undertones present in both the inspiration and sound of the single is something of a departure from the classical chamber music styling of their debut Tide (2014) but thankfully the subtle trip-hop inflections that set the band apart and still present and correct. The track is released on 17th June on Butterfly Collectors and you can catch the band on the road from May through to July to witness the beautiful cacophony live.

Monday 02 May, by Matthew Mills Team Laverne

No one wants to be prodded or jolted on a Bank Holiday, so when the brand new Julianna Barwick album landed on our desks on Friday, it seemed opportune to throw it on to our Just Added playlist ASAP. The record sees moments of ethereal beauty, cut through with ominous synth undertones and in this case, delicate instrumentation.

Julianna Barwick – Heading Home

This track features on Julianna’s latest album which is due for release on Dead Oceans this Friday (6th May). Conceived and self-produced over the past year in a variety of locations, including New York, Lisbon and the Moog factory in North Carolina, Will is a departure from 2013’s Nepenthe. As her Bandcamp suggests, “if that last record conjured images of gentle fog rolling over desolate mountains, then Will is a late afternoon thunderstorm”. It’s been a busy few years for the Louisiana born artist, having played the piano for Yoko Ono and gigged with the Flaming Lips and Philip Glass, but she’s found time to create her most compelling work to date and is in Europe touring the record in June, with a date at London’s Pickle Factory on the 8th. If you can't get to that she's also playing Green Man Festival in August, check out her website for all the news you need.

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