Another winner from the Land of Oz is the sunny indie pop of Sydney-based band Set Sail and their catchy track for “Hey!” (exclamation point included). We’re especially digging the inventiveness of the multi-part harmonies in the middle bit of the track; as if “Hey!” hadn’t put us on a beach already. Hey!
Set Sail 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
If you dig NME/Guardian/Q-lauded melancholic UK rock (clearly we do) then new band Let’s Buy Happiness and their single, the stunning Daughter-esque “Run” should be right up your street. Preview “Run” below and look for LBH’s Chants for Friends LP later in the year.
Let’s Buy Happiness 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.1
Brooklyn songstress Justine Skye hooks up everybody’s fave Joey Bada$$ (& apparently 90’s MC AZ, although it’s unclear just where he appears on the track) for the electro-tinged mid-tempo jam “Messing With You”. Justine’s “Everyday Living” EP is due next week, August 20th.
Justine Skye 
(Tumblr)
Rating 8.2
UK producer T. Hemingway lays some thick as day old molasses smoothness on Gold Panda’s track for “Reprise”. Been a long week? Let this be your reward.
Gold Panda 
(Official)
Rating 8
You may recall Bo Saris from his 2012 gem “She’s On Fire“–if not then it’s best you hit that link now and familiarize yourself. Today, Bo dropped his next ace “The Addict” which is like “She’s On Fire” rooted in the same golden Detroit Hitsville sound, except “The Addict” turns down the lights a touch while upping the heat with a notably darker tone that’s no doubt smooth enough to make our man James Brown (a very good litmus test) ‘feel (very) good’.
Bo Saris 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.49389
“She” is the latest from North London bruise crew Wolf Alice. Effortless in its execution, Wolf Alice could seemingly write a track like “She” in their sleep or in the curry parlour; not that that’s necessarily a bad thing (some of rock’s greatest tracks have been conceived within the confines of the Great Indian Restaurants of London). Anyway, blah blah blah, Wolf Alice are great, “She” is as good if not better than the previous single releases “Bros” and Fluffy” and you should be thoroughly pumped for WA’s “Blush” EP release on October 7th via Chess Club.
Wolf Alice (Facebook)
Rating 8
Wymond Miles guitar player for the awesome Fresh and Onlys makes his solo debut (on B3 at least) w/ new track “Passion Plays”. Somewhere between the music of his day job band and early Interpol “Passion Plays” is the sort of guts-driven post-punk we can only dream that Banks & Co. are capable of now. Very very nice.
Wymond Miles 
(Purchase)
Rating 8.2
Shy Nature a newish London band do the singalong-able UK effects/fuzz rock thing quite well w/ new track “Washout”. Equal parts blister and dreamy (almost Parachutes-era Coldplay-esque), Shy Nature work a nice balance between the track’s two very different dynamics and score a very strong song in the process. Look for a self-titled EP from Shy Nature due September 16th.
Shy Nature (Bandcamp)
Rating 8
The newest addition to the growing and impressive Aussie label Future Classic, Wave Racer seems to have found a formula that is nothing short of awesome. “Rock U Tonite” is chaotic and beautiful with all the sensibilities of a pop groove. The music community has taken notice. DJ Crnkn featured some of Wave Racer’s tracks on his most recent spin at Diplo and Friends. Wave Racer also remixed Cosmo’s Midnight new track “The Dofflin” which hit #1 on triple j, and shared the same bill as Flight Facilities. Plus the name Wave Racer reminds me of the very underrated Wave Race 64 (look it up). Reviewed by Brian Litwin
Wave Racer (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Picture the scene; Mac Demarco has one too many beers at a sweaty London show and slips off the stage into the loving arms of his girlfriend Kiki. Meanwhile, a forgotten London music maker like Jamie T (2007) is in the crowd and senses for a moment to come out of hiding. He tears the mic from Mac’s hand, steps up on stage to join the band and suddenly, Only Real is born.
No…this never happened, but still Niall Galvin just might have you (at least) sonically fooled with this new track “Get It On” from Only Real’s forthcoming EP Days In The City out on 7th October. Check it out below. By Nathan Hetherington
Only Real (Facebook)
Rating 8.1
“The Way We Touch” is new from (the aptly named) LA-based duo WE ARE TWIN. Bounding between several different genres and styles (current indie, classic soul & pop songwriting sensibilities), “The Way We Touch” is interesting not only for its variable stylistic qualities but for singer Gabi Christine’s excellent melodic/vocal choices. Good luck not humming this one for the rest of the day. WE ARE TWIN’s debut EP is out August 20th on A&M/Octone.
We Are Twin (Facebook)
Rating 8.2
“Unwise” is the Claude Debussy-meets-Air single from Brooklyn-based bedroom producer Josh Mease a/k/a Lapland. As inventive as it is lovely, “Unwise” is beautiful and comforting in its repetition and its groove. It’s also evocative and impressionistic in its tone and atmosphere. A very special track indeed.
Raccoon Fighter (Facebook)
Rating 8.2
