Matthew Copper takes a sniff at some new tracks on the way.
Portugal. The Man.
The Alaskan wonders are back with a new keyboard player, and a new single ‘Evil Friends’. It’s a tantalising taste of things to come and the title track from their forthcoming, Dangermouse produced album out on June 4th. Look out for them at SXSW, Coachella, Governors Ball and Bonnaroo.
www.portugaltheman.com/evilfriends
Lewis Watson: Hold On (SBTRKT cover)
There’s a fairly strong chance you have already heard of this man as he has such a strong word-of-mouth following that is seldom seen in music these days, but if it is getting music like this into the open it is all the more welcome. Hold On was one of the stand-out tracks on SBTRKT’s debut next to the huge ‘Wildfire’ but this cover gives the song a much more patient and almost damaged dimension to it. Falling somewhere between Ben Howard, Ben Leftwich, and dare I say the dirty word Ed Sheeran. Maybe ignore the last one.
‘The Wild’ EP is released March 26th. He will also be embarking on his own headline tour throughout the month (check his site for full dates) www.lewiswatsonmusic.com/
Ghostpoet: MSI MUSMID
Before you ask, that’s pronounced ” M S I” ” MUS” “MID”, no it didn’t help me much either. Self-described as “a track based on a dream I had where dim-sum and noodles were life-long friends who kept squabbling all the time…I try in vain to make sense of it all.” Which says it much better than I could have done.
‘MSI MUSMID’ is a teaser track from Ghostpoet’s new album ‘Some Say I So I Say Light’, released on May 6th. The track is available for free download from: https://soundcloud.com/ghostpoet/ghostpoet-msi-musmid-after
Vuvuvultures: Stay Still
A very dirty sounding track with an almost industrial disco sound (NIN- The Hand That Feeds or pretty much anything off ‘The Slip’ album) but with such a slick riff and melody you’ll be revisiting time and time again. And humming it for even longer.
The single ‘Stay Still’ is released on March 25th and the video is posted below.
Funeral For A Friend: Nails
‘Conduit’ was a ferociously fast-paced and hugely excitable album which saw the band go ‘back to basics’. ‘Nails’ is the perfect example of this.
‘Nails’ is released on April 8th.