Ones to watch Neu Recommended (Jockstrap, LALA LALA, Sasami & more)

Our monthly guide of the buzziest new acts around.

4th December 2018

Our Neu section is all about finding the buzziest new bands and artists poking their heads above the water right now, and then telling you about them immediately.

Neu Bulletins - shared every Wednesday - are DIY’s guide to the best new music. They contain every single thing that’s been played at full volume in the office, whether that’s a small handful or a gazillion acts. Just depends how good the week’s been.

Alongside our weekly round-up of discoveries, there are also Neu Picks. These are the very best songs / bands to have caught our attention, and there’s a new one every weekday. Catch up with the most recent picks here.

Once a month, we also share Neu Recommended, our list of who’s pricking our ears at the moment and why you should be just as excited by them as we are. Featuring Jockstrap, LALA LALA, Sasami and more, here’s your next buzzy update.

Jockstrap

Buzzy, unpredictable alt-pop from London duo.

There’s something about London duo Jockstrap. Composing strings for Dean Blunt’s recent ‘Soul On Fire’ EP alongside A$AP Rocky and Mica Levi before even releasing their debut single, they’re an intriguing prospect. New track ‘Joy’ sees a psychedelic muddle of strings mixing with a sharp, bubbling mix of sampled vocals and hyper-modern synths, the transition is played out with little to no regard as to the genres just skipped like a game of hopscotch.

Listen: Weird and wonderful new single ‘Joy’.
Similar to: If modern alt-pop and classical tones made weirdo bedfellows.

SASAMI

New Domino signing formerly of Cherry Glazerr channels indie rock royalty.

Formerly a member of Cherry Glazerr, Sasami Ashworth has shared bills with The Breeders, Japanese Breakfast, Liz Phair and more, and her music is clearly borne from these kind of indie rock landscapes, with choppy guitars and wobbly synths circling around her calm, steady yet impactful vocal. Two songs from this year - ‘Callous’ and ‘Not The Time’, are coming out on a new 7” via Domino.

Listen: The strong and steady thrash of ‘Not The Time’.
Similar to: Mitski, Snail Mail, Pavement

LALA LALA

Emotionally-driven, off-kilter indie rock from Chicago.

There’s something distinctly cinematic about Lala Lala’s music. The indie project of Lillie West reaches inwards to dredge awkward feelings to the surface and displays them with a widescreen dream-pop ambition. On new album ‘The Lamb’, she veers from moments of delicate nostalgia one moment and upbeat musings on the apocalypse the next, but both sides suit her surprisingly well.

Listen: The introspective yet uplifting shoegaze-y goodness of ‘Water Over Sex’.
Similar to: Gazing dramatically out of the window on a long train journey whilst thinking about life and stuff.

Alfie Templeman

15 year-old studying at the schools of Demarco and Parker.

The imagination of almost all 15 year-olds runs wild, but not many spin it into a debut EP as good and accomplished as that of Alfie Templeman. Forged in his bedroom outside school hours, the ‘Like An Animal’ collection fizzes with a youthful vigour and untamed energy. Its title track and lead single is clearly indebted to the slacker styles of Mac DeMarco and Rex Orange County, but the wooziness of Tame Impala and MGMT’s penchant for weirdness both penetrate the track, which turns school night boredom into something special.

Listen: A woozy, promising debut EP.
Similar to: Boy Pablo, Rex Orange County.

Hannah’s Little Sister

Fun-loving new Liverpool bunch.

Liverpool-based four-piece Hannah’s Little Sister only have one track out in the world, but ‘20’ does enough on its own to identify some serious promise here. Clearly taking inspiration from rock’s grubbier, ’90s side, the vocals of Meg Grooters soar above the distortion and become brilliantly anthemic, adding bundles of fun and passion into the gritty rock song.

Listen: Debut single ‘20’.
Similar to: ‘90s grungers with a penchant for mainstream pop.