New music guide The Neu Bulletin (21st September 2015)
DIY’s daily batch of new music, including Frances, Oxford Drama and Harley Alexander.
The Neu Bulletin is a daily update of the most exciting new things DIY’s listening to. Think of it as a stream of recommendations that every so often pops up something spectacular. Most of these are Bandcamp finds, big ups from readers or cheeky submissions that pop out the inbox.
Every day we offer up a choice show, a song of the day (branched under the understated heading “Big Neu Thing”) and a little something extra that’s caught our attention. Check back here every day for your latest Neu Bulletin delivery and follow our ‘Listen’-tag for everything new music related.
THE GIG:
Frances
London, Servant Jazz Quarters
It’s been a heady rise for Frances, a 21-year-old who’s gone from relative unknown to a Radio 1 Live Lounge slot in the space of three months. Debut track ‘Grow’ premiered on DIY, and since then she’s swiftly become the talk of 2016 - tonight she plays the first in a series of (sort of) residency shows at London’s Servant Jazz Quarters.
THE BIG NEU THING:
Oxford Drama - Preserve
Poland’s Oxford Drama make sweet and restrained music, best displayed in ‘Preserve’. The lead cut from their debut album ‘Illusive, Bright Beginning’, it carries the same glistening flow as a War on Drugs song, but it’s kept on a leash with Twin Sister-style delivery. Gosia Dryjańska and Marcin Mrówka are an exciting partnership - they both speak from the same page, united in making deftly-applied, smart pop.
OTHER NEU BUSINESS:
Harley Alexander - Not New
Back in a big way, Halifax’s Harley Alexander has just released oxymoronic new track ‘Not New’. A reflective late night jam, ‘Now New’ wastes no time in getting straight to the hooks. Soph Wonfor’s backing vocals, coy and cool, add a majestic extra layer to the demure lines coughed up by Harley: “That’s not new, we don’t get to choose the pain we’re given…”. Living up to his self-anointed genre of “silky-dad”; this expertly produced groovy sad-pop gem may just be Harley’s best work to date. (Theodore Hughes)
Read More
Frances - Wonder
2 Stars
The issue is that it’s entirely forgettable.
8th April 2021, 7:50am
Frances - Things I’ve Never Said
3 Stars
17th March 2017, 10:00am
Frances shares new single ‘Say It Again’
She teamed up with production whizz Greg Kurstin for the punchy new song.
4th July 2016, 12:00am
Frances: “I’d eat baked beans every night and live in a shed for this”
By geeking out on chart stats, this 22-year-old learnt how to become a star. Now she’s taking her first steps.
27th November 2015, 12:00am
With Bob Vylan, St Vincent, girl in red, Lizzy McAlpine and more.