The Neu Bulletin (8th April 2015) • Neu • DIY Magazine

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 of 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: Black Peaks

Talk around Black Peaks is about to be backed up. At the beginning of the year, these lesser-knowns were suddenly being played by Zane Lowe (and just about anybody with the keys to Radio 1, as it happens), their ‘Glass Built Castles’ becoming a quick 2015 staple. Tonight they play to a sold out Barfly, furthering initial chat into something substantial. The making of one of the country’s most exciting new bands? Don’t bet against it.

London, Barfly

Simplicity comes first for Basil Saleh and Sabrina Mai’s No Vacation. The San Francisco duo don’t so much mirror as take tips from Wet and Sales, blog darlings who’ve yet to fully take over. ‘August’ is taken from the pair’s debut mixtape. An ode to the “good old days”, it’s a gorgeous pop song made out of no more than half a dozen parts. Tapping drum machines, cheesy Mario samples and xx-like guitar lines - minimalism wins out with these two.

THE BIG NEU THING:No Vacation — August

Here’s something: John Legend isn’t actually really named John Legend. At some point, going by his day-to-day existence, he decided he was an actual “Legend”, so he decided to make it a legality. Tomboy, meanwhile - a band so far away from Legend on the musical spectrum they tip the whole thing over - have penned their own “Anthem”. It’s an anthem because that’s what it’s called. Rightfully so, too. Never giving up pace, ‘Tomboy Anthem’ is a display of breakneck punk with leagues of attitude. The song’s taken from ‘Sweetie’, out 28th April via Ride the Snake.