New music guide The Neu Bulletin (At/All, Jesse Mac Cormack, Yassassin & more)

DIY’s essential, weekly guide to the best new music.

Words: Jamie Milton, Tom Connick
3rd August 2016

Neu Bulletins 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.

At/All - Deeper

With a slab of Hot Chip-style euphoria and hot-footed dance, At/All bring a distinctly party-ready spin to their gloomy pop. ‘Deeper’ is full of unknowns. “What’s that you said when we first met?” sings Lucy Roleff, on top of shuffling synth lines that could either bloom or stutter off into nothingness. The only certainty is in how the song bursts into life with a giant, glistening chorus, which sounds like finding Björk in the midst of a forest rave. Debut album ‘Sun Dog’ is out 29th August.

Tender - Outside

Plonking away like the far-off sound of a dripping tap echoing round your house at midnight, there’s an uncomfortable edge to Tender’s silken sound. ‘Outside’ showcases this viscous aesthetic best - all funk-laced ebb-and-flow, the duo celebrate their signing to indie superstars Partisan Records with a nourishing slice of nightshade pop.

Yassassin - Social Politics

“Follow the light - open your eyes,” demand Yassassin on ‘Social Politics’’ suitably persuasive chorus. And it’s not the first order to be barked from the London five-piece, who match gutsy poetry with massive, swaggering guitars. Quit whatever you’re doing and hop on Yassassin’s bandwagon - you know it makes sense.

Jesse Mac Cormack - Never Enough

Taking the lightning-fingers funk-guitar template and adding some much needed scuzz, on ‘Never Enough’ Jesse Mac Cormack’s unafraid to break the mould. Stitching slabs of desert-bound blues to his slinky soul, it’s the sound of fusion at its best. “Why would you put these two together when they’re meant to hate each other?” he questions, but with results this sweet, he’s answering his own riddle.

Smarmy Palmist - Overleaf

Smarmy Palmist is a new project from Traams bassist Leigh Padley. As with his dayjob, this music thrives when given space to build. The difference here is in how Leigh delivers dark, brooding post-punk within a psych filter, prone to sweetness and despair in equal measure.

Kiwi jr. - Domino

Delivered through a nostalgic filter, Kiwi Jr.’s music isn’t looking to break the mould. Instead, like flicking through a series of old photographs with a different state of mind, they’re looking to spin classic guitar pop on its head. ‘Domino’ tumbles into life midway through, when cocky riffs share space with romantic gestures.

Tags: Yassassin, Listen, Features, Neu, Neu Bulletin