New music guide The Neu Bulletin (Pizzagirl, Cecil Frena & more)

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

18th January 2018

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.

Cecil Frena - My Good Grades

Formerly frontman of Born Gold and GOBBLE GOBBLE, and growing up in the same scenes as Grimes, Purity Ring and more, Cecil Frena’s no newcomer, but has gained a new lease of live recently. Moving to Los Angeles from Edmonton to pen debut solo album ‘The Gridlock’, there’s a glorious expanse to ‘My Good Grades’, the newest preview of the record. Trading in minimalist pop for something closer to windows-down, drive-time stabs at rock, there’s a new urgency to Cecil Frena, and it’s brilliant to watch. A*. (Will Richards)

Pizzagirl – Favourite Song

According to Pizzagirl – better known as Liverpool-based lo-fi pop musician Liam Brown – his debut single ‘Favourite Song’ is an “attempt at making a tune that would fit nicely in a Miami Vice/Blade Runner soundtrack”. From his bedroom in Aintree, Brown’s managed to pull that off. Cinematic and atmospheric, ‘Favourite Song’ shimmers with vintage synths and melodies while also marrying together extrovert pop and something of a darker undertone. Vibrant and soaring, perhaps Sonny, Rico and Deckard would indeed find themselves bobbing their heads along to this one… (Eugenie Johnson)

Paddy Hanna - Toulouse The Kisser

Last year, we saw more than a few glimpses of greatness from Paddy Hanna. With the brilliantly-named ‘Sunday Milkshake’ and ‘Bad Boys’, he proved himself a multi-faceted newcomer. New track ‘Toulouse The Kisser’ is produced by Daniel Fox of Girl Band, but contains none of said band’s gloom; it’s a bright and breezy wander through War On Drugs-inspired grandeur. (Will Richards)

Lesser Pieces – Never Think Of You

Irish producer Mike Slott and New York-born Egyptian singer-songwriter and composer Diane Badie have worked before on each other’s records, but they’ve now come together properly under the moniker Lesser Pieces. Their new cut ‘Never Think Of You’ is a sparkling, glacial cut of R&B-infused electronica that’s filled with icy and glassy flourishes bouncing off the warmth of Diane’s voice before stately piano melodies are introduced. It’s a lovingly crafted slice of downtempo pop that’ll have you thinking about Lesser Pieces for quite a while. (Eugenie Johnson)