New music guide The Neu Bulletin (Sulky Boy, Lou E, SG Lewis & more)

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

Words: Jamie Milton, Tom Connick
27th January 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.

(Photo: Sulky Boy)

Lou E - What Do You Do It For?

18 year old newcomer Louis Milburn stems from the same bright back of lo-fi guitar dwellers that first birthed The Magic Gang, Abattoir Blues and Sulky Boy. These days, you’ll find him touring with DIY fave Oscar as a guitarist. As Lou E, he pens wide-eyed but pissed off numbers laced with a confidence everyday ‘bedroom pop’ acts don’t tend to find under their pillow. ‘What Do You Do It For?’ works best when it expands into a scuzzy psych thriller, its closing minute coming off like a strange Kevin Parker daydream.

Sulky Boy - Birches

Speaking of Sulky Boy, the Daniel Taylor-led group have stepped things up a gear with ‘Birches’. Their miserable, truly sulky take on guitar pop is getting a full release via Brighton label Echochamp, and ‘Birches’ is a perfect introduction to those unacquainted with Taylor’s melodrama.

SG Lewis - All Night ft. Dornik

Last year saw Dornik releasing a self-titled debut LP that swam under the radar. He’s returned as a guest on London via Reading producer SG Lewis’ latest, ‘All Night’, and it’s a partnership made in smoky soul paradise. SG Lewis is a new signing to PMR, meaning he’ll be churning out steamed-up giants like ‘All Night’ for years to come.

J Churcher - Yesterday

J Churcher is one of those rare talents with the ability to keep their cool, even when the sky’s falling in. That’s the spirit of ‘Yesterday’, an apocalyptic pop triumph due out via 37 Adventures this March. The Londoner captures a crazed chasm of Mogwai-nodding noise, combined with a straightforward pop sensitivity. In another universe, he could write chart-topping ballads for the biggest names around, but he’s chosen to throw himself headfirst into a fiery pit of chaos. Smart move.

Krrum - Evil Twin

Where ‘Morphine’ was backed up by floor-scraping bass, Krrum’s return lives up to its name, pushing the skronk right to the foreground. “I’ve been sleeping under trampolines,” he smirks just two lines into the track - it’s that willing playfulness and dedication to toying with his songwriting that sets him miles apart from the rest of the blogosphere.

Tags: Sulky Boy, Listen, Features, Neu, Neu Bulletin