This Week In New Music (13th September 2014) • DIY Magazine

Summer didn’t bring a full lull, but this past week felt like one of the most active, in terms of exciting new music, for a good while. Debut tracks poured in from all sides. Bands who’ve spent the past few months perfecting their game suddenly returned. And some of this year’s most talked-about new artists added to the excitement, be it through head-turning singles or just a humble session video.

Below, Neu’s picked out its highlights from the past seven days. That’s not forgetting the newly expanded sound of Post Louis, the escapism-encapsulating charms of Fiancé, or the absolutely massive new single from Gengahr (picked out in DIY Tracks), which are all worth checking out.

Here’s the best of what happened this week in new music.

TRACK OF THE WEEK:TALA — Black Scorpio

There’s a sting in the tail of TALA’s new track. Like everything else she’s put her name to so far, she brings together snapshots and cultures like a world explorer steamrolling across the planet on a jetpack. Every synth stab feels like a blow to the system. Each triumphant blaze of siren is a call to arms. Not a millisecond goes by in ‘Black Scorpio’ without something new cropping up. This is the musical equivalent of scoffing down a party of five buffet without a second’s warning, zero fucks given. It’s gluttonous, dosed up on everything it can get its mitts on, and it’s undoubtedly the sound of the UK’s best new producer.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:Tobias Jesso Jr, Without You & Just A Dream (Live)

He doesn’t even have a proper release to his name, but Tobias Jesso Jr already strikes out as the kind of musician people obsess over. He’s the type that might crop up in documentaries, several years down the line, after a brilliant career fades out from beyond the spotlight. The voice he possesses doesn’t hang around - it pierces through the surface and goes bang, straight for the heart. And despite the familiarity behind this Canadian, people know pretty much nothing about him. This first glimpse into seeing him perform, then, is more than eye-opening. Pitting him in a chatty pub environment, La Blogotheque portray Tobias as a lone stranger, someone who might - in different circumstances - remain an unknown entity until the end of time. But then he plays. ‘Just A Dream’ filters out, this familiar voice arriving fully-formed, like something you want to have by your side forever.

DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK:JONES. — Deep

It’s around this time of year that a new artist comes out of nowhere, only to become the most talked about newcomer by the turn of ‘Sound Of’ chatter. If that’s the aim of JONES - a box-ticking, blog pop sensation - she’s going the right way about it. Debut track ‘Deep’ comes produced by XL’s Rodaidh McDonald, and it’s dosed up on cutting drum patterns and vocals that couldn’t sound any firmer or more assured.

Tags: Features, Listen, Tāla