Neu This Week In New Music (22nd February 2014)

It’s time for another timely look back at the past 7 days. New music-wise, we’ve had thrashing singles, sweet soulful pop numbers and triumphant synth giants all competing for attention. It’s best to just take each of the below, spend at least 2 hours playing them on repeat, before moving on to the next. By the way, JUNGLE’s ‘Busy Earnin’’ was almost definitely the most played single in the DIY office this week, but Tracks already went crazy for it and it’s already been heaped with praise. Our picks of the week select the finest moments that many a fool might’ve managed to miss.

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

TRACK OF THE WEEK
Honeyblood - Choker


Sweet, honied harmonies are always going to be Honeyblood’s speciality, but over a couple of years they’ve roughed up and given their take on hearty rock’n’roll a serious gear change. Stina Tweedale leads the way on ‘Choker’, the first song from the Glasgow duo’s debut album on FatCat. Speaking to DIY at the start of the year, the pair said they were intent on making everything sound as big as possible with the help of producer Peter Katis. ‘Choker’ succeeds. It’s a rude awakening of a song, blitzing its way through Nirvana-style brattish choruses and grubby garage rock.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Cash + David - Funn


So that’s where the name comes from. Cash + David (an as of yet anonymous new group sounding a lot like Polica), keep identities firmly to their chest. Their heroes, not so much. Cash refers to Johnny, David to Bowie. In the video for ‘Funn’ - which we premiered earlier this week - the two superstars battle it out in doppelganger form. It’s more a dance-off than a wrestling match, but that doesn’t take away from its heady dose of energy, bubbling up right at the top of the surface. All very stylish too - in line with the song.

DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK
JUCE


JUCE’s debut track arrived at the very beginning of the week. Heads were low, skies were gloomy, but this was the cure. Taking influence from the 90s and then some, the London trio are like All Saints without too many cups of ‘Black Coffee’. Smooth, seamless vocals fizzle away, with soulful basslines and chopping percussion each doing their thing. It’s at once an all-smiles night out in South London and a chunky spearkerbox coming to life. “You’re making champagne out of lemonade,” runs the vocals, optimism defined. If this isn’t a summer anthem in waiting, we’ve a drab few months ahead of us.