Features Tracks: Arctic Monkeys, Jacques Greene, Julian Malone And More

Happy Bank Holiday everyone!

With three blissful days of freedom sprawling ahead, you can kick back and relax, dear readers. It might not be the weather for garden parties or hitting the beach. It might not be the weather for summer. In fact it might not even be the weather for late May. But don’t let the rain dampen your spirits, because the DIY writers have battled through hail, wind and thunderstorms to bring you the most cracking tracks to create ripples over the past week. We’ve got a line-up as good as any festival, and you don’t have to wear a plastic poncho and wellies to listen to any of these tracks.

Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

For a second there I thought that Arctic Monkeys were gonna pull a Pulp and book a busy festival season across Europe without any new material. But then, they unexpectedly dropped a new track ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ at the first night of their US tour, and they even used it as the set opener in between red lights and lots of smoke. How was it? Sexy. Like a slow motion ball of sound fueled by booming guitar strums and a mild drumming accompaniment that doesn’t properly kick off until mid-song giving the build-up a romantic but powerful mood (very, VERY Suck-It-And-See-ish). It doesn’t hit you instantly, you have to get back to it until you become addicted to its unfamiliar familiarity. But then again, knowing how they operate, they’ll probably completely dismiss this song as a new single and release a much obscurer one with maybe the bass player on main vocal duties singing from inside a metal box surrounded by hot girls in bikinis. (Carolina Faruolo)

Katie & Allison Crutchfield - Oblivion (Grimes Cover)

Being one of the biggest musical success stories of last year, it’s a wonder that there haven’t been more covers of Grimes’ music. Perhaps because her style is hard to replicate well, especially with such a unique voice. Whilst they now make music separately as Waxahatchee and Swearin’, ridiculously talented sisters Katie and Allison Crutchfield teamed up to give their own rendition of ‘Oblivion’ for Rookie. Replacing those distinct gloopy synths that appear on the original with a killer bassline and distorted guitars, they manage to make it sound like it could be one of their own songs whilst still staying faithful to the original. The harmonies between the sisters particularly stand out, wonderfully complimenting each other’s voices. It’s a great cover of a well-loved song and shows that they should start making music together again more often. (Aurora Mitchell)

Frightened Rabbit - Late March Death March

Upon their return from the land down-under, Frightened Rabbit are ready to grace the worlds ears with another EP. The title track – ‘Late March, Death March’ – manages to start big and end bigger. It’s a cider soaked festival for the brain, that couldn’t come a moment too soon. Lyrically detailing a drunken argument, “perhaps we’ll learn it was arson all along” is a particularly poignant and wonderfully honest line from a fantastically written summer anthem. The juxtaposition of a buoyant folky number with dark lyrics is something particularly standout about this songwriting – and it’s clear that these guys definitely have the knack for a great track. The ‘Late March, Death March’ EP is out 4th June and they can be found touring with The National later on this year. (Joe Dickinson - @DickinsonSound)

Pure Bathing Culture - Pendulum

The first track to surface off of their soon-to-be-released debut record (slated in for August via Memphis Industries), ‘Pendulum’ sees Pure Bathing Culture taking the hazy, blissful tones of the likes of Beach House and putting their own stamp on it. Graceful and sweeping, it sees them coming up with something of an almost Scandinavian bittersweet grandeur that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the last , Balearic-inflected Mary Onettes record. Whilst our beloved climes aren’t providing the ideal listening conditions, one can but dream of how it’ll sound on a lazy sunny day, and with such an assured and ambitious offering as a lead-up, the following long-player’s already looking like shaping up as something very special indeed. (Gareth Ware)

Julian Malone - Tokyo

In a year that has already seen Chance The Rapper begin his ascension to hip-hop stardom, it’s clear that hip-hop is in rude health. Chicago resident Julian Malone is another similarly youthful rapper with boundless confidence and a hugely impressive masterful flow. Perhaps an example of Malone‘s confidence is that he was initially picked up by esteemed label Stones Throw before parting ways while heading off in an independent direction. This all adds to the excitement around a hugely promising new rapper and producer. ‘Tokyo’ is the first track from Malone’s forthcoming ‘Diff.Rnt’ mixtape. It’s a pared down somnambulant swirl of a track with an undeniable primitively thrilling beat. Entirely produced by Malone, it’s the work of someone who is already remarkably well rounded. (Martyn Young)

Jacques Greene x How To Dress Well - On Your Side

The collaboration between house producer Jacques Greene and mournful crooner How To Dress Well is one that has pricked up a lot of ears. However, it’s not a surprise as Tom Krell has already showed his ability to mix danceability with soulfulness on ‘& It Was U’. ‘On Your Side’ is the lead single on Jacques Greene’s new EP released on Glasgow based label LuckyMe. Teasing with a 45 second trailer that gave a glimpse of what Greene’s tight production and Krell’s vocals would sound like together, the full version did not disappoint. The crystal-clear percussion works well with Krell’s fragile voice, his main vocals sounding like they could be taken straight out of one of his own songs whilst Greene loops his backing vocals – making them sound a lot more housey. It’s a dream pairing and an understated hit that’ll leave you wanting more. (Aurora Mitchell)

Internet Forever - White Light Collision Course

They might have come a long way since their early sets where the highlight was a rambunctious, near-ecstatic cover of Dire Straits’ ‘Walk Of Life’ eel-armed drumming and all – but Internet Forever have definitely retained their sense of fun and youthful vibrancy on the first single to surface since last year’s self-titled début. Melding pulsing synths and a wall of guitars over the chorus with an inherent pop nous, it shows a band unafraid to have fun, creating something insanely catchy in the process. Special shout out to the rather trick visuals on the promo clip as well – more videos like that in future please, film makers of the world. (Gareth Ware)

Hospital Ships - If It Speaks

Tentatively, ‘If It Speaks’ begins as if uncertain of where it’s going. Like an adventure more than a badly planned journey though, it lights up the senses rather than dulling them. As a band who’ve been together for quite a few years now, this is perhaps indication of them finding their feet; maybe they’re working that little bit harder now, perhaps they’ve found fresh inspiration or it could just be their time. Only they know at this stage, but there’s more than a hint here to suggest this is no flash-in-the-pan. I guess we’ll really find out when Hospital Ships new LP ‘Destruction In YR Soul’ arrives this summer. But, it will certainly be worth a listen. (Ian Paterson - @SleepInMusic)

Allo Darlin’ - History Lessons

A couple of weeks ago, Allo Darlin’s Elizabeth Morris played a solo set at The Hangover Lounge’s tribute to departed Grant McLennan where under the watchful eye of Robert Forster she left the room spellbound with a then-untitled new song which fittingly, had she not announced it as one of her own, could’ve been passed as a lost gem from her beloved Go Betweens. Featuring both a title and guitarist Paul Rains for this Spanish session video, ‘History Lessons’ feels like a companion to last-album heartbreaker ‘Tallulah’, laced liberally with evocative, descriptive detailing like ‘I’ll take the day off work I said, my coffee cup left a ring on your A-Z/These sacred streets lead us to the aquarium….’ Achingly, near-impossibly beautiful, it’s music to reflect and get lost in, and all the better for it. With a new album due in early ‘14, on this evidence Morris & Co’s standing as alt-pop’s current great storytellers looks ever more secure. (Gareth Ware)

*music kicks off at 0.45 of this session