August has been wonderfully chaotic… I found myself at Maiden Voyage, where Pxssy Palace absolutely smashed their curation. We had All Points East, which saw everyone from Tems to Jorja Smith to Zara Larsson, with the weekend bursting at the seams with moments that reminded me exactly why I love live music.
Just when it feels like festival season should be winding down, another heatwave is on the horizon. Oh boy… now, I’ve jumped on a plane Down Under to Brisbane, where I’ll be heading to BIGSOUND and I can’t wait to check out all the Australian artists who’ll be there. I’ll report back in next month’s column, but for now, summer isn’t over yet. Here are the five tunes giving me life this August…
When I see a new Liang Lawrence song pop up, I get excited. There’s something so comforting about her as an artist. I feel safe in her hands, knowing she’s about to take me on another musical and storytelling journey. Any one of her songs could live on a coming-of-age soundtrack, and ‘Endless Sundays’ is the perfect example. Nostalgia distilled into a hazy, lazy groove.
Charlie Noordewier ‘Next Door Sessions’
This one is a first for me, because it’s not just one song I’m recommending…it’s a full 35-minute live session that I want, no, I’m begging you to listen to right now. Charlie Noordewier is a singer-songwriter who’s been quietly building a gorgeous universe of intricate, soulful sounds. He recently recorded a set for Next Door Sessions, the live series from London’s Next Door Records, part record shop, part café, bar and live music venue, with the sessions filmed in front of an intimate audience. Across the session he performs original tracks including ‘Joy and Despair’, the song that made me fall madly in love with him in the first place, he also does an incredible cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Love Is a Losing Game’, truly amazing.
FS Green has given us pure sunshine with this one. From Amsterdam the producer and DJ blends sounds from hip-hop to Afrobeat, dancehall and house and he always keeps groove at the heart of everything he builds. ‘Good Day’ sees him link up with Reek0 and Eljé, it’s warm, breezy and although summer might be winding down, this is keeping it alive.
Meet effe, a Naarm/Melbourne artist making beautifully moody, swirling sounds. I love how brooding her style of writing is while it almost feels like you’re floating listening to this new one. effe’s vocals glide across this intricately layered backdrop, it’s cinematic, haunting and dramatic. If you’re a fan of Massive Attack, Dido, Lana Del Rey then effe is for you.
Josh Ludlow, Make A Dance, Falle Nioke ‘Fyah Fyah!’ (Luke Alessi Remix)
Make A Dance and Josh Ludlow’s ‘Fyah Fyah!’ was already a certified banger, but Luke Alessi has somehow managed to turn the heat up even further. Luke takes everything I loved about the original and gives it a boost, it’s chunkier and even more hypnotic.