Welcome to Weekly Round-Up No. 42! This week we feature new singles by CYNBEL, Fauna Twin, Molyneaux and Cosmo Brown. And we review debut releases by Pavlove, FÄR and Bagstiv. Enjoy the music!
CYNBEL – Golden Coast
The new Dutch band CYNBEL debuted earlier this year with their poprock anthem “Vagabonds“, displaying an energetic rock sound, with inspiration from U2 and The Killers among others. The band aims for that grand stadium sound, and with their second single “Golden Coast” they once again succeed. The drumming, driving bass and guitar hooks make this one an irresistible indierock tune!
Pavlove – Because Of You
Belgian band Pavlove debut with the catchy and colourful indiepop song “Because Of You”. It has an amazing full production with traces of psychedelica, orchestral pop and 60s retro melodies and vocal styles, something along the lines of Camera Obscura and Yo La Tengo. The retro influences are also visible in the 50s styled music video about an under-appreciated housewife looking for her fortunes elsewhere. Very beautiful and promising.
Fauna Twin – Edge Of The Coin
About six months ago Fauna Twin‘s debut single “Water On Mars” appeared, a dark pulsating synthpop track. Now Claire Jacquemard and Owain Ginsberg return for their follow-up. “Edge Of The Coin” sounds lighter, more guitar-based and is very catchy. Fortunately they still sound unconventional and the song reveals a range of influences, from progressive rock to electronica, without losing sight of writing a great, compact pop song.
FÄR – Shot
More new music from Belgium! FÄR‘s first single “Shot” is a dark, brooding song. And by dark, we mean dark! Haunting vocals by singer An-Sofie, pulsating electronic music by producer Tim: their contributions enforce each other, as projected in the music video. Their sound lies somewhere between witch house, Austra and Zola Jesus. Dark but gripping. And amazing.
Molyneaux – Alice
Aaron Molyneaux is a very productive young musician from the UK. He keeps on delivering beautiful song after beautiful song. And he also directs his own videos. “Alice” is his latest, a moody love ballad, and like his previous songs inspired by 80s pop music. This song is perfect for those lonely midnight drives for reminiscing, just as the lyrics and music video indicate. A perfect follow-up to his equally wonderful “Talk” EP.
Cosmo Brown – Me
French singer and producer Cosmo Brown teams up with four divas Ana Rago, BB Danger, Georgette & Marlyne B. to create the glamorous disco stomper “Me”. Cosmo Brown is known for his funky dance tracks with roots in new wave. His new one is full blown modern disco about empowerment and self-celebration. This dancefloor filler sounds and breathes anthem. Of course we ‘give our gracious bow’!
Bagstiv – Blood
Out of nowhere the mysterious band Bagstiv appears. Their debut “Blood” is a classic dreampop song with shoegaze tendencies. Fuzzy guitars, a tight drum track, a driving bass and dreamy, distant vocals guarantee a pleasant and hypnotic listening experience. Great stuff! We are definitely keeping an eye on this one.