The summer heat has left us yearning for some exciting new acts to cool us down, so we thought we’d ask some of our favourite bands to enlighten us with the artists they love most. Einstein once said “the only source of knowledge is experience” which maybe isn’t true but we trust that these acts, having spent enough time in the scene, know what’s up when it comes to the next bunch of talent. These are magazine favourites who we’ve either interviewed, had play our gigs, or both, so we trusted their great taste and they were kind enough to share it. If you don’t already know the bands we asked, you can head over to our interviews page and get acquainted. Enjoy the list!
BATHING SUITS: Leeds dance-noise-electro-pop-punk sensations
“Cool haircuts for boys are this really cool new electric pop thing, I think they r really awesome. They are super colourful and dancey, i haven’t seen them play yet but Ive seen loads of videos and they have a song on there instagram about an iridescent jumper thats got a geometric grid on it and its quite fabulous i think.
Felicity J Lord are everythinggggg, this is an act I’ve been dying to see for like a year now since seeing that gorgeous album cover. They have this song about Sarah Jessica Parker that really hits u in the feels, oh Sarah jessica parker .
Best thing to happen to music ever, Stuart Mckenzie is speaking poetry over the fiercest model beats it’s actually amazing. She has this song going on F.M.T where she sings about being Feminine Marvelous and Tough and it is so so powerful. I booked her to support us at our last London headlines and I’ll never forget when she stripped the shades from her face only to reveal the exact same glasses underneath but clear so you could now see her beautiful eye makeup its amazing shes amazing a must see if u get the chance.”
WYATT: Manchester alt-country hidden gems
“Tesni is a songwriter from Manchester that writes the most amazing and heartbreaking music you might ever be lucky enough to hear. Her demos on Bandcamp are something to behold. Normal Village are the most entertaining band we’ve ever watched. They’re from Leeds, and we think they could conquer the world. Their song ‘To Me, To You’ is a stong recommendation. We also can’t talk about favourite bands without mentioning Tigers & Flies. We’ve known them since being in student bands, and can honestly say some of the funnest 30 minutes of our lives has been watching them. It’s nothing but pure joy to watch, and they should probably be headlining Glastonbury.”
MORN: Wales post-punk Speedy Wunderground powerhouses
“We are huge fans of The Scuttlers. We played our first Bristol show with them and they are just some of the best musicians and performers we know. They’re one of those bands that have songs you wish you wrote.
We always love playing with Slate. They make such captivating music, you have to concentrate on it. It truly couldn’t have come from anywhere else other than Wales, that’s what we love most about them.
We played with bed last year at The Social and also saw them at The Great Escape in Brighton this year. Pure madness. One of the best live shows one can go and see – highly recommended by yours truly, MORN x”
AUNTIE: Energetic, folky newcomers from London
“A couple of us saw Drive Your Plow when we first came together as a band and their euphoric blend of folk, post-rock and everything in-between inspired us in our early writing sessions. Their individual skills intertwine in such a sonically beautiful way – truly magic to watch.
We also recently had the pleasure of playing alongside Running Standard and their performance was super powerful, they put us all in a trance. They have engineered such an emotive wall of sound and each member played with such strong intention. Definitely one to keep an eye on!
Although most of us have yet to catch them live, Truthpaste’s releases alone have been enough to be big sources of inspiration for us. We love ‘Bleary Eyes’ especially with the charming, folky conversations between the violin and sax, which we similarly try and achieve between our banjo and sax! Their music is fun and nourishing; I think we all have a lot to learn from how they approach things.”
UNCLE JUNIOR: Noisy scene-favourite superstars-to-be
Oli: “In a scene oversaturated with flat, unemotional math-slop, The Scuttlers succeed in showing off some serious technical proficiency without seizing up the limbs and drying out the eyes of those who are so blessed to see them perform. Listen to their recent release “How come” to hear singer Myer U Clark deliver a powerful yet sensitive vocal over the top of a tight, groove-driven instrumental, which brought me to tears during one particular live performance at the Windmill in March. They’re amazing! See them live!”
Isaac: “I think piss are one of the best bands at the moment, and definitely one the best hardcore adjacent bands. The live show is so encapsulating and moving, i’ve seen them twice now and both times i havent been able to move, my eyes have been glued to the stage, its so raw, unapologetic and in your face. Their message is clear, to the point, so important, and perfectly captured in their music and performance. Just a magic band, and wonderful people.”
Eric: “I love how Spanish Horses touch on so many different aspects of rock and indie music from history and put them together so seamlessly, whilst maintaining their own unique charm. always such a fun live gig, it really makes me smile . Theyre also all crazy handsome”
LIFELOOSE: London dance duo with big future
“Hey What’s Next, as you know we’ve got really good music taste, so the nights we curate have always got hotshots on the lineup. Two of our favourites so far have been Mukbang Ray and Lackaday!. They’ve both got genius lyricism and musicianship and are just super fun to watch live. Music is the best when it makes you laugh whilst dancing. Also, we might be biased with Mukbang Ray because our friends play in it, but it really doesn’t diminish the fact that they’re fucking sick. We’re tryna be friends with Lackaday!, so if you’re reading this we need to sort something out and actually put a date in to finish that track.”
OMERTÀ: Intense and offensive noise-rock provocateurs
“There’s lots of bands we love, but of grassroots bands we’ve played with / seen recently, we absolutely adore domestic partners from Liverpool. loud, unsettling, erratic and manic sounding “powerviolence on a piano” it’s been dubbed. they’re unreal musicians too, possibly one of the best drummers i’ve ever seen live. We played with them in february and have loved it ever since.
Wehmut also come to mind, Manchester based noisy post-hardcore, always reminds me of Mark E Smith if he fronted a post hardcore band. I hear everything from early swans to unwound to early 80s the fall in them. Ferocious pummelling walls of sound played with such complexity.
While doom club have been around for a while and have always been a band we love, their new sound and era is tremendously exciting. I’ve not really been this excited for a bands new sound in a while, I hear the warped idiosyncratic pop rock of Royal Trux but with a little more of a garage sensibility behind it.”
Donovan Livesey
