I did the thing that one does when one finds new music that they love and found Lossy on the socials, scouring her pages and profiles for all and any information I could find about this woman with the super sweet voice. While I was there, a comment on facebook caught my eye. I can only assume it was from one of her friends, something about Lossy being so internet savvy and amazing and Lossy's response about loathing the job but needing to expose people to her music really made me smile, because in a short couple of sentences and a few minutes of one of the sweetest indie pop songs I've heard in a while, I found an artist who wants to be exactly that, an artist first, a social media personality second (or third, or fourth) which is something I really, really admire. In a world where I can hit 'like' and 'unlike' in a matter of seconds, what I really appreciate is an emotion that sticks around, a song that gets stuck in my head and a melody that won't let go. 'You Who's Guiding Me' is all of those things and worthy of a like, as in, an actual like, not just a social media one. Like: IRL!
Jo Michelmore gives 'You Who's Guiding Me' four crown emojis out of five....
Jo's Pick of the Week: Look, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm probably biased. No, let's face it, I am biased, but that's fairly irrelevant when the song I'm biased about really speaks for itself anyway; that song being 'Say It Too' by a guy called Mark Harding, who may not be a household name (yet) but after hearing this track, he's a name in my household and he's gotta start somewhere I guess. Thankfully Mark's start has been a little more interesting than my little house, because as an intergral part of Little May's lineup I am (more than) slightly biased in saying he's pretty much already one of our faves, but the beautifully smooth beats, the completely laid back sensation and his delightfully subdued vocal make this a song I actually, genuinely like and I'm not gonna lie, no bias needed, it's a song I can feel myself beginning to love very, very quickly. (Jo Michelmore)
3. Washington - Saint Lo
4. Cloves - Better Now (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: I was introduced to the music of Cloves in the way I'm introduced to many of my favourite new artists... while a fictional character I had come to love more than some of my best friends was ripped away from me on one of twenty five four or five television programs I should be embarrassed to admit that I watch. Emphasis on the should be. Anyway, less about TV shows about vampires directed at people at least fifteen years younger than me and more about Cloves. Hailing from Melbourne and now living it up in the USA, Kaity Dunstan/Cloves has been working hard to build a name for herself as a singer/songwriter on the rise. 'Better Now' features a voice full of wisdom far beyond Cloves' twenty-something years, the words and music are as gorgeous as they are heartbreaking from the very beginning ("Then I hear you leave, and I'm happy, just for a moment I'm free, then it dawns on me, that no time has passed, now it won't last, and I'm getting nowhere fast, and that's a fact."), there's fire in the chorus and a hope that we'll be hearing more of this from an artist of Cloves' caliber for a long, long time to come. At the very least, I can look forward to hearing her music during some forced emotional moment between a witch and sea monster on a television show that I would actually watch and what were we talking about? (Matt Bond)
5. Tkay Maidza - Simulation
6. Holy Holy - Elevator
7. Kate Bush - And Dream of Sheep (NEW)
8. WAAX - Same, Same
9. Pnau - Chameleon
10. PASSERINE - Undergrowth (NEW)
11. Gin Wigmore - Dirty Mercy (NEW)
12. Katy Steele - It Ain't Me
13. Moreton - Specimen
14. Asta - Shine (NEW)
15. Broods - All of Your Glory
16. Iluka - Blue Jean Baby (NEW)
17. Bag Raiders ft. Mayer Hawthorne - Beat Me To The Punch (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: It's probably just the simplicity of hearing Romy Madly Croft's vocal that really had the most impact, but from the very first note of The xx's newest single 'On Hold' I am so reminded of how much I've missed them and how much I've really, really liked them over the years. When the beat kicks in and things seem slightly cheerier than I ever remember either x to be, I am much more excited than I expected to be. This is The xx that I've come to know and love, but there's a sense of hope on this track that I don't generally associate with their sounds and I've got to say, I really, really like it. The quick break midway through is perfectly paced and perfectly placed and they say Jamie Sim has sampled some Hall and Oates, but all I know is whatever he's doing, he's doing it right. Their next album I See You is due in January, so until then I'll just have to obsess over the latest back and forward between Romy and her other x, Oliver Sim and cling onto his last words; "when and where did we go cold, I thought I had you on hold..." with the answer being that I didn't go cold at all, I really, really, really like them and am SO glad they're back. (Jo Michelmore)
2. Washington - Saint Lo (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: Megan Washington, how I've missed you. Even though I should just say Washington, because you're back to going by only your last name instead of the full name, but Megan is still your first name so I think it's okay to say, "Megan Washington, how I've missed you," and people will get it. Only Megan Washington would return to us with a song framing love as a deal with the devil, her writing as on point and wonderful as ever, and she's stepping into a more rhythmic electronic sound than that of her last album, There There. Producer to the AUS music stars Eric J Dubowsky might have something to do with that - his resume includes the likes of Flume, the artist formerly known as Chet Faker and Lisa Mitchell. Quite a lovely return from one of our faves and we'll be hanging out until we've got a whole record of gems like 'Saint Lo'... which will hopefully be coming our way sooner than later. (Matt Bond)
It's kind of funny that on the way to finding Little Wise's clip I got caught in one of those nasty youtube sidetracks and somehow ended up at Lady Gaga doing carpool karaoke, which I'll admit was quite enjoyable even the second time around, but after visiting the streets of NY via my laptop there was a slight culture shock to the opening scene of 'Don't Hurry Back'. An old red hatchback parked in the middle of nowhere, with one sleepy occupant in the back seat and a lonely guitar with an especially country twang to match, this wasn't the gold sequinned shirt and 4WD of James Corden's, but you know what I love about the most honest music? It's not all pink hats and millions of dollars. I love the glamour of Gaga but I also love the brutal honesty of Little Wise and while Sophie Klein, the woman behind Little Wise so poignantly sings "shop is closed, couldn't compete with the big store down the road" I have to smile in the knowledge that while the music is this good, there is no competing for my attention, Lady Gaga and Little Wise sit right next to each other on my playlist for the month.
Jo Michelmore gives 'Don't Hurry Back' three and a half fries out of five...
Matt's Pick of the Week: Empire of the Sun only released a new album a couple of weeks ago and this week Nick Littlemore brought back his original electronic outfit, PNAU. Which is excellent if, like me, you were listening to that Empire of the Sun album and asking yourself, "I wonder when Pnau will release something new." Not saying anything about the quality of the twice mentioned Empire of the Sun album (now three times), but I love PNAU. Soft Universe was one of my favourite releases of 2011 and it's been a long wait for new material, not counting their collaborations with Elton John. That wait was well worth it because... have you even listened to 'Chameleon'? Do I need to explain anything? Don't you want to dance and have you noticed you're smiling and life is like that SnapChat floral headband filter all the time now? If there's a new album coming, I'm all in already. (Matt Bond)
3. The Montreals - Indigo Club
4. Mr Little Jeans - Stitches
5. Katy Steele - It Ain't Me
6. Take Your Time - Sleep In (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: Lessons learnt today: do not write words about songs from bed. Here I was, thinking I'd get an early night and lounge about bed for an hour or so, listening to some sweet new tunes in preparation for words I was going to write this week, when the beats of Melbourne based duo Take Your Time came somehow subtly pounding out of my headphones and now I'm really confused as to whether I should be doing exactly as the title of their single suggests; 'Sleep In' or whether I should get up and have a bit of a dance before I commit to my pillow. The glistening keys are beautiful and the subdued vocals relax me into a state of sweet shut my eyes, but the little quick beats have my feet tapping the edge of my bed with an urge to get up and move. They label themselves 'cappuccino dub' but let's be honest, no one knows what that means, so it's best to concentrate on the sounds and enjoy, whether that be by chilling with a cappuccino, or not. (Jo Michelmore)
