This artist was one of my favourite discoveries from 2017 and one of the most memorable performances I've seen this year. And yet this album still managed to surprise me. In at number 4 is Soccer Mommy with Clean.

It's been a busy few weeks in the lead up to Autumn/Winter and as always artists are popping up everywhere - this year in particular - but there have been a few that have stuck in mind long after first listen. The same ones that I've been quick to recommend any time people have asked me for new music.


AZADI.MP3
Who is AZADI.mp3? In just over two minutes of being introduced to AZADI.mp3, it's almost impossible to place her in any single genre or even a particular box. There is nothing, out of the UK or beyond, that I've heard that sounds like this. If this debut is anything to go by all that I can confidently say is that AZADI.mp3 will be keeping us on our toes both through visuals and vocals. Keep your eyes peeled on AZADI's Instagram for updates on her next release. The next visual will be a collaboration with Liverpool collective LEECH and I have no idea what to expect.


DAVID GOTSOUND
Place the tongue and cheek, quick witted lyricism of Dizzee Rascal atop a modern take on a Garage beat and you have my first impression of David GotSound. After listening to the album in full I'd say it definitely gave me a deeper look into David as an artist and a person. The real and relatable lyrics heard on his EP The Human Condition remind me of how Ghostpoet shines a light on his personal life. David's music is honest and true to his nature, I'm expecting exciting things from his corner next year.



KLLO
On a hazy bus trip back from a night out at about 3am, I'd fallen asleep on the bus and awoken to find Spotify radio spinning "Dissolve" quietly in my ears. Not much of the journey stuck in my head afterwards but the next morning finding that song again was the first thing on my mind. Instrumentals reminiscent of a stripped back Trophy Wife but vocals harking back to old school UK Garage - it was surprisingly refreshing to hear.



ZILO
Another social media discovery for me here - whilst scrolling through Instagram I caught just a snippet of vocals from Zilo's latest album The Nature Of The Beast advertising her most recent set of shows at the Servant Jazz Quarters. Unfortunately I couldn't make it down to the gig myself however after listening to the album I am more than sure that I'll be seeing much more of her in the near future. Neo-Soul vocals over mostly Hip Hop beats, what more could I want?



VICKTOR TAIWÒ
Last month I was lucky enough to be able to attend Anaïs' debut solo show in London whom, if you haven't heard of yet yourself, you should definitely do some research into because her sound is silky smooth goodness. However, at this show I wasn't aware that Vicktor would be the support act and when he stepped on stage, he looked young and a little but unsure of himself, but as soon as the first note came out of his mouth the whole room was stunned to silence. His album Joy Comes In Spirit will have you captured for the entire duration.



AMA LOU
Another Instagram catch, whilst scrolling down the new feed, I came across Ama Lou's - by now very well known - COLORS set and remembered thinking that it was strange that Clarks (the footwear company) were endorsing music all of a sudden. After listening to the EP on Spotify I can't tell you how much I overplayed it. It's the same way I felt about Ella Mai when she first came onto the scene. There are a hell of a lot of female R&B voices that we're hearing right now and good ones at that. I just hope that Ama Lou's doesn't get caught up in the mix because the grit in her voice is something that's missing front a lot of our front-runners right now, particularly in the UK.

Serendipity is one of my favourite things; a couple of weeks ago I spontaneously ended up at an Amaroun show - also one of my favourite new discoveries this year so far, please have a listen - and just so happened to bump into Annie (a.k.a. Austel). Talk about right place, right time. After a quick chat my interest was piqued on what the project would sound like, especially after later finding out that Annie has worked with a number of varied artists beforehand. All I will say is that I was not disappointed...



As delicate as Austel's vocals sound in portions of "Crows", the strength of her voice and the message of rising above uncertainty had come through clearly by the end. After attending her debut full band show in London yesterday, I can confidently say this is a name you'll be hearing again soon. I would have never imagined that this was their first time performing live together. Austel's ability to convey emotion and float seamlessly between hard-hitting and quiet comtemplative moments in music is stunning. You can hear a little taster of that during the bridge on "Crows" and you'll without a doubt be hearing more examples of this on any releases to come. Austel's EP entitled Unfold is due to be released later this year and I can't wait.

I've been away from my laptop for the past month back in Melbourne, hence the overly lengthy break in posts. However, whilst I've been away in Australia I've come across and been introuced to quite a few new discoveries that I'm stoked to bring over to the UK with me. There's so much quality new talent coming from Australia, and this is just the tiniest snippet of what I found out about there.

CLOWNS
Luckily for me whilst I was in Melbourne, Foo Fighters were on tour. If you've been following this blog for any amounth of time you're probably aware of my love for Foo Fighters and so obviously there was no wat I was going to pass up seeing them; which brings us to Clowns. Hailing from Melbourne themselves they brought this "take notice" attitude to stage and backed it up with some serious, serious tunes. The lead singer's stage presence was electric and to be able to shine through on a bill supporting both Weezer and Foo Fighters, you've got to be doing something right.


SAMPOLOGY 
A friend of mine told me about a DJ set that was happening at Melbourne Museum and even before I'd even heard about the DJs playing I was onboard. After having a look at the bill and having a listen to Sampology's tracks on Spotify I was even more excited about the show. His beats reminded me of so many different things I've been vibing with these past couple of years (mt. Marcy and Kaytranada to name a couple), and they translated 10 times better live.

 


TOTAL GIOVANNI 
Next up on the very same bill for that show was Total Giovanni. My friend let me know that they were a pretty big deal and so I had to really do my research with this one. They took a little bit longer for me to get into if I'm honest. Their beats had a nostalgia attached to them that I couldn't quite get my head around at first, but nonetheless I could never get past a funky beat, and they do funky well.




MALLRAT 
Towards the end of my trip I went to St Kilda Festival to check out some of Australia's upcoming and established talent. Unfortunately (as is alway the case with festivals), I didn't get to make it to all the sets I was hoping to, however a friend of mine strongly recommended checking out Mallrat. I didn't get to see the set but I definitely did my research and loved what I heard. Next time, I see her name on a line up, I know who I'm choosing to see.




HELLIONS
After doing a little bit of browsing at 24hundred, I'd seen a few bands' names pop up a fair amount - Tonight Alive (whom we know and love), Violent Soho, and of course, Hellions. I made a mental note of the names I hadn't listened to before and vowed to check them out. Before I could even think twice about it, I'd struck up a conversation with somebody who turned out to be a pretty big Hellions fan. After listening through some of their material it brought back those ADTR, Dangerkids-esque riffs I haven't heard in so long and refreshed it for me. Definitely want to see these guys live as soon as possible.

Happy October folks! It's been an incredibly busy summer and now that we've made it to October I can comfortably say that we're finally edging into autumn weather. Along with a new season and a new month; comes new music. I've had a scout through the interwebs and found some gems I'd like to start the month with...


QUIÑ - Sticky Situation (feat. SYD)
Not the newest track itself but a newbie for me - a new song and a new artist. After finding the new EP Dreamgirl on Spotify, I think that "Sticky Situation" is the track that will most likely get the most repeats this month. Also, of course, Syd's voice is also always a sure fire way to elevate a song.

BANKS - Underdog
Now I've heard a lot of mixed things about Banks over the past few years and if I'm honest, the bad ones did carry a little more weight than they should've and I haven't paid too much attention to her album progress but this song is a banger. "Underdog" was a pleasant surprise for me and I'd like to take this month to build a fresh opinion on Banks - starting with this song.

CAN'T SWIM - God Awful 
Another very pleasant surprise - after their great debut album earlier this year, I wasn't expecting any more music from them before 2018, but here we are. A new single from Can't Swim that could've easily been a strong addition to the debut but works just as well as a standalone track. I'm hoping to see more big things from this band, October and beyond, because "God Awful" is anything but.
 
THE YOUNG HEARTS - Bloom
The Young Hearts are another new discovery for me recommended to me via email. After opening up the EP Honestly, I'm Just Thinking in Spotify and listening to the first 30 seconds of "Bloom" I could hear the potential, and after the last 30 seconds I was looking up their gigging schedule.
 
WOLF ALICE - Heavenward 
An amazing live band but since their debut I've not been the most excited to hear any new studio recordings. I may have built up my expectations for the debut a bit too much after seeing them live in 2013; so now returning with a fresh pair of ears, I think I can appreciate this new one better."Heavenward" is a great stepping stone for me because not only is it a solid song, it gives me the best of what I saw in them live.


MOSES SUMNEY - Don't Bother Calling 
I slightly new discovery this year for me but it seems that I haven't missed too much as this awesome track "Don't Bother Calling", comes from his debut album Aromanticism. I reckon the more I listen to this album, the more I'll enjoy it. For now, this song definitely stood out to me and the concepts surrounding it catch my attention even more.

ZAK ABEL - The River
I feel like I've been waiting for this album to drop for an age now! I need Zak's voice for a minimum of 10-12 tracks asap. "The River" came just in time for me to hold out for one more week. I'm hoping this will be one of my standout albums of the next 30 days, with some silky guitars and soulful vocals.

JORDAN RAKEI - Goodbyes
The basslines on this album are to die for. Although this is my favourite song from the album, it's not an easy choice at all. Even the first track "Eye To Eye" rips the blanket right from underneath you with its silky transitions. I think the opening strings on "Goodbyes" just win the song for me. Already on the verge of overplaying this one but I can't stop.

IBEYI - Deathless (feat. Kamasi Washington) 
Two artists that I've really been appreciating over the year, together in one special track. Ibeyi's new album Ash is just as layered and thought provoking as imagined with so many intricate little details that open it up to new discoveries with each listen. "Deathless" displays that perfectly. Keep your eyes on this one for this year's "top 50 ___" lists.


That's just a few of the tracks I have on my recently played for this week and for the month going forward. Keep an eye out for a Spotify playlist with these tracks and more, to be announced via my Instagram. And for your information...

I may be a little late with this one but this could have slipped through my fingers so I felt it important to put it somewhere I wouldn't lose it. Whilst checking emails on my way to Brighton Pride last weekend, I opened Rough Trade's weekly update for new releases and Soccer Mommy was top of the list. I couldn't tell you why I was immediately intrigued but the name stuck in my mind and I told myself I'd come back to it.

Turns out it didn't even take that long, because after a couple of hours in Brighton I found myself in Resident Music standing at a listening station jamming along to her latest release Collection. There was no getting away from it so I started from the top... and ended up listening to the entire thing right there and then.

Super excited about this new discovery! Twitter is fast becoming the hub for me when finding new music and in this case I was shocked to find this one lurking in the abyss rather than running viral as I would have expected.

Diamond Youth (f.k.a. Diamond) - the first new discovery that I wrote about 5 years ago here, came by recommendation on Hayley William's tumblr. Since that sweet discovery, I've not overlooked a new band or artist with Hayley's stamp of approval and she hasn't missed yet! Earlier this week Hayley tweeted about from a new band from Franklin, Tennessee - Ill Spector. All I'll say now is, download their debut EP on Spotify and let your eardrums enjoy the next 16 minutes.