On The Stereo: August 2021

Another fresh monthly musical delivery for you, including girlhouse, TSHA, Runaway June, Tré Burt, Sam Ezeh, Liz Cooper and more

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OUTSIDER BY MARSDEN & RICHARDSON
Formerly two-thirds of raucous riffmongers Band of Skulls, Outsider, the debut single from Marsden & Richardson is a surprisingly serene affair. That said, the stirring arrangements and subtle harmonies find a way to be just as impactful

POWER BY TSHA
With its four-to-the-floor groove demanding ears, Power by songwriter/producer TSHA is a dance track oozing with the essence of the Brit Funk movement of the late 70s/80s. Historical influences aside, it’s exhilarating stuff.

HOT SASS BY LIZ COOPER
Hot Sass is the perfect title for this scuzzy firebrand of a song. The work of Brooklyn-based songwriter and musician Liz Cooper, there are big Yeah Yeah Yeahs vibes in the late-night feel and banshee vocals on display.

EXIST BY ANNIE HAMILTON
By concentrating on the beautiful little things in our lives we can win back some control over the bigger issues; that’s the empowering message of Exist by Annie Hamilton. The driving rhythm and oscillating synths carry this mantra forward.

JUNIPER BY MODERN WOMAN
Sophie Harris’ careening vocal is at the centre of Juniper by Modern Woman. This free-folk sound, with its many experimental tributaries, is akin to the daunting thrill of being lost in an unknown wilderness.

MOTEL #27 BY THE VELVETEERS
Motel #27 is the latest sliver of primal garage rock from Coloradan three-piece The Velveteers. Inspired by a stay in the middle of the desert which felt like a fever dream, the song blisters along in frantic search of a way out.

TEARS RUN RED BY PENELOPE DARLING
R&B ballad Tears Run Red bleeds through your speakers. With her vocals foregrounded, it’s hard not to connect with this emotional offering.

KINDS OF LIGHT BY JEREMIAH MOON
With his cello playing bringing the required atmosphere, Kinds Of Light is the new single from Seattle-based musician Jeremiah Moon. A stylistic meeting place between Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens, there’s much sophistication and songcraft to be admired.

girlhouse: There’s soul-searching and plenty of charm to be found within the narrative on Concussion

PALO SANTO BY BIPHONY
Palo Santo is the latest release from London/Portsmouth alt-pop duo BIPHONY. With producer/DJ Brandon Lake bringing the beat, singer-songwriter Samuel Pack weaves his vocal trickery through this earwormy future pop anthem.

KARAOKE BY PYNCH
With a rhythm section that hints at The Strokes at their insouciant best, Karaoke finds London indie outfit Pynch in sparkling form. As the song progresses, a number of intriguing SFX join the party and elevate out of the karaoke booth into the night sky.

SCARS BY ASTRAEA
Subtly augmenting its stripped-back piano and vocals with a string section, Scars by Astraea lands an emphatic emotional punch to the gut. Watching this live performance only enhances the raw feeling at the song’s centre.

T-SHIRT BY RUNAWAY JUNE
Taken from their new EP backstory, out today, T-Shirt is a thrilling shot of AM-friendly country-pop from Runaway June. With more hooks than a fishing shop, there’s an infectious swagger about the way this trio make their music.

FANTASY BY SAM EZEH
There’s a flirty nature to Sam Ezeh’s Fantasy which finds the Swedish artist nonchalantly loping his way across the dance floor. Big beats, sci-fi FX and a voluptuous bassline ensure that he’s not alone at this psychedelic disco.

DAUGHTER OF COUNTRY BY MEGAN & SHANE
Daughter Of Country is the title track of the forthcoming EP from Americana duo Megan & Shane. An ode to the power of country music that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever found salvation in a song – which must be everyone, surely?

OLIVER BY OSCAR AND THE WOLF
To listen to Oliver, the new sultry offering from Belgium’s Oscar And The Wolf, is to enter a hazy dreamscape. Once in this world, the sound of panpipes accompanies you as you skip across kaleidoscopic clouds and slide down mystic waterfalls

DRIVE BY MIKE ETTEN
Pedal steel and woozy synths add an off-kilter country-folk feel to Drive by Mike Etten (PC Worship, Dougie Poole Band). Acting like the shadows formed by trees on a night drive, those embellishments take on different shapes as the song winds along.

CONCUSSION BY GIRLHOUSE
A song dissecting a particularly terrible day in which girlhouse’s Honda Civic got smashed into, Concussion is driven along by its solidly reliable drum beat. There’s soul-searching and plenty of charm to be found within the narrative.

DIXIE RED BY TRÉ BURT
Taken from new album You, Yeah, You and featuring labelmate Kelsey Waldon, Dixie Red is Tré Burt’s tribute to John Prine. Weaving together imagery from the legendary songwriter’s career, it’s an appropriately affecting send-off.

Words: Duncan Haskell

Listen to these songs and other On The Stereo selections on the Songwriting Magazine Spotify profile

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