So June has come and gone and whilst some of our staff got soaked at Drownload the rest of us… well we just ploughed on through new music. Check out what our staff liked best in June below. Welcome to Staff Picks! You can check out all our pics from the year, including June over at SPOTIFY. Subscribe to our playlist!
Beat Easton – ‘Big Smoke’
Southampton’s Beat Easton write beautiful, heartbreaking lo-fi indie/emo and they’re really, really good at it. Sitting somewhere between Death Cab For Cutie and American Football, this band is one of the UK’s best kept secrets. Fresh from a tour with the awesome I Love Your Lifestyle, Beat Easton released 3-track In Situ on which this song features. In just 11 minutes and 17 seconds, Beat Easton will make you feel more than a lot of bands manage throughout their whole careers. Keep an eye on these guys and definitely catch them live if you can.[Conor Mackie]
Creepoid – ‘Shaking’
Falling somewhere between the sweeping indie-rock of Low, and the meandering “slowcore” of Red House Painters, ‘Shaking’ is one of the more reserved moments of Creepoid’s stunning new album ‘Cemetery Highrise Slum’. It starts slow and sullen, before gradually unfolding, only to soar at the end with a harrowing intensity that pummels your innermost senses. Coming off the back of successful tours with everyone from Against Me! to Pity Sex, Creepoid are about to escape the shadows they have been lurking in, and ‘Shaking’ is a prime example of how they are going to be breaking hearts with ‘Cemetery Highrise Slum’.[GLEN BUSHELL]
Creeper – ‘Lie Awake’
It’s been a busy month for Southampton’s Creeper. As well as touring with Bayside and making their download début, the South Coast sun-dodgers announced their signing to Roadrunner records. Released to coincide with this news, ‘Lie Awake’ is another burst of forlorn, goth-infused punk rock continuing where their eponymous EP left off. Catchy, moody and with eminently quotable lyrics tailor-made for Tumblr, Creeper might just be the UK’s most exciting new band. [ROB BARBOUR]
Tenement – ‘Curtains Closed’
WHAT? ANOTHER TENEMENT CHOICE FROM MIKE? Yep, Tenement not only released a collection of rarities/b-side but an immense 25 song double album entitled “Predatory Headlights.” This track off of it is my favorite and beat out Girlpool’s “Before the World Was Big” for my June pick. The piano hook in this song is so catchy and simple that I whistle it sometimes at home or when I’m not paying attention to the world. That sort of subliminal implant deserves the top spot pick in my opinion. [MIKE PETRUCCELLI]
PVRIS – ‘Chandelier’
Because apparently the first edition of Punk Goes Pop 6 wasn’t enough, they’ve only gone and re-released it with a few extra tracks and while most are somewhat terrible, PVRIS’ cover of Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ is an absolute corker. The Massachusetts trio are pretty much unstoppable right now, with debut album ‘White Noise’ causing a storm upon it’s release last year and while they’re dominating the stage at Vans Warped Tour this summer, we have this little beauty to keep us happy. [TAMSYN WILCE]
Muse – ‘The Handler’
‘The Handler’ represents modern day Muse at their very best. It seems to be a huge return to form for the devonshire trio. It’s easily their heaviest track in a long time so much so that the band chose their headline slot at Download Festival to make its live debut. From it’s riff heavy intro, to its dizzying bridge all the way to the athemic ending, ‘The Handler’ proves that Muse most definitely still have it. [CHRIS MARSHMAN]
Motion City Soundtrack – TKO
Back at the start of May when Motion City Soundtrack played a handful of gigs in the UK, they casually mentioned that a new album would be coming out in a few months. With no other details forthcoming, it seemed that this was destined to be nothing but a vague statement of intent. Then they released TKO. A wave of reassuringly familiar yet fresh sounding synths mix with melodic guitars and Justin’s recognisable vocals to create yet another excellent track that is classic Motion City Soundtrack but shows they’re always capable of coming up with something that sounds unique and exciting. Fingers crossed the promised forthcoming album isn’t too far away. [CHRIS HILSON]
Bad Cop/Bad Cop – ‘Cheers’
Is your pop-punk lacking in snarl, sarcasm, and not nearly in your face enough? Probably not, but Bad Cop/Bad Cop is still absolutely essential. Combining the humor and harmonies of Masked Intruder with the attitude of the Muffs and the sugary edge of The Bombpops, these girls get it fucking right. Cheers is easily the most anthemic track on their Fat Wreck debut Not Sorry. It’s not hard to pictures crowds raising their glasses and themselves to the chorus. I can’t think of a better tribute to the shitty people who used to poison our lives and where they can stick it. Here’s to lots and lots more from this band. [MAT STOKES]
FIDLAR – ’40oz. On Repeat’
’40oz. On Repeat’ is a parody of a song about self-pity, though it’s hard to decide whether this is more of an homage to every band which has written a song like that. FIDLAR channel every band you can think of that has written a song about either getting drunk alone, or having it worse off than everybody else. It works so well, with elements of pop-rock and grunge thrown in alongside Zac Carper’s appropriately whiny voice. No doubt then that the rest of their upcoming album, ‘Too’, will sound this good. [SAMARTH KANAL]
No Consequence – ‘The Turning Point’
As one of the quickest-growing rising stars in the UK tech-metal scene, the new No Consequence album Vimana was thirsted after by many for some time, and certainly did not disappoint. The Turning Point, although one of the shortest songs on the album, is a brilliant example of how the band can switch from huge, atmospheric verses, to ‘Liam Neeson whose family has just been taken again’ levels of insanity, all the time displaying fantastic musicianship. The main riff has to be one of the best on the album, if not one of the best No Consequence have ever written. [ANDY LEDDINGTON]
Osu Osu – ‘The Might Be My Exit’
This band grew from the shadow of Long Island’s indie/punk band State Lines and has been all of the LI DIY scene ever since. This is the last track from Oso Oso’s debut LP, Real Stories of True People who Kind of Looked Like Monsters and it stands out in the best way possible. This is the only acoustic song on the album, making the deeply personal lyrics more intimate against the bedroom style recording. Jade’s unique vocals are instantly recognizable if you’ve ever listened to state lines, yet definitely sounds more matured. Definitely catch this band if you’re on the US east coast this summer. [MATT LAMOURT]
High on Fire – ‘The Sunless Years’
Need a break from your typical summer music soundtrack? High on Fire have just the remedy, with the heavy, pummeling second single “The Sunless Years” from their newest record, “Luminiferous.” It’s five minutes of punishing, fuzzy riffs, just what you’d expect from Sleep guitarist Matt Pike’s other band. Like the rest of the album, “The Sunless Years” doesn’t let up, and the constant headbanging beat also leaves room for some rad guitar solos, too. [SARAH SCANLON]
Sorority Noise-“Art School Wannabe”
First off, this song’s title is genius. Sorority Noise’s sophomore album “Joy Departed” has quite a bit of self awareness and “Art School Wannabe is a perfect example of that with lyrics like “Maybe I’m my own greatest fear, maybe I’m too scared to admit that I might not be as dark as I think.” The song has a Weezer-like tone and is oddly (in a good way) upbeat. Brownie points for having Jake from Modern Baseball sing on the bridge and the guitar riff that closes the song with a bang. [DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]
Bully – ‘Trash’
Nashville’s Bully balance the reserved with the overt on their brilliant debut album, ‘Feels Like’. Alicia Bognanno lays herself bare with her honest lyrics, none more spiteful and visceral than on album highlight, ‘Trash’. The song sees Bognanno escape the constraints of low self-worth, fighting back at her oppressor. Filled with understated emotion, the chorus provides a wave of liberation nestled within a subtly powerful record. [BEN TIPPLE]
Dog Party – ‘Vol. 4’
With many great releases coming out that stayed off the radar screen, June just may have quietly been the best month this year for new releases. An album that should not get overlooked among them is the new full-length Vol. 4 from the Sacramento, CA duo Dog Party. Comprised of sisters Gwendolyn and Lucy Giles, these ladies craft songs on this Asian Man Records release that has the punk sensibilities of The Ramones but with vocal harmonies that would make Dance Hall Crashers beam with pride. With songs like “Peanut Butter Dream”, this is the perfect soundtrack to all of your summertime shenanigans.[JEFF TAKACS]
Ma Jolie – ‘Canyons’
The new EP from Philly’s Ma Jolie is loud, anthemic and ferocious. Being a sucker for a good bass part ‘Canyons’ was the obvious pick for the track of the month. The whole thing comes together in a something that can only be described as punk rock perfection. Ma Jolie may have lost a band member since their last album but this EP shows that they have lost no energy or awesomeness. [MARYAM HASSAN]