poppedmusic

Popped Round-up

#001 September 2018

Words: Daniel Burton and Josh Driver

LADY Bird – Boot Fillers 

After listening to a few of Lady Bird’s songs, I couldn’t help but think ‘The Streets meets Slaves’. My thoughts were confirmed on the discovery that their latest single, Boot Fillers, had been produced by Slaves duo Isaac and Laurie of Girl Fight Records. Alongside Slaves, Jolyon Thomas (who has also produced for the likes of U2, Kendrick Lamar and Royal Blood) was on the roster, both of whom have clearly had a heavy impact on the style of this tune. Their raucous and pleasantly erratic style, accompanied by ornate and emphatic lyrics culminate in a whirlwind of artistic chaos. This carries on a post-punk attitude from their previous EP

Whilst having high tempo choruses they have the ability to slow it down and be melodic when they open a track. Frontman Don has a booming voice is complemented by the heavy riffs and even in the calmer moments, you can really see the vocal range he brings.

Listen to Boot Fillers here:

Marsicans – Suburbs

Is this a new start and sign of what is to come from Marsicans? A grittier guitar sound and heavier indie rock style of music? Their new single, Suburbs, provides a much rawer insight into the talents of the Leeds quartet and the future they have on the UK Indie scene. With no piano or keyboards to be heard, they have created a simpler sound that can only complement their charismatic lyrics and harmonious style more, all of which will help them to attract the attention of many more music lovers out there. Having seen them a number times over the festival season, including an immense set to an intimate crowd at 110 Above festival, to the opposite extreme of the Radio 1 tent at Reading and Leeds, it has shown how versatile a band they are. With catchy choruses and crescendos of electrifying outros, it is impossible not to be sucked into their aura and are certainly a big pick from me as a band for the (very near) future.

Listen to Suburbs here:

Tash Sultana – Mellow Marmalade

Tash Sultana’s stripped back style gives a very casual and chilled vibe to the listening experience. Slow groovy guitar melodies accompanied by refined yet perfectly executed sumptuous riffs.

Her debut album, Flow State, follows on from her EP Notion in its majestic form.

If you’ve had a stressful day or just want to sit back and chill, this is the perfect album to send you into a trance and forget about the world. And if an hour isn’t long enough for you, just stick it on repeat because you will never get bored of her courteous and dreamy voice. My standout piece of the album is Mellow Marmalade. Its relatively unconventional but marvellously ingenious title first drew me to explore the track more. This masterpiece really reveals her vocal flair, demonstrating why the unorthodox yet phenomenal voice has attracted so much attention over the past year. I very much look forward to getting the opportunity to see Tash perform her stunning new album live soon.

Listen to Mellow Marmalde here:

Lily Moore – Do This For Me

Having followed Lily Moore for over a year now, I cannot recall a time where I have had the courage to skip one of her songs for the fear of missing out on a provocative journey of the mind. Every song has the ability to send anyone onto an endless emotional rollercoaster of thought-provoking raptures. To have so many songs that can have such a variety of meanings to people is an ability that every songwriter wishes for but very few have, and she is definitely included in that select few, which is further testament to her unrivalled talent and achievements so far.

No matter how strong you think you are mentally, the passion Lily pours into every word will make even the toughest minds susceptible to a bit of deep reflection on her remarkably candid lyrics.

I didn’t think that any song could delve deeper into my mind as her previous single I Will Never Be did, but her new single Do This For Me digs even deeper.

At just 20 years old, I cannot begin to imagine where her voice will take her.

Listen to Do This For Me here:

Kimono Loco – Big Boy

Having listened to this tune only 3 times, I already found myself singing along to the chorus and tapping the beat on the steering wheel subconsciously. Their latest single, Big Boy, being a tune you can definitely have a dance to or just a subtle sway (if you’re like myself and not much of a dancer). Much like all of the tracks they have currently released it would fit well onto your indie party or car ride singalong playlist. Combining synth beats with guitar riffs, I see the potential for them to really make a mark on the Indie-Pop world. These traits make them stand out and remind me very much of Bastille & Fickle Friends with frontman James’ voice lending itself nicely to some catchy hooks. Kimono Loco are definitely ones to keep an eye on.

Listen to Big Boy here:

RAFFER – Fake It

RAFFER, a DIY self-producing indie-pop artist, has been someone I’ve been keeping tabs on for some time now. His upbeat guitar melodies and chilled drum beats bring a massive feel-good factor and can brighten up your day in just 3 minutes! With his latest single, Fake It, he continues his fine form with catchy hooks which reel you in wanting more from the South London lad. With 8 singles out in a little under 18 months, alongside working for a university degree, it demonstrates his hard work and passion for his music and thirst for success. Despite reeling out music at a rate of knots, he does not take his foot of the gas and delivers time and again with the best example of his capabilities, in both writing and producing music, being Together. With Callum’s voice being the centrepiece of all of his tracks, it really makes him stand out from the crowd as you can sense the emotion in every lyric.

Listen to Fake It here:

Cultures – Away From Us

Having overlooked this name in the past, I am kicking myself that I haven’t delved into this band before and this number has ensured that they stay within my reach for the distant future. Cultures’ new single Away From Us follows on from their past releases in a similar style, but this is certainly a step in the right direction towards reaching their full potential and shows what they are capable of creating. They bring together simple guitar melodies and mellow drum beats that complement the effortless regal voice of frontman Josh to create sounds that could fill a vast array of venues across the country.

Listen to Away From Us here:

Strong Asian Mothers – All I Do

After starting out making indie rock tunes with The Mercers, two of the current setup soon realised that it wasn’t working out and they wanted to make more upbeat party tunes, and so ‘SAM’ was born. From coming onto the scene with a remix of ‘Fat Bottom Girls’, they have since dropped a self-produced debut EP Lynx Africa, Animal, a number of singles and now their most recent release All I Do.

The electro-pop come trap three-piece, Strong Asian Mothers, bring booming beats coupled with nifty rhythms to provide the ultimate house party playlist tunes. Mixing up trap drum lines and popping synth patterns, they create an upbeat feel-good atmosphere in the room

Exposure from the likes of Huw Stephens and Annie Mac on Radio 1 of their new single All I Do has rocketed their status on the music scene and are now a heavily backed upcoming sound.

Listen to All I Do here: