Welcome to It’s Just Rock and Roll’s single of the week! Here we’ll pick one song each week that we’re excited about. It’ll almost always be something relatively new but who knows, we might mix it up every now and again. It’ll be posted every Monday on our Twitter account and archived here.
We hope you find some great new music!
22nd November: The Skinner Brothers – Put Me Down as a Maybe
Six seconds in, and I already loved this track. That hypnotic riff drags you into the song and it never quite lets go. The filthy riffs continue throughout the song and the swaggering vocals only add to its brilliance. They only formed in 2018 and have supported some huge acts. If they keep releasing tracks as good as this, it won’t be long before they’re headlining their own huge shows.
15th November: Crawford Mack – The Last Perfect Day on Earth
On the face of it, this is a delightfully beautiful song but when you listen a little closer, it has a deeper meaning. The song is all about the global climate and the impact we’re having on it. The song is rich in its composition with brilliant guitar work and some catchy riffs. It’s a song that makes you think as the narrator ponders if we’ll ever be worth one last perfect day on Earth.
8th November: Red Rum Club – Drown
This is a delightfully upbeat tune and is due to be the opener from their album How To Steal The World, which is released later this week. The song is all about their love for the city of Liverpool and reminiscing about good times. You can see that from the video which showcases many parts of the city. The singalong track will no doubt be loved by live audiences and it makes me even more excited for the album to come.
1st November: SINS – Staircase
Built on the back of a fantastic riff, “Staircase” gradually builds in energy until it reaches its huge crescendo. It’s a fantastically constructed and musically impressive song. It takes a rocky turn around the two-minute mark and you can imagine it sounds epic live. After the frenetic breakdown, SINS finish the song with that brilliant opening riff which perfectly ends a great track.
25th October: The Deadnotes – Deer in the Headlights
“Deer in the Headlights” is a great song from the two-piece band that has seemingly moved away from their early punk sound. It’s brilliantly composed with excellent musicianship and thoughtful lyrics. The song sends you on a melancholic journey which is enabled by some beautiful and smooth sax arrangements. It’s like nothing I’ve heard recently and that’s always a win.
18th October: The New Twentys – Wasp
This is a delightful song with an indie vibe but a punky edge. There are some great harmonies here along with some charming lyrics. The band completely produces their own music but you wouldn’t know with such a polished sound. This song was released as a part of their Inside Out EP which is a brilliant selection of tunes and definitely worth checking out.
11th October: STONE – Let’s Dance to The Real Thing
It’s quirky, it’s unique and it’s absolutely brilliant. The music videos is equally off the wall which makes me love it even more. This track is a great mix of styles with an indie-punk sound and witty lyrics spoken over the top, like a rock ‘n’ roll Mike Skinner. Many bands sound the same at the moment and when someone like STONE comes along, it’s a refreshing change.
4th October: Table Scraps – Threads
From their album Coffin Face, “Threads” is a brilliantly heavy song with a blindingly good riff and haunting multi-track vocals. At 2:32 long it doesn’t let up and occasionally hits you with a powerful wall of sound. The last minute of that run time is an instrumental journey with impressive guitar work and powerful drumming. It’s well worth a listen but make sure you give it the volume it deserves.
27th September: Alan Triggs – Moonlit Mersey
“Moonlit Mersey” is an upbeat and joyful song that will have your head bopping along. The lyrics are romantic but in a beautifully Northern working-class way. There is a dash of humor intertwined with the poetry and it all combines for a lovely track that is undoubtedly catchy.
20th September: Trampolene – Remember
You’re never quite sure what you’ll get with a Trampolene song. They are free spirits which is why their emotional songs hit so hard. From the album Love No Less Than A Queen, “Remember” is a stunning song. “Now is not the time to sleep, ’cause they’ve taken all our dreams” is a poetically magnificent opening lyric. It’s a painful song and one that lets you ride on its emotional journey. You get their typically poetic lyrics which just make the song even better.
13th September: Hovvdy – Junior Day League
A simple and beautiful song from the Austin-based duo. “Junior Day League” is due to feature on their fourth album True Love, which is set to be released on the 1st of October. The song is about being in a daze in a new town and being happy but a little bewildered in your new surroundings. It has a lovely vibe and is the type of song that will put you in a relaxing mood, and put a smile on your face.
6th September: Roo Panes – I Just Love You
This is a beautiful love song from the talented Roo Panes. The song is about all little things that your partner does that make you fall in love with them that little bit more. It’s a magically simple song with poetic lyrics such as: “And my painting’s hanging on your wall, So you can look at summer in the fall.” It’s a real treat and the type of song you can picture drawing tears at the emotional climax of a film.
30th August: ILA – Rebirth
This is a deep and powerful track that has shades of Portishead, and we love that. ‘ILA’ is the stage name for the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ilayda Cicek, who is surely bound for big things if she keeps releasing tracks like this. It’s a song about death and as she says “it portrays how brittle and fragile life can be”. With the haunting vocals and hypnotic riff, the song carries you on its profound journey.
23rd August: Ghost Hounds – Between Me and the Devil
This is some good old-fashioned bluesy rock and roll. It has the driving riff, a brilliant solo, and exceptional soulful rock vocals. It’s a fun song from a band that is sure to get their big break soon, after a 2019 debut album that went under the radar. Added to the excellent track is a brilliant music video.
16th August: The Hostels – Sheep
This brilliant single comes from The Hostels. The four-piece comes from the Rhondda Valley in South Wales and were formed in 2017. The indie-rock track tells the tale of not wanting to chase after a relationship when the other person is full of false promises and lies. It’s a catchy indie anthem with excellent flowing lyrics. We’re excited about what comes next from the band.
9th August: Carol Ades – Crying During Sex
With a title that immediately grabs your attention, ‘Crying During Sex’ is a highly personal song about a period in her life when she was literally crying during sex. The song explores her confused, scary, and sad emotions as she tried to work through a difficult period in her life. It’s an incredibly bold topic and one that undoubtedly will be a comfort to others.
The song ends with the line “everything will be alright”, with Ades never giving up hope that things will eventually be okay.
2nd August: Zuzu – My Old Life
Zuzu’s an artist that we’re very excited about. Her debut album will be coming in November and she’s already released many album-worthy tracks. A song about trying to move on, ‘My Old Life’ is a painful look back at relationships that don’t deserve our time and places that have a special hold on your emotions.
On the face of it, it seems like a triumphant song but the lyrics give you a sense of smiling through tears. There’s a charm and a wit to most of Zuzu’s lyrics and this song is no different.