Anto Dust - New Music "Introducing"

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Seemingly Anto Dust have been around for a while, a Facebook page started back in 2009 and an EP dating from 2011 can be found on Bandcamp, I'm going to ignore all that and treat the London based quintet, lead by vocalist/guitarist Anto Cossu, as a new band (the EP was a solo one).

I think their new song "Eyeless In London" is best served that way, gone are the folky roots in favour of a luscious blend of dreamy, psyche pop and shoegaze. The track starts with a bit of birdsong which perfectly segues into the swirling melody which will hypnotise you for the next three minutes only emphasissed by Anto's soft and ethereal vocals - perfect for a lazy summers evening outside with a beer or three - just a shame we live in London then!

Adna - New Music "Introducing"

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Adna is a young singer-songwriter from Gothenburg who released an EP last year at the age of 17 which seemingly garnered her some attention (one of the videos has over 11 thousand plays), my introduction comes from her latest track "The Prettiest", the lead single from her forthcoming debut album Night (due later this year via Despotz Records).

"The Prettiest" combines a sometimes darker sometimes softer range of instrumentation with Adna's beautifully haunting vocals, the result echoes and captivates, natural, stark and damn-right gorgeous.

A track from last years EP "All I See and Hear" is equally magical, intricate electric guitar patterns and restrained drums create a sumptuous, bittersweet melody to get completely lost in. Mysterious and evocative, Adna Kadic is a name I expect to hear a lot of over the next few years.

Night Flowers - New Music "Introducing"

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Since I discovered London based quintet Night Flowers I've read about them four or five times, without fail the words C86 revival or early Pains of Being Pure Heart were mentioned so I'll stay clear of those words here, it does however give you an indication of what to expect with their first track as a full band "Single Beds" (I found an earlier tender, daydreaming track on YouTube here)...

Yes, "Single Beds" is pure, fuzzy jangle-pop at its finest, it instantly charms you with a seemingly effortless, but wholly infectious melody and I want to press repeat as I'm absorbed with beautifully hushed vocal harmonies, rat-a-tat percussion and dreamy guitar shimmers - go grab your pastel coloured Ben Sherman shirt and sing along below:

Bridie Jackson and the Arbour - Prolong

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I won't bore you with the reasons why I'm not at Glastonbury right now and will instead feature an act I've been meaning to for bloody well ages who I discovered thanks to the festival, Bridie Jackson and the Arbour won the Glasto Emerging Talent Competition after being put forward by the lovely Flying With Anna earlier this year in a wonderful contest I had the privilege of being involved with. It will give the Newcastle quartet the chance to woo the festival crowds throughout the weekend (they are playing no less than four times to my knowledge) and no doubt they'll be doing exactly that, their new single "Prolong" will show us folk left behind exactly why too...

Weaving together some of the most beautiful folk harmonies and a rich tapestry of instrumentation with effortless ease and enchanting effect "Prolong" is softer and more fragile than the magical "Scarecrow", the song featured on their Glasto ETC entry, yet just as haunting and spellbinding, with dazzling wordplay and astonishing delivery "Prolong" is sort of track to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

The single is released on July 29th with some shows to support it.

Zola Jesus #15 - Avalanche (Slow)

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When Zola Jesus released a live, re-worked version of "Trust Me" a few months back little did I know that it would be an aperitif to news of a new album Versions (due August 20th via Sacred Bones), an album which sees Nika revisit tracks from previous albums Conatus and Stridulum with new arrangements and a string quartet...

The first preview from the release is this utterly beautiful, goosebump inducing version of "Avalanche", slowed down with the original's pummeling synth menace gone, instead comes a bare-boned, heart of the sleeve vocal with Nika's voice crystal clear and pure emotion amongst equally stark, ethereal instrumentation from the string section - the sort of thing that can bring tears to grown men.

Dear Georgiana - New Music "Introducing"

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Dear Georgiana is the music of Brooklyn-based and Alabama-born Lauren Balthrop who recently released her self-titled debut album, a majestic collection of ten beautifully clear tracks that could have been written at any point over the past sixty years, this timeless quality (and Lauren's gorgeous vocals) help create a fully realised sound that's gloriously nostalgic and instantly endearing.

Opener "Don't Let Me Go" oozes with a languid, syrupy affection where hollow drums and slow jangle guitars echo around Lauren's honey-toned vocals, the dreamy atmosphere Lauren exhudes is forlorn but always soft and makes me go weak at the knees. A similar trick is used on "Wait For Me", possibly my favourite on the album, a bittersweet ballad with the repeated cries of "Wait for me, wait for me, at the end of the world", I doubt an apocalypse has ever been sound-tracked as beautifully as this.

There's a variety of instrumentation throughout to keep your interest, lead single "Wanna Be In Love" is the most vibrant track on the album, a breezy, a chirpy retro-pop aesthetic with forthright drums and bright, twinkling keys while the absorbing "Young Girl" also packs a sweet punch. Both "Let's Dance" and "Please Don't Tell Me A Lie" have a american country feel, complete with hushed male vocals and guitar twangs - it fills the air with an atmospheric melancholy that, as with the album as the whole, is rich, heartwarming and beautiful. Irresistible I think I'd call it.

You can download the album via the Tummy Touch Records Bandcamp now.