Saturday 17 September 2016

Playlist: Remy's Best of International Playlist - Issue #002

Cancer DK Die One More Time
Copenhagen duo Cancer.




Info: This weekend's playlist is rammed full of quality (and I ain't just saying that - proof is in the puddin!) and a wide mix of genres from ambient, electronic, alternative rock and more from Dublin, Copenhagen, Brooklyn, Melbourne, California, London, Nashville and Canada, proper aural globe-trotting!

Previously reviewed and excellent second single from Dublin band Kevyn kicks things off with 'The Black and the Blue'; "'The Black and The Blue' is a song inspired by the feeling of crippling self doubt and struggles with anxiety. Songwriter and frontwoman Karla Chubb wrote the song as a figurative middle finger to those who have held her back and hindered her confidence and pursuits..." 

One of our favourite U.S. acts since, forever, are Cali alt-pop geniuses Oyster Kids and their thirds single 'Gum (Everybody's My Friend)', which is a dizzyingly joyous track, we're really looking forward to the next single which is due out next week! Australian solo artist Ainslie Wills brings us a power-house pop-rock number in 'Drive', a slick rocker that hints at OK Computer-era Radiohead, Wills is touring the U.K. from the 24th of September hitting up London, Manchester and Glasgow.


Ainslie Wills Drive UK Tour
Ainslie Wills


A track I instantly enjoyed due to it's mellow simplicity comes courtesy of Dublin solo instrumentalist Alex Smyth and his ambient track 'CXCVII', conjuring some Tycho-esque majesty that Scott Hansen himself would be proud of. We also have some indie guitar-funk courtesy of London four-piece Cocoa Futures and their catchy new single 'The Blue' released on the Lost In The Manor label.

Ahead of the release of their debut album, Totem, Copenhagen's Cancer release beautifully trembling single 'Die One More Time' which has been rightly receiving rave reviews, particularly for live performances, 'a song about the sorrow that comes with losing loved ones and how the experience stays with you forever.'

Oakland's Trails and Ways make the Playlist for the second week in a row with their great new single 'Get Loud', effortlessly churning out hit after hit in the lead up to their new album Own It which is due out next month. Canadian band Native Other have released the first single, 'Palms' from their debut EP which is out on the 7th of October; 'If I Can Keep It Together' is an accumulation of our diverse origins and experimentation while the content tells tales of growth and discovery of our identity, romantic perspectives and lustful encounters. As we write personal reflections, sonically we construct our own unique sound.' We've been graciously afforded a sneak peak at the new EP here and it is sounding rock solid.


The Fantastic Plastics TV Head

Brooklyn-based The Fantastic Plastics (above photo) also have a new EP due out on the 7th of October and release single 'TV Head' in advance, an observation on societies obsession with having our heads glued to screens (guilty as charged Your Honour!). It's like Gary Numan meets Talking Heads wry humour across 3 and a half minutes of future wave bliss, nice! Finally we have a lovely single, 'Giving Up' from Nashville solo act Jake McMullen, so much happening on this one that works so well, there's bits of Arcade Fire vocally, Bon Iver musically and a pinch of Peter Gabriel running through both.