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The Hot Five - July #3

  • Published in Columns

 

The Hot Five – My favourite new tracks of the week, usually rounded off with a classic, obscure or alternate track from my music collection.

Track of the week: VOLCANOES – ‘Up In Smoke’

VOLCANOES’ brand of indie folk is both refreshing and authentic, qualities that are summed up in their latest single, ‘Up In Smoke’. With two lead vocal lines whose harmonies naturally compliment each other, the track is a stimulating listen complete with chiming guitars and elegant bowed cello. Fans of Fleet Foxes need to take a listen to this, there’s plenty of vocal harmony and a combination of electric and acoustic guitar parts that work together only too well; all in all, a great track here.

 

Benjamin Booker – ‘Have You Seen My Son?’

New Orleans’ Benjamin Booker was recently hand picked to support Jack White in a series of shows, and it’s clear to see why. The energetic garage sound of this track is made more interesting by the evident blues influences in Booker’s songwriting. ‘Have You Seen My Son?’ is the second single from Benjamin Booker’s self-titled debut album, which will be released on August 18 via Rough Trade.

The Weeknd – ‘King of the Fall’

After a small break, The Weeknd has announced his musical return with two free download tracks. Recent release ‘Often’ has been followed by ‘King Of The Fall’, a darkly heavy piece of R'n'B with fantastic production and vocal hooks. ‘King of the Fall’ shares it’s name with The Weeknd’s latest US tour, which starts in September and will feature Jhene Aiko and Schoolboy-Q. This might not be the type of song I’d normally go for, but the vocal work of The Weeknd is definitely something to appreciate in amongst the track’s clever arrangement.

Weezer – ‘Back To The Shack’

When I think of Weezer, I think of early noughties tracks like ‘Beverly Hills’, or ‘Island In The Sun’, so it was a pleasant surprise to be impressed by the band’s comeback single ‘Back To The Shack’. Chosen as the lead single from new album Everything Will Be Alright In The End, ‘Back To The Shack’ is a classic bit of American rock music that encompasses the traditional crunching guitar and “nerdy swagger” that Weezer are known for. The track was premiered on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show on Monday, and Everything Will Be Alright In The End will be released on September 30.

Hidden track of the week: Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’

It’s been a bit of an eclectic mix this week, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with putting something completely different in this spot either. Having purchased Sheer Heart Attack on vinyl last weekend, an album regarded by many as the best album that Queen released, ‘Brighton Rock’ really was an obvious choice for hidden track. It’s a classic song, and there really is nothing quite like hearing Freddie Mercury sing “It’s so good to know there’s still a little magic in the air”.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

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