Lime Garden
Remember when High School Musical told us to ‘stick to the status quo’? Well Lime Garden said how about no. Bending genres to create a wholly original sound, their latest single ‘Sick & Tired’ is somehow both laid-back yet unequivocally upbeat. The track conveys the anxieties of growing up, all the while managing to keep our heads bopping along to its upbeat rhythm. With only three singles out so far they have already proved that they can sweep from indie-rock on debut ‘Surf N Turf’ to hypnotic, catchy pop. Picking up support left, right and centre, the future certainly looks bright for these 4 besties, and we will not be getting sick & tired of hearing what more is in store.
LaBlue & Astrønne
Although our ears are often geared towards those funky, feel-good tunes at this time of year, let’s not forget the artists that will be there for us when we’re finally lying in bed; sunburnt, bushwhacked and in desperate need of winding down. France’s freshest new electronic artist LaBlue, alongside vocalist Astrønne, have released the ultimate care-package in the form of their new EP Blue Phases. The result of winning a competition thrown by French record label La Roche, the duo deliver silken neo-soul à la Solange, gently tantalising us with a delicate funk on middle track ‘Femme du crépuscule’. Expect musical ASMR that glides between French and English so gracefully, you don’t even realise you’ve spent 20 minutes listening in Franglais.
Aaron Childs
L.A. man Aaron Childs is unapologetically groovy, and his latest EP Peach is no exception. Blending together funk, soul and RnB, Childs has managed to achieve the perfect new vintage sound to accompany your Summer. His talent shines through with his stellar guitar skills, kept alive and pumping by slick bass-lines as highlighted on focus track ‘Scratch’. Although only a short ‘n’ sweet EP Childs use of virtuosic effects creates a whole experience for his listeners, as though him and his guitar are right there whirling around you. Whilst heatwaves come and go and the weather continues to toy with our emotions (speaking on behalf of the U.K.), soul-master Childs has got sunshine on tap whatever the weather.
Madelyn
24 year-old producer and singer Madelyn is a fresh new face to the UK pop scene and one to keep a watchful eye on. Her two latest releases ‘Night’ and ‘Be All’ see her pastel vocals drawing you in above energising beats reminiscent of Groove Armada or Moby. Working with producer/husband Rob Salute (talk about couple goals), Madelyn’s clean-cut electro-pop makes you want to jump in a car with your mates, roll down the windows and blast it out loud enough for passersby’s to think, ‘damn, that right there is a vibe’. Having spent the last few years refining her sound post graduation from Bristol University she has promised listeners ‘big releases for this summer’ so get your engines ready.
tigerstate
They say too many cooks spoil the broth but they would be swallowing their words as well as the delicious broth concocted by Norwegian 11-piece collective tigerstate. You heard right, ELEVEN. Their light-hearted, relaxed demeanour (think Mac Demarco with more friends) feeds in to their sound, which they have cemented in their two EP’s both released this year. heartbeats, released Friday, feeds us funk-fuelled psych that’s as chillaxed as a lime granita, with personal highlights being ‘i’ll drink from your cup’ and ‘summer nights’. They’ve even included ‘credits’, the closing track of the EP where you can familiarise yourself with all eleven members.
Picture sources:
We Need More Cowbell 