Essential new singles also featuring This Is The Deep, Adam Hopper and the Wimps, Lose Bitchos and Maripool.

RIP Magic – ‘Light Over There’

Engulfing their burly electro-punk swank in a more introverted, serpentine ethereality, RIP Magic’s new single ‘Light Over There’ adds another string to the fast-rising outfit’s ever-dazzling bow. The London four piece have been going from strength to strength over the past year, from their collaborative DFA single with LCD Soundsystem legend James Murphy to a coveted support slot on a huge arena tour with the one and only Tame Impala. Their newest offering, released this time via Partisan sister label section1, further cements their status as one of the hottest and most exciting new bands around, destined for many rounds on the urban underground aux rotation. (Hazel Blacher)

Vehicle – ‘Escalators’

Power pop stylings are all the rage in underground guitar music at the minute, and few bands stake a stronger claim in leading the resurgence than Vehicle. Funneling hooky British Invasion pop through a fuzzy analogue lens in a way that recalls Leeds neighbours cyclist and Elwell, ‘Elevators’ is wild-eyed and immediate. The band’s appreciation for 60s psych compilations plays a part in the track’s surreal stream of consciousness lyrics, whilst the composition itself leans into a zippier guitar-pop band influence a la Flying Nun or Postcard Records. Leeds has one of the most in-form grassroots music scenes in the country and Vehicle are one of its very finest offerings. (Marty Hill)

Meaner Loy – ‘Stonehenge’ 

How do you confront a solipsistic world determined to erase the bounds of community? Meaner Loy’s latest single ‘Stonehenge’ serves as the balm to this rhetorical question, embracing the awkwardness of cocooned friendships, the disappointment of being betrayed by old friends and the loneliness of parasocial relationships. The London-based six-piece deliver a cacophonous sound on this track, opening with a thrashing burst of guitars and the energetic drums of Theo Guttenplan and Ali Horler. ‘Stonehenge’ is propulsive, driving forward with shifting tempos, melodies and octaves. Sung in Joe Osbourne’s distinctive higher voice, lyrics like “and no one blows up my phone” and “let’s get mojitos again” capture the intense intimacy of building and maintaining relationships, before erupting into a wave of emotion and complex instrumentation – desperation, despondency and hope all intermingling. As the track approaches its frenzied finale, Osbourne imagines ceremonial freedom with the final plea: “think of me just like a friend”. (Grace Palmer)

This Is The Deep – ‘I’m Making’

A fantastical brew of nocturnal delights, This Is The Deep’s new single ‘I’m Making’ revels in a swirling art rock theatre, adorned with orchestral flourishes and a playful tension. The new single teases the sprawling London collectives’ upcoming debut album ‘Everything (Dick Herman, The Whale, and The End Of The Beginning)’, set for release in the Autumn via 5db Records. Speaking about the single, band leader Ranny explains: “I’m Making is a meditation on creativity, art, and perception. It explores the idea that everyday life is essentially an endless series of creative process where we make everything from conversations, journeys, and spaces, and ultimately our own realities.” (Hazel Blacher)

Adam Hopper & The Wimps – ‘Another Story About Nothing’

There are few artists we are rooting for more than Sheffield’s certified grassroots good egg Adam Hopper. Returning with his first single of the year alongside his band – lovingly dubbed ‘the Wimps’ – ‘Another Story About Nothing’ marries a T. Rex-esque glam rock swagger with a buoyant DIY charm that will whip up a spring in your step and beam a sunkissed warmth deep into your soul. The new single serves as the launch point for the group’s debut album ‘Adam Hopper & The Wimps’, due for release on the 25th of September, which we can’t wait to hear more of. (Hazel Blacher)

Los Bitchos – ‘Hang Up (Pt 2)’

Amidst this seemingly never ending drought, one of the most fun bands in the universe Los Bitchos offer some salvation to our arid lands with their newest single ‘Hang Up (Pt 2)’. Taken from forthcoming studio album (with more details yet to be announced), here they ditch their signature instrumental stylings and invite Sinkane & Adrian Quesada to join the Los Bitchos party. ‘Hang Up (Pt 2)’ coalesces the psychedelic-funk sensibilities of Yin Yin or Mauskovic Dance Band with tinges of Turkish psych legends like Erkin Koray and Barış Manço. It marvelously blends together, making for a feast of psychotropic goodness brilliantly laced with Quesada’s silken, soulful croon – the ultimate sonic accompaniment to these sweltering late summer nights. (Brad Sked)

Maripool – ‘Favourite’

London via Lisbon artist Maripool – the moniker of Natacha Simões – is back with a brand new melancholic marvel ‘Favourite’, taken from their debut full length ‘Rotten Luck’, due via Lost Wisdom and Smoking Room on the August 28th. ‘Favourite’ sees Maripool coalesce alt-rock with shimmering dream pop and distorted-shoegaze in a way that feels both introspective and expansive. Despite its partially pensive tone, there’s a cathartic exhalation to the track as it steadily builds up to a fuzzed-out crescendo. It’s brilliant stuff yet again from the ever-exciting artist, which bodes well for their debut. Maripool will be playing a run of shows in support of their debut LP, including ‘Lost Wisdom Fest’ on the 30th August, before heading to the likes of Brighton and Bristol in October. (Brad Sked)