This week’s playlist is from Sophie Smith-Roberts of soph.tv, a blog with a mission to sniff out the best new alternative music before anyone else does. If you run a music blog and would like to submit a playlist, drop an email to adam.boult@theguardian.com.
1. Circa Waves – Young Chasers
“Jittery guitars, harmonic ‘oh oh ohs’ and ear-latching lyrics from this vivacious four-piece. Just what the summer needs.”
2. Honeyblood – Killer Bangs
“The Glaswegian’s second single is a hook-laden pearl guaranteed to get just about anybody on their feet.”
3. Drowners – Luv, Hold Me Down
“These New Yorkers have their own special brew of multilayered, gritty indie-pop, boasting melodic hooks, husky vocals and Strokes-influenced guitar.”
4. The Family Rain – You Should Be Glad You’ve Got a Man
“Synthy drums lead this beguiling combo og alt-rock and sun-dazed blues.”
5. Public Access TV – Monaco
“The debut track from these secretive New Yorkers features jangly guitar hooks, bass-driven beats … and a certain alluring mystique.”
6. The Districts – Rocking Chair
“‘Honest music’ is what the band claim to produce. This ruminative track brilliantly showcases their blues-speckled alt-rock.”
7. Sun Club – Summer Feet
“The Baltimore band blend of raw alt-rock with subtle Afro-pop influences. This track provides a blissful, spontaneous gear up for the summer – greatly living up to it’s own and the band’s name.”
8. Catfish and the Bottlemen – Kathleen
“Reeling you in with persuasive percussion, Vann McCann and Co have produced a hard-to-resist cocktail of buoyant harmonies and fierce guitar.”
9. Happyness – Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste the Same
“The latest single from the south London trio contains a batch of ‘ohs’ stringing the track along zinging college-rock and twisting layers of tingling melodies. All over in a swift two minutes, Happyness are wasting no time at all.”
10. Life – Take Off With You
“The grunge-inspired rockers from Hull provide no-nonsense punches amongst scuzzy indie sounds. The snappy chorus also tumbles with infectious, relentless charges of taut hooks.”
