LISTEN: Muna Ileiwat – ‘Stuck’

A delicate rumination on the way our self-perception changes over time, London-based musician Muna Ileiwat has shared her latest single ‘Stuck’. Previously releasing through her own record label Galang, which is dedicated to promoting women and non-binary musicians of colour, Muna’s latest offering is a gentle blend of tender vocals, atmospheric keys and soft beats, exploring shifting emotions and articulating a persistent feeling of uncertainty.

Inspired by her experiences of growing up in disparate cultures and spaces, Muna Ileiwat writes songs about love and displacement, looking for a sense of comfort and understanding through her nostalgic indie pop sounds. On ‘Stuck’ she moves through differing states of emotion in a soft, lullaby style, reflecting on the dual nature of trying to move forward whilst you are still struggling to accept what may have happened in the past.

“‘Stuck’ is a song of longing,” Muna explains. “It’s the intangible feeling of sadness and joy in the space between the certainty of the past, and the uncertainty of what is to come. It’s about forming close relationships that disperse and eventually break. It’s about returning to a place that no longer feels like your own.”

‘Stuck’ is the first taste of new music from Muna in 2022 and she will be releasing new songs throughout the year, as well as a debut EP this summer.

Listen to ‘Stuck’ below.

Follow Muna Ileiwat on Apple Music, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Abi Sinclair

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Joanna And The Dropouts – ‘You’re So Cool’

Dropping in hard with a throbbing riff that promises not to leave you alone any time soon, ‘You’re So Cool’ by Joanna And The Dropouts is inspired by all-consuming love. It is composed of throbbing key and string lines that roll all over each other, with a solid drum track keeping the whole piece in line.

The song is both inspired by love that has been genuinely experienced and a tribute to the movie True Romance. It is funky and upbeat, and will inevitably refuse to leave your head for days on end. In many ways, it evokes the lingering memories of the love it depicts and the iconic film that inspired it. Whether or not you are familiar with the film, the song captures a hugely relatable feeling in just a short burst of fizzing strings.

The lyrics are simple, repeating the titular “you’re so cool” consistently throughout the track. The verses and lines surrounding that core phrase evoke the exhilarating, intoxicating, potentially dangerous feeling of falling for someone who takes up all your headspace at once.

Every component of the song comes together perfectly to form a track that ultimately comes to less than three minutes long. Nonetheless, those rich vocals and bouncy hooks swell with all the exciting, addictive energy of infatuation into an infectious and uplifting punk-rock anthem.


Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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Track Of The Day: Momma – ‘Rockstar’

An effortlessly cool guitar tune that playfully picks apart the novelties of being in a band, Brooklyn-based Momma have shared their latest single ‘Rockstar’. Following on from their previous offering ‘Medicine‘, the group have announced this single alongside the news that they’ll be embarking on their first UK tour in May, with a headline show at London’s Brixton Windmill on 10th May.

Formed of Etta Friedman (guitars/vocals), Allegra Weingarten (guitars/vocals), Aron Kobayashi Ritch (bass) and Zach Capitti Fenton (drums), Momma create sounds inspired by the 90s pop and alternative scenes. Blending soft dual vocals with grunge-tinged guitars, the band seamlessly craft heady, swirling anthems focused on their observations on life, with ‘Rockstar’ being an infectious, melodic combination of these talents.

“Etta and I wanted to write a song about making it big, and becoming rock stars,” Allegra explains about the new single. “We didn’t want to take anything too seriously, lyrically, or musically. We just wanted the song to sound big. We thought it would be cool to have our own little rockumentary condensed in a 3-minute music video. It’s also kind of like a manifestation – I think we shamelessly want all of these things to happen in our careers.”

Directed by LA-based duo Batshit!, the video is a playful ode to Friedman and Weingarten’s rock music comedy favourites such as Josie and the Pussycats, School of Rock and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. It also features spiritual guidance in the form of a poster of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

Watch the video for ‘Rockstar’ below.

Follow Momma on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Momma will be supporting Wet Leg and Snail Mail on a series of US dates and announcing additional UK shows soon.

Photo Credit: Cooper Winterson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Tess Parks – ‘Happy Birthday Forever’

Toronto-born, London-based singer-songwriter Tess Parks has announced the release of her long-awaited new album ‘And Those Who Were Seen Dancing, her first full-length solo offering since her much-loved debut album, Blood Hot, was released back in 2013. Since then, she has toured internationally and collaborated with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe in recent years (most recently the duo’s self-titled 2018 LP). Taken from the upcoming album, Parks has now shared the first single and video, ‘Happy Birthday Forever‘.

Flowing with a retro early ’90s vibe, with shades of the ’60s inspired Shoegaze and Madchester genres, it has a distinctly Happy Mondays feel to my (only slightly old) pair of ears. Those familiar with Tess Parks’ voice will find her beautifully hazy vocals perfectly suited to the track’s danceable groove and spacey beats, as a sophisticated slice of shimmering psych-pop is created.

The video perfectly mirrors the timelessness of the track; featuring home-recordings of Parks at ballet classes as a child, accompanying the immersive refrain of “get me out of here”. Both song and video are ‘en-pointe’ and an enticing taster for the upcoming album, as the single fades out with a captivating allure on the promising lines “You oughta shake your world”…


And Those Who Were Seen Dancing, the upcoming album from Tess Parks, is set for release on 20th May via Fuzz Club.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

Photo Credit: Luz Gullardo

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