LISTEN: Lauren Auder – ‘the ripple’

Lifted from her highly anticipated debut album, the infinite spine, which she shared last week (21st July), ‘the ripple’ is a thrilling, tenacious alt-pop gem that showcases London-based, French-born musician Lauren Auder‘s distinctive artistic talent. Produced by Mura Masa – one of the few collaborators on the record outside of Auder’s immediate creative circle – the track is a cell-tingling exploration of self-autonomy which, much like its namesake, ripples with intense emotion.

Like many of the songs that form the infinite spine, ‘the ripple’ is a potent, pop-drenched exploration and celebration of discovering your true self, and what it’s like being a trans woman in a world that increasingly tries to deny trans women the right to exist on their own terms. Described as “the monkey’s paw of having your voice heard,” ‘the ripple’ is Auder’s rallying cry “to accept, to be duped / to not grimace at the absolute”, a message that she fully delivers via racing, distorted electronics and cathartic screams that permeate the track’s chorus.

During the four years that the album was written, Auder was haunted by the question “what if we could rewrite history?” By shifting her musical direction away from her shadowy, intentionally experimental previous creations, Auder embraces gritty-yet-glistening pop elements and glossy aesthetics to work through her emotions and experiences. “Pop music is meant to be experienced openly,” she declares, and this underscores her desire to live freely in musical and wider societal spheres.

Working alongside GIHE favourite Jessica Winter, Dviance and Alex Parish, the infinite spine is a captivating, superbly produced collection of tracks that form a powerful, pop-infused statement of independence for Auder, and we can’t get enough of it.

Listen to ‘the ripple’ below.

Follow Lauren Auder on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Crowns & Owls

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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PLAYLIST: June 2023

The Get In Her Ears team have put together another eclectic mix of indie & alternative tunes, guitar anthems, alt-pop gems and electronic sounds for your listening pleasure. Take some time to scroll through our track choices below, and make sure you press play on the playlist at the end of this post.

Follow GIHE on Spotify to hear all of our previous playlists too.

 

Problem Patterns – ‘Letter Of Resignation’
Fresh from supporting electro-punk icons Le Tigre on their Manchester and Glasgow UK tour dates, this is the latest single from GIHE favourites, Belfast Riot Grrrls Problem Patterns. Taken from their upcoming debut album, Blouse Club, which will be released later this year via Alcopop! Records, ‘Letter of Resignation’ celebrates queer joy and ally-ship, which feels especially poignant during Pride month here in the UK. We can’t wait to have the band headline for us again at the Sebright Arms in Hackney on 17th November. Tickets are cheaper in advance, so make sure you grab one from DICE.
(Kate Crudgington)

CLT DRP – ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’
This is the title track from Brighton electro-punk trio CLT DRP’s upcoming second album, which is set for release on 8th September via Venn Records. ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’ is a thumping, primal offering that champions the immediacy and the transitory nature of thoughts and emotions. I am OBSESSED with it, and so are ARRX, who played the track on our recent Soho Radio show during our interview with them. Listen back to that here. (KC)

Straight Girl – ‘Ugly’
I CANNOT WAIT for Leeds multi-talented artist Straight Girl to headline for us at the Shacklewell Arms next Friday 7th July. With their fierce charisma and unique electro-punk soundscapes and sparkling stage presence, I guarantee they’ll deliver a euphoric immersive experience that you won’t be forgetting in a hurry! Support comes from ALT BLK ERA (!) and The Dead Zoo. I can’t stress enough how silly you would be to miss this one. Grab a ticket on DICE now.
(Mari Lane)

ALT BLK ERA – ‘I’m Normally Like This’
Embracing the power of their individuality and refusing to let the opinions of others impact the way they express themselves, I love this single fro genre-defying sister duo ALT BLK ERA. Fuelled by their antagonistic and joyful spirit, it’s a cathartic rage-dance anthem that celebrates the freedom that comes with championing your own creativity in alternative music scenes and beyond. The band will be playing as main support for our GIHE summer gig with STRAIGHT GIRL at The Shacklewell Arms on Friday 7th July! Grab a ticket on DICE now. (KC)

cumgirl8 – ‘gothgirl1’
One for the #GloomyGirls out there! New York four-piece cumgirl8 have shared this dark, sultry new tune. It’s taken from their upcoming EP phantasea pharm, which is set for release on 18th August. The band will be supporting Le Tigre on their Canadian tour dates in July and they’ll be returning to the UK to play Greenman Festival in Wales on 18th August. (KC)

Sweeping Promises – ‘Eraser’
Following their 2020 debut, Hunger For A Way Out, Kansas duo Sweeping Promises have now returned with a new album, Good Living Is Coming For You, set for release today 30th June! Taken from the album, ‘Eraser’ showcases the band’s unique colossal energy and quirky, colourful soundscapes. Of the track, they explain that ‘Eraser’ is “a malevolent creep – an overly ambitious, shadowy force who bears an uncanny resemblance to you. She watches your every move, mirrors your motions, and ultimately uses your voice against you without you ever noticing what she’s done. She’s unchecked ambition, a paranoid girl Friday, an overriding impulse to reflect rather than project. She must be stopped at all costs.” (ML)

Grrrl Gang – ‘Spunky’
Indonesian Riot Grrrls Grrrl Gang have been a rising force in the Southeast Asian music scene since their formation in 2016, and I just love this short sweet blast of empowering, infectious pop-punk. It’s currently an exciting time for the band as their debut full length album, also called Spunky, is due out in September, getting a release with legendary label Kill Rock Stars in the US. (ML)

Girls Like Us – ‘Spoonfed’
London-based grunge/punk trio Girls Like Us recently released their debut EP, ‘Til The Bitter End, which this track ‘Spoonfed’ is lifted from. Their blend of riotous vocals and guitars and their memorable song titles – ‘My Boyfriend Was A Tory (So I Broke Up With Him)’ – make for cathartic, fun listening. (KC)

House Of Women – ‘Hysterical’
‘Hysterical’ is the debut single from London four piece House Of Women, released via their own label. The band have been busy playing live shows in London recently in preparation for their upcoming slot at 2000TREES festival on 7th July. I’m looking forward to hearing more from these four in the future! (KC)

Cable Ties – ‘Thoughts Back’
The latest single from Australian band Cable Ties, ‘Thoughts Back’, is a wonderfully scuzzy slice of post-punk, reflecting on drummer and vocalist Shauna Boyle’s personal experiences with mental illness and how consuming and exhausting it can be. All Her Plans, the new album from Cable Ties, is out now and if you fancy catching them live, they’re headlining the Shacklewell Arms on 25th August. (ML)

Ratboys – ‘It’s Alive’
Not sure how I’ve only just come across Chicago band Ratboys, but they’re new favourites for sure! Their latest single, ‘It’s Alive’, is filled with all the dreamy, lilting hooks and fuzzy allure I could ever need, and Julia Steiner’s vocals are sugar sweet perfection. Ratboy’s upcoming new album, The Window, is set for release on 25th August. (ML)

Divide and Dissolve – ‘Want’
Happy album release day to the inimitable Divide & Dissolve! Their fourth record, Systemic, released via INVADA Records, hosts more of their heavy, sublime sounds that I’ve grown to love over the past few years. Divide and Dissolve’s core message has remained the same throughout their journey: “to make music that honours their ancestors and Indigenous land, to oppose white supremacy, and to work towards a future of Black and Indigenous liberation.” This track ‘Want’ is a hypnotic loop of sound that opens their new record. Listen to Systemic here and keep your eyes peeled for a full review on our website next week! (KC)

CIRCE – ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow)’
Taken from her upcoming EP, Drawing Wings From The Light, which is set for release on 19th July, Circe’s latest single bristles with a potent anger, explored through her seething-yet-poetic lyricism, atmospheric synths and intriguing use of ASMR-inducing samples. Inspired by “a powerful rage” directed against “the slights and casual misogyny of the music world”, her hushed threat of “I am a hurricane” sees her defiantly reclaim a sense of power and self autonomy in the face of this adversity. (KC)

Yvonne Ambrée – ‘Outtamymouth’
Some great electronic analogue sounds on this track from Brooklyn via Berlin singer-songwriter Yvonne Ambrée. Yvonne details the track: “The song really embraces all the moments when something comes to an end – when something has been said, a decision has been made, a feeling has taken over etc.” I love it. (Tash Walker)

Speakers Corner Quartet ft. Tirzah – ‘Fix’
A couple of weeks ago, I had the total pleasure of seeing Speakers Corner Quarter at Roundhouse for the launch of their album. It was a totally mesmerising show, each track features a different collaborator – ‘Fix’ with Tirzah, but also Kae Tempest, Sampha and so many others joined them on stage. I would strongly recommend you all check out the album and immerse yourself in the delightful sound bath! (TW)

Hera Lind – ‘Hungry Lion’
‘Hungry Lion’ is the latest single from this Icelandic musician, an ode to restoring your inner peace and “feeling whole again” after escaping certain toxicities in life. (TW)

heka – ‘april (away)’
Heka has now signed with Practise Music and this is her first single for the label. Self-proclaimed “butchered folk” – I love that. And the song, which has a deep intimacy and melancholy to it. (TW)

King Hannah – ‘State Trooper’
Two live highlights of mine over the last few months: seeing Bruce Springsteen live in Barcelona, and seeing King Hannah support Kurt Vile at Koko. So, this rendition of one of my favourite Boss songs by the Liverpool band combines the two in a rather beautiful way. It was wonderful to finally see King Hannah live – even more completely spellbinding than I could have ever imagined. (ML)

Hand Habits – ‘The Bust Of Nefertiti’
The latest single from LA based artist Meg Duffy aka Hand Habits, ‘The Bust Of Nefertiti’ is taken from their new EP, Sugar The Bruise – a collection of songs focused on being in the moment, which was written after Duffy had taught a month long songwriting class last summer, in which they discovered a newfound clarity in embracing the unknown. I just really love this track’s driving emotion and cinematic soundscape. (ML)

TERI GENDER BENDER – ‘You Won The Man’
Taken from her upcoming EP, OUTSIDERS, which is set for release on 7th July, this is the latest alt-pop gem from the marvellous Teri Gender Bender. On ‘You Won The Man’, Teri reminds us that “behind every victory lies a poignant tale of sacrifice, struggle, and the profound human experience.” She is a total force when performing live, which she proved on stage supporting The Mars Volta on their UK tour dates earlier this month. (KC)

Girl Ray – ‘Everybody’s Saying That’
Any regular followers of ours will know what a fan I am of London trio Girl Ray, and my fandom has only increased with their latest slew of funk-fuelled singles. This one fizzes with all the swirling disco-inspired energy and danceable allure that we’ve come to know and love, and leaves me super excited for the release of their upcoming album, Prestige, which is out on 4th August via Moshi Moshi. I can’t wait to see them live again for its launch at Rough Trade East that evening, and if you’re keen to dance the night away to more Girl Ray-approved hits, they’re hosting ‘Club Prestige’ – a night of disco hits and beyond – at The George Tavern on 21st July. (ML)

Spinsters – ‘Styrofoam’
Bolton-based newcomers Spinsters have released their debut EP, Love Songs From the Apocalypse, today via The Evening Economies! This track ‘Styrofoam’ is one of five songs that explore the notion of memory, our bodies, joy, fear and technology – aka “what it means to be a messy human animal in chaotic times”. (KC)

Delilah Holliday – ‘Silent Streets’
Lifted from her upcoming EP, Invaluable Vol. 1, which is set for release via One Little Independent Records on 7th July, ‘Silent Streets’ is the latest banger from Delilah Holliday. A former member of punk band Skinny Girl Diet, Delilah’s solo sound has shifted into electronic dance territory, and this track allows her new skills to shine. (KC)

Alex Loveless – ‘Whiplash’
Hackney-based electronic artist Alex Loveless has returned with this alt-pop gem after a break from creating music whilst recovering from long covid. Inspired by palimpsest memories – layers of memories that accumulated as Loveless retraced their steps around London – it’s a slow-burning, lo-fi musing that sees them explore the powerful yet transitory relationships and interactions they have with others. (KC)

Lucy’s Delirium – ‘Mr Tv’
This is the debut single from Montreal alternative rock band Lucy’s Delirium. Their strong DIY ethos and playful, carefree attitude has resulted in the sound of ‘Mr Tv’. They recorded the single in their home studio, and the band describe it as “encapsulating the hypnotizing and obsessive feeling og the relationship between people and technology.” (KC)

MALKA – ‘Matriarch’
Having been a big fan of Scottish artist Tamara Schlesinger aka MALKA ever since she was a guest on our radio show about 6 years ago, I was excited to hear that she has new material. Taken from her upcoming new album, ‘Matriarch’ reflects on trying to balance everything in life whilst finding pride in what you succeed at. Oozing a sparkling, synth-soaked soundscape as Schlesinger’s honey sweet vocals are propelled by uptempo, tribal beats, it offers a beautifully uplifting ode to self empowerment. (ML)

Lizzo – ‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)’
I wasn’t at Glastonbury, sadly… But I’ve been lucky enough to see Lizzo before and her immense empowering presence is just one of the most wonderful things in the world. Even just watching the footage of her set from the weekend on iPlayer filled me with so much joy and emotion. Going through a few changes and realisations in my personal life at the moment, seeing the sheer beautiful uplifting energy and fierce spirit of her performing this song (and all the girls and gays crying along) was really just what I needed right now. Thank you Lizzo! (ML)

 

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Five Favourites: Sweeping Promises

Following their 2020 debut, Hunger For A Way Out, Kansas duo Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug – aka Sweeping Promises – have now returned with a new album, Good Living Is Coming For You, is set for release tomorrow.

Taken from the album, latest single ‘Eraser’ showcases the band’s unique colossal energy and quirky, colourful soundscapes. Of the track, they explain that ‘Eraser’ is “a malevolent creep – an overly ambitious, shadowy force who bears an uncanny resemblance to you. She watches your every move, mirrors your motions, and ultimately uses your voice against you without you ever noticing what she’s done. She’s unchecked ambition, a paranoid girl Friday, an overriding impulse to reflect rather than project. She must be stopped at all costs.”

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of Good Living Is Coming For You, we caught up with Lira and Caufield to ask about the music that has inspired them the most. So, read about their five favourite albums, and make sure you check out the album, and watch the video for ‘Eraser‘ below! 

Caufield’s Picks:

Robert Ashley – Private Parts
One of the albums that has deeply marked my adult life! “A picnic of sorts.” Play this one if you think ambient suffers from a lack-of-personality problem. I will say I am intensely drawn to the second part, ‘The Backyard’, as the raga and Blue Gene Tyranny’s swirly soundscape lock into a groove, and Ashley’s midwestern observations bend abstractly into a kind of suburban noir. John Cheever, meet John Cage! The album’s sly and off-centre thought complex is punk to me. The low voice mix is an editorial red herring, directing the ear towards a narrative that is only ever elliptical and half-understood. The idea of cinema is as suggestive here as the idea of opera. Sumptuous intermedia!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=QpHjWjNSL_k

Poison Girlfriend – Melting Moment (1992, re-press Sad Disco)
A new-to-me classic; a triphop phantasmagoria, envisioned by DJ digi-auteur nOrikO. I would recommend visiting the website, as this album’s milieu will be made clear. A first vinyl press arrives imminently via Japanese label Sad Disco (message to universe: the whole PGF catalogue should be pressed!). Anyway, this album is an icy piece of ambient house as well as a particularly form-pushing exemplar of early ’90s Japanese CD-R subculture. Brittle, dithered digital production, awesome spatialisation, surprising arrangements. I like nOrikO’s exploratory vocal delivery (English-speaking on this record), which is dispassionate yet intimate, with an air of danger. I read the characterology of her vocal as being like a femme fatale delivering a doomed-romantic message. In this album, feelings of love and breakdown pixelate into a shape auguring the early internet, a toxic desiring machine: enthralling, lonely, sophisticated.

Optic Sink – Glass Blocks (Feel It, 2023 – forthcoming)
Having left our jobs in 2021, Lira and I run a recording studio out of our vaulted-roof house in Kansas, which at times comes to resemble, for better or worse, an indie music b’n’b. In this capacity, we made the Optic Sink record so I’ve heard it, even though it’s not officially out yet. Perks of the trade, people! Can’t wait for this album to land on Feel It; Lira and I feel a twinge of pride, as we recall the darkened days of the snowstorm (coldwave manifest), hours of party-working in Lawrence, KS, menu-diving around the surrealistic Eventide H3000, on all sides a janky wall of analog synths! Our friends from Memphis, Ben, Keith, and Natalie comprise this band, electrified brainiacs all, and rocknroll expats, which is sympathetic. Travelling to a city near you, god willing!


Lira’s Picks:

Pozi – Smiling Pools (2023)
I was introduced to Pozi via their 176 EP in 2020, and I’ve been captivated ever since. Smiling Pools takes all the excellence of their previous releases and launches it into spectacular new heights with arrangements that are at once skeletal and dense, inviting and dangerous, haunted and hypnotic and hooky. I love how unfettered they sound, yet still so controlled: tightly coiled springs, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. One of the things I love about this band is the vocal interplay between Rosa Brook, Tom Jones, and Toby Burroughs (beautifully demonstrated in the unsettling call-and-response on ‘Through The Door’). ‘Failing’ and ’24 Deliveru’ get the repeat-button treatment a lot. One of the best albums of 2023, and also a really great album to bake a cake to late at night (speaking from experience).

Yukihiro Takahashi – What, Me Worry?
There are some albums I gravitate towards during certain seasons (Mask by Bauhaus in the bare-branched winter, Força Bruta by Jorge Ben for balmy summer evenings), but What, Me Worry? is perfect year-round, no matter the time or season. There’s a song for every moment; ‘It’s Gonna Work Out’ was made to soundtrack zipping around neon-lit highways on a warm July night; ‘All You’ve Got to Do’ is as bright and sparkly as a dewy spring morning. And then there’s ‘Disposable Love’ – “The first time I saw you, I knew it was going to happen” – the first time I heard that chorus, it made me shiver. A whole world of regret and desire contained in those thirteen portentous words! Up to that point, the song is already on the verge of buckling under the weight of its yearning, but still manages to play it cool with bouncy rhythms and fluttering, flute-like synth flourishes. And then that chorus lands, clawing through the mists of all that cool remove…I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it now. Yukihiro Takahashi’s music is so ambitious and sophisticated; his is an ecstatic strain of pop that twists and turns in ways that are thrilling and kinetic and intuitive.


Massive thanks to Lira and Caufield for sharing their Five Favourites with us!

Good Living Is Coming For You, the new album from Sweeping Promises, is out tomorrow 30th June via Sub Pop. Listen to quirky new single ‘Eraser’ here:

Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill

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LISTEN: Malka – ‘Matriarch’

Tamara Schlesinger has been making music for over fifteen years, first as the leader of alt-folk collective 6 Day Riot and since 2014 as a solo artist under the name MALKA. Her music has been featured on Hollywood blockbusters and TV series (127 Hours, Scream IV and Skins), and across MTV and Netflix. So, now, 2023 sees the return of MALKA with her upcoming synth-based album, Anatomy of Sight.

‘Matriarch‘, the second single to be taken from the album (following ‘Flashlight’), further expands MALKA’s journey into synths and solo production; and as the opener sets the tone for the album as a whole. Of the track, MALKA explains:

“(Matriarch is about) that feeling of trying to juggle everything, trying to find that balance in life and wondering whether you have made the right decisions along the way. But it is also about that fierce pride of succeeding with something, especially when you have achieved it alone.”

The song begins with an eerily ethereal chime – an organ-like/slide guitar sound – quickly leading into the intro where MALKA’S voice is centred and layered, among the bouncy ’80s synths, becoming expansive as the chorus builds. Emanating both light and shade with its swirling soundscape, the second verse oozes a sense of vulnerability, the lyrics alluding to leaving a bad situation and starting over – “change the story now, every page just feels the same”. Moments of confusion are displayed in the voice distortion of the middle-eight, whilst the empowering chorus returns throughout; reminding us of those bitter sweet moments when navigating personal adversity. A shimmering, stirring reflection on life’s challenges and achievements.

Anatomy Of Sight, the upcoming new album from Malka, is set for release on 29th September via Tantrum Records.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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