Track Of The Day: Alien Chicks – ’27 Stitches’

Written on the same day as their single ‘While My Landlord Sleeps’, ‘27 Stitches‘ solidifies South London band Alien Chicks’ distinct creative style. The new song follows similar structural beats in a way that pairs with the first song to establish the band’s unique musical and narrative sound.

’27 Stitches’ starts off light and playful – bright, twinkling strings dance over an upbeat rhythm, as soft vocals tell a slice-of-life tale about buying a second-hand television at an ideal rate. The track soon launches into a louder, more rambunctious chorus as the story takes a turn for the worse.

Growling guitars, rapid drums and aggressive vocals grab you and throw into the sudden tension in the scene; it’s impossible not to get caught up in the abrupt sense of danger. And then the song ramps up into an intoxicating cacophony of strings and horns that captures the chaos of the climactic moments of the story with a funk-fuelled musicality.

Alien Chicks are evidently hugely talented on multiple levels. ’27 Stitches’ is a brilliantly constructed song; as well as being so much fun to listen to, the instruments tell the story as much as the lyrics do. The track as a whole leaves you with a complete sense that you were there in the excitement of it.

It is no surprise that Alien Chicks are rapidly generating a dedicated following in London’s live gig spaces. ’27 Stitches’ exemplifies their creativity and skill, and shows exactly why so many people are excited to see what they do next.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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Track Of The Day: Gemma Cullingford – ‘New Day’

Having received praise from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Steve LaMacq and Amy Lame, as well as Radio X’s John Kennedy for previous singles ‘Tongue Tied’ and ‘Wide Boys’, Gemma Cullingford (of GIHE faves Sink Ya Teeth) has now shared a brand new offering ahead of her upcoming album release in September.

Reflecting on night terrors that we can all experience even as adults, and the optimism that the morning can bring, ‘New Day‘ delivers a blissfully shimmering soundscape evoking a nostalgic energy, with shades of the danceable hits of the ’80s. Flowing with glitchy, synth-driven hooks as the subtle stirring power of Cullingford’s vocals oozes alongside a whirring, twinkling drive, a truly euphoric summer anthem is created.

Watch the beautiful new lyric video for ‘New Day’ here:

A special remix of ‘New Day’ by Rodney Cromwell is due out on 8th August. And Tongue Tied, the upcoming second album from Gemma Cullingford, is set for release this Autumn. To celebrate its release she’ll be playing a joint headline show for us with Alice Hubble and support from Yay Maria at The Shacklewell Arms on 10th September. Get your tickets on DICE now!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Preview & Playlist: Truck Festival

Like the first day of summer, the proper start of festival season is an intangible moment, a shift in the weather, an unspoken collective agreement that the time has come. In the melting heat of mid-July, turning my mind to Truck Festival, it is clear that, whenever exactly it started, the high festival season has arrived. With reserves of sun cream packed and liquor decanted into plastic bottles (no glass on site remember!), there now remains only the trains and buses via Didcot Parkway between me and my entry into the high festival season.

Truck festival is one of our original big-little festivals, started in 1998, a veritable elder in a market where more and more new festivals are born like generations of flying ants each year. In its age and wisdom, the festival has cemented a reputation as the go-to for noisy indie rock with a little more cred and fewer legless GCSE graduates than Reading and Leeds. The headliners tend to come from artists previously featured in NME, but further down the bill you are reliably able to find some gems.

This year is true to this form, with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Sam Fender, Kasabian, The Kooks and Blossoms leading the bill. The main acts I’m looking forward to seeing, however, are in somewhat smaller print. I’m hoping to catch Loose Articles, whose new single ‘Kick Like a Girl’ should go off especially well in the wake of England’s dramatic Euros quarter-final win last night. Sorry are always a great live experience, with shows that never fail to remind me why I love them, capturing the slick pop greatness of their Domino output and the uncanny interludes collaging found audio taken from their Home Demo/ns series. 

The So Young-curated Market Stage looks to be another treasure trove, with a solid run on Saturday including Lime Garden and Deep Tan. And while I’m there, primarily looking to catch some interesting up-and-comers, I’m sure that the heart of my 14-year-old self will enjoy singing along to Bombay Bicycle Club on the Friday night.

Other bands that, although sadly not featuring as main headliners, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing include: Sigrid, The Big Moon, The Subways, Jade Bird, Just Mustard, and GIHE faves Peaness… (and will definitely try to catch the legend that is Kelis!)

Have a listen to our playlist of Ones To Watch at Truck Festival, and keep your eyes peeled for our review of the festival over the next couple of weeks! 

Lloyd Bolton
@lloyd_bolton

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Track Of The Day: Murman – ‘Falling Down’

Since forming back in 2018 via a Gumtree Ad, London-Brighton band Murman are now a refined four piece who’ve shared stages with the likes of Lucia and the Best Boys and Porridge Radio at esteemed venues such as The Scala and Camden Assembly. Now, following the success of recent singles ‘Baptism’ and ‘Achilles’, they have shared an infectious new offering.

Propelled by swirling, scuzzy hooks and an anthemic, emotion-filled drive, ‘Falling Down‘ oozes a gritty energy in the vein of rock greats such as Bruce Springsteen and The Killers, with an added unique colourful pizazz and impassioned swooning vocals. If you’re in need of an instantly catchy, joyously jangly slice of Americana-tinged garage-rock, then look no further… ‘Falling Down’ offers a perfectly danceable antidote to all of life’s worries. Of the track, the band explain:

“It’s one of those songs that just sticks with you and you keep hearing in your head. We feel incredibly privileged to have collaborated with extraordinarily talented people like Josh Hayward (The Horrors) who worked with us in the studio, Garmo Mandica who mixed and produced the song, and Swedish vocalist Wiktoria who is featured on backing vocals on the track... I’m a big fan of Blondie – I remember hearing ‘Dreaming’ for the first time and it was like a kick to the gut. I wanted ‘Falling Down’ to have that same impact.”

Watch the new video for ‘Falling Down’ now:

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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