PREMIERE: Dream Phone – ‘Bad Girls’

Having been completely blown away by Oxford duo Dream Phone when they played live for us supporting Me Rex last month, I was thrilled to hear they’ll be releasing their debut EP in May. Counting BBC Radio 6Music amongst their fans, and sharing stages with the likes of Cheerbleederz and Supermilk, the duo started off as a pop-punk guitar and drums duo, before transforming into the wonderful auto-tuned glitch-pop sensation that we know today – ready to unleash more of their utterly unique sonic delights to the world.

Taken from the EP, new single ‘Bad Girls’ offers a joyous ode to Buffy and Faith (from best TV show ever, Buffy The Vampire Slayer), celebrating friendship and discovering your “bad side” as Jenny Bell and Hannah Watts’ sparkling charisma and vibrant energy shine through. Showcasing the duo’s ability to combine quirky voice augmentation with infectious, synth-driven glitch-pop soundscapes, it harks back to the innovative layering and sampling of Kathleen Hanna’s solo Julie Ruin record; oozing a euphoric riot grrrl inspired drive, whilst maintaining Dream Phone’s trademark playful allure. Of the track, Jenny explains:

“Bad Girls is about the excitement of making a new friend who has a big influence on you, and finding your partner in crime. When we’re not jumping around in Dream Phone, we spend a lot of our downtime watching Buffy – and in the ‘Bad Girls’ episode I love that Buffy is able to cut loose with her new friendship with Faith. We originally wrote the song as a simple guitar and drums pop punk song, and recently transformed it into this new glitch-pop sound”.  

Since the immense excitement of seeing them live last month, it’s in no way an exaggeration to say that I have not stopped thinking about Dream Phone (aka my new favourite band)’s wonderfully wacky and truly original offerings, and will be hitting repeat on the glorious hype-pop tenacity of ‘Bad Girls’ for the foreseeable future.

So, don your knee-high boots and wooden stakes, watch the new video for ‘Bad Girls’, and feel instantly better about life!

The self-titled debut EP from Dream Phone is set for release on 19th May via Divine Schism.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: HOST – ‘Not Alright’

An off-kilter slice of synth-pop that buzzes with unrest, Irish musician HOST has shared her latest single ‘Not Alright’. Inspired by feelings of burnout following a one-sided friendship, HOST combines hazy vocals, catchy synth hooks and energetic beats to reflect the cyclical nature of the expired energy she laments in her lyrics.

Following on from her 2021 EP No Reply, HOST continues to build on her raw, confessional brand of synth-pop with this latest release, channelling her disappointments and frustrations into a sound that fizzes with the desire to break free from a situation that’s getting the best of her. Ultimately, she arrives at a place of acceptance, moving away from the toxic friendship and pushing forwards alone.

“’Not Alright’ is about constantly shouldering your friends’ problems, absorbing their stress and not having anyone to reciprocate yours,” HOST explains about the new single. “While already being in a bad place, this can quickly weigh you down mentally and emotionally. You can read their selfishness like a book, you know their next move because this isn’t your first rodeo and eventually, something’s got to give.”

HOST is set to release more new music in 2022. Listen to ‘Not Alright’ below.

 

Follow HOST on Soundcloud, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Catherine Moan – ‘Soda Pop’

A buoyant synth-pop tune that bubbles with romantic frustration, Philadelphia-based electronic musician Catherine Moan has shared her latest single ‘Soda Pop’. Taken from her debut album Chain Reaction, which she released last year via Born Losers Records, the track is a sugary sweet, 80s tinged exploration of joy, love and loneliness.

Inspired by the likes of Depeche Mode, CHVRCHES and The Chromatics, Catherine Moan blends dancing beats, yearning vocals and cinematic synths to create her shimmering electronic sounds. Like many artists in the past two years, Catherine used the mandatory solitude that Covid-19 brought to her advantage, writing and recording her debut album Chain Reaction, which new single ‘Soda Pop’ has now been added to as part of an extended release.

“Chain Reaction is a product of a year spent habitually online in my bedroom,” Catherine explains about her record. “The songs tell a story of digital love and coping with excessive solitude with your own body in isolation.” It’s in this solo universe that ‘Soda Pop’ was born, fizzing with its playful energy and gently relieving the vexations of physical and romantic loneliness via bouncing beats and shimmering synths.

Listen to Soda Pop below.

Order the extended edition of Chain Reaction on cassette here

Follow Catherine Moan on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Nuna Morales

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Sweeping Promises – ‘Pain Without a Touch’

An irresistible slice of punk-infused synth-pop, Kansas-based duo Sweeping Promises have shared their latest single ‘Pain Without A Touch’. Released via Sub Pop and Feel It Records, the track is a rush of brooding riffs, punchy electronics and crystalline vocals, designed to get listeners moving on to their next adventure.

Formed of Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug (and live touring drummer Spenser Gralla), Sweeping Promises came to life in a “disused and reverberant concrete laboratory” just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The pair released their debut single ‘Hunger for a Way Out’ in 2020 – which was mixed in mono and with their “self-devised single-mic technique” – and now they’re back with the vibrant ‘Pain Without a Touch’. With shades of Le Tigre and Yeah Yeah Yeahs thanks to Mondal’s clear-cut vocals, the track fizzes with a euphoric energy, driven by infectious beats and chant-worthy lyrics.

Sweeping Promises will be touring the UK and Europe in 2022, so make sure you catch them live in a city near you. Listen to ‘Pain Without a Touch’ below.

Follow Sweeping Promises on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Sweeping Promises UK Tour Dates 2022
Tue. May 24 – Brighton – Hope & Ruin
Wed. May 25 – Bristol – The Exchange
Thu. May 26 – Glasgow – Hug & Pint
Fri. May 27 – Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club
Sun. May 29 – Manchester – YES (Basement)
Mon. May 30 – Birmingham – The Hare and Hounds
Tue. May 31 – Portsmouth – Wedgewood Rooms

Photo Credit: Jackie Lee Young

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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