Charlie Ashcroft’s Musosoup Round-Up July 2024
Charlie Ashcroft: Presenter @amazingradio, DJ @SomebodyTM_Club. Also a @QPR fan, a @RecCollMag columnist + #Spotify Playlist curator with @music_gateway
Allow me to briefly interrupt your brat summer (or post-Olympics state of mind, delete as appropriate) with ten big tracks which landed across the month of July!
First up, Faith Zapata! Hailing from northern California, this talented singer-songwriter has crafted an incredible slice of emotionally-charged indie pop called ‘Running In Circles’. It’s one of those songs which would sound perfectly at home as the centrepiece for a coming-of-age film soundtrack. Furthermore, it was produced by Regina Pimentel, whose own 2024 album, ‘Nineteen’, is also absolutely stunning.
Next, Vancouver outfit We Found a Lovebird, who rounded off July with the release of the intoxicatingly good ‘Signal Hill’. Finding that sweet spot between upbeat jangle pop and urgent post-punk, it makes for an excellent first release of 2024 for these talented Canadians.
Staying across the pond, we head south to Atlanta, Georgia. MatAre is the alter ego of prolific singer-songwriter Matt Rousseau, who unleashed a glorious slab of dreampop last month in the shape of ‘Forever Light’.
Over here in the UK, South Coast quartet Pioneers are back with a bang! You may remember their track ‘Old Ways’ which I featured in this column earlier in the year… Follow-up release ‘Beep Beep Boom’ is a suitably catchy, summer-ready indie punk smash.
Nova Hall also landed in our collective consciousness last month with a beautiful piece of alternative pop in the form of ‘CAN’T STOP’, whose chorus will stay stuck in your head for a good while. This single is evidence enough that she’s blazing a distinctive creative trail and an artist to keep an eye on.
Next it’s the Triple J-endorsed duo Ally Row, taking us in a slightly more pastoral direction with a phenomenal new record called ‘The Great Unknown’. From the subtle ‘yee-ha’ in the introduction, to the wonderful vocal harmonies throughout, this is a tremendous banjo-fuelled country folk stomper.
Back in Canada, we find Madame Psychosis, whose melodic brand of charming indie pop is an absolute delight. Clocking in at just over two minutes, ‘Foxtail’ will have you reaching for the rewind button to dive in again time after time. An instant classic from the Toronto five-piece.
Another band returning on triumphant form in July were the ace Los Angeles trio, Night Talks. ‘Dream I’m In’ is a dizzying collision of big riffs and powerful synth patterns, drenched in soul from start to finish.
I was also thrilled to discover the work of a Detroit-based artist named Bang in my Musosoup feed a couple of weeks back. ‘Hold On’ is a beautiful fusion of bedroom pop, hushed hip-hop and intriguing slowcore. A genuine treat to find a song which draws you in like this!
Finally this month, we have the latest single release by the supremely talented Sabrina G. ‘Losing Sleep’ is a dramatic window onto the Brighton-born performer’s world, with stunning vocals, superb production, and a brilliant build to the chorus.