Charlie Ashcroft’s Musosoup Round-Up June 2024
Charlie Ashcroft: Presenter @amazingradio, DJ @SomebodyTM_Club. Also a @QPR fan, a @RecCollMag columnist + #Spotify Playlist curator with @music_gateway
Another huge month of releases! Here are ten of my favourite discoveries from June, all emerging from the Musosoup ecosystem with a collective bang!
Let’s start with Ladybyrd. ‘Kissing Undercover’ is her third single of the year and arguably her best yet, showcasing an intoxicating mix of dreamy soundscapes, excellent pop production and superb vocals.
As she prepares to move from Australia to the UK, songwriter Rae Charlea has put out a tremendous new record. With its Cure-esque melodies and breezy power pop charm, ‘He’s Just A Boy’ will undoubtedly be a firm favourite all summer.
Emerging five-piece French Mothers returned earlier this year with ‘Giving Up’ and are now back on superb form with the dark indie anthem in the form of ‘Lovely Day To Die’. Definitely a band to watch out for!
I also want to shout out the perennial Amazing Radio favourites from Ireland, Foot Squeaker. Their new single ‘Pass It On’ builds beautifully and then peaks with an absolutely soaring chorus. Superb to have them back.
In the build-up to her Glastonbury appearances, Lizzie Esau unleashed a great new single called ‘Cool’. In keeping with her prolific run of recent releases, it’s a glorious collision of grunge attitude and pop harmonies. Another belter.
In a similar vein, I came across Cairo Station’s new one this month and was completely blown away. ‘Menace’ is a brooding alt-rock stomper, with shades of Hole, Hotline TNT and early Deap Vally at its core.
Another recent on-air Amazing Radio staple for you now, thanks to the wonderfully-named Bottomless Brunch. Latest track ‘Rocket Fuel’ deals in massive riffs, cool-as-f*** vocals and all-round huge energy over the course of 3 minutes.
A further example of a Musosoup highlight who also played Glastonbury can be found in the form of Baby Said. ‘Panic Attack’ is a great slice of melodic post-punk from a band very much on the up. Keep an eye out for their releases across the remainder of 2024 and beyond!
The Exhales surfaced on exhilarating form this month too. I thoroughly recommend the their stunning new track ‘Bouquet’, which manages to be equal parts catchy, equal parts heartfelt. A fresh, solid-gold indie banger for your playlists.
Finally, ‘Favourite Ghost’ by Blitz Playhouse - one of those tracks I’ve kept returning to since discovering it a few weeks back. Boasting an incredible vocal range, atmospheric guitar licks and a really tight rhythm section, this song is a real slow-burning gem.