Favourite Albums of 2024 - The Top 10

 

It’s the end of the year and that means it’s the appropriate time to post an end of the year list. Not November. Not even the middle of December. But at the end of the year.

So here is the Breaking More Waves Favourite Albums of 2024 list.

There’s no big commentary or no real explanation of the records here. This is because if you are the sort of person that pays any interest in end of year lists, you probably can’t stand any more essays on why such and such a record is so good.

There are just 3 short points to be made about this list:

1. I only post my Top 10 records here, because as I’ve said in previous years, who really wants to listen to an album that someone says is their 89^th favourite release of 2024?

2. However, if you do want more than 10, you can find the Breaking More Waves Top 30 on a Spotify playlist here. 1 track from each record.

3. Having first appeared on the blog in 2009 after releasing the song Do It Well, Charli XCX is no stranger to the Breaking More Waves end of year list. She previously featured in 6^th (True Romance 2013), 10^th (Sucker 2014), 14^th (Charli 2019), 6^th again (How I’m Feeling Now 2020) and 28^th places (Crash 2022). But this time she goes higher. Brat is number 1. The album topped a lot of end of year polls. This one is no different. It’s the most forward thinking, modern, exciting, honest, danceable pop record I’ve heard all year and is packed full of good songs.

Brat is also unusual in that it’s an album that has made album artwork important / talked about again. Streaming has to a large extent destroyed interest in album artwork which relies generally on a bigger canvas than a small square on someone's phone. With Brat, Charli has made it important again. It’s influence has gone way beyond pop music.

Here’s the top 10. The playlist of the top 30 can be found on this link here.

Top 10 Albums of 2024

 1st Charli XCX – Brat

2nd The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy

3rd The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World

4th Fabiana Palladino  - Fabiana Palladino

5th English Teacher – This Could Be Texas

6th Kneecap – Fine Art

7th Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft

8th Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching

9th Sprints – Letter To Self

10th Lady Blackbird - Slang Spirituals

Charli XCX - 360 (From Brat)

charlixcx · 360

Ones to Watch 2025 #10 Man / Woman / Chainsaw

 Man/ Woman/ Chainsaw is Billy Ward (vocals, guitars), Emmie-Mae Avery (vocals,keys/synths), Vera Leppänen (vocals, bass), Clio Harwood (violin) and Lola Cherry (drums). The final choice on this year’s Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch list they are arguably the least ‘new’ of the 10 acts on the list, having released their first song Any Given Sunday late in 2022. Two further songs followed in 2023 and it was one of these that first caught our attention – the ambitious What Lucy Found There. It wasn’t until November 2024 though that the band released their debut EP and established themselves as a true force to be reckoned with.

If you are a fan of early Black Country New Road, The Delgados and what is often known as the ‘Windmill Scene’ bands but think that Black Country New Road are becoming a little too twee recently then Man / Woman/  Chainsaw may well be your cup of musical tea. Taking indie guitars and both male and female vocals as a base, the band create a bigger widescreen sound through the addition of violin and piano that gives them a broader folk-orchestral scope than many of their indie rock contemporaries. Man / Woman / Chainsaw have moments in their songs where they sound genuinely pretty but it’s often then cut with aggressive punkish outbursts. It's this contrast and not knowing what is going to come next that is part of their appeal.

Man / Woman / Chainsaw still sound like a band that are growing and developing, but that development is fascinating; where their potential takes them only time will tell.

Man / Woman / Chainsaw - Ode To Clio

Man/Woman/Chainsaw · Ode To Clio

Ones to Watch 2025 #9 Disgusting Sisters

The ninth Ones to Watch 2025 is Disgusting Sisters; a duo that featured on the blog in September prior to releasing any music.

Since then they’ve released they’re debut single Killing It and Breaking More Waves has managed to catch them live.

From that live show I can confirm that they are the new queens of dancing in front of the bedroom mirror pop. They’re cool, sassy and fun. They describe themselves as “Gucci Beavis and Butthead.” They probably spent their youths listening to Girls Aloud and Shampoo. They may get you grooving like a wolf. (Honestly). Killing It is probably their weakest song – there is better to come. The single was released by the forever on the case record label Speedy Wunderground.

They are the penultimate Ones to Watch 2025 on Breaking More Waves.

Disgusting Sisters - Killing It

 

Ones to Watch 2025 #8 The Itch

 

The next selection on the Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch 2025 list is a bit of a stab in the dark. To date The Itch have released just 1 song – the mighty Ursula. Released last April it was immediately featured as the Breaking More Waves song of the week. 

This is how it was described on the blog at that time: ‘For Georgia Hardy and Simon Tyrie (who are The Itch) have created something rather magnificent. An ambitious meandering piece of electronic retro-pop that hints at the likes of Depeche Mode circa Violator and Your Love by Frankie Knuckles, it’s in no rush to finish as it tells us that pain is stronger than love and builds to an early proclamation that: “We can bring down the government, we could put their heads on spikes.”’

The song ended up being one of my top 10 most streamed tracks of the year. Of course I fully expected something else to follow. It hasn’t. 

So was that it? Or are The Itch just scratching the surface and then making us wait at the opening for a very long time?

It’s hard to tell, but there are clues that there will be more to come. In October there was some proof they hadn’t jacked it in already when I witnessed the band play at Swn Festival in Cardiff. Expanded beyond a two piece they looked like a going concern. The shock was that the other songs in their set didn’t sound anything like the Ursula. A number of tunes burst with funkiness, there was a hint of Talking Heads and an element of danceable drama to their performance. Unexpected but unexpectedly good.

So that stab in the dark assumes that some of those tunes they played will surface at some point and that in 2025 The Itch will come marching forwards with some brilliant recordings. Let’s just hope they don’t do the same as Priestgate in 2023 or Pink Kink in 2018 and having seemingly just got going split just a few months after I’ve tipped them.

The Itch - Ursula

Ones to Watch 2025 #7 Chloe Qisha

 

Do you like pop music? Then the chances are you’ll like the seventh artist on Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch list for 2025. Chloe Qisha is a Malaysian born and UK based singer and songwriter who released her debut single VCR Home Video this July. Since then she’s released a number of other tracks including two really catchy tunes; Sexy Goodbye and I Lied, I’m Sorry. These songs straddle that thin line between out and out commercial pop (think Dua Lipa as an example) and slightly edgier alternative pop (think Chvrches). Either way in the ongoing battle between good pop and bad pop there is no doubt good pop wins here. Give I Lied, I’m Sorry one listen and I guarantee you’ll be humming the “Your hands on my body,” hook down the street.

Like all of the artists on this Ones to Watch list, it’s very early days for Chloe, but with her debut EP showcasing a neon lit world of fun pop with a slightly nostalgic 80s sound, Breaking More Waves is looking forward to hearing more from Chloe in 2025.

Chloe Qisha - I Lied, I'm Sorry

Chloe Qisha · I Lied, I'm Sorry

Ones to Watch 2025 #6 Cliffords

The sixth artist on this year’s Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch list hail from Cork in Ireland and are a five piece called Cliffords. They are an indie rock band with the sort of weighty sound that takes you to a higher plane. Songs like the powerful Second Skin showcase Iona Lynch’s commanding vocal delivery whilst Harry Menton’s guitars go from creating moments of tender beauty to waves of powerful noise.

The band have one EP Strawberry Scented out in the big wide world, which was released last spring and are already lining up quite a few live dates for 2025 including supporting Pompey band Crystal Tides at Oslo Venue in Hackney, London, SXSW in Texas in March and the Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May.

Whilst they haven’t rushed to deluge us with further new tunes since this EP, 2025 should hopefully bring more of their swooning guitar anthems.

Cliffords - Sleeping With Ghosts

Ones to Watch 2025 #5 Mudi Sama

 

The next artist on the Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch 2025 list released his debut single just over a month ago – so this selection is probably somewhat ahead of the curve.

Mudi Sama is a British-born, Nigerian-raised artist who, based on that one song (Jealous Type) is clearly in debt to the 00’s guitar sound – something you don’t see from many black artists given the scene at the time was predominantly white. I'd even suggest the guitars sound a little bit like Weezer. Kele from Bloc Party was probably one of the few exceptions to the 'white lads with guitars' standard. Now Mudi is following that route just as a previous One to Watch in 2020 Master Peace has done. 

What else do we know about Mudi? He’s already been booked for a handful of new music festivals in the UK for 2025 such as Liverpool Sound City, Brighton’s Great Escape and is also playing Abbie McCarthy's Future Karma Ones To Watch Show at The Lower Third in London at the end of January. For those of you who remember tastemaker pop blog / boutique label Neon Gold (responsible for the likes of debut singles by Ellie Goulding, Marina & The Diamonds and Passion Pit ) you may also be interested to know that the credits for Jealous Type give a nod to them and the production was by Jamie Rendle of Will And The People.

There’s definitely more to come from Mudi, so let’s keep an ear out for him?

Mudi Sama is the final artist on this Ones to Watch list to be published today, but there will be five more tomorrow to complete the ten, so check back then to see who the final tips are.

Mudi Sama - Jealous Type

Mudi Sama · Jealous Type

Ones to Watch 2025 #4 Jacob Alon

The fourth artist on the Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch list is Jacob Alon. Jacob hails from the Fife area of Scotland and makes utterly bewitching and tender acoustic music that is already finding a fan base, with their 2025 tour of small venues in January already a sell out.

Interestingly for an acoustic artist the two songs Jacob has released so far have both been produced with Dan Carey – a producer usually more known for working with noisier artists.

Due to Alon’s introspective and gentle sound comparisons have already been made with Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake and Rufus Wainwright. Hopefully soon the comparisons will stop and we’ll just be talking about Jacob Alon on their own right though– for certainly their exquisite songs are extraordinary and stand strong on their own.

Jacob Alon - Fairy In A Bottle

Jacob Alon · Fairy in a Bottle

Ones to Watch 2025 #3 The Pill

 

The Pill are the first of this year’s One to Watch artists that have featured previously on Breaking More Waves, from back in April when they introduced themselves to us with their debut single Bale of Hay.

Since then the Isle of Wight pop punksters have added a couple more frantically hilarious satirical songs to go with their ode to being blonde. Next there was Scaffolding Man, a song about being spotted in the bath by a scaffolder through the window and Woman Driver, which somehow manages to get away with the lines “we just kissed, touched tips, bumped hips,” and “please be nice, I’m just a girl with big tits.” It’s like the shouty indie version of Pull Up To The Bumper by Grace Jones, which surely is the sauciest song about driving ever.

Whilst the two previous artists named on this list could genuinely be considered commercial propositions, The Pill are probably never going to be winning the Mercury Prize or having big hits. However, they are all the better for it. They’re a band that are a blast when they play live. Clearly having loads of fun on stage they make a wonderful shouty racket with some great banter on top.

Who knows, maybe one day they’ll get all glossy and slick and release a Taylor Swift challenging tune, but for now they’re full of a rawness and energy that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. 

They’re Ones to Watch because that’s exactly what you should do – go and watch them.

The Pill - Woman Driver

Ones to Watch 2025 #2 Nia Smith

 

If you’re a fan of the likes of Jorja Smith or Olivia Dean you may well want to add another Smith to your collection. It’s the second artist on the Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch list for 2025 and her name is Nia Smith.

A graduate of the Brit school, Nia’s releases so far are contained on her Give Up The Fear EP released just last month. Each song sounds distinctively and gorgeously effortless in its soulful delivery. Whether she’s channeling her inner Alicia Keys on Little Red Car or the aforementioned Jorja on the dubby reggae tinged Personal (one version of which also features Popcaan), Nia Smith sounds like pure class.

Having supported the likes of Mahalia and Tems live and already performed on Later with Jools Holland, Nia clearly has some decent music industry support (she’s signed to Polydor records) and its easy to understand why – there’s masses of talent here.

Welcome to your new favourite UK R&B artist.

Nia Smith - Little Red Car

Nia Smith · Little Red Car

Ones to Watch 2025 #1 Luvcat

 

The first artist on the Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch list for 2025 is Luvcat.

Luvcat (yes apparently the name is taken as a reference to The Cure) is one Liverpool born Sophie Morgan Howarth, who released her debut single under the Luvcat monicker in May 2024. With three songs now under her belt (Matador, He’s My Man and the originally named Dinner @ Brasserie Zedel) her smokey dramatic tunes that mix cinematic indie singer-songwriter drama with elements of country and vaudeville are already gaining traction online but in real life as well (her 2025 February tour of small UK venues which includes 3 nights at Hoxton Hall in London is already sold out). Support slots with The Last Dinner Party and Paris Paloma have furthered her growing fanbase who are being wowed by her performances which includes elements of storytelling and theatricality. Even at this early stage her songs sound like classics to devour the words to.

Dork magazine have already called Luvcat “Britain’s most intriguing new artist,” and Breaking More Waves would like to endorse that statement.

Undoubtedly one to watch in 2025.

Luvcat - He's My Man

Luvcat · He's My Man

Ones to Watch 2025 - Introduction

 

We’re nearly at the end of the year which means it’s time for the 2 annual lists that Breaking More Waves has published ever since its birth in 2008.

First up is the Ones To Watch list. 10 artists that it may be worth keeping an eye out on for in 2025. As always this is not a tip list of who will be big (although previous years have included artists that have gone on to do very well indeed; from Lana Del Rey to The Last Dinner Party, from Florence and the Machine to Fontaines DC who stream below) but just a list of relatively new artists that are getting the Breaking More Waves thumbs up / seal of approval and I hope will have great futures, be that commercially, critically, for me personally or becoming even more awesome live.

This list was originally inspired by some of the other tip lists that get published in late November or December – especially the BBC Sound of list - which I was once a 'pundit' for (my 3 votes at the time were for Ellie Goulding, Stornoway and Unicorn Kid, two of whom made the final cut. In the past the BBC list was always an exciting list of new acts that provoked much debate amongst new music fans about the merits of such lists, the artists on them, major label influence and the power of London in terms of UK music, amongst many other things. For a few years a bunch of music blogs, including this one, created a poll that followed the exact same format of the voting of the BBC list to complement that list; arguably the Blog Sound of poll chose artists that were a little less established / newer in their careers, although there was some crossover with the BBC list.

However, unfortunately this year’s BBC list was very disappointing and has been pretty much universally panned. It feels here at Breaking More Waves towers like it's time to either abandon the thing or give it a complete revamp with a bunch of voters who follow new music avidly. Although there were a handful of artists that you’d probably expect to see on it (Myles Smith, Good Neighbours) a lot of the list consisted of artists that are already very well known / not new, their inclusion defeating the original purpose of the list. Chappell Roan being nominated for the list seemed very bizarre. Anyone who hasn’t heard of her has surely been living under a rock the last 18 months. Likewise Confidence Man- I included them on my Ones to Watch list 7 years ago when they were starting out! English Teacher was another odd one – having already won the Mercury Prize they're beyond new now. The BBC list seems to be a long way behind the curve this year. 

Unfortunately, with such a list forthcoming from the BBC it perhaps says something about an underlying trend for new artists – that it’s getting harder and harder to break through. Is the music industry losing interest in new music completely? Would it rather just re-release Dark Side of the Moon for the millionth time? Maybe next year Abba will feature on the BBC Sound of?

So with all that being said, welcome to the Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch 2025. 10 artists posted over the next 2 days on the blog in 10 posts through the 48 hours. All the artists chosen I hope you would consider as still relatively new. Everyone featured here has just released a small handful of songs, some only 1, others have got up to releasing a debut EP. Certainly none of them have released an album or had anything near a hit. This meant there were a couple of artists that I really wanted to include but decided were a bit too far off my criteria of newness for this year, namely MRCY (their 8 track EP is just a bit too long - its virtually an album) and Good Neighbours because their song Home spent 15 weeks in the UK Top 40. I'm sure those two bands will be on lots of other tip lists though and having seen them both live I can confirm they are worthy of any list. I'm just sticking to some fairly tight criteria on newness this year to contrast with the BBC list.

The first post will go up at 10am, so keep watching (and listening!) throughout the day for 5 artists today and 5 tomorrow. I'll also provide a playlist at the end of the list reveal so that you can dive into each act again.

Fontaines DC - Starburster

Fontaines D.C. · Starburster

NEW #81 - Disgusting Sisters

 

When this blog was in its prime it was a reasonably common occurrence to feature artists that had yet to release any ‘official’ recorded music, instead relying on shaky live You Tube clips or dodgy Soundcloud demos.

The last band that featured here in that way was The Dinner Party, who a few months on had changed their name (for the better) to The Last Dinner Party and became a so-called overnight success with Nothing Matters. When a band seemingly appears from nowhere and already has full label and management support behind them, the cynics will always criticize. “Industry plant!” you’ll no doubt remember was pointlessly shouted on line at The Last Dinner Party by those who seem to get a weird kick out of doing down others in public.

Which brings us to Disgusting Sisters. Now, there aren’t any detractors (yet) with Disgusting Sisters, although it would be easy to write the headlines now: "Disgusting Sisters are Revolting!" "Foul tunes from Disgusting Sisters!" etc. All there is is a very small thread on Reddit where someone questions how Disgusting Sisters managed to get a slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading / Leeds Festivals this year with no recorded music out and only a handful of live shows which included supporting Two Door Cinema Club.

The answer probably has something to do with the fact that they have already been signed to Prolifica Management (who manage the above mentioned Two Door Cinema Club), have a live booking agent and they are not entirely new to the world of music; Julianna Hopkins of the band is also the drummer in Pynch. Her sister meanwhile has been off working as a director and screenwriter. It also probably has quite a lot to do with the fact that someone thinks they could be onto something and that’s worth supporting.

But let’s not get too into the how come they get the opportunities when others don’t debate - your weary distrust and jaded cynicism can be left at the door when you enter Breaking More Waves. It’s time to start dancing with Disgusting Sisters. Just make sure the dancing is a bit silly and quirky. And yes, just like Haim, The Staves and The Nolans they are actually siblings.

Disgusting Sisters are the sort of band that you can imagine have practiced with a hairbrush microphone dancing in their bedrooms infront of the mirror. From the bits of live footage you can find on line you’ll see a certain sort of engaging d-i-y amateurishness to what they do. They come across as a hybrid of Shampoo, Panic Shack and Las Bistecs rather than anything too slick - they have described themselves as a ‘cunty pop rock band’. 

They also look like they’re going to be a lot of fun. 

They have moves, but not like Britney or Beyonce; more the sort of dancing you can copy after one watch. I’m predicting mass audience participation of the cat choreography during TGIF (see below). Other tracks that there are live or rehearsal clips of on line include Sorry Mister which the duo say is ‘a song about the arseholes you meet on a night out’ and Not Cool is one they have dedicated to their cringey ex-boyfriends

Now we wait for some recorded music, passing time practicing those dance moves.

Disgusting Sisters - TGIF Live at Reading Festival (BBC Introducing)

Song of the Week - Geordie Greep - Holy, Holy

 

Is Steely Dan cool these days? Or is it the case that they’re deeply unfashionable? Either way, every person should make it their mission in life to listen to The Nightfly by Donald Fagen (the lead singer of Steely Dan). If I was writing one of those ‘100 Albums You Must Listened To Before You Die’ lists it would definitely feature.

The reason I mention this record is that there is definitely a Donald Fagen reference to Holy, Holy the debut single from Geordie Greep, who was previously a member of a band (Black Midi) but has now gone solo. A second reference point would be Thomas Dolby and his bonkers album Aliens Ate My Buick. Now there's a title.

It’s a pervily-odd bendy blend of disco-funk-rock that finds its creepy womanising narrator suggesting to whoever he is singing to that they should ‘take it further’ than just dancing – but there’s a twist, as he asks “How much does that cost?” Maybe he’s not quite god’s gift to women that was first made out, but a rather sadder more desperate character.

Sounding totally different to everything else around, Geordie Greep bags this week’s song of the week, which you can find on the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly playlist (here), together with some other strong contenders including Ugly Ozo (posted earlier this week), Floating Points and Good Neighbours.

Geordie Greep - Holy, Holy

NEW #80 - Ugly Ozo

 

Whilst Breaking More Waves has never been a ‘local’ music blog, over the years these pages have introduced a fair-few artists from the south-central region of the UK. Today it’s time to welcome another, a band that, based on their debut single, could possibly be filed under the category ‘Beach-Goth’.

Ugly Ozo hails from the Isle of Wight and is the latest in a line of guitar wielding, freakishly cool-kids from across the Solent that have previously included Wet Leg, Coach Party, The Pill and Lauran Hibberd. Lauran Hibberd is of particular note here because Ugly Ozo is fronted by Jess Baker, who also plays in Lauran’s band. But here Jess combines with her younger sister Boo who plays bass. 

Debut single Remains is a dark surf-rock extravaganza that puts the fun back into funerals, coming across like a gothic Dick Dale mixing it up with the Pixies or Breeders. The darker element is taken even further with Jess ticking the occult / goth box in the video: Graveyards! Angel wings! Crystal balls! Tarots cards! Candles! And rather like the debuts from Wet Leg and The Pill some of the video is shot out in a field somewhere. Is this a 'thing' for Isle of Wight bands?

Remains is released through Portsmouth based label Strong Island Recordings who have previously put out tunes by Los Bitchos, Ugly and Melt Dunes. Ugly Ozo makes a fine addition to that roster and let’s hope we hear more from Jess and co soon.

Ugly Ozo - Remains

Song of the Week - Picture Parlour - Face in the Picture

 

Picture Parlour have already ‘faced the music’ from a number of critics for allegedly being the dreaded ‘industry plant’; a meaningless and absolute b*llocks term, that becomes even more meaningless and b*llocks when the people calling them industry plants don’t seem to be explain exactly what they mean or give any evidence of them being such except vague statements like “I know they are.”

I've written about this term in the past, but to summarise, my view of this criticism is the same as the criticism when Lana Del Rey first had success with Video Games and certain loudmouths seemed more interested in talking about her lips (and debating if she had had work done) rather than the music: I couldn’t care a bit. And I don't think the majority of the music listening public do either.

Yes, there is a discussion to be had around privilege in the music industry (assuming that’s what using the criticisms of Industry Plant are actually about) but I’m not sure that simply slagging off artists on Twitter is really the way encourage productive dialogue and change. It just gets people’s backs up. Especially if your criticisms are not backed up by cold hard facts; you just end up looking like an angry child.

However, ultimately, I couldn’t care if Picture Parlour is a fictional band created by some very clever AI if the songs are good. After all I quite liked Boney M. 

Which brings us to Face In The Picture. Their new song. (That’s Picture Parlour’s new one – not Boney M's ). It’s one I shared a live clip of a few weeks ago on my Instagram Story (I’m at breakingmorewavespics for music stuff and robin_seamer for personal stuff if you want to follow). 

To cut to the chase. It’s very good. At less than 3 minutes long Face In The Picture bursts in with a searing hook and big riffs that would sound equally at home in a small underground club or a huge stadium. It’s a fists pumping the air track that aims to remind us that emotional wounds can fade as time passes, but they never truly heal. 

It’s taken from the band’s forthcoming EP. The video (below) is shot in black and white and has an old fashioned cinematic quality.

You’ll find this song on the latest update of the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly playlist, which is released tomorrow.

Picture Parlour - Face In The Picture

Picture Parlour · Face In The Picture

Song of the Week - Sofi Tukker - Throw Some Ass

 

You may not know it butt this is what you knead. A peach of a video and a song that asks you to get off your backside and dance. If your plans have gone a rye, don’t worry, it’s impossible to feel sour when you hear this. Let’s just hope that it makes Sofi Tukker a bit of dough.

Warning: The video contains a beautiful set of buns. And some baguettes that despite being at the pool don’t get soaking wheat all over.

Right. That’s enough bread / ass puns. Song of the week, no question. Possibly tune of the summer. Come on UK, a lot of you are still way behind with Sofi Tukker, stop loafing around and get into them. The album Bread arrives this summer.

Sofi Tukker - Throw Some Ass (Video)

SOFI TUKKER · Sofi Tukker - Throw Some Ass

Song of the Week - Imogen and the Knife - Mother of God

 

Song of the Week this week could so very nearly have also fitted into an artists new / introducing type post, as on first glance Imogen and the Knife is a brand new artist, with Mother of God appearing to be a debut single. However, delve just a tiny bit deeper and you’ll find that Imogen has already released music between 2018 and 2021 under just the name Imogen, amongst them the song White Lines (no not a cover of the Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel classic ) picking up a couple of million streams on Spotify.

However, at the start of 2024 Imogen announced via socials that: ”From here on out I’ll be releasing and performing my music as Imogen and the Knife. There’s many reasons behind the name, one being the reclaiming of the surgical knife that has been a motif throughout my life and writing. But ultimately, the Knife represents the vessel for the music: the songs, the lyrics, the piano, my collaborators, my band.”

I saw Imogen support Another Sky last year and my overriding impression was someone with bags of talent who as a reference point I kept thinking of PJ Harvey, not in so much the sound, but in the sense of depth and artistry to what Imogen was doing. Now Mother of God gives us that artistry. Featuring a repeated riff, brassy stabs and (obviously) Imogen’s impressive vocals there’s a tension to this tune that gets under your skin after a few listens. A cut above the rest.

As always you can find the song on the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly Playlist (click here)

Imogen and the Knife - Mother of God

NEW #79 - The Itch

 

This week’s track is a combined ‘Song of the Week’ and ‘New’ post as it’s a debut tune from a brand new band. It is, as always, featured on the current Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly Playlist which you can find by clicking here.

Ursula by The Itch appeared online last week and prompted a flurry of posts from all the tastemaker websites; it’s easy to see why though. For Georgia Hardy and Simon Tyrie (who are The Itch) have created something rather magnificent. An ambitious meandering piece of electronic retro-pop that hints at the likes of Depeche Mode circa Violator and Your Love by Frankie Knuckles, it’s in no rush to finish as it tells us that pain is stronger than love and builds to an early proclamation that: “We can bring down the government, we could put their heads on spikes.” 

If I didn’t know better I would have suggested that this was a song that someone had discovered on one of those lost Alternative Eighties compilation CDs, but it’s not. What it is for certain is an impressive start. Clocking in at 7 minutes it’s not one for Tik-Tokers with the attention spans of a gnat, but for anyone else this is one to dive into.

The Itch - Ursula

NEW #78 - The Pill

 

The Pill are like the snotty but sparkling d-i-y punk-pop sisters of Wet Leg, or perhaps Panic Shack, with extra venom. Debut single Bale of Hay, released yesterday, is less than 2 minutes long but packs in more wit and energy than most bands manage in years. “I’m a blonde bitch. Bimbo, butthole, tits. You expect me to be a sex icon. Oh wait, I am,” they proclaim with fake surprise before storming into some chaotic riffing. It’s all brilliantly messy and lo-fi and I’m here for it.

Describing themselves as “Two girlies on vocals, bass and guitar along with Rufus on sticks,” The Pill say that they draw from dire situations, like your scaffolder seeing you naked (insert jokes about big poles here like a Viz style comic) and the woes of your hair being too blonde, which is what this song is about.

If there is a hint of Wet Leg in what The Pill do, it’s perhaps not that surprising, after all they drink and bathe in the same water supply as Rhian and Hester, as they also hail from the Isle of Wight. 

For a pretty small place the island does damn well in producing artists that gain some traction. Besides the aforementioned Chaise Longuers, over the last few years we’ve had Plastic Mermaids, Coach Party and Lauran Hibberd all doing rather well (and all covered early on by this blog!) Now it’s time for your pills. Or rather The Pill.

The band has been kicking around for a while now. I first came across an earlier incarnation sometime around the back end of 2019 and had booked them to play Dials Festival in 2020. However, something happened in 2020 (you can probably remember!) and as a result there was no Dials. They seemed to disappear for a while but now The Pill are here and ready to go.

Bale of Hay streams below and you’ll also find it on next Friday’s New Music Friday playlist. The Pill are Lily and Lottie (and not forgetting Rufus behind!) and support Big Special in Oxford on the 4th April and play Notting Hill Arts Club, London with Juno on the 5th.

The Pill - Bale of Hay

Song of the Week - Ellie Bleach - Hottest Man Alive 1995

 

The eagle eyed and observant amongst you will have noticed that there was no Breaking More Waves Song of the Week last week – due to being on holiday. However, the New Music Weekly playlist did get hastily constructed, put together in a hotel room whilst overlooking the Tyne (sadly no fog or Paul Gascoigne were present).

It’s back to regular service this week with a number of songs in contention for this post, but the one I’ve chosen opens proceedings on the playlist. Ellie Bleach’s Hottest Man Alive 1995 might sound like the title of some sort of super-sexed sweaty disco anthem but is in fact a slow burning country lament taken from her conceptual EP Now Leaving West Feldwood, a cinematic anthology of six characters and their intertwining lives.

“I’m not ashamed to say I did some light research today; I came across an image of you on a holiday. You had your arm around some blonde they said was half your age, but I know how these liberal types tend to exaggerate,” she begins and from there we’re whisked into a tale of a middle-aged woman in an unhappy marriage who obsesses about someone else. It’s like Lana Del Ray has gone to Berkshire.

A song about obsession which we can all obsess about. Excellent stuff.

You can find this song in an hour’s worth of goodness on the Breaking More Waves New Music Playlist by clicking here.

Ellie Bleach - Hottest Man Alive 1995

Song of the Week - Metronomy featuring Pan Amsterdam - Nice Town

 

This week’s Song of the Week blog post is a little different insofar as I’m not writing about the song itself, but instead highlighting the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly playlist on Spotify, where the Song of the Week will always feature.

There’s a handful of points I wanted to make about this playlist.

1.This playlist ultimately is made for me to listen to as much as you. And I do. They are all tracks that I like – if I can’t get behind a particular track, it doesn’t go on the playlist.

2. The playlist is always around 1 hour long. There are two reasons for this – I don’t really see the point of a six-hour playlist, who genuinely sits through something that long in one sitting? I certainly don’t. And the point of my playlist is it’s meant to be listened to in one listen, in order. The tracks are positioned in a way that makes sense to me – even if nobody else understands! Think of it like a movie or a story. There’s a definite beginning, middle and end together with closing credits.

3. I have listened to every song that goes on the playlist in full at least once and normally several times before it goes on the playlist. I must like it! This is key. 

4. I’ve seen this style of playlist described as ‘hyper-curated’. Well, if hyper-curation is for a niche audience and I’m making it just for myself, that’s pretty niche I guess. You’ll always find some indie and some pop on there but I’m not averse to any genre if it’s something I come across that I like.

5. I read an article about “people who intricately craft a playlist and put their life and soul into it.” Personally, I think that’s bollocks. It’s just a frigging playlist. Yes, I put some thought into it, but that’s a few minutes thought. Not my life and soul. There are more important things in life to dedicate my time to. Let's not try and make playlist curation anything bigger than it actually is.

6. And finally, of course, given the name, every track placed on the playlist has been released between the previous Saturday and the Friday the playlist is updated. That’s why it’s called New Music Weekly – but that’s obvious, right?

So, here’s my favourite track from last week’s playlist. It’s Metronomy featuring Pan Amsterdam – an old school rap piece with some neat jazzy trumpet that shows us that Metronomy are still able to surprise us after all these years.

You can find and follow the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly Playlist by clicking here.

Metronomy featuring Pan Amsterdam - Nice Town

metronomy · Metronomy and Pan Amsterdam - Nice Town (Original)

Song of the Week - Laufey - Goddess

 

This week's song of the week is Goddess by Laufey. 

I’m often surprised that despite playing sold out shows across the world, winning a Grammy and having released acclaimed records such as Bewitched and Everything I Know About Love, when I mention Laufey to many of my peers they look at me with a puzzled expression. “Never heard of him / them,” they often say.

Maybe Goddess will be the track where Laufey finally enters their world. 

“Now you know I’m not your fucking goddess,” she sings on a song that deals with the contradiction of appearing on stage and being idolised and the reality of being a regular human being at home - and in this case the song is personal as the idolisation isn't just from fans but a single individual who has fallen in love with her stardom rather than anything else. From the opening soft piano to the swelling orchestration it’s a stately piece of music that’s taken from a new deluxe edition of the Bewitched album released at the end of April.

Laufey - Goddess

laufey · Goddess

Song of the Week - Nemo - The Code

 

This week’s Song of the Week is a Eurovision song contest entry.

Originally the plan (last Friday) was to feature Olly Alexander’s Dizzy, my home (UK) entry as Song of the Week. The signs all looked good. Olly has plenty of experience at performing, the song was co-written and co-produced by Danny L Harle (who co-wrote Bunny Is A Rider with Caroline Polachek and Houdini by Dua Lipa) and the initial clip of the track posted on Instagram sounded suitably hooky.

However, whilst the song bounces along giddily enough, it doesn’t have any real climax moment – something that seems almost essential to win Eurovision these days. It’s enjoyable enough, but I’m not 100% behind it.

Enter then the Swiss entry, also released in the last seven days. The Code is really quite something. You want climaxes? This one does multiple orgasms. Fast.

Imagine Bohemian Rhapsody given a jungle remix with extra rapping and a personal lyric about a true journey to find the artist’s (Nemo) non-binary identity in life. I love the fact that the song is clearly personal and not one that takes vague big picture concepts about love and peace to try and gain universal Eurovision acceptance. 

At first you’ll probably think the track is bonkers, then it gets under your skin and before you know it you’ll be declaring it a Eurovision styled masterpiece.

There’s already some tough competition for Eurovision (Italy’s song is very good, Croatia’s is bound to be a fan favourite (and in places sounds like the KLF - always a good thing), The Netherlands have a mad happy hardcore moment in their track that no doubt will have Eurovision fans going crazy and you can never discount Sweden who nearly always deliver and Finland’s fireworks / no pants production is hilarious, but I’m putting Nemo and Switzerland up there as a colourfully magnificent outside bet. And even if it flops / doesn't qualify through the semis, at least it won Breaking More Waves Song of the Week.

Nemo - The Code

Song of the Week - Ren Harvieu - Black Wig

 

If on a weekly basis like me, you scroll through all the big weekly playlists on Spotify, it’s pretty likely you’ll find a lot of songs that sound boringly similar. Pop music has always been that way of course, it’s why we can described music as having an ‘80’s sound’ or ‘60’s sound’. Pop = a popular sound, so if it's popular humans will want to make more of it.

However, it’s always nice to stumble across something that is refreshingly inventive and adventurous. Which is exactly what the new song Black Wig from Ren Harvieu is. Remember Ren? She first featured on this blog in 2011 and in a Ones to Watch 2012 post. Her debut album reached number 5 in the charts in May 2012. 

These days she leads a lower key musical existence but that doesn’t mean that her new tune is anything less than wonderful. On Black Wig there’s a string quartet, a harpsichord, a musical saw and a colourful video directed by Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers who Ren has a long-term musical relationship with.

Listen, enjoy and take some satisfaction in the knowledge that there are still people out there creating their own unique musical worlds. You won't see or hear anything else like Black Wig this week.

You can find the song on the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly Playlist (here)

Ren Harvieu - Black Wig

Ren Harvieu · Black Wig

Song of the Week - Dua Lipa - Training Season

Here we are again with another Song of the Week and once again it featured on the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly Playlist last week (here).

Of course Dua Lipa needs no introduction. She’s already a huge popstar. Well, she’s five foot eight inches which technically isn’t that huge, but is still a lot bigger than Kylie Minogue. 

And no doubt, unless you have been hiding under a rock, you have already heard this one. 

Therefore, you already know that Training Season is: 1. A bop 2. Hooky as hell (rather than hotter than hell which is so 2016.) It’s one of those songs that your postman will be whistling and football fans will take the chorus and make new words up to it whilst bouncing up and down on the stands. My only disappointment? I really wanted all the lads in the video to suddenly break out into a very camp Riverdance style flashmob choreographed routine halfway through the tune, but alas it never happened. Maybe there will be an ‘alternate version’ video for that.

The bottom line is, Training Season = A good pop song. A definite top 2 single in the UK surely? (I would say number 1, but there's the Texas Hold 'Em factor to consider.)

Dua Lipa - Training Season

Song of the Week - Beth Gibbons - Floating On A Moment

 

This week’s song of the week is an absolute no brainer of a choice.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Portishead, particularly their first 2 albums and the Roseland NYC Live recording. The band also played one of my most memorable and magical shows ever; Glastonbury Festival 1998. Together with my then 3 months pregnant partner we had already endured biblical storms and a crushingly dull set from Cornershop on the Jazz World Stage, now known as West Holts. Cold, tired and miserable we were about to give up and go back to our tent (which at this point had a small stream running through the middle of it) but held on for Portishead. The band were late on stage, having got stuck in the mud themselves, but once they started the dark clouds really did show they had a silver lining. Words such as haunting, mesmerising, and beautiful didn’t do the performance justice. With lightning striking down from the heavens behind the stage we shivered both with the cold and emotional goosebumps; it was worth every moment. It’s a moment in time that both of us, 26 years on, still remember with huge affection. A moment that made life worth living and sharing with someone.

Which brings us to Beth Gibbons new single. The lead vocalist of Portishead returns after a lengthy hiatus with another song to captivate our hearts. Taken from forthcoming album Lives Outgrown released via Domino, Floating On A Moment is perhaps half-surprising in that Beth Gibbons still sounds, after all this time, exactly like Beth Gibbons. Her croon is unmistakeable and once again her sorrowful but magnetic voice sends shivers down the spine.

Beth, just like all of us is getting older. There’s a realisation that our bodies are only finite and ultimately there is nothing we can do to stop our inevitable ending as she hints at death in this song: “Without control, I’m heading toward a boundary, that divides us, reminds us, travelling, on a voyage where the living, they have never been, have never seen.”

Despite the subject of the song, Floating On A Moment breathes life into our existence. Guaranteed to make even the most hardened of adult weep. Enjoy life whilst you've got it. Yes, there are many horrible things going on in the world, but wherever you can try to appreciate the good stuff. Like this.

Beth Gibbons - Floating On A Moment

Song of the Week - Elle Coves - Born To Lose

 

Today’s Song of the Week was actually released last Wednesday, which raises the question is it this week’s song of the week or last week’s? Or does the week actually run in any seven day period? And more to the point, does anybody actually care?

So, let’s just cut to the chase and remind ourselves that time is just a human construct and in the big scheme of things (or even the small scheme of things) nobody really gives a toss about the Breaking More Waves Song of the Week. Except me.

But if you do have any passing interest in these things then have a listen to Born To Lose by Elle Coves. There’s a big dollop of Americana-Pop and Taylor Swift influence here, which depending on your perspective is either a rather excellent thing or just a bit overdone these days. It also has some rather nice lyrics about “what makes you think your tears can put this fire out”, which technically Elle is 100% right about. Unless of course it’s the world’s smallest fire or somebody has a sprinkler system built in their eyes. Anyway, even if Born To Lose isn’t actually about fire fighting with your eyes, it’s a pleasing tune. You can find it as always on the Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly playlist (here), or at least you can if you are reading this before Friday 9th February, because it's all change then.

Elle Coves plays London Camden Assembly (or The Barfly as older readers may remember it, or The Monarch for those collecting their pensions) tomorrow (the 7th) and there are still some tickets available if you fancy it.

Elle Coves - Born To Lose

Elle Coves · Born To Lose