The weekend is finally here and Gigantic has all the best new music and hottest releases. Make sure you turn up the volume and get the party started with our #NewMusicFriday playlist plus you can keep scrolling and learn a little more about your new favourite act. We even have tickets to see them performing live!
Singles
John Grant – 'He’s Got His Mother’s Hips'
Former singer of The Czars John Grant has dropped new single 'He’s Got His Mother’s Hips' which has more than just a nod to both the sound and visual impact of the video or Peter Gabriel’s 'Sledgehammer'. ‘He’s Got His Mother’s Hips’ is taken from the album ‘Love Is Magic’ which comes out next month, released by independent label Touch And Go Records.
While both the single ‘He’s Got His Mother’s Hips’ and upcoming album were self-produced by Grant, he recruited the aid of Paul Alexander and engineer Ben Edwards AKA Benge record in his Cornish studio to achieve the desired sound. Grant explains that ‘Love Is Magic’ well be an observational record, reflecting on the incongruities of existence;
“They’re just snapshots of everyday life where myriad moods and every sort of horrible and hilarious occurrence one can imagine mix with the pedestrian resulting in the absurdity and beauty of life.”
John Grant tickets are currently available.
EP
Kansas Smitty's House Band – ‘Autumn’
The third EP this year, Kansas Smitty's House Band continue their musical interpretation of each annual quarter with ‘Autumn’ as part of an experimental statement in jazz.
‘Autumn’ yet again shows off Smitty's ability to write tight compositions which still allow for instinctive bursts of improvisation and joyfully describes the season through deep grooves and some serious swing. ‘Autumn’ burns fiercely and is sure to be a winner with their dedicated following and beyond.
Kansas Smitty's House Band tickets are currently available.
Albums
Flavien Berger – ‘Contre Temps’
Flavien Berger certainly impressed when he burst onto the scene in 2015 with his debut LP ‘Leviathan’ which revealed the young multi-instrumentalist and producer’s knack for producing playful songs intertwined with sentimental stories and imaginative wordplay.
This year has seen him return with the endearingly eccentric single ‘Brutalisme’ and quirky chilled track ‘Maddy La Nuit’ which both feature on his latest album ‘Contre Temps’ which has just been brought out through Pan European Recording this week. Be sure to get a big bite of Berger when he takes over Village Underground in London during December.
Flavien Berger tickets are currently available.
Christine and the Queens – ‘Chris’
Following her time studying theatre, Héloïse Letissier has fused concept art and drama into her sublime synth-pop under the title Christine and the Queens. Sexual identity and liberation is a core theme within her music while Letissier rises as a striking champion of LGBT politics. Her debut album ‘Chaleur humaine’ was a huge hit in both her French homeland and across all of Europe upon release in 2014 and her second coming ‘Chris’ exceeds the original LP by pursuing a more primal beat yet retaining all her articulate eloquence.
A critical triumph and an expected commercial success, Letissier’s unfettered talent is once again revealed on ‘Chris’ which could see her rise to the top of the UK charts and take the coveted Number 1 spot with her new album as she expertly combines innovation with pop sensibilities to create an album which has all the measurements of a modern classic.
Christine and the Queens tickets are currently available.
Beak> – ‘>>>’
Oddball electronica three-piece Beak> consist of Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, Robert Plant bassist Billy Fuller and Will Young from Moon Gangs. Adhering to a strict self-imposed recording regime, the trio create an intelligent artificial sound which delves deep in between psyche and krautrock.
This week has seen them return with their third album outing ‘>>>’ which comes following a short period releasing material as alter egos >>>’ continues their quest to forge their own path and succeeds in producing a curiously compelling listen.