MUSIC ROUNDUP: January Releases 2024
Counterfeit Ghost - Paranoia
Counterfeit Ghost AKA Alex Gillian is a 16 year old Ayrshire based Bedroom Pop artist that has released her sophomore single titled ‘Paranoid’. The track immediately hooks you in, with infectious vocal hooks and reams of charm. Gillian shows a clear talent at songwriting and will no doubt continue to hone her craft.
Dutch Wine - Facelift
Dutch Wine have been establishing themselves as Glasgow’s alt-rock monoliths, churning out some of the most visceral, spiky riffs the city’s hallowed ground has ever heard. On the latest single ‘Facelift’, the band pound the riffs right from kick off. Sludgy guitars create distorted concrete riffs that haze amongst the tight rhythm section, bringing the chorus back in each time with more precision and intent. Catch Dutch Wine at their headline show at CCA March 29th.
India Blue - Embers (feat. Jianbo)
Inspired by urban rhythms and the ambience of nature, songstress India Blue expertly crafts the intricate vibe and movements of her latest single ‘Embers’, featuring Jianbo. The single is a sultry R&B tinged Dance track that weaves through each artists vocals with ease, as India Blue and Jianbo both exchange sharp lyrics. India Blue will debut her first full band live show at the Rum Shack, Glasgow this March 28th.
Kryptik - Roses & Daisies
SAMA Nominee and Paisley based MC Kryptic has been a mainstay of the Scottish hip-hop scene for years, taking his hard hitting tracks across borders to New Skool Rules Netherlands, and Future Echoes in Sweden as part of PITCH. The artist has had a solid year and is ready to take 2024 with the same vigour. On the new track ‘Roses & Daisies’, Kryptik spits serious bars that reflect a changing personal trauma that informs the future whilst the retro boom-bap beat holds it down in the background.
Quiet Houses - What My Heart is For
Indie-pop dreamboats Quiet Houses are quickly becoming one of the hottest acts to arrive onto the scene in a while. Based in Edinburgh, the duo have headlined King Tuts and played at Connect Festival 2023, breezing through their wistful indie anthems. The latest single ‘What My Heart is For’ is nothing short of rousing, a torch song that has the echoes of the cold Scottish winds in its synths and reverb soaked guitar chords.
Saint Sappho - Grass is Gold
Alt-rock duo Saint Sappho have been kicking up a storm with their previous releases, featuring airplay across BBC Introducing Scotland and more. On this latest cut ‘Grass is Gold’ the pair are intertwined in rousing guitars leads and smokey vocals that lead the song through a thunderous path as it sways between hazy verses and crashing choruses.
SOAPBOX - Private Public Transport
With serval sold out headline shows at King Tuts, Garage Attic and Hug and Pint already in the bag, Glasgow punk renegades Soapbox have delivered another powerful track about the city’s worst quality: the public transport. Building up towards a furious outburst that echoes the golden age of the genre, the band barrel through raging with guitars cutting down anything that stands in their way.
SOTUNDE - UP UP AND AWAY (feat. Oyakhire & ID)
SOTUNDE had debuted on the Scottish Rap scene in 2023 with his single ‘On the Way’, and has been climbing the ranks since. With support BBC Introducing Scotland, SOTUNDE has been able to reach more fans with his fresh take on modern Hip-Hop. Collaborating with fellow MC’s Oyakhire and ID and this latest single ‘UP UP AND AWAY’, the trio manage to fire off precise rhymes and bars over the top of a sleek drum beat.
Stock Manager - Hi Mute
VHS Rock act Stock Manager crafts a very intricate form of fuzzed out alternative rock and punk. The esoteric outfit have forever been pushing the sonic limits of modern rock music, creating their own woozy sound in the process. On ‘Hi Mute’, the layers of sizzling distorted guitars hit like a tonne of bricks every time without fail. Making room for assertive melodies that fit perfectly over this sea of tantalising noise.
Tina Sandwich - Joni
Fresh off an electric headline show at King Tuts as part of their New Years Revolution concert series, Tina Sandwich have started 2024 off on a strong foot with new single ‘Joni’. An ode to legendary musician Joni Mitchell, Ms Sandwich truly captures a specific spark of emotion in this track. Somewhere between bitter nostalgia and the fond rose tinted memories, with each lyric deliver or guitar harmony Ms Sandwich and her band craft a supreme indie-pop banger.