ADVANCE NOTICE: FRESH ON THE NET DROPBOX WILL BE CLOSED DURING AUGUST FOR OUR SUMMER HOLIDAYS.

Last week our moderation team listened to approximately 150 songs, before picking our favourite 25 tracks for the penultimate Listening Post before our summer break. We therefore say a big thanks to the artists, and especially everyone who came along at the weekend, listened to those 25 tracks, and voted for their 5 favourites. The counting has now been completed, and we have 10 tracks that led the field, so read on and listen to the following… You can also hear these tracks together in a single Soundcloud playlist here.

CAROLINE ENGLAND – Still Love You

Still Love You is a delightfully romantic and tender piece of music from singer-songwriter Caroline England, as her haunting yet warm vocals, mixed with lush instrumentation, join together to create a stunning song.

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ELIA & THE LOW TEARS – The Reprieve

Lovers of electro pop with a dash of funk should enjoy this track from London band Elia & The Low Tears, and we obviously had plenty of those voting in this week’s Listening Post. Imagine a mix of Prince, Scritti Politti, and Joni Mitchell and you’re someway there. Marvellous.

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FILTER DISTORTION – Cameras In The Dark

Liverpool band Filter Distortion have been joined by vocalist Cheryl Anna for this brilliant new track, which showcases their knack for writing terrific electro pop songs full of catchy choruses. It had me tapping my feet and swaying back and forth, which led to a few worried comments from the family!

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GEORGE BOOMSMA – Before Too Long

George Boomsma is a singer-songwriter from North Yorkshire, and the words on his website bio do a much better job of describing him than I could. They note that his “effortless vocals and sensitive guitar playing evoke an intimate atmosphere that silences even the rowdiest of crowds”. Before Too Long is his latest single, which combines delightful acoustic guitar playing with heart-warming vocals, and follows his debut EP released in the Autumn of 2012, and self-recorded single from late last year. He is seemingly a busy man too, as he’s also a member of two other bands, one of which is an 8-piece ska band called Mancheska! He’s obviously a talented chap.

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HOLL0W HAND – Chariot

Sadly I can’t tell you anything about Holl0w Hand, except to say that the zero in Holl0w is an ‘o’ on their website and soundcloud accounts, and both of these offer zero information on them! This is a shame because Chariot is a wonderful country folk song with harmonies and melodies reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, or more recently Midlake. The production is also very polished too, so it all adds up to a track that was a very worthy recipient of numerous votes at the weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more from them (and finding out a bit more about them too?).

Official | Soundcloud | How To Write A Band Biog

HOLY ESQUE – Sovereign

Capturing the best that is alternative rock, Sovereign is a strong mix of impressive drumming, catchy guitar riffs, and gravelly vocals that grab you from the first listen. Given that this follows the equally impressive track Silences, it suggests that Holy Esque are as good at writing music as they are recording it.

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LETTIE feat DAVE BARBAROSSA – Lake

Lettie hails from Suffolk and already has a prolific music catalogue, having released 3 albums to date. She returns with a new EP, due in August, which features Dave Barbarossa (of Adam Ant and Bow Wow Wow fame), and if this taster of it is anything to go by it will be full of latin flavoured melodies, created by some joyous guitars and drumming. Lake will surely have you dancing.

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LION SKIN feat AJ PERDOMO – Lights

Their Facebook tells us helpfully that “spawned from the ashes of Battleship Romance and When We Were Giants, Lion Skin is a …. band”, and I’ll also add that they formed last year. Lights is an energetic alternative rock track bursting full of melody and sing-a-long vocals. Just perfect for a warm summer evening.

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VÁCZI ESZTER & QUARTET – Belso? Tenger

When you close your eyes and listen to this tender and mellow jazz song, from Hungarian 5-piece Váczi Eszter & Quartet, you could easily imagine yourself relaxing with friends in a late night jazz club, sipping cocktails, and watching the band perform on stage through a smoke filled haze. Or in the UK, through an e-cigarette vapour!

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WAYLAYERS – Take Hold

Take Hold is a supremely catchy and atmospheric synth pop song which takes some of its influence from 80s bands such as OMD and Depeche Mode. This East London trio Waylayers have already received rave reviews from many music magazines, enjoyed national radio airplay, and have now made the Fresh Faves here on Fresh on the Net. Onwards and upwards I’d say.

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PS from TR: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t made the Listening Post you’re welcome to re-submit it another week. If your music has appeared on the Listening Post but not in our Fresh Faves, feel free to send us an even stronger track another week.

But if we’ve recently featured you in our Fresh Faves – or on my BBC Introducing Mixtape – please wait three months before sending us another track, so we have space to help other deserving artists… For more info see Robinson Has A Good Old Moan.