These Fresh Faves were picked by our readers over the weekend – and reviewed by Fresh On The Net’s Johnno Casson this week. You can hear all these tracks in a single Soundcloud playlist here.

It was a great week of tunes submitted to our dropbox over this past week; I think I alone had shortlisted about 25 songs, and whittling it down was not easy. So from all of our on the team, thanks to all the music artists for submitting and being part of what we do – keep on pushing on.

BRØR – Backburner

Gliding out of Ireland come two brothers called BRØR with a gentle brooding track that doesn’t need to rush, doesn’t need to drown you in sound and doesn’t need to slam your face into the concrete and call you a sissy boy for liking sweetly paced atmospheric rock.

They give great voice, underplayed guitar and have great hooks which beckon you in and force you to hang around.  The lady voice section in a dodgy Irish/American keeps reminding me of an Irish Life of Brian but somehow it adds to the whole in a delightful way.

Maybe its because they took acid and their head swelled up like a bowling ball that makes their imaginations so vivid and playfully odd. The music video puts some more flesh on the bones – it’s good to see artists enjoying the craic and being confident in themselves.

They love ice cream, they love heavyweight check shirts, they are refreshing. So go on, lick your lips and be refreshed by BRØR…

Soundcloud | Facebook | YouTube

DEAR CAROLINE – Caroline

Very Manchester and very indie rock, this track is channelling Shed Seven and can’t quite shake its Arctic Monkeys intentions (not a bad thing in itself). Must be in the local water I reckon… Now, Dear Caroline must have drunk from the Manchester fountain of youth, because them is looking well good. They are Alfie and Joe Prior (both guitar and vocals), Jacob Saunders (bass guitar), and Nathaniel Jepegnanam (drums).

This ode from the English north proved dead popular with you lovely general public people and rightly so, I bet they are full of youthful swagger and deft shapes when playing live.

I wonder who Caroline is? Does she know how much of an impact she is having on the band? Does she lie awake at night longing for crisp Mancunian indie rock? Or is she into Bolivian nose-flute jazz and crushed velvet folk and so the band have to fight real hard for her attentions? I wonder if she is one of the band members’ mums? That could be awkward! And who is Mr big nose?

I am a bit worried they might get in over their heads with this woman, I mean if she’s trouble and burns to a rubble she doesn’t sound like the sort of person these lads should be involved with, having said that this band seems to have a sense of danger about them so carry on, I likes it.

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EDEN ROYALS – Million Miles

Oh hello joyous summer tones!

This reminds me of one of my favourite bands – Prefab Sprout – it’s beautiful pop music to make you glad to be alive. It is no surprise to me when this was voted into the Fresh Faves, good will out and so it proved.

Side note – I don’t know if its the fact that I just heard the brilliant news that Donald Trump has told Theresa May in a phone call he does not want to go ahead with a state visit to Britain until the British public supports him coming (so that’s a never then) or the listening to this tune that is making me so jolly, I’m popping some wicked moves in the garden as a result and damn these shapes are looking good (neighbours might be videotaping them I reckon).

It sounds like Vampire Weekend on beta blockers, for people who want to groove but don’t need a massive dose of BPM to do it. Blissful is the word that comes to mind, the picked guitar, bass and drum hold the groove and the synth splashes goodness all over the shop and then THAT voice arrives – splendid super charged wow!

And they are from Essex! Kiss my sensual parts and feed me honey!

Eden Royals shared a stage with Bastille, Rudimental, The Cribs and The Fat White Family and supported Third Eye Blind last year.

Yeah its sweet music but we all need a little sugar right about now don’t we?

Official | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

ELECTRIC ARM – The Phones In Bits On The Floor

I couldn’t find loads of info online about Electric ARM (well lots of stuff about electric arms and info on Slendertone Women’s Arm Toner Replacement Pads, whatever the feck they are.)

Their track Acid Child has featured on Nemones BBC 6 MUSIC show so they must be busting some decent moves.

I wonder whether they were able to get the screen replaced on the phone, £10 at a local market stall, ok-£30 in Brighton. Hope they got a good deal as it sounds like they have ben through the mill a bit.

Like On-U-Sound with a Brighton accent, chatty British rap chat and a sweet skipping dub-like beat made for swooning, mooning and spooning. It reminds me of the music that I used to dance to 6am to, in a field, with 2,000 other people, all day-glo clothing and good intentions. I love the British-ness of this track with lines including “stumble to the kitchen, I look in the fridge, 3 strawberry yogurts and an old cabbage”. The good thing about lyrics about life, love ‘n’ everything in between is you keep hitting repeat.

I think the lo-fi telephone voice effect works really well, as does the rappers fine voice (not sure whether to call him Electric or the more formal Mr. Arm). Well produced, music doing nice things to my wobbly brain waves, there’s a place for good music like this, I look forward to hearing more of the same, cheers.

Soundcloud | Facebook

FABRIK – Whitestar

You only went and loved White Star didn’t you!

How would I describe it? Like Bjork and Stevie Nicks having a face-off over Jonny Greenwood’s twisted soul. They produce a big sound I tell thee, really strong dynamics, ethereal vocals, dirty sweet guitars and synths and big big drums. It’s stadium filling, treetop thrilling, tremolo drilling trip-rock.

They could be German? Google searches for Fabrik gave me a nightclub, a clothing brand, a food and beverage, a hairdresser, a concept for underground parties (no, me neither), software, a VW Bus upholstery and interiors specialist, and my favourite: a landscape architects based in Hampshire, London and Manchester.

Stylistically they are all about wearing dark brooding clothes on tall buildings and in deserted underground bunkers. Mind you, I should speak very well of them as the guy with the beard at the back looks like he might eat my children.

They have been going for about two years and I’ve just found an interview with them and they sound like they might be from Birmingham, so not German then…

Soundcloud | Facebook

FROM APES TO ANGELS – Gift Tag

Well kiss my inner Depeche Mode on the cheek and call me Winona! This is a gloriously electronic explosion of ’80s inspired dream pop. Music made by people who are thrilled by electric. I don’t know if singer Millie lives on her own or with others but I bet she has a hefty electric bill…

There has been quite a resurgence of 80’s inspired synth pop in recent times just as the world has finally become too young to remember The Breakfast Club and From Apes To Angels do it very well.

This tune be getting all ‘shitty old boyfriends, mistrust and unrequited love’ on your arse (not your actual arse).

From Apes To Angels are Millie Gaum (vocals), Andrew Brassleay (synths, production) and they are from London and Sheffield. Gift Tag is taken from their forthcoming debut EP which is out on July 24th

Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Bandcamp

LAUREN BIRD MUSIC – The Way Out

Lauren Bird is from Strabane in Northern Ireland and describes herself as a singer-songwriter, ukulele enthusiast, oversharer – lovely. [TMI Lauren… Ed.]

Being a big hand pain sufferer myself I can really empathise with her when she says “After suffering with repetitive strain injury in her hands from playing the piano and guitar, she turned to the ukulele to write and perform with”, good on you Lauren – its working!

She has a bit of a country twang to her voice that’s very endearing. It’s true that a few years ago I would have baulked at a country twang and shouted at her “Oi! Lauren! Move away from that microphone and put that country twang down my girl!” But that time has passed as I have grown to be less of hateful person, to chill and enjoy-when a tone is good, a tone is good and Lauren’s tone is? you guessed (very) good!

What a lovely song The Way Out is, with a great animated video here. The song is simple but effective, quant, endearing, melodic, a grower, a repeat player, a fine song, and a fresh fave.

From a possible starting point of the Juno soundtrack to finding her own galaxy, her own path and her own voice, this is delightful, you agreed good people of internet world. Furthermore her self-titled debut EP scored the number one spot on the acoustic Bandcamp chart! Check it via the socials below.

Official | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

ROB.GREEN – Belief

With a sound like this, Rob Green will probably be a national name by the time I finish my cornflakes in the morning (ok, late morning). Arriving at a deftly timed point with the rise of the likes of Rag N Bone Man and Michael Kiwanuka, Rob’s big soulful sound is very current, fashioned in his own style of course but dressed for the races and backing a winner.

Belief is big stonking tune that would not sound out of place on the Radio One playlist, and it was our vote winner this week. Rob is from sunny Nottingham and over the course of 2016 performed over 100 gigs, he gives great hair and buttoned down shirts too.

I’ve seen/heard him a bit over the last year and his career is growing strong, I’ve been more used to his soulful acoustic style and Belief marks a real jump into a bigger and bolder sound for Rob, you lapped it up so if the Fresh On The Net massive thinks its great who am I to argue – best wishes on the journey Rob.

Official | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Songkick

SAL DULU – Duluoz Dream

What a beautiful sound collage Sal Dulu has come up with, its an inventive, colourful, melancholic beat treat, all found sound loveliness to remind you that days are worth living and nights hold no fear.

Duluoz Dream is just a lovely (mostly) instrumental, it feels like journey music, it feels like reflective music to help you deliver new ideas and new futures, it feels like a companion, it feels like a friend, it feels free and so it should be. I’ve listened to it 5 times in a row and I still press play. It’s chilled me out good and proper, I am not sure a session in a flotation tank would have given me the same value.

That’s the thing about music, it has to be one of the most valuable things in the world, think about the price you pay for it and how much use you get out of a good song, again and again it reaches you, the world is full of special gifts isn’t it?

Sal splits his time between Dublin and London and a little internet sleuthing tells me that though he is 24 years old and has been playing musical instruments most of his life, this is Sal’s first ever track – Wow – Better Call Sal !

Soundcloud | Facebook

WREKIT88 – 110>>96 (Rise)

WREKIT88 are music producers from Wales and are turning into regulars here at Fresh On The Net. You loved the track and me, myself and I think they are getting better at this music making malarky – what say you?

A programmed drum offering a reignited funky drummer kicks things off before a repeating guitar line and a gentle voice calls us in and strokes us on the cheek, all lovingly like, a bubbly techno synth line folds itself into the sweet shenanigans before a addictive and hypnotic keyboard line beckons us over, whispers in our ear and says “I Love You”, god damn you addictive and hypnotic keyboard lines! I am a married man with my own synth obsession to contend with, how very dare you get all saucy on my mindspace, I…said…I….wouldn’t fall for another keyboard line…..it had better be the last one I hear from you (for at least 3 months) Wrekit88.

I wonder what the Wrekit stands for? Do you think its one of them cults that Louis Theroux makes documentaries about? Could it have something to do with the economy? Maybe they nicked it off the side of a demolition van? A Welsh connection me thinks? What about the 88? Combined ages of all the people they work with? First 2 numbers to their credit card pin (maybe used twice and I am in their bank account)? Grandma’s age? Their favourite bingo number?

Bloody hell, this is going to take me ages to fathom out.

Whilst I work it out (and I will mind!) good luck Wrexit88 and thanks for the music…

Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube

PS from TR: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t been picked for the Listening Post, our team has definitely listened to it and there’s no need to send it again: feel free to send us an even stronger track another week. The same goes if you were picked for the Listening Post but didn’t feature in our Fresh Faves.

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.