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

Well it’s almost officially summer. As I have been writing these reviews, a certain rather significant football match has taken place in which once again English hearts have been broken by a better team. Previously the news was dominated by a failed assassination attempt on a, ahem, controversial figure in US politics. Football and Politics, like music, can give rise to a roller coaster of emotions. Here at Fresh on the Net, we have had another fantastic Listening Post full of diverse offerings and our readers have chosen their favourite ten tracks from the list. Sometimes I can’t help thinking how much more peaceful and collaborative the world might be if it were run by music people! Anyway, this week, it is my privilege to review our readers’ picks. Coffee is, quite literally, ready so let’s get this finished and fit for publication.

ALT BLK ERA – My Drummer’s Girlfriend

When I first had the pleasure of reviewing Nyrobi and Chaya aka Nottingham’s ALT BLK ERA, it was one of those rare occasions when I was supremely confident that this was a band who were going to be huge. Nothing that has happened over the past 12 months has changed my view about this. This outstanding, individual and highly proactive pair of sisters (now 20 and 17) have been collecting plaudits from everyone from BBC Radio 1 to indie journals and blogs; playing cool gigs and festival stages and maintaining a continuous campaign of mail-outs and social media gatherings.

One listen to My Drummer’s Girlfriend and you will hear why. The song topped the moderators’ vote with more than triple the votes of any other track (and we had some strong ones to choose from). Now it has topped the readers’ vote comfortably too. A biting but funny lyric makes me feel sorry for the subject of this song if she really exists because, if she actually and currently is their drummer’s girlfriend, then ‘awwwwkwaaaard’ is the word when she hears it! Ha ha! Well anyway, it is driving, energetic Alt Rock with an irresistible pop tunefulness at its core and the sisters’ voices overlap and contrast each other so well. It is less hard-hitting and in-yer-face than some of their recent releases but it is also one that ought to be tearing up radio playlists. Glastonbury ‘25 maybe? ALT BLK ERA are on one heck of a journey. Enjoy the ride folks.

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AMP FIDDLER & TOMÁS DONCKER – CHANGE (The AfroAMP Remix)

Ah, what can I say about Tomás Doncker? He is not just a great friend and a truly inspiring individual. He is also a genuine legend who has worked with Madonna, Defunkt, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bonnie Raitt, James Chance and a whole host of other big names. He played a key part in the No Wave movement of the late seventies and early eighties in New York as well as being pivotal to the Funk, Electronic and Hip Hop movements. He continues to run the amazing True Groove label in New York and invests time and resources in backing artists who he can see have that something special. When he brings his act to the UK he plays with great UK musicians too including Project Blackbird’s Jon Read.

The sadly late Amp Fiddler (who we lost at the end of 2023) also worked with a catalogue of the most exciting names in Funk and Dance music including Parliament/Funkadelic, Prince, Was (Not Was) and even UK acts like Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai. The pair recorded this track originally back in 2020, around the time that COVID was about to turn the world upside down. It has subsequently been reimagined and re-released. And it sounds as fresh as anything out there. Why? Because music like this is timeless.

The AfroAMP remix of Change brings all the elements I have experienced when seeing Tomas and his True Groove All Stars playing live (including one of my gigs in South East London). You can actually read my review of their Temple of Art & Music gig here on Fresh on the Net. Cool, psych-funk guitar chords, staccato horn stabs, a semi-ostinato bassline, dynamic drums and agile keyboard play all underpin the track. Their voices intertwine and bring a gritty, expressive style while the melody is striking and the arrangement is nuanced and fluid. Tomas and the True Groove label are New York’s bona fide indie flag bearers for funk and related music that is fresh, invigorating and executed with panache; a cultural mix they are increasingly bringing to the UK and Europe too. Change has all those qualities in spades and it is a pleasure to see it in the list.

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CATBEAR – Rush

Zoe and Sarah from London and Brighton are CATBEAR. They are ‘2 best pals making music’ which is always a heartwarming thing to read. This past year has seen them booked to play Bristol Pride and undertsake a two-month UK tour plus various other cool dates, following on from appearing at last year’s Great Escape. They describe Catbear as a ‘… synth-heavy indie alt-pop project’ in which they transform deep conversations into song lyrics.

Rush is in a medium quick tempo with crisp beat, running synth bassline and reverberant chords. The vocals are bright and melodic and when their voices combine for the chorus, it feels quite epic. These two know how to write a killa choon and their crystal clear voices are nimble and dynamic. The lower register semi-spoken-word mid-section adds a cool contrast to the dreaminess of the track, setting us up for a great finish as the beat is beefed up in the final chorus. References are hard to pinpoint but maybe shades of Chvrches in a mash with Purity Ring while Grimes brings chops but they don’t actually sound like any of those artists. Quality synth-driven Alt Pop that gets better with every listen.

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HANNAH SCOTT – Bigger Than My Body

London’s Contemporary Folk artist Hannah Scott has a track record of making the fresh faves literally multiple times, stretching back as far as 2012. She has had support from BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and Introducing not to mention extensive touring, festival stages and the kind of deeply cemented reputation reserved for artists like Hannah who are so consistent in producing quality music and giving great performances.

Bigger Than My Body is in a slow-to-mid tempo with sparkling guitar, piano chords and strings in an attention-grabbing intro. Hannah’s distinctive voice soon saunters into centre stage and leads us into a classic sounding chorus that feels eminently singable. If it is possible for a track to be subtly anthemic, then Bigger Than My Body achieves just that. As it develops, helped by life-affirming harmonies and great dynamic and textural contrasts, it just seems to expand into a beautifully uplifting experience.

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LOST SIGNAL – The Orange Salamander

To East Anglia we travel next to find Matt Couchman aka Lost Signal who has been gathering quite a reputation for imaginative, inventive synth electronic music over the past few years including a recent collaboration with FOTN regulars The Happy Somethings. He also has one of the most eye-catching and aesthetically inviting Instagram pages with enough rich colours to rival an Andreas Schulze exhibition!

The Orange Salamander is enigmatic. Bubbling synths and repeating keyboard figures play off against a frantic electronic beat and sampled spoken word. Sounds drift in and out of focus, bringing unexpected melodic features and timbres into play. It builds in layers, sometimes simmering down again before the engine revs up and the track goes up in gears. Sufficiently sectioned out into short sub-movements of a cohesive plot, this is as much about the choice of sounds and textures as it is about the different tunes that come and go.

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MARCH – I Just I Just I Just Want Them To Know

Before you ask, no we are not related (!). In fact March is the artist name of Kitty O’Neal and it is derived from her parents’ initials. Kitty is a friend of mine though, an alumnus of ICMP where I teach and one who has also performed at one of my live events in South East London. She is no stranger to the fresh faves, this being at least her third or fourth time. She is an experienced and exciting live performer too whose CV includes Glastonbury, Sofar Sounds and a growing list of well-known venues.

I Just I Just I Just Want Them To Know is built around a minimal backdrop of Kitty’s skillful picking guitar play and her soft-toned but strong and distinctive vocals which are agile and expressive. Clever harmonies help the track to build as the strikingly unusual but highly engaging melody gets under my skin. This is a moving, dreamy track that underlines the undeniable quality of March’s songwriting and musicianship.

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MOODY MOODY – Feels Like This

Hailing from Aberdeen in the North East of Scotland, Moody Moody are a quartet with a busy live schedule. They have also performed an in-store live set for HMV Records and have been played on Amazing Radio. Their hard working approach and continuous building of their fanbase is paying off and 2024 is proving to be a positive year for the band.

Feels Like This opens with an immediately appealing melodic guitar figure contrasted by an inventive chord progression and super-tight bass and drums. It drops down nicely for the introduction of the mid-register male vocal in the verse, adding to a shoegaze-infused Alt Rock energy that carries us into a catchy chorus sung in the upper register. The intro to the next verse fortifies their Dreampop element in the way chords mix. The ‘live’ sound resulting from how the drums are produced is punchy and pleasurable.

This is big, brash and bristles with positive energy but also makes really good use of fluidity in terms of dynamics, subtle differences and a generally nuanced approach; helped in no small part by the band’s clear chemistry. Echoes of Been Stellar jamming with Beach House while Slowdive add ingredients although that is not to suggest Moody Moody sound especially like any of these bands. Feels Like This is a track that grabs me by the ears from the outset and gets everything right for the rest of the ride including that last bendy guitar tone that disappears into the distance at the end.

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OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH – Higher The Hair

It’s not so often, in today’s independent music scene, that you come across a band like Oh My God! It’s The Church with so many people involved in a flamboyant live act; a measure of how tough it is to keep funding your activities when you are a larger band. Among their admirers is BBC 6 Music broadcaster and comic actor Craig Charles who said of OMGITC ‘A firm favourite of mine – they put on a show like no other’. As I write, they are in the middle of a headline UK tour and their general live itinerary is impressive to say the least; including some festival stages.

What immediately appeals about Higher Than Hair is the fast-paced funky feel and soulful mix of voices. No gradual build-up required here. They get straight down to business with rapid combinations of jazz-tinged chords, octave popping bass and contrasting female voices that speak to a lineage from Labelle and The Emotions via Chic to The Noisettes and elements of early Hip Hop too. When the beat moves to half time, we get some goose-bumping vocal harmonies and then, with a simple snare fill, we are back into the frantic Discofied hook. So many flavours here and unashamed referencing of a glorious past but presented with freshness and irresistible energy and musicianship.

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RHONA MACFARLANE – July Rain

Glasgow singer-songwriter Rhona MacFarlane hails originally from Montrose and grew up both with the Highlands traditions of Folk and Bagpipe music and with a rich array of influences that included the likes of Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake and Ricki Lee Jones. Learning multiple instruments from childhood, she also studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she further honed her love of Folk and related influences. In the time since, she has had support from BBC Scotland, performed at an enviable list of festivals and played some accomplished support slots.

A slow, hazy summer swinging triplet time of strumming guitar and tracked vocals introduces July Rain. It is major key and uplifting, helped by Rhona’s dexterous alto range vocals that draw on some of the aforementioned influences. The harmonies from the second verse bring an aura of Americana and driving along dusty mid-American highways. Little piano rolls add to the layering that keeps events fluid and interesting. Organic, expressive and effortlessly tuneful, this is an absolute delight.

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SAVVY – Where We Come From Ft Ruby Wood

Savvy is very much a multi-media artist who crafts music, art, graphics, film making and immersive experiences. He also has his fingers in a few pies as far as different creative projects go. His website offers some information on that subject. He has collaborated with Vinyl Tap Records of Huddersfield University on a book launch and has deservedly had support from the PRS Foundation’s Power Up fund. The more you read through his social media, the more you get a feel for the proactive, creative way in which Savvy is building networks and gaining a unique reputation within UK Hip Hop and beyond.

On Where We Come From, Savvy teams up with Ruby Wood. A syncopated and choppy beat with sweeping synth tones offers an immediate intensity while the two vocalists’ octave-apart combination delivers a gorgeous hook. Between these soulful choruses, Savvy’s rapped vocals are reflective, yearning and have a free-flowing rhythmic feel. Shades of Old Skool Hip Hop in Coolio-meets-Busta Rhymes territory but with an unmistakable Englishness contrasts the ethereal elements in Ruby Wood’s vocal style. It all makes for compelling listening and a bright beseeching and bewitching finale to another ten stellar fresh faves.

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PS from Team FOTN: 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 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.