Weekly5

After today's edition, Weekly5 will go on an extended summer break for a couple of weeks. It is time to rest, reflect, and regroup—as 2024 shapes up to be the busiest year in Weekly5's history. With 16 more editions planned in the coming months, the glorious number of 200 curated songs seems finally in reach.

Weekly5 will be back on September 1. Until then, I leave you with today's five chosen tracks, our «Anthology», and a teaser that there will be surprises coming your way.

Nebno – Love Is a Special Thing

Counteracting the summer heat, Nebno floats and meanders with an ethereal cool breeze over the vastness of her compositions. Love Is a Special Thing—densely layered and colliding between symphony and electronic avant-garde—is the Swiss artist's latest and most impressive soundscape so far.

SPINN – On & On

If you sit in a fast car, the landscapes start to blur and melt together. The same happens in Liverpool-born SPINN's new track, On & On. With a hasty groove and playful guitar melodies, it's indie rock's blueprint. But you can also taste the flavours of catchy pop and even a hint of post-punk here and there.

Imogen and the Knife – Red (Is My Colour)

The EP Some Kind of Love by Newcastle's singer-songwriter Imogen and the Knife is a striking work of beautiful, comforting melodies and poetic depth—best exemplified by Red (Is My Colour). Dark yet soothing, minimalistic and bombastic, this song is a gripping ballad.

Panik Deluxe – twigs

Harsh, dangerous, and dark, it hails from Austria's capital. Vienna roams the night to Panik Deluxe's new single, twigs. Her voice almost drowns, pushed down deep by the loud synth hook. But there are moments of an almost sonic loveliness in this story about the betrayal of trust.

Neumatic Parlo – carnage

A splash of punkish indie-rock hits the surfboard of Neumatic Parlo, a band that sounds so quintessentially British that the fact they are from Dusseldorf, Germany, hits you like the breathless, die-another-day energy they hurl towards us in their new track, carnage. What a teaser for their debut album!

We are soon approaching the summer break. Next week's edition will be the last for a while, but at least one special is already in the making. So, don't go anywhere—also because today's selection features some intriguing tunes.

Kaktus Einarsson – Be This Way (feat. Nanna)

Be This Way is a softly performed duet by the Islandic artists Kaktus Einarsson and Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, frontwoman of Of Monsters and Men. The playful, almost whimsical composition—together with their voices—radiates warmth, intrigue, and curiosity.

Raskolnikov – L'irréparable

Post-punk meets poetry in Raskolnikov's second teaser for their third album. The trio, spanning Switzerland, France, and Spain, sets the 1857 poem Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire to music. L'irréparable sounds haunting and demands attention.

Kitty Solaris – Follow The Beatniks

A laid-back, smooth groove welcomes you into Follow The Beatniks by Berlin-based Kitty Solaris. Drawing the line between the Beat Generation and today's social media craze, the song covers the relaxed surface with thoughtfulness. An invitation for reflection.

Komodo – Rat King

Tasty, groovy, and a bit dangerous: Dutch rock band Komodo unifies psychedelic influence, desert blues, surf-rock, and even Indian Raga into a captivating sound—danceable, irresistible. Rat King spreads a familiar vintage vibe with sprinkles of exotic sounds.

CLÅRA – alles/nichts

CLÅRA, a 19-year-old German newcomer, meanders between indie-pop and trip-hop. Her second single, alles/nichts, is a short affair—minimalistic yet somehow ethereal, like flickering lights in a foggy urban night. A sound and an artist worth watching.

Mayflower Madame – Paint It All In Blue

In Paint It All In Blue, a teaser of their upcoming album, Norwegian duo Mayflower Madame roams the sombre field between psychedelic krautrock, hypnotic shoegaze and melancholic post-punk. But from this initial darkness, there shines a beautiful, melodic light.

Little Element – High Tide

As a sonic chameleon, Austrian artist Little Element effortlessly blends shades of colours and sounds. There is so much going on, so many elements adding to its unpredictability. High Tide is a fluffy, summery sound—irresistibly groovy spreading good vibes.

Palinstar – It's Time

It's Time for the debut single of acclaimed Swiss multi-instrumentalist Palinstar. Absolutely exquisite indie rock sound awaits you, flavoured with the heritage of previous decades yet dusted off by bold choices, fresh gimmicks, and heartfelt honesty. I can't wait for more.

Baby Smith – Dressing Gown

Two Australians who met in Berlin. Ray Sonder and Saxon Gable formed Baby Smith, and their new single, Dressing Gown, is a shining example of their emotive collaboration: A smooth but also expressive song, balancing quiet moments with loud explosions.

Vanarin – A fly on the wall

Vanarin is an Anglo-Italian band on a mission to explore the weird worlds of psych-pop. With A fly on the wall—the first single from their upcoming third record—they provide a stunning mix of unusual sounds that collide with a captivating, funky indie sound.

EMPIRICAL – LETZ GET IT

A flickering flow of synthesisers awaits you in LETZ GET IT by Julien Bracht, aka EMPIRICAL. It is not your traditional dance track but an atmospheric stream of electronic consciousness, emphasising the melody and details over hard-hitting, danceable beats. A dreamlike summer vibe.

Potochkine – Endorphines

The sirens wail through the night, whipped on by dangerous beats. Welcome to the world of Potochkine, a French EBM duo. The all-encompassing beats almost distract from the dark abyss that opens up underneath. Endorphines sounds uncompromisingly hellish and dangerous.

British Murder Boys – Killer I Said

Birmingham’s British Murder Boys are at the forefront of the UK’s avant-garde techno acts. In Killer I Said and—by extension—their album Active Agents and House Boys, the duo demonstrates an enticing approach to electronic music—weird, unexpected, yet constantly captivating anew.

Gurriers – Approachable

Rock is dead? Dublin’s Gurriers beg to differ. They remastered their 2023 single Approachable without killing the song’s essence: a raw, punkish track reminiscent of bands like the IDLES. The shouted lyrics pogo-dance with the relentless jackhammering rhythm. And the guitars cut like knives.

Kraków Loves Adana – Break My Own Heart

Announcing their new album, I Saw You I Saw Myself, Kraków Loves Adana deliver Break My Own Heart as a first glimpse. The Hamburg-based outfit presents a sparse composition, highlighting an 80s-inspired synth hook accompanying Deniz Çiçek’s vocals. R&B meets synth-pop.

nothhingspecial – catacombs

Taken from the utterly brilliant sophomore EP, Where Do You Wanna Go?, the song catacombs displays German artist nothhingspecial's velvety, sombre voice. Accompanied by an addictive and anticipating rhythm, the track beautifully amalgamates melancholy and a euphoric indie-rock spark.

Spell Trouble – Thorn Armor

In his first of a series of single releases, Maximilian Seifert, aka Spell Trouble, lets gloomy post-punk collide with a filter of electronic post-modernism. As a result, Thorn Armor feels like the despairing soundtrack to a cyberpunk goth movie—dramatic in its shift of tempo, colourful in its darkness.

Jake Isaac – Black Or White

Black Or White by London's soul upstart Jake Isaac spreads a warm and tender vibe. The authentic communication at the heart of the song's message is mirrored by the composition: a human effort, composed with touching passion and created with sophistication at the fingertips. Exquisite.

Violence – Colour Decay (feat. T A K E R)

After their captivating debut record, Area Sub Rosa, Copenhagen's Violence went from a 5-piece band to a duo. Their sound became more experimental as also their collaboration with T A K E R demonstrates: Colour Decay welds together post-punk and euro-trance elements. It works surprisingly well.

Rikas – Barcelona (Learning to Love Myself)

New beginnings, a new path in life at its core, Barcelona (Learning to Love Myself) is Rikas' latest dance-provoking single. The German quartet delivers a catchy track tailored for a verified summer hit without letting cheap allegory take over. This song drips like the condensation on your chilled drink.

The Beauty of Gemina – Whispers of the Seasons

Ahead of the release of their new album, Songs of Homecoming, Switzerland's The Beauty of Gemina offer a glimpse at the record's soundscape with the new single Whispers of the Seasons. Driven by a relentless rhythm, decorated with meandering guitars, Michael Sele's deep, captivating voice takes centre stage.

Harry Dean Lewis – Blue Dunlops

An Australian in Vienna avoiding pigeonholes: Harry Dean Lewis demonstrates with his latest single, Blue Dunlops, a fantastic blend of hip-hop and indie soul. Equipped with an eccentric beat and sunny guitar hooks, the track is as wonky as it spreads a carefree summer groove. Harry Dean Lewis is a name to keep in mind.

Emma Castellino – on & on

Somewhere between indie approaches to pop and rock, French singer-songwriter Emma Castellino's new single, on & on, demands attention with its balanced composition and catchy groove. Castellino demonstrates talent in fusing smooth and tender bedroom vibes with a DIY-like roughness in her sound.

CHACHO &Friends – Moving Sand

Charlotte Viglino is a Swiss visual and sound artist. Solo, CHACHO calls experimental electronica home, but as a trio (&Friends), they delve into the depth of art rock. Moving Sand, from their debut album, is a vocalising dreamscape full of fascinating shades.

Ramkot – Zeppelin

Rock is dead? Not if Belgian Ramkot have anything to say. Loud and raw, this trio's new single, Zeppelin, howls through time and space—powered by an engine that runs on heavy rock'n'roll, oiled with drops of psychedelic sound, and expansive instrumental parts.

The Destruction of the Cult of the Sun – Sleeper Must Awaken

With his project, The Destruction of the Cult of the Sun, artist Eben Tenner seeks to wake people up from unreflected digitalisation. He is in a release frenzy, pushing an array of singles and multiple albums this year—blending psychedelic electronica and indie-rock vibes with a funky twist. Sleeper Must Awaken is a perfect illustration.

Silvertongues – Overflow

Introducing Silvertongues, a Hamburg-based duo, with their debut single, Overflow—an anthem to the urge of overstimulating oneself. Rike Rakete and Manuel de Rien conjure up a pithy rock sound, evoking memories of Queens of the Stone Age or The Kills. Loud and proud shedding meets a melodic catchiness.

Annie Taylor – In Your Head

After Perfect Pretender, Switzerland's rock upstarts Annie Taylor deliver another groovy, sepia-coloured track: In Your Head. And again, they do not disappoint: coolness drips from every sharp bend they sling about, swirling up dust with screeching guitars and tight drums.

Hazlett – The First Train Home

Sweden-based Australian Hazlett's The First Train Home is an introspective indie-folk gem—shimmering in acoustic shades, polished with a pedal-steel guitar. Simultaneously dreamy and earthy, Hazlett merges the traditional essences of folk and country with an imposingly scaled composition.

IAMTHELIVING – The Weekend (feat. Braxton Cook)

Last year, soul man Rian Peters, aka IAMTHELIVING, already showed his quality with Make It Home Alive. For the latest single, The Weekend, he collaborated with sax-virtuoso Baxton Cook to brew an upbeat, euphoric, yet sophisticated escalation. «Dance those troubles away!»