AS we approach our 20th edition of New Music Radar, we are incredibly heartened by the fact that the constant stream of brilliant new music that 2017 has provided appears to be showing no signs of subsiding whatsoever.
After spending the weekend seeing countless bands performing in Glasgow, it’s always encouraging to see that there is yet more brilliant artists ready, waiting and vying for your attention with offerings that may live on in your memory long beyond the week.
With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the best music we’ve heard over the past seven days and perhaps some of these tracks will rank among your firm favourites of 2017.
The Bar Dogs- Sorry
After debuting the track’s stark black and white video via TTV, it’s safe to say that the first single from The Bar Dogs’ debut album has seldom strayed from our ears.
Reminiscent of the decadent and pined for days where bands such as The Stones, The Faces, Mott The Hoople and Free held sway over the top 40, the first taste of what’s to come from their electrifying debut is the epitome of the world’s greatest genre at its most unadulterated and exhilarating. Centered on the gravelly, painstakingly honest vocal performance of frontman John Gerrard O’Neill against a backdrop of E Street Band saxophone and rugged guitars, this is a band that aren’t focused on pretension or marketability but have treated the music they’re producing with true care and affection in order to replicate the power of their propulsive live sets.
Their debut album Friday Night The Eagles Fly is nothing short of a revelation and it’s likely to attain massive fanfare and adoration when released to the public.
Mark McGowan- Hot Coals
With a voice that wouldn’t sound out of place among the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 60s, Mark McGowan has gained a notable reputation around Glasgow for his often heartfelt and engaging soulful compositions. Ahead of his highly anticipated show at the British Panopticon Hall this coming Friday (31st March), the singer-songwriter has unveiled ‘Hot Coals’, one of his most impressive tracks to date. Boasting a more refined production than any of his previous material, the singer-songwriter has once again delivered a wonderful fusion of folk and soul over some joyful acoustic melodies; this time though, his acoustic strums are embellished by twinkling keys, peppy hand-claps and a flourish of strings.
Whitney- You’ve Got A Woman
Performed live for the very first time during their set at BBC 6 Music Festival in support of Belle And Sebastian, Whitney have proven their adeptness and the versatility of their sound with a fantastic cover of Lion’s ‘You’ve Got A Woman.’
Released alongside an equally enjoyable re-imagining of Dolly Parton’s ‘Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can), their inherent mastery of melody and the breeziness of its musicality epitomises everything that the public have came to adore about them.
Baby Strange- Motormind
Showing no signs of creative stagnation or willingness to retreat to the shadows in the wake of their debut album coming out last September, Baby Strange have shared news of a brand new EP alongside a blistering new track titled ‘Motormind’.
Just as its title suggests, the track explodes with the kind of urgency and relentless energy with which they have become synonymous. Hurtling in at two and a half minutes in length, the trio hit you square in the face with a barrage of razor sharp guitar lines, ruthless rhythms and massive hooks; all while retaining the same menacing energy that inspired their early material.
