Posted on Tuesday 30th January 2024 at 16:00
The On Repeat! blog and playlist reveal all the tunes the Gigantic Tickets staff have been enjoying this month. Press play and turn up the volume as we take you through the essential tracks we love.
And if you want to experience live music, just click the link below to choose from thousands of top artists and bands playing in your area. Plus, we have an incredible selection of festivals for 2024 on offer too!
“CEO Of Oversharing” is the latest offering from rising star New Ro. The Helsinki-based comedian Ronja Stanley has traded in ten years as a comic to try her hand as a musician on the alt-pop scene. The hyperactive single spills the beans on how it feels to have said just a little too much.
Following the departure of producer Jonathan Fish, Sheffield-based metalcore band Bring Me The Horizon returns to a more hardcore sound sure to please their longstanding fans. Get ready for divebombing guitars and Ollie Sykes's signature guttural scream on this new extract from the Post Human: NeX Gen project.
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Lasting little longer than a minute, “Queens Highway” by Brooklyn–based instrumental group Menaham Street Band could be missed in the blink of an eye. Proof that good things come in little packages, this short song still packs plenty of emotive funk and soul.
“Wide Open” is a classic mellow anthem from superstar DJs The Chemical Brothers. Featuring the sepia-tinged vocals of acclaimed singer/songwriter Beck, the sadness seemingly caused by a breakup is amplified by emotive beats and is perfect for those moments of melancholia and introspection.
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“Just Another Rainbow” is the ultimate Manchester team-up, seeing pioneering Stone Roses guitarist John Squire join forces with Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher for a colossal psychedelic adventure. Going big on '60s vibes, the mind-blowing song sees both indie icons playing to their strengths with Gallagher recalling the vocals of John Lennon whilst Squire is effortlessly impressive on the six-string.
“If Tomorrow Starts Without Me” is amongst acclaimed songwriter and producer Bill Ryder-Jones’ oldest lyrics. Watching Eurotrash as a teen, he recalls seeing a sex worker reading extracts in a diary which he has eventually worked to become this magnificent love song. Simplistic yet emotive, “If Tomorrow Starts Without Me” will appear on his forthcoming fifth album Iechyd Da.
“Incinerate” is taken from one of the latter Sonic Youth LPs Rather Ripped and encapsulates some of the best features of the New York band. Ginsberg-esque surrealist lyrics are met with gorgeous melodies with a raw punk rock edge and it’s hard to believe this is a band a quarter of a century into their career.
Texan (mostly) instrumental trio Khruangbin join forces with soul singer Leon Bridges on this psyche-tinged sun-drenched anthem. Sounding like a long-lost Tarantino soundtrack, it’s the perfect song to wind down the window and drive to.
Super Furry Animals songwriter and alternative songwriting legend Gruff Rhys explores the nature of relationships on “Bad Friend”. The third single from his upcoming solo album Sadness Sets Me Free, has all the wit, charm, and flair you would expect from the Welsh wonder.
It’s amazing how Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s side project The Smile can often sound more like Radiohead than their main band, as “Friend Of A Friend” echoes the 2001 single “Pyramid Song”. Tom Skinner’s expert jazz drumming is exemplified on this tender track, which is filled with pathos and passion.
“How You Satisfy Me” was the debut single from Peter Kember’s space rock outfit Spectrum, following the end of his former pioneering indie trance band Spaceman 3. Taking the '60s garage rock to its extreme limits, its hedonistic vibes and experimental sound make it a wild experience.
Recent Lime Garden single “I Want To Be You” sees the Brighton band’s singer Chloe Howard reminisce about what it was like to watch her favourite stars as a teenager. She contrasts that with today’s obsessive culture, amplified by social media.
Check out our MY FAVOURITE ALBUM INTERVIEW with Lime Garden drummer Annabel Whittle.
Described by our event manager Chris Reeve as a “UK Garage-influenced banger”, “One Foot In” is an overlooked Sugababes deep cut that deserves to be heard. The sassy song sees Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan address a no-good lover who keeps messing them about.
Evocative Glaswegian indie folk singer/songwriter Kathryn Joseph teams up with BAFTA-winning songwriter and producer Lomond Campbell to create a complex remix filled with intrigue and nuance. Scottish Album of the Year Award winner Joseph has teamed up with Campbell for an entire EP of reworked tracks from her latest LP For You Who Are the Wronged.
Songwriter Lael Neale is renowned for her sparse yet intricate sound, as typified on “I Am The River” as heard on her latest LP Star Eaters Delight. Conjuring echoes of The Velvet Underground, it’s a hypnotic blend of organ, drum machine and her enigmatic vocals.
“The Tower” is the lead single for Chicago pop-punk band Knuckle Puck’s new(ish) album Losing What We Love. A passionate cry to pay attention to the increasing global tensions, the high-energy track acts as an emotive catharsis through infectious melodies and poignant lyrics.
Indie pop duo Dolores Forever tap into the underlying anxieties straining us all and the resulting apathy on “Why Are You Not Scared Yet?” The two-and-a-half track tackles everything from the climate crisis to societal expectations of women and the pressures of social media, turning existential crisis into a punchy single that slaps.
Paramore fans rejoiced when Hayley Williams and co—released a demo for their previously unheard song “Sanity” in October. Originally written during the After Laughter sessions, the track now lands on their Re: This Is Why record featuring remixes and re-workings taken from their latest studio album.
Found towards the end of Elastica’s awesome self-titled debut album S.O.F.T. is a savage crossover of post-punk and grunge. The title is an anacronym for “Same old fucking thing”, and singer Justine Frischmann’s scathing summary of someone desperate to sell their soul for fame still sounds so damn cool.
“Judge Yr’self” was a lost song by Manic Street Preachers. First started when the band were asked to contribute to the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone, the track was never fully completed owing to the mysterious disappearance of lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards. How lyrics referring to Nietzsche’s scathing criticism of Christianity relate to 2000AD’s biggest star is anyone's guess. But given how Hollywood botched the British satirical comic it’s probably best for all concerned that this blistering track was never used.
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Belfast band Chalk have been generating a lot of noise lately, thanks to their fusion of aggro electronica and post-punk as heard on the single “The Gate”. The track channels the anxieties felt by a new generation in Northern Ireland.
“The Colline Gate” is a feminist criticism of religion by Portsmouth post-punk band Hallan. It references how the Ancient Roman Vestal Virgins would be buried alive for breaking their vows of chastity and warns how ignorance and prejudice continue to be a danger in the present day with a punchy electronica beat.
“Leaving The Light” is the lead track on Ghanaian-Australian rapper and singer Genesis Owusu’s latest LP Struggler. The album saw the star win Album of the Year, Best Independent Release and Best Hip Hop/Rap Release at the 2023 ARIA Music Awards. The arpeggio synths and punchy rhythms can’t fail to move your body.
Taken from the ΛΛ Λ Y Λ album, “XXXO” is a criticism of the sexualisation of mainstream media and the resulting pressure placed upon women to comply with the male gaze and online fetishism. Tamil art-punk songwriter M.I.A. repeats the line "You want me be somebody who I'm really not" in defiance of complying with the desires of the patriarchy.
Dublin quartet Sprints recount the experience of being paralysed with fear and anxiety with their claustrophobic single “Heavy”. It’s a rampaging three-and-a-half-minute song from the essential breakthrough band who have just dropped their debut album Letter To Self.
“Straight To The Morning” sees synthpop superstars Hot Chip join forces with Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker to create the ultimate indie dance anthem. Euphoric and catchy, it’s the perfect start to any big night out (or in)!
This banger might be eighteen years old, but “Perfect (Exceeder)” still absolutely slaps. The classic electro club filler is currently enjoying a massive renaissance after appearing in the movie of the moment Saltburn, whose mix of cringe scenes and eat-the-rich themes is a massive hit with Gen Z.
“No Body” is a hazy take on minimalist art pop, pondering the relationship between reality as understood by the viewer of a smartphone screen. The brooding and atmospheric track is the perfect backdrop for the Scottish songwriter’s striking voice. See Kaeto when she appears at Dot to Dot festival which hits Bristol and Nottingham during May.
No one can resist the rise of queer electroclash sensation Lynks. Having smashed it with sassy singles “NEW BOYFRIEND”, “USE IT OR LOSE IT” and “(WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM) SEX WITH A STRANGER”, they now launch their next massive tune “CPR” which also features on upcoming debut album Abomination.
Satirical Leeds supergroup Yard Act follow up their Mercury Prize nominated debut album The Overload with the eagerly awaited second record Where’s My Utopia? Their sardonic single “Dream Job” draws on disco grooves, pulling apart the exposed frayed seams of the music industry and revealing that getting what you want isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.
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