Weekly5

Hearts

Edition #45 brings you fresh tracks by Atzur, Ellevator, The Tazers, Principe Valiente, and Al Pride. Listen here.

Atzur

What does your heart desire right now? Which music speaks your mind? Maybe it's one of today's curated songs. This edition is a journey that takes you to the shores of exuberant indie-pop, to tracks of steaming rock trains, into the gloomy underbelly of foggy clubs, and along neon-shimmering streets.

Before we take this trip together, I give you a quick heads-up: Next week, the Weekly5 take a short break. On April, 3rd, there will again be an edition delivered to your inbox.

Best,

Atzur – Do You Feel the Same?

Indie-pop with an affinity for sweeping gestures—that's Atzur. I introduced the Austrian-Spanish duo in May 2021 with Home to Home. Their latest single, Do You Feel the Same?, continues to draw the signature sound; this driven, urgent feeling, enforced by marching drums, the dramatic hooks delivered by the piano. Do You Feel the Same? is a powerful statement, an addictive burst of energy.

Ellevator – Sacred Heart

Almost four years ago, I first encountered Ellevator through their brilliant single Voices. The Canadian trio's latest release, Sacred Heart, still demonstrates the same strengths as back in 2018. The song is a pushing indie-rock song, dramatic in its delivery, elevated to utter brilliance by Nabi Sue Bersche's melodic voice. Sacred Heart is again a timeless anthem by Ellevator.

The Tazers – Ready to Die

Johannesburg is shaking when The Tazers start playing. And ripples of fuzzing and dirty psychedelic rock wash over the world. Ready To Die is a muffled bullet, fired with modern laser precision, but hitting the heart of the 70s rocker. Shameless and with adolescent verve, the South African trio rambles through Ready To Die. And yet, The Tazers—despite their heavy sound—keep a cool lightness.

Principe Valiente – Tears in Different Colors

Sweden's Principe Valiente are part of dancefloors since 2007, to the post-punk-inclined goths' delight. Barricades, their first studio album in five years, is a commitment to the original idea of the genre. It sounds so beautifully gloomy. Tears in Different Colors is just a taste of this sonic flashback, driven by Fernando Honorato's voice that sounds like the lovechild of Bauhaus' Peter Murphy and Bowie.

Al Pride – Small Heart

Al Pride are on the run to become frequent flyers in the Weekly5. I have to restrain myself with every single release, but today, I give in to their talent. Small Heart is an innovative approach to indie-pop; the 8-piece Swiss band morphs an initially classic pop tune into an ecstatic spoken-word attack on consumerism. The track is an impressive statement of Al Pride's creativity.