Tagged: submithub

5 Songs I Heard This Week and Liked

Seeing as I’m now a curator on Submithub I get sent loads of cool things. This week I’m distilling down five of the best. Enjoy!

NAMESAKE – In Different Cities ft Jewel Owusu

A fairly harmless slice of feel good bubblegum pop to play as you drive down to your local cinema to watch Barbie, which like the film, “explore[s] the delicate balance of seizing opportunities and embracing the transient nature of relationships”. I’ve not seen Barbie yet but I’m 100% sure this is what it’s about.

Sumer Nights – John Fox

When John sent this over I was probably going to pass because of the somewhat abrasive rhythm guitar during the introduction, but the more I listened the more I began to like it. John’s voice seems to have been transported – hot tub style – from 1986. Loads of Journey, Boston, Rainbow in this one folks (yes, I know they’re from the late 70s but I don’t really care).

Autodidactic Studios x pftq x Waterflame x Diana Garnet – Genshindou

Always great to get some Jrock submissions through to the blog and this features some very solid vocals from Diana Garnet. It kinda reminds me of a darker version of Doll$box although Tom over at JPU Records may have better comparisons.

Hoax – Into The Blackhole

Although the verse is slightly prosaic and plodding – a slow dance jam – the chorus soars into space (obvious reference). Lovely use of major and minor 7 chords throughout and some neat falsetto vocals. Not to be confused with the music to the 1978 film The Blackhole, which was by John Barry and erm, I am rambling at this point.

ZUSO – Aurora

I’m not sure what the story behind this is; I did reach out to the singer, but like the Aurora Borealis, they were somewhat elusive. It reminds me of something you may hear on the Sunshine soundtrack by Underworld: transient, ephemeral, atmospheric, yet more uptempo. A nice deep house song for cocktails under the, er, sunshine.

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So there we are folks, a diverse selection of songs for you to enjoy. And if you have a song, why not send it over and I’ll have a listen? Pro tip: if you do, include a short bio about the track so I have some background; you wouldn’t believe how many folks just don’t bother.

Random Song Of The Week May 2023

As many readers to my once famous, frequently blogging blog know I like to haunt the Submithub Hot or Not charts because it’s a veritable mine of great new music and every now and again a song comes along so good it makes you halt what you’re doing and pay close attention.

Rabbit Hole by Lyonhart is one of those occasions:


Stylistically I’m reminded of Chris Isaak, Manchester band TSDP (AKA Mamucium) with shades of obscure Irish band The Adventures:

I sense there are lots more comparisons to make but these are futile and I urge you to enjoy Rabbit Hole on its own merits, especially the deliriously hypnotic outro that lifts this track into other worlds entirely.

Sena from the band tells me the song is all about self reflection and how we’re seen from the eyes of others, or as they put it:

An introspective mediation on being accepted despite all your flaws. An explanation about the traumas that we all carry through our lives, and how it colours our individual view of the world. “We are the centre of our own universe” as the saying goes, so it’s easy to feel misunderstood, despite the fact that we’re all misunderstood in some fundamental way.

Which I think is a lovely way at looking at things. I’m enjoying falling down this rabbit hole. You’re next.