Neu The Neu Bulletin (Mary in the Junkyard, Amie Blu, Friko and more!)

A Windmill staple who’ve been putting in the work collecting fans through buzzy live shows, the experimental indie trio mary in the junkyard finally debuted with their single ‘Tuesday’ last October. This week they’ve followed it up with ‘Ghost’ – the one, according to their Instagram, “that goes oooweeooweeoo”. Over a backdrop of warm, fuzzy guitars, vocalist Clari Freeman-Taylor does indeed go “oooweeooweeoo”, howling for the attention of a lover. It’s a charming, woozy second installment from a band certain to be the next big thing from the South London scene. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Seething with visceral energy, ‘Get Numb To It!’ provides a final dose of momentum in the lead-up to Friko’s debut album ‘Where we’ve been, Where we go from here’ (out today). A textural showpiece of the Chicago duo’s forward-thinking approach, crunching riffs and insistent drums combine with soaring vocals to create an energetic indie rock sound. Tied together by candidly poetic lyrics pondering on the vapidity of modern life, the track serves as an exciting prelude for what Friko have yet to offer. (Emily Savage)

Following on from her ‘crumbs in my bed’ EP, released last year, Amie Blu has returned with new single ‘everything about her’. Having gained attention ahead of its release after Blu teased it over on her Instagram, the full version does not disappoint; continuing the soulful, emotion-baring nature of Blu’s previous output, but with a more upbeat twist, the track is driven by groovy synths as she tells the tale of being hurt by someone who she thought understood her past (“you know just how it feels / but you do it anyway)”. (Gemma Cockrell)

Leaving her bedroom in Sydney behind, taking flight and landing on the sticky floors of London clubs, total tommy’s debut single ‘microdose’ charts both her physical and figurative journey to the other side of the world. A hazy, grunge-tinted ode to nights out and intoxicated (but still intoxicating) crushes, ‘microdose’ bounces through its chorus in a way that feels anthemic as well as intimate, time-stamping her first months out and partying in the capital. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Experimental songwriter and producer feeo - the artistic alias of musician and multidisciplinary artist Theodora Laird - has released her new single ‘tnteen’, taken from forthcoming EP ‘run over’. Gentle, comforting vocals float over ethereal and dreamy instrumentation, as Laird explores themes of excess, exploitation, depletion and desire, which are reflected in the mystical and complex layering of the track. Breathing room is minimal, but this only enhances the message that Laird is communicating with the listener, bringing the track full circle and driving it forward with intention. (Gemma Cockrell)

The London-based duo Hex Girlfriend, concocted by Noah Yorke and James Knott, have found an intriguing nook for themselves – somewhere between the dark thumps of heavy rock and the sweaty oontz of club rave beats. Their latest outing ‘Cafe Culture’ leans closer towards the latter, where scattered drums writhe beneath elevated vocals for a vibe that verges on indie-pop. It’s a shoulder-shimmying banger, and proof that great things can come from the unexpected merging of genres. (Caitlin Chatterton)

Tags: Amie Blu, feeo, Friko, Hex Girlfriend, mary in the junkyard, total tommy, Listen, Watch, Neu, Neu Bulletin