The 10 Best Tunes of the Week | 2024 Week 18

Image: Left - Abbe May; Right - Kamasi Washington

With so much new music coming out each and every day, it can be hard to listen to everything, but we'll be damned if we don't try. Here are our favourite tunes from the week that was from the likes of Abbe May, Arno Faraji, DOVE (aka Bicep), hanbee, HTRK, Kamasi Washington, Mdou Moctar, Peter Bibby, Tanaya Harper and TSHA!

Abbe May - BIG PU$$Y ENERGY

She’s baacckkk! Beloved West Aussie singer songwriter and rock icon Abbe May gives us the first taste of her sixth studio album in fiery, attitude packed style on BPE. A gritty & grungy cut of alt-rock, BPE brings a driving bassline and locked in rhythm section alongside fuzzy guitar hooks and plenty of cowbell action, while Abbe sings an ode to “having your own back and not taking any shit.”

Arno Faraji - Boss Energy

Doing just what it says on the box,  Boorloo/Perth rap prodigy Arno Faraji returns to kick off #FARAJISZN with a deep, atmospheric new cut of smooth, trappy sounds with booming 808s alongside tasteful strings and spacey synths as Faraji spits bars reflecting on “taking charge of yourself on your own journey, being honest about what you want, and going for it.”

DOVE - CHROMA 003 Bi83

The boys from Belfast continue their CHROMA series, this time dropping the third edition under the DOVE alias for four minutes of weighty and euphoric cut of arpeggiated, acid inflected electro inflections. Out now via CHROMA.

hanbee - days months years

Korean-New Zealand indie-pop artist hanbee continues her rise with a downright irresistibly charming new single, the light and dreamy sounds of days months years, a single that hanbee explains “Although we talk of timeless love, for us humans, time is precious. Spending all your treasured time with someone can mean the world - ‘days months years’ is about that very desire; willing to spend days, months, and years with your loved one.”

HTRK - Dream Symbol (Loraine James Remix)

Hoooo boy. Yes please. Celebrating their 21st year of making music together are one of the most innovative Australian acts of contemporary times, the inimitable duo that is Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang aka HTRK! What better way to celebrate than get some remix action of some past faves, as they unveil an awesome reinterpretation of a track from my favourite album of 2019 - Venus In Leo. Tapping London's electronic wunderkind, Loraine James - the band's Ghostly labelmate in her Whatever The Weather alias, and a past collaborator with Standish - James flips the beautifully haunting downtempo sounds of the original into glitchy, beat driven affair. Out now via Ghostly International.

Kamasi Washington - Get Lit feat. George Clinton & D Smoke

21st century cosmic jazz wizard’s new album Fearless Movement is here and he saved one last single for release week - the hip hop jazz crossover sounds of Get Lit, teaming up with D Smoke and living legend psych funk lord, George Clinton. Kamasi Washington’s new album Fearless Movement is out now via Young / Remote Control Records.

Mdou Moctar - Oh France

As above, so below… Another final single from a brand new album, Tuareg desert rock lord Mdou Moctar delivers the scintillating sounds of Oh France that sees them getting heavier than we’ve heard so far in this desert psych freak out extravaganza. Mdou Moctar’s new album Funeral For Justice is out now via Matador Records / Remote Control Records.

Peter Bibby - Terracotta Brick

With his eagerly awaited new album just around the corner, Boorloo/Perth songsmith and lovable larrikin bucks the trend from his last few singles of ripping rock & roll with a tender, slide-guitar featuring ballad with Terracotta Brick, a tender lament for the honest tradesperson. Bibby explains  "I came up with this little ditty while I was working as a brickie’s labourer. I took a direct quote or two from the boss, he was full of great lines. He was also full of piss on a regular basis, and it got me thinking about the connection between the building industry and flat out, celebrated alcoholism." Peter Bibby’s new album Drama King is out May 31 via Spinning Top Records.

Tanaya Harper - Night Terrors

Rounding out a huge week for new W.A. music, Ghost Care bassist and accomplished artist in her own right Tanaya Harper follows up 2023 single Remnants with a tender & emotional new slice of mellow and melodic indie-folk-pop, bringing along a string section to accompany Harper’s honeyed vocals and trusty guitar.

TSHA - Sweet Devotion feat. Caroline Byrne

Check out what we said about TSHA’s new Ibiza anthem earlier in the week here.

Enjoy all these tunes as well as a stack of other new music we've been feeling in our Spotify playlist.