I've covered some cool things on French label Howlin' Banana Records before, and I'm certainly fond of Skep Wax, the label run by Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey (Heavenly, The Catenary Wires, Swansea Sound), so a pairing of these imprints can only signal great things.
Special Friend are American Erica Ashleson and Frenchman Guillaume Siracusa. Their music, as indicated by this early single, is likely right up your alley. "Bête", this first taste of their upcoming June 2023 Skep Wax album, is superb. I can hear a bit of Bettie Serveert in this, a lot of early Nineties Yo La Tengo, and even a hint of Young Marble Giants. Still, the tune stands on its own as one of the musical highlights of this week.
You can play the video for "Bête" below, and buy the song via the Skep Wax Bandcamp page.
[Photo: Clara de Latour]