The number of song pitches continues to grow each week as business for 2025 picks up. The Five Songs You Must Hear This Week are the survivors of about 600 of those pitches.
1. Fontaines DC, It’s Amazing to Be Young
Single (XL)
Recommended If You Like: Surprises
Fontaines DC—hands down one of my favourite new bands of the last five years—just released Romance, their fourth album, back in August. Then suddenly, they offered up a brand-new non-album track. Guitarist Carols O’Connell just had a child and this song was written in his presence. That explains the lullaby quality, doesn’t it? The song and another track, Before You I Just Forget, will be available on a limited-edition 7-inch single on April 18.
2. The Darkness, Walking Through Life
Dreams on Toast (Cooking Vinyl)
RIYL: RAWK anthems
I realize The Darkness is an acquired taste for some—it’s the falsetto, I know—but their music does pay off with repeated listening. If you pay attention to the lyrics of this one, you’ll get the band’s commentary on the state of the music industry these days. Dreams on Toast will be out March 28.
3. Noah Weiland, Sex Type Thing
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Fathers and sons, part 1
Noah is the son of Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. He’s been trying to get a music career of his own for a couple of years (there was a band called Suspect208 with the songs of Slash and Robert Trujillo of Metallica that didn’t work out) and now it appears that he’s gained some footing. He’s getting attention for this cover of the STP song from the Core album back in 1993. The Chucky doll (representing Scott) is a nice touch.
4. Xavier Trudeau, Till the Nights Done
Single (Pathway Music Group)
RIYL: Fathers and sons, part 2
Yes, this is the Prime Minister’s son. Xavier, who is 17, is obviously a fan of Drake, The Weeknd, and other artists on the R&B end of the spectrum. Younger sister, Ella-Grace, helps out on vocals. Normally, this isn’t the kind of music that shows up in this column, but it is kinda newsworthy. And note the lyrics: “What you know about me, I ain’t like him.”
5. Good Neighbours, Ripple
Single (Capitol/ICLG)
RIYL: Indie Pop
This style of indie pop has been with us since the earliest days of Foster the People, COIN, and AJR. It’s danceable, singable, and generally right down the middle when it comes to alt-rock today. Good Neighbours is a British duo consisting of Oli and Scott and have received plenty of attention from the BBC and the BRIT Awards. This is the band’s first official music video, too.
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