Welcome back to Fresh Beats for the first Picks Of The Week of 2013!
This week, in a return to the normal structure, I have five fantastic tracks for you. These tracks have been stuck in my head all week and I hope they’ll have the same impact on you!
We’ve got a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Hopefully you’ll find something you’ll like!

1. Walk 500 Miles – Tim Barry

Genre: Country; Country-Blues

Tim Barry is a lesser known but highly respected musician. He has toured with many well known musicians, including his friend Frank Turner and The Gaslight Anthem. Specialising in acoustic-driven country-blues music, Barry really stands out on ‘Walk 500 Miles‘ – a sad song that tugs at the heartstrings as Barry details his almost crippling loneliness.

You can listen to the track here.

2. Before I Even Had You – Dave McPherson

Genre: Acoustic; Indie; Alternative

Dave McPherson is one impressive musician. After showing his musical abilities the first time around as the frontman for Essex-based band InMe, he is now a respectable solo musician embarking on a challenge set by himself called the ‘The Good Peoples Movement 365’. For those unfamiliar with this, it is – in short – McPherson recording a song a day for the entirety of 2013 and sending it to an exclusive group of individuals who paid to sign up in late 2012. But this track predates that by a few years. ‘Before I Even Had You‘ is a fantastic acoustic-alternative that shows that McPherson is as talented as ever before. A traditional love song with a touch of insecurity, McPherson spices it up just enough to make it stand out.

You can listen to the track here.

3. It’s Over – Missing Andy

Genre: Indie

A brand new track by the Essex-based Indie outfit, ‘It’s Over’ looks like it could well be a great song from the Missing Andy catalogue. Although it is currently only in an acoustic format on Youtube, the song has a strong melody and rhythm that puts it in good stead for the future. I’m excited to see how the track turns out, but the version available now is great in itself!

You can listen to the track here.

4. I’m A Lazer, You’re A Radar – God Damn

Genre: Rock; Metal; Post-Punk; Grunge

‘I’m A Lazer, You’re A Radar’ is the brand new (and I mean brand new, it only came out today) track by God Damn. The track is a real hit the face: it hits you hard, it hits you fast and then it changes into a deceptively gentler track before hitting you once more. In short it’s a fascinating track that, if you are interested in metal or post-punk, is definitely worth checking out.

You can listen to the track here.

5. The Wreck Of Me Will Be The Ruin Of You – Tussk

Genre: Metal; Post-Punk; Rock

Tussk are another band that will strongly appeal to metal and heavy rock fans. Based in Staffordshire, the band are heavy and hard hitting but have a quality that gives them some appeal to fans who aren’t necessarily into heavier music. It’s a hard quality to put my finger on, but it’s definitely noticeable. It’s most prominent in the accessible verses of this song. ‘The Wreck of Me Will Be the Ruin of You‘ is a track from their Cougar Bait EP that highlights everything that makes Tussk special: heavy instrumentation, a mix of screaming and singing and that certain quality that makes them enjoyable to all.

You can listen to the track here.