Cloud Sounds #11: with The Phantom Band, Fucked Up, The Afghan Whigs, and more

On this week's Cloud Sounds, a weekly playlist of new music curated by The Skinny, we feature an eclectic mix of indie, punk and post-rock, with a dash of electro, disco and slick house music for good measure. Highlights include the return of Glasgow-based, Chemikal Undergound-signed indie mob The Phantom Band, another track from the thrilling comeback album by grunge-era titans The Afghan Whigs, plus slabs of brutalist noise and punk from Michael Gira's Swans, and Canadian hardcore veterans Fucked Up.

We kick off this week with the new single from The Phantom Band, who have just announced their new album, Strange Friend, dropping on Chemikal on 2 June. The new album, their third, promises more of a documentary approach to recording, without losing any of the synth flourishes and intricate approach to structure which are the band's hallmarks.

The Phantoms' singer, Rick Anthony, describes first single The Wind That Cried The World: "The verses have a kind of nursery rhyme musical naivety and we wanted the choruses to just sort of blast in. The lyrics were kind of stream of consciousness that alludes somewhat to the inherent meaninglessness and randomness of artistic creation. The whole track acts as a nice opener and first single; a sort of a statement of intent after being away for so long." We're looking forward to the new album – here's our interview with the band about their recording space, from 2012, and here's Anthony talking about his 2013 solo album, as Rick Redbeard.

After that, we tear into an upfront, rock-oriented track from the first new album by The Afghan Whigs since 1998's 1965. We'll be speaking to Greg Dulli, front-man of the Whigs, in our April issue – he'll be giving us a track-by-track run-down of their new album, Do to the Beast. Next up, Canada's Fucked Up provide a blast of sheet-metal guitar and feral screaming lasting an epic 18 minutes. Their new album, Glass Boys, drops in June, but this snarling beast gets a limited vinyl release next month. After that, we take a peek at the retro-futuristic soundtrack to video game Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. The track, by Australian producers Power Glove, is taken from the soundtrack album, which gets a vinyl release for Record Store Day courtesy of Geoff Barrow's Invada Records. 

We stick with electronics for another track or two – King Bromeliad by Floating Points comes from a forthcoming 12", with two tracks of jazzy, summery house from the Manchester-born, London-based producer, dropping on his own Eglo label. Then it's the turn of NYC outfit Holy Ghost!, showcasing a remix of a track from their 2013 album Dynamics. Bridge & Tunnel has just dropped on 12" via DFA, and this re-rub by Norway's Prins Thomas ups the classic disco vibe in grand style.

Animal Collective offshoot Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks deliver a slice of horror movie-inspired indie-pop weirdness next, taken from Enter The Slasher House, out 7 April via Domino. Then Swedish experimental rockers The Skull Defekts rock up with a pulse-pounding slice of riffage, the lead track from their new album Dances in Dreams of the Known Unknown, out 8 April on Thrill Jockey. Then it's the return of Michael Gira's majestic, incomparable post-rock ensemble Swans, offering up new track A Little God In My Hands for free download – it is taken from their much-anticipated new album To Be Kind, which features contributions from St. Vincent and others. 

As we near the final strait of this week's playlist, we bring you a new track by Lost Map-signed whimsical indie-folk collective Randolph's Leap, showcasing the songwriting talents of Adam Ross. Foolishness of Youth is taken from their full length debut album Clumsy Knot, out 7 April. Any singer who can get away with lines like "If I spoke in Swiss, would you still take the piss?" is OK by us. More indie-folk up next, from another rising Scottish band, Edinburgh's Universal Thee.

The next slice of jangly indie comes from one of the genre's best and brightest – Lenzie Moss was a member of both the BMX Bandits and Teenage Fanclub, who cornered the market in this kind of warm, melodious indie fare back in the 90s. His new single Let's Take The Day Off is out on Newtown Records on 31 March. Then it's the turn of Dundee's Scary People, with a brooding portion of fuzzed-up guitar and gloriously melodramatic, swaggering vocals.

We finish up with Liverpool screamo / punk lot We Came Out Like Tigers, delivering a short blast of haunting, overclocked choral singing, taken from their new album, out on 14 April. And finally, a long-lost offcut from the seminal Spiderland, by Louisville post-rock originators Slint. We have an in-depth interview with Slint's Brian McMahan and David Pajo coming up in our April issue, as the band prepare to release a remastered and expanded deluxe box-set of the 1991 classic. 

Hear the whole playlist below, and follow The Skinny on SoundCloud to keep up to date with our favourites.