German songwriter Musketeer has released this haunting slice of melancholia – folk-like with a gothic twist. It unfurls beautifully with a strong poetic bent. Described as a howling testament to a pack of wolves returning to Denmark (after not being sighted there for 200 years), this version of ‘Wolves’ is built around acoustic guitar and a synth – a much starker version that the drums-assisted previous … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Musketeer – Wolves
New Zealand collective Fly My Pretties have been a live proposition up until recently when they entered the studio to record new imaginings of tracks from their back catalogue. The Studio Recordings Part One involved 25 contributors over a 12 month period – including Barnaby Weir (The Black Seeds) accompanied by Anna Coddington, Bailey Wiley, A Girl Named Mo, Hollie Smith, LA Mitchell (Terrible Sons), Lisa Tomlins, … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Fly My Pretties – Quiet Girl
‘Being Human’, by Manchester songwriter and producer Caoilfhionn Rose (pronounced Keelin) is one of those tracks that combines mystery, beauty, lush production and a voice that possesses effortless melodic qualities. It comes from her debut LP Awaken, out now on Gondwana Records. Mixing pastoral folk, light psychedelia and indie sensibilities the song is a good reflection of the overall strength of Awaken as an album. Recommended! Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Caoilfhionn Rose – Being Human
Aldous Harding Designer 4Ad / Remote Control Aldous Harding’s artistic trajectory continues to billow skyward on her third album, the second produced by John Parish for the 4AD label. Long gone is the stark and fragile folk of her debut, though it still lurks under the surface of what is now lush and detailed avant chanteuse pop music. The quirkiness of Harding’s vocal delivery has … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Aldous Harding – Designer
Almost a Beach Boys sound at the start of this new track from Slark Moan. From there it opens up into cascading piano notes before settling on a rubbery bass groove and classic baroque and power pop shapes. Vocal harmonies soar skyward while Ringo-style drums keep the song in check, while also adding some nice rhythmic colour behind the vocal, inhabited by the wandering ghost … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Slark Moan – Honesty
Big Thief U.F.O.F. 4AD What started with a debut album in 2016, that introduced a fragile and poetic songwriter and her band, has blossomed into a fascinating and quickly evolving career for Adrienne Lenker and the rest of Big Thief. They’ve been touring relentlessly, Lenker even having time to record a well received solo record last year. From Masterpiece to Capacity and now U.F.O.F, the … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Big Thief – U.F.O.F
T-Rex, Devendra Banhart, freewheeling melodies soaring over folk and acoustic psych boogie sounds – those the are the elements at play on this delightful track from English songwriter David Ellis. ‘Eyes To The Sky’ breezes along on a warm, spring current of air with a bucolic and organic vibe that perfectly balances wide-eyed innocence and some serious songwriting craft. ‘Eyes To The Sky’ comes from … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: David Ellis – Eyes To The Sky
Madison Major of Brooklyn, New York is Champ Major, an experimental folk artist who’s aesthetic is one of creating a sonic environment to match her songs and stories. In the case of ‘Enjoy’ from her EP Receipe For Baking Two Humans Together, it’s a thick and foggy sound, akin to a radio transmission from a distant time and place. Acoustic guitar and a yearning voice … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Champ Major – Enjoy
Glenn Echo is a musical project from Matt Gaydar out of Brooklyn, NY and we were instantly drawn into this track ‘Overwhelm’, with it’s warm and intimate sound. Really nice chord changes in the verses of the song as it gently weaves together its varied sonic elements. I like a track that knows its strengths and how to work with them and not try to build … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Glenn Echo – Overwhelm
A suitably trippy clip for this psychedelic somnambulant space jam from Timothy Eerie. The group hail from Austin, TX and based on this track they’ve found a damn good angle on imbuing blissed out English psych and US West Coast sounds with a post-modern dream sheen. For fans of Mac DeMarco, Chad Van Gaalen, early Pink Floyd, CAN and The Byrds Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Timothy Eerie – Transformation Of Things
Mark Moldre returns with the first taste and title track of his forthcoming new album Fever Dreams. This album has been a long time coming and it follows the fine An Ear To The Earth from 2013. ‘Fever Dreams I’ is a jaunty, noisey and unsettling journey into the psychology of virally-induced broken sleep. Moldre’s previous releases have been more melodic and often folkier in … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Mark Moldre – Fever Dreams I
Defiantly independent and creatively driven, Darren Cross is always seeking new ways to translate his ideas and influences into music. Whether it was in the heady days of indie/electro guitar punks Gerling, as a DJ and electronic music producer, as one half of folk noir duo Jep and Dep (with Jessica Cassar) or as a solo artist. Under his own name he’s released two solo … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Darren Cross
Doubtful Sounds 