Hello all and Happy New Year to you all ...Mark my words this will be the year when Kevin off Facebook does an 'about turn' and tells the world to get vaccinated, thus ending the whole COVID shitshow and letting the music world get back to 'reliable normal'...until then feast your ears on these 16 beauties !!!

Cheers Darrin

Of House

Track: Heart About To Give Out From: Hear About To Give Out (Single) Label: Underflow Records Out: Now

Beautiful mixture of jangled riffs, crunchy/chiming guitars and dream-pop. It should not really work when fused together, but the aesthetic of this Detroit based act is never short of stunning in its beauty.

Tampopo

Track: Tampopo From: Magic Noodles (Album) Label: Self released Out: Now

Gloriously twee, perfectly jangly, it is great to see this Copenhagen based act offering the best of their 2017/2018 on one compilation album.

Seablite

Track: Ink Bleeds From: Breadcrumbs / Ink Bleeds (Single) Label: Emotional Response Records Out: Now

Residing somewhere between the sparkling, jangly hues of Massage and the fragile dreamy-gaze of Holy Now, San Francisco’s Seablite never fail to pile on the goregeous with every subsequent release.

Richard Hamilton

Track: Real Neat From: Real Neat b​/​w Have It All The Time (Single) Label: Quality Time Records Records Out: Now

Undoubtedly a contender for the ‘best ofs’ singles if 2021, if only I had heard this prior to 2022! Mixing lo-fi melodies and an irresistible sense of earworm, with a slight sense of fuzz, this vibe will appeal to those who love The Pierce Kingans sense of ‘beautiful subdued’.

Mike Costaney

Track: Mr Doty From: Mr Doty (Single) Label: Self released Out: Now

New Jersey’s based act, who marries lo-fi sensibilities, to the best of melodic pop-rock sensibilities and the very slightest of fuzz-pop inferences. Sumptuous from start to finish.

Psychic Sidekick

Track: Helicopter From: Waiting For A Hesitant Sun (EP) Label: Self released Out: Now

This Nashville based duo provide a mixture of the Dehd / Forth Wanderers sound, Girl on Red laconic vocals and the occasional ramshackle jangle of Dude York. One of those tracks that your mouse just keeps gravitating to !

Mount Mural

Track: Sick Boy From: Sick Boy (Single) Label: Quality Time Records Records Out: Now

Mount Mural always proffer the darkest of melancholic post rock, in the most beautiful of ways. Mixing post-punk ambiences, with isolated jangled riffs, this is yet more ‘headphones in the dark’ perfection.

Moodlighting

Track: Ahead of Myself From: Ahead of Myself (Single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Denver quintet whose sound never really rests permanently at twee / power-pop / shoe-gaze or jangle-pop, but grabs the absolute best nuances from all of them. This is only their second single, but both have been brilliant so far.

Trivial Pleasure

Track: Like A Ship in the Endless Ocean From: Obsessed (EP) Label: Self released Out: Now

Juxtaposing lo-fi fuzz with the more melodic end / The Memory Fades style of the muted gaze essence, this Russian duo are bringing back the best of late 80s / early 90s jangle-gaze, with consumate style.

Community Swimming Pool

Track: I Don’t Know From: I Don’t Know (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Always at his very best when twisting dulcet riffs through unconcealed melancholy, Glasgow’s, Community Swimming Pool (AKA Bmac), once again creates absolute beauty from all things lo-fi and lo-mood.

The Weather Prophets

Track: Lighthouse Room (Long Session) From: The Weather Prophets – Janice Long session 10​.​10​.​85 (Double Single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Flyer track from one of two, four track The Weather Prophets / Janice Long Sessions from the mid 80s, that are being released as a double single vinyl, as a tribute to the recently departed, legendary DJ…a fitting tribute from an act she consistently championed.

The Photocopies

Track: What’s Wrong With You Is What’s Wrong With Me  From: It’s Not Complicated / What’s Wrong With You Is What’s Wrong With Me (Single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Considering the critical accliam they have garnered, It is hard to believe that this is only the third single from this Michigan based act, who marry C86 ramshackle jangly indie-pop to a guitar insistent that reminds me of the better parts of the mid 2000s The Libertines catalogue.

Artsick

Track: Ghost of Myself From: Fingers Crossed (album) Label: Slumberland Records Out: Album out 21.01.22

Another fine jangle nuanced offering from Slumberland Records, as they release with San Francisco based foursome, Artsick, who just happen to be everything that was so very ramshackle, jangly indie about 80s and its C86 movement.

Pleasing Forms

Track: Tear It Up  From: Tear It Up (Single) Label: Self released Out: Now

OK I am pushing it to say that this August release is ‘new music’, however this brilliant mix of jangly post punk and slight The Doors style psyche needs to be shared to a wider audience! Great stuff from the solo recording project of Pittsburg based, Todd Thomas.

The Pierce Kingans

Track: Wasn’t Promising  From: Acheiving Inner Pierce (EP) Label: Self released Out: Now

Firm favourites of the blog, this is from their last EP prior to Subjangle releasing another Compliation of their best track released throughout 2021 (due out Feb ’22). As always, their mix of obtuse, 60s melodies and lo-fi, will be gratefully received !

Petros Fuzzhead

Track: Lobotomy From: The War Is Near (album) Label: Psycho Puppie Records Out: Now

Reminds me of the early 2000s Clinic aesthetic, juxtaposed upon the modern day post-punk of an act such as Lurve. Melodic, dank and ultimately beautiful, from this Greek act.