The Lunar Towers

Track: Wire  From:  Wire (single) Label: Colorama Records Out: Now

Coursing lucid The Byrds style jangled riffs with the retro under-production of the San Francisco jangle-folk of The Umbrellas / The Telephone Numbers, this debut single indicates the presence of a superb ‘new kid on the block’ !

Smile

Track: What A Heart Is For From:  What A Heart Is For (single) Label: Dotto Out: Now

Turin’s finest jangle-rockers are back and letting their inner The Jayhawks / The Smithereens run riot, with the jangliest Americana you could ever wish to hear.

Phantom Handshakes

Track: Come Undone From:  Come Undone (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

This New York based duo are back with their signature sound of jangly riff laden dream-pop, mixed with nudges towards the spatial production of the modern jangle-gaze scene. One of the most lucid acts around at present.

The Blue Herons

Track: From Here From:  From Here (single) Label: GrindEthos Records Out: Now

Among stiff competition, this is possibly my favourite track released by this duo of Gretchen DeVault and Andy Jossi. A stunning mix of swirling dream-pop and Even As We Speak style jangly guitar/indie-pop.

The S-ft F-cus

Track: This Divine Love  From:  Lousy w’ Love (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Danny Allen project, that seems to come at the listener from every conceivable alt.jangle-pop angle. Dream-pop, lo-fi, psyche-pop…all in one track. Brilliantly obtuse. 

Split Aura

Track: Limerence  From:  Limerence (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Philadelphia based act, taking off-kilter Elvis Costello pop rock, jangled guitar-pop riffs and chunky post-punk basslines, to offer one of the more original sounds around at present.

Plainhead

Track: Spaceman From:  From Another Place (album) Label: New Basement Out: Now

For those of you that enjoy your jangle engulfed by MBV gaze and DIIV / RGV style modern post-punk muscularity, then this Munich based act may just be your new darling !

Hometape

Track: Second From:  Second  (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Juxtaposition of the lo-fi, flat stringed riffs of Pavement and muffled under-produced, Frank Black vocals. This is melodic fuzz rock at it’s finest.

Push Puppets

Track: Sometimes the Buds Never Flower From:  Sometimes the Buds Never Flower
 (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

For those of you that enjoy your 80s style  pop-rock with a jangle-pop edge and big hooks and melodies, this Illinois based foursome play it gloriously old school.

Guest Rooms

Track: Pipedream (Midnight in Brenham)  From:  TOPHAT MAGICK part 1 (album) Label: Self released Out: Now

Guest Rooms is the moniker of an indie collective led by Austin (Texas) based, Mason Parva, who takes an Ariel Pink style of lo-fi wonk-pop and courses all manner of indietronica through it. 

Vex

Track: Glitch  From:  Glitch (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Vex hark back to the late 80s days, when the dominant post-punk alternative music sound, was rapidly morphing into the more melodic sound of jangle-pop. A foot in both camps, this is everything grumbling The Wake, A Certain Ratio, APB and The Cure in ‘pretty darkness’.

Today’s Outfit

Track: Follow Me  From:  Follow Me (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Imagine Peter Hook choosing his very favourite bassline and backing the more laconic, jangly end of the Pulp back catalogue and you are just about in the right Britpop musical ballpark here.