Thank you for joining us for the penultimate Beat the Delete of 2023. These 20+ acts restored my faith in humanity by resisting the urge to send me seasonal tracks of Rudolph-inspired bilge, showing that December does not have to be blighted by total musical schmaltz.

Tom Bandy & the Eternal Summer Break

Track: Shady Guy With Lyme Disease From: Shady Guy With Lyme Disease

(single) Label: Self released Out: Now

This is the most beautifully dank jangle meets post-punk sound of the year, drifting somewhere in the unlikely musical hinterland between early Wake in June style jangle gaze and Nick Cave’s best Roy Orbison impression.

Unwed Sailor

Track: Mais Oui From: Mute The Charm (album) Label: Spartan Records Out: Album out 01 January 2023

Drawing upon Dirty Three and Sans You influences, this wonderful Johnathon Ford (Pedro the Lion) led project is instrumental post-rock at its most endearingly jangly.

Girl Racers

Track: Never Again From: Sometimes (EP) Label: Self released Out: Now

Drawing on a 90s Pavement sense of slack string and marrying it with their own uniquely ramshackle surf-pop sound, this California-based threesome offers something different to the state’s sunny vibe.

Stevie Zita

Track: Judy Gnarland From: Judy Gnarland (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Drawing on the jangly commercial surf pop of Jesse D’Kora and splicing it with a uniquely ‘clunky’ jangle, Zita’s 2022 output reveals an act that deserves to be shined upon by the jangle-pop gods in 2023.

Jack Xander

Track: Wasting Time From: Sun Up My Sleeve (single) Label: BabyDaddyMommaDrama Out: Now

Drawing from the likes of Wilco, Alex G, and MGMT and adding a spurious sense of jangly dream-pop, piercing electrics, and free-form sax, Xander is as talented as he is perfectly obtuse.

Slow Fiction

Track: Top 10 Movie Scenes From: Top 10 Movie Scenes (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

With the jangly indie rock sound of Constant Companion married to the Lande Hekt chanteuse vibe, this New York based quintet will appeal to fans of jangle-pop, alt rock, and just about everything in between.

Whirlybird

Track: Borough Trash From: Borough Trash (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

With the yearning vulnerability of Girl on Bus juxtaposed with the spurious chanteuse brilliance of Maripool and a 90s alt rock attitude, New York-based Avery Milner seems determined to make originality her signature sound.

jakson

Track: Michael Cera, Serotonin From: Michael Cera, Serotonin (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

If Kurt Vile fronted House Deposit, this is the sort of superb, “professional Aussie” sound that they may produce in their more sombre or slacker moments. An ode to the futility of drugs like you have never heard before.

Strange Neighbors

Track: Woah! Is Me From: Woah! Is Me  Label: Self released Out: Now

This New York based foursome, force the most beautiful of jangled riffs through battered 90s power-pop. The Bangles with extra grunt if you will.

The JAC

Track: Christmas Without Maria, by The JAC (featuring the Christmas Crew) From: Just Not Quite​.​.​. a Christmas Album (Vol​.​2) (album)  Label: Self released Out: Now

Of course all Xmas music is schmaltzy bilge…unless it is swathed in 12 string Ricks like this Joe Algeri project and never mentions Rudolph once.

Oliver Flanagan

Track: A Spoonful From: A Spoonful (album)  Label: Self released Out: Now

Taking the Elliott Smith jangly slowcore aesthetic and marrying it to the most tuneful indie-folk track that Bob Dylan never wrote, this glorious vibe is truly original.

Notbrian

Track: Death of a Salesman From: Death of a Salesman

(single) Label: Self released Out: Now

The math rock of Brian DeSousa is coursed with twanging, flat string riffs that hint at post-punk and post rock in equal measures with trance like hypnotic measures

Super Tuesday

Track: Forever Yours From: Just Right (album) Label: Self released Out: Now

This solo recording project of Maplewood, New Jersey’s Alex Kisch will appeal to those who loved the era when college rock morphed into something more densely melodic, combining the muscular jangle-pop of the Miracle Legion and John McCabe with a sense of alt.rock and ramshackle.

Bad Posture

Track: No Peace From: No Peace (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Adding a Baby Combat style alt rock muscularity to fuzz-laden jangle gaze, this act seems to be gathering momentum in all the right micro-blog circles that matter.

Plastic Zebra

Track: Evolve/Dissolve From: Evolve/Dissolve  (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

A Colorama-style mixture of grumbling fuzz, lo-fi production, and isolated jangling riffs makes this Kiel, Germany-based threesome stand out from their ever-increasing fuzz crowd.

Torn Chorus

Track: No Other Love From: No Other Love (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Torn Chorus is the performing name of Auckland, New Zealands’ Franklin Davis and offers Roy Orbison style pop melodies, chiming riffs and more than a nod to the late 60s era The Beatles.

Autosleeper

Track: Let It Come Down From: Let It Come Down (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

This Barcelona-based, jangle-edged modern-day post-punk threesome shares a muscular bite with RGV and DIIV, but adds a gloriously massive cinematic to the mix.

Bikini Test Failure

Track: But I Still Love You From: But I Still Love You (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

This solo recording project of Cheshire’s James Hill offers a sound akin to the mix of guitar-pop and sophisti-pop that is so reminiscent of the more recent Michael Head-led acts. one of those songs that gets under your skin in the best possible way.

Matt Zambon

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

Pure jangling pop-rock songcraft at its best from a Melbourne-based artist who understands how to build a track and keep the listener engaged throughout.

West Wickhams

Track: This is a Hang Up From: Magenta (EP) Label: Golden Believers Records Out: Now

The Smashing Times’ style of truncated jangle, gaze-laden retro production, and The Gabys’ style of ghostly vocals make this one of the most inspiring modern-day post-punk acts around.

Conflict at Serenity Pools

Track: Mellow and Shiny From: Mellow and Shiny (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

Mello and Shiny is a lo-fi charmer that steadily ingratiates itself upon the listener with its mixture of Rocketship-style anti-structure and Dean & Britta-style indie-twee-pop sensibilities. One of “those acts” that becomes a cult in 30 years!

Simon The Band

Track: Perfect Day From: Perfect Day (single) Label: Self released Out: Now

“Send the bastards on their way, happiness is here to stay…”…this track is the first in Simon Lagerwall’s ambitious project to release a single a month for next year and is gloriously anthemic!