1st Birthday of Live Celebrations



(poster by Matt Deasy)

Well here it is, the "Big" announcement. It's actually been floating around the traps and the social medias for a while, but it ain't official before it's launched here. This month marks one year since Sonic Masala started supporting the local bands of Brisbane, putting on DIY shows for friends and bands that I like and want to help out. We have had a single launch, an album launch, and even had a couple interstate and one NZ band join the fray. The future looks incredibly rosy for this arm of Planet Masala, with some bigger shows, niche shows and such planned for 2013, but let's forget about the future and party in the present! As part of local venue The Waiting Room (who are also celebrating its first year putting on amazing shows) we are putting on a three night extravaganza! Its mainly to thank everyone for supporting us over the past year, but also to see bands that we like and who like us. So its a big love in, basically!

THE LINEUP:

Thursday 25 October

Ghost Notes



Anonymeye



Feet Teeth




Friday 26 October

The Rational Academy



Tiny Spiders



Undead Apes



+ DJ Monster Monster

Saturday 27 October

Tiny Migrants



Go Violets



Do The Robot



+ DJs Don Candon & Pete Vegas

Three nights of awesome fun times, Im sure you'll agree! Tickets a $10 on the door, or for $20 you can go to all three nights! And of course its BYO, so you know it will be a cheap and easy night. Tiny Migrants promise to "blow y'all cocks off", so the bar has been set. See you there!

Silver Looped Linings

I'm gonna finish the day on this delectable single from Manchester dreamer Molly Macleod, AKA SILVER. The ethereal guitar drifts and elegantly haunted vocals are a heady mix, and on AA side Behemoth//Rib they are perfectly balanced. There is something raw hidden just under the surface of these experimental guitar looped pop meanderings, which make them all the more attractive and alluring. More please.

Throwing Up All Over You

A quick shout out to those scrappy snots Throwing Up, whose debut record Over You has just hit the streets. The London based trio are all about confrontation amidst their punk-tinged pop nuggets, and 'Snake' is no different. I'm yet to hear the album, but I have championed their wares in the past and reckon this will be a razorblade-in-candy style of delectably horrid delights. Herpes for the ears.

Be Nice To Tachycardie

Now I'm tearing myself out of my cave with noise and bluster with the aid of Be Nice To Music, an ironic album title from French noisenik Tachycardie who does his utmost to abuse and violate your cerebral lobe. Think Ex Models, think Lightning Bolt, think early Liars, think That Fucking Tank! - shit, think of any aggressive noise outlet with propulsive hedonistic drumming and squalling guitars that nevertheless incorporate pop sensibilities into the mix (albeit screwed up almost beyond recognition) and that is Tachycardie's MO. I have had this album sitting around for a while, and I'm might pissed I haven't taken it on board before a couple weeks ago. This is a lot of white heat, mind melting fun.

Be Nice To Music is out through French label Cocktail Pueblo (who nonetheless have an 80s picture of Australia's The Big Banana as their banner - weirdly awesome!). Get it here.

Tachycardie - Futuristic Dancer
Tachycardie - Bicycle Riding

T(t)otal Source Of Yellow/Silver/Black

I don't know what it's like in your end of the world, but here in "sunny" Brisbane it's gloomy, grey and raining. So I thought that I would get all gloomy myself by locking myself away in order to listen to two of Twin Lakes Records' newest releases.

First up is The Said, a three-track EP from Source of Yellow. The Brooklyn-based band borrow heavily from psych touchstones, as is most evident on opening title track and clear standout, but they also play with the genre, focusing on groove and rhythm more than languid noise jams. This combined with their debut release back in 2010 pinpoints Source of Yellow as a band of great import, and The Said is the perfect introduction into their world.

Then there is Ttotals, the Nashville duo whose Silver On Black 7" is more straight up space blues jams a la Black Mountain, White Hills and The Black Angels. These three tracks are a great hazy rumble when combined, and prove that these dudes rule the outer blues. Awesome stuff!

Daring Tigers To Dream Of Coffee

Here's some dreamy, hazy pop to finish off the day, my first back in Planet Masala. This is a band called Tiger Dare. The single 'Coffee' is languid, Galaxie 500/Yo La Tengo fare, the type of jangly whimsy that could soundtrack those micro-seconds when you close your eyes whilst laying on the grass and can see the sunlight through your eyelids. It drifts along without a care, and you won't want it to end. They are currently in the studio preparing their debut EP - I can't wait to hear it.

Pandering To The Kid On The Scary Monster Juice

 

I spoke recently about Irish one-man garage wonderkind No Monster Club (who intimated he had kicked the bucket, but it wasn't the case - see here for more info on that). Well not that long ago he did a split release with Italian punky scrat Panda Kid. Well these crazy dudes released their first LP Scary Monster Juice on cassette not too long ago (out through Already Dead), which is 10 slices of skronky garage punk jams. There is a little bit of Digital Leather in this stuff, with just enough accessibility amongst the clatter and din to excite the senses. They are prepping to travel around the Italian countryside before attacking the rest of Europe, landing in the UK in November and December. Keep an eye out - this is some great stuff. Panda Kid - Junkie Girl Panda Kid - A Long Long Summer

Pollard's Off The Reservation, Out Of The Factory, Back On The Ranch

Guided By Voices have always been prolific, but 2012 has been especially so, what with three records (all of varying levels of good value) and some re-issues. But ringleader Robert Pollard hasn't stopped there, with some Boston Spaceships action and two solo records, the latest of which, Jack Sells The Cow, came out in vinyl form last week. I admire his voracious attitude towards making m

Making music, but it can admittedly be scattershot, and sometimes you just want him to settle down and write consistently. But his inconsistency, his swerves and twists in creative flights of fancy, is his major trump card. So it goes with his solo work. Still there is always gold to be mined, so it’s worth the time and effort combing through these records for that Pollard gem. I tell you, if someone were to make a definitive GBV/Pollard best of compilation, it would be three LPs of the best music you have ever heard. Until then, you will have to do the hard work – and it will reap its rewards.

Most of these releases, including Jack Sells The Cow, can be found through Fire Records - check em all out here.

Robert Pollard - Who's Running My Ranch

Lost Festival In Race To Become A Local Classic

 

Lost Race Records are a new boutique "un-pop" label here in Brisbane that over the past year have put out the Happy New Year/Nite Fields 7" split, the Caterpillar Hood cassette and have the new Cobwebbs, Nite Fields and the long-awaited vinyl re-pressing of Ceiling, the only album from the sadly now defunct Loomer records in the wings. To celebrate they are putting on their own day-long festival at Cooparoo Bowls Club on Saturday November 17. Besides Nite Fields and Cobwebbs launching their albums on the day, Secret Birds will be releasing their In Hex cassette (a review is on its way) and hopefully some vinyl, whilst one of Australia's best young psych bands Dreamtime have their second LP ready too! PART-Y! Along for the ride are a plethora of local and interstate bands. This is going to be goddamned incredible, and being the day before Harvest, will mean a weekend of excellent music the likes of which you aren't ever likely to see! Tix to the show are $15 here, or $20 on the door - talk about a bargain!! See below for a list of bands with links, and a "mixtape". SO GOOD!

Bands playing Lost Race Festival:

Cobwebbs
Nite Fields
Secret Birds
Dreamtime
Blank Realm
Do The Robot
Primitive Motion
Naked Maja
Occults
Pale Earth v Subsea
Day Ravies (Sydney)
Four Door (Sydney - Holy Balm/Naked On The Vague)
Charles Buddy Daabul (Sydney - No Art)
Uplock
Black Vacation
Greg Boring

Faux-mixtape!

Green-Eyed September Girls

It's been three weeks since I've properly put my blogging hat on, and I apologise for the lateness of this particular review as it was written last month, but not posted. Dublin's September Girls know when to bring a single out. Dropping on the month of their moniker, Green Eyed/Danny Wood is  the perfect mix of brooding and bubbly pop. They remind me of another all-girl band called Feathers, with the ability to slide around the 60s girl-led, guitar-driven pop tropes, crafting something that is immediate yet avoids being disposable. The A-side is especially killer. They are a bright commodity with lots of potential - I can't wait for something even more substantial to come into play from them. Until then though, Soft Power Records are putting this beauty out on 7" in a couple weeks - pre-order it here.


September Girls - Green Eyed
September Girls - Danny Wood

A Rational Plea

Sorry about the unexplained absence! I have a few bands wondering where their promised posts are, and a metric fuck tonne of emails and releases stuffing up my inbox, external hard drive, desk, record player and CD player (my pimped out Ford Laser be stylin). And whilst this isn't a fully formed comeback - that will be in a couple of days, with heaps more Aussie content and some truly amazing stuff - I wanted to turn everyone's attention to great Brissie band The Rational Academy. They are raising monies so that they can put out their next LP Winter Haunts on Kickstarter acolyte site Pozible. The incentives are awesome, including guitars, pedals, T-shirts, secret shows - possibly a jar of Ben Thompson's sweat! They are also a sweet bunch of peeps, and would really appreciate the support. So head over here - there is only 6 days left and they are shy of $600 - to see how you can help or if you just want to give back to the bands that give so much to you.
And here is Yellow Pony that they will have on Winter Haunts - it's great. Check out all of their stuff here - there is so much! And they are involved in our next Sonic Masala show - more about that in the next couple of days!

Pop In Some Strange Way

I had the pleasure of seeing Transistors play the Kiwi bash party pre-BigSound Live last night, and despite the short running time (15min or so) they killed it. If you managed to get tickets for tonight, they are playing at Ric's Cafe alongside Super Wild Horses and The Gooch Palms, and promise to be incredible. But this post isn't about Transistors, but another ace NZ band called Popstrangers, whose Happy Accidents EP back in 2010 I quite enjoyed (see here). It's been close to two years since I have heard anything new from these Auckland lads, but that doesn't mean they have been sitting idle. They have an album on its way that should smash up the beginnings of 2013 (as long as the Mayans don't blow up the world before then). Expect to hear a lot more in the lead up to this.

Popstrangers - In Some Ways

Art Is Hard...And Free

It's been quiet here again, and there are many reasons but I wont go into it. Suffice to say I have shit tonnes of excellent gear coming your way very very soon. Like this!

Art Is Hard Records is turning 2, and to celebrate - they're giving away their entire back catalogue (12 releases and close to 100 songs) for free download! They have gone rug warehouse crazy! They aren't eccentric left wing billionaires however so it only lasts til midnight tonight (Tuesday 18th September). Head to their Bandcamp to grab it all! I have posted about most of it, and I've lost track of all the Bi-Weekly Singles they have put out but know they are ace, so get in there!

They also have a reworked logo (see above) and a new shirt out (see below).


And here is one of my favourite AIH-discovered bands with one of my favourite songs of theirs...

Throwing Up - Wasting Time

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIH!

Big Sound stuff

And so it begins...The 2012 Brisbane Big Sound conference and live showcase promises to be the biggest yet, and already is touted as the Southern Hemisphere's fledgling answer to SXSW. Big shoes to emulate, but there is credence in such claims. With the likes of Steve Earle and the like taking part in Q&As, panel discussions and masterclasses, it has the potential to be an industry icon - as far as that goes, I suppose. I for one can see why some people consider these kinds of things a bit of a wank, but it gets people interested in all facets of music, which can't be a bad thing.

But the most exciting thing about Big Sound is...the sound! Big Sound Live showcases 120 bands within a two block radius all playing over the next two nights. There are some amazing bands that are playing, some of which I have spoken about at length in previous posts (Violent Soho, Transistors, Kirin J Callinan, Velociraptor), but there is a huge list of great acts doing the rounds. Below is a "hitlist" of artists to try and check out. Have a listen, then if you are on the ground check out where/when they are playing here. Ill be around and about reviewing, taking snaps, and other things I won't dare to mention here. See you on the beach!

Straight Arrows



Super Wild Horses



Step-Panther



King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard



Courtney Barnett



Bearhug



Drunk Mums



Go Violets



Geoffrey O'Connor



Jeremy Neale



Shady Lane



The DC3



The Gooch Palms

Running For The Sea And Cake

The 20th anniversary gifts from Thrill Jockey keep on rolling out, with the news that Sam Prekop-led, John McEntire-drumming jazz-pop tour de force The Sea & Cake are bringing out a new album, their ninth, called Runner. I came to these guys through 2000's Oui, and I think they have stronger albums than this - yet Runner rivals them all. It's breezy, energetic, and adds resonance to the adage "a new lease on life", a band ever-willing to play with form.


Pre-order Runner here. Pre-order copies come in green vinyl - yes! I'm not sure if there are any left, so get in now!

UPDATE: Have at two tracks below before heading over to Drowned In Sound to hear a stream of the entire album!

Sea & Cake - Harps

Vale Hydra Head

Sometimes it's incredibly hard to wake up in the morning. At others you wish you hadn't. Today is the latter, because although I have so much work on, plus covering Big Sound Live tonight (more on that later), I felt pretty good about getting up early to have a long shower - until I cranked on the computer and found the following message from Aaron Turner, founder of Hydra Head Records.

"Hydra Head Records has never been a smooth-running operation. We've spent the majority of our existence excitedly scrambling from one thing to the next, taking on more than we could ever possibly hope to achieve, and never quite finding solid footing in the midst of our self-induced whirlwind of chaos. Though not every second of doing this label has been enjoyable, it has been a very rewarding and meaningful project for me, and I hope for many of the other lives to which it has been directly connected. The fact that it has lasted close to two decades at this point is astonishing, and much has changed during that time - the lives of those directly involved with running the label, the bands and artists we've worked with, and the nature of the music industry itself. Though many of these changes have been positive, or at least illuminating, the impact of our history and current industry circumstances are culminating into a slow and somewhat painful death for the label. It certainly isn't an entirely unforeseen event, but we didn't think it would come quite so abruptly, or (perhaps naively) ever.

The decision to pull the plug has not been an easy one, and in some ways is a not a choice at all. The simple fact of the matter is we've been running on empty for a while now and cannot afford to keep our doors open for much longer. Years of imbalance between creative ideals and financial realities, personal problems amongst the label operators, an unwillingness to compromise our aesthetic standards, a tendency towards releasing challenging (i.e. unmarketable) artists, and the steady decline of the music industry in general, are amongst the chief reasons for our inability to continue. It is a harsh but undeniable reality, and one which we are attempting to confront with as much integrity and grace as is afforded by the circumstances.

For the short term we will continue to operate as we have been, effecting our first step into shutdown this December, at which point we are cutting off new releases from the label. Thereafter, we will be remain operational only in the interest of maintaining our back catalog, with the ultimate aim of repaying our rather sizable debts. Grim though this prospect is, in the midst of it all I still feel an extreme gratitude for everything that has happened and for all the wonderful people with which we've been involved over the years. We've been lucky enough to work with some of the most unique and provocative artists of the last two decades, many of which have made indelible impressions in the underground, and by extension the larger world of music in general. We've also been fortunate to have had the support of a small but loyal following, who've constituted the very essence of our life force. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and love to each and every person who contributed to making this label what it is - all the artists who entrusted us as the custodians of their work, all the people that bought or listened to our releases, and all the people who performed the various label duties at various offices (and houses) across the continent.

...and this brings us to the present moment, where in all honesty we are in need of financial assistance from anyone and everyone who's willing to throw us a rope. Though it is highly unlikely we'll be able to resuscitate the label, we do wish to follow through on the final round of releases to which we're committed and pay off our debts to our artists and manufacturers. In order to do this we are initiating a massive sell-off of everything we can dig up and produce for the next 6-12 months. This will include discounted bundles of CDs/LPs/posters/etc, represses of certain titles for which we still have parts, test pressings, and whatever worthwhile items we can pull together. For anyone that is able and willing to fund our funereal arrangements please visit our direct mailorder or webstore and pick up whatever you can. Any and all support is greatly appreciated by our remaining team, and will be put to the best use possible.

There is no way to sum up nearly 20 years of incredibly important music, experiences, and evolution other than to say a big heart felt "thank you", and that we hope this closing will provide an opening into other even more positive and rewarding experiences for all of us and all of you who have been a part of our shared experience. For now we bid you all a very fond farewell...."

The LA-based Hydra Head label have been a brilliant and influential label for many noise and metal acts, finding and/or housing and/or supporting the likes of Jesu, Boris, Melvins, Big Business, Harvey Milk, Envy, Isis, Pelican, Oxbow, Torche, Prurient, The Austerity Program, Helms Alee and Old Man Gloom, just to name a few. This is mighty sad news indeed. Over the next 6 to 12 months, as stated above, they will be selling off all their wares, so make sure you get in there, buy some of the best shit out there and support Aaron and co. They will be sorely missed.

Large Lepers Make Shit Music Colourful

Italian label Lepers released two albums from one of their founding artists, Alexander de Large, and they are a collective showcase of his eclectic, almost nihilistic take on the acoustic singer/songwriter tag. You will see elements of GG Allin, Dan Melchior and (closer to home) Amateur Childbirth and Peter Black in the tracks on Shit Music, which is anything but, an album chock full of pop tunes that are skewed in every way imaginable. Then there is Colours, another acoustic sojourn into the strange, acerbic recesses of his soul.

You can download both albums (plus a lot lot more) here.

Alexander de Large - Staring At The Washing Machine
Alexander de Large - Sonny Lived In A Bungalow

Alexander de Large - Blue

Mining Boom In Your Dining Room

Mining Boom is a Perth based trio that liken themselves to Royal Headache, Boomgates, Twerps and the like. Great reference points. And I'm happy to say that their debut release Dining Room fits in rather nicely with these sounds. 'PDA' is laconic, sunny, with a lazy-sounding guitar hook that surreptitiously sinks its barbs in and has you humming along. There is something lackadaisical yet focused about these acts, and Mining Boom, whilst a little more hushed than their contemporaries, offer a lithe kitchen sink glimpse into inner suburban malaise. Furthermore on 'Craigie', we have the humorous titular tale of Craig that definitely isn't going to be charging the charts, but is an incredible sub-two minute scraggy pop tune. This is definitely one band to watch.

Mining Boom - PDA
Mining Boom - Craigie

Brainwashing The Masses

I was a massive fan of Sons of Stone, the debut longplayer from Lansing, Michigan psychers The Peoples Temple (check out that post here), and I'm glad to say that they are prepping for something equally as mind bending. back in July they released a 7" on HoZaC called Looter's Game (you can listen to the title track below), yet it was just to get the masses salivating for their sophomore LP - wait for it - More For The Masses. See what I did there? Hmmmm... Riffing off their cultish namesake, this record intends to brainwash more acolytes to the cause. They are touring the West Coast of the US right now, would definitely be worth catching.

Peoples Temple - Looter's Game

Little Dreamers - Release The Kraken

It's the beginning of Spring, and it's getting ridiculous. I am writing more and more articles for various publications on top of putting on gigs, doing live reviews and my "day job" - and Sonic Masala is suffering a little as a consequence. My listening pile is overflowing - there is stuff here from May! So it's time for a bit of a cull. But before I do that, here are a bunch of tracks and releases from bands I've "discovered" over the past two and a half years that I think really deserve attention.


King Dude blew me away with his Gothic country-folk dirge on My Beloved Guest and Tonight's Special Death (out through the great Bathetic label). Since then the Seattle native has kept the ball rolling with another great LP entitled Love and a 7" release. He is showing no signs of slowing down either, with the imminent release of his next LP Burning Daylight on Dias in October. Really looking forward to this one, he is an underground cult figure of his own invention, and Im waiting for the exact moment when the penny drops and everyone realises how much of a genius he is.

King Dude - Jesus In The Courtyard


Sheffield nutbars Best Friends had a rad EP earlier this year called Throwing Up, and they have kept vomiting breakneck hits since. They put out a track with a grafittied (I think...) photo of Edward Furlong called 'If you think too much your brain will fall out', a single ('Surf Bitches') is coming out under the Too Pure Singles Club (an intiative that's seeing Aussie brats Step-Panther put out a 7" on too), and have a cassette split with Grazes in tow. You can listen to all and sundry below. A great little band, I think you'd agree. They are touring around the UK as we speak, popping into London's Old Blue Last this Friday. GET THERE!





Best Friends - If You Think Too Much Your Brain Will Fall Out


Brooklyn/San Fran collective Bad Bibles had a deliciously dark EP out in January, and have returned armed with 'Nearsighted'. Continuing with the tarot card imagery and post-punk skewered roiling and toiling, these guys sound like they are only just now finding their feet. This track is a big leap forward.

Bad Bibles - Nearsighted


Honey were throwing their shoegaze sounds around last year, and I quite liked it. Emphasis on the were, because they have just changed their name to The Early Morning Satellites. But they released an EP Fantasist before the changeover, and it's a doozie. Sonorous shoegaze, you had me at noisy and sexy as all hell.

Honey - Fantasist
Honey - Cape Canaveral


Mrs Magician brought out the There Is No God 7" (the titular track is SOOOOOO awesome!), which I really enjoyed - but their debut record and I didn't know about it??? The shame! Furthermore its out on the excellent Swami Records. Strange Heaven sees the San Diego band in fantastic form, so much better in less than 12 months, and the album has had to be repressed so people must be lapping it up, which is excellent news. Listen to it below, then pick it up here.

Mrs Magician - There Is No God




Minneapolis outfit Phantom Vibration had a great warbled pop EP in Kids back in 2011, followed it up with the great Growing Up and are now here with third extended player Aged. Ah, continuity, hey? You need to get it all and play it in chronological order. Love the last track in particular. Grab all three here.

Phantom Vibration - River Rock


Yeesh really blew me away with their Little Stabs At Happiness cassette, and here is the first taste of new material, verbose silly title and all. It's big emotive rawk with the requisite twist in the tail. I can't wait to hear what comes next.

Yeesh - Because Johnny Depp Always Wanted To Be A Rockstar, And Because I Always Wanted To Be Johnny Depp


I hammered on about the eclectic, electric brutality of LA's Wreck & Reference, and a little while back they upped the ante with No Youth. At times obtuse, at others bludgeoning, and with some spaciousness in between, the ten tracks on offer really are wrestling with demons the likes you nor I have ever witnessed, nor would want to. I'm not sure this is a record I could put on all the time, but when it clicks - prepare yourself for a industrial flaying.

Wreck & Reference - Nausea
Wreck & Reference - The Solstitial


Dogson, LA enigma Plant Magic Man's collection of recordings from 2008-2010, was an interesting exercise in tape-warped hypnagogic malaise. A plethora of releases later, and nothing much has changed on new EP Groo. Whoever this is, they keep as low a profile as possible, which adds to the mystique but also frustration. I want more damn you! Have at all of Plant Magic Man's releases here.

Plant Magic Man - I'm At War


Ann Arbor duo Dreampeter haven't had much new on the move (other than the Boneglow/Delusions split, which is basically Dreampeter in their solo guises) since they released 'Mason Jar' last year, but there is this deliciously warped track 'Bluebeard'. Makes me remember why I was enamoured with these dudes in the first place - hell, it's dedicated to Kurt Vonnegut! Good stuff indeed.

Dreampeter - Bluebeard


Now for some haunting folk from the UK, jah? The Skeleton Dead are a duo who I really connected with, especially after my hasty departure from the UK. At the end of my stay I was staying at my girlfriend's house, and her housemate was in love with cooking, hash and Mark Kozalek. Three great things to be in love with. I got to see Kozalek earlier this year, which was lovely, but back to the story. The Skeleton Dead's self titled LP came into my inbox at this time and slipped seamlessly into the fold. Recently they released Two Days In February, two tracks written and recorded in the winter just fled (well it was the beginning of the year for these guys), and hearing these tracks reminds me of those times. Cold, warm inside, drinking ale and smoking cigarettes in the snow, roast chicken and puppy dogs at the Coach & Horses, Bloody Mary's and cracked ice. Strange, eclectic memories, but they warm the cockles.

The Skeleton Dead - True To Our Name
The Skeleton Dead - Life Goes On


After writing about Glenn Branca I received an email from a man from the Republic of Macedonia. His self-recorded pieces were guitar explorations that examined sinuous form and abrasive noise under the moniker fydhws were exciting. Now as Sferi, he has released a concept sound collage based on the 8 planets of the solar system, and it is - sorry - otherworldly. Ranging from space ambient/rock to psychedelia and drone music, Sound Of The Spheres is actually very impressive - see Sferi's explanation of it all here - and is an album you should definitely delve into, preferably with expensive headphones on...

Sferi - Merkur


Back to Brooklyn to see what Life Size Maps are up to. The trio have just launched Excavate, a five track EP that also marks a new lineup for the poppy noiseniks. They play around with Gary Numan-esque structure and 8-bit shenanigans, whilst still holding precariously onto the shoegaze shtick they first burst out with. Its a growing bliss bomb of a release, and promises much more on the horizon.




Now this one is only a stop-gap, as Im sure Ill be mentioning more about this release as it comes to hand. Yet Cambridge, Massachusetts trio Night Fruit, who brought the graceful Dark Horse 7" last year, have a new release that is preceding an album, it's called 'Human Touch', and it's bloody great. The music speaks for itself. Stay tuned!!

Night Fruit - Human Touch


Here is another artist you will hear more of soon. Guilty Ghosts AKA Tristan O'Donnell brought a great release in his self-titled debut in 2010, excellently followed up by last year's VEILS, but if 'All Flesh Is Grass' is anything to go by, his next EP Tresspasser will easily surpass them. I love this track, and Im pretty sure you will too. You can pre-order the EP here.

Guilty Ghosts - All Flesh Is Grass


And finally we have Thor AKA Just Another Snake Cult from Iceland, whose freak pop tapestries often defy expectation and categorisation. He has just finished a new EP of minimal electronic / dream pop material called Birds Carried your Song Through The Night. It actually took me a bit to warm to, but when these tracks sink in, its impressive. You can grab the release in cassette form here. Worth every penny, especially when the title track kicks in.

Just Another Snake Cult - Birds Carried Your Song Through The Night

Phew! Fly my pretties, fly! Well, they grow up so fast don't they?