Albums
- Mazes – Wooden Aquarium
An album brimming with fine post-punk tunes and their finest album to date
- Liz Green – Haul Away
The piano led second album from Manchester’s very own darkly Brechtian infused folk chanteuse is a fine follow up to her debut O Devotion
- Jane Weaver – The Silver Globe
This her sixth album is “post-apocalyptic prog pop opus rock opus retro synth paean to”, as Jane herself describes her vision of the planet in the future a “post-apocalyptic place where artists are literally fighting to get their work out there. It’s like Mad Max!”
- The Soundcarriers – Entropicalia
Criminally ignored The Soundcarriers have finely honed their song craft over two albums based on a shared love of records from an earlier era: notably those of The Free Design, David Axelrod, John Barry, Pentangle and The Velvet Underground, to name a few. This their third album continues to develop their sound and carries the torch for my much missed favourite Broadcast.
- Emma Tricca – Relic
Released on Jane Weaver’s label Bird Records this Emma’s second album is a pastoral chamber folk treat.
- Haley Bonar – Last War
An eclectic album of all killer no filler songs varying between country-eseque laments , dream-pop scapes a la the cure and thick walls of shoegaze.
- Goat – Commune
What can I say Sweden’s finest psychedelic commune rock exponents return with a fine follow up to 2012s World Music?
- Aldous Harding – Aldous Harding
Dark gothic country laments from this debut from this New Zealand artiste
- Lorelle Meets The Obsolete – Chambers
Released on those ambassadors of shoegaze Sonic Cathedral this, their third album, builds on their palate of melodic psych fuelled Krautrock.
- The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revelation
Anton Newcombe continues his rich vein of form with this fine follow up to their career highlight Aufbahn
Songs
- Jane Weaver – Argent
Clocking in over a sprawling 8 minutes this is a stand out track from her post-apocalyptic prog pop opus rock opus The Silver Globe an album.
- Liz Green – Five Years (Marc Riley session)
Not commercially available but very well received when played on Marc Riley’s show early in September and follows on from her second album Haul Away which came out earlier this year
- Darkher – Ghost Tears
Formally The Steals whose introspective shoegaze sounds were a musical treat for their cult following. Jayn Hanna Wissenberg returns with her new venture Darkher and a new record label Prophecy. There’s a dark malevolent edge to her songs as witnessed in Ghost Tears
- Christobel And The Sea – My Love (Ay Ya Ya)
Channelling the sound of Os Mutantes with a psych-rock edge this debut release’s stand out track My Love (Ay Ya Ya) with its primal rhythms is an enticing prospect for more to come. Check out the voodoo inspired video too.
- The Underground Youth – Naked
A delicate torch light song from Manchester’s finest The Underground Youth now signed to Fuzz Club records
- The Wharves – The Grip
A standout track from their recent debut album At Bay they have been described as invoking the reverberated spook of 60’s girl groups, the mid-fi guitar crunch of Kim Deal’s The Amps and the narrative and structural panache of 70’s progressive folk.
- Ultimate Painting – Ultimate Painting
Former Manc resident and Beep Seal Jack Cooper has had a busy year not content with producing the Mazes finest album to date he has collaborated with James Hoare of Veronica Falls and Proper Ornaments to produce a fine album of post velvets inspired pop
- Mazes – Salford
A fine tribute to Jack Cooper’s time living in Salford and the best song Mark E Smith has never written
- Dark Bells – In Head
Eagerly awaiting their debut album due out next year a beguiling mix of post 4AD bands with a dark psychedelic edge
- Telegram – Follow
Following the press frenzy which met their early shows and debut single they seem to have been quietly developing their songs in readiness for a debut album and if it matches the immediacy of their debut single Follow it will be worth the wait.
https://soundcloud.com/teletelegramgram/follow-1
Gigs
- Jessica Pratt
Early this year on a cold January evening I had the pleasure of catching the diminutive figure of Jessica Pratt at Manchester Gulliver in front of a sold out enraptured crowd. Soon to follow up her debut eponymous album with On Your Own Love Again early next year.
- Liverpool Psych Fest
Now in its third year the Liverpool Psych Fest continues to push the outer boundaries of psychedelic music with a fine array of artists from around the world all wrapped up in the factory surroundings of The Camp and Furnace. Highlights for me being the undiscovered Spindrift (psych spaghetti western Morricone), Mazes, Les Big Byrd and the mighty Goat.
- Allo Darlin
A fine third album (their best in my opinion)and a fine note perfect show at Manchester’s Deaf Institute
- Jolie Holland
One of those gigs were you are enthralled by the fine musicianship on show. Jolie continues to push the boundaries of her Waits imbued country soul laments
https://soundcloud.com/antirecords/jolie-holland-dark-days-1
- The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Another thoroughly satisfying performance from Anton Newcombe and cohorts at Manchester’s Ritz