Volume 27

Small Cut Sensations – from the album Bright White Light (2008) : JONG PANG

We’re back in Denmark, folks, with more evidence that our Northern European friends are just as capable of producing great acts as the UK and USA. Often compared to Steve Reich, but Steve Reich in a rock band (if that makes sense). Great guitarist, great track





From – from the album Fate (2008) : DR DOG

No excuses for including another psychedelic band in this post. This is from their fifth album and the Philadelphia five-piece’s best to date (new album out early 2012). Big Beatles influence, but you can also here a lot of classic Welsh band Man in the mix.





Follow Me – from the album Love’s Been Discontinued (2009) : CHRIS CACAVAS

Originally from Tucson, Arizona but has lived in Germany for many years now. Astonishingly, this is his TENTH album and is packed with quality songs and some brilliantly controlled, jangling, guitar work. In the background, though, you’ll hear a very ... yeah, ok, .... psychedelic sounding organ playing 

Volume 26

My Denial In Argyle – from the album Die Stadt Muzikanten (2009) : WOODPIGEON 


Woodpigeon is actually Mark Hamilton, a Canadian with Austrian heritage who settled in Germany but writes songs with a distinctly English bent. A very organic sound, with flute and clarinet very prominent on the album, this is a CD that really gets under your skin after a while.  





Number Ten Girl – from the album Softly Towards The Light (2009) : THE BLACK HOLLIES 


 There are times when you stumble across a band that simply blow you away. That’s what happened to me with The Black Hollies. I love this band. From New Jersey but, although still plainly living in 1967, their influences are clearly the British psychedelic sound rather than the original west coast protagonists. Drenched in Hammond organ and fuzzed-up guitars, they are ploughing a furrow unlikely to bring them major success. They love what they are doing, though, and so will you  






You Can Run – from the album Blackbud (2009) : BLACKBUD  


This band, from Wiltshire, appeared to have called it a day. That’s a damn shame!  Classic British indie-rock music, great songwriting, and very good musicians. Pardon me for being controversial, but this is what Coldplay should have developed into, rather than the bland music they are happy to dish out now

Volume 25

Each Time Is A New Time – from the album Field Music (Measure) (2009) : FIELD MUSIC

Another band from the far north of England, this time from Sunderland.  Many of the band have been past members of The Futureheads and Maximo Park. What I like about this band is the broad range of their influences. Clearly fans of Led Zeppelin, they almost certainly spend a lot of time listening to Roxy Music and XTC also. Even a little Kate Bush influence in there.





Just So You Know – from the album The Electric Kool-Aid Cuckoo Nest (2009) : EIGHT LEGS

From another of my favourite albums of 2009, Eight Legs play straight down the line indie-rock with an obvious joie-de-vivre. The very catchy songs and sheer jauntiness of the album sometimes overshadow the fact that they are very accomplished musicians indeed. So confident in their musicianship, in fact, that they eschew glossy production and go for a straight plug-in-and-play approach. Love them





Selective Walking – from the album A Pox On The Pioneers (2009) : ANDREW WEATHERALL

Probably better known as “Andy”, Mr Weatherall is up there with the all-time great DJs, such as Pete Tong and Paul Oakenfold. However, he has also recorded some great stuff in the past, under the names Sabres of Paradise and Two Lone Swordsmen. This is much more “song-based” than his previous work, but he uses his DJ past to great effect throught the album.