Volume 35

For this post, we are going back in time ... back to the turn of the century, in fact

Go To California - MOTORPSYCHO (from the album Phanterothyme - 2001)

Regular readers will, by now, be aware of my fondness for Scandinavian bands - especially those that sound more authentically American than many American bands. I also have a penchant for bands that change music styles from one release to another. Accordingly, Motorpsycho tick all my boxes.

The title says it all - the perfect West Coast song



I Walk The Earth - KING BISCUIT TIME ( from the album No Style - 2000)

Fans of the late, lamented, (and some would say highly influential) The Beta Band will probably scratch their chin at this and think "Mmmm ... sounds familiar".  It will do. King Biscuit Time was the name that lead singer, Steve Mason, recorded his solo material under. Quite why is a bit of a mystery, because his solo material sounds exactly like .... The Beta Band!

He is now recording under his own name.  His music sounds like ... The Beta Band!



It's Just About The Weather - ALFIE (from the album If You Happy With You Need Do Nothing - 2001)

From Manchester, an indie band for whom fame and fortune sped by without stopping even for a second.  Very much linked to the New Acoustic Movement (see also Badly Drawn Boy, Turin Brakes and, most bizarrely, Elbow!!!), the band had a great deal of critical aclaim with all their albums receiving very favourable reviews. Unfortunately, said reviews were never reflected in the sales figures and the band finally called it a day in 2005

A great shame, because (as this track demonstrates) they were very good indeed!