So we exit April, which true to form turned out to be wetter than a Mackerel’s handshake. No matter, banish the blues with this scorching mix of some of the best downloads we offered in the month, plus a few new ones to get to know and love too.
Download Alexander Tucker – Window Sill mp3 (from Third Mouth)
Minimalist string arrangements with electronic manipulations and drones to produce a doom chamber-pop song.
Download Amanda Jo Williams – The Bear Eats Me mp3 (from The Bear Eats Me)
Dusty jukebox rock that will wake the kids in the middle of the night for a boot-stomping, moon-invoking dance party on the back porch.
Download Kyle Adem – Brother Follow mp3 (from Armour)
A tireless storyteller with a whole lot of questions who marries his own blend of orchestral and reflective folk, with a punk edginess.
Download Johnny Bertram & The Golden Bicycles – Mistake mp3 (from Neon City)
Robust, but still melodic indie rock with some folky undertones.
Download Dubious Ranger – The New Eve mp3 (from Found Recordings From The Panda Valley Mining Company c.1931)
Sounding like a blend of Tom Waits and Beck, this is a peculiar brand of art-rock that defies definition.
Download Mathew Sawyer – Children In The City
One of the very best singer-songwriters around. Wonderfully skewed view of the world, obstinate refusal to conform, and exceptional wordplay.
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Download The Flaming Lips – God Only Knows mp3 (from Pet Sounds Revisited)
Indie rock surrealists take on the Beach Boys.
Download Black Creek – Not For The Faint Of Heart mp3 (from Not For The Faint Of Heart digital single)
Another muscular example of their ragged, raw take on Americana, a sound they describe as “riffs and revelations”.
Download Coke Weed – Jimmy
Chugs gently along, all woozy charm and gentle folky psychedelia behind which the occasional acerbic lyric hides in wait.
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Download Hiss Golden Messenger – Jesus Shot Me In The Head mp3 (from Poor Moon)
Classic back-porch folk and country with echoes of gospel and blues, which is often accompanied by warm organic sound effects such as cicadas or the patter of rain.
Download Old Bricks – Anthem mp3 (from City Lights)
Earnest and pensive folk.
Download Wooden Wand – Wither Away (demo version) mp3 (from Briarwood Deluxe Edition)
Gorgeous demo version of Briarwood album standout.
Download Diamond Rugs – Country Mile mp3 (from Diamond Rugs)
Loose countrified rock from new indie ‘supergroup’.
Download Tiger High – Don’t Want To See You Till You Go mp3 (from Myth Is This)
Excellent garage-psych.
Download Damon Moon & The Whispering Drifters – Restless Roads End mp3 (from Lungs, Dirt & Dreams)
Muscular Americana, a song that slowly stretches, flexes and simmers over five minutes while the band keep expertly keep a lid on the instrumentation and don’t allow it to escape its restraints completely.
Download MV & EE – Too Far To See mp3 (from Space Homestead)
Off-kilter Americana. Plaintive, almost elegiac and builds up to some guitar histrionics than recall Neil Young in a most pleasing way.
Download The Fresh & Onlys – Do What I Came To Do mp3 (from Stash Rituals)
High octane garage punk, thump and clatter.
Download The Plastic Pals – Leave It Til Tomorrow (from Leave it ‘Til Tomorrow Digital Single)
This is heroin disco chic in the style of the Velvet Underground and Berlin-era Bowie.
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Download Young Hines – Can’t Explode mp3 (from Give Me My Change)
Confrontational and trigger-happy punkish blues.
And no fewer than five new tracks to try out. We have the raw, early 70s punk vibe of The Dirty Fences, a brilliant track of chugging psych-rock from The Lead Stones (another discovery via Rollo & Grady), the uniquely catchy indie rock of The Wave Pictures, a visceral slab of slowed down garage rock from the Ty Segall Band and to finish a sweetly charming slice of Americana from Cowgill with its quiet, upbeat guitar and gorgeous violin.
Download The Dirty Fences – Sid mp3 (from Dirty Fences)
Download The Lead Stones – Heaven mp3 (from Heaven Digital Single)
Download The Wave Pictures –Stay Here And Take Care Of The Chickens mp3 (from Long Black Cars)
Download Ty Segall Band – Wave Goodbye mp3 (from Slaughterhouse)
Download Cowgill – Extra Gravity mp3 (from Side One Of Planted)
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