New album: A brilliantly bold, experimental, original third LP by the now south London indie-post-punk trio of Clottie Cream (Lottie Pendlebury), Rosy Bones and Holly Mullineaux, one that bubbles with unusual musical dynamics and lyrics
Read moreYungatita: Shoelace & A Knot
Yungatita: Shoelace & A Knot
New album: Absorbing, eclectic, strangely addictive, catchy, jangly indie shoegaze with unusual guitar timbres by the Los Angeles musician and artist Valentina Zapata and band best known for the dreamily offbeat 2021 single 7 Weeks & 3 Days
Read moreFavourite albums of 2023 Part 2: Anohni to Blur to Mitski, Ren to Sufjan Stevens
Favourite LPs of 2023, Part 2.
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 2, and Part 1 was yesterday. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order …
Read moreFavourite albums of 2023 Part 1: Anna B Savage to Young Fathers
Part 1 selection of 2023 favourite albums
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 1, and Part 2 is also out here. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order. This is all about quality and innovation …
Read moreViji: So Vanilla
Viji: So Vanilla
New album: Fresh, vibrant, clever, punchy indie rock and and breathily seductive shoegaze by the London-based Austrian-Brazilian artist Vanilla Jenner in this strong debut, another from talent via brilliant producer Dan Carey and on the Speedy Wunderground label
Read moreSlowdive: Everything Is Alive
Slowdive: Everything Is Alive
New album: The classic British shoegaze band of the 1990s return again after 2017’s self-titled comeback, resurgent with a new and old audience, blending dream-pop haze with resonant, atmospheric, noise-guitar textures
Read moreDaughter: Stereo Mind Game
Daughter’s third album, Stereo Mind Game
New album: The London-formed trio of Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli, and Remi Aguilella return with their third album in a decade with a selection of powerful, breathy, indie-folk-shoegaze, their first since 2016’s Not To Disappear
Read moreBlack Honey: A Fistful of Peaches
Black Honey’s third LP, A Fistful of Peaches
New album: Frenetic, fuzzy-guitar shoegaze and punchy riot grrrl indie pop by the Brighton quartet in this strong third album with a running theme of fighting for good mental health
Read moreJadu Heart: Derealised
Jadu Heart’s third album Derealised
New album: A third album from the British duo of Diva-Sachy Jeffrey and Alex Headford brings an eclectic, innovative mix of indie and electronic and dream pop, with a strong flavour of shoegazey My Bloody Valentine
Read moreSoccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever
Soccer Mommy’s third album: Sometimes, Forever
New album: Richly textured indie, shoegaze and pop by Nashville’s 25-year-old Sophie Allison, here with her third album that contains the dark, world weary, but also tuneful and uplifting material, given extra depth by producer Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never
Read moreHorsegirl: Versions of Modern Performance
Horsegirl
Debut album: Warmly engaging debut of shoegaze from the Chicago indie-rock trio of Penelope Lowenstein (guitar, vocals), Nora Cheng (guitar, vocals), and Gigi Reece (drums) in this album produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth)
Read moreTess Parks: And Those Who Were Seen Dancing
Tess Parks
New album: After a period of stopping music for painting, the Toronto-born, London-based artist with a distinctively deep, gravelly voice returns with a strong set of dark, shoegazey, woozy indie with a whirling dervish of intertwining sounds
Read moreFavourite albums of 2021 - Part 2
Favourite selection part 2.
Favourite albums of 2021 – Part 2: Welcome the second instalment, following Part 1, which can be found here. A huge number of excellent releases, of which again this is just a selection many of which were written during, and about lockdown, but also saw many outstanding voices emerge as well as innovative sounds developed
Read moreFavourite albums of 2021 - Part 1
Take your pick. Are your favourites here? Also check out Part 2 coming soon.
Favourite albums of 2021, part 1: Another difficult year for everyone, but from soul and jazz, electro-pop the experimental and avant-garde, an outstanding one for music releases, perhaps in part because out of diversity comes great art. Also feel free to explore Part 2, which is now available to view here.
Read moreTashaki Miyaki: Castaway
Tashaki Miyaki
New album: Better known as an innovative 20th-century songbook covers band, the LA trio's LP of original material offers a lush, smooth 90s shoegaze menu of woozy delight, richly mellow work, with rich orchestration, drone and languid vocals by singer-drummer Paige Stark
Read moreDinosaur Jr: Sweep It Into Space
Dinosaur Jr return with Sweep It Into Space
Album review: Packed with tender lo-fi to full-on rock numbers, the distinctive voice and playing of J Mascis joined Lou Barlow’s bass and Murph on drum, rolls out in the form of a very fine new LP, their first together for five years
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