Back catalogue: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: If you're unfamiliar with Dr Robert, we recommend checking out The Blow Monkeys. Robert Howard, as he's credited, formed the iconic new wave and 'sophisti-pop' group in 1981 and his piano keys, bass notes, guitar melodies, vocals and words define the band's sizeable back catalogue. Matt Deighton, meanwhile, might mean Mother Earth, Bill Fay, or Paul Weller to some listeners. He's been involved with them all. Here, the esteemed UK musicians run into one another on Last Night From Glasgow, a treasure of a patron-funded, not-for-profit label out of Scotland's biggest city. It couldn't be a more credible and thoughtful combination. Musically, the result packs crazy levels of musicality, taking a lead from pop, soft, folk and psyche rock to produce a sound which moves between soaring to understated grandeur to deceptively complex and overtly intimate.

Review: The latest addition to Night Dreamer's series, Direct To Disk Sessions, sees Turkish downtempo specialist, Islandman, iconic percussionist and Don Cherry collaborator, Okay Temiz and contemporary saz player Muhlis Berbero?lu joining forces for the very first time. Recorded in just one take, the session captures a one-off melding of the trio's distinct styles. Islandman's signature balearic sound gives new force to Temiz's fiery percussion, reframing Berbero?lu's Anadolu folk influences into a distinctly dance-ready sound. Stand out track 'Fidayda' eases us into the trio's expertly improvised soundworld with an alluring, oscillating saz riff. When Temiz's percussion enters the mix, it arrives with a controlled unpredictability capable of leaving listeners in a trance. While Islandman's production subtly centres the piece, mapping out a pathway from which the organic instrumentation can unfurl. Future-folktronica at its very best

Review: The Magick Brother & Mystic Sister outfit is a four-piece comprising Eva Muntada, Marc Tena, Maya Fernandez and Xavi Sandoval and they craft intricate, esoteric progressive rock. Following their 2020 debut, they've gained acclaim for their immersive, mystic-tinged sound. Tarot Part 2 continues their journey and is inspired by tarot cards and featuring lush hammered dulcimer riffs and hypnotic instrumentation. From the commanding opener 'Strength' to the enigmatic closer 'Unnamed Arcane,' the album weaves a spellbinding tapestry of sound. Rich in sonic layers, it's a captivating experience for both spiritual seekers and prog enthusiasts, blending otherworldly themes with masterful musicianship.

Review: The debut album from hotly-tipped London/Oxford self-dubbed 'Flowerkraut' collective Mandrake Handshake comes eagerly-awaited as they've built up a strong following from playing live. As the album cover suggests, the overarching feel of this album is quite blissed out and psychedelic. The Stereolab-esque 'Hypersonic Super-Asterid' is a case in point as it combines a motorik beat with lead singer Trinity Oksana's Laetitia Sadier-esque vocals. 'Find The Tree and Dig (Deep)!' is their darkest number with overdriven guitars offering an ominous undercurrent to the lush dream pop vocals and resplendent flute flourish. It's an adventurous collection by a band that sound refreshingly removed from the zeitgeist and are operating in their own parallel universe.

Review: Carpet of Fallen Leaves serves as the luminous introduction to Eddie Marcon, a folk-pop project from Eddie Corman and Jules Marcon. The collection takes in more than two decades of intimate, self-released recordings that all bring fragile beauty and melodic grace from Japan's underground psych-folk scene. Gentle guitar, soft organ and deft bass interlace with pristine vibraphone, flute and pedal steel sounds to form sparse and spare yet intricate arrangements. Collaborators like Ikuro Takahashi and Shintaro Sakamoto add their own contributions, and so songs shimmer with a real emotional depth and Eastern charm. Highlights like 'Tora To Lion' and 'Shoujo' inspire quiet wonder while capturing fleeting moments of everyday life with a real tenderness and elegance.

Review: Known as much for their outlandish costumes as their constant musical evolution, Martin Circus were one of France's most intriguing bands of the 1970s and 80s. Originally formed in 1969 as a psychedelics-inspired progressive rock combo, they later successfully turned their hand to wonderfully camp, over-the-top disco and synth-sporting new wave. Evolution Francaise 1969-1985 does a brilliant job of charting that remarkable musical evolution, dashing between tail end of the 60s prog sounds ('Tout Tremblant De Fievre', 'Facon de Parler'), early Black Sabbath-esque heavy rock ('Annie, Christine ou Partricia'), gritty, Rolling Stones style rhythm and blues ('A Bas Tous Le Privileges'), psychedelic disco-rock ('Les Indiens Du Demier Matin'), Cerrone-ish throb-jobs ('Mon Premier Hold Up', Francois K re-editing 'Disco Circus') and synth-pop ('J'tai Vu Dans Le Canoe?').

Review: The debut album Approach to Anima by Maya Ongaku landed originally in May 2023 but sold out quickly so is now being reissued. Initially available as a rare import, the album features Sonoda's fluid guitar and vocals, Takano's undulating bass, Ikeda's ethereal woodwinds and delicate synths and percussion to create a calm yet unsettling atmosphere. Tracks like 'Approach' and 'Water Dream' showcase their diverse influences by blending "Neo-Dada and Fluxus" with 1960s recording advancements. Based in serene Enoshima, the trio's music is free-spirited and reveals hidden depths and untamed vitality which reflect their ongoing creative journey.

Review: If you've seen the movie Synecdoche, New York, the idea of an artwork taking on a life of its own and eventually consuming the creator will be pretty familiar. Charlie Kaufmann's typically strange triumph is, of course, far from the only film that approaches this kind of subject matter, and in many ways the concept is bound to grow more relevant with the onset of AI creativity. Just who, or what, has made that piece of work? Etcetera etcetera.
Tom Cox is also no stranger to these ends. His debut novel - but 13th book - was published in April 2022. Villager draws on the author's passion for nature, music and folklore in a psychedelic trip through small settlement life, and in the pages we meet RJ McKendree. Now that name has an album, Wallflower, written, produced and developed by Cox, which is every bit the hazy late-60s folk rock masterpiece that never was.

Review: Charlie Megira was an Israeli legend in his own strange universe, drawing understandable parallels with The Cramps for his affinity for unhinged 50s rockabilly sounds. However Megira very much did his own thing, and this was no pastiche of olden days but a sincere communication from the bleeding heart of rock n' roll. On his debut album, faithfully repressed here by Numero Group, Da Abtomatic Meisterzinger Mambo Chic there's an almost hauntological quality to the strung out instrumentals, all tremolo twang and undead reverb, which can't help but take you right into the identity of this charismatic and ultimately tragic icon from another dimension.

Review: Since their early heyday of mammoth pop hits, electronic-indie duo MGMT seemed to sound gradually more and more conflicted, unsure whether to continue producing stadium-scale hooks or follow their eccentricities. It seems, with their fourth full-length 'Little Dark Age', that they've opted for the latter - sounding all the more confident and cohesive for it. 'Little Dark Age' sees the pair channeling their synthetic poppy psychedelia into their darkest, most serious and interesting songwriting yet. Anybody who panned 2013's self-titled album or 2010's 'Congratulations' should be pleasantly surprised by this return to form and new-found resolve. 'Little Dark Age' is a far cry from MGMT's definitive debut, but it's to the band's credit that exploring the more weird and wonderful corners of their pop-sensibilities has worked so well.

Review: The second release from Want Some Records features the first album by The Mighty Cavaliers from Kenya. Though not released in its original sequence, this album is a stunning showcase of Kenyan funk-inspired music. Each band member contributed to the songwriting process during the making of the album which means it has resulted in a diverse and unique collection of tracks where each has its own distinct character. Originally released in 1976 and 1978 as Fisherman, this masterpiece is now being reissued for the third time in a very limited edition of 500 copies with a fresh cover design. It's an enduring favourite so don't sleep on this latest chance to cop it.

Review: Nigerian singer, songwriter, and guitar legend, Mdou Moctar should need no introduction if you keep an ear to the ground of sub-Saharan African music. Then again, the vague region covers a vast area - land in all four hemispheres and around 15% of the Earth's walkable surface. So you could be forgiven for missing out on an individual artist if, for example, you weren't already looking for them specifically. Or relied on Western culture media for tips on what to hear next. That said, problematically tunnel-visioned as the North Atlantic-hegemony of commentators can be, Moctar has been something of a darling to UK, European and US musos for a while now. On Tears of Injustice he presents a convincing case for their continued adoration. A master of Tuareg, a style of music also known as desert blues, it's an intoxicating sound that easily transports and invokes, even if the predominantly Tamasheq language he sings in remains a mystery - arguably another factor in the powerful mythology surrounding his legacy.

Review: The Diamonds Four has seen its share of action of the years, but remains a rare piece of Mario Molino history which is finally available thanks to this Sonor Music effort. One of the most prominent figures in the library sounds world, the Italian composer, musician, and guitarist first released this collection on B.M.P. in the 1970s. It was then reissued on the Music Scene label, rebranded as Action Beat Group, with track titles named and the artist changed to the pseudonym Luigi Ferracioli. All of which only adds to the intrigue surrounding Molino, a name few seem to know much about, but one that has contributed to the development of fizzy pop, hip hop, jazz, funk, and psychedelic rock via forward-thinking arrangements. A hidden gem in the true sense, finally unearthed and polished to its original glory.

Review: Five tracks of madness and mayhem from one of Norway's most critically acclaimed and domestic-Grammy (Spellemannprisen) award-nominated bands, with several wins too. Which should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Motorpsycho have always defied expectations, not least by offering up sounds that are contrary their name - less metal, more progressive and psyche rock with shades of jazz, post-rock, country and pop.

Ancient Astronauts represents their latest sonic incarnation, which is destined to keep the devout satisfied. Opening with a combination of grit and opera descending into a cool cat, wavy day-tripper of a swagger tune, 'The Ladder', 'The Flower of Awareness' then offers contrast by introducing huge power riffs, solos and crescendos, with even more intense guitar-made atmospheres offered on the closing two tracks.