Always Judge A Record By Its Cover

For 2020 we have started a new series of compilations called 'Highly Curated', these collections are slightly more concise than our usual compilations, which should give us the ability to release fresh tracks more frequently. The tracks we include on the Highly Curated series are considered by us to be the best of the best new material we have had the pleasure to listen to in recent weeks. As always, all we ask is that you listen, then check out the individual acts and support their releases if you like them. Please also help by sharing your favourite tracks - spread the word! The first volume of the series is now available to download/stream from all the main online platforms including: Bandcamp   |   Spotify   |   Apple Music   |    Amazon Music   | Here's the tracklisting for Highly Curated - Volume One : 01   Salty Greyhound - Dog's Mouth 02   Elucidate  - Panic Room 03   Oh! You Pretty Thing...

Today we have  The Randys with The Charlatan , taken from their For All the Little Birds EP , it is a fairly straightforward alt-rock tune but the powerful vocal performance really makes it shine. A great production.

We have a new release all the way from Belgium for you today, the single is called Destiny and it is by Easy Jane who describe themselves as "Belgian rock tainted with Middle East vibes". The track is taken from the album Manic Mood which was recorded in Beirut with all tracks composed and developed by a single Belgian member supported by additional Lebanese and Syrian rockers. Delightful and dark, here's the video.

Something rather stylish today, this is the video for Renay 's single Inspire Me . Based in San Francisco, Renay is a pop artist, singer-songwriter, producer/engineer with Bolivian/Dutch roots. The single is a slick slice of pure electro-pop and the accompanying visuals are just gorgeous. Be inspired!

There's a rather touching backstory to this release by Christian Stokkmo & Bent Roads Tavern . The band formed in 2001 as a seven-piece college rock act in Vancouver and were active in the bar/college scene from 2001 to 2003. Since that time, the band fragmented and reformed in different configurations and under different names. Sadly, last year, one of the founding members of the band, Christian Stokkmo, passed away. As a tribute to their brother-in-arms and more than 16 years after they last played together, the original surviving members of the band reformed to record Sweet Mirona , a previously unreleased single written by Christian. The single is accompanied by a rather poignant video. Well done to the band for coming together to record this wonderful tribute, music is the best therapy.

Here's a song dedicated to all those people trying to reach better shores - the track is called Summer and it is by Italy's Cars On Mars . It is a bright number with a solid groove and an excellent video. Lovely artwork, too. Not bad for their first single. Enjoy!  

A special track to celebrate the day, this one will lure you in and then stab you in the ears, it is Happy Birthday by Liverpool's Cow . Apparently the song was written after the storm of a breakup. It is an ace track, full of emotion and noise, taken from their All My Friends Are Dead To Me EP . Spin it!

Today we have some rather jangly, old school indie for you, originating from Mexico this is Yellow Dudes with Parking Spot . It should have you spinning around the room a bit, make sure you check out their full EP. Parking Spot EP by Yellow Dudes

We have been really impressed with the Reading-based band Elucidate since hearing some of their tracks last year, Panic Room is their latest cut and it shows a real maturity in their songwriting. Panic Room was inspired by the feeling of not being sure that you’re making the right decision and feeling like the safest option is to just give up rather than power through. The band wanted to write something that resonated with all those people who don’t feel like they can do it or want to give up. Elucidate are one of those emerging young bands who are already creating music which excites us, there's always an underlying quality to their recordings and we will certainly be championing them if they carry on in the same manner. Enjoy!

We love receiving music which defies genres and Nealy's Room by Abi certainly impressed us with its experimental approach. Apparently Abi wrote it shortly after meeting a beautiful strawberry blonde haired woman who melted her while gently waiving an incense stick back and forth in front of her face. The song is quite mesmerising, it is a pity not more songs come from such amusing backstories. Enjoy this one. Wear a Hat Night Mixtape by Abi

Liverpool's  Become The Sky return with a gorgeous new track called Pictures , once again Anne Marie Howard's intimate vocal is beautifully performed and the instrumentation is an understated joy. We are certainly looking forward to hearing more over the coming months. Pictures by Become The Sky

Here's some offbeat electro-pop for you from Israel's  One Year Dive with  In This World . Taken from the forthcoming album 'One Year Dive', the song is fairly simplistic in its approach (a great example of 'less is more') but with some nice shadows of menace in the sound, we really like the vocal. Graceful and elegant, just like us. One Year Dive is Ran Jurgenson, a multi-instrumentalist musician, producer and video artist. He is best known for his work as a drummer for cult group "Infectzia", pioneering the Israeli progressive scene, and as an accomplished session drummer.

Here's a fun video for a top tune by Alkanes called Death Or Glory . Alkanes are a 2 piece alternative rock band hailing from the North of Scotland, they say that " ' Death Or Glory' lyrically comes from an emotional place, a sudden realisation that a long term relationship isn't quite as it appears to be and something has to change. Despite the back story, the band wanted to produce a video that had no connection to the story. A chance to loosen up and have fun with some friends" . That's the spirit - it certainly works for us! #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic  #MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #PopPunk #Punk #PunkRock #PostPunk #garagerock #grunge #Scotland

Having played them on our radio show and featured their raucous  Beetlejuice​/​Betelgeuse  track on our Players - Volume One  compilation, we were mighty pleased to hear  Green Blanket return with some new material. Taken from their forthcoming album, this is a cracking new single called Muscle Memory . The sound is slightly more refined but still full of glorious noise and they have even done a terrific video for it. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation  #IndiePop #PostPunk #shoegaze #garagerock #grunge

Appealing to our gothic roots, this is  Yv Salome with the cheery  I Want to Die , a classy electro single. Yv Salome is working on the dark side of fashion and music, creating visual art with a dark, sophisticated and hedonistic perception of the world. We are sure those stuck in endless shopping queues at this time of year will enjoy the sentiment of this song. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended  #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic  #SynthPop #ElectroPop #MusicRecommendation #DarkMusic #GothicMusic #darksynth

Here's the third single we have featured from  New Wolves , an act we have really been enjoying over the last few months. This track is called  Unselected and is wonderfully heavy on the synths, something we always appreciate. New Wolves says that, lyrically, the song deals with the current right wing flood, and where the rest of us fit in. Enjoy! (the song, not the right wing flood). #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic #SynthPop #ElectroPop #MusicRecommendation #indietronica #IndiePop Unselected by New Wolves

Here's a breezy new song born from a collaboration between Italy's  Gilvian (guitars and electronic drums) and Norwegian artist Per Øyvind Stene (vocals). Clocking-in at over 6 minutes, Labyrinth slides gracefully into a delightfully pleasing end section. Gilvian is a fan of the band, Japan, so he can't be a bad chap. Hope you enjoy listening. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #Electronica #

Bouncing into the ring in the guise of an anti-fascist song, here's Slow Buildings with Orange Clown . Taken from their  The Ecstasy of Winning EP , it is an indie-ska romp not to be afraid of. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #PopPunk #IndieSka The Ecstasy of Winning EP by Slow Buildings

Some quirky bedroom pop for you today from Liam. with Sabotage , a splendid combination of dancing vocals, intriguing words and minimal electronica. The song, a collaboration between Liam Downey and Sienna Hodgson, draws you in with a gentle persuasion, like being told a story by a stranger on a park bench. Give it a listen. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic #DanceMusic #SynthPop #ElectroPop #MusicRecommendation #indietronica #bedroompop #IndiePop Sabotage (feat. Sienna Hodgson) by Liam.

Today's post-punk blast, by Florida's  Joyeater , is about mental health, and the dragging on and on of the everyday, the dread of the moments ahead, and the damage it wreaks on your past. How running away just isn't a realistic option. The track is called Dragging On and it is a real corker, please check out the full album Naysayer , it is a joy to digest. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic#MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #PopPunk #Punk #PunkRock #PostPunk NAYSAYER by JOYEATER

Today we have some experimental techno in the form of a track called Olfactrory Neuroepithelium  by  Yasuyuki Uesugi , a Japanese electronic music producer who creates the recordings in one take with everything processed using analogue instruments. This is electronic music fired at you without any meandering - lovely! #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #ElectronicMusic #Techno #MusicRecommendation #indietronica #IndiePop #Electronica #ExperimentalMusic #JapaneseMusic

Here's a tune which has an unexpected but brilliant latter stage, it is More Weight by the UK's Frozen Fountain . The song starts quite mildly, strolling along with a fairly understated vocal but then in the latter stages it all kicks off a bit with some great guitar noise. We love songs like this, like opening a sonic Kinder egg. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation #ExperimentalMusic #shoegaze #postpunk A Fading Light by Frozen Fountain

Some excellent English post-punk today, this is  The Palpitations with their debut single called Siren , a song about a patient who succumbs to the depths of drug addiction. Based on a true story, the track was written while two young doctors were stationed in the emergency department of their local hospital, where they were witness to the ravages of addiction on a daily basis. The result was a dystopian, tragic rock anthem about a patient entering into a vivid spiral of addiction.  #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #PostPunk

Today's tune is a bit of a raucous one, from Neon Anesthetics we have Soul for Sale (Used) - it is short, screamy, sweary and rather enjoyable. We advise you to turn it up and step back from your speakers. #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic #MusicRecommendation #cyberpunk #industrial #screamo #deathmetal

Here's one for all you post-punk electro freaks, the track is called Run and is by Grandeur . You will also be pleased to hear that it is available as a free download from Bandcamp . Great track from a band with an excellent name. On your marks, get set...... #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic #DanceMusic #SynthPop #ElectroPop #MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #Electronica #DarkMusic #GothicMusic #cyberpunk #industrial #darksynth #PostPunk RUN [free download] by GRANDEUR

This made us laugh a lot, from Sweden this is Back Of House with  The Brisket In The Kitchen . All their songs seem to be about food (is Cuisine-Rock a genre?) and this one is about a perfectly smoked brisket. The lyric sums the band up nicely, "we’re all weirdos and foodies" . Go on, have a nibble. #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic  #MusicRecommendation #PopPunk #Punk #PunkRock #FoodRock The Brisket in the Kitchen by Back of House

This came crashing through our speakers sounding like a lost gothic Midge Ure-era Ultravox tune, it is The Reaping Wheel by New York's  A Cloud Of Ravens . Taken from the album In The Wicked Hours , rather splendid it is too. Have a listen! #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic #MusicRecommendation #IndiePop #Electronica #ExperimentalMusic #DarkMusic #GothicMusic #Darkwave #industrial #darksynth In the Wicked Hours by A Cloud of Ravens

Rather amazingly, it is 20 twenty years since we released our infamous Christmas single, Cognosecnti Vs Intelligentsia , as members of the Cuban Boys. In those days we were battling with John Lennon, Sir Cliff Richard and Westlife for the prestigious #1 slot in the UK Singles Chart and being voted the most popular song on the John Peel BBC Radio 1 Show. Today, in marked contrast, we are releasing a festive single under our Life As Surface Noise guise. One track, The Night Watchman (Counterpart One) , appeared last year spreading a grim tale of woe and misery, this year's track  The Night Watchman (Counterpart Two)  is slightly more cheerful. Both tracks form part of our ongoing The Night Watchman series. We hope you enjoy them. Merry Christmas! PS Both tracks are also available on CDs from Cherryade Records  - volumes 13 &  14 . #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #ElectronicMusic #ElectroPop #MusicRecommendation #indie...

We don't often feature hip-hop, but this track by London's Prime Sinister really stood out from the crowd and the accompanying animated video is excellent. The single is called Prime Time and was produced by Muckaniks, it has a great blend of slightly menacing piano and hard-hitting percussion. The song recounts otherworldly stories of misery and triumph. Prime Sinister uses an original style of rhyming called 'Syllablism'. Enjoy! #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation #HipHop #Rap #London

From just up the road in Brighton, this is a band called Brighton Strangler with a jaunty track called Let's Party - we thought it would help you get in the festive mood.......well, in a sort of alternative, post-punk way. Good vocal refrain on this one! #IndieMusic #NewMusic #Blog #Recommended #Rock #AlternativeMusic #MusicRecommendation #Indie #PostPunk Dancing Outrageous by Brighton Strangler