Green Seagull - Millions Of People: The Best Of Green Seagull (2026)

Taking their name from a mis-heard Rolling Stones lyric, Green Seagull are the latest band to burst out of London's burgeoning neo-psych scene, with their harmony-laden baroque/freakbeat sound drawing on influences such as the Left Banke, the Kinks, and the Association. The band formed in 2016 when Paul Nelson (New Electric Ride) approached Paul Milne (Hidden Masters / Magnetic Mind) to work on some songs together. A shared enthusiasm for late-60s baroque psychedelia and 12-string jangle soon blossomed into a prolific song-writing team, and before long the duo had more songs than they knew what to do with. They were joined shortly after by Sarah Gonputh on keys and Elian Dalmasso on drums, and the newly-minted quartet set about recording a demo on an old 4-track cassette in their rehearsal room. These lo-fi recordings pricked up the ears of Mega Dodo Records head honcho John Blaney, who immediately signed the band for an album deal. Kicking off with the single 'Scarlet'/'They Just Don't Know' in June 2017, they followed that with November's '(I Used To Dream In) Black And White', which was issued on limited edition white vinyl. In 2018 they released their debut album 'Scarlet Fever', where the close harmonies and jangly baroque tints drew some obvious comparisons with The Kinks and The Electric Prunes, but also the streetwise edge found in The Coral or Inspiral Carpets. 2020 saw the release of their second album, 'Cloud Cover', which experimented with contrapuntal melodies and functional harmony patterns, resulting in an ambitious and stylistically broad venture that followed their widely praised debut. Their deeply entrenched love for 60's experimental eclecticism is clear in the playful psych adventure of 'Little Lady In The Amplifier', while 'This Wheel' is it's darker counterpart, with moody keys taking centre stage. The band's latest album is 'Smoke And Mirrors', which came out a few months ago, and which includes the singles 'Lightning Girl' and '(They're Coming For You) Barbara', which were released on 7" via Disques Rogue in late 2022. Channelling classic UK and West Coast psych vibes, Green Seagull continue to enchant us with their harmony-drenched chamber-pop, and in an effort to get this fine band some well-deserved recognition, here is a sampler of some of their best work to date. 

Track listing

01 Millions Of People (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
02 Scarlet (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
03 It's Too Late (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
04 First Snow Of Winter (Christmas single 2018)
05 Lay My Head (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
06 Walking (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
07 Simeon Brown (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
08 (I Used To Dream In) Black And White (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
09 This Wheel (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
10 Paradise Way (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
11 Remember The Time (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
12 Dead And Gone (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
13 Mr Trouble (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
14 Belladonna (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
15 Girls Are Coming Into Town (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)

Flyte Reaction - Astral Storm: The Best Of Flyte Reaction (2001)

In the wake of the 80s psychedelic revival that unearthed gems such as Robyn Hitchcock’s Soft Boys, Paul Roland, and The Bevis Frond, a young guitarist from Cambridge was noticed by cult magazines such as Bucketful Of Brains, and was praised by them. Mick Crossley, under the moniker of Flyte Reaction, debuted at the court of the Frond in 1991 with a real ode to psychedelia, 'Songs In A Circle', which was acclaimed by critics, and which managed to create an avid following. The next year Splendid Records was formed in order to release 'Strawberry Lip Salvation', and then in 1993 they followed it with 'Spectral Footwear', and in 1995 with 'Create A Smile', which was beautiful poppy psych with that warm analog home-recorded feel. Unfortunately the interest in psychedelia began to fade, and so Crossley went out in style by signing to Nick Saloman's Woronzow records and releasing his best album, the excellent 'Sensilla'. It mostly alternates between slow, folk-infused, psychedelic pop songs and uptempo, rollicking jams, and with the first category Crossley excels, as on 'Swim Around The Moon' and the R.E.M. meets Captain Beefheart 'Observatory Crest', while 'Flow' finds a quiet, philosophical groove, and 'Let It Go' is a heart-filling, nostalgic anthem. Generally it strays a little from the feel of their previous albums into purer pop, but still very much in a psychedelic vein. After a lengthy hiatus, Crossley returned in 2015 with a 500-copy limited edition CD entitled 'Magnetophon Distances', only to disappear again immediately afterwards. To introduce you  to this best-kept secret of the neo-psychedelic scene, here is a collection of some of the band's best work from the five albums recorded in their first decade.  

Track listing

01 Celestial Sphere (from 'Songs Within A Circle' 1991) 
02 Fruit Bat Tropicana (from 'Create A Smile' 1995)
03 Astral Storm (from 'Spectral Footwear' 1993)
04 Water From Your Well (from 'Sensilla' 2001)
05 New Sunrise (from the 'Succour' compilation 1996)
06 Riverside (Inside You) (from 'Strawberry Lip Salvation' 1992)
07 Sunflower Sweet (from 'Create A Smile' 1995)
08 Soul Within (from 'Songs Within A Circle' 1991) 
09 Shape Of Me  (from 'Spectral Footwear' 1993)
10 Seremony Of The Sea (split single with The Ectomorph 1991)
11 Let It Go (from 'Sensilla' 2001)
12 Inner Spaceman (from 'Strawberry Lip Salvation' 1992)

The Sidewinders - What She Said: The Best Of The Sidewinders (1991)

The Sidewinders were formed in the spring of 1985 by guitarist Rich Hopkins and vocalist David Slutes, and they released their first record, '¡Cuacha!', on San Jacinto Records in 1988, subsequently signing to RCA/Mammoth Records, where they released two full-length albums, 1989's 'Witchdoctor' and 1990's 'Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall', with 'Witchdoctor' cracking the lower echelons of the Billboard 200 at No. 169. In 1990, Mammoth/RCA released a 7 track promo-only CD entitled 'Do Not Play This Disc - For Educational Purposes Only', and on the strength of two modern rock radio hits in 'Witchdoctor' and 'We Don't Do That Any More', the band scored exposure on MTV and VH1 and embarked on a worldwide tour, but their career was soon sidelined due to legal problems. In 1991, a North Carolina band known as Sidewinders sued the group over the use of its name, and it took two years to sort out the proceedings and secure the release of their next album, now under the name Sand Rubies. As the Sand Rubies, they released a self-titled album on Polydor/Atlas in 1993, and at one point, Pearl Jam served as their opening act. However, due to attrition over the period of the legal troubles, the rhythm section of the band had departed, and the Sand Rubies dissolved during a tour in 1993, just as two other Arizona rock bands, Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments, were attracting mainstream attention. A few one-off shows were given in 1995 and 1996 before an official Sand Rubies reunion was announced in October 1996, and a show at SXSW followed in 1997, as did a new album, 'Return Of The Living Dead', in 1998. They were able to independently release a best-of collection of tracks from their major label years, as well as an all-covers album, 'Release The Hounds' in 1999, after which the band broke up again. The Sidewinders' debut album is one of may favourite records of the late 80's in any genre, and they should have been as big as Giant Sand and Green On Red from the same period, but they just never got the breaks, and the legal issues over their name really knocked them back. I hope that this collection of some of their best work as The Sidewinders brings them to the attention of a new audience some 40 years later. 

Track listing

01 I Can Wait (from '¡Cuacha!' 1987)
02 Solitary Man (from 'Witchdoctor' 1989)
03 We Don't Do That Anymore (from 'Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall' 1990)
04 I'll Go Home (from '¡Cuacha!' 1987)
05 Don't Cry No Tears (from '3I' EP 1991)
06 Witchdoctor (from 'Witchdoctor' 1989)
07 Sara's Not Sober (from 'Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall' 1990)

08 I Guess It Doesn't Matter (from '¡Cuacha!' 1987) 

09 You're Gonna Miss Me (from '3I' EP 1991)
10 Bad Crazy Sun (from 'Witchdoctor' 1989)
11 Blood On Our Hands (from 'Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall' 1990)
12 What She Said (from 'Witchdoctor' 1989)
13 More Than That (from '¡Cuacha!' 1987)
14 7 & 7 Is (from 'Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall' 1990)

Sun Dial - Plains Of Nazca: The Best Of Sun Dial (2016)

Gary Ramon's first band was Modern Art, and after releasing a number of cassette albums (I still my copy of 'Oriental Towers') and their first album in 1987, 'Stereoland', was limited to a run of 300 copies in a hand-painted sleeve. It contained jangly '60s-influenced pop originals in line with contemporaries like the Bachelor Pad, and was followed the next year by a German edition of 500 copies of 'All Aboard The Mind Train', which marked the real start of Ramon's journey. Reeking of lysergic consumption, the album contained original songs, plus a cover of the Monkees' 'Circle Sky', and in 1994 the album was remixed, remastered and re-pressed in an edition of 500 for his own Acme label. Modern Art then became Sun Dial at the start of the new decade, and as a trio they recorded 'Other Way Out', which conjured up memories of Pink Floyd's 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' and The Nice's 'Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack'. When I first got this album I thought it was the best recreation of the psychedelic sound of the late '60s by a modern band that I'd ever heard, and I stand by that today. It was followed in 1993 by 'Return Journey', featuring tracks that were was also recorded in 1990, and it included exploratory waves of effect-filled guitar solos, plus a cover of 'Magic Potion', a 1969 nugget by the Open Mind.  'Reflecter' and 'Libertine' were career sidesteps, and were both self-produced as a quartet with guitarist Chris Dalley, bassist Nigel Carpenter and drummer John Pelech. 'Reflecter' takes a contemporary Manchester detour, accenting the loudly textured guitar drones and echoey vocals, in songs like 'I Don’t Mind' and 'Easy For You', with a brisk and modern dance-influenced tone. 

If 'Reflecter' was a minor breach of stylistic faith, though, 'Libertine' was a gimmicky sounding big-budget studio affair with electronics taking a place of honour right behind the guitars, and it attempted a more radical revamp, nodding toward shoegazer rock and ambient techno, with precious little of what distinguished Ramon's previous work. 'Acid Yantra', however, was a fine return to form, as Ramon cast off contemporary musical life for a ride on a hallucinogenic magic carpet. With 'Libertine' drummer Craig Adrienne and new bassist Jake Honeywill in tow, Ramon returned to the organic simplicity of analogue 8-track recording, and at times his fluid, acid-drenched guitar recalls Funkadelic’s Eddie Hazel in his 'Maggot Brain' glory. Their next release was a live album recorded in London at the band's only live show of 1995, and 'Live Drug' consists of songs from 'Acid Yantra' as well as such earlier items as 'Slow Motion', 'Fireball' and 'Exploding In Your Mind'. After a long gap the band returned in 2003 with another great album in 'Zen For Sale', but for 2010's 'Sun Dial' they ditched the psyche and recorded a metal album, which lost them quite a few fans along the way. Perhaps realising that those fans preferred his early work, Sun Dial returned in 2012 with 'Mind Control', which was Ramon's second career highlight, after 'Other Way Out'. Starting with the great opener 'Mountain Of Fire And Miracles', this is followed by 'Radiation' which heads towards Germany and enters the mysterious land of early 70's Kosmische, with flute laden mellotron and trance inducing drums, and then back for some motorik action with sitar on the title track. Following that return to form the band have released new albums every few years, with their most recent studio recording being 'Message From The Mothership' in 2023. Fans of late 60's psyche and prog should already know about Sun Dial, but if you don't then this career retrospective should introduce you to one of the best modern psyche bands around. The 'Reflector' and 'Libertine' albums are not without their moments, and so they have one track apiece, but I've concentrated on the psychedelic side of their output, as that is by far my personal preference.

Track listing

01 Plains Of Nazca (from 'Other Way Out' 1990)
02 Never Fade (from 'Reflecter' 1992)
03 Believer (from 'Libertine' 1993)
04 You're Still Wondering (from 'Zen For Sale' 2003)
05 Autopilot (from 'Made In The Machine' 2016)
06 Magic Potion (from 'Return Journey' 1993)
07 Mountain Of Fire And Miracles (from 'Mind Control' 2012)
08 Rollercoaster (from 'Acid Yantra' 1995)
09 Exploding In Your Mind (from 'Other Way Out' 1990)
10 North Eastern (from 'Return Journey' 1993)
11 Let It Go (from the 'Fazer' EP 1992)
12 Reflections (from 'Zen For Sale' 2003)
13 Regenerator (from 'Made In The Machine' 2016)
14 Yantra Jam (from 'Acid Yantra' 1995)

The Alchemysts - A Surreal Meal: The Best Of The Alchemysts (2000)

The Alchemysts were a Bridgewater power trio, who formed in the late 80's, and released a three-track cassette in 1991, which contained some superb neo-psyche, and which I still own. By 1995 they has signed a deal with Behemoth Records, who released their debut album 'One Eyed Again', and which included the three tracks from the 1991 cassette. It introduced the Alchemysts to the world as a grunge-tinged nineties update on the previous decade's British neo-psych scene. Trading in spacey tones for muscular crunch, leader Paul Simmons digs hard into the riffs and solos, like he's trying to blend Jimi Hendrix with Ron Asheton. Bassist Jon Guard and drummer Mat Love nimbly keep the propulsion going without ever lumbering. 'Swarm', 'A Road' and 'Blind Side' could have come just as easily out of Seattle in 1991 as the U.K. four years later, and the highlight of the records is the fuzz 'n' feedback epic 'Stoned In Jerusalem'. In 1998 they moved to the Australian psyche label Camera Obscura and released 'Over And Out', which carried on in much the same vein. 'Forget About It' throws in sitars and backwards guitars for a surprisingly sensual opening cut, but then all bets are off. 'Harhowaloy' pounds its hard rock mercilessly, while 'Alpha Centauri' practically overloads on acidic effects. '25th Of July' moves from seething acid folk to explosive power rock, while 'Big Black Beetles' adds swathes of noisy Aussie postpunk to the proceedings, When Bevis Frond leader Nick Saloman's label Woronzow entered into a partnership with NYC's Rubric Records, the heavy psych outfit released a pair of stellar records on Rubric/Woronzow: 'Simeon & the Alchemysts', a strange and oft-stunning collaboration with Simeon of Silver Apples, and 'Zero Zen', a trippy powerhouse that ended up being the band's last, with guitarist Paul Simmons going on to join the Frond. Although the band only released four albums during their lifetime, they are one of my favourite neo-psyche outfits, alongside The Bevis Frond and Sun Dial, and hopefully this collection of some of their best work will introduce them to a new audience.  

Track listing

01 Stoned in Jerusalem (from 'One Eyed Again' 1995)
02 Big Black Beetles (from 'Over And Out' 1998)
03 Magellanic (from 'Simeon & The Alchemysts' 2000)
04 Glass Cars (from 'Zero Zen' 2000)
05 Drop Out! (from 'For The Dead In Space Volume 1' compilation 1987)
06 Bloody Mary (from 'One Eyed Again' 1995) 
07 A Surreal Meal (from 'Over And Out' 1998) 
08 Hydrophobic (from 'Simeon & The Alchemysts' 2000)
09 Thee Head Chemyst (from 'Over And Out' 1998)
10 DMT Blues (from 'Zero Zen' 2000)

Guadalcanal Diary - Always Saturday: The Best Of Guadalcanal Diary (1989)

Murray Attaway and Jeff Walls became friends in high school, and had played together in a punk band called Strictly American, which also included Curtis Crowe, the future drummer of Pylon. The two decided to form a new band under the name Emergency Broadcast System, and as Attaway's close friend Rhett Crowe, the sister of Curtis, was learning to play bass with guidance from Walls, she joined the new band. They named themselves Guadalcanal Diary, referencing the 1943 war memoir of that same name, and after auditioning several drummers, Walls enlisted multi-instrumentalist John Poe who agreed to play drums "temporarily", but stayed permanently. Guadalcanal Diary quickly attracted attention with its frequent live shows in the Athens and Atlanta music scenes, and in 1983 they recorded and released a four-song EP called 'Watusi Rodeo' on the small Atlanta indie label Entertainment On Disc. Despite the title of the EP, the song 'Watusi Rodeo' (one of their most famous songs) was not included on this release as Attaway hadn't written it yet. In 1984 the band signed with DB Records and began recording with Don Dixon, releasing their first full-length record, 'Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man', which was well received by critics, and enjoyed significant airplay on US college radio stations, drawing comparisons to fellow Georgia band R.E.M. After touring heavily across the US in support of the album, the band was signed by Elektra Records in 1985, who wanted to immediately record and release new material, but the band convinced the label to first re-release 'Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man' due to the feeling that the initial DB release had not had wide enough distribution. 

In 1986 the group released their second album, 'Jamboree', produced by Rodney Mills and Steve Nye, and although initial reception was not as enthusiastic as their debut effort, with some critics noting a weaker production, the album eventually gained retrospective appreciation among fans. They decided to work again with producer Don Dixon for their next album, '2 X 4', and when it was released in 1987 it featured a harder-hitting sound and greater diversity among the songs, becoming the band's most successful album up to that time. In 1988, Jeff Walls and Rhett Crowe married, and Rhett gave birth to a daughter, Lillian, the following year, after which they recorded again with Don Dixon, and 1989 saw the release of the band's fourth and final studio album, 'Flip-Flop'. While the music video for 'Always Saturday' saw rotation on MTV, critics noted that the album lacked some of the consistency of their previous albums, perhaps due to the band's busy touring schedule. However, with all members contributing to the song-writing, it took on a more diverse and upbeat sound, compared to darker themes of their previous works. Due to new family commitments and exhaustion from heavy touring, the band began to drift apart, and so they chose to break up in order to preserve their friendships. In the early fall of 1989, they played their collective final show in a free performance at Legion Field on the University of Georgia campus, and organized by the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity's Nu Chapter. Despite initial comparisons to R.E.M., Guadalcanal Diary never achieved the same success as their fellow Georgians, although they certainly deserved it, and they retain a loyal following to this day. I hope that this collection of some of their best work will extend that fanbase.  

Track listing

01 Watusi Rodeo (from 'Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man' 1984)
02 Always Saturday (from 'Flip Flop' 1989)
03 Jamboree (from 'Jamboree' 1986)
04 Litany (Life Goes On) (from '2 X 4' 1987)
05 Trail of Tears (from 'Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man' 1984)
06 Cattle Prod (from 'Jamboree' 1986)

07 Under the Yoke (from '2 X 4' 1987)

08 John Wayne (from the 'Watusi Rodeo' EP 1985) 

09 Sleepers Awake (from 'Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man' 1984)

10 I See Moe (from 'Jamboree' 1986)
11 Pretty Is As Pretty Does (from '2 X 4' 1987)
12 Why Do the Heathen Rage? (from 'Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man' 1984)
13 ...Vista (from 'Flip Flop' 1989)
14 Where Angels Fear To Tread (from '2 X 4' 1987)
15 Pray For Rain (from 'Jamboree' 1986)

Chris Forsyth - Robot Energy Machine: The Best Of Chris Forsyth (2022)

Chris Forsyth was born in 1973 and grew up in New Jersey in the '80's, listening to classic-rock radio, then got into underground/punk in his teens and college years. He taught himself to play guitar, and moved to Brooklyn in 1996, figuring New York would be a good place to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. He started to lose interest in contemporary rock music in the late '90's and started to appreciate improvised music, avant-rock, free-jazz, and experimental/outsider music of all stripes. He studied with Richard Lloyd of Television for 18 months, and had a group called Peeesseye in the 2000's that played drones, feedback, and very noisy high strung improvisations. In 2009 he relocated to Philadelphia, and became friends with the late guitarist Jack Rose, who inspired him to play more lyrically and expose the latent/dormant Richard Thompson/Jerry Garcia tendencies in his playing. In 1998 he released a limited edition album with Ethan Sklar, and followed this in 2001 with another collaboration, this time with guitarist Ernesto Diaz-Infante on 'Wires And Wooden Boxes'. Since then he has released a number of collaborative albums, with artists such as Chris Heenan, Nate Wooley and Shawn Edward Hansen, every one being released by a different label. In 2009 he released his first solo album in 'Dreams', with 'Paranoid Cat' following in 2011, and 'Kenzo Deluxe' the next year. 2013 saw the appearance of 'Solar Motel', named after a real place on Route 1 in Central Jersey, and which was his first full 'rock band' record. He put together a band to play it live, which he christened The Solar Motel Band, and this loose collective of various musicians has recorded three studio albums under that name between 2014 and 2017, as well as numerous live albums, both official and bootleg. They also recorded a live album with Garcia Peoples in 2020, under the name Peoples Motel Band, and yet to most people he remains an unknown artist, with his fans revelling in his status as their best-kept secret. Hopefully this sampler of some of his best work will introduce this superb guitarist to a wider audience, and he will start to get the recognition that he deserves. 

Track listing

01 History & Science Fiction (from 'Dreaming In The Non-Dream' 2017) 
02 Anthem I (from 'The Rarity Of Experience' 2016) 
03 Anthem II (from 'The Rarity Of Experience' 2016)
04 (Livin' On) Cubist Time (from 'All Time Present' 2019)
05 Bad Moon Risen (from 'Evolution Here We Come' 2022)
06 New Paranoid Cat (from 'All Time Present' 2019)
07 Boston Street Lullaby No. 1 (from 'Kenzo Deluxe' 2012)
08 Have We Mistaken The Bottle For The Whiskey Inside? (from 'Dreaming In The Non-Dream' 2017)
09 Paris Song (from 'Intensity Ghost' 2014)
10 Tomorrow Might As Well Be Today (from 'All Time Present' 2019)
11 Robot Energy Machine (from 'Evolution Here We Come' 2022)

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 are by Chris Forsyth And The Solar Motel Band.

Monkey House - The Future Is Almost Gone: The Best Of Monkey House (2025)

Monkey House formed in 1992, performing songs that Don Breithaupt had written that seemed too jazzy or different for other bands to cover, with a major influence of his being Steely Dan. The band makes melodic pop with a sophisticated, jazzy twist, some with horn arrangements. Their debut album 'Welcome To The Club' was released in 1992 on the Aquarius label, and it included a cover of a song written by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan called 'Lazy Nina", which was covered by Greg Phillinganes in 1984, but never recorded by Fagen himself. Their second album 'True Winter', appeared on the Marigold label in 1998, and found Breithaupt collaborating with Little Feat's Richie Hayward and David Blamires of the Pat Metheny Group. The project fell mostly dormant during the 2000's, with a 2005 compilation, 'Big Money: Singles Remasters Rarities 1992-2005', serving as their lone release of the decade. In the meantime, Breithaupt continued to work as a songwriter, session man, and with his brother, fellow songwriter Jeff. When Breithaupt revived Monkey House in 2012, it was with plenty of vigour and energy as he and bandmates Pat Kilbride (bass) and Mark Kelso (drums) enlisted a full horn section and a colorful cast of guests including Rik Emmett (Triumph), Drew Zingg (Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs), and Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan) to help out on their third album. Titled 'Headquarters', it was their first outing for Universal Music Group's Alma Records imprint, and Monkey House began to work more steadily, earning a more widespread international following with subsequent releases like 2016's 'Left' and 2019's 'Friday'. The title of 'Left' was a reference to the fact that Breithaupt packed up and moved from Toronto to the west coast, or "left coast", arriving in the Los Angeles area by February 2013. The album debuted at number 9 on the iTunes U.S. Jazz chart, number 2 on the iTunes Canada jazz chart, and peaked at Number 24 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart, despite it really being a pop music album. In 2022, the band marked their 30th Anniversary with the release of 'Remember The Audio', and , it featured contributions by trumpeter Randy Brecker and others. Monkey House returned in May 2025 with 'Crashbox', featuring the single 'Someplace On Madison', which marked the group's last album with Zingg, who died in April, 2025, at age 68. If you don't know the band but have a fondness for the work of Steely Dan then it is definitely worth checking out this sampler of some of their best material.  

Shortly after posting this album I received an email from Don Breithaupt thanking me for taking the time to put this together, and bringing his band to the attention of a wider audience. He is currently writing the next Monkey House album right now.   

Track listing

01 North (from 'True Winter' 1999) 
02 10,000 Hours (from 'Friday' 2019)
03 Where's Mantis Evar (from 'Headquarters' 2011)
04 Good To Live (from 'Left' 2016)
05 Remember The Audio (from 'Remember The Audio' 2022)
06 Road Movie (from 'True Winter' 1999)
07 Welcome To The Rest Of The World (from 'Friday' 2019)
08 The Future Is Almost Gone (from 'Remember The Audio' 2022)
09 Someplace On Madison (from 'Crashbox' 2025)
10 It's Already Dark In New York' (from 'Left' 2016)
11 Island Off The Coast Of America (from 'Friday' 2019)
12 New York Owes You Nothing (from 'Remember The Audio' 2022)
13 Faith In The Middle (from 'Headquarters' 2011)
14 North (Reprise) (from 'True Winter' 1999) 

Cotton Mather - Homefront Cameo: The Best Of Cotton Mather (2017)

Cotton Mather, named after the 17th century Puritan preacher and author, started as an experimental art rock collaboration between guitarist Robert Harrison and cellist Nat Shelton, but they soon shifted away from avant-garde music towards a more traditional rock sound, particularly after Shelton moved from Austin in 1991. With Harrison on guitar and vocals, Whit Williams on guitar, Matt Hovis on bass, and Greg Thibeaux on drums, the group recorded some of their songs and self-released them as 'The Crafty Flower Arranger' album in 1992, before signing to the short-lived ELM Records label, who released their second album, 'Cotton Is King', in 1994. After the commercial failure of that album, Hovis and Thibeaux left the group, and Harrison and Williams, occasionally aided by bassist George Reiff and drummers Dana Myzer and Darin Murphy, began writing and recording what would become their third album. 'Kontiki' was recorded primarily on 4-track cassette and ADAT, and included elements of found sound and psychedelic experimentation, and while the bulk of the album was recorded piece-by-piece via overdubbing, Harrison refers to the three tracks recorded by the live band to be "the spine of the record", showcasing their rock and roll sound. Nashville musician Brad Jones helped to mix and compile the album, and while unsuccessful upon release in America in 1997, it was reissued in 1999 in the UK on the Rainbow Quartz label, and championed by Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, among others.

The recording of the band's fourth album began in 1998, with Brad Jones producing, but when 'Kontiki' was reissued in England and became a success, and with the sessions for 'The Big Picture' almost done, Harrison held off on releasing it, and instead the group recorded the EP 'Hotel Baltimore', which consisted of a re-recording of 'Lost My Motto' from 'Cotton Is King', three outtakes from 'Kontiki', and three new songs. This was intended to consolidate the success of 'Kontiki', and introduce new fans to fresh material before the release of their next full-length studio album, and the David Fridmann-produced 'The Big Picture' was released by Rainbow Quartz in October 2001. However, the release of the album was not a success, and numerous personal setbacks and issues with the label caused the band to go on hiatus in 2003. After this, the various members went on to pursue their own projects, with Reiff remaining active in the music scene as a performer and producer, working with Chris Robinson, Court Yard Hounds, Dixie Chicks, Jakob Dylan, and Bruce Robison, among others, while Josh Gravelin went on to work with Ian Moore, Alejandro Escovedo, Guy Forsyth, Sparkwood, and Beaver Nelson. 

Whit Williams and Dana Myzer joined Ron Flynt as the group Stockton, who released an album in 2007, and Harrison founded The Star Apple Kingdom in 2007, a name under which he categorizes all of his work as a producer and artist, and the first release on the label was the eponymous debut by Future Clouds And Radar, released in 2007, which was essentially a Robert Harrison solo project. During Cotton Mather's hiatus, the group still retained a degree of success, as 'Lily Dreams On' from 'Kontiki' appeared on the soundtrack of the television show 'Veronica Mars', and 'Lost My Motto' from 'Hotel Baltimore' was included on Steven Van Zandt's compilation 'The Coolest Songs In The World', and as the reputation of 'Kontiki' began to grow in underground music circles, Harrison organized an expanded reissue of the album in 2011. 'Kontiki Deluxe Edition' was released in the spring of 2012 and featured a bonus CD of outtakes from the album's sessions. The group played several live shows in 2012, and also released a 7" single containing two tracks recorded during the sessions for 'The Big Picture', which had not been previously released, featuring Ian McLagan on organ. 

The reunited group played several shows in support of the 'Kontiki' reissue, and although the shows were meant to be one-off performances, the group eventually began performing and recording again as a functioning band, but as by this time, Myzer and Gravelin were no longer readily available, the line-up generally centered around Harrison, Williams, Reiff, and Murphy. In 2016, 'Death Of The Cool' was released on the Star Apple Kingdom label, and it was met with much critical acclaim, so three more songs from the project, featuring singer Nicole Atkins, were released as a single at the end of the year. 2017 saw two more releases from the project: the full-length album 'Wild Kingdom', and the six-song 'Young Life' EP. Long-time bassist and producer George Reiff fell ill toward the end of 2016, during the compilation and release of these albums and EPs, and died from lung cancer in May 2017. During 2018, the group did not release any new material. but did attempt to raise money for a new record through PledgeMusic, although they fell short of their goal, and so the project was abandoned. Harrison later stated that he took most of the year off to recuperate from the loss of Reiff, and other changes in his personal life, and to date no new music has appeared from the band. For anyone who has not yet discovered Cotton Mather, then this collection will show what a criminally under-rated band they were, and with the out-takes and rarities that I found while compiling this album, rest assured that there will be more to come from them. 

Track listing

01 Camp Hill Rail Operator (from 'Kontiki' 1997)
02 Girl With A Blue Guitar (from 'Wild Kingdom' 2017)
03 Lily Dreams On (from 'Kontiki' 1997)
04 Eleanor Plunge (from the 'Young Life' EP 2017
05 40 Watt Solution (from 'THe Big Picture' 2001)
06 The Middle Of Nowhere (from 'Death Of The Cool' 2016)
07 Better Than A Hit (from 'Wild Kingdom' 2017)
08 Vegetable Row (from 'Kontiki' 1997)
09 Queen Of Swords (from 'Death Of The Cool' 2016)
10 Payday (from 'Cotton Is King' 1994)
11 Ship Shape (from 'The Crafty Flower Arranger' 1992)
12 Homefront Cameo (from 'Kontiki' 1997)
13 Dutch Light (from the 'Young Life' EP 2017
14 The Book Of Too Late Changes (from 'Death Of The Cool' 2016)

The Outskirts Of Infinity - Song To The Goddess: The Best Of The Outskirts Of Infinity (1993)

The Outskirts Of Infinity are a hard/psychedelic rock trio from the UK, and were one of the earliest bands to release an album on Nick Saloman's Woronzow label. Saloman himself played bass with the band on the first two albums, and their debut record 'Lord Of The Dark Skies' is rated as one of the best on the label, with epic slabs of progressive rock and soaring guitar. The second album 'Scenes From The Dreams Of Angels' is a combination of extremely hallucinogenic space rock, Hendrix-like power trio stuff and psychedelic pop. Their third album 'Stoned Crazy' was recorded live in the studio, featuring a combination of the Outskirts' own songs plus a few cover versions of Hendrix and Cream numbers. This was the first album to feature ex Ozzy Osbourne/Dirty Tricks bassist Terry Horbury, and his Jack Bruce style playing in combination with Ric Gunther's Bonham/Baker-style drumming pushed the trio up a gear in power and creativity in a live setting. The next release was 'The Altar Of The Elements', which showed a distinct improvement over its predecessor, featuring the hard rocking 'Man Of Words' and the strange 'Broken Wings', which is an epic Floyd style track. The title track is a superb heavy prog workout with spectacular guitar playing. Following on from this release came 'Incident At Pilatus', recorded in the middle of a European tour, and three of the tracks were recorded in a studio in Switzerland, while the rest were recorded live at various venues during the tour. If you like classic heavy rock with gritty vocals and screaming guitar solos, all held together by a rock-steady rhythm section, then give this 'Best Of...' a listen, and before long you'll be checking out the rest of their discography.  

Track listing

01 Gates To Infinity (from 'Scenes From The Dreams Of Angels' 1989)
02 Gemini Machine (from 'Lord Of The Dark Skies' 1987)
03 Jupiter Jam (from 'Stoned Crazy' 1989)
04 The Altar Of The Elements (from 'The Altar Of The Elements' 1993)
05 Eastern Spell (from 'Lord Of The Dark Skies' 1987)
06 Burning Down (from 'Scenes From The Dreams Of Angels' 1989)
07 Stoned Crazy (from 'Stoned Crazy' 1989)
08 Song To The Goddess (from 'The Altar Of The Elements' 1993)
09 Lord Of The Dark Skies (from 'Lord Of The Dark Skies' 1987)
10 Infinity...Beyond...Beyond (from 'Scenes From The Dreams Of Angels' 1989)

M Ross Perkins - The New American Laureate: The Best Of M Ross Perkins (2025)

Michael Ross Perkins grew up in Fairborn, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, and during his early years his family lived on Titus Avenue in Dayton's Northridge neighbourhood, a few houses away from Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard. Perkins has stated that his proximity and early exposure to Guided By Voices was influential, noting that Pollard's lo-fi production technique and uninhibited vocal approach gave him the confidence to "make weird sounds" with his voice. In 2002, he began experimenting with a Tascam Portastudio 4-track cassette recorder and amassed a catalogue of original songs, and in 2007 his early psychedelic material was discovered by MGMT, who offered him a touring support slot at the time of their debut release, 'Oracular Spectacular'. However, Perkins declined due to anxiety, but he did work as a roadie for Buffalo Killers, on multiple tours in support of The Black Crowes, and this was repaid later when all three members of Buffalo Killers acted as his live backing band for a brief period. Sofaburn Records approached Perkins with a recording contract in 2015, after Zachary Gabbard of Buffalo Killers presented the company with a collection of Perkins' home recordings, and in January 2016 Perkins recorded the drum tracks for his debut release at Gabbard's analog studio, Howler Hills Farm, before completing the remainder of the album's instrumentation alone at his own home studio. 

The album 'M Ross Perkins' was released by Sofaburn in October 2016, and critical reception was enthusiastic, with Record Collector calling it "a truly great album", and others drawing notable stylistic comparisons to solo artists such as Harry Nilsson and Emitt Rhodes. After touring in support of the debut, Perkins produced a follow-up EP entitled 'What Did You Do For Summer Break', which Sofaburn released in streaming format in August 2018, and critics noted a shift to a more sophisticated and precise, pop-oriented writing style throughout the EP. While promoting the EP, Perkins performed the song 'Amazing Grace (Grandma's Dead)' on the Jerry Springer Podcast, with Springer and producer Jene Galvin calling it the best song ever performed on the show. In 2020, Ohio-based soul label Colemine Records signed Perkins to their Karma Chief imprint and released the song 'Wrong Wrong Wrong', both as a 7" single and on their 2021 'Brighter Days Ahead' compilation. Colemine/Karma Chief went on to release Perkins' second full-length album, 'E Pluribus M Ross', in March 2022, which had been recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, with Perkins again performing all of the instrumentation in his home studio. 

The album again received critical acclaim, with Shindig! giving it 5 out of 5 stars and Uncut calling it "a record full of harmonic joy". After the release of 'E Pluribus M Ross', Perkins made guest appearances on a number of Colemine/Karma Chief releases by Andrew Gabbard, playing bass alongside Karma Chief labelmate Neal Francis on 2022's 'Live in Loveland' and performing keyboard on 2023's 'Cedar City Sweetheart'. In May 2025, Perkins released his third full-length album, 'What's The Matter, M Ross?', which mixed his reverent nostalgia, self-deprecating humour, and a heavenly gift for melody, with vox pops trying to answer the title question. If you have yet to discover this intriguing singer/songwriter then here is a selection of some of his best songs for you to sample.   

Track listing

01 Humboldt County Green (from 'M Ross Perkins' 2016)
02 Wrong Wrong Wrong (from 'E Pluribus M Ross' 2022)
03 Restless Amy (from 'What Did You Do For Summer Break' EP 2018)
04 Let A Little Lazy (from 'M Ross Perkins' 2016)
05 Tired Of Me (from 'E Pluribus M Ross' 2022)
06 Hey Man/Hey Self (from 'What's The Matter, M Ross?' 2025)
07 Industrial Good Day Mantra (from 'E Pluribus M Ross' 2022)
08 Bed Sheet Wing (from 'What Did You Do For Summer Break' EP 2018)
09 Local Showcase (from 'M Ross Perkins' 2016)
10 Gone (In The Morning) (from 'What's The Matter, M Ross?' 2025)
11 The New American Laureate (from 'E Pluribus M Ross' 2022)
12 Someone Else (from 'M Ross Perkins' 2016)
13 When You’re Near Me (from 'What Did You Do For Summer Break' EP 2018)
14 Amazing Grace (Grandma’s Dead) (from 'M Ross Perkins' 2016)
15 Funeral For A Satellite (from 'E Pluribus M Ross' 2022)

The Kingsbury Manx - Pelz Komet: The Best Of The Kingsbury Manx (2013)

The Kingsbury Manx emerged in 1999 from the same North Carolina indie rock scene that spawned the Archers Of Loaf and Superchunk before them. Band members Ken Stephenson (guitar/vocals), Bill Taylor (guitar/vocals), Ryan Richardson (drums/vocals), and Scott Myers (bass/keyboards) attended middle school together in Greensboro before going separate ways during their college years. Stephenson and Myers enrolled in creative writing studies at Wilmington while Taylor and Richardson both landed at UNC, Chapel Hill, but during visits back home, the quartet began writing and recording music for a demo. Their break came when Overcoat Recordings owner (and former Thrill Jockey employee) Howard Greynolds heard the tape and agreed to fund their debut. 'The Kingsbury Manx' was released by the label in 1999 to so little fanfare that it ended up creating a small amount of mystery. Managing to stay independent from any particular scene, the band cultivated a sound simultaneously derivative and original, with influences from such timeless artists as early Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds, but they were handled with such loving care and attention to detail that they were rendered largely insignificant. The album became one of the underground indie successes of 2000, landing in the year-end polls of NME (Top 50) and Magnet ("Ten Great Albums Buried in 2000"), and a short tour of the U.S. followed in support of Elliott Smith. 'Let You Down' followed in 2001, with it's Japanese issue including two bonus tracks in 'Dirt And Grime' and 'My Shaky Hand'. Their next release was an EP entitled 'Afternoon Owls', which arrived in late 2003, and the band toured in support of it with The Sea And Cake. Additional shows with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci coincided with the release of the band's third album, 'Aztec Discipline', later that year, and this was the first to include new band members Paul Finn on keyboards and bassist/drummer Clarque Blomquist, who took over from the departing Stephenson and Myers. In 2004, The Kingsbury Manx started working on tunes for their next album at their practice space (Pine Manor) in Chapel Hill, travelling up to Michigan to record the songs at the Key Club studios, and in early 2005 they left longtime label Overcoat Recordings to sign with local North Carolina label Yep Roc Records. The band took the Key Club tapes to Chicago, where Wilco member Mikael Jorgensen mixed the album, and the result was their 2005 release, 'The Fast Rise And Fall Of The South'. After taking a long break, the band returned in 2009 with the simpler, folkier 'Ascenseur Ouvert!', which was released on Finn's Odessa label, and working at a leisurely pace again, their sixth record, 'Bronze Age', came out in 2013. The band never officially broke up, but just drifted apart as they grew older, and so as an introduction to one of my favourite band's of the early-to-mid 00's, here is a collection of some of their best work. 

Track listing

01 And What Fallout! (from 'The Fast Rise And Fall Of The South' 2005)
02 Pageant Square (from 'The Kingsbury Manx' 1999)
03 Pelz Komet (from 'Aztec Discipline' 2003)
04 Glass Eye (from 'Bronze Age' 2013)
05 Grape To Grain (from 'Aztec Discipline' 2003)
06 Walk On Water (from 'Ascenseur Ouvert!' 2009)
07 Piss Diary (from 'The Kingsbury Manx' 1999)
08 Custer's Last (from 'Bronze Age' 2013)
09 Well, Whatever (from 'Ascenseur Ouvert!' 2009)
10 Whether Or Not It Matters (from 'The Kingsbury Manx' 1999)
11 Greenland (from 'The Fast Rise And Fall Of The South' 2005)
12 Courtyard Waltz (from 'Let You Down' 2001)
13 Harness And Wheel (from 'The Fast Rise And Fall Of The South' 2005)
14 Rustic Stairs (from 'Let You Down' 2001)
15 Half Man (from the 'Afternoon Owls' EP 2003)
16 How Cruel (from 'The Kingsbury Manx' 1999)

Essex Green - Fabulous Day: The Best Of Essex Green (2018)

Essex Green was formed in mid-1997 after four members of the Burlington, Vermont-based indie pop band Guppyboy relocated to Brooklyn, New York to start a project that incorporated psychedelia and cosmic music into its sound Singer/guitarist Chris Ziter, singer/keyboardist Sasha Bell, guitarist Jeff Baron, and bassist Mike Barrett were joined by drummer Tim Barnes, and the group appeared at various New York City clubs before touring the East Coast with Aden and Saturnine. Their first release was an early-1999 split single on Sudden Shame Records with its alt-country alter ego, the Sixth Great Lake. Also in 1999, they were asked by Robert Schneider to be a part of the Elephant Six Collective and recorded a self-titled EP for the label, and then shortly afterwards their debut full-length for Kindercore, 'Everything Is Green'. Bell and Baron also joined the like-minded Brooklyn group The Ladybug Transistor, but their time spent with that band meant less time for Essex Green activities, as did Bell's work on her solo project the Finishing School, whose debut album, 'Destination Girl', came out in 2003. By this time Bell had left The Ladybug Transistor and Baron had downgraded to contributor, which meant more time for the Essex Green. 

The band, now a trio following Barrett and Barnes' exit, signed to Merge Records and began work on their second album, toning down the eclectic psych-pop of their debut recordings in favor of a more relaxed folk-rock approach. 'The Long Goodbye' was released in 2003, and after some time spent touring the world, the band members headed to the Manhattan studio of producer Britt Myers, where they began sessions for their third album. 'Cannibal Sea' cut out any remaining traces of country-rock from their approach, and was released by Merge in early 2006. The band spent a solid year touring behind the record, then hit a snag when Ziter moved to Cincinnati, after which Bell moved to San Francisco and Baron to Pittsburgh. With the three members in different cities and their real lives getting in the way, it took nearly a decade before they worked on music together again. Bell had even stopped playing music entirely for a few years until she moved to Montana and, with the help of some friendly record-store clerks, started playing shows as the Sasha Bell Band. Meanwhile, Ziter and Baron had both moved back to Burlington, and the trio decided the time was right to reunite. They played some shows in 2016 and began seriously working on another album, with the three members trading song ideas across the country. Bell then went to Vermont for some sessions, and a couple of years' work led to their third album, 'Hardly Electronic', a richly arranged slice of chamber pop that was issued by Merge in mid-2018. Nothing more has been heard of them since then, but they've left behind a catalogue of excellent baroque-pop songs, and this album collects some of the best of them for your consideration.  

Track listing

01 Sloane Ranger (from 'Hardly Electronic' 2018)
02 Don't Know Why (You Stay) (from 'Cannibal Sea' 2006)
03 The Late Great Cassiopia (from 'The Long Goodbye' 2003)
04 The Pride (from 'Cannibal Sea' 2006)
05 Janaury Says (from 'Hardly Electronic' 2018)
06 Penny & Jack (from 'Cannibal Sea' 2006)
07 Southern States (from 'The Long Goodbye' 2003)
08 Rabbit (from 'Cannibal Sea' 2006)
09 Our Lady In Havana (from 'The Long Goodbye' 2003)
10 Mrs. Bean (from 'Everything Is Green' 1999)
11 Catatonic (from 'Hardly Electronic' 2018)
12 Primrose (from 'Everything Is Green' 1999)
13 Fabulous Day (from 'The Essex Green' EP 1999)
14 Waikiki (from 'Hardly Electronic' 2018)
15 Rue De Lis (from 'Cannibal Sea' 2006)

Dora Flood - Phoenix Rising: The Best Of Dora Flood (2007)

Dora Flood formed in 1983, and were originally called Belladonna, but following a name change inspired by the madam of a brothel in John Steinbeck's classic novel 'Cannery Row', this San Franciscan quintet changed have produced music which is a homage to classic British pop and psychedelic rock. In 1995, they released their debut EP on American Standard Recordings, entitled '1301', named after the strange place they lived in San Francisco, at 1301 Leavenworth. They continued performing around San Francisco and the Pacific Coast, and in 1999 they released their first full-length effort, 'Walk A Lightyear Mile', on Double Play Records. Touring in support of the record saw them playing in Europe, the continental United States, and Canada, despite the fact their tour manager ended up in jail. The band received widespread acclaim for 'Lost On Earth' in 2000, also on Double Play, and by 2002 the group had enhanced its vision and creativity with the sprawling-yet-lovable 'Welcome', an album with influences from the Beatles and the Stone Roses to even Velvet Crush. The fuzzed-out 'Highlands' followed in 2004 with 'We Live Now' landing three years later. Their final release was 'Dream Out Your Window', on their own Dora Flood Recordings in 2008, and then the band was no more. Over the course of their six LPs and one EP, Dora Flood has produced some of the most notable shoegazing dream pop to come out of the United States. Their last effort for Elephant Stone Records, 'We Live Now', is perhaps the group’s heaviest sounding release to date, with nods to late '60s and early '70s interstellar boogie rock spliced into the heady mix. With praise coming from discerning music magazines like The Big Takeover, Skyscraper, Losing Today and Ptolemaic Terrascope, it is no wonder that audiences left Dora Flood's shows feeling that they witnessed something of a secret, psychedelic phenomenon. For anyone unfamiliar with this well-kept secret, here is a collection of some of their best work, in order to ease you gently into the psyche-pop world of Dora Flood.  

Track listing

01 Welcome (from 'Welcome' 2002)
02 Phoenix Rising (from 'We Live Now' 2007)
03 Stargazing (from 'Highlands' 2004) 
04 Black Widow Walking (from 'Walk A Lightyear Mile' 1999) 
05 Lost On Earth (from 'Lost On Earth' 2000)
06 Eraser (from 'Welcome' 2002) 
07 Life's Ironic State (from 'Walk A Lightyear Mile' 1999)
08 Home (from 'Highlands' 2004) 
09 Wanderlust (from 'Lost On Earth' 2000)
10 Starflower (from 'Welcome' 2002)
11 Light (from 'We Live Now' 2007)
12 Down Again (from 'Welcome' 2002)
13 Love Is Brave (from 'Lost On Earth' 2000)
14 A Violent Pair (from 'Walk A Lightyear Mile' 1999) 

The Delines - Waiting On The Blue: The Best Of The Delines (2025)

The Delines are a critically acclaimed Americana/soul/country band from Portland, Oregon, formed by novelist and songwriter Willy Vlautin, and fronted by the soulful vocals of Amy Boone. Taking time out in 2012 from his other band, Richmond Fontaine, to focus on his successful career as a novelist, Vlautin also found time to write new material that was inspired by the evocative world-weary vocals of Austin-based Boone of the Damnations. Bringing in Richmond Fontaine member Sean Oldham on drums, the Decemberists' Jenny Conlee on keys, Freddy Trujillo on bass, and Tucker Jackson on pedal steel, Vlautin formed the Delines around Boone's tough but haunting and vulnerable vocal style. The group assembled in Portland with producer John Askew to record what would become their debut album, 'Colfax'. Released at the beginning of 2014, it combined Vlautin's much-lauded tales of struggling characters from the American backwaters with Boone's emotive vocals, and following the record's release, the group embarked on a European tour that same year. They began work on a single during a set of summer shows, but these 2015 studio sessions blossomed, and the band soon had a ten-track collection on their hands, which they titled 'Scenic Sessions', and it was released that September. In 2016, Boone was involved in a car accident which left her with multiple injuries. At the time of the accident, the Delines had completed three-quarters of their next album with Askew, but Boone's lengthy convalescence led to a four-year gap between records, and they eventually returned with 'The Imperial' in January 2019, promoted a month earlier by its lead single 'Eddie And Polly'. 

Later that year, two non-album singles were released, 'A Room On The Tenth Floor' and 'Eight Floors Up', that were recorded at the sessions for 'The Imperial', but which had to left off the album for reasons of space. November 2019 also brought a spoken word recording by Vlautin of his short story, 'The Kill Switch', for which the Delines provided musical backing, and by this point Jackson had departed, and the band continued without pedal steel guitar. In April 2021 Vlautin's sixth novel, 'The Night Always Comes', was published, and initial copies came with a soundtrack CD by the Delines, which included a cover of Spiritualized's 'Broken Heart'. October that year saw the release of 'Little Earl', the lead single from their fourth studio album 'The Sea Drift', which appeared in February 2022. In late 2022, the band released a two-track single titled 'The Lost Duets', which featured 'The Golden State' and 'My Blood Bleeds The Darkest Blue', both of which were Vlautin-Boone duets, with the former recording dating back to the time of the 'Scenic Sessions'. Although 2023 was a quiet year for the Delines, it saw a limited release of their 'Night Always Comes' soundtrack on vinyl, and in December the one-off single 'Christmas in Atlantis'. In November 2024 the single 'Left Hook Like Frazier' represented the first fruits of a fifth album, and 'Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom' was released on Valentine's Day 2025. The Delines' music combines Vlautin's admired lyrics about characters from America's hinterland and their everyday struggles, with Boone's vocals, the emotion of which wrings out the pain of the characters, and once you've listened to this selection of their best work I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do.  

Track listing

01 The Imperial (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
02 Colfax Avenue (from 'Colfax' 2014) 
03 Drowning In Plain Sight (from 'The Sea Drift' 2022) 
04 Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom (from 'Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom' 2025)
05 The Oil Rigs At Night (from 'Colfax' 2014) 
06 He Don't Burn For Me (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
07 Little Earl (from 'The Sea Drift' 2022) 
08 Waiting On The Blue (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
09 State Line (from 'Colfax' 2014)
10 Let's Be Us Again (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
11 Hold Me Slow (from 'Colfax' 2014) 
12 Nancy & The Pensacola Pimp (from 'Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom' 2025)
13 Sandman's Coming (from 'Colfax' 2014)
14 Past The Shadows (from 'The Sea Drift' 2022) 

Elephant Stone - Andromeda: The Best Of Elephant Stone (2024)

Inspired by his own ongoing Indian classical music discovery, Rishi Dhir formed Elephant Stone in Montreal in 2008. With Dhir singing lead and handling nearly a dozen instruments, he recorded the project's debut album with help from several guests, including producer Jace Lasek. It arrived in May 2009 on Dhir's own Elephants On Parade label, distributed by Fontana Records, and was quickly followed by 'The Glass Box' EP in 2010. The group then signed with Canada's Hidden Pony for 2013's eponymous 'Elephant Stone' record, by which time the band had settled into a regular line-up of Dhir, Gabriel Lambert on guitar, and Miles Dupire-Gagnon on drums. 'Three Poisons' arrived in 2014, also on Hidden Pony, and that year they were asked to contribute a tracks to 'A Psyche Tribute To The Doors on Cleopatra Records, for which they chose to cover 'L.A. Woman'. The band's fourth album, 'Ship Of Fools', was released in 2016 on Burger Records in 2016, before they returned with the five-song 'Live At The Verge', which captured a session at Toronto's Verge Music Lab in February 2017. The 'Ship Of Fools' remix EP 'Remix Of Fools' followed in September, but it three more years before we were to hear from the band again, when their fifth album, 'Hollow', appeared in 2020, featuring split guitar duties between Lambert and Robbie MacArthur. In 2022 they issued a French-language EP 'Le Voyage de M. Lonely dans la Lune', which saw MacArthur and Jason Kent taking over on guitar. Combining the influence of Indian classical music with the melodic style of British Invasion bands like the Kinks and the Beatles, the Canadian neo-psychedelic outfit were a breath of fresh air in 2009, and they have not disappointed with any of their releases since then, so if the band is new to you then this sampler will introduce you to the innovative world of Rishi Dhir. 

Track listing 

01 Sally Go Round the Sun (from 'Elephant Stone' 2013)
02 Lost in a Dream (from 'Back Into The Dream' 2024)
03 Andromeda (from 'Ship Of Fools' 2016)
04 Knock You From Yr Mountain (from 'The Three Poisons' 2014)
05 How Long (from 'The Seven Seas' 2009)
06 Hollow World (from 'Hollow' 2020)
07 A Silent Moment (from 'Elephant Stone' 2013)
08 Child of Nature (Om Namah Shivaya) (from 'The Three Poisons' 2014)
09 Where I'm Going (from 'Ship Of Fools' 2016)
10 Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin (from 'Elephant Stone' 2013)
11 We Cry for Harmonia (from 'Hollow' 2020)
11 Harmonia (from 'Hollow' 2020)
12 The Sea of Your Mind (from 'Elephant Stone' 2013)
13 I Am Blind (from 'The Seven Seas' 2009)

The Unthanks - Gan To The Kye: The Best Of The Unthanks (2024)

Originally an all-female band, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset made their debut performance at Holmfirth Folk Festival on 7 May 2004, and launched their debut album 'Cruel Sister' at the same festival venue the following year, being awarded Folk Album of the Year by Mojo magazine. The follow-up, 'The Bairns', was released in August 2007, and was runner-up for the 2008 Mercury Prize. In 2009, the band became the Unthanks, led by sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, who were born seven and a half years apart, and who grew up in Ryton, Tyne and Wear. Their manager Adrian McNally and his childhood friend Chris Price joined the group, releasing their first album under the new name in September 2009, with the "beautiful", "haunting", and "beguiling" 'Here's The Tender Coming' being awarded Folk Album of the Year by The Guardian and also by Mojo magazine. Their next album, 'Last', was released in March 2011, and with their popularity growing over the intervening years, it reached number 40 in the UK albums chart, and received a five-star review in the Sunday Express and four-star reviews in The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. As well as traditional material, the album included McNally's 'Last', alongside a cover of Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan's 'No One Knows I'm Gone', and a stunning version of King Crimson's 'Starless'. 

In a departure from their usual practice of showcasing material from their studio albums, the Unthanks performed two concerts at London's Union Chapel on 8 and 9 December 2010 consisting entirely of material written by Robert Wyatt and by Anohni of Anohni and the Johnsons, with the live album 'The Songs Of Robert Wyatt And Antony & The Johnsons' being released in November 2011. This was to be the first of a series of side-projects issued over the next few years under the title of 'Diversions', with the second in the series being a live recording with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, performing new brass arrangements of songs from all four of their albums, as well as new material. 'Songs From The Shipyards', volume 3 in the 'Diversions' series, was released in November 2012, and was a studio-recorded album of songs from a soundtrack to the documentary film by Richard Fenwick about the history of shipbuilding on the Tyne, Wear and Tees. Their next band album was 'Mount The Air', which was released in February 2015, and received five-star reviews in The Daily Telegraph and The Irish Times, describing it as "their most ambitious work, which places them in the same league as the likes of The Gloaming and the Punch Brothers". The dominant figure on this record was Rachel's husband Adrian McNally, who not only played keyboards and percussion, but also produced the record and wrote much of the music, with 'Mount The Air' winning Best Album in the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. 

In December 2015 the band released 'Memory Box', a package containing a new CD, a Christmas 7" single (the first Unthanks single to be issued in this format) and other items to commemorate the band's 10th anniversary. In May 2017 they released two albums in the 'Diversions' series, 'The Songs And Poems Of Molly Drake' and 'The Songs And Poems Of Molly Drake: Extras', featuring songs written by the mother of Nick Drake. 'Lines', a trilogy of albums about the 1968 Hull triple trawler tragedy, poetry of the First World War and the poems of Emily Brontë, was pre-released on the band's website in November 2018 and officially released on 22 February 2019. Their next album, 'Sorrows Away', was released in October 2022 and received a five-star review in the Financial Times. Their most recent record, the double album 'In Winter', was a collection of Winter/Christmas themed music, and was released at the end of 2024, eliciting further four and five-star reviews in the UK national press. In 2014 the song 'Magpie' was featured in the BBC Four TV series 'Detectorists', and in 2019 the band composed and performed the soundtrack for the 2019 BBC production of the television drama series 'Worzel Gummidge'. The Unthanks are without doubt the best UK folk band currently in operation, and if you have the slightest interest in British folk and you haven't heard them then this collection of their best work in the perfect introduction. 

Track listing

01 Because He Was A Bonny Lad (from 'Here's The Tender Coming' 2009)
02 Gan To The Kye (from 'Last' 2011)
03 Last Lullaby (from 'Mount The Air' 2015)
04 The Sandgate Sandling Song (from 'Sorrows Away' 2022) 
05 Flutter (from 'Mount The Air' 2015)
06 Dark December (from 'In Winter' 2024)
07 Lucky Gilchrist (from 'Here's The Tender Coming' 2009)
08 Sorrows Away (Love Is Kind) (from 'Sorrows Away' 2022)
09 Starless (from 'Last' 2011)
10 The Bay Of Fundy (from 'Sorrows Away' 2022)
11 Where've Yer Bin Dick (from 'Here's The Tender Coming' 2009)
12 Magpie (from 'Mount The Air' 2015)
13 The Snow It Melts The Soonest (from 'In Winter' 2024)
14 The Gallowgate Lad (from 'Last' 2011)

Airbag - Sounds That I Hear: The Best Of Airbag (2024)

I've already posted a rarities album from Norwegian progressive rockers Airbag, but as that was more for people who were already fans of the band, I'm posting this 'Best Of...' to introduce them to anyone who has yet to experience their brand of superb neo-prog rock. Formed in Oslo, Norway in 2004, Airbag's consist of guitarist/vocalist Asle Tostrup, guitarist Bjørn Riis, keyboardist Jørgen Hagen, drummer Joachim Slikker, and bassist Anders Hovdan, and they recorded their first EP in their first year together. Entitled 'Come On', it was followed by 2006's 'Sounds That I Hear' and 'Safetree' in 2008, and all three EPs were initially offered for free on the band's website, going on to register over 230,000 downloads, paving the way for incoming interest from Karisma Records, with whom the band signed a deal in 2008. Their debut full-length album arrived in 2009, with 'Identity' featuring remixed versions of songs from their second and third EPs, and the album was very well received, with its lead single, 'Colours', managednotching up a top three hit on Polish radio. Their follow-up, 2011's 'All Rights Removed', saw the band adopt a more conceptual approach, favoring longer pieces and a more dramatic instrumentation. For its release, Slikker left the band and was replaced by Henrik Bergan Fossum, and it went on to receive numerous plaudits from the world of prog rock, and featured on many end-of-year lists. After opening for rock giants Marillion during their Scandinavian tour in 2012, Airbag's third release, 'The Greatest Show On Earth', landed the following year, with the band adopting a heavier, more guitar-driven approach to their music, a feeling echoed in the darker and more destructive content of their lyrics. Their fourth effort, 'Disconnected', was released in June 2016, after which Hagen and Hovdan left the band, with the remaining members deciding to press on as a trio, releasing their fifth album, 'A Day At The Beach', in 2020. Their most recent release was last year's 'The Century Of The Self', which was yet another neo-prog masterpiece, and if you don't already know of Airbag then do yourself a favour and sample some of their best work on this album.  

Track listing

01 White Walls (from 'All Rights Removed' 2011) 
02 Killer (from 'Disconnected' 2016) 
03 Redemption (from 'The Greatest Show On Earth' 2013) 
04 Dysphoria (from 'The Century Of The Self' 2024)
05 Machines And Men (from 'A Day At The Beach' 2020)
06 Colours (from 'Identity' 2009)
07 All Rights Removed (from 'All Rights Removed' 2011) 
08 Call Me Back (from 'The Greatest Show On Earth' 2013) 
09 Sounds That I Hear (from 'Identity' 2009) 
10 Broken (from 'Disconnected' 2016) 

Lanterns On The Lake - Through The Cellar Door: The Best Of Lanterns On The Lake (2023)

I was pleased to see an anonymous comment on the recent Rick Miller post, which said "Hadn't heard of him until I read this. Not being a fan of bombastic prog, this collection hits the sweet spot. Lovely immersive lengthy pieces that transport you away for a while". That's exactly what these 'Best Of...' posts are all about, for you to discover new artists that I've loved for years, but who are still mostly unknown to the majority of people. And so on that note......
Lanterns on The Lake were founded in Newcastle in 2007, with the members coming together after playing with other bands on the local scene. Vocalist and guitarist Hazel Wilde was then engaged to guitarist Paul Gregory, and both were in a group with drummer Oliver Ketteringham, while Wilde and violinist Sarah Kemp were old school friends. Brothers Brendan (bass) and Adam Sykes (guitar, vocals) completed the line-up, and with a limited budget and a D.I.Y. ethos, they borrowed an 8-track recorder and set about creating their first two releases, 2008's 'Starlight EP', and the following years 'Misfortunes & Minor Victories', capturing the intimacy that was afforded to them by recording in their own homes and an abandoned house in Northumberland. They self-released the records with handmade sleeves, and organized a series of gigs in obscure places, such as a boat house on the Tyne River and the Tan Hill Inn, highest pub in Britain, garnering a strong following in the process. They eventually signed to the Bella Union label in 2011, and although they were given a recording budget for their debut album, 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home', it was captured in a very similar vein to their EPs. Gregory oversaw production and escalating instrumentation, which featured guitars, violin, mandolin, piano, synths, and glockenspiels, while imagery of the sea and water resonated throughout the bands work. The Sykes brothers parted ways with the group in 2012, and the remaining members carried on, releasing sophomore album 'Until The Colours Run' in 2013. The following year, Kemp also left the band, so they added strings player Angela Chan and bassist Bob Allan to the official line-up, which recorded 2015's 'Beings' in isolation in their Newcastle rehearsal space. With the return of all five members from 'Beings', the band's fourth studio album, 'Spook The Herd', arrived on Bella Union in early 2020, and it was shortlisted for that years Mercury Prize. Three years passed before we heard from the band again, but 2023's 'Versions Of Us' was another great album from them, this time co-produced by Radiohead's Phil Selway, who also contributed drums to the album. If you have heard of this band then it is probably due to their hauntingly beautiful 'Don't Have Nightmares' being specially written and performed for the BBC Radio 4 series 'Uncanny', but if that is the only thing that you know from them then do sample their other work on this collection, as they have much more to offer than that one song.    

Track listing

01 Through The Cellar Door (from 'Beings' 2015)
02 Not Going Back To The Harbour (from 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home' 2011) 
03 Another Tale From Another English Town (from 'Until The Colours Run' 2013) 
04 I Love You, Sleepyhead (from 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home' 2011) 
05 String Theory (from 'Versions of Us' 2023) 
06 Lungs Quicken (from 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home' 2011) 
07 The Likes Of Us (from 'Versions Of Us' 2023) 
08 Every Atom (from 'Spook The Herd' 2020)  
09 Of Dust And Matter (from 'Beings' 2015) 
10 Ships In The Rain (from 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home' 2011) 
11 Real Life (from 'Versions Of Us' 2023)
12 Don't Have Nightmares (theme from the BBC Radio show 'Uncanny' 2021)
13 A Kingdom (from 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home' 2011) 
14 Faultlines (from 'Beings' 2015) 
15 Swimming Lessons (from 'Spook The Herd '2020)

The Amazing - Through The Cracks: The Best Of The Amazing (2024)

The Amazing is a Swedish psychedelic indie rock band known for their dreamy, panoramic sound. Founded by established members of the Swedish indie scene, including Christoffer Gunrup (Granada), Reine Fiske (Dungen), Johan Holmegard (Dungen and Life On Earth!), and Fredrik Swahn (Anna Järvinen), they've created a unique sonic landscape with intertwining guitars, textured keyboards, and a rhythm section that veers in unexpected directions. The band came together after Gunrup's previous group, Granada, disbanded, and he invited Dungen's guitarist Reine Fiske and drummer Fredrik Björling to join him on stage, eventually solidifying the lineup with Fredrik Swahn on guitar and keys, Alexis Benson on bass, and Moussa Fadera on drums. The music they produce is characterized by its expansive, spatial quality and strong pop sensibility, often described as a blend of 1960's California pop rock and 1970's British folk rock. Following two singles on Fashionpolice Records in 2009, they released their self-titled debut the same year, before moving from Fashionpolice to Subliminal Sounds for the 'Wait For A Light To Come' mini-album. The band experienced a lineup shift after their second album, 'Gentle Stream', in 2011, with Johan Holmegard departing and Alexis Benson and Moussa Fadera joining as bassist and drummer, respectively. 'Picture You' followed in 2015, picking up some welcome critical acclaim and public appreciation, and so by the time of 'Ambulance' in 2016 and 'In Transit' in 2018, fans knew that they could expect to hear some first-rate indie-rock. Their latest album was released just last year, with 'Piggies' being another superb record from a band who can seemingly do no wrong. If you have yet to experience one of Sweden's finest exports then dive into this carefully selected collection of their best moments, including their U.S. breakthrough single 'Gone', and their tribute to Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan.  

Track listing

01 Dragon (from 'The Amazing' 2009)
02 Picture You (from 'Picture You' 2015)
03 Through The Cracks (from 'Piggies' 2024)
04 Circles (from 'Picture You' 2015)
05 The Kirwan Song (from 'The Amazing' 2009)
06 Fryshusfunk (from 'Picture You' 2015)
07 Gone (from 'Gentle Stream' 2011)
08 Pull (from 'In Transit' 2018)
09 Ambulance (from 'Ambulance' 2016)
10 Defect (from 'Wait For A Light To Come' 2010)
11 Gentle Stream (from 'Gentle Stream' 2011)