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)

Rick Miller - The Lost Years - The Best Of Rick Miller (2024)

Rick Miller is a Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist, who made his debut effort as a solo artist back in 1983 with the new age production 'Starsong', which shifted a highly respectable 30.000 units at the time. He followed up this venture with 'Windhaven' in 1987, and his efforts 'Interstellar Passage' from 1998 and the EP 'No Passion, No Pain' from 2009 would continue exploring similar musical territories. After honing his craft working at Sound Design Studios in Toronto throughout the 80's and 90's, Miller wanted to have a go at his true musical love, which was atmospheric progressive rock inspired by artists such as Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues and Steve Hackett. In 2003 he released his first album in this new genre, with 'The One' appearing on his old New Age record label Calaban Music, but his next three albums were released through the MALS label. These efforts cemented Miller's reputation as an inventive and competent progressive rock musician, and in 2009 he was signed by Canadian indie label Unicorn Records, with his first release for them being the 'Falling Through Rainbows' album. However, by his next album, 2011's 'In The Shadows', he was back with MALS Records, sticking with them for his next six releases. In 2020 he signed to Progressive Promotion Records, who have released some of his best music over the past five years, in particular 2020's 'Unstuck In Time' and 2024's 'One Of The Many'. As an introductions to his work, here is a small selection of tracks hand-picked from the last decade, which will give you an idea of what to expect should you decide to try any one of the seventeen superb prog-rock albums that he's released since 2003.  

Track listing

01 The Garden Of Forking Paths (from 'Delusional' 2018)
02 Don Quixote (from 'Old Souls' 2022)
03 State Of Emergency (from 'Unstuck In Time' 2020)
04 The Lost Years (from 'One Of The Many' 2024)
05 Guinevere (from 'Old Souls' 2022)
06 Borrowed Time (from 'Altered States' 2023)
07 Rats In My Darkness (from 'Immortal Remains' 2013)
08 Breaking Point (from 'Breaking Point' 2016)
09 She Of The Darkness (from 'One Of The Many' 2024)
10 Blood Of The Rose (from 'Heart Of Darkness' 2014)
11 Haunt Me (from 'Old Souls' 2022)
12 The Need To Believe (from 'Belief In The Machine' 2020)

Band Of Horses - Warning Signs - The Best Of Band Of Horses (2022)

Ben Bridwell formed Band of Horses with bassist Chris Early and drummer Tim Meinig in 2004 after the break-up of his previous band Carissa's Wierd along with bassist Chris Early and drummer Tim Meinig. They were soon joined by former Carissa's Wierd bandleader Mat Brooke on guitar and vocals, and under the name Horses they received attention from Sub Pop, after opening for Iron & Wine during Seattle area shows. In 2005 the band released the 'Tour EP', which was sold at shows and on Sub Pop's website, and later that year they recorded their first full-length album, 'Everything All The Time', which was released by Sub Pop in March 2006. It included new versions of five of the six songs from the 'Tour' EP along with five brand new songs, and was a minor hit in Scandinavia, entering the lower reaches of the Swedish and Norwegian album charts. During the recording the the album Bridwell found that there was a personality clash between himself and Meinig and Early, and they left soon after the recording finished, being replaced for the subsequent tour by Joe Arnone on guitar and keyboards, Rob Hampton on bass and guitar, and Creighton Barrett on drums. Before recording their second album, Bridwell decided to relocate the band from Seattle to his native South Carolina, and after losing Arnone and recruiting Matt Gentling on bass, Robin Peringer on guitar, and Ryan Monroe on keyboards they recorded their second album, 'Cease To Begin', in Asheville, North Carolina. 

It was released by Sub Pop Records in October 2007, and gave Band Of Horses their first hit in the U.S. by reaching number 35 on the Billboard 200. Following the release of 'Cease To Begin', Monroe became a permanent member of the band, along with new recruits Tyler Ramsey on guitar and vocals and Bill Reynolds on bass. Third album 'Infinite Arms' was released worldwide between May 14 and 19, 2010 on the Columbia, Brown, and Fat Possum labels, and was the first to be self-produced by the band, with additional production from Phil Ek. On 20 April 2010 the band appeared on the BBC television series 'Later... with Jools Holland', and following this appearance, the band's two earlier albums entered the UK Albums Chart for the first time. The band toured Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and opened for Pearl Jam and Snow Patrol, and in 2011 'Infinite Arms' was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Alternative Album category. In April 2012, Bridwell announced that the band's fourth studio album was scheduled for release in late 2012 and would be produced by Glyn Johns. 

In July the album's title was confirmed as 'Mirage Rock', and following the release of 'Knock Knock' as the debut single from it, the album appeared in September 2012. In July 2015 Bridwell and Sam Beam of Iron and Wine released a covers album titled 'Sing Into My Mouth', and the next year saw the appearance of the fifth Band Of Horses studio album, 'Why Are You OK', produced by Jason Lytle of the band Grandaddy, and issued through Rick Rubin's American Recordings and Interscope Records. Over the next five years the band went through numerous line-up changes, and in October 2021, they issued the single 'Crutch' as a taster for their sixth record 'Things Are Great', which was released in March 2022. Despite their music being generally well-received by the critics, and having a Grammy nomination to their name, Band Of Horses have yet to break through to the mainstream, particularly in the UK, and so I hope this this selection of their best work will tempt you to try some of their albums.  

Track listing

01 The Funeral (from 'Everything All The Time' 2006)
02 No One's Gonna Love You (from 'Cease To Begin' 2007)
03 Is There A Ghost (from 'Cease To Begin' 2007)
04 Laredo (from 'Infinite Arms' 2008)
05 Weed Party (from 'Everything All The Time' 2006)
06 In A Drawer (from 'Why Are You OK' 2016)
07 Infinite Arms (from 'Infinite Arms' 2008)
08 NW Apt (from 'Infinite Arms' 2008)
09 Slow Cruel Hands Of Time (from 'Mirage Rock' 2012)
10 Marry Song (from 'Cease To Begin' 2007)
11 The Great Salt Lake (from 'Everything All The Time' 2006)
12 Factory (from 'Infinite Arms' 2008)
13 Crutch (from 'Things Are Great' 2022)
14 Warnings Signs (from 'Things Are Great' 2022)
15 Knock Knock (from 'Mirage Rock' 2012)

Elizabeth & The Catapult - Happy Pop - The Best Of Elizabeth & The Catapult (2021)

Elizabeth & the Catapult is a Brooklyn–based project by the American singer-songwriter Elizabeth Ziman, who grew up in Greenwich Village, and trained from youth as a classical pianist, writing her first songs on an upright piano at age 6. She attended the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship to study classical composition, and her original plans to pursue film scoring were changed in 2002 when Patti Austin came to Berklee to recruit background vocalists for an Ella Fitzgerald tribute tour. Ziman toured with Austin for 18 months, causing her subsequent compositional style to draw heavily from jazz vocalists such as Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. She met fellow students Dan Molad and Esperanza Spalding at a party during their final semester at Berklee, and they began performing together shortly afterward. Spalding left the band soon after and another Berklee student, guitarist Pete Lalish, later joined the band after Ziman saw him performing at a Boston bar and invited him to collaborate, with the band moving to Brooklyn in early 2005 after they'd completed their studies. Using Molad's home studio, the band financed, recorded and produced an EP, 'Elizabeth & The Catapult' in 2006, which led to them being signed to Verve Records in 2008. 

Having been popular on New York's Lower East Side, the band achieved a measure of national notoriety in the spring of 2009 with their first Verve album, 'Taller Children', which the band had chosen to record at Mike Mogis' studio in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2009, Ziman was commissioned by John Schaefer of NPR's Soundcheck to write a song cycle for a Lincoln Center show, and having gone through a band breakup, Ziman turned to Leonard Cohen's poetry collection 'Book Of Longing', recording demos for much of the new album as a duo at Molad's father's home in Austin, Texas. Following their record label's suggestion of working with a producer, Molad suggested Tony Berg, and the band moved into the studio to complete the album. 'The Other Side Of Zero' was released in October 2010, and featured Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on the title track. In 2014 she performed at Madison Square Garden opening for Sara Bareilles, and later that year the band released their third album 'Like it Never Happened' on Thirty Tigers Records, which was produced by Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, and Paul Loren with string arrangements by Rob Moose. 'Keepsake', the fourth album from Elizabeth & the Catapult and the first on Compass Records, was released in October 2017, followed by 'sincerely, e' in March 2021. Despite releasing five albums over a twelve year period, Elizabeth & The Catapult are still something of an unknown quantity to most people, so I hope that this collection will introduce the band to a wider audience. 

Track listing

01 Underwater (from 'Keepsake' 2017)
02 Rainiest Day Of Summer (from 'Taller Children' 2009)
03 Right Next To You (from 'Taller Children' 2009)
04 Salt Of The Earth (from 'Like It Never Happened' 2014)
05 Time (We All Fall Down) (from 'The Other Side Of Zero' 2010)
06 Something More (from 'Keepsake' 2017)
07 Open Book (from 'The Other Side Of Zero' 2010)
08 Pop The Placebo (from 'sincerely, e' 2021)
09 Race You (from 'Taller Children' 2009)
10 Happy Pop (from 'Like It Never Happened' 2014)
11 Complimentary Me (from 'Taller Children' 2009)
12 Julian, Darling (from 'The Other Side Of Zero' 2010)
13 Apocalypse In A Major (from 'sincerely, e' 2021)
14 You And Me (from 'The Other Side Of Zero' 2010)
15 Ambrosia (from 'Keepsake' 2017)

Eleventh Dream Day - Vanishing Point - The Best Of Eleventh Dream Day (2021)

When I recently asked for suggestions about what people would like to see on the blog, two visitors came up with the same idea, and that was to present 'Best Of...' albums for bands who don't have an official one. I thought this was a great idea, as most of the artists that I now love were introduced to me by a 'Best Of...' album, and so I started to trawl through my record collection to find bands and artists who deserve more recognition, but who you might be wary of investing in without some idea of what they sound like. So here is the first of what could be a long-running series, and the only restrictions I've imposed are that they must have released at least three albums, they have no official 'Best Of...', and most importantly, I like them. 

Eleventh Dream Day's origins dated to 1981, when singer/guitarist Rick Rizzo met vocalist/drummer Janet Beveridge Bean at the University of Kentucky. Inspired by punk, Rizzo taught himself to play guitar with the aid of Neil Young's Zuma songbook, and Young remained the group's major inspiration throughout its career, with his incendiary aesthetic informing much of Rizzo's own raw, rootsy style. The couple soon relocated to Chicago, where they teamed up with bassist Douglas McCombs and guitarist Baird Figi, and after several years of honing their explosive live set, Eleventh Dream Day finally recorded their eponymous debut EP for the Amoeba label in 1987. Their full-length debut ,'Prairie School Freakout', was recorded in one six-hour span with a buzzing, dilapidated amplifier, and following its release in 1988, it brought the band to the attention of Atlantic Records, which signed them for 1989's assured 'Beet'. Despite critical acclaim, the record failed to find an audience, and the follow-up, 1991's 'Lived To Tell', suffered the same fate. In the middle of a tour to promote the album, Figi abruptly quit, and was replaced by Bodeco's Matthew "Wink" O'Bannon prior to 1993's superb 'El Moodio', which also failed to set the charts alight, and after three commercial strikes, Atlantic unceremoniously dropped the group. 

Following a hiatus that allowed Rizzo and Bean to concentrate on raising their newborn child, Eleventh Dream Day enlisted co-producers Brad Wood and John McEntire (McCombs' partner in the post-rock supergroup Tortoise) for 1994's 'Ursa Major', released on City Slang. After another break, during which time Rizzo returned to college, Bean focused on her country side project Freakwater, and O'Bannon exited to return to Bodeco. Eleventh Dream Day then signed to the Chicago-based indie Thrill Jockey to record 1997's 'Eighth', followed by 'Stalled Parade' in 2000, but at this point they were a part-time venture at best, as Rizzo was teaching and Bean and McCombs both had other musical ventures. They continued to play live in Chicago occasionally, ably assisted by Mark Greenberg on keyboards, and in 2003 Thrill Jockey reissued the long out of print 'Prairie School Freakout', paired with the 'Wayne' EP, and Baird Figi joined the band for a one-off reunion show in November of that year. 'Zeroes And Ones', the band's first new material in six years, and the first album recorded with Greenberg, was released in 2006, but five more years would pass before they returned with 2011's 'Riot Now!', an album inspired by the apathy of American youth. 

In 2013, it was revealed that Eleventh Dream Day's major-label tenure had been an even more tragic tale, as following 'Lived To Tell', the "alternative" branch of Atlantic who had signed the band moved to another label, and communication with the band basically ended, with the label in turmoil. As a result, Atlantic missed the deadline that continued the contract, and band's management informed the label that they were out of their contract, to which Atlantic agreed. So the band got together with Brad Wood and recorded their next album on their own, with the idea of shopping it around for release. The new head of Atlantic heard about this and went to Chicago in an effort to re-sign the band, and thinking that Atlantic wouldn't go to all this trouble if they didn't actually care, the group ended up re-signing with them. It was a near fatal move, as at the label's insistence, the album was re-recorded in New York, and when sales weren't what was expected the band was unceremoniously dumped, and 'El Moodio' was destined for immediate cut-out status. 

Fast forward 20-plus years when a Facebook comment brought back memories of the original album sessions with Brad Wood, and the search was on for the "missing" album, and when the tapes were tracked down, the 1991 recording of 'New Moodio' was finally released on vinyl in May of 2013. In 2014, the band prepared for recording again with a series of shows at Chicago's The Hideout, adding James Elkington on second guitar to the existing four-piece band, and the resulting 'Works For Tomorrow' was released in July 2015. In 2021 they reconvened to record 'Since Grazed' at Wilco's Chicago sound studio/rehearsal space the Loft, where keyboard player Mark Greenberg worked as a studio manager. This set features some great tunes, including 'Watching the Candles Burn', which showcases the band's youthful energy, 'Sonic Reactor', featuring an extended guitar solo by Rizzo that has been praised for its intensity and craftsmanship, and 'The Lure', led by Janet Beveridge Bean's vocals, and which offers a captivating melody. Eleventh Dream Day have long been a favourite band of mine, and if you are a fan of Neil Young's guitar workouts then do yourself a favour and give 'Prairie School Freakout' a listen.  

Track listing

01 Watching The Candles Burn (from 'Prairie School Freakout' 1988)

02 Bagdad's Last Ride (from 'Beet' 1989)

03 Makin' Like A Rug (from 'El Moodio' 1993)
04 Among The Pines (from 'Prairie School Freakout' 1988)
05 The Arsonist (from 'Eleventh Dream Day' EP 1987)
06 Since Grazed (from 'Since Grazed' 2021)
07 Vanishing Point (from 'Works For Tomorrow' 2015)
08 Rose Of Jericho (from 'Lived To Tell' 1991)
09 History Of Brokeback (from 'Ursa Major' 1994)
10 For A King (from 'Eighth' 1997)
11 Sonic Reactor (from 'Riot Now!' 2011)
12 Bomb The Mars Hotel (from 'Beet' 1989)
13 The Lure (from 'Zeroes And Ones' 2006)
14 Awake I Lie (from 'Beet' 1989)
15 Go Tell It (from 'Works For Tomorrow' 2015)