Terribly difficult to pronounce but eminently enjoyable to listen to, Llwybr Llaethog was the first Welsh indie group I ever encountered. At the time, they were more dub-influenced, but on these tracks, they have a raw indie sound that should have brought them a much bigger audience than they got.
Rudy Carrera
Blogger, label owner, record store buyer and all around charming lad who loves to share music with one and all.
Cal Tjader – Huracan
A tip of the cap is due to Liberation Hall Records out of Massachusetts. They managed to publish one of the few Cal Tjader albums I haven’t heard, and the sound is spectacular, capturing Cal still at his peak in 1974, well before his tragic passing in 1982 at the Continue Reading
Daryl Hall & Toots and The Maytals – Sweet and Dandy
Food and reggae are a glorious match. Add Daryl Hall hosting the festivities and having Toots & The Maytals singing with him, and you have an absolutely charming bit of viewing for the evening.
Boards of Canada – Inferno
I have a feeling a lot of people have been looking forward to this release, myself included, and I can happily say that Boards of Canada’s latest album didn’t disappoint. It’s a bit more subdued than other releases, but the power is still there. A fine one.
Marooned – Cinematic Echoes
Marooned is a band from Batumi, Georgia, that offers a bombastic, rather brilliant, cinematic music experience. From the band’s Bandcamp site: “”Cinematic Echoes” refers to the resonance of memories, themes, stories and soundscapes from past time, which echoes through our lives every day in present, looking forward to a better Continue Reading
Departure Street – This Broken World
With a feel that sits between Kosmische Music dabbed with touches of psychedelic and apocalyptic folk, Departure Street has a new album that has me captivated at the moment. Pure guitar bliss. From the band’s Bandcamp site: “This Broken World is the 22nd full-length solo album by A J Kimmel Continue Reading
Adela Mede – Ne Lépj a Virágra
Stunningly good vocal work here. From Adela Mede’s Bandcamp site: “Composed and recorded during the last 18 months in Bratislava, Slovakia – a city where three countries meet, where the East and the West collide – ‘Ne Lépj a Virárga’ translates to “don’t step on the flower”. Its themes – Continue Reading
The Song That Made Steely Dan Legends — But Destroyed the Band
Well, the title was bungled, but the reality is that the album, “Aja,” is a masterpiece. It was sad to see Steely Dan nearly destroyed by their quest for perfection.
Various Artists – Canary Records: Romane Gil’a: 1958-71 Field Recordings of Roma Songs from Slovakia, Eastern Czechia & Northern Hungary
The ever-great Canary Records released this compilation in November 2024, and I finally had a chance to listen to it. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Originally released in 1973 in Czechoslovakia as “Romane Gil’a: Anthology of Gypsy Songs” with a cover that looked like an Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album Continue Reading
Various Artists – Hamfuggi Records: Grosso Modo – Escena Española Experimental 2026
Hamfuggi Records has released a compilation documenting 50 tracks of new experimental music from Spain. Their curatorial abilities are as astounding as ever, as I don’t know hardly any of the musicians, but all sound good in a radically weird way.