Selina Ream

Grizzly Bear have moved up a notch on the intensity meter. If you go along with their unique journey, Shields definitely solders itself onto your heart.

On The Mountain Goats new album Transcendental Youth, Darnielle overstuffs the meter, using words that don’t quite scan to give you a nudge, to sit up and listen.

Kody Neilson has done a bit of a Beck. Formerly of experimental noise rock band The Mint Chicks, he’s made Electric Hawaii, an album of up-tempo psychedelia, it’s retromusica that sounds fresh.

On the Dirty Projectors latest album ‘Swing Lo Magellan’ David Longstreth has toned down his heady experimentalism in favour of a simplicity of sorts – favouring hooks, beats and melodies instead of concepts. And it’s a revelation.

Cynic’s New Year is a fragile beast with transitory fiddle, banjo, guitar and cello to cushion frontman Justin Ringle’s tentative laments and words of found wisdom.

Adventures in your own Backyard is an attempt to ‘make the music we would want to listen to at home’.

[rating=3] American singer songwriter Will Stratton says that his albums are ‘most comprehensible in fall or early winter’. Perhaps it’s because we’re across the pond, but Post Empire feels entirely suited for Summer. It has the sound of the mid-west, with adept and agile fingerstyle guitar that places itself in the middle of a dusty desert sunset, bouncing off rocks and into the ether. ‘You Divers’ begins with swooning filmic …

★★★★★ Django Django have been kicking up a storm in the music world recently. So drought hardened are we for new guitar led rock/pop music that every droplet is sucked up in the hope of much needed revitalisation.

★★★★★ Whilst Lambchops latest release ‘Mr. M’ is a low-key elegiac affair the emotion is revealed in the music. It may be understated but it’s far from underwhelming.

★★★★★ The subtle experimental idiosyncrasies on Damien Jurado latest album ‘Maraqopa’ turn it into something more unique.

St Vincent’s appearance at Shepherds Bush will be a night to remember as she threw herself into the audience lying on her back, legs flailing she continued to play!

★★★★★ Sharon Van Etten’s tird studio album Tramp sees a whole host guest collaborators including Zach Condon of Beirut.