Every week Signal Committee present an Eclectic Picks playlist. All tracks are selected from the full inbox of 200 tracks that are submitted each week to Fresh On The Net. This week all the credit goes to our special guest curator, Invisible Squirrel.

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR?

Our playlists are orientated to the alternative music fan. Lyrics are not essential, abstract ideas are embraced and the fusing of different genres is encouraged. If you used to write band names on your pencil case at school, you’ll probably like our playlists.

INTRODUCING INVISIBLE SQUIRREL

This is the second time Invisible Squirrel has taken over the Eclectic Picks. If you like funky, breakbeat and electronica – look no further than the Squirrel and check out his album and mixtapes on bandcamp here. That does, however, bring the Squirrel Paradox to the fore. How can you look no further than something you cannot see?

ARTISTS SELECTED THIS WEEK

1. BLOSSOM CALDARONE – I Still Love Him
2. JACK KANE – We’d Be Good
3. SILVI – Burning
4. MAROULI – Where Do They Go
5. SUNDAY LENDIS – With Ease
6. REAL TERMS – Cacophony
7. PERSON – Eloise
8. GOOD HABITS – 2 Hitch
9. LOST SIGNAL – Enough
10. JOHN ALEXANDER SCOTT – Leavings
11. GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH – Snatch
12. ALF WHITBY – True to Form
13. DUNMADA – Possible Robin A Waking Map
14. NATALIE SHAY The Edge
15. AM SHANLEY – Glitternailed
16. SKINNYBOY TUNES – A Day Out with Memorial Device
17. MULHOLLAND JIVE – Empire
18. ADAM BOSTOCK MUSIC – War
19. FARHAN MANNAN – White Mirror
20. CYRANO – The Boulder Problem
21. CIRCE – Undone

A FEW WORDS FROM INVISIBLE SQUIRREL

Hello everyone at FOTN and particularly Signal Committee for handing over the curation of their Eclectic Picks to me for this week.

Let me start by saying how heart-breaking it is having to ‘pass’ on so many songs that made it to the Fresh on the Net inbox last week. As a song-writer / producer I know from experience how much skin you’ve lost from your knuckles knocking your art in to shape and the wrench it is to find that this week you didn’t make it through.

I needed to keep the playlist a manageable length, so something had to go.  I’ve put the ones I liked (but did not make the cut) into a playlist on my soundcloud profile if you care to look.  All great tracks.

So….to my final picks. Here’s the ones that really jumped out for me and woke me from my January hibernation.

BLOSSOM CALDARONE – I Still Love Him

This track is something special. The vocal inflections so original and well delivered. You have a new fan, Blossom.

JACK KANE – We’d Be Good

Jack has managed with this track to stay within the boundaries of commercial pop with this infectiously strong track.  His voice is superb and the cheeky 4 bar guitar solo chiseled in before the final chorus hints that this guy has all the tools to be the coolest man in Indie Pop with his John Mayer chops.  Such a great chorus strap line too.

SILVI – Burning

I’ll admit I’d heard this track a while back, so I was overjoyed to see it in the inbox. Such a powerful performance and production.  I look forward to what’s in store for this heartfelt chanteuse.

MAROULI – Where Do They Go

As soon as this opens with the lo-fi beat and that mellifluous baritone that has the same tone of a funky Paul Buchanan (Blue Nile) I was hooked.  All the themes and embellishments add to a very strong bit of song-craft. It led me to listen to the album it was on and I thoroughly recommend the same.

SUNDAY LENDIS – With Ease

Such a great lyric. And beautifully delivered. The way it is embroidered with those little spikes of falsetto as it builds was a particularly highlight and the drumming was superb. I love how the percussion got pushed to the front and deservedly so, as it has super-human swing/feel to it.

REAL TERMS – Cacophony

I loved the guitar throughout this track.  These musicians are at the top of their game and they sprinkle flashes of brilliance throughout with their playing. No weak links. I expect big things from this band if they can find the audience who currently listen to Death Cab For Cutie and Pinegrove.

PERSON – Eloise

Tight jangle. There’s some great counter-riffs on the guitar. Beautiful tones and a great song.

GOOD HABITS – 2 Hitch

Without doubt the track that would be the most fascinating to see performed live.  I have total respect for such engaging musicianship on this track.

LOST SIGNAL – Enough

Anyone familiar with my work will know why I was drawn to this. Some of the sonic fuckery in this track had me smiling.  On headphones it was lush.

JOHN ALEXANDER SCOTT – Leavings

I got into spoken word a decade ago when I saw Kae Tempest at a festival in NY.  John has his own rhythm but is a welcome addition to this genre, somehow embellishing the soundtrack to his poetry with an impressive yet subtle synergy.

GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH – Snatch

Stylish Geezer Pop. Tight and groovy quite effortlessly.  I can see many dance floors filling to this if it catches on.

ALF WHITBY – True to Form

Not having heard this type of (primarily) falsetto delivery to such a busy type of track, it felt uniquely original to listen to.  Some fluid subtle jazz elements that augmented the overall Indie sound.  You have a beautiful voice Alf.

DUNMADA – Possible Robin A Waking Map

Soundtracks / Ambient genres are a genre we often hear watching great cinema and this composer would not be out of place on many a box-set binge. There were some real sonic highlights to this. Particularly at the end.

NATALIE SHAY The Edge

Unashamed pop done particularly well. Great energy.

AM SHANLEY – Glitternailed

The Whiskytown vibe together with the ultra wide double-tracked vocal and an engaging lyric filled the spaces so wondrously. A beautiful song.

SKINNYBOY TUNES – A Day Out with Memorial Device

There’s a subtle jazz sentiment to this that drew me in. When the Rhodes chimed in I was hooked.  Like Public Service Broadcasting had smoked some decent weed.

MULHOLLAND JIVE – Empire

Ben. You are one talented motherfucker

ADAM BOSTOCK MUSIC – War

This genre is never normally my bag, but I take my hat off to Adam for keeping me locked in. The song evolves melodically and sonically throughout and by the end I knew I had to pick it.  The way he mashes up the harmonic feed back with it’s subtle rhythmic elements and the legato slide of the strings mid song – superb.

FARHAN MANNAN – White Mirror

There’s a lot of space left in this song. Great production.  Simplicity done well.

CYRANO – The Boulder Problem

Chilled me good. Which is what I hope Cyrano is aiming for.

CIRCE – Undone

The ‘pock’ sound on the last snare.  The sub bass sawtooth. The quiet drop out with the rubbery synth that iterates to the drop in. All these production choices made this a tidy little track.

STEP 1 – LISTEN

Listen to this weeks Eclectic Picks playlist using your weapon of choice below:

SOUNDCLOUD
SPOTIFY

(Spotify playlist is limited to tracks which are available on Spotify

After 7 days, the playlist will be updated with the next batch, and this week’s picks will be added to the 2022 playlists below.

STEP 2 – SPREAD THE WORD

Do you ever think, or hear people say, “there’s no good music any more”? Maybe they aren’t looking in the right places. Prove them wrong:

• Subscribe to the playlist
• Listen in each week
• Tell your friends
• Shout on social media

The more people listen to this playlist, the more exposure unsigned artists receive. So spread the word!

ARCHIVE PLAYLISTS

The playlists above are updated weekly, then added to the playlists below:

2023 Playlist: Soundcloud | Spotify

2022 Playlist – Soundcloud | Spotify

2021 Playlist – Soundcloud | Spotify

2020 Playlist – Soundcloud | Spotify

RADIO OPPORTUNITIES

We all have ambitions to get on national radio, but in the meantime there are loads of great, independent radio stations that are always looking for new music of the alternative variety. They offer no promises, but the following hosts tell me they that, if you made this list, they’d like you to get in touch to be considered for their show:

• Lucas Gil, presenter of Supernova on Glitterbeam Radio (Twitter @lucasgil, apply by his website here)
• Joe Figueira of North Manchester FM (Twitter @moretonguy, apply with MP3, short bio & twitter handle by e-mail to joefigueira@yahoo.co.uk)