Every week the team individually pick tracks that make up the listening post but there are always “ones that got away”.

These are the alternative picks and some words by our moderators on each one. You can find the tracks in one playlist here.

BETTE SCHINDLER – DON’T TOUCH ME
AYA -PAPER PLANE
CAULBEARERS – Next World
MAUVEY – Standing Ovation
PETE BEAT – Manana
MISSION CREEP – Some Kind Of Work
PACIFICAZE – Savage
POLLY GONE WRONG – Pit Pony
GRACE TANNER & ERIC DAVIS – Rivulet
CHRISTOF R DAVIS, EDOARDO GASTALDI & LE CODE
BRAD T – Feel It Come Around
JACK FOZ – Starting Block
RELUCTANT BOB & THE LONELY LOVERS – Dreamager
STRESS DOLLS – Alone

Alan Dreezer

BETTE SCHINDLER – DON’T TOUCH ME Bette’s smoky vocal tone with a hint of Norah Jones are what really sells this Soul/Jazz cut

JAYA -PAPER PLANE This beautiful alt-folk track reminds me of Tracy Chapman at her finest! A real find! The artwork for the track is equally wonderful too

Del Osei-Owusu/@platinummind

CAULBEARERS – Next World This starts off as an epic piano led track but switches up slightly faster add to that the strings and it’s a very cool track!

MAUVEY – Standing Ovation This is a party starter, great for summer vibes, you can imagine this going down a treat in a small club or on a festival stage. I like the idea that there could be some call and response chants thrown in there.

GRUBBY:

PETE BEAT – Manana
Highly original vocal full of character and an unpredictable delivery that keeps it entertaining til the end. I had no idea where this was going!

MISSION CREEP – Some Kind Of Work
Raw and energetic – like something from a Tarantino movie. I loved that groove!

JOHN MICHIE:

PACIFICAZE – Savage
Upbeat, driving drums power this track while bright, weaving electric guitars jangle brightly and melodically. Strong lead vocals and layered backing harmonies are the icing on the cake of this hook-laden surf rock track.

POLLY GONE WRONG – Pit Pony
This song stood out as one of the more unusual and creative tracks for me. It opens with folk a cappella, closer to an orally passed-down stories or a Georgian-era sea shanty than a conventional song. Gradually, it adapts over rhythmic beats into something closer to a Björk track.

NEIL MARCH:

GRACE TANNER & ERIC DAVIS – Rivulet
It is still a disappointment to me that, while outdated syrupy neo-romantic classical tracks often get votes, superbly composed and performed contemporary ones using more modern harmonic and rhythmic ideas still get overlooked. This track sees two young recent post-graduates, British Harpist Grace Tanner and American Composer Eric Davis, produce a breathtaking piece through skillful composing and virtuosic performance. I’m sure both of these talented young musicians are destined for greatness.

CHRISTOF R DAVIS, EDOARDO GASTALDI & LE CODE – You Were Earth (You Were Ocean)
UK artist Christof R Davis is a regular in Trust The Doc, the monthly online journal Sherry and I publish, and is a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer who veers between soundtrack, jazz, classical and electronic music. Here he teams up with two other composers, from Italy and France respectively, to produce an ethereal ambient exploration with evocative watery sounds, enigmatic synth chords and waves of rich colour and harmony that take me to another world. Beautiful.

Sharon Pearce

BRAD T – Feel It Come Around
Strong upbeat, uplifting dance track with impressive vocals that I’d loved to have heard more of.

JACK FOZ – Starting Block
A very entertaining alternative rock/pop song with great vocals and excellent melody and in my opinion, could have commercial potential.

TONY HARDY:

RELUCTANT BOB & THE LONELY LOVERS – Dreamager
When I first heard this, I wondered if it should be Whispering rather than Reluctant Bob. Then it clicked. The soft vocals in this gorgeous slice of lo-fi dream pop are from none other than Robert Baker, helmsman of Dublin’s The Crayon Set. This new project of his should turn us all into dreamagers.

Stress Dolls – Alone
Is she lonesome tonight? Chelsea O’Donnell aka Stress Dolls brings her distinctive low tones to bear in this song which suggests she would much rather be alone if the alternative just brings so much angst with it. Indie pop at its most sympathetic.