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.

AMYHD
ASHKAT
TOM BURTON
DISCO LIZARDS
NORRISETTE
HEADLESS
GENE MADOC
BGH
SONUS AMIMAE
D+VE
D. Inver
IRENE WILDE
HENRY LIGGINS
RORO TOMASO
BOTTLEMOTH
JONNY MORGAN & THE MORAL SUPPORT

ALAN DREEZER:

AMYHD – LOSE YOURSELF

This atmospheric piece of electropop shows real promise. One to watch!

ASHKAT – GROW

One of my top 5 choices from the submissions this week that surprisingly missed out on the long list. I thought this was a high quality piece of Alt-Pop.

DEL OSEI-OWUSU/PLATINUMMIND:

TOM BURTON – Pieces Of You

There are several things i like about this track, chief among them is the scratching in the intro, you can’t beat a bit of turntablism something that’s missing in modern hip hop nowadays. This track reminds me of late 80s early 90s hip hop culture and I like that.

DISCO LIZARDS – All Good

This is definitely not disco! It’s a bit rowdy and a bit indie, great wall of guitars going on and they have a cowbell! This has lots of energy to it, and I like that.

GRUBBY:

NORRISETTE – Better

Dramatic & theatrical, a warm electronic track with a Kate-Bush like hushed falsetto vocal. Really unique.

HEADLESS – Bored

All the pomp & ceremony of a West End show – a truly original & highly melodic track with a sense of fun.

JOHN MICHIE:

GENE MADOC – Revelation’s Dog

This one has a real 1960s vibe. The type of song that would have been in Scott Walker’s catalogue. It has classic English witty and observational lyrics. Definitely a cinematic grower.

MUNSIE – Head In The Water

Built on a lush wall of raw guitars, this track straddles the transatlantic rock sounds that were erupting in the 1990s. The verses and choruses, musically, are brooding and almost grunge-like, while the fizzing lead lines recall the most abrasive moments of Oasis. Holding it all together is a confident vocal performance that cuts cleanly through the distortion.

MIA WILKS:

BGH – Tracey Blue

The hook is super catchy, and the chorus really stands out. The drum beat adds a slightly rocky edge that gives the song extra energy.
2 IMAN-J

NEIL MARCH:

SONUS AMIMAE – Thoughts

Polish artist and producer Aleksander Kaczmarski is Sonus Animae. Thoughts is cinematic Deep House with staccato and legato synths contrasting around a cool bassline and persistent beat. The feel is funky and inventive.

D+VE – Improv For Piano & Tape #2: Photocopier/Glitch Loop

This is less about Sound Art than +The R+ins Came but still offers an intriguing contrast between a more conventionally diatonic minor key piano fantasia and the sounds of a looped glitch and wurring photocopier. Intriguing and engaging.

PAUL KERR:

1 D. Inver (Route 500) – The Peaks

Like an uber-cool tortoise raised on Wilco and Elliott Smith, “The Peaks” by Derek Inver (Route 500) drifts in unhurried yet precise. It rolls on gathering weight, swelling without the voice ever raising above a murmur. Vocals fog the air like condensation on the last bus home. It doesn’t end so much as fold inward, a stubborn slow-burner, think My Bloody Valentine playing at neighbour respecting volume.

IRENE WILDE – Righteous Virtuous Woman (Friend Of Mine)

Imagine Warpaint’s atmosphere stripped of its safety net and tossed into a piano-shaped firestorm. Irene Wilde’s Righteous Virtuous Woman (Friend of Mine) is a jagged, alt-pop conflagration where Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Björk trade secrets in a darkened music room. It is fierce, psychologically exposed, and utterly impossible to ignore.

SHARON PEARCE:

HENRY LIGGINS – Bootleg Lover

A song about the self-consciousness and anxiety that can pop up in a relationship, which feels really honest and relatable.
Gentle rhythms and soft textures make it an easy listen placing the focus on the story. Henry’s vocals are the best part—he sounds steady and comforting even when singing about insecurity, so the song never feels too heavy or chaotic.

RORO TOMASO – Around The World

A fun upbeat track that really captures the excitement of travelling with friends. The lyrics paint a picture of quick trips to places like London and Paris, with a playful “Zack, bum, bonjour!” catchphrase that gives it personality, lively party vibes and celebratory feel. Great vocals and delivery. It’s a light-hearted song about escaping routine and enjoying the moment.

TONY HARDY:

BOTTLEMOTH – Suki

There is an uplifting air to “Suki” that made me sit up and listen right from the off. Reflective verses are balanced by euphoric choruses and everything is underwritten by a prevailing sense of love. Grounded in affection that feels intensely real, this is a genuine song of joy.

JONNY MORGAN & THE MORAL SUPPORT – 30 By Spring

Delivered by Jonny Morgan in a smooth and easy baritone, “30 By Spring” is a particularly accomplished slice of Americana. The song mixes a note of whimsy along with a dollop of humour as the songwriter contemplates turning the grand old age of 30. Music to mature by.