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.

Artists featured this week:

JACK GOODALL
INEBARO
JON ONABOWU
WOJTEK THE BEAR
THE AVELONS
DANIEL WEBSTER
THREE CHANNEL TELEVISION
THE SNOWBALL EFFECT
BRI
DJANGO DURRANT
THINGS THAT GO
CORMAC NAGIE
THE BELMONT ESTATE
ANNICK ODOM

ALAN DREEZER:

JACK GOODALL – Blue Is The Warmest Colour

This slightly off kilter piece has touches of James Blake about it but it somehow draws you in with every listen. Really interesting work.

INEBARO – Just Us

2nd time picking these guys for the alt list. A super catchy piece of synth pop once again with definitely some 80’s influences. Excited for what’s to come from them.

DEL OSEI-OWUSU/PLATINUMMIND:

JON ONABOWU – The Emergence

This track for me was my favourite of all the ones that came through last week. Really thoughtful arrangements. From the intro to the end, what we have here is an instrumental track that fuses futuristic jazz sensibilities with leanings towards chords you can only have learned in church. Shout out Aaron Lindsey, Tom Brooks and those uncles that guided us through those hours of rehearsals. The synth lead solo will warp your mind. This also features the talents of Mr. DM from Blue Lab Beats.

WOJTEK THE BEAR – Fly In Amber

This is a band I haven’t heard from in a minute! This track is full of summer feels. It features a violin, and trumpet solo! The track itself has a shuffle to it, playing in triplets you hear that hidden in the snare roll of the intro. Then the bass, guitars and vocals fall into step. The Glaswegian drawl gives you an idea of the origins of this.

I’m pretty sure they sing she puts the bee into Betamax and I like that! The quirkiness of the arrangement of the trumpet and violin make this song a bit of a firm favourite for me, it may be a while since I’ve heard from this band but they have not been resting on their laurels. Loving the “drunken” outro but I think that’s kind of a reference to old tech, giving us the tag to Betamax.

JOHN MICHIE:

THE AVELONS – Rubbernecker

Just good old fashioned rock’n’roll from a great band from my neck of the woods in the north east of England. Pounding drums, growling bass and some gorgeously filthy guitar tones.

DANIEL WEBSTER – Secret Domino Club

Secret Domino Club has some great textural sounds. The start and end reminds me of later Talk Talk, whilst the body has a great melodic, home-made atmosphere. Stings, piano, percussion and splashes of synth. This is a really welcoming track.

NEIL MARCH:

THREE CHANNEL TELEVISION – Way Of The World

Nineties Indie meets Eighties Post-Punk but infused with modern sounds and production to create a fresh energetic and inventive track. Fuzztone guitars, pounding bass, ‘live’ sounding drums and committed male vocals plus nuanced changes all hold our attention throughout.

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT – Midnight Rain

I have always been a sucker for atmospheric ambient synth-electonica and, complete with the constant and oddly reassuring sound of rain throughout, this track brings floating and fluttering synths that ride around the mix as the track develops. Somewhere between intriguingly evocative and agreeably tranquil.

SHARON PEARCE:

BRI – King of Achill

I really liked how this turns grief into something warm and celebratory rather than overwhelmingly heavy. The acoustic guitar and cello create an intimate atmosphere, while the focus on memories, music and togetherness gives the song a lasting emotional pull.

DJANGO DURRANT – Sound of the Sea

Rooted in folk and maritime storytelling, but with enough atmosphere and texture to feel slightly eerie or mystical rather than purely traditional. The lyrics are full of coastal imagery and the repeated references to the sea make the whole track feel windswept, reflective and quietly haunting.

SHERRY SAHAYARAJ:

THINGS THAT GO – Slip Away

This track has a hazy late-night energy, that pulls you in completely. The vocals flow like wine, smooth, warm, and effortless while the texture of the voice fits perfectly into the atmosphere of the track. It’s minimal in the best way possible; atmospheric, emotional, and effortlessly cool.

CORMAC NAGIE – You Never Leave Home

The vocals feel intimate and honest, almost like a conversation. The subtle guitar track and the calming vocals together gives this a smooth atmosphere while listening to it. It’s a good track to sit with your thoughts and feel everything quietly.

TONY HARDY:

THE BELMONT ESTATE – Big Love

I love the way this song builds from the simple opening voices over a drone background with layers of instrumentation and brilliant bright harmonies.

ANNICK ODOM – Hello Bill

Chronicling a piece of history – a letter from mother to her pilot son during WW2 – “Hello Bill” is delivered with vocal delicacy and coloured by bass, piano and more than a touch of inventive sound design.