Best of 2023 mix - Volume 1

 

As we approach the end of another year, here is my first volume of favorites from 2023. Similar to last year, I haven't been able to listen to nearly enough new releases this year, primarily due to work commitments and a few personal issues at home which have limited the opportunity to seek out and discover new releases. These factors have had a notable impact on my mental health, affecting my mindset when it comes to compiling as many mixes as I have in previous years.  Hopefully things will improve and I'll be a bit more active on the blog next year.

I've still managed to discover some amazing bands, so it wasn't all bad. This first volume features many artists familiar to regular visitors to my blog, along with a few new discoveries. As for my favorite albums of the year, "Gardeners of the Earth" by White Canyon & The 5th Dimension is probably my top pick. Other highlights include "Oas" by Dina Ögon, "Ghost Notes" by John Matthias/Jay Auborn, "The Memory Effect" by Paintbox, and "Dormida en Sus Ojos" by Celistia. The self-titled debut album by Abstract Concrete is my most recent enjoyable discovery, featuring one of my favorite musicians, Charles Hayward, formerly of This Heat and Camberwell Now.

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas, and once again thanks to everybody who has taken the time to post comments on this blog. I hope you enjoy this compilation, coming soon I'll be posting Man Erg's favourite tunes from the past year so that'll be something to look forward to. Cheers!


  1. Les Big Byrd - I'm Living a Saved Life Now (5:14)
  2. Dorotheo - Humano (4:20)
  3. Louis Fontaine - Voyage Cosmique (2:26)
  4. Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Weird Dog (3:57)
  5. Mermaidens - Push It (3:42)
  6. PNEM - Mecari (8:47)
  7. Alice - Deux Mille Trains (2:16)
  8. Abstract Concrete - Sad Bogbrush (3:43)
  9. Sababa 5 - Alpis (3:18)
10. Picot - Si Tu Veux (3:27)
11. Homunculus Res - Viaggio Astrale di una Polpetta (5:15)
12. The Soap Opera - The Clouds Are Laughing at Me (2:08)
13. Motorpsycho - W.C.A. (4:07)
14. Vanishing Twin - Lotus Eater (4:21)
15. The Gaslamp Killer & The Heliocentrics - Manic Panic (5:00)
16. Sons of Zöku - Möönlight (8:29)
17. David A. Jaycock - White Tea from the Vending Machine (2:59)
18. En Attendant Ana - Wonder (5:47)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 93

 

Getting closer to the magical 100th volume...! As long as there is interest I'll keep on posting further volumes until not humanly possible. The cover art of this volume features my beloved cat Iggy who sadly passed away last month. Forgive the crude photoshopping! Hope you enjoy this latest volume and thanks once again for all the lovely comments. Cheers!

  1. Emma Anderson - Taste the Air (3:27)
  2. Matt Berry - Top Brass (3:43)
  3. Summer Rain - Turn On Your Love Light (2:25)
  4. Robert Calvert - The Greenfly & the Rose (3:37)
  5. Gong - All Clocks Reset (4:09)
  6. Plasticstatic - The Somnambulist (5:22)
  7. Instant Flight - Under the Moonlight (3:28)
  8. Erny Belle - Crypto (3:21)
  9. Ruiz! - The Human Touch (3:29)
10. ATA Records - Fear on Phobos (1:37)
11. Bowes Road Band - I Hear a Knocking (3:22)
12. The Pretty Things - The Good Mr. Square / She Was Tall, She Was High (2:59)
13. Melody Fields - Going Back (4:25)
14. Golden Pop Orchester - Weiße Elefanten (3:35)
15. Huw Marc Bennett - Pinc Sunset (3:49)
16. London Odense Ensemble - Desert Star Leaf (3:16)
17. Low & Spring Heel Jack - Way Behind (4:55)
18. Hungária - Die Farben der Natur (4:29)
19. Sewell and The Gong - Passing Oort Clouds (4:19)
20. Fat White Family - When I Leave (5:30)
21. Ty Segall - My Room (4:17)

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Elephant Stone - Caught in the Noise

 

Bio:
Combining the influence of Indian classical music with the influence of British Invasion bands like the Kinks and the Beatles, Canadian neo-psychedelic outfit Elephant Stone is the brainchild of Rishi Dhir, formerly of the High Dials. The project's first album, 2009's "The Seven Seas", demonstrated Dhir's knack for breezy melodies as well as his use of instruments like sitar, dilruba, and tabla in a Western rock context. "The Glass Box" EP followed in 2010, their self-titled 2nd album appearing in 2013. Settling into a regular lineup of Dhir, Gabriel Lambert on guitar, and Miles Dupire-Gagnon on drums, their third album "Three Poisons" arrived in 2014. Their fourth LP, "Ship of Fools" was released in 2016, followed in 2020 by the band's fifth, "Hollow",  with  guitar duties now split between Lambert and Robbie MacArthur.  The French-language EP "Le Voyage de M. Lonely dans la Lune" appeared in 2022. Their sixth album "Back Into the Dream" is set for release early 2024.


My latest anthology should delight all fans of sitar-infused psychedelia. I've been a fan of the band since their first album, they've featured on several compilations posted on this blog. My favourite album by the band is probably their self-titled 2013 release; however, I wholeheartedly endorse exploring their entire discography. Their next album promises to be yet another excellent release, two tracks from which are featured here. As usual, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy!


  1. Motherless Child (Love's Not for War) (3:29)
  2. Lies, Lies, Lies (3:19)
  3. A Silent Moment (5:14)
  4. Au Gallis (5:38)
  5. M. Lonely (4:04)
  6. The Spark (3:28)
  7. The Straight Line (7:04)
  8. Hollow World (4:03)
  9. Sally Go Round the Sun (1:43)
10. Echo & The Machine (4:22)
11. Silence Can Say So Much (3:03)
12. Alap / Strangers (4:00)
13. Harmonia (5:09)
14. La Fusée du Chagrin (3:45)
15. Don't You Know (7:30)
16. Godstar (2:04)
17. Andromeda (3:33)
18. The Sea of Your Mind (8:32)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 92

 

  1. Metin Alatli - Mevlana Boyle Dedi (3:25)

  2. The Garment District - The Starfish Song (6:30)

  3. Momus - The Beast (4:07)

  4. Maurizio Fabrizio - Angela D. (5:40)

  5. Ernest Honny - Kofi Psych (4:28)

  6. MEMORIALS - Peacemaker (5:25)

  7. Wet Fruit - St. Charles (4:35)

  8. The Budos Band - Curled Steel (2:28)

  9. Jacco Gardner - Hypnophobia (5:26)

10. Wreckless Eric - Standing Sunday Morning (3:39)

11. Broadway Project - Beauty (3:30)

12. The Silhouettes - Lunar Invasion (5:30)

13. Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Political Cannibalism (4:22)

14. Sons of Mu - Small World (5:00)

15. Vert:x - Machine / Oblique (4:27)

16. Frankie Teardrop Dead - What It's All About (2:50)

17. Françoise Hardy - À Sa Merci (3:45)

18. Mordant Music - Fallen Faces (3:38)

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21st Century Psychedelia - Volume 7

 

  1. River Flows Reverse - Demons (4:51)
  2. Shivalila - Shivalila Part 1 (6:30)
  3. Druid Fluids - Flutter By (4:28)
  4. Dust Mountain - Under My Spell (5:41)
  5. King Isxan - Disorientation / Getting Lost (4:57)
  6. Firefriend - Hunt (3:30)
  7. The Savage Blush - Shapeshifter (3:39)
  8. GIFT - Here and Now (Time Floats By) (7:05)
  9. Electric Eye - The Sleeping Sharks (4:24)
10. Altin Gün - Badi Sabah Olmadan (4:39)
11. The Small Breed - Remember a Dream (3:55)
12. Baby Cool - Mother Luna (4:31)
13. Missing Jack & The Kameleons - One Drop Later (9:24)
14. Se Permiten Submarinos - Marisma Seca (3:23)
15. Hanford Flyover - Formless (4:30)
16. Hooveriii - Twisted and Vile (4:04)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 91

 

  1. The Beta Band - Troubles (2:30)
  2. White Canyon & The 5th Dimension - Fireflies Dance (5:17)
  3. The Bayan Mongol Variety Group - A Black Horse (4:48)
  4. Missing Jack & The Kameleons - Wegonnadie (7:44)
  5. 43ODES - HVO OV HVO (3:48)
  6. Wigwam - Henry's... Mountain Range or Thereabouts (3:08)
  7. Trouble & Strife - The Shag (2:25)
  8. Night Beats - Hot Ghee (3:38)
  9. Group Photo - Full of It (2:17)
10. Genesis - Happy the Man (3:05)
11. Angil and the Hiddentracks - To Progress (5:09)
12. Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X (4:06)
13. Paintbox - Today & Tomorrow (4:07)
14. The Bonzo Dog Band - What Do You Do? (3:09)
15. Perilymph - Tout en Haut (7:45)
16. Charif Megarbane - Ya Salam (3:01)
17. Thought Bubble - 200 Teeth (4:33)
18. C Duncan - Garden (4:16)
19. Basil Kirchin - I Start Counting (featuring Lindsey Moore) (3:41)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 90

 

  1. Tindersticks - 4.48 Psychosis (5:08)
  2. Red Snapper - Hot Flush (4:07)
  3. Dina Ögon - Vi Smälter (4:43)
  4. Cortex - Troupeau Bleu (5:01)
  5. The Twelve Hour Foundation - Hot Dust (3:34)
  6. Sababa 5 - Eilat 22 (4:11)
  7. House of All - Minerva Disrobed (4:25)
  8. Homunculus Res - Cinque Sensi (3:57)
  9. Pepe Deluxé - Sommarland (4:10)
10. Witch - Nshingilile (3:00)
11. Plaid - Unbank (3:52)
12. 93-105 - Lords of Space (3:56)
13. Sauer Adler - Megacity (3:33)
14. TEKE::TEKE - Doppelganger (4:03)
15. Oliver Nelson - Skull Session (5:59)
16. Arto Lindsay - Simply Are (3:38)
17. Aluno Predileto - O Pensamento Plástico (2:21)
18. Loose Capacitor - Theme From Robins Nest (3:14)
19. Dorotheo - Cristina (2:58)
20. Eddy Crampes - Viens Me Voir Cette Nuit (2:53)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 89

 

  1. Sons of Zöku - Earth Chant (3:39)
  2. Sunfruits - Hello Future Me (3:54)
  3. Jack Drag - At the Symphony, I Could Be (4:36)
  4. Sopwith Camel - Fazon (5:12)
  5. Terry - Gronks (2:35)
  6. Kosmischer Läufer - Lichtgeschwindigkeit (6:25)
  7. Soft Hearted Scientists - Gadzooks! (3:32)
  8. Picot - La Dérive (2:31)
  9. David A. Jaycock - Coming Up in Paris (3:40)
10. Modern Cosmology - Trauma Release Makes Free (4:28)
11. Naked Spots Dance - South (4:52)
12. Projection - Brown Velvet (3:05)
13. Anona - The Boy and the Lion (5:39)
14. Plone - Top & Low Rent (3:48)
15. April March & Staplin - Palomino Rich Man (2:53)
16. The Proper Ornaments - Ruby (2:57)
17. Ursa Major Moving Group - Welcome to the Noosphere (7:08)
18. Hatfield and the North - Let's Eat (Real Soon) (3:14)
19. The Junipers - The Old Man Mini Suite (4:38)

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Half Man Half Biscuit - All of Our Songs Sound the Same

 

Bio:
Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Crossley, drummer Carl Henry, and guitarist Karl Benson.

Half Man Half Biscuit were formed by two friends from Birkenhead, Neil Crossley and singer, guitarist and songwriter Nigel Blackwell who was (in his own words) at the time "still robbing cars and playing football like normal people do". In 1979, Blackwell met Crossley when he went to see the latter's band play. In 1984, when Half Man Half Biscuit were formed, Crossley moved to bass and the two were joined by Nigel's brother Simon Blackwell (lead guitar) and his friend Paul Wright (drums). The quartet soon turned into a five-piece, with David Lloyd now on keyboards.

Their debut album, 1985's "Back in the D.H.S.S.", topped the UK Indie Chart and reached number 60 in the UK Album Chart. The band's first single, "The Trumpton Riots", topped the British independent chart in 1986, with their second single, "Dickie Davies Eyes", also topping the indie chart. In late 1986, the band split up, giving as reason "musical similarities". The album "Back Again in the D.H.S.S.", containing previously issued, unreleased and live tracks, followed.

The band reformed in 1990, and a new single, "Let's Not", issued before the year was out. Their third album "McIntyre, Treadmore And Davitt" was released in October 1991. By the time "This Leaden Pall" was released in 1993, Wright and Lloyd had left the band, with Carl Alty joining on drums. Simon Blackwell left the following year, with Ian S Jackson joining. Jackson (who later joined Rooney) and Alty (who joined Joyrider) departed in 1996, to be replaced by Ken Hancock (guitar) and Carl Henry (drums). Since reforming, the band have produced an album every three to four years.

Half Man Half Biscuit were championed by DJ John Peel, for whom they recorded twelve sessions, and it was on his programme in 1990 that the band announced their return. The band's styles parody popular genres, while their lyrics allude to UK popular culture and geography. Blackwell often refers to Wirral and to North Wales, often in the context of hillwalking in Snowdonia; he also appears fond of Shropshire, East Anglia, The West Country, and Oxfordshire. British or international football, Sylvia Plath, Thomas Hardy, and the Bible are referenced in his lyrics.

As the 1990s progressed, Blackwell's love of blues and folk became more apparent. Bassist Crossley's tastes include late 1970s and early 1980s new wave or post-punk bands, and during live sets HMHB have performed covers of acts as diverse as Joy Division, Magazine, Tim Buckley, The Beach Boys, Tommy James and the Shondells, and Ike and Tina Turner.

In April 2010, the band's song "Joy Division Oven Gloves" from their 2005 album "Achtung Bono" was the subject of a Facebook campaign to get it to No. 6 on the chart for 12 April 2010, in response to the rumoured closure of the indie-supporting radio station BBC 6 Music. The song reached No. 56 on 11 April 2010: this was their first UK Singles Chart appearance.

Victoria Loop has played live several times with the band on tenor horn, cornet, and bass guitar. She is affectionately known as 'The 5th Biscuit'. Ken Hancock played his last gig with the band in summer 2017, and was replaced at the end of the year by Karl Benson.

This is an anthology I've put off compiling for several months. The reason being, with so many excellent songs to choose from, where do I begin? I finally decided to go for it a couple of weeks back, and have listened to nothing apart from Half Man Half Biscuit during this time, picking off a couple of tracks from each studio album and EP release. Just trying to pick 2 tracks from each release I kept changing my mind several times. Finally (almost) happy with my selections, here we are. I could've easily made this twice as long but that would've been overkill.

My interest with the band started when Manerg introduced me to a few songs from their debut album and the sublime "Trumpton Riots" EP. After they split I didn't really follow their career after their reformation in 1990. I was aware of the infrequent album releases, but never felt the urge to give any of them a listen. This went on for several years until I finally took a dip into their latest release at the time, 2008's "CSI:Ambleside". Afterwards I felt the urge to hear every album they'd released beforehand, wanting to hear much more by them. I've bought all their albums since, and I can honestly say I don't think they've ever released a poor album. Maybe a couple of merely "good" albums, but the rest are utterly fantastic.
After 2 weeks of listening to nothing but HMHB for this anthology, I thought I'd suffer from an overdose of the band, but that wasn't the case. I could quite easily start compiling another collection of favourites and still not tire of them. I'm sure some HMHB fans will be outraged at the omission of some songs, such as "Joy Division Oven Gloves", "Time Flies By (When You're the Driver of a Train)" or "National Shite Day". I can only apologise in advance for that, but these are the songs I've gone with. So lump it! As ever, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. Note: Those listening to the hearthis.at mix linked below will notice I changed one track I wasn't happy with. Everything else is the same as the tracks listed below.

Click HERE for the official HMHB site, and for even more detail about the band (including the lyrics to all their songs) click HERE.

Disc 1
  1. Dickie Davies Eyes (4:25)
  2. Turned Up Clocked on Laid Off (4:06)
  3. Prag Vec at the Melkweg (2:45)
  4. P. R. S. Yearbook - Quick the Drawbridge (2:54)
  5. Fuckin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus (2:40)
  6. Soft Verges (5:35)
  7. Surging Out of Convalescence (3:36)
  8. Evening of Swing (Has Been Cancelled) (3:24)
  9. Uffington Wassail (3:13)
10. Tyrolean Knockabout (3:24)
11. Rock and Roll Is Full of Bad Wools (5:08)
12. All I Want for Christmas Is a Dukla Prague Away Kit (3:09)
13. Lark Descending (3:10)
14. Even Men With Steel Hearts (3:02)
15. Westward Ho! Massive Letdown (3:22)
16. The Announcement (2:38)
17. I Went to a Wedding (3:15)
18. Ordinary to Enschede (3:20)
19. Dead Men Don't Need Season Tickets (3:43)
20. Big Man Up Front (2:50)

Disc 2
  1. Look Dad No Tunes (4:41)
  2. Bob Wilson - Anchorman (1:34)
  3. The Trumpton Riots (3:16)
  4. Footprints (4:40)
  5. A Country Practice (6:32)
  6. Left Lyrics in the Practice Room (2:07)
  7. It Makes the Room Look Bigger (3:13)
  8. 99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd (4:39)
  9. Sensitive Outsider (2:29)
10. Everything's A.O.R. (4:13)
11. Tonight Matthew I'm Going to Be With Jesus (3:43)
12. She's in Broadstairs (3:36)
13. Bladderwrack Allowance (3:53)
14. Multitude (2:41)
15. Arthur's Farm (2:30)
16. Reflections in a Flat (3:23)
17. King of Hi-Vis (3:26)
18. Awkward Sean (3:08)
19. Letters Sent (2:37)
20. The Unfortunate Gwatkin (4:37)

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Labradford - Accelerating on a Smoother Road [1993-2001]

 

Bio:
Founded in 1991, Labradford consists of bassist Robert Donne, guitarist/vocalist Mark Nelson, and keyboardist Carter Brown. Their music style is experimental ambient and post-rock, although their first releases were much more related to dark drone rock.

An early press release compared them to: Neu, F/i, Spacemen3, Gate, Dead C. & Jim O'Rourke. Their first full-length album, "Prazision LP", was released by Kranky in 1993. By their third full-length album, the eponymous release of 1996, Labradford began to infuse their music with sampled and real time percussion traces, at times faintly delving into actual syncopation. By 1997, the group broadened and varied their sound with their fourth release. On "Mi Media Naranja", the group maintained their distinctive identity, adding a string section, Fender Rhodes electric piano and slide guitar to the trio's sound bank.

1999's release, "E Luxo So" features contributions from a string quartet as well as a guest on dulcimer. Subtle blips of percussion and samples interweave through blurry guitars, bubbly electric piano and plangent organ and some gorgeous piano. In 2001, the band released their sixth album, "Fixed::Context", recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago and engineered by Steve Albini. This album found the trio stripping off the string trios of the last two albums and working with interlocking sound sources and modifiers; Carter Brown's vintage synthesizers, organs and electric piano; the distinctive Duane Eddy plays Satie guitar of Mark Nelson and Bobby Donne's four and six string basses. Though the group has not officially disbanded, they have not released another album since.


Won't say too much here, don't want to bore you with my witterings! I've never been a big fan of drone/ambient music but I've enjoyed listening to Labradford since I bought their first album back in 1993. I subsequently bought all their following albums on release, even managed to see them play live back in 2000, and still listen to them quite frequently even though it's been several years since their last album. Favourite album? That would be their self-titled from 1996, which also includes my favourite song by them, "Pico". "E Luxo So" comes a close 2nd though.
For this collection I've featured my 2 favourite tracks from all 6 studio albums, plus a compilation track and a b-side single. As usual, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy!


  1. Accelerating on a Smoother Road (4:12)
  2. V (6:24)
  3. Comfort (6:12)
  4. With John Morand and Assisted by Brian Hoffa. (5:34)
  5. Pico (5:46)
  6. Up to Pizmo (6:15)
  7. Balanced on It's Own Flame (4:01)
  8. S (6:14)
  9. The Window (4:31)
10. Leta O'Steen. Design Assistance by John Piper. (7:41)
11. C. of People (4:52)
12. Columna de la Independencia (4:28)
13. Scenic Recovery (4:50)
14. David (6:35)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 88

 

  1. Celistia - Dormida en Sus Ojos (6:16)
  2. Color Green - Ain't It Sad (4:18)
  3. PNEM - Mikro Elektro (4:47)
  4. Bachdenkel - The Whole World (Looking Over My Shoulder) (3:34)
  5. The Colourfield - Pushing Up the Daisies (4:01)
  6. Siegfried Schwab - Gettin' High (2:24)
  7. The NoMen - Worming Tablets (4:16)
  8. Alice - Un Oiseau Magnifique (2:45)
  9. Nucleus - Sun Child (5:14)
10. Dury Dava - Zoupa (3:56)
11. Zero 7 - Give It Away (5:16)
12. Death and Vanilla - Find Another Illusion (4:01)
13. Bill Callahan & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - OD'd in Denver (3:28)
14. Zukunft - Nightspeed (5:08)
15. Skaldowie - Jak Znikajacy Punkt (6:35)
16. Sven Wunder - North Wind Rattles the Leaves (4:17)
17. Lelee - Nestaješ (4:54)
18. The Dials - Behind the Bookshelf (3:41)

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Group 1850 - Dream of the Future

 

Short bio:
Group 1850 was a psychedelic rock band from the Netherlands, considered by many to be one of the finest acid rock acts Europe has ever produced. The band was founded in 1964 in Hague, using the name Klits, renaming themselves Group 1850 in 1966 when their debut single, "Misty Night/Look Around", appeared on the tiny Yep label. Though few copies were pressed, it established them as one of Holland's most original bands (alongside the Outsiders and Q65) and they soon signed to Philips. More singles ensued, in a highly psychedelic vein, including the brilliant "Mother No-Head".

Their debut album, "Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth", appeared in late 1968. The album's concept is incomprehensible, but its superb songs and musicianship have ensured its lasting cult reputation, and it has been called one of the most truly psychedelic albums ever recorded. A UK release did not help the band gain a footing outside Holland, and Philips dropped them soon afterwards. Their next album, 1969's "Paradise Now", appeared on the Dutch Discofoon label in 1969 and was only marginally less acid-influenced than its predecessor. The band were sporadically active through the 1970s, especially notable were another excellent single, 1971's "Fire/Have You Ever Heard", and  the largely instrumental album "Polyandri" in 1975.


My introduction to Group 1850 was the track "Mother No-Head", one of the stand out tracks which appeared on the compilation album "The Rubble Collection 5" released in the early 90s. I heard nothing else by the band until I bought the reissue of their first album on CD, which came out on the Pseudonym label in 1997. Not really knowing what to expect, I wasn't too impressed by the first couple of tracks (I'm still not a great fan of those 2 songs which is why they don't appear on this anthology) but the rest of the album is mostly excellent. I say mostly because track 3, the 13+ minutes of "I Put My Hands on Your Shoulder" was partially ruined (for me) by the 5 minutes of spoken word/phased drum solo in the middle of the song. I've taken the step of removing that part from the song, which I'm sure some of you will find quite unforgiveable! Sorry, but I prefer my edited version.

The bio states that "Agemo's..." is "one of the most truly psychedelic albums ever recorded". Not sure about that statement, I can think of several other albums from the 1960s that are more "truly" psychedelic. Personally, I think the 2 albums afterwards are better, "Paradise Now" has no weak tracks whatsoever so it was tough choosing which tracks to include here. "Polyandri" saw the band evolving into a more progressive rock sound, but for me has a couple of weak tracks. A shame this was their final studio album, it would've been interesting to hear how much further they would have evolved with future releases.

All of the tracks featured here can be found on the excellent 8 CD box set "Purple Sky: The Complete Works and More" which was released in 2019. As well as the 3 studio albums it also incudes 2 live albums, plus 2 CDs which features all of their singles plus various demo recordings & outtakes. An added bonus is the solo album recorded by Peter Sjardin recorded in 1969 but not released until 1982. As usual origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy!


  1. Mother No-Head (3:24)
  2. Frozen Mind (3:38)
  3. Refound (3:04)
  4. ?! (6:55)
  5. Fire (2:28)
  6. Pumping Up the Rubber Trees (3:11)
  7. You Did It Too Hard (2:10)
  8. Sun Is Coming (So We're Calling You) (2:59)
  9. I Know (La Pensee) (3:10)
10. Hunger (4:55)
11. Dream of the Future (2:32)
12. Cages (5:17)
13. Zero (3:28)
14. Reborn (3:04)
15. Lonelyness (2:01)
16. We Love Life (Like We Love You) (4:27)
17. Silver Earring (4:10)
18. Have You Ever Heard (3:33)
19. I Put My Hands on Your Shoulder [short version] (7:32)
20. Friday I'm Free (2:52)
21. Thousand Years Before (4:31)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 87

 

  1. The Hologram People - Theme from Village of the Snake God (2:51)
  2. En Attendant Ana - Same Old Story (2:36)
  3. Sunnsetter - Surely Everything's Alright (3:28)
  4. Lee Hazlewood - Poet, Fool or Bum (3:19)
  5. Maiden's Leap - Don't Warn Me Again About This Disc (2:34)
  6. Syd Dale - Knock on Wood (2:44)
  7. Kim Jung Mi - Wind (3:16)
  8. Motorpsycho - Spin, Spin, Spin (4:05)
  9. The Early Years - Nocturne (5:24)
10. The Owl Service - To the Anti-Gallican (5:46)
11. Wild Butter - Come Fly With Me (3:19)
12. Syndrom Samazvanca - Promni (7:42)
13. Strawberry - On the Bottom (4:22)
14. Alex Chilton - Hey! Little Child (3:42)
15. King Isxan - Disorientation / Getting Lost (4:52)
16. Stone Giants - A Year to the Day (3:29)
17. The Budapest Radio Orchestra - February (3:04)
18. Laure Briard - Ne Pas Trop Rester Bleue (2:35)
19. Hey Colossus - Dreamer Is Lying in State (3:26)
20. Super Numeri - The Babies (6:24)

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Bogshed - Four Twisted Misanthropes

 

Bio: Bogshed formed in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, England in 1984, initially as The Amazing Roy North Penis Band, and comprised Phil Hartley (vocals), Mike Bryson (bass), Mark McQuaid (guitar) and Tristan King (drums). They released two albums, two EPs and two singles before splitting up in 1987. Bogshed were noted for their caustic lyrics that reflected an "everyday lunacy" and their primitive Captain Beefheart influenced music, described in 2022 as "the musical equivalent of poisoning the water hole".

Not really sounding like anyone before or since, they had much in common with some of the bands on the Ron Johnson label. Bryson explained their approach to songwriting: "We start out being totally out of order and out of key and we turn things like that into a pop song. Most people try to do it the other way round."

Championed by John Peel, they recorded 5 sessions for his radio show between 1985 and 1987, and gained regular airplay. The uncompromising mix of angular guitar-led tunes and Hartley's energetic vocals (his stated aim was to sing like Doris Day!) meant that Peel's listeners either loved Bogshed or found them unpalatable.

Post Bogshed, Phil Hartley recorded a solo Peel Session in 1988. He died on 11 October 2006. Tris King went on to play with Jackdaw With Crowbar and later A Witness. He died of brain cancer on 21 December 2008. Mike Bryson recorded under the name of Forkeyes. A split mini-album 'Vier Mit Vier', with tracks by electronic musician Marcus H (Soiled) and Forkeyes was released in 2012 on Elm Lodge Records. He died in November 2022.

A boxset - Bog-Set - consisting of all their commercially released tracks plus Peel Sessions and various out-takes from Melodic Records was released in December 2022.

Click here for detailed history of the band.


Bogshed, Bog Shed or Bog-Shed? I guess it's all a matter of preference. For this anthology I've gone with Bogshed, feel free to change to whatever you prefer after downloading...
Bogshed were a rather odd band, and to be honest a band that didn't really excite me much the brief period they were in existence. I bought their debut EP "Let Them Eat Bogshed" (released in 1985) and their 2nd and final studio album "Brutal, released in 1987. I quickly forgot about them after embracing all the exciting music coming out on the (to name a few) Amphetamine Reptile, Shimmy Disc and Flying Nun labels. During my big vinyl purge of the early 90s I had no qualms about selling the 2 Bogshed releases I'd bought.

It wasn't until the late 2000's I realised my error about this band. More or less forgotten by me up until then, I came across a vinyl rip of their debut EP and downloaded to give it another listen. Woah! This was bloody awesome! WTF was I thinking getting rid of this EP? After this revelation I spent several years trying to find all their other releases. I did come across a couple of other vinyl rips, of "Brutal" and the Peel Sessions EP "Tried and Tested Public Speaker", unfortunately the vinyl was in poor condition and even worse they'd ripped them in mono! I still listened to them now and again, and despite the poor quality there were so many great songs bursting out at me.

I kept hoping one day that all their releases would be reissued, then read somewhere that Phil Hartley didn't want this to happen. As he'd unfortunately died in 2006 it appeared his wish would be kept and that would be that. You could find the odd bootleg online, or a release of early demos on bandcamp, but that was your lot! It seemed I'd be forever frustrated on ever hearing in decent quality their 2 albums and several EPs/singles...

Then came the news, late 2022, where I read this:
"Manchester based Melodic Records will be releasing in December the entire Bog Shed output. Titled, The Official Bog Set, the collection will include their debut EP, 2 albums, full John Peel Sessions and a live and rarities collection which will only be available with the physical product. The entire set has been audio remastered for the first time, with restored original artwork. The band’s genius wonk songs of angular, groove-filled post punk dusted with energetic and often hilarious lyrics were perfect dislocated pop and their dark humour imagery was like The League of Gentlemen twenty years ahead of its time."
I excitedly searched for where I could buy this box set, and pre-ordered a copy here: https://bog-shed.bandcamp.com/album/the-official-bog-set

For this anthology I put together a few of my favourite songs from the box set. While the 5th CD in the box set is interesting, I've only taken one track from it, "Runner on a Blunder", which was previously released on a compilation album in 1986. 2 tracks included here aren't on the box set: their version of Benny Hill's "Gather in the Mushrooms" (from one of the Peel sessions) was for some reason omitted, plus the final track "The Amazing Roy North's Penis Band" is from a half-decent quality bootleg recorded live in early 1985.

Enough rambling from me... As usual origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy, cheers!

  1. Fat Lad Exam Failure (3:07)
  2. Hell Bent on Death (2:53)
  3. I'm the Instrument (4:08)
  4. C'mon Everybody (3:07)
  5. Duck Fight / US Bands / Wally Wallah (5:17)
  6. Summer in My Lunchtime (2:43)
  7. Excellent Girl! (3:19)
  8. Story of Bog-Shed (2:46)
  9. Raise the Girl (4:10)
10. Runner on a Blunder (3:09)
11. Panties Please (3:26)
12. Loaf (2:13)
13. Gather in the Mushrooms (2:26)
14. Morning Sir (2:40)
15. Hand Me Down Father (4:09)
16. Tried and Tested Public Speaker (2:17)
17. Six to One and Likely (3:52)
18. Can't Be Beat (3:11)
19. Uncle Death Grip (3:43)
20. Spencer Travis (1:54)
21. Opportunatist Knocks (2:43)
22. Your Science My Sound (6:00)
23. The Amazing Roy North's Penis Band (live) (4:45)

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