Les Big Byrd - Tomorrow's Echoes Today

 

Small bio:
Les Big Byrd is a Swedish psychedelic and alternative rock band formed in Stockholm in 2011 by Joakim Åhlund and Frans Johansson. Across a series of acclaimed releases between 2011 and 2026, Les Big Byrd evolved from fuzzed-out psych explorers into masters of cinematic, dreamlike rock music filled with glowing synths, cosmic textures and late-night urban melancholy. Often cited among Sweden’s most adventurous contemporary rock acts, combining hypnotic Krautrock rhythms, lush synths, and shimmering guitars,their collaborations with producers like Pete Kember and Anton Newcombe underline their bridge between classic psychedelia and modern independent music.

After posting a Pell Mell anthology back in March, I decided to turn my attention towards a more recent band who I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to since I heard their first release. This collection comprises of 1 track from all 5 studio album releases, plus a few tracks from EP/single releases. 
I was sorely tempted to pick 2 tracks from each album which would have resulted in a much longer anthology, if this one turns out to be popular maybe I could post a 2nd volume in the future. Favourite album for me is a tough choice, but 2022's "Eternal Light Brigade" just about wins out. As usual, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and noted in the download folder. Hope you all enjoy this latest anthology. Cheers!

  1. Roundhouse Blues (7:42)
  2. Back to Bagarmossen (4:32)
  3. Roofied Angels (7:10)
  4. I Gave It All Up for You (5:04)
  5. Two Man Gang (English Version) (5:43)
  6. Lycka Till På Färden (6:35)
  7. I'm Living a Saved Life Now (5:14)
  8. Gerausche (6:00)
  9. Dandelion Seeds (8:34)
10. I Woke Up in a Dream (5:00)
11. Next Time Around (5:25)
12. Snö-Golem (4:12)
13. Hökvind (7:09)

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Lumerians - Burning Mirrors (2008-2021)

 

Bio:
Lumerians are a psychedelic rock quartet that emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, later establishing themselves in Oakland, California. Known for their expansive, trance-inducing sound blending space rock, krautrock, drone and progressive elements, the band layers deep bass, synths, percussion, and atmospheric guitar to create immersive sonic landscapes that range from murky and hypnotic to rhythmically propulsive. 
After early recordings like their self-titled 2008 EP and 2011's full-length "Transmalinnia", the band released "The High Frontier" in 2013 and continued exploring spontaneous compositions and improvisation through series such as "Transmissions from Telos". In 2018 they issued the sprawling studio album "Call of the Void", followed by the single "Yellowcake" in 2019, and culminated their catalogue with the live Fuzz Club Session EP in 2021, capturing reimagined material and unreleased jams from their dynamic performances.


I was preparing a completely different anthology just before compiling this, listening to one of my old mixes. One track which really stood out for me was "Dogon Genesis" by Lumerians, and I decided to put on hold what I was working on and delve into the Lumerians back catalogue. This is the end result, feauturing favourites from all their releases, apart from their 2012 album "The Weaning and The Dreaming" which features 2 very long drone tracks and is quite different from anything else they've recorded. Also, I'm not that much of a fan of drone music! In case anyone is interested, the anthology I was working on was a compilation of various projects which featured Peter Howell, a musician/composer that not many have heard of. I'll complete that eventually...

I first posted this Lumerians anthology (in mix form) on hearthis, and an online friend commented he found their music to be "banal", as "everything had already been heard somewhere before"... OK, there's nothing highly original here, but what they do, they do very well. Sure, you can hear influences from several bands such as Spacemen 3 and Can, but I don't find anything wrong with that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this latest anthology. Cheers!

  1. Tawazula (3:11)
  2. Silver Trash (5:33)
  3. High Frontier (4:58)
  4. Olive Alley (3:14)
  5. Untitled 3 (6:59)
  6. Corkscrew Trepanation (7:08)
  7. Atlanta Brook (5:16)
  8. Laser Barn (2:27)
  9. C-Rock (3:23)
10. Life Without Skin (5:57)
11. Hook For an Eye (7:28)
12. Fictional (7:32)
13. Orgon Grinder (5:51)
14. Dogon Genesis (5:53)
15. Burning Mirrors (4:43)

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Beautify Junkyards - Everything is Still Floating (2013-2024)

 

Short bio:
Beautify Junkyards are a Portuguese psychedelic folk band formed in Lisbon in the early 2010s, centered around songwriter and multi-instrumentalist João Sobral. Drawing deeply from 1960s and 70s acid folk, pastoral psychedelia, and early progressive rock, the band quickly developed a sound marked by lush acoustic textures, vintage keyboards, hypnotic rhythms, and a strong sense of atmosphere. Their music often feels timeless, blending pastoral calm with subtle surrealism.

Across five studio albums, Beautify Junkyards have refined a distinctive identity that balances introspective songwriting with rich, cinematic arrangements. Their work is heavily influenced by British folk revival, krautrock, and psychedelic pop, yet filtered through a modern sensibility and a distinctly Iberian sense of mood. Celebrated for their immersive albums rather than singles, the band has become a key reference point in contemporary European psychedelic folk, admired for their consistency, restraint, and quietly transportive sound.

 

When posting my Homunculus Res anthology, I mentioned another band who had featured quite prominently on this blog were Beautify Junkyards. I began compiling this collection 2 months ago, but due to my mother passing away in late October everything went on hold for several weeks. During this difficult time, sorting out everything which needed to be sorted out, I barely listened to any music and never thought I'd be able to complete this anthology. It was only earlier this week I felt able to continue with this collection, finding it somewhat therapeutic and helping me come to terms with everything that's happened the past couple of months.

So,  finally, here it is. Needless to say Beautify Junkyards have been one of my favourite bands the past 10 or so years, and I look forward to their every release. I highly recommend everything they've recorded, I can't say I've ever heard a song I've disliked by them. This collection includes 3 tracks from all 5 studio albums, plus a few single releases and one track from the "Tiddlywinks" compilation album of reimagined nursery rhymes. As ever, info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download folder.

I'm a bit behind with musical releases from the past couple of months, so my "best of" 2025 comps will probably appear in the new year. As usual I will ask my pal Man Erg to send me his favourite tracks this past year, hopefully this will be posted before the end of the year. This is always something I look forward to, he often introduces me to many releases I never knew of. So, for now, thanks to everybody who has taken time to download and listen to my comps, especially those who have posted  to comment on how much they enjoyed them. Cheers!

 

  1. Constant Flux (3:44)
  2. Reverie (4:13)
  3. Half Marble (3:52)
  4. Parangolé (3:11)
  5. Black Cape (3:37)
  6. Radioactivity (4:38)
  7. Refresco Eléctrico (3:21)
  8. Aquarius (3:36)
  9. The Miller's Song (3:02)
10. Dupla Exposição (4:31)
11. Verde Pino (4:39)
12. Yellow Roses (3:49)
13. Ritual in Transfigured Time (4:36)
14. Groundstar (3:18)
15. Rainbow Garland (3:22)
16. Cabeça-Flor (3:26)
17. Here Everything is Still Floating (3:58)
18. Pirâmide (3:37)
19. Ask Me No Questions (5:23)
20. Tecnicolor Hexagon (3:46)

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Homunculus Res - Sogni in Tasca (Anthology 2013-2023)

 

Short bio:
Homunculus Res are a progressive rock band from Palermo, Sicily, founded in 2010 by multi-instrumentalist Dario D’Alessandro. Their music draws heavily from the Canterbury scene of the 1970s (Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North, Caravan) while infusing it with Italian wit, surrealism, and Mediterranean warmth.

Their debut, "Limiti all’eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto" (2013), immediately won praise for its playful, labyrinthine miniatures. Follow-ups such as "Come si diventa ciò che si era" (2015) and "Della stessa sostanza dei sogni" (2018) expanded the band’s palette, introducing longer suites like “Ospedale Civico” while maintaining their trademark mix of quirky pop sensibility, intricate counterpoint, and whimsical lyrics.

Over the course of five albums (most recently "Ecco l’impero dei doppi sensi", 2023), Homunculus Res have become a cult favourite in modern progressive circles. Critics often note how they balance complexity with lightness: unusual time signatures and adventurous harmonies delivered with humour, melody, and a refreshing lack of pretension.


Thinking about which artist to feature for my next anthology, I looked back through the blog to see which names crop up most often in my mixes. Two immediately stood out: Homunculus Res and Beautify Junkyards. After some deliberation I decided to start with Homunculus Res — though I hope to put together a Beautify Junkyards anthology before the year is out.

As mentioned in the short bio, Homunculus Res have released five studio albums to date. Their 3rd album, "Della stessa sostanza dei sogni" was my first introduction to them, and I was instantly hooked. Favourite album by them? I couldn't possibly choose, they're all excellent. If you have any affection for the Canterbury Scene bands of the early 1970s, I’d recommend exploring all of them.

As ever, info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download folder. I hope you enjoy this latest collection as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Cheers! 


  1. Il gran finale (3:50)
  2. Dopamine (3:47)
  3. Preparazione Bomba H (3:11)
  4. Vesica Piscis (6:21)
  5. Supermercato (6:16)
  6. La casa dei sogni (2:48)
  7. Viaggio astrale di una polpetta (5:14)
  8. Dogface (3:40)
  9. La Salamandra (6:21)
10. Il papa buono (2:51)
11. Mentre dormi (4:13)
12. Ottaedro (2:44)
13. La ballata dell'amore stocastico (3:10)
14. Fine del mondo (4:04)
15. Se la mente mentisse (4:14)
16. Paum/ (1:52)
17. La Luccicanza (4:23)
18. Doppi sensi (10:00)

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Wire - Partial Exposure 2002 - 2020

 

Short bio:
Wire formed in 1976 in Watford, England and after splitting in 1980, have reformed three times. They consist of Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (vocals, bass) and Robert Grey (aka Robert Gotobed; drums). Founding guitarist Bruce Gilbert left in 2004. In 2008, Margaret Fielder McGinnis of Laika joined the band as their touring guitarist, but as of 2010 has been replaced by Matt Simms.

Wire are considered a definitive and highly influential art punk and post-punk band, due to their richly detailed and atmospheric sound and obscure lyrical themes. They steadily developed from an early noise rock style to a more complex, structured sound involving increased use of guitar effects and synthesizers. The band gained a reputation for experimenting with song arrangements throughout their career.

 Click here for full bio

Wire have featured prominently on this blog, appearing multiple times in my "Spaghetti Tree" or yearly "Best of" compilations. Over the years, several compilations of Wire’s music have been released, the most notable being "On Returning (1977-1979)" released in 1989, and "1985-1990: The A List" in 1993. However, no compilation has yet celebrated Wire’s later period. To rectify this, I've picked a few favourite tracks from their various EPs/albums from 2002's "Read & Burn 01" up to their most recent (final?) release, 2020's "10:20" which contains reinterpretations of a few old songs from their back catalogue.
As always, each track’s origin and year of original release are tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest anthology!


  1. I Don't Understand (3:17)
  2. A Flat Ten (2:14)
  3. Hard Currency (3:50)
  4. Underwater Experiences (10:20 Version) (2:15)
  5. Unrepentant (4:56)
  6. Fishes Bones (3:02)
  7. Brio (3:37)
  8. Trash/Treasure (5:07)
  9. In the Art of Stopping (2:46)
10. Re-Invent Your Second Wheel (3:45)
11. Oklahoma (3:05)
12. No Warning Given (5:24)
13. Sleep-Walking (7:27)
14. Four Long Years (3:45)
15. German Shepherds (10:20 Version) (4:28)
16. Clay (3:12)
17. Sleep on the Wing (2:57)
18. Forward Position (4:48)
19. 23 Years Too Late (9:43)

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Triptides - Leave Your Body Behind

 

Short bio:
Influenced by the sunny jangle of the Byrds, the warm psychedelia of Pink Floyd, and the bouncy melodies of the Beatles, Triptides never sound in thrall to their heroes. Instead, their music sounds like a modern, kaleidoscopic continuation of the magical sounds of the late '60s, spiced with a little bit of the Paisley Underground and dipped in modern, reverb-heavy production techniques. Their early albums saw the band learning their craft, and by the time of 2015's "Azur", they were making assured psychedelic pop on par with any of their contemporaries. A move to Curation Records in 2021 for the LP "Alter Echoes" coincided with their biggest, most professional-sounding effort yet, which they followed with the wide-ranging, jazz-fusion-tinged "Starlight" in 2023.

 Click here for full bio

Formed in 2010, Triptides had already released several albums by the time I first took an interest in them. That moment came when I heard their sixth album, 2018's "Visitors", and was immediately captivated. So much so that it made my top 10 albums of the year, "Mary Ann" being the opening track on my Best of 2018 mix. Though the band has since refined their sound, incorporating even more influences, "Visitors" remains my favourite release, though their last album, "Starlight" from 2023 comes a close second. I’ve never been particularly drawn to their earlier work, which leaned more into surf and garage rock with noticeably rough production. Because of that, this isn’t a comprehensive anthology, none of those early tracks feature here.

Unsurprisingly, "Visitors" features most prominently here, with three tracks included. I highly recommend starting with their 2013 album, "Predictions", which was remastered in 2022 and now sounds significantly better. Perhaps their earlier releases could benefit from a remaster as well? Time will tell...
As usual, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest anthology!


  1. Colors (3:47)
  2. Sundown (3:01)
  3. Gone for a While (2:58)
  4. Hole in Your Mind (4:14)
  5. Blow Away (3:58)
  6. It Won't Hurt You (3:01)
  7. The Illusion (2:51)
  8. Unwound (4:19)
  9. Undone (2:07)
10. Not Mine (3:50)
11. Clementine (2:55)
12. Heavy Cloud (4:08)
13. See Her Light (2:29)
14. Free Fall (3:08)
15. Slip Away (4:41)
16. Shining (5:05)
17. Another Shore (2:51)
18. Resolve (3:37)
19. Nirvana Now (4:53)
20. Mary Anne (4:19)
21. Never Asking Why (3:28)
22. Thinking About the End (3:43)

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