Category: 1/2/3/4

Step inside the Time Machine and rediscover the soundtrack of a lost era. This edition dives deep into the vaults to unearth long-forgotten gems from the 1960s and ’70s, the overlooked B-sides, no-hit wonders, and psychedelic deep cuts that once filled transistor radios and smoky lounge rooms.

Golden Caravan finds Clifford weaving a rich tapestry of sound that feels both timeless and exploratory. The album drifts between desert-hued psychedelia, folk-rock storytelling, and dusky, cinematic arrangements. With its warm instrumentation, intimate vocals, and moments of dramatic flourish, Golden Caravan captures the feel of a road album that’s equal parts mystical and grounded in human experience.

Wombo are a trio from Kentucky, a group I’ve loved watching evolve. Their third album, Danger in Fives, is a hypnotic, experimental indie‑rock journey where  earworm dreams hum. Jagged guitars, ethereal vocals, and looping rhythms reshape post‑punk into an immersive, abstract terrain. Highly Recommended.

Florist’s new album, Jellywish, invites listeners into a world where magic, surrealism, and the supernatural become everyday companions, challenging the bleakness of modern life. Through introspective and complex songwriting, Emily Sprague explores profound questions about breaking free from routine and finding true happiness. The album’s gentle yet chaotic nature combines fantasy elements with real-world reflections, creating an intimate and disarmingly honest listening experience. Jellywish is a delicate balance of confessional storytelling and imaginative escapism, offering a poetic reflection on the possibility of liberation and fulfillment amid life’s uncertainties.

They are by no means plastic stars! This episode features the debut album of Cash & Skye. They are a dreamy indie-pop duo blending nostalgic melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and intimate harmonies with cinematic flair. Plus a big dash of country. Highly Recommended. I also pay honour to late, great David Thomas.

We feature an exceptional record from Luther Russell, his first solo album since 2019’s “Medium Cool”. Happiness For Beginners features 10 jangled-out guitar driven love songs. It’s certainly a jangly dream that’s been delivered. Luther is one half of the duo Those Pretty Wrongs along with Jody Stephens /Big Star.. Highly Recommended.

In this special episode of 1234, I pay tribute to the musicians and producers who died in 2024.

The world of cult Canadian songwriter Jon McKiel is one in which butterflies rise from the daisy beds while distant wreaths of smoke vandalize the horizon. His songs are born of the bruised marshlands of remote New Brunswick, from the craggy shores of the Atlantic coast; places where nature is a powerful wonder and the made-world is in slow decay. His latest Hex, is a great listen.

Chime School ARE the boys who run the Paisley Hotel, their gorgeous jangling ’60s influenced chiming guitars create perfect pop sounds, following the footsteps of like East Village, The Go-Betweens, and The Loft. This will be one of my favourite records come years end, with melodies that stick in your head. Highly Recommended.

Habibi from New York have been mesmerising me for a while now, their new album “Dreamachine” blends dreamy melodies and rich harmonies, exploring themes of love and self-discovery through a captivating sonic journey. Top notch!

GRAMMY-nominated Orquesta Akokán continue to vibrantly usher the mambo into the 21st century and offer a glorious return to the iconic grooves of an era indelibly marked Cuba’s orquestas gigantes of the mid-twentieth century. The album’s fierce, effervescent grooves are designed to transmit feelings and emotions – This is music which inspires the body to move and the mind to uplift. Highly Recommended.

Hannah Mohan is a critically acclaimed musician. Making music has been at the center of Mohan’s life ever since, even as other circumstances have changed—sometimes radically. A long-term relationship crumbled in 2019. Then the pandemic arrived, bringing an end to her band. After writing a batch of new songs taking stock of her situation, Mohan asked Alex Toth of Rubblebucket and Tōth to produce them, the latest installment of a longtime friendship and occasional creative collaboration.