2025.95
Toby Hay: New Music For The 6 String Guitar
If you believe that there can never be enough gorgeous meditative acoustic guitar music (and I'm personally of the opinion that there can never be enough gorgeous meditative acoustic guitar music), here's some gorgeous meditative acoustic guitar music for ya. The title says it all. Hay's guitar is a soothing melodic balm in these worrying times. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.96
Mei Semones: Animaru
Bio says "jazz influenced indie" and given 3 words, sure, that accurately describes Semones. But that might also sell it short. If there's a sonic dimension that has an overlap of Andrew Bird + Deerhoof, you might find her there. Sweet string-laden whimsy & unexpected freak-outs both have a place, along with some lovely guitar & Japanese lyrics. This one's for smiling. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.97
Florry: Sounds Like...
I first heard these guys at Woodsist fest last year, which was a perfect fit for this Philly rock band. The album is perfectly twang-heavy, a laid-back country rock for the age of legalized weed. It crackles with guitar and pedal steel, getting out "there" just often enough while not taking themselves too seriously. It rocks, it's fun, it's easy to love. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.98
TWÏNS: Healing Dreams
An easy-to-love release out of Berlin. Listening to Miro Denck's newest is like listening to a playlist of my favorite sounds on shuffle. It hops all over the place - from exotica to Zappaesqueness to psychedelic jazz and more - you have to remind yourself that it's the same album/musician. The good news is, it's all quite good, making for a more-than-pleasant listen. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.99
Ouzo Bazooka: Kapaim
More worldly sounds from overseas, this bazooka is a doozy. Hailing from Israel, this project from Uri Brauner Kinrot mixes Middle Eastern and Turkish funk in with psychedelic rock to create something that feels truly universal and culture-bridging. It's groovy as hell, but it's much more than that. His output has been generally impressive, but this is the best yet. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.100
Golden Brown: Whisker Fatigue
Most one-man guitars-and-effects albums out there lean into quiet ambient beauty, sonic balm to the loudness of the modern world. While there's some lovely guitar on his latest, Stefan Beck sandwiches it in layers of murky digitalia, leaning into the darkness rather than ignoring it. It's a welcome dimensionality for the listener. Pretty, sure, but also not. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
Somehow forgot to thread this one, so just including 2025.101 here for my own sanity.
Attached: 1 image #recommNeds 2025.101 Goblyns: Three Sisters If there are 3 magic adjectives that might get an album onto the rec radar, they're probably "psychedelic," "groovy" and, of course, "European." This one ticks all the boxes and doesn't disappoint. Two brothers + a good buddy form this Berlin trio that doesn't hide their influences but combines familiar motifs into a highly enjoyable mix. Tough not to love regardless your keywords. Enjoy! #newmusic Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.102
Lou Hazel: Riot of the Red
There's good music made on this side of the Atlantic, too, you know! Take this Durham-based songwriter whose latest is a delight of American folk rock. It lies somewhere at the intersection of Dr Dog and New-Morning-era-ish Dylan where the lyrics, melodies, vocals, and instrumentation are all perfectly matched comfortably cushioned in an easygoing vibe. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.103
Holden & Zimpel: The Universe Will Take Care Of You
Two of my favorite electronic artists are James Holden who creates magical realism pieces of pure joy & Wacław Zimpel who combines clarinet + electronics in truly unique ways. So it's no surprise that this collab is pure bliss. The energy of the two is resonant in the truest sense. This is happiness for a world that needs lots of it. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.104
Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer: Different Rooms
Pairing of Chiu (SML et al) on modular synth and Honer on viola & electronics makes for a powerful combination. It's a power in understatement and quietude. Lovely improvisations and interplay that's given room to breathe and evolve. The sonic meditations are enhanced by guest appearances from Josh Johnson and Jeff Parker. Masterful all. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2058.105
Brìghde Chaimbeul: Sunwise
The Scottish small pipes player channels ancient musical wisdom, creating an entrancing, mystical sound. Glacial drones eventually yield some lively playing and otherworldly vocals, the sound of her native land but also something that feels not of this planet at all. The listener is left in a heady space, hypnotized and transported. Transcendent. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.106
SLUGish Ensemble: Urban Crawl
SF reedsman Steven Lugerner leads an ensemble of the Bay Area's brightest jazz up-and-comers on his latest. Each track is influenced by an intersection in his home city, pandemic walking routes lending themselves to intersections of traditional group playing and more progressive compositions. He sticks to bass clarinet, giving it some extra low groove oomph. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.107
The Sorcerers: Other Worlds And Habitats
I've been recommending new music from this Leeds band for 10 years now and if they keep putting out shit this good, I'm gonna keep on doing it for another 10. Once again they deliver with a set of deep afrofunk. This is the dark and the dank, baritone sax and old school keys on minor key grooves and swampy rhythms. Betcha dig it. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.108
Maurizio Brunod: Trip with the Ladies - Chapter 2
I often listen to these recs on my commute home before posting and today's listen was partially amidst a rather harrowing rainstorm. Brunod's guitar was a perfect calm in the storm. Mixing classical, flamenco, and gypsy jazz, this is a thing of placid beauty. It's the perfect antidote for whatever is raising your blood pressure these days. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.109
Yuuf: Alma’s Cove
Over the course of a five-track EP, the London 4-piece manages to chart a wide range of emotional energy, from pensive quiet to jubilant, desolate to downright giddy. This is high level instrumental music born from a deep catalog of influences for listening either light or heavy. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.110
Editrix: The Big E
Guitarist Wendy Eisenberg has been on the one-to-watch list for a while. She can go soft, she can go hard and, like she does leading this power trio, she can go really f'in hard. Like an unholy marriage of punk + math rock, it'll hurt your neck from either the headbanging or the whiplash-inducing time changes. A thrill ride, one of the year's best. Book the masseuse and enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.111
Sababa 5: Nadir
There's a growing handful of bands incorporating Middle Eastern elements into their sound. There are few doing it better than Sababa 5. The Tel Aviv/France create an organic funk centered on the scales and rhythms native to the region. Everything they've put out has been a heady intoxicant of psychedelic groove. Their latest may top them all with its darker explorations. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.112
Gwenno: Utopia
Welsh artist Gwenno Saunders is out with her strongest release yet. The songs are an autobiographical coming-of-age telling, definitely worth reading the album notes. But mostly, the material is dense with musical ideas and that off-kilter Welsh quirk. Like an overlap of Cate Le Bon and St Vincent, equally thrilling getting lost in the details as taking it on in full. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.113
Rujen: Velvet Dream
Out of Atlanta is Rujen, who updates the sounds of early-aught psych rockers, drawing from the sonic library of early-era Tame Impala and White Denim (amongst others), with a dash of 90's jamband. They invigorate the music with tightly constructed songcraft that's catchy, propulsive, and not shy about coloring outside the lines. A nice treat... Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.114
Hilary Hawke: Lift Up This Old World
Not obvious but NYC is a decent bluegrass town. Great example = a set of mostly original music from the banjo-playing singer-songwriter that feels both traditional & modern. Backed by stellar supporting musicians, she doesn't try to do anything special beyond play her songs, which is special in itself. A standard & a Radiohead cover round it out nicely. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.115
Sissoko/Segal/Parisien/Peirani: Sou Kora
Accordion, saxophone, cello and... kora? Yeah, on paper I'm not sure it works either. In the headphones, though? A delight! Worldmusic in the truest sense, a multicultural, many splendored listen. Helps that each musician is a master, bringing their individual alchemy to the greater sum. Five tracks, 2 of em recorded live, an infinity of textures. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.116
C Joynes & Mike Gangloff: Tom Winter, Tom Spring
Sparse instrumental folk duo with an enchanting release with both studio and live tracks. The sound is primitive and otherworldly: lovely guitar, drone violin, mouth harp, and more. Much of it feels magically ancient, like it came from centuries ago. The rest feels extragalactic, as if it came from another world altogether. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.117
Kutiman: Dreams In Aspamia
Here's your gateway into the weekend...or possibly a portal to another dimension. Israeli soundmaker Kutiman delivers once again on this 6-track EP. Each song unfolds another beat-filled chapter in the most compelling of novellas. Cool blending of instrumentation and sounds girder by the grooviest of grooves. This is the good stuff, friends. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.118
Barry Walker Unit: At the 13th Moon Gravity Well
This sorta spin-off of Rose City Band includes a stoner's delight of players & playing. Recorded live in the Rose City, the quartet, led by pedal steel shaman Walker, channels the Dead ethos circa 1970. Americana meets psychedelic in lightly dosed improvisational exercises that certainly had the audience geeked. For serious zonesters only. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.119
Leroi Conroy: A Tiger's Tale
Terry Cole has spent much of the last decade building his groove-heavy label Colemine. Performing here as Conroy, he finishes a longstanding project that fits right in. Old school soul and funk combine for an album that plays like a set of hip hop samples. Irresistibly so. It presents as an instrumental soundtrack to an imagined updated take on The Jungle Book. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.120
Cole Quest and The City Pickers: Homegrown
More NYC-based bluegrass. Quest is a grandson of Woody Guthrie and that's not just biographical trivia. His music is also progeny to the folk godfather, infusing his old school bluegrass with a progressive, city-centric viewpoint. Tasty harmonies and tasty pickin' with a nod to the past. Enjoy!
#newmusic #MusicDiscovery #bluegrass
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.121
Chaos Magick: Through The Looking Glass
Perfect representation of John Zorn's genre-sneering aesthetic: beautiful, scary, groovy, awesome. Medeski, Marsella, Hollenberg, Grohoski, you know, your typical organ/keyboard/guitar/drum quartet. You've never heard anything go quiet to too loud with such ferocity. Restrained to unhinged, only 3 tracks, it covers some ground. Better pack a bag. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.122
Alex Benjamin with Phil Cook & Justin Mazer
Multi-instrumentalist typically found backing others (like Hiss Golden Messenger) takes the reins himself on his debut EP. The North Carolinian recruits some talented friends and his compositions play like friendly instrumental sessions on the front porch. Multiple guitars - with appearances by banjo, resonator, slide - in laid back conversation. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.123
Matt C White: A Cosmic Year
Currently NYC-based rocker rocks rockingly on his solo debut. White does it all here: writing, playing every instrument, singing, producing, but mostly just freakin' rocking. It's 60's garage psych and 70's prog-glam and even some 80's hair metal flair. For playing loud and rockin' out to. Enjoy!
#newmusic #MusicDiscovery #rock
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.124
Scree: August
Getting this one in before the calendar turns to September, even though, despite its title, this one has some autumnal vibes. The NYC guitar/bass/drum group has a sound that's more baroque jazz than power trio. Here they're as good as ever with extra musicians and a loose, dreamy chamber sound that is both relaxing and engaging. Perfect falling-leaves music. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.125
Ill Considered: Balm
This UK collective never disappoints. Their latest is like a jazzrock fusion sound that's been slowed down about 100x. It's less dynamic than some of their other work, but revels in its staticness. It's cinematic and occasionally spooky and takes its time getting to where it's going. But it gets there. Rewards the patient listener. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.126
Ivan the Tolerable and Hawkmoor: Atoms In The Void
More from prolific rec-regulars from the UK. It's been about 6 months since I've posted something from Ivan the Tolerable, and can't have that, can we? Here he's paired with Hawkmoor and the ensuing duo explorations are a psychedelic, downtempo dreamscape. For eyes-closed zoning in and/or out. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.127
Hainbach and Ensemble Recherche: Retold
Love a good collab. This one pairs up the Berlin electronic artist with a contemporary classical string ensemble. It's a made-for-each-other blend of ambient and minimalism. It floats on sonic clouds, quiet and pure. But don't get too drowsy, there are moments of creepiness and weirdness in there as well. Something for everyone. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.128
Gulp: Beneath Strawberry Moons
Psychedelic pop perfection out of Scotland. The aesthetic is a catchy kinda Lennon-on-LSD thing. Occasionally hallucenegenic lyrics and day-glo melodies create a dreamlike sound that's perfect for escaping to. And couldn't we all use some escaping? Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.129
Edena Gardens: Dispossesed
Masterful Eurojams from El Paraiso, *the* place to go for heady music from Denmark and beyond. This is a kind of supergroup with members of Causa Sui and Papir and they're killing it with a sound somewhere between the Dead and Floyd, a midpoint on the Garcia-Gilmore axis scuffed with distortion and other accouterments. Blistering psychjams. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.130
Weeed: Weeed
This one is the stateside companion to yesterday's rec. A Portland, OR band that seems to have listened to all the great classic and psych rock you grew up with and learned ALL the right musical lessons from the source material. It's a highly enjoyable and rock-outable mix of familiar tropes. It rocks, it jams, it encourages you to take psychedelic drugs. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.131
Oren Armbachi: Ghosted III
This is jazz music in 2025, a sound perfectly suited for this moment. Guitarist along with his trio-mates Johan Berthling on bass and Andreas Werliin on drums are at the vanguard bridging the analog and digital, acoustic and electronic. It's minimalism to the maximum, soothing ambient that layers to an ecstatic intensity. Straight to your sweet spot. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.132
Organic Pulse Ensemble: Oppression Is Nine Tenths Of The Law
The name is 2 truths and 1 lie. The music pulses and it's organic but it's no ensemble. Somehow it's just one dude creating this spiritual jazz masterpiece. While you sit & wonder how all those horns and overlapping rhythms and the easy flowing chemistry is a single human, don't forget to take in the impressively stirring music. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.133
Joseph Decosimo: Fiery Gizzard
In the same vein as Jake Fussell & Nora Brown, Decosimo takes old southern and Appalachian folk songs and channels their ancient spirit as much as interprets them for the modern age. He recruits some help from the ever-evolving NC music scene in which he floats, fleshing things out, but at his best with fiddle or banjo and the source material at its rawest. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
2025.134
Linda May Han Oh: Strange Heavens
I saw this trio (bass Oh, drums Tyshawn Sorey, trumpet Ambrose Akinmusire) earlier this year & it was so good I had to go again. If the record doesn't quite capture the live magic, it's damn close. It's best listened to back-to-front, taking in the drums/bass first. The pair has such mastery, chemistry & creativity, the melody almost don't matter. Almost. Enjoy!
Album links in LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/recommneds
neddyo
Trevor Burrows