Mint Biscuit: Purple Patch

Welsh singer and guitarist Richard Thomas keeps it close to home on Purple Patch, the new album by his one-man band Mint Biscuit. He wrote a song for his nephew (The Ballad Of Golden Aidan, enjoys a cup of Chicken Soup and reminisces about getting lost for a bit during a hike Cornfield Whisper. Thomas gets out of his comfort zone when he writes about the Vikings pillaging the lands (Summer Song) or lets a girl turn into a snake (Melusine). It is a road less travelled for him, but it opens possibilities he should definitely explore more fully.

Home recordings are tricky and can sound a bit tinny, but Thomas put his guitar collection to good use, carefully choosing an instrument that fits the mood of a track. By doing so, he created a sonic palette that is decidedly lo-fi, but also on point with a level of intimacy that other artists with bigger budgets will find hard to replicate.

Steven Wilson & Tim Bowness: The Album Years 1982 Part #6

English musicians and music geeks extraordinaire Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness have posted a new episode of their podcast The Album Years. They talk about 1982, discussing albums by Iron Maiden, Tangerine Dream, Philip Glass, Weather Report, and a whole lot more. This is part #6, the final episode about this year. The pair can be watched on YouTube as well.

Garlen Lo: Pretty Baby

London based singer-songwriter Garlen Lo unearthed a tune he wrote when he was 17 and very smitten, trying to figure out what it would take to be actually noticed by her. He asks her for some pointers, but all he got was some advice about learning the rules first. What rules? Good question and he still has not figured them out: "Give you the world if you want it, pretty baby Girl, I’m on my knees // What do I have to do if I want to get with you // Could you draw a picture please"

Dew Claw: Mouse Trap b/w Fantastic Voyage

Stephen Hunking, who goes by the stage name Dew Claw, must have had a lot fun listening back to the handiwork of his mate,s who had been busy twisting and turning knobs while creating remixes of his new utterly danceable Fantastic Voyage song.

They don't always work - the three "High Tunnels" remixes sound rather bland, think playlist at a kid's party, but the bass heavy "CRX" remix and the old school "mono" mix are superb.. When done right, fiddling can pay off in spades. The single's A-side Mouse Trap takes a back seat to all this, but it is a sleeper hit that will find its way to college radio station DJ's who like early R.E.M. and the artists associated with the Elephant 6 roster.

Librarians With Hickeys: How To Make Friends By Telephone

Librarians With Hickeys are down to a duo, leaving it to Ray Carmen and Mike Crooker keeping power pop alive in Akron, Ohio. They are both multi-instrumentalists, so it wasn't a problem to make their new album How To Make Friends By Telephone sound like a band firing on all cylinders. Jangling guitars are king, closely followed by the vocal harmonies. They are proud to be retro, confident that quality songwrting and musicianship will give them a prominent place in the niche labelled "jangling pop".

Latching on the perennial themes like falling in love, heartbreak and roadtrips, the duo have managed to add a fresh layer of paint to melodies that sound familiar. It is trip to memory lane, but there a plenty of sights along the way to keep listeners entertained and in awe of their guides.