blank mood mid-year 2024 picks

I like to consume things in small chunks, whether it’s information or cheese. Mile-long lists at the end of the year are overwhelming to me and only ever seem like d*ck-waving show-off parties. yeah, i said that.

Anyway, I don’t have the attention span or high enough care factor to look through someone’s favourite 100 albums of the year, especially when they share no thoughts or explanations. Why do you like it? Will I like it? Also, I don’t remember as much stuff anymore. I blame that on turning 50 last month.

So, here we are at the end of June. The year is half over. Or maybe that’s half started if you’re a glass-is-full kinda person? Whatever you prefer, but with all this in mind, and honestly, to make it easier on myself later this year, here are my favourite music releases as of mid-year 2024. Maybe there’s something here you liked too. Or maybe there’s something you want to mention because you think I’ll like it. Either way, if you like the feeling of being in a planetarium, read on. //wendy

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speak thou vast and venerable head by Loula Yorke. quiet details, June 2024.

Do you like how it feels to be in a planetarium, entranced by the simulated sounds of deep space? Yeah, me too. Get this album.

Lyra by Rachel Love. The Cat Collects, April 2024.

A sixties-infused dreampop delight, the songs of Lyra might transform your cold, forlorn mood to a carefree frolic in soft focus.

The Galloping Cat by Masal. May 2024.

A wandering, delicately guided psychedelic harp and synth journey with an occasional unexpected step off the path.

“A Scaffold” (single) by Mahogany. Renovo, May 2024.

“A Scaffold” is a pearlescent locomotive, reminding of Mahogany’s steadfast commitment to both engineered and natural beauty. Fingers crossed for European live dates sometime soon.

Perseids by somesurprises. Doom Trip Records, April 2024.

Like a laid-back magic carpet ride, somesurprises takes you from dawn to dusk, through heart and mind with Perseids and safely returns you from space to Earth. How about joining some live dates in Europe with Mahogany?!

Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom by Meatbodies. In the Red Records, March 2024.

Meatbodies calls on the late 80s / early 90s alternative rock of Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins and Jesus and Mary Chain, blending heavy psych sounds, garage attitude and pop hooks a la DAIISTAR.

Ozean by Ozean. Numero Group, February 2024.

Re-mastered release of the three-song demo tape made by California Bay Area’s Ozean in 1991. Classic shoegaze sounds this here. Doesn’t everyone love this?

Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day by Whitelands. Sonic Cathedral, February 2024.

Ranging from ‘twinkly-emo math rock’ to “poppy-ethereal’ in sound while confronting history, politics and social unrest in lyrics, Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day is a an impressive debut and indicator of what the near future of shoegaze will craft.

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And to finish off this mid-year list, I’m going to add one from the end of 2023 that I think is worth mentioning and two I’m looking forward to:

Dim Electrics by Dim Electrics. Sulatron Records, November 2023.

A psych-kraut-space rock project of Mahk Rumbae. Largely heavy and instrumental, but with some buzzed out vocals and a bit of Farfisa.

Tailem Bend by ORB. Fuzz Club, July 2024.

Holy woah, did Grand Funk Railroad ditch their cowbell? Fat and dirty fuzzed out guitars. Bongo wah wah action. Oh, and a pinch of flute to mellow out the plunges into Sabbath wrath. Can’t wait to hear what else comes out of this pipe. Out on Fuzz Club 12 July 2024.

“Crows” (single) by Three Quarter Skies. Sonic Cathedral, June 2024.

As I said at the end of 2023 about Simon Scott’s Three Quarter Skies showing up on the scene: triple fudge ripple, who saw this one coming? Well, damn, now Three Quarter Skies has showed up with David Pearce of Flying Saucer Attack and the wonderfully down-mood “Crows”. Simon’s bandmates seem to have suggested that more songs and an album are in the works. Predicting quadruple hot stroople (or something like that) on the way.