Category Archives: Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 30th March 2026

Konyikeh – Mercenary

Let’s commence this week with a voice that is being touted as the next UK based soul star to watch out for. ‘Mercenary was released via FAMM in late February 2026, the single following the momentum of Konyikeh’s October track ‘Vulnerability’ and arrives just after her second sold‑out headline show at London’s SJQ. It opens with urgent guitar lines and drums that feel expansive yet tightly controlled. She threads in influences that sit outside her more immediately recognisable palette, drawing on Arabic scales, Gqom, and Amapiano to build a world that feels both cinematic and soulful. Her vocal delivery stays precise and poised, while the harmonies swirl with an eerie, filmic tension. You can find a download here: https://amzn.to/3NIRUOj

Diyet & The Love Soldiers – Give Me A Reason (Acoustic)

This is the first single from Diyet & The Love Soldiers new acoustic EP being released to coincide with their latest tour. ‘The Seeds Of Dreaming’ is a companion release to last year’s full‑band album of the same name. Due out on 17th April 2026, the EP gathers five re‑worked tracks from that 2025 record, presenting them in raw, single‑take performances that highlight the emotional grain of Diyet’s voice and the trio’s close‑knit musicianship. Diyet was born and raised in the Kluane region of the Yukon, she carries Indigenous, Japanese and European heritage, writing and singing in both English and Southern Tutchone. The music she makes with her band touches the meeting point between ancestral knowledge and contemporary life, shaped by her return home after years in Vancouver’s publishing world. Find out more via this link: https://diyet.bandcamp.com/

John Craigie – Dry Land

One of my favourite songwriters of modern times, John Craigie is captured here in a live clip performing a new track from his latest album ‘I Swam Here.’ He is exploring gentler tones on this album (which will be getting the full length review treatment on these pages very soon) as the troubadour from Los Angeles, often described as in the lineage of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, boldly broadens his song palette. His blend of wry humour, road‑worn narrative writing, and acoustic intimacy has become his signature but to put it in straight talking terms, John Craigie is a very fine songwriter and performer. Find out more and get a copy of the album this way: https://johncraigie.com/

Green-House – Under The Oak

This haunting, ambient-adjacent piece by Green-House is from the ‘Hinterlands’ album on Ghostly International. The album treats ambient music like a living ecosystem; lush, breathing, and quietly radical. Their sound folds field recordings, soft-focus synths, and a deep ecological sensitivity into a world that feels both restorative and subtly adventurous. Watch these pages over the coming days for a full length feature on the album, ahead of that you can get a copy of ‘Hinterlands’ via this link: https://amzn.to/4lTy3IK

Wooden Overcoat – Home

Based in Portland’s hazy melting pot of musical wonders, psychedelic pop outfit Wooden Overcoat unveil ‘Home,’ a shimmering, reverb‑soaked single that drifts like a sanctuary built from haze and heart. Its trippy visual companion comes from Italian multi‑arts visionary Francesca Bonci, framing Brant Hajek’s reflection on beauty that can’t quite hold; two people paired as naturally as elements in the wild, slowly decomposing, self‑destructing, and still reaching for each other in the glow. Find out more about this incredible debut release here: https://wooden-overcoat.bandcamp.com/track/home

The Maharajas – Just Drink Wine

Ending things with a bang this week, we have The Maharajas kicking the door in with ‘Just Drink Wine,’ a blast of pure Stockholm swagger that reminds you why they’ve been Europe’s most dangerous garage‑rock lifeline for three decades. Their formula is still lethal: fuzz guitars that snarl, drums that hit like a bar‑fight heartbeat, and vocals that sneer with the kind of conviction you can’t fake. They’re not trading on nostalgia, they are living the 1960s spirit in real time, turning raw R&B, beat grit, and high‑octane attitude into something that still feels volatile, stylish, and gloriously unpolished. It’s the sound of a band who never stopped believing rock ’n’ roll should be loud, sweaty, and a little bit reckless. You can get it right now by following the link: https://amzn.to/4s2mYXl

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Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 23rd March 2026

Skaracha – Stuck In My Head

If proof were needed that a classic music style can be revived and resonate with relevance today it is here, with Skaracha (the clue is in the name). This nine piece are the first home‑grown Jamaican ska band since the fabulous sixties, roaring out of Kingston with ‘Stuck In My Head,’ a belter recorded live at Tuff Gong Studio in 2025. These young bloods and seasoned pros steps forward to revive the grand tradition of Jamaica’s ska originators, fusing fresh compositions with hand‑picked classics. Though ska has travelled the world and sparked scenes far from its shores, Jamaica has long awaited a dedicated ska ensemble of its own and today, Skaracha brings the music proudly home. You can get yourself a copy of the single at https://www.tipatop.bandcamp.com

Sharp Pins – Popafangout

I am a little bit behind with this one although not as far behind as Sharp Pins are. They go all the way back to 1967 with so many period flashes (everything from Byrds electric jangle to Beatles harmonies and a lovely swish of ‘Itchycoo Park’ flanging to top it all off) this could easily be sold as a forgery passing itself off as original UK psych. What I actually mean by ‘behind’ is that the album from which this tune is lifted, ‘Balloon Balloon Balloon,’ was released back in November and I have only recently come across it. Still, after the ska adventure on our first song this stands as further evidence of older styles ongoing validity if delivered with conviction, honest spirit and a foundation of great song writing; which this music from Chicago based musician Kai Slater clearly is, so check out the album, if you feel so inclined, here https://amzn.to/4uHVCbk

The Lemon Twigs – I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You

As I have taken us back to a 1960s vibe why not step back a couple years more, away from the flowery multi-coloured days of ’67 and into the beat band era that brought us the first Beatles records. The Lemon Twigs are a New York born duo of brothers, Brian and Michael D’Addario, known for their virtuosic musicianship and a flamboyant blend of ’60s and ’70s‑inspired rock, baroque pop, and theatrical songwriting. Here, with a track from their forthcoming album ‘Look For Your Mind’ out 8th May on Captured Tracks, they really nail that early guitar pop period with aplomb. Not so much a Fab Four homage as a loving appreciation of the whole scene, there are just as many echoes of The Hollies or Hermans Hermits in this as anything and, again, it has a place. You want to write a good pop song about losing someone in 2026 and have a choice between sounding like The Beatles or Ed Sheeran, which way do you go? Personally, I am picking the former every time and happily I am not alone. You can pre-order the album here https://amzn.to/3PinYJi

Courtney Marie Andrews – Keeper

Having enjoyed some retro stylings with the opening three tracks you would be forgiven for expecting this country tune to have a similarly vintage feel. But modern country generally does not revive its original sounds from sixty or seventy years ago, even though a piece of modern country such as this retains a classic charm. So this number, ‘Keeper,’ finds Courtney Marie Andrews standing at a pivotal moment in her evolution, carrying forward the emotional candour that defined earlier albums like ‘Honest Life’ and ‘Old Flowers’ while stepping into a more expansive, quietly assured phase of her songwriting. As part of her latest release ‘Valentine,’ the track deepens her shift toward richer textures and a more panoramic sense of self‑reflection. It’s a song that bridges where she’s been and where she’s headed, capturing the clarity and vulnerability that continue to anchor her work. You can get a copy of the album here: https://amzn.to/3PdflQe

Paper Wings – Mountains On The Moon

Maybe I spoke to soon with the last track, the sound we enjoy here does actually recall the early bluegrass tones of acts like the Louvin Brothers or Bill Monroe, although with a far greater emphasis on melancholy and reflection. They are a duo made up of Wila Frank and Emily Mann who weave their knife‑sharp harmonies, clawhammer banjo, and Appalachian‑tinged folk into a just released fourth LP record, from which this is the title track. Across its twelve tracks, the album blends longing, resilience, and old‑world lyricism into a sound that feels both timeless and freshly carved, presented with quiet confidence and luminous craft. You can buy the latest CD here: https://paperwingsduo.bandcamp.com/album/mountains-on-the-moon

Julian Lage – Night Shade

And we end with some of the sweetest sounding jazz guitar around in 2026. The six new tracks that I have picked today kind of skirt around a belief at the heart of everything Fruit Tree Records champions. Namely, that the many sounds and styles in music that have evolved over the past seventy-five years, which often get tied to a specific period in time, are actually timeless when played with heart, passion and inventiveness. This is a great example, Julian Lage may not be breaking any new ground with this performance but does that take away just how beautiful a piece of music it is at all? Absolutely not. It comes from Julian’s latest Blue Note album ‘Scenes From Above,’ where it appears as the record’s seven‑minute centerpiece. You can buy the album via this link: https://amzn.to/4cZDfsi

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Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 16th March 2026

Elles Bailey – Better Days

This rousing slice of modern Americana is taken from Elles latest album ‘Can’t Take My Story Away,’ an album that oozes a sense of catharsis and healing. It was written by her late friend, Matt Long, the singer, guitarist and songwriter for the award-winning band Catfish. Matt tragically passed away in October last year, 18 months after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. He and Bailey emerged onto the UK blues scene around the same time, crossing paths at festivals and on tour. “It felt like we were climbing this wild musical ladder together,” she said, “and then he got diagnosed with cancer.” During that time the whole community came together to help raise funds for his treatment. When he died, his parents showed her a song he’d written, ‘Better Days,’ which Elles gives the full on conviction the song deserves. As well as finding the tune on our latest ‘Fresh Juice’ Mixcloud show https://www.mixcloud.com/dannyneill714/fruit-tree-records-fresh-juice-2026-vol-2/ you can also grab yourself a physical copy of the album here: https://amzn.to/4brtznX

Howling Bells – Sweet Relief

When this band originally appeared on the scene with their self-titled debut in 2006, they had plenty of stiff competition for attention within the guitar pop world. This was, lest we forget, the time of ‘Landfill Indie,’ as wave upon wave of edgy, arch, angsty and sardonic four or five piece groups with second hand attitude filled the declining CD store racks with miles and miles of mostly uninspired, generic yelping produce. But Howling Bells always had a little something that pushed them above the general pack, a music that their singer Juanita calls a “kind of narcotic, bluesy, dreampop.” The band had a good initial run of nearly a decade before life and other projects took them quietly, although not permanently, out of view. Now they return with new music in 2026 and are clearly still as tight a unit as before, especially on ‘Sweet Relief’ which, in its own way, passionately resurrects all the energy and fire they first broke out with twenty years ago. This too features on the latest ‘Fresh Juice’ Mixcloud show https://www.mixcloud.com/dannyneill714/fruit-tree-records-fresh-juice-2026-vol-2/ and you can get a physical copy of the album here: https://amzn.to/4rx7FWo

Pokey LaFarge – Arkansas

I hope Pokey LaFarge enjoys the kind of national treasure status he deserves in the US because he certainly can make you long for a country that, in other ways these days, can come across like a place to avoid. He remains a prolific and dependably authentic purveyor of Americana roots music played with a style and swagger that has been time vortexed from around 100 years ago. His latest release is a six track EP on Boxer Boy Records entitled ‘Travelin’ With Poley LaFarge: Voice And Guitar Vol.1.’ As well as ‘Arkansas’ it also features intimate performances with his wife Addie Hamilton adding to the overall shift towards some more personally reflective sounds after 2024 album ‘Rhumba Country.’ You can get yourself a copy of the EP via this link: https://amzn.to/4bbjOeK

Josienne Clarke – Katie Cruel

Josienne is back on the road right now reviving her successful Sandy Denny show from 2025. It is that same Denny-like pure yearning in her voice that she brings to this bold re-interpretation of a traditional arrangement possibly best known, to me at least, via Karen Dalton’s recording. Playing to her strengths, Josienne takes an already heavy‑hearted song and drags it into even darker, more turbulent waters, drawing out every last drop of the lyrics’ harsh, irreconcilable truths. Not only that but she also honours the folk tradition of re-interpretation by writing some new verses of her own. Of the accompanying film, director Alec Bowman-Clarke says he “explores how time distorts our sense of self. We see the ‘young’ and ‘old’ Katie existing in the same physical spaces, separated by a veil of memory. This symmetry suggests that the song is not just a linear journey of decline, but a circular trap where the ghost of who she was constantly haunts the reality of who she has become.” You can get yourself a copy of the new ‘Katie Cruel’ single here: https://josienneclarke.bandcamp.com/

Melissa Aldana – La Sentencia

This easy and sumptuous, soulful jazz is the lead track from Melissa’s latest release on Blue Note Records entitled ‘Filin.’ The whole record is a study in the style of the records title; a romantic, harmonically rich Cuban song form that bridges bolero, trova, and jazz. Playing alongside pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, she shines with a simmering, minimalist intensity that pushes melody and subtle textures into the foreground. Aldana is a Chilean-born, Grammy-nominated tenor saxophonist known for her deep tone, introspective improvisation, and lineage‑driven approach to jazz. She grew up in a family of saxophonists, studied at Berklee, moved to New York, and has since become one of the most respected modern voices on the instrument. The album is available to buy here: https://amzn.to/40uwKpU

ESYA – Heaven

I am concluding this weeks ‘Fresh Juice’ feature with another stylistic jump, this time into some dense electronic shades built on percussive momentum that conjure bleak industrial landscapes of the mind. ESYA is a brand new musical direction for Savages bass player Ayse Hassan who has a debut album on the way in April called ‘Chasing Desire,’ out on AOK Records. It features appearances from Sharon Van Etten, Laura-Mary Carter, Jessy Lanza, Algiers’ Lee Tesche and more. This track is a rousing, uplifting and propulsive piece of dance-floor ready music but lyrically is rooted in anxiety and retreating from a difficult situation. Ahead of the albums release the title track is available here: https://amzn.to/3P9UMEe

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Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 9th March 2026

Tiwayo – Up For Soul

To get things going on the good foot this week how about a killer tune with some seriously sharp edged playing and a rough, lived in soul voice taking it out for delivery? This one is from Tiwayo’s latest album ‘Outsider’ which is set for release next month on the Record Kicks label. It is produced by the Black Pumas Adrian Quesada and promises to push this Paris born singer firmly into the spotlight, which he has slowly moved away from in recent years since his 2023 debut on Blue Note. It really is a welcome return from an artist with an incredible voice; even some of the all time greats in soul, blues and gospel did not come as close to a sound so authentically aged and fresh as this. No wonder Tiwayo was once bestowed with the nickname “The Young Old”. Get yourself on the pre-order list for the album via this link: https://amzn.to/4dau3RK

White Rose Motor Oil – Hit In The Face

Of this song, soon to be featured on their long anticipated debut album ‘Spider,’ the band say it is “for all of us who feel the need to punch-dance out our rage right now.” This is a rollin’ and tumblin’ rockin’ rockabilly thunder crack of a tune that revs its engine delightfully with every repeat of the “you’re gonna get hit in the face” chorus line. They are a red hot duo from Denver with a fire lighting zipper of a female vocalist and a love of playing fast and loud. Together they surf the waves between cowpunk and garage rock which is a pretty exhilarating place to be if you can manage to catch it. Find out more about the band this way https://whiterosemotoroil.bandcamp.com/track/hateland-2 and hear them included as part of our first Fresh Juice mix of the year here: https://www.mixcloud.com/dannyneill714/fruit-tree-records-fresh-juice-2026-vol-1/

Hannah Lew – Sunday

You can almost feel the sun rising on the springtime with the gorgeous hazy electro textures on a new track by Hannah Lew. It can also be heard on her self titled debut album due to be released on 10th April via Night School Records. She has a deep background in the US alt-rock underground with Grass Widow and Cold Beat but a new solo project is leaning more into her pop sensibilities, albeit with the sheen of a Numanoid post-punk production aesthetic. She says of this video that it is “a re-enactment of a dream I had, that the song is also based on. It was surreal to embody the subconscious and only then did I divine the meaning of the dream. The whole experience was very ritualistic.” Get the album on pre-order here: https://amzn.to/3NbTR5m

Anna Calvi (feat. Iggy Pop) – God’s Lonely Man

Anna’s latest EP project is titled ‘Is This All There Is?’ in which she purposefully sought out vocal collaborators who would fit perfectly for the role playing task required in each song. She approached Iggy Pop, feeling he would be the ideal personality to recite the destructive inner monologue of the title character in this piece. As you would expect he rises to the occasion and then some, reviving the same energy he pumped into classics like ‘Lust For Life’ and ‘The Passenger.’ The four track EP also features Perfume Genius, Laurie Anderson and Matt Berninger and is available here: https://amzn.to/3NdqwYq

Midnight Rodeo – Desert On The Run (Jenny)

Not exactly a brand new release but this is a relatively new live performance and the band are well worth a heads up for any who have not come across them yet. The song was originally available on their Bandcamp release ‘Thank You For Your Time’ and both that release and subsequent live outings show what a hot proposition this Nottingham based collective are. Their sound sits somewhere in the neo-psych garden although you can hear shimmering influences of Americana and surf rock in there too, all front loaded with a swooning vocalist and a band environment that feels like a proper gang. The vinyl may be long sold out but you can still get hold of the tracks here: https://midnightrodeo.bandcamp.com/album/thank-you-for-your-time

https://youtu.be/h8kRuAN_N7o?si=FELsNatnl7RSlt_Q

Julian Lage – Something More

And finally for this week some superb, masterful musicianship on one of the best Jazz album releases of the year so far. As well as leader Julian on guitar it also features his new quartet of John Medeski on Hammond organ, Jorge Roeder on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. It is taken from a new album ‘Scenes From Above,’ which happens to be his fifth record for Blue Note records, which came out in January. Produced by Joe Henry it is a record that feels like a balm amidst the turbulent world we are living in right now, it never hurts to remember that people can still create something beautiful in a time of destruction, division and conflict. You can buy the album via this link: https://amzn.to/4aY9KFN

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Old Fruit

Old Fruit 6th March 2026

The Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road

This week, in tandem with the new Sixties Garage mix we released on Mixcloud (available to listen here: https://www.mixcloud.com/dannyneill714/fruit-tree-records-sixties-garage-vol-1/ ), the Old Fruit feature is a selection of bands from the same era who all fall under the Garage umbrella. Not only that though, I have also made my mission this week to source some rarely seen TV or film footage of the acts in question, all of whom are rather lacking in visual representation thanks to either their only moderate success at the time or the pitifully small volume of surviving tapes. To get the ball rolling, this is a band heavily linked to the R&B scene of the period with undoubtedly their best known and most successful track. Also, this is by far the best quality footage I have seen, such high definition and colour from the time is rare indeed so get your eyes and ears around this one. For further digging, check out any Nashville Teens CDs you can purchase here: https://amzn.to/4l7VZHW

The Electric Banana – It’ll Never Be Me

Sixties midnight to six men The Pretty Things can be seen on a few TV and film clips from the era but they also had an alter-ego called The Electric Banana. This was hardly publicised at all during those years, in fact the band most likely treated it as a handy side hustle with their writing and recording for De Wolfe library, which placed specifically recorded background and music features into films and TV. Still, even though they never intended for it to be a public facing project, they actually made some really cool tracks under this name and the sound is generally identifiable as the classic Pretty Things style. On top of that, they occasionally appeared on film as the Electric Banana, as seen on this wonderful excerpt. The complete recorded works of the band are available to buy on this 3-CD set from a few years back: https://amzn.to/4rToSuf

The Birds – That’s All I Need You For

More priceless footage from a film although this time, frustratingly, we do not quite get the full song, cut as it is into dialogue scenes from the movie. It is worth it though simply for the chance to catch a glimpse of Ronnie Wood’s first band, way before the future Jeff Beck Group, Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist would become instantly, identifiably famous. The Birds were a mid-sixties London band primarily playing in the energetic mode that would later be classed as Freakbeat. They would have been rubbing shoulders with bands like the Pretty Things and The Who in their early days and in fact, theirs is a decent catalogue from the era and they made a few now garage rock classics well worth getting to know. This CD compilation ‘Collector’s Guide To Rare British Birds’ is a great one-stop place to start: https://amzn.to/4b8bivR

The Standells – Dirty Water

Thanks to its prominent positioning in the original Nuggets compilation tracklist (for the uninitiated this is the 1972 album that launched the collectable genre known as Garage Rock) The Standells ‘Dirty Water’ is rightly regarded as one of the styles premier artefacts. Still, it was hardly a song that rose too close to the surface in its time, the Los Angeles band releasing it as a single in 1965, but clearly it did warrant some promotional TV appearances in the US. That said, whilst it is incredible to see moving footage of the band in colour, they could hardly be accused of capturing the energy of the record with this casually mimed effort. The singing drummer looks quite bemused throughout and even puts his sticks down at one point. Still it is great to see this all the same, you can then follow this link for access to a good CD re-issue of the band taken from the original master tapes: https://amzn.to/3P13bto

The Rockin’ Ramrods – Play It

Even by the standards of sixties garage, The Rockin’ Ramrods are a pretty obscure act. For that reason alone it was quite a surprise to find that there is this grainy film footage of the band waiting to be found. It is certainly not a great quality visual but that downside is compensated by its rarity. They were a band from Boston who enjoyed a little local success in their time and are likely to have played alongside other notable neighbourhood names like The Remains, The Lost or The Barbarians. There is a ‘best of’ CD compilation available to buy via the link which does have some good period tunes in the primitive style sat alongside more standard sixties guitar band fare, worth a punt: https://amzn.to/3P13FQe

The Seeds – I Can’t Seem To Make You Mine

We finish with another garage band who today are regarded as one of the legends of the form. The Seeds were from Los Angeles and more than some of their peers, they really pushed the music forward into the psychedelic and garage-punk that would evolve out of the mid-decade musical grains. Not only that but their leader Sky Saxon was one of the more attention grabbing front men of the day and he knew how to work a camera, so it is nice that there are some examples of the band on film to explore. As for checking out the music, this expanded re-issue of their debut album is as good a place to start as any: https://amzn.to/4b8jNqw

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Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 2nd March 2026

Radhika – Starry Eyes

There is some heavy duty indie royalty backing on this recent single from Radhika released via Glass Modern. It features the unmistakable talents of Gerard Love, formerly of Teenage Fanclub and Lightships as well as Mitch Mitchell, previously in The Pastels. If those names conjure thoughts of floating dream pop then you are not far off the mark but that alone does not impress what a thing of melodic wondrousness this track is. It is from forthcoming album ‘Cine Pop’ and of the tune Radhika says: “I was looking through some old black and white pictures with my grandmother Soma and she said in a soft voice “I miss my mother.” This gentle intergenerational exchange was the starting point for ‘Starry Eyes.'” Get yourself a copy of this single via the link: https://glassmodern.bandcamp.com/album/starry-eyes

Shakey Graves – When The Love Is New

Shakey Graves is the performing identity of Alejandro Rose-Garcia who is both playing live regularly and releasing new music in what feels like an ever evolving artistic progression. He may have first got some recognition as a rough hewn disciple to the rootsy Americana grain of blues and folk but there is an increasing textural depth to the music he puts out. This latest release with its accompanying self directed video is a great example, yes it may well have a deceptively simple framework but the sound is dynamic and the sonics have a range to them worthy of the cinema. The further he goes, the more questions he raises about who and what Shakey Graves really is, be it experimental work, solo looping, full band improvising or mixed media, this is a journey that continues to fascinate. Several Shakey Graves titles can be explored and purchased via the link: https://amzn.to/4aKW019

Juni Habel – Stand So Still

Music does not need to nail definitive answers to the mast to be meaningful or evocative. With that in mind, it is very relatable that Juni says of this track that she does not think “this song ever decided whether standing still is good or bad. And I don’t know myself!” What we do know is that this is a timeless gem of a song that has a natural grace to it as it captures a moment of stillness and thought. This is a song that is set to appear on the Norwegian singer-songwriters forthcoming third album ‘Evergreen In Your Mind,’ anticipated to be one of the years strongest acoustic-folk leaning albums; Juni has enjoyed time well spent finely crafting this follow up to 2023’s ‘Carvings’ LP. You can get yourself a copy of the album (when it’s released on 10th April via Basin Rock) via this link https://amzn.to/4aY8Szx and this track can also be heard as the closing number in the Fruit Tree Records latest ‘New Releases’ Mixcloud mix right here: https://fruit-tree-records.com/2026/02/24/new-mix-fruit-tree-records-fresh-juice-2026-vol-1/

Henri Herbert – American Psycho

Always a thrill to present new music from this artist, who is seen and heard here attacking the piano with his own composition ‘American Psycho.’ In a past life Henri was part of the hard rocking vintage renegades The Jim Jones Revue but since that band dissolved this former child of Essex and France relocated to the US and immersed himself in the countries roots music scene. Nowadays, Henri is one of the top purveyors of that infectious, pounding boogie-woogie sound and he releases music on his own HH Records label. Catch him live if you can and head this was for downloads of his albums and recordings: https://amzn.to/40DTvrm

Clementine March – Powder Keg

Released on PRAH Recordings, this is the title track from a new album by Clementine March that builds on the artists Art-Pop style incorporating elements of chamber pop and a hint of the maverick in the unpredictable structures and changes. All of that can be heard in this one track actually, as wind instruments and strings appear to propel the song into the stratosphere following the more pastoral psychedelics heard in the opening. There is a tension between the quieter moments and the tougher textures throughout the album while the names of other collaborators (Alabaster dePlume, Naima Bock and Katy J Pearson) stand as strong indicators to the kind of single-minded artist we are enjoying here. There are physical formats of the LP available, find out more here: https://clementinemarch.bandcamp.com/album/powder-keg

Cosmic Tones Research Trio – High On Flutes

If the Juni Habel song managed to evoke the stillness of its title, so too does this mesmeric instrumental leave an appropriately flute-centred impression on the listener. This is spiritual jazz par-excellence from three US multi-instrumentalists and in fact the live clip below continues into a full set recorded at Het Stadsklooster (Utrecht) during Le Guess Who? Festival 2025 for VPRO Vrije. Theirs is a sound that thrives on a slow building approach, there is both a cosmic and organic feel to the vibes and whilst Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders are very obvious comparison points, the Cosmic Tones Research Trio are very much their own entity making work that flows out of their individualist DNA. Further investigation is strongly recommended and you can get a copy of their self titled debut here: https://amzn.to/4sn04ur

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Old Fruit

Old Fruit 27th February 2026

Joan As Police Woman – Anyone

Prompted by the news that Joan Wasser, in her performing guise of Joan As Police Woman, is going to be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of her ‘Real Life’ album, this weeks Old Fruit revisits that and five other notable records from 2006. To mark the occasion Joan has recorded and filmed new re-worked versions of songs from the record, including the beautiful ‘Anyone’ which today is rightly regarded as a classic. The celebrations will be accompanied by a tour later this year and if this new rendition should whet your appetite for further Joan’ exploration you can get on her case via the label Reveal Records and investigate more here: https://www.revealrecords.co.uk/

Cat Power – Lived In Bars

Here is another long established US artist who is going to be celebrating twenty years since the release of her classic ‘The Greatest’ album with a tour. Cat Power (real name Chan Marshall) emerged out of the 1990s indie scene and initially played with more of a lo-fi, alternative-blues kind of sound but by 2006, with confidence growing and artistic expressiveness sufficiently flexed, she issued the record that absolutely lived up to its name within her catalogue. The thing that she really nailed here was an authentic southern soul sound which, in tandem with Chan’s aching and bruised vocals, made for a set of songs that hit their mark with total conviction. Get yourself a copy of the album here: https://amzn.to/4bcXK3b

M Ward – Right In The Head

Here is a stand out track from M Ward that appeared on his 2006 album ‘Post War,’ released on Merge Records. It marked a sonic evolution for Ward being his first record recorded with a full band, broadening the songwriter’s palette beyond the intimate, lo‑fi textures of his earlier work. His sound by then was a mix of acoustic folk, blues, and dusty Americana whilst he was also able to entice contributions from collaborators like Neko Case. The nostalgia-tinged production he would go on to be acclaimed for was hitting its stride in 2006 and further deep listening of the mans music is strongly recommended, so why not start here with ‘Post War’ https://amzn.to/4bbWWvw

Camera Obscura – Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken

Taken from their 2006 album ‘Let’s Get Out Of This Country,’ this song was actually the opening track and it marked the high water mark in the bands career, in accessible pop terms at least. This demonstrated a turning point too for the band, similar to that taken by fellow Scots Belle And Sebastian when they also moved away from the twee, bookish indie of their earlier days into a sound that was far more comfortable in big production and a lush widescreen pop sheen. It certainly endured as well, this is a song that still gets regular airplay (especially on 6 Music) to this day and quite rightly so; you can pick up the album on CD right here: https://amzn.to/40xfO1N

The Decemberists – Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)

The Decemberists 2006 album ‘The Crane Wife’ was an important one for them in that it sharpened their profile in the music world as a band capable of building long form song-based suites that could also produce a US folk-rock sound identifiably their own. This song especially shone with that balance of accessibility and ambition: a melodic, immediate tune that still carries the band’s signature narrative complexity. This live clip from a few years later is nice because it features Colin Meloy’s original lead vocal partner from the album recording, Laura Veirs, reprising her role on stage. The album is well worth checking out too and can be found via this link: https://amzn.to/4tZtC2M

Victorian English Gentleman’s Club – Ban The Gin

We conclude this edition with the only act this week who do not appear to still be active. The band did remain an underground cult favourite for a few years after releasing a debut album in 2006 and are fondly remembered by people who were following their label Fantastic Plastic Records or the Cardiff scene at the time. However, despite releasing a few more albums over the next ten years it would appear they quietly called it a day some time around 2016. Nevertheless, the VEGC burned bright for a while and certainly ignited a scene suddenly awash with Arctic Monkeys soundalikes with their unique and adventurous brand of Art-Pop. You can find a copy of their debut this way: https://www.discogs.com/master/208739-The-Victorian-English-Gentlemens-Club-The-Victorian-English-Gentlemens-Club

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Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 23rd February 2026

Laptop – Xanadu

This summery, laid back new single has the potential to join the ranks of the great misinterpretations in music. Like the many who failed to notice that ‘Born In The USA’ was damning, or that ‘Every Breath You Take’ was basically a stalker song, so too some might miss that ‘Xanadu’ is far from the colourful ode to an exotic holiday destination it initially appears as. The tune is a duet between the bands frontman Jesse Hartman and Nevis vocalist Anna Hadeed that has enough sunshine and sand in the production to deceptively masquerade as a sunshine pop hit with an ambient nod to Jamaican chill. But, as is depicted in the video, this is actually throwing a grenade at the materialistic idea of happiness being found in consumerism. Originally formed in the late 1990s, Laptop released three albums of arch, synth leaning art pop on Island Records before disappearing from view for a while, but they return revitalised with Jesse now joined by his son Charlie. They have a forthcoming album called ‘On This Planet’ and you can check them out more here: https://laptoptheband.bandcamp.com/

Hudson Freeman – I’m Most Me

Sometimes when new music is raining down on you there will be a chance discovery unaccompanied by fanfare or hype that stands out simply by virtue of being very, very good. So, that very thing happened with this song, captured as a live performance on the GoodNoise channel. There is nothing in Hudson’s presentation that grabs you, he has a pretty unassuming look, but as soon as he plays ‘I’m Most Me’ the thing that stands out a mile is that it is the work of a sensitive and tuned in songwriter. He is at one with his instrument as both lyrically and sonically he plugs into the exact feeling the number is trying to convey. Add to that some hot guitar abrasions and it adds up to a quiet eruption of music in the lo-fi Americana style. Hudson has focused more on the intimacy of singer-songwriting post pandemic, but you cannot fail to detect something raging under the surface. Find out more here: https://hudsonfreeman.com/

Kevin Morby – Javelin

Following a totally fresh discovery I move onto an artist who has been a firm favourite for at least ten or fifteen years at this point. Kevin Morby is dependably excellent with his releases too, having settled on an alternative folk-rock sound that whilst referencing Lou Reed, Wilco or Jonathan Richman textures is always unmistakably his own. He has recently announced a forthcoming new album called ‘Little Wide Open’ from which ‘Javelin’ is a rather promising taster. Kevin has described the record as his most personal and vulnerable yet although, by the sounds of this song, that does not mean he has lost any of his energy and musical thrust. Aaron Dessner of The National produces and by the sounds of things is leaving a welcome amount of space in the production for the performance to express as only Morby can. The full album is coming in May but for now you can get the song here: https://amzn.to/4qV05Et

Jill Scott – Beautiful People

The Roots have long been one of the best acts on the rap scene, not just because in tandem with their beats and mixing they are a super tight live unit but also because of the strength of their collaborations. Soul singer Jill Scott broke through in music in the late nineties after working with the band, amongst others, then really made her mark with a strong solo debut in 2000 that fused the rap and nu-soul styles of the day with an authentic retro texture marking her territory as the real soul deal. She has kept her quality high, possibly by not overkilling on the releases as this is her first new music in ten years, but whenever the three time Grammy winner puts out something new it has always been worth hearing. The new album is out now, called ‘To Whom It May Concern,’ you can grab a copy here: https://amzn.to/4rxeY1b

Mitski – I’ll Change For You

Mitski is another artist about whom you can say if there is new music in the pipeline, it would be wrong not to check it out for she delivers consistently. There is a perception that she belongs in the mainstream pop world but if that is the case, it is a pop avenue that I am happy to send you down because the music has depth, eloquence and range. There is also a maverick unpredictability to her, after all, the surprising support act she picked for a recent tour was the equally unique and out-there folk singer Richard Dawson. The new album ‘Nothing’s About To Happen To Me’ is more narrative driven and is available February 27th on Dead Oceans; for purchasing just follow the link: https://amzn.to/4c51Viz

India Bourne & The Big Skirts – Lava

To conclude this week, a lovely and mesmerising live clip featuring India Bourne. There is something so beautiful about a choir of voices, producing a sound with both volume and punch but devoid of the clinical tuning in modern recording standards, the human element of a choir with all its built in natural variables makes for a sound that is raw and alive. India is a classically trained cellist who was a long time member of Ben Howard’s band alongside her own Tender Central project, but she also moonlights as a vocal coach and for the past ten years, a choir leader of The Big Skirts. For further exploration into her warm, experimental sounds head this way: https://tendercentral.bandcamp.com/album/the-garden

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Old Fruit

Old Fruit 20th February 2026

Jake Thackray – Lah Di Dah

This week’s voyage into the archives is focusing on a niche collection of song writer’s who can bring a smile and a laugh to their audiences faces without specifically being a comedy act. Instead they are both observant and delightfully mischievous in their portraiture of the everyday life around them. They have an eye for the ridiculous, the pretentious and the grandeur that folk shield themselves in but have a lightness of touch when translating these details into song. They can play it for laughs in tandem with composing a beautiful, memorable song without resorting to being straight gag merchants or comic impressionists. Some of the selections this week, the first two in particular, are naturals in front of the TV camera as they have the gift of audience communication and can command a television studio as much as a concert stage. Jake was a UK TV regular some fifty years ago and does in fact preface his song about upper class aspirational types with some gentle jokes. The songs are his strength though and there are many more like this, I strongly recommend this 1967 – 1976 retrospective as a place to start https://amzn.to/4cK5o6e

Loudon Wainwright III – The Doctor

Loudon was one of the many singer songwriter’s labelled as a ‘new Dylan’ in the early seventies but the reality of his act has always been a long shot away from the Bob turf. For starters, Loudon has always been transparent when writing about his personal life, sometimes to the apparent annoyance of his children, in a way that Dylan generally avoids or disguises. Secondly, he has always been comfortable with playing it for laughs in the same moments he is punching you in the face with a hard truth. Finally, Wainwright will think nothing of setting up a song in concert or on a radio session with a long spoken, explanatory, introduction; something the monosyllabic onstage Bob will rarely do these days. Loudon’s career is long and distinguished at this point, here he is in the early 1990s with a song from that years ‘History’ album, which can be purchased here: https://www.discogs.com/release/2986342-Loudon-Wainwright-III-History

Tom Lehrer – We Will All Go Together When We Go

Here is a master satirist from the fifties who only got his hands dirty in music for a relatively short period, regarding himself as a mathematician first and a performer almost by accident. As the political events of the sixties unfolded he claimed to find them hard to satirize, sensing that he would merely be stating the obvious. That said, of the artists featured so far he is definitely the most overtly comedic and his wit could be as razor sharp as his wordplay could be biting. You can sample his recorded output easily enough, this being one of a few CD retrospectives available: https://amzn.to/4qStT4N

Randy Newman – My Life Is Good

Here is one America’s most acclaimed and consistently rewarding song writer’s who has found rich potential for his music in many films and soundtracks. Something that jumps out from this live clip is how musically eloquent he is, the way he dances around the piano firing off little dramatic musical intervals to build the drama around those incredible lyrics is worthy of the musical theatre. Anyone who enjoys the previous artists ability to be both funny and poignant in the same breath will surely find much to love in Newman’s work. Take this as a fantastic example, the singer playfully mocking the financial elite who believe their wealth elevates them above basic humanitarianism. The original recording appeared on his 1983 LP ‘Trouble In Paradise,’ an album that recently enjoyed the expanded deluxe edition treatment: https://amzn.to/4aschb5

Jonathan Richman – Vampire Girl

Not an act who is intentionally soliciting for laughs in the slightest, at least not that he would ever admit. Jonathan’s whole schtick has been built around playing on his wide eyed innocence, then following through with that in both writing and performance thus unlocking a career of a wholly unique stripe. He favours the stripped back simplicity of early rock ‘n’ roll and sings without a trace of cynicism or irony. The humour in his work is warm and gentle whilst his live sets are a primitive delight that cannot fail to entertain. ‘Vampire Girl’ is available on this 2002 ‘best of’ compilation which can be purchased via the link: https://amzn.to/4aFeVsL

Half Man Half Biscuit – 24 Hour Garage People

Half Man Half Biscuit are arguably the definitive example of an indie band who could not be described as a comedy act but are routinely hilarious in their writing nevertheless. The band have always been a vehicle for the writing of Nigel Blackwell, a musician whose work is keenly observed and littered with UK specific pop culture, indie rock and football references. The music always packs a primitive guitar band punch forming a canvas for Nigel to spray paint his observations, take downs and dry social send ups on. The song in this live clip tells of a hilariously dour encounter with a late night petrol station attendant which the singer extends brilliantly with a freeform riff in the middle. It originally appeared on the album ‘Trouble Over Bridgewater’ which can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/3Oqcnay

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Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 16th February 2026

Cat Clyde – Man’s World

I have featured Cat Clyde in Fresh Juice in previous years but some artists are worth returning to again and again. It was the ‘Down Rounder’ record from 2023 and a blistering set at the End Of The Road festival that originally caught my ear, although that was actually her third long playing release having put a well received debut out in 2017. Over the years many have praised her ability to put a fresh spin on an old sound but I do not see things through such a retro lens. For me, the rocking country music that Cat delivers is raw and alive, very much a legitimate part of the 2026 landscape and I am excited to hear more of her vintage modernistic flavours when the new ‘Mud Blood Bone’ album is released on 13th March; you can pre-order that right away here: https://i.concordrecords.com/catclyde

GENA – Lead It Up

This is the latest single from the duo of Liv.e and Karriem Riggins who are about to release, on 27th February via Lex Records, a new album called ‘The Pleasure Is Yours.’ It is one of the most hotly anticipated records scheduled for the opening weeks of 2026 and this promo film tells you exactly why. These are subtle soulful sounds with a jazz flare and a cutting edge that could leave you bloodied and bruised. Just listen to those savage waves of distortion that tear it up as the song enters its finale. This is only one side of the sound GENA produce, flip things over and there are strong R&B and hip-hop elements as part of the cocktail too. This video film was directed by Cam Hicks and stars Liv.e, Karriem, Errol Chatman and Aijani Payne. Get your hands on this by visiting https://lexrecords.com/

Spencer Cullum – Rowan Tree

There are many acts around today who pull inspiration from the warm analogue sounds produced by British folk bands during the late sixties and early seventies. Sprinkled with a little acid guitar magic, buzzing with the throb of electricity against a deep traditional song structure and propelled by an organic rhythm section, it remains a sound that, the more it is repurposed for the present moment, moves way beyond the evocation of an era into an increasing timeless realm. Spencer and his various collaborators across different projects has proved himself to be one of the best, so it is fantastic to welcome ‘Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection 3,’ the concluding album of the ‘Coin Collection’ trilogy out on 27th March via Full Time Hobby. You can pre-order and reserve your copy via this link: https://spencercullum.ffm.to/cc3

Courtney Barnett ft. Waxahatchee – Site Unseen

This is a pairing that makes perfect sense on paper and is proving to be extremely fruitful in practice too. Courtney has been keeping that slacker, grunge energy, shot through with a little Lou Reed streetwise cool and wit, alive for more than ten years now whilst Waxahatchee has been responsible for some of the truly essential modern country sounds to come out of the US in the 21st century. She (real name Katie Crutchfield) appears with Courtney singing a high harmony part on this, a taster single from Barnett’s forthcoming ‘Creature Of Habit’ album which is due for release on 27th March. Get yourself a pre-order of the vinyl by following the link: https://cbmusic.lnk.to/CreatureOfHabit

John Andrews & The Yawns – Something To Be Said

Time for a bit of chilled reflection with this suitably laid back number, it comes from a modestly titled album arriving on 3rd April called ‘Streetsweeper.’ Like our previous artist, John Andrews has been on the scene for a good ten years or more now and, through his various connections in the indie rock world, has a growing reputation as a fine purveyor of vintage sounds and a classicists hand at song composition. The Yawns were initially an imaginary band as John played most of the instruments on his recordings himself but, gradually, he has evolved to the point we find him at today, capturing the authentic live sound of musicians cooking together in a room (albeit in a very relaxed manner). You can pre-order the album today via the link: https://earthlibraries.com/

The Claypool Lennon Delirium – WAP (What A Predicament)

I am sure they will not thank me for saying it but there is some real Beatle Juice bleeding into the kaleidoscopic audio of this new track. Of all the Beatles next generation, it is frequently Sean Ono Lennon that seems to be the most plugged in creatively and who so often delivers the goods. This is the band he formed with the Primus bassist and vocalist Les Claypool who have more recently expanded to include Joao Nogueria on keyboards and Paulo Baldi on drums. Once more for this weeks Fresh Juice, they are an act that have been around for about ten years and continue to evolve and stay relevant, this new music refining the ‘progadelic’ notion coined by Lennon in an effort to describe the bands music. Keep up with their new recordings and live dates here: https://theclaypoollennondelirium.com

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