Monolith Cocktail Blog

BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEWS ROUNDUP – INSTANT REACTIONS. ALL ENTRIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

Dragged Up – Rapunzel /Black Carbon
Double-A-Sided Single (Warped Tracks (Fife), and on Label Obscura based in Toronto, Canada) 5^th August 2026

The Excellent Dragged Up are back with two fine slices of Guitar strum. The First Track ‘Rapunzel’ is a sonic fuzzed up gem of garage psych indie splendour that has one’s mind taken on an imaginary journey of watching the Sonics hula hoop whilst swaying to the mighty sounds of a 60’s Beach Blanket Bingo soundtrack, plus it also has a rather ace Saxophone honking – not unlike the Sonics themselves. The second track ‘Black Carbon’ is a slightly more sedate affair that has not lost any of its psych bewitchery, and is quite a beautiful piece of vinyl art.

Feverdreamt ‘Our Only Fault Is Existing’
Album (Blackjack Illuminist Records) 3^rd July 2026

Dark Gothic Synth folk is that a thing £ (I put a pound sign in because I could not find the question mark). Well, if it is not a thing it is now, as that’s the only way I can poorly describe this rather lovely album of…well, Dark Gothic Synth Folk.

If you were camping in the dark woods and nighttime was upon you, and you wanted something to catch the dying embers of the campfire Our Only Fault Is Existing could well be the album to do it. It’s an album of melancholy fortitude; an album of ghostly memories that not just haunt but bewitch a look through an old photo album and relive the days when your wrinkles were laughter lines and the person in your arms was the person in your heart. Music can be a bastard sometimes, but in a darlingly beautiful heartbreaking way.

Robyn Hitchcock ‘Yesterday’s Rain’
Single 24^th July 2026

I do love Robyn Hitchcock, as all music lovers should; he is blessed with a songwriting talent of wit charm and melody and a voice to match. Yesterday’s Rain is full of all those things and lyrics that supply a steady stream of imagery that Barrett and a Psych era Lennon would be proud of. 

Mike Honcho ‘Day To Day’
Album (Wormhole) 17^th July 2026

Day To Day is an album of quite mellow and musical dance tracks that ooze sophistication and musicality and more importantly some pretty fine hooks and melody, which I tend to fins is not always the way with this genre. 

There are only 25 copies of this CD for sale, released on the excellent Wormhole World records, so if you want to soundtrack your day with some fun experimental dance that is easy on the ear you better get your skates on or if you have no skates some other footwear that will make you move pretty sharpish. 

John Howard ‘Abbey Road, April 1974’
Single

‘Abbey Road’ is a rather lovely piano perusal of sun and light; a short mid-tempo toe tapper that those of a certain age will no doubt cherish, help refurbish their aging heart with a soft glow of magic hope and loss. ‘Abbey Road’ is two and a half minutes of simple aural sublimity.

Simon Klein ‘Will You Marry Me’
Album (Gare du Nord) 17^th July 2026

Will You Marry Me is quite a rather lovely album; an album in which Simon Klein celebrates his 46 years of marriage – whether his wife is celebrating this is maybe another question but let’s assume she is. The songs are mostly all upbeat and full of pop melodies from the rockabilly shuffle of “Cat” through the MOR prog pop of “Ever Present Help In Trouble” and the sweet almost Belle And Sebastian like ballad “Hold Me Now” and the jangly “Mrs Simon Klein“. “Will You Marry Me” is a happy go lucky sunny treat with not a dark cloud in sight.

Post Elvis ‘Sun & Moon’
Single 2^nd July 2026

Two fine tracks of modern psychedelia that swing and sway with a Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev/Grandaddy charm that pleases one – especially if you are a fan of one of the aforementioned. I’m not saying that they all sound the same but they may all sip from the same mug of coco.  

Sir Richard Bishop ‘Hillbilly Erotica’
Album (Drag City) 31^st July 2026

Sir Richard Bishop’s Hillbilly Erotica certainly sounds like a saucy little number. I wonder how erotic hillbilly’s can be. I remember the Beverly Hill Billys from my youth and always had a thing for the attractive blond girl, so maybe that’s what’s making me gravitate to giving this album a listen.

And as I listen to this album I wonder if Sir Richard Bishop is an actual knight of the realm and if so, does he ride a horse and does he go to knightly functions alongside Sir Paul and Sir Cliff. The only thing putting me off reviewing this is the surname Bishop, me being a good Catholic lad and being made to attend strict catholic schools in the seventies and early years of the eighties I learned never to trust a bishop or any religious high-ranking officer: nothing erotic about them just plain creepy.

Anyway, onto the music. It’s fine and dandy and full of finger picking country strummed melody soaked ye haw magic. The beautiful “Postcoital Serenade” is indeed beautiful enough to play again before the coital shenanigans commence, as is “Finger Revisited” which melody wise had me thinking of the wonderful Nick Drake. And also did Frankie Howard name these tracks I really need to know. “Hookers Bend” – maybe Sir Richard Bishop is a rugby fan – is a rather wonderfully expertly strummed matador baiting delight Spanish Odessey of sublimity. 

Hillbilly Erotica is indeed a fine listen and one to soundtrack the oncoming Long Summer nights or even the short afternoon delights.

Toxic Chicken ‘Time Traveller’
Album (Earthrid) 14^th July 2026

What came first the Toxic Chicken or the egg? Well obviously Toxic Chicken as nothing comes before Toxic Chicken especially when artful experimental dance tinged pop is the calling of the day.

Time Traveller is an album of excellence, an enjoyable foray into the art instrumental bliss if the Aphex Twin actually had a twin it could well be Toxic Chicken. 

Here’s the message bit we hate, but crucially need:

If you’ve enjoyed this selection, the writing, or been led down a rabbit hole into new musical terrains of aural pleasure, and if you able, then you can now show your appreciation by keeping the Monolith Cocktail afloat through the Ko-Fi donation site.