Our Monthly Playlist selection of choice music and Choice Releases list from the last month.

We decided at the start of the year to change things a little with a reminder of not only our favourite tracks from the last month, but also a list of choice albums too. This list includes both those releases we managed to feature and review on the site and those we just didn’t get the time or room for – time restraints and the sheer volume of submissions each month mean there are always those releases that miss out on receiving a full review, and so we have added a number to both our playlist and list.
All entries in the Choice Releases list are displayed alphabetically.
Meanwhile, our Monthly Playlist continues as normal, with all the choice tracks from June taken either from reviews and pieces written by me – that’s Dominic Valvona – or Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea. Our resident Hip-Hop expert Matt Oliver has also put forward a smattering of crucial and highlighted tracks from the rap arena.
CHOICE RELEASES FROM THE LAST MONTH OR SO:
Armstrong ‘Handicrafts’
Review
Audio Obscura ‘As Long As Gravity Persists On Holding Me to This Earth’
Review
Francis Bebey ‘The African Seven Edits’
Jeff Bird ‘Ordo Virtutum: Jeff Bird Plays Hildegard von Bingen, Vol 2’
(Six Degrees Records) Review
Che`Noir ‘The Color Chocolate 2’
Dave Clarkson ‘Was Life Sweeter?’
(Cavendish House) Review
Half Naked Shrunken Heads ‘Let’s Build A Boy’
(Metal Postcard Records) Review
Novelistme ‘Fabulous Nonsense’
Review
Nowaah The Flood ‘Mergers And Acquisitions’
Luiz Ser Eu ‘Sarja’
(Phantom Limb)
Various ‘TUROŇ/AHUIZOTL’
(Swine Records w/ Fayuca Retumba) Review
Voodoo Drummer ‘HELLaS SPELL’
Review
The Wants ‘Bastard’
(STTT) Review
Warda ‘We Malo’
(WEWANTSOUNDS) Review
THE PLAYLIST
Bedd ‘Messed up Your Head’
Dragged Up ‘Clachan Dubh’
John Johanna ‘Seven Hunters’
Vlimmer ‘Gleichbau’
Heavenly ‘Portland Town’
Novelistme ‘I Want You Here’
Half Naked Shrunken Heads ‘Let’s Build A boy’
Juppe ‘Woozy’
Noura Mint Seymali ‘Guereh’
Francis Bebey ‘Agatha – Voilaaa Remix’
Anton de Bruin & Fanni Zahar ‘Running On Slippers’
Chairman Maf ‘Wild Turkey’
Lord Olo & TELEVANGEL ‘BEAT EM!”
Masta Killa Ft. Raekwon & Cappadonna ‘Eagle Claw’
Aesop Rock ‘Movie Night’
Oddisee ‘Natural Selection’
Nowaah The Flood ‘Protocol’
Ello Sun ‘River’
Luiz Ser Eu ‘O Sol Nas Suas Pestanas, Adora’
Elena Baklava ‘Kamber’
Jason van Wyk ‘Remnants’
Mary Sue & Clementi Sound Appreciation Club ‘Horse Acupuncture’
Evidence ‘Different Phases’
Vesna Pisarovic ft. Noël Akchoté, Tony Buck, Greg Cohen, Axel Dörner ‘Vrbas vodo, što se često mutiš?’
Itchy-O ‘Phenex’
Tom Caruana Ft. Dynas ‘Aisle 9’
C-Red & Agent M ‘Godspeed’
Scienze & NappyHIGH Ft. Benny The Butcher and Elaquent ‘Capt. Kirk’
Charles Edison ‘No Love Lost’
Parallel Thought & Defcee ‘Graduation Picture’
Fashawn & Marc Spano Ft. Blu ‘No Comply’
Che Noir ‘Blink Twice’
Saadi ‘Homo sapiens’
Charlie Hannah ‘St. Gregor the Good’
HighSchool ‘149’
Swansea Sound ‘Oasis v Blur’
The Wants ‘Data Tumor’
Tigray Tears ‘Wishing for Peaceful Times to Return’
Jeff Bird ‘Shining White Lillies’
The Good Ones ‘Agnes Dreams of Being an Artist’
Briana Marela ‘Value’
The Still Brothers & Vermin the Villain ‘Alright’
LMNO & D-Styles ‘Best to Lay Low’
The High & Mighty Ft. Breeze Brewin ‘Super Sound’
Slick Rick & Nas ‘Documents’
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 can, then you can now show your appreciation by keeping the Monolith Cocktail afloat by donating via Ko-Fi.
For the last 15 years both me and the MC team have featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world: ones that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored, and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love or interest in. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to say thanks or show support, than you can now buy us a coffee or donate via https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail
Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea’s Reviews Roundup – Instant Reactions. All entries in alphabetical order.

Nash Albert ‘Kingdom Of Love’
Album – 6th June 2025
Now then my dearies what do we have here…well, an album by Nash Albert, an artist I admit I’d never come across before, and his third album called “Kingdom Of Love”. It sounds to me like the kind of album that would have been released in the 1980’s by a major label pretending it was an indie. It has a mixture of 80’s rock bombast with a slight tinge of goth and folk and psychedelic goodness and AOR pop. And all in all an enjoyable listen for an album that could have been released anytime in the last 40 years.
Armstrong ‘Handicrafts’
Album – 1st June 2025
Armstrong (or Julian Pitt) as I have mentioned so many times in my past reviews of his work has a God given gift for melody that is rather quite a rare and marvellous thing, and one that really deserves to be heard by more people and hopefully these 43 songs that make up this double CD comp of his wonderful gift for melody will go some way to putting that right. For we have 43 slices of home recorded sunshine pop, from the Housemartins meets Joe Meek Pop Splendour of “Sunday Walking” to the seventies Bacharach and David late tv shine of “Cosmos World” fed through the mind of Brian Wilson circa “The Beach Boys Love You” sessions.
So many aural delights: “The Wonderful Sweetest Girl” is a fine 4 track wonder of lo-fi post punk jangle pop and “Yesterdays Over” is a rather sweet piano ballad worthy of the Zombies, or the mid to late sixties magic of the Hollies or the Smiths like “Let’s Be Decisive”. I could honestly just go on and on listing the tracks and writing about how beautiful and wonderful they all are, so instead of doing that I just advise you buy the CD, and you will not be disappointed.
Dragged up ‘Blakes Tape/ Clachan Dubh’
Single
Ah, more indie guitar rock to tempt me with. I admit, I get sent way too much indie guitar rock to listen to, but when it is as fun and as well done as this I really do not mind. What we have here are two tracks of sublime indie chuggery: is chuggery a word? And if so, have I spelt it right? Anyway, Dragged Up do it all very well and hopefully will find themselves on the BBC6 music playlists and maybe even one day finding themselves guesting on Jools Holland (if so, please kick him in the groin for me), as I find the distant whispers of the mainstream calling their name.
Half Naked Shrunken Heads ‘Let’s Build A Boy’
EP – (Metal Postcard Records) 16th May 2025
Metal Postcard Records is becoming the record label to go to if you require some discordant post punk in your life. Not only do they offer us the Neon Kittens, The Salem Trials and the Legless Crabs but now their latest band of jagged angular post punk the wonderfully named Half Naked Shrunken Heads. This their debut ep is four tracks of Public Image Ltd /Bow Wow Wow extravaganza, experimental mixture of punk, dub and rather fetching kicking your heals downtown filthy art filled rock ‘n’ roll…. yes, another gem. One day Cherry Red Records are going to release a series of box sets of Metal Postcard releases and people will marvel how they never heard it first time around.
Heavenly ‘Portland Town’
Single – Digital Release 6th June 2025
The first new single from Heavenly in 20 years, and a fine single it is as well, all charming indie guitar strum and melody filled harmony bliss. A beautiful ode to Portland Town, a song that captures and enraptures and makes me want to pop on a plane with my guitar and busk away till my heart is content. A lovely summer single.
Majken ‘A Siren’
Single – (Sing A Song Fighter) 12th June 2025
“A Siren” is a rather beautiful atmospheric unusual ballad filled with rising sunsets and falling dew drop, a journey into the life and minds of a wistful muse. For Majken has a rare and sweet musical talent that emits warmth and tenderness.
Novelistme ‘Fabulous Nonsense’
Album – 10th June 2025
I like this album. Novelistme is obviously a talented songwriter and musician, and “Fabulous Nonsense” is a fine album made up of good songs and some fine melodies and some great guitar riffs; an album that will appeal to all lovers of indie rock legends GBV and Graham Coxan’s solo recordings. But there is a something that I have to mention, that I find the production and sound of the album just a little to clean and clinical for my tastes, and lacking a little warmth; the same problem I have with XTC, which is my problem and not Novelistme, and is the only thing that is stopping me loving the album, but really is a good listen.
Swansea Sound ‘Oasis V Blur’
Single – 6th June 2025
Oasis Or Blur, now that is a question that really needs to be answered even after all these years. Obviously, I am well known for my hatred of Oasis, so Blur is the obvious answer, and this lovely blast of indie is good fun with its Fall like riffage and radio friendly melody. If I was on jukebox Jury I would be holding up the Hit card…. I would probably be wrong, but it’s all good fun.
The Twirlies ‘Think That I Am In Love’
Single – (Café Superstar Recordings) 23rd May 2025
This single is a rather beautiful summery pop song. The word charming was indeed invented to describe this charming slice of indie pop. The Twirlies could well be a band worthy of further investigation; any band that can remind me of both the Zombies and Belle and Sebastian doing a summer shimmer is indeed a band worthy of further investigation. I Think That I Am In Love with this single.
The Wants ‘Bastard’
Album (STTT) 13th June 2025
There is something quite Go Betweens-ish about The Wants, but a more experimental Go Betweens, a more jagged angrier experimental colder sounding Go Betweens. I think it might be the Grant McLennan-like vocals. Although I could be completely wrong about this. If so, please ignore my opening sentence. It might be because my wife is listening to the Go Betweens in the other room and there might be a cross contamination of musical genius.
Anyway, I like this gang of post punk musical miscreants. They have a lovely 80’s psychedelic undercurrent to their sound that combines with the coldness of their post punk energy, and the whole album is an enjoyable emulsion into darkness and angular sadness. A fine album.
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 can, then you can now show your appreciation by keeping the Monolith Cocktail afloat by donating via Ko-Fi.
For the last 15 years both me and the MC team have featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world: ones that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored, and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love or interest in. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to say thanks or show support, than you can now buy us a coffee or donate via https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail
Monthly Playlist Revue: September ’23: Flagboy Giz, Darius Jones, Vumbi Dekula, Rob Cave, Lalalar, Babel…
September 28, 2023
PLAYLIST SPECIAL/SELECTED BY DOMINIC VALVONA/MATT OLIVER/BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA

Each month the Monolith Cocktail distils an entire month’s worth of posts into a choice, eclectic and defining playlist. Due to the sheer volume of releases on our radar, we don’t always get the time or room to feature all of them. And so, the Monthly is also an opportunity to include those tracks we missed out.
Dominic Valvona, Matt ‘rap control’ Oliver, and Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea put September’s selection together, which features New Orleans rap and bustle, émigré Russian post-punk, Fluxus imbued jazz and diaphanous vaporous ambience.
____/TRACK LIST\____
Flagboy Giz Ft. Spyboy T3 ‘Still Beat Cha’
Kurious, Cut Beetlez/Yahzeed The Divine ‘Mint Leaves’
Lucidvox ‘Don’t Look Away’
Flat Worms ‘Sigalert’
Public Speaking ‘Swollen Feet’
Guilty Simpson, Uncommon Nasa, Guillotine Crowns, Short Fuze ‘The Era That Doesn’t Know’
Donwill Ft. Rob Cave ‘Snob’
Apollo Brown, Planet Asia ‘Fly Anomalies’
Black Josh, Wino Willy, Lee Scott, Sonnyjim ‘E R M8’
Darius Jones ‘Zubot’
Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra ‘The Space Dance Expirement’
Marike Van Dijk ‘Landed’
Trupa Trupa ‘Thrill’
Red Pants ‘Watch The Sky’
The Crystal Teardrop ‘By The River’
Connie Lovatt ‘Heart’
Mike Gale ‘Grumble Pie’
Yungchen Lhamo ‘Sound Healing’
Violet Nox ‘Ascent’
Vumbi Dekula ‘Afro Blues’
Anon (Parchman Prison) ‘I Give Myself Away, So You Can Use Me’
Blck.Beetl, Vermin The Villain ‘flowers.’
The Strangers, General Elektriks, Leeroy, Lateef The Truthspeaker ‘2222 (Go That Way)’
Dillion, Diamond D ‘Turn The Heat Up’
Napoleon Da Legend Ft. Crazy DJ Bazarro ‘Burning My Cosmos’
Ol’ Burger Beat, Gabe ‘Nandez Ft. Fly Anakin ‘Recuperating’
Smoke DZA, Flying Lotus Ft. Black Thought ‘Drug Trade’
Bisk, Spectacular Diagnostics ‘DIVE’
Declaime, Theory Hazit ‘Asylum Walk 2023’
Rob Cave, Thxk_u ‘Morning Prayers For Strange Days’
Dead Players, Jam Baxter, Dabbla, Ghosttown ‘Death By A Thousand Cocktail Sticks’
Marina Herlop ‘La Alhambra’
Aoife Nessa Francis ‘Fantasy’
Maija Sofia ‘Saint Aquinas’
Tori Freestone, Alcyona Mick, Natacha Atlas, Brigitte Beraha ‘Who We Are Now’
Charlie Kaplan ‘I Was Doing Alright’
Novelistme ‘I Need New Music’
Neon Kittens ‘I Was Clumsy’ Tony Jay ‘The Switch For The Light’
Graham Parker & The Goldtops ‘Sun Valley’
Lalalar ‘Göt’
Buildings And Food ‘Blank Slate Cycle’
Carlos Niño & Friends ‘Etheric Windsurfing, Flips And Twirls’
Richard Sears ‘Oceans’
Babel ‘Crush’
Louis Jucker ‘Seasonable’
Late Aster ‘Safety Second (Live)’
Rita Braga ‘Illegal Planet’
Paula Bujes, Alessandra Leão ‘Na Sombra Da Cajazeira’
Monthly Playlist Revue Of February 2023: Moonlight Benjamin, Von Pea, Philip Selway, Pussy Riot…
February 28, 2023
The Monolith Cocktail’s Monthly Playlist Of Choice Music
Picked By Dominic Valvona, Matt Oliver, Brian ‘Bordello’, Gillian Stone, Graham Domain

Four hours of choice music from February, the Monolith Cocktail Revue features tunes from our reviews and columns, plus the tracks we didn’t get room to feature. This month’s selection is courtesy of Dominic Valvona, Matt Oliver, Brian ‘Bordello’ She, Graham Domain and Gillian Stone.
.:TRACK LIST IN FULL:.
Moonlight Benjamin ‘Wayo’
Lunar Bird ‘Creatures’
Von Pea ‘Ode To Slick Rick’
Champion Poundcake ‘RAGS ANYMORE’
Spectacular Diagnostics ‘The Played List (Ft. Sonnyjim and Kid Acne)’
The Go! Team ‘Whammy-O’
Rogue Jones ‘Fffachlwch Bach (Bach)’
the clickBAITERS ‘Rear Ended’
Lucy & The Drill Holes ‘A Mouse’
Langkamer ‘Sing At Dawn’
First Day Of Spring ‘Normal Person (Love You Forever)’
SUO ‘Blue Evening’
Bondo ‘Instrument’
Mary Ocher ‘Love Is Not A Place (Ft. Your Government)’
Novelistme ‘Make Nothing’
Benjamin Benedict ‘Furlough Blues’
Za!/Tarta Relena/La TransMegaCobla ‘El Sweep The Lehelan’
Seljuk Rustum ‘Desi Bunny’
La Tene ‘La Taillée’
Imaad Wasif ‘Mr. Fear So Long (Money Mark Rework)’
Efeks ‘As Good As It Gets (Ft. The Strange Neighbour)’
The God Fahim ‘Man Of Steel’
Fliptrix ‘OCD With The LOVE (Ft. Coops And Verb T)’
Brainorchestra ‘Thin Patience’
Flying Monk & Wz (Corrupted Monk) ‘AF1’s’
Room Of Wires ‘Welcome To The End Game’
ANKHLEJOHN & LOOK DAMIEN! ‘CELINE AT THE MET GALA’
Pussy Riot ‘Putin’s Ashes’
Geeker-Natsumi ‘A Sheep That Never Gets Lost’
ASSASSUN ‘At Gunpoint’
Neon Kittens ‘Portable Fire’
Demikhov/Norda ‘Science! Science! Science!’
Antti Lötjönen ‘Circus/Citadel Pt. III’
Saint Abdullah ‘Divine Timing Is Intuitive’
Tachycardie ‘Collision Au Sens Strict’
Kety Fusco ‘Starless’
Polobi & The Gwo Ka Masters ‘Kawmélito’
Seaming To ‘Blessing’
Lisel ‘Immature’
Sly Moon ‘The Ghosts Comin’’
FUZ ‘First light’
Lavar The Star & Shabazz Palaces ‘Glass Top Roof (The One)’
Mecánica Clásica ‘Mantra De Felpa’
Kalia Vandever ‘Temper The Wound’
Xqui & Kaiho Zion ‘Agori Quitonie’
Stereo Hypnosis & Roedelius ‘VÍK I’
Philip Selway ‘Strange Dance’
The Good Ones ‘This Amazing Love Has Stayed With Me’
NO(w) Beauty ‘Atonia’
Floral Portrait ‘Winter Isolation’
Hawk Percival And Friends ‘The Mountain’
The Mining Co. ‘Wake Up’
Steve Stoeckel ‘Just One Kiss’
Chris Plum ‘As Long As The Sun’
Total Refreshment Centre ‘Black (Ft. Brother Portrait)’
Anteek Recipes ‘NY Fatcap’
Verb T & Illinformed ‘Bogus Journey’
Hus KingPin ‘Tony (Ft. Sagelnfinite)’ Copywrite/AWOL One & Kount Fif ‘Word From Our Sponsor’





