BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEWS ROUNDUP – INSTANT REACTIONS. ALL ENTRIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Beans ‘Remember’
Single (Fuzz Club Records) Out Now
Ah, I admit I am not really a huge fan of Fuzz Club Records on the whole as I think that they have a certain sound, and I find that sound a bit dull on the whole nowadays: lots of bands with nice looking vintage guitars and sunglasses. I like Jesus and Mary Chain and Brian Jonestown Massacre as much as the next man, but do I want to listen to lots of bands that are not quite as good…even Jesus And Mary Chain sound like a not quite as good JAMC now.
But this single, ‘Remember’ by the Beans, is indeed very good and has an arch quality normally not associated with Fuzz Club. If Fuzz Club was The James Bond Franchise this would be its Roger Moore which we all can agree is a very good thing indeed.
Bity Booker ‘There’s No Song About Stones’
Released 5th June 2026
There’s No Songs About Stones is an album of sublime solo psych folk whimsy, just Bity and her classical acoustic guitar singing songs about sadness, birds, love and life but none about Stones Rolling or otherwise, just nine beautifully written and performed songs full of melancholy, melody and a magical sprinkling of fairy dust which draws one into Bity Bookers strange and wonderful world.
Eye With An Eye ‘Flow’
Single – Out Now
‘Flow’ is the debut single by Eye with An Eye, and quite a fetching affair it is to, all post punk moodiness with an aura of jazzy reflection, dark and reflective and deep like diving into the waters of somebody’s thoughts and dreams, and floats in a heaven like state awaiting the whirlpool of contemptable love to drag you in and smother you with contentment.
The Fox ‘For Fox Sake (2026 Remaster)’
Album (Think Like A Key Music) 14th August 2026
For Fox Sake was recorded overnight in 1970; the band thinking this would be the demo, but the record label thought differently and released it as the album. The album sadly sank without trace and The Fox survived not much longer.
But 56 years later Think Like A Key has thankfully re-released the album, and what an album it is. Wonderfully magical in all its psych rock glory, it captures the wonderful mood and excitement of the time: an aural time machine if you like. An album that captures a band having the time of its life and it being recorded mostly live captures the excitement of a young and talented band having the time of its life…the word groovy was invented just for albums like this believe me.
Gentles ‘Nation’
(Metal Postcard Records) Released 18th July 2026
Nation is the latest and final album by the Gentles in their current incarnation as their vocalist Brendan Parkes sadly died earlier this year. There is a punk psych art pop vibe to this album that reminds me of Blur in their Modern Life is Rubbish era, which can only be a good thing I think you might agree; maybe they have the same influences as there is definitely a Syd Barrett and Swell Maps, Buzzcocks and even Jilted John about them. An album that I would advise fans of the aforementioned could do worse than to check the Gentles out.
John Howard ‘Overnight Bags’
Album – Released 7th August 2026
With Overnight Bags I feel John Howard has just made his own The Boys From Dungeon Lane, an album of memories wrapped in melody and pop genius. Neil Hannon would sell his collection of Scott Walker albums to have written any one of these eleven gems, for John Howard has a wonderful talent of painting aural pictures, telling musical tales of love and sadness: I bet john is a hell of a people watcher.
Overnight Bags finds John, as I have said, looking back at his eventful life; from the plague of aids that took away too many of his friends in “What God Is This?” to the first time in Abbey Road recording his debut album in 1975, to him wondering what happened to his old teenage friends (“Josie, Do You Remember?”).
Overnight Bags is quiet the masterpiece, filled with melancholy, love and remembrance. This album is so good in fact I should have started with Paul McCartney has made his own Overnight Bags with his The Boys From Dungeon Lane.
Kevin ‘It Is What It Is’
Album (Riot Season) Released 24th July 2026
Chaotic Krautrock experimental psychedelic noise rock: “It Is what It Is”. I suppose that sums up the album, and lovers of the aforementioned will no doubt love this: and there is plenty to enjoy.
At times it reminds me of the excellent Poundland, especially vocal wise, and Potters Wheel has a rather wonderful hypnotic riff as does the Fall like “Murphy Is Buried” and “Wood Kill” could easily be off Julian Copes Masterpiece Jehovah Kill. Kevin takes all their influences and makes a fine engrossing soundtrack to delve into the mis-workings of the human psych.
Man & Machine ‘Earthman’
EP (Fruits Der Mer) Released 1st August 2026
This is a six track EP or mini album as we of a certain age like to call them (if it has more than four tracks, I would prefer to call it a mini LP). Well, this Mini LP is a lovely sounding affair; it has a beautiful airy sheen about it reminding me of the lovely slightly folkish pop rock from the seventies with just that dash of psych. Yes, it has a bewitching summerlike warmth, even one that one would find emitting from the BBC radio in those glory days of radio. This is quite a wonderful record, available as a lovely 10inch vinyl EP/mini-LP released on the Fruits De Mer Record label or as a download from Man & Machine’s Bandcamp page.
Neon Crabs ‘Big Dumb Racket’
EP (Metal Postcard Records) Released 28th July 2026
There is nothing big or dumb about this 4 track EP, unless being big and dumb is the sound of a galaxy of guitars storming up a post punk frenzy whilst the singer cajoles the inner demons into more demon like activity by out stooging the Stooges; if popping the Iggy was a Olympic event the Neon Kittens would be gold winners knocking Iggy Pop into second place: they just have the same grace like anger and fractured humour. Yes indeed, The Neon Crabs are very cool.
Occult Character ‘Unrequited Vibrations’
(Metal Postcard Records) Released 3rd August 2026
We have another fine single from Occult Character, Unrequited Vibrations is actually quite commercial and with the wind blowing in the right direction I could imagine this getting some radio play: and it would be well deserved. It certainly has lots of the odd ball charm that the Occult Character specialises in but the oddball ness is soundtracked by a rather wonderful catchy keyboard riff: let’s call it an ‘Einstein A Go Go’ for the now children.
Origami Horses ‘Vultures’
(Metal Postcard Records) Released 19th July 2026
A blast of alt pop/rock is good for you, so the Doctor tells me. And ‘Vultures’ is indeed a blast: a blast of screwed up alt pop perfection like Radiohead used to give us before they went all prog like and snarled at the beauty of the three-minute pop single. No worries on that score from The Origami Horses, they remember the magic of melody and the angry guitar wrapped in a velvet blazer.
Present Electric ‘My Heart Is Filled With A Hundred Knots Of Sorrow And A Thousand Knots Of Resentment’
Album – (Paisley Shirt Records) Released 31st July 2026
My Heart Is Filled With A Hundred Knots Of Sorrow And A Thousand Knots Of Resentment is probably the longest album title of the year and one I won’t be typing out again. Yes, it is an album of lo-fi experimental pop misadventure and a rather fine one at that; at times reminding me of Skip Spence’s OAR album, and at other times like the Velvet Underground – when in funny bugger mode – and also quite fascinatingly like Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band LP, especially on the beautiful “The Ring Is On The Phoenix’s Head”.
There is a hauntingly beautiful feel to the album, one that skips from melancholy to sunny delight with a natural graceful ease that one can only stand back and admire. Another winner as always from the Paisley Shirt Records label.
Stuart Turner and Rob Grigg ‘Gargoyles at the Memoir Club’
(Gare du Nord) Released 15th August 2026
Gargoyles At The Memoir Club is what Captain Beefheart might have sounded like if he recorded for Postcard records. Yes, it’s a strange old brew of guitar jangle, garage punk and Bad Seeds like blues madness. It is a musical exorcism, a bobsleigh ride through hell whilst swigging on a bottle of Thunderbird and recanting tales of previous misdemeanours.
Yes, this is a strange old album; an open mic night where Lloyd Cole and Tom Waites duet whilst Nick Cave juggles peanuts trying to attract the attention of the barmaid who really should know better but cannot help but smile at the velvet suited bare chested Australian.
Winter At Sea ‘Hearts’
EP – (A Cheery Wave Records) 28th August 2026
Post Rock atmospheric instrumental beauty. If that is your thing then this could well be just what you want to soundtrack your evening with…well, 20 minutes of it anyway; I suppose you could always put it on repeat and let the waves of emotion keep on covering you with the warmness and emotional stillness that this fine EP provides.
Yes, if you want a relaxing evening and not quite in the mood for Dark Side Of The Moon put this on instead. I have two good reasons for that, one, Dark Side Of The Moon is shit and, two, this isn’t.
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.
The End of the Month Revue for Feb/March 2026
April 2, 2026
A very much delayed bi-monthly Playlist selection of choice music
Starring…
White Fence ‘Your Eyes’
Dyr Faser ‘Winter Olympics’
Rusty Santos ‘Psycho Horses’
Hello Cosmos ‘Black Gloss’
Cashell ‘Ferris Wheels’
Ira Dot ‘Voices’
Mecanica Clasica ‘Pulsacion’
Greg Stasiw ‘Field’
Triple Blind ‘Chaotic Eyes’
Lauten der Seele ‘Mondratsel’
Simon Mogul ‘Can’t Shake The Spirit’
Shabaka ‘Step Lightly’
Ramson Badbonez & Jazz T ‘Raw Rap Syndrome’
Dominic J Marshall ‘Imagination’
Farma G & Relense ‘Makes Me Wanna…’
DJ Ian Head & Omega Jackson ‘Sith Lord’
Chris Crack & Bruiser Wolf ‘Somebody Pinched MyAss When I Crowdsurfed’
Gregory Uhlmann ‘Pocket Snail’
Benjamin Herman w/ Jimmi Jo Hueting, Thomas Pol, Akihito Obama & Ko Ishikawa ‘Kazegafuku’
Brother Ali ‘Another Country’
Sonnyjim & Sumgii ‘Muse’
Roce ‘Laisse Les enfants courir’
The Architect ‘THE FORCE OF LIGHT’
RJD2 & Supastition ‘Reset (Better Friends)’
Darko the Super, MF Grimm & Doseone ‘Desktop Eternity’
Cult of The Damned, Lee Scott, Black Josh, BeTheGun, King Grubb, Tony Broke, Salar, Sly Moon, Bill Shakes, Sleazy F Baby & Sniff ‘EXT. CAR PARK – NIGHT’
Tiny das Neves e Conjunto Sol d’Africa ‘Africa e’
Lice (Homeboy Sandman & Aesop Rock) ‘The Burgers’
Ras Kass ‘FUN & GAMES’
Farma G & Relense ‘Sun Wukong’
Os Untues ‘Feca non Chiga-za’
aus & The Humble Bee ‘I Follow A Barren Path Across the Old Mountain’
Magda Drozd ‘Piosenka Ludowa’
The Legal Matters ‘Everybody Knows’
Salem Trials ‘Shot Out of Nowhere’
Boilermen ‘Curious Thing’
Vlimmer ‘Aufbeiber’
Black Milk ‘Crash Test Dummy’
hazbeen, Kong The Artisan & Quelle Chris ‘Scary Kids’
Camp Nowhere ‘Hiatus is just emo for breakup’
Origami Horses ‘Joyless’
Xqui & Pyramids of Phobos ‘Hindsight’
BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEWS ROUNDUP – INSTANT REACTIONS.
Bigflower ‘Stay’
Track Released 25th January 2026
Another beautiful cinematic all-encompassing brief encounter with the atmospheric guitar guile of Ivor Perry. Yes readers, a beautiful ballad, a slow waltz of heartache and regret.
Boggis Fringe ‘Desperate Dreams Destroyed’
EP Released 12th February 2026
Desperate Dreams Destroyed is the debut EP by post punk band boggis Fringe and is all jolly and post punky – more punk than the post variety. Do you ever sit in on a Friday evening and watch old Top Of The Pops on BBC 4 and get all nostalgic when the Members or Stiff Little Fingers or The Ruts come on and you start to wax lyrically about the good old days of late seventies early 80’s John Peel shows to your uninterested offspring? If so you will enjoy this EP as it will bring back the essence of small pub venues with smoke filled rooms and sticky beer stained carpets and well-thumbed copies of the NME scattered around the joint.
Boilermen ‘A 1000 Words On Sound’
Album Released 13th March 2026
What we have here is an album of short and sweet punk rock snogs That is supposed to read songs but I will keep it as snogs as it is very appropriate, as this rather excellent kissable bunch of guitar tomfoolery and alt guitar has tunes and melodies that don’t take a lifetime to listen to; songs that come tell you how it feels and gets to the point then piss off again as every good punk song should, and unlike a lot of punk music they are not afraid to mix things up a bit and have an occasional jangle: “By Accident” is a lovely short Wedding Present like gem of a pop song and “Working Abroad Dub” is a fine experimental instrumental that breaks the album up in a becoming way, and the final track “Life Map” at being over 8 minutes long ends this fine album in a haze of atmospheric splendour.
Camp Nowhere ‘Hiatus Is Just Emo For Breakup’
Single Released 18th February 2026
What we have here is the debut single from a young band from Wigan, and rather excellent it is as well, all Sebodah guitars and Mo Tucker drums and an angst that can only be expressed with such punk rock glee by a gang of teenagers with many more years of life left to live and a guitar riff Kurt Cobain would have sold Courtney Love’s best frock for. A wonderful gem of a release and dare I say a band to watch and in time with luck, encouragement and nurturing could become very special indeed.
Legless Trials ‘Listen To Static’
(Metal Postcard Records) Released 12th March 2026
I am not going to start this review with “What we have here” as I have, noticed, that I’ve already started two of my reviews with the phrase, so I will just hop straight in and say more post punk glamourance from The Legless Trials their second album of the year and is as just as good and enjoyable as their last. I especially like the second song “Dead Towns” which in an ideal world would be the theme to the next Batman movie as it is dark and Fall-like and has an aura of Caped Crusader bass madness about it; and I also love “Lubbock Blues” which has a wonderful Andy guitar riff and totally magical madness lyrics from Matt. Have you noticed I have already mentioned the word madness twice in this review and with good cause as insanity is a calling card left by The Legless Trials. I suppose like two psychotic Milk Tray men. So many great tracks so many great guitar riffs and so many fine lyrics: “From The Bottom Of The Well To The Top Of The World” is a great line and can be found on the wonderful chaotic “Ramblin Kook“. Yes, The Legless Trials just seem to get better and better.
Claus Mattheck ‘Chapter 8’
Album (Cruel Nature Records) Released 25th March 2026
I love this album it is just so bloody British, not in a rule Britania, hoist the flag kind of way, but in the standing in the rain waiting for your bus to turn up kind of way. The deadpan dour humour of the lyrics, the monotone spoken vocals that are completely at odds with the Sonic Youth/Fall like mood of the music. Songs about cars, office life, the inanity of small talk, the DIY bore are all wonderfully taken apart with the lyrical accuracy of a sniper’s bullet.
Origami Horses ‘Joyless’
Single (Metal Postcard Records) Released 19th March 2026
This new single from the Origami Horses takes me back to the days of Snub TV, when semi commercial alt/indie guitar used to liven up the hour before you went to bed after getting back from the pub on a Sunday. Yes, the Origami Horses have the sound that would have the major labels scrambling for their cheque books back in the day; they have the commercial sheen of indie glamour down to a perfect tee. Which I’m very much in approval of.
Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea’s Reviews Roundup – Instant Reactions. All entries in alphabetical order.
The Conspiracy ‘Dungeness’
EP (Metal Postcard Records) 23rd November 2025
The Conspiracy are back with another fine EP of post-punk art rock; a band that are as British as watching cricket on a summer’s day. The Fall, The Kinks, The Only Ones are all lovingly stroked and warped into a mesmerising shuffle of old man’s fancy. This is the sound of modern-day England as seen through the eyes of middle-aged men who can remember when rock ‘n’ roll had a meaning and need to the young, and soundtracked young rebellion, and was not just something they streamed from their phone as they nip down to Nando’s to ignore their friends as they watch videos on tic tok together but apart.
I Am Hands ‘Lastings’
Single 5th December 2025
This is the debut single by I Am Hands and it is no hands, feet and bumps a daisy but a lovely sail down the river of peaceful tranquillity, a song of the supreme confidence of knowing that your supreme confidence has never been painted in such a blue shade of subtly. It really is a rather lovely track that fans of the first Trembling Blue Stars album might clutch to their cardigan encrusted breast.
The Last Sound ‘All That’s Missed’
Album (Cruel Nature Records) 28th November 2025
This is the sound of candy filled sugar pop, the kind that you might see on Top Of The Pops in the glory madness days of the 80s when Strawberry Switchblade seductively swooned from your transistor radio and pop could be both wonky and bliss like and whisper sweet nothings into your ear like an ethereal Green Gartside. All That’s Missed is an album that really is not to be missed. It’s yet another off-kilter pop wonder released by Cruel Nature Records, a label that certainly specialises in releasing off-kilter pop and or just plainly the off-kilter.
The Lounge Bar Orchestra ‘E.N.D.A.N.G.E.R.M.E.N.T. & The Room of Wrong Reflections’ Album (Self-Release) 26th November 2025
E.N.D.A.N.G.E.R.M.E.N.T. & The Room of Wrong Reflections is a collection of the tracks that made two-vinyl only releases on The Heavens Lathe label. The Lounge Bar Orchestra, who I have written about a number of times in the past, make a magical concoction of easy listening splenditude. The sort of thing one may hear on old sixties spy thrillers or takes you back to the golden age of seventies tv: you can easily imagine Bruce Forsyth willing on contestants on The Generation Game as they attempt to mold a mug in the shape of Anthea’s backside as “The Girl with Golden Hips Plays”.
Once again, The Lounge Bar Orchestra magically transports me back in an aural time machine to the days of Texan chocolate bars, Saturday night bath time, and watching Cilla duet with Marc Bolan as my dad eagerly awaits Starsky And Hutch and Match Of The Day. Yet again The Lounge Bar Orchestra proving why music is the most magical of all arts.
The New Tigers ‘Off The Wall/Butterfly’
Single (Soliti) 21st November 2025
These two tracks are a catchy foray into indie rock/pop, sounding not unlike The Bluetones with just a hint of what Teenage Fanclub might have produced during their heyday. All semi fuzz guitars and delightful melodies, and there is nothing wrong with that, let me tell you.
Origami Horses ‘Scenes’
EP (Metal Postcard Records) Released 23rd November 2025
I do not know if this EP was released to prove that post punk, garage rock, prog and psych can be melded into a hardy brew of rock ‘n’ roll finery. If not, it should have been as in fact that is what this EP is; one wonderful sparkling concoction of all the aforementioned, and track two, ‘Access Denied’, is an eight-minute gem that proves the point, and really needs to be heard by all, and takes one back to those hot summers days in 1989 when Madchester ruled the airwaves. The Scenes is another gem to be added to the aural crown that is the criminally ignored Metal Postcard Records label.
Sir Robert Orange Peel ‘A Man Dressed Up’
Single (Metal Postcard Records) Released 22nd November 2025
‘A Man Dressed Up’ is a beautiful Christmas symphony of seeing the magical time of the year through children’s eyes. A track filled with memories and nostalgia and an innocence to life that we all at one point in our life will lose. The perfect song to soundtrack sipping a sherry and watching the Christmas lights reflect from the baubles hanging from the tree and wishing you or your kids were young again.
Toxic Chicken ‘Quirky & Perky’
Album (Earthrid) 7th November 2025
Toxic Chicken is insanely brilliant and brilliantly insane. And Quirky & Perky is a fine introduction to his crazy world.
TC takes dance electronica and game music to new and unexplored levels of madness, and quite wonderfully tuneful melodious instrumental shenanigans are oozed from one’s speakers.
I would love Toxic Chicken to have made an album with Jim Morrison as for some reason his keyboard skills had me thinking this is what The Doors may have sounded like if they were brought up with the Game Boy and not the blues. A truly great fun listen.
Vlimmer ‘Hintersommer’
Album (Blackjack Illuminist Records) Released 21st November 2025
Ah yes, Vlimmer is back to offer all those lovers of Gothic Euro disco with a hint of post punk synth shoegazery a new Vlimmer of light. Those who’ve never tasted such a shot of pulverising gothic industrial tuneage since members of Fields Of The Nephilim, Smashing Orange and Depeche Mode were chased through the streets of a rain paved Wigan by an angry mob of spotty faced chavs on undersized bikes all holding out for sponsorship by the North Face clothing company whilst waving knocked off vapes into the air like an ancient Greek Olympian wielding his flaming torch. Yes indeed, Deliveroo has never witnessed such a wave of free advertising.
Hintersommer gets around the snag of being sung in German by both Vlimmer being German and myself not really giving a fuck as the tunes are blissfully dark and encouraging enough to imagine that what he is singing about is a worthy subject. So yes, an album I entrust will soon be in the collections of all you old and young goths who still roam this earth.
For those that can or wish to, the Monolith Cocktail has a Ko-fi account: the micro-donation site. I hate to ask, but if you do appreciate what the Monolith Cocktail does then you can shout us a coffee or two through this platform.
Monolith Cocktail Blog 