As I sit at my desk waiting for the festivities to begin (it’s 22nd December), I thought I’d curate another 10 track playlist for our ‘On The Radar’ series for you to enjoy!

As usual, I listen to tracks from all over the world before agreeing on who has made the cut, yohristmas songs in here at all….

After attending a few shows over the weeks leading up t this show, I was waiting to hear the dreaded news that all live music was cancelled and shows would have to be postponed until after the new year, we crossed everything and JUST about managed to get away with it as the tour was put on ice a couple of days after this show.

Tonight’s entertainment would take place at The Great Hall, part of the Exeter University complex, I swear that I saw The Charlatans here back in the 90’s, maybe it was The Lemon Grove down the road but either way, it didn’t feel like nearly 30 years had passed!

Welcome to the second instalment of the musomusofm on the radar new music playlist.

It’s not been long since the first playlist was published but as the new music has been coming in thick and fast, I wanted to share another 10 bands or artists that I have heard that I feel need to be heard by a wider audience.

In a small pub in the Cotswolds, the arrival of Beans of Toast into Stroud, and most importantly the lovely gem that is the Prince Albert, was a welcome highlight in a world where we continue to walk the tightrope between lockdown, no gigs, and a Christmas with nothing more than me and the cats, the dog and my apple trees!

LIFTED FROM NEW ALBUM ‘STILL LIFE’ SET FOR RELEASE ON FEBRUARY 4TH 2022.

EP out now on Ltd Edition 12” Vinyl Here // Stream Here

Including the singles ‘Tenement Time’ and ‘Sensory Street’

New Double Album ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’

Due February 25th via BMG // Pre-order HERE

CELEBRATING THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF DEBUT ALBUM ‘LOSS’ WITH A PERFORMANCE OF THE ALBUM IN FULL AT CELTIC CONNECTIONS ON JANUARY 22ND AT SAINT LUKE’S, GLASGOW, 7:30PM

TICKETS HERE

“Euphoric, chiming songs of wide-eyed wonder. A major new songwriting talent.’ – The Scotsman
“A beacon of originality in a tiresome sea of dross.” – Time Out

Islands is his brand new track that is due to be released on 14 January 2022 and is the first that he has recorded with his new band member Lee Croad. He admits that they started working on the track in November 2020 and took a whole year of writing, re-writing and adding new song structures, “It was a nightmare. I just wanted the lyrics to be perfect and I can't begin to describe how many times I had writers block trying to do this song” said Ollie of the track.

FORTHCOMING DEBUT ALBUM: ‘NOTHING’S ON BUT EVERYONE’S WATCHING’ OUT 25 FEBRUARY 2022, VIA ALLOTMENT - PRE-SAVE HERE

NEW ALBUM 'NORMAL FEARS' OUT 25 FEB 2022, VIA EASY LIFE RECORDS
+ UK DATES THIS MARCH

I live in the South Hams and have heard wonderful things about a local band called Abrasive Trees, many people told me to get along to one of their shows but they always seemed to clash with other events that I had on the calendar. I finally got a tip off that they were playing in Dartington and after checking the calendar, I was free!

After seeing the show, I was mesmerised, I wanted to find out more about the band and after a conversation with the singer/guitarist, Matthew Rochford, he agreed to take part in a Q&A session. Read on to learn more about how the band formed, its members, musical influences, the local music scene and details of forthcoming live shows.

I’d heard the name SAFF JUNO mentioned a few times around the South Hams a few weeks ago, she performed at the New Lion Brewery and also at the Open Mic evening hosted by The Blackbird Collective at The Barrel House in Totnes. Sadly, I was tied up on both of the nights where she was performing so wasn’t able to see her, to make up for this, I thought it would be a good idea to do a Q&A feature with her, I approached her, she agreed, I sent some questions across and off we went.

Read on to find out about the early days of her songwriting career, her musical upbringing by her psych rock parents, songs that she covered in the early days, home producing, gigs, nerves, videos, editing and even what’s on her Christmas list this year….

A previously unseen music video for The Police’s 1980 UK Number One hit ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ has been unearthed from the band’s archives after 41 years. The video has now been released for Christmas 2021.

PRAISE FOR ‘WAKE ME UP’:

“‘Wake Me Up’ is the most immediate & bright pop song Foals have put to tape in years.” – Rolling Stone

“It’s the fully realised disco infiltrator they’ve always threatened to write.” - NME

“Punchy and urgent, 'Wake Me Up' is the kind of escapism most of us were dreaming of during the depths of the pandemic.” – Clash

“Calls to mind Talking Heads, LCD Soundsystem and Notorious-era Duran Duran.” – Sunday Times Culture

“Foals are back and ready to experiment with different sounds and the result is a feel-good morsel of pure musical escapism.” – Gigwise

NEW STUDIO ALBUM

FIX YOURSELF, NOT THE WORLD - OUT 14TH JANUARY 2022 PRE-ORDER HERE

INTIMATE ALBUM LAUNCH SHOWS SET FOR JANUARY 2022 TICKETS & ALBUM BUNDLES AVAILABLE HERE

UK HEADLINE ARENA TOUR CONFIRMED FOR APRIL 2022 WITH LANDMARK SHOW AT LONDON’s THE O2, 15TH APRIL GET TICKETS HERE

Brad Barr is the lead singer and songwriter of The Barr Brothers, a folk-Americana band that’s been around for over a decade. They have toured with The War on Drugs, Calexico, Shakey Graves and Patrick Watson. Their TV performances include The Late Show with David Letterman and CBS This Morning Saturday. They’ve received constant support from press and radio including the entire BBC network, key stations such as KCRW, KEXP, WFUV, WXPN, World Café, Sirius XM, NPR as well as Paste Magazine, Time Magazine, Washington Post, Rolling Stone Germany, Q Magazine, Exclaim!, MOJO, Uncut, Brooklyn Vegan and more.

“a band far too modest to save guitar music themselves, but they’re doing a damn fine job at breathing new life in to its blackened lungs.” - THE LINE OF BEST FIT

“one of the most exciting up and coming bands out there” - DORK

“Contemporary and indelibly charming, SPINN are quite simply one of the most exciting young bands in England.” - FAR OUT MAGAZINE

Liverpool-based indie-outfit SPINN today share ‘People Should Know Better’ – taken from their forthcoming second album ‘Outside Of The Blue’ (out 4th Feb via Modern Sky UK).

Speaking about the upcoming Friday night fixture, Madness say:

"We hear there is real magic in the waters of the River Severn and we can’t wait for it to work on us and all the Madheads that come and see us at The Quarry next summer…Bring it on.”

Written and recorded at his home studio deep in the Highlands of Scotland and loosely inspired by the peerless score of the 2010 film Drive, “Somebody New” is a spacious and contemplative listen that thrives on isolation.

“The Teesside songwriter is crafting her sound, one impressive release at a time… her goal isn’t so much to sound like her influences, but rather to create like them” - NARC. Magazine

“Nicholson has consistently showcased herself as a songwriter of increasing quality, and a powerful performer... one to watch." - Record of the Day

“Nicholson is shaking off the shackles of genre expectations and coming into her own” - American Songwriter

“My new obsession... harmonies to die for!” - Sian Eleri (BBC Radio 1)