James Mercer and The Shins. A 2001 album which is a perfect soundtrack to it bucketing with rain outside my office while I try to convince myself that we are now technically in astronomical Spring.

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek’s latest album Yarın Yoksa. The show stopping intensity of Derya backed by the psychedelic soul of Grup Şimşek with production by Leon Michels has yielded a stand out record that challenges genre with a broad appeal and a powerful message.

Memphis in Texas was the first and only album by Shrubbies. In the aftermath of Lake of Puppies, an alt folk/pop band featuring William D Drake, Sharron Fortnam (North Sea Radio Orchestra/Cardiacs/Lake of Puppies/Led Bib/Lost Crowns) and Craig Fortnam (North Sea Radio Orchestra/Arch Garrison/Lake of Puppies) formed Shrubbies with Sarah Smith (Cardiacs/Sea Nymphs) on sax and keyboards, and Ben Clarke on drums. When he left the band, Dominic Luckman (Cardiacs) joined the fold! Following Sarah’s departure from the band, Dan Maitland signed up. They played enthusiastically on the London circuit from 1996-1999, made this record, released it then split up. Craig’s songs are settings of poems that Sharron wrote in her bedroom next the North Sea