Pneumatic Tubes

Here's some lovely psych and folk-tinged orchestral pop from Pneumatic Tubes.  New album "Runner's High" should be out later this summer on Ghost Box imprint Belbury Music.  In the meantime, listen to the very Midlake sounding new single "Yellow, Green & Gold" below and download the track here.

Large Plants

Last month brought us some new fuzzy psychedelia from UK band Large Plants.  The project has a way of making music that sounds fresh and like it's always been there at the same time.  Grab new album "The Thorn" here from Ghost Box, and listen to the album opening "Tendril" below.

Belbury Poly

Ghost Box Records founder Jim Jupp just released a new album with his electronic project Belbury Poly, this time around enlisting some aid from multi-instrumentalists Christopher Budd and Jesse Chandler along with spoken word narration from author and poet Justin Hopper.  It's a cool, surreal mix of sounds and textures.  Listen to "Highways and Byways" below and get the record here.

The Advisory Circle

The Advisory Circle recently released their latest opus of vintage synth sounds, space age tones, and nature documentary aesthetic with "Full Circle."  Listen to cosmic title track below and get the record here from the always excellent Ghost Box.

Large Plants

A few months back, Wolf People member Jack Sharp released a positively glorious psych rock cover of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" as Large Plants.  And now Large Plants are back with a full-length of fuzzy, riff-laden psychedelia to study runes to.  Check out "No Difference" below and order "The Carrier" LP here from Ghost Box.

Pneumatic Tubes

Jesse Chandler, the keyboardist and woodwinds player for Denton, Texas band Midlake and alt-rock mainstays Mercury Rev, also releases solo music as Pneumatic Tubes.  The artist dropped an album of dreamy indie rock last year featuring Slowdive's Rachel Goswell called "Sunfrost" that i totally dropped the ball on.  It's a lush and gorgeous piece of work, but feels like a far cry from the upcoming "A Letter from TreeTops" LP, set to release letter this month via Ghost Box.  The new album is a kaleidoscopic mix of psychedelia, kosmische, and library music that feels like like looking through old, faded Polaroids.  Both albums are worth your time.  Download "Sunfrost" here from the artist, and pre-order "A Letter from TreeTops" here.  In the meantime, go here to listen to a montage of tracks from the new record.

Large Plants - La Isla Bonita

Former Wolf People member Jack Sharp now makes chugging retro psych rock as Large Plants.  As a goof, he covered Madonna's "La Isla Bonita," and accidentally made something outstanding.  It actually sounds like it predates the original.  Amazing.  Check it out below and grab the 7" here from Ghost Box.

Beautify Junkyards and Belbury Poly

Portuguese psych folk and Tropicalia outfit Beautify Junkyards have teamed with synth folk artist Belbury Poly for a cover of The Incredible String Band's "Painting Box."  The result is a track of English psych folk that plays as serenely in your headphone space in your bedroom as it would in a green, country meadow.  Check it out below and pre-order the 7" here from Ghost Box.

The Belbury Poly

The sounds of The Belbury Poly have always been an otherworldly mix of analog synths, kosmische psych, krautrock, sci-fi vibes, and old British folk music, sometimes all at once, and the upcoming new album "The Gone Away" seems to ready to continue carrying that torch.  Check out the trippy video for the title track below and pre-order the record here from Ghost Box.

The Advisory Circle

The Advisory Circle has a new album of library sound indebted synth magic for our listening perusal.  "Ways of Seeing" sounds timeless and nostalgic, like background television music that embedded itself in our psyches as children.  Listen to "Flight Capture" below and get the record from Ghost Box.

Beautify Junkyards

I love, love, love it when i randomly come across some artist i've never heard of before who pulls from a plethora of different and amazing influences to create something that pulls me in full go.  British group Beautify Junkyards gets that distinction today with their wonderful new album "The Invisible World of Beautify Junkyards."  Combining elements of psych rock and folk, dreampop, and Tropicalia, the music floats and swirls and mystifies, coming in like the delirious house band for some enchanted garden in the British countryside.  Watch the video for "Aquarius" below and get the record from Ghost Box.

The Belbury Circle

Ghost Box cast members Belbury Poly and The Advisory Circle have joined forces (again) with The Belbury Circle, and new album "Outward Journeys."  Combing through Italian library sounds, cinematic synths, and New Age vibes, the record explores all those old sonic explorations that were supposed to be a path to the future.  Well, here we are.  Listen to some clips from the record below.

The Pattern Forms

By my estimation, the fine folks over at Ghost Box Records have released exactly zero bad albums.  You can't go wrong with anything.  They're all winners.  The labels mix of folk, prog, psych, kosmiche, library sounds, and analog synthesizers continuously hits all the right notes.  On "Peel Away the Ivy," the new LP from The Pattern Forms, the band continues their label's streak with a lush and beautiful synth pop record, layered in all manner of old school analog wash and dreampop aesthetics.  Listen to "Don't Let Me Dream" below.

Pye Corner Audio

How did i not realize there was a new Pye Corner Audio album out?!  Moody, synth horror homages are my jam, and Martin Jenkins has been doing it wonderfully for a long while now.  Guess i've got a new purchase for the weekend.  Listen to the creeping "Ganzfeld Effect" below and get the album from Ghost Box.

The Belbury Poly

The Belbury Poly have always sounded like they're pulling sounds and styles from multiple decades of pop music and then stirring them all into some kind of delectable and aurally delicious stew.  You'll hear elements of the free love generation mixing perfectly with motorik, krautrock beats while new wave synth lines bounce against disco rhythms.  It's intoxicating and lush and they've got a new record out now!  Listen to "The New Harmony" below and grab the "New Ways Out" LP from Ghost Box.

Hintermass

Like drifting to sleep as the world moves by you in time lapse, or closing your eyes and letting the waves carry you to wherever, the wonderful mix of folk and electronics on "The Apple Tree," the debut full-length from Hintermass, the project of Jon Brooks (The Advisory Circle) and Tim Felton (formerly of Broadcast), feels like moving through a dream.  Listen to the instrumental "The Rituals of Reversal" below and just get lost in some imaginary woods...and then grab the record from the always dependable Ghost Box.

In a Moment...Ghost Box

Hey gang, the fine folks over at the unbelievably cool record label Ghost Box have released a compilation album celebrating their tenth anniversary.  "In a Moment...Ghost Box" has tracks from the usual gang of suspects like PYE Corner Audio, Belbury Poly, The Focus Group, and more.  Cool electronics, analog synthesizers, freaky folk vibes, experimental beeps and clanks, and all around weirdness abound.  This is a great collection.  Listen to a sampler smorgasbord below and get the album here.

The Focus Group

I first heard The Focus Group a few years ago on their wonderful collaborative album with Broadcast, "...Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age," a strange and eclectic mix of organs, sound effects, bits of obscure film, and an overall feeling of European horror movie trippiness.  Excellent stuff.  Their latest, "Elektrik Karousel," from Ghost Box keeps moving forward with the assistance of the surviving half of Broadcast, and some forays into freaky folk.  There's still a total Giallo vibe, which is nice, as well as some bits of prog, psych, and jazz.  Perfect experimental music.  Listen to "SPOLK" below.