Vineland
My second Pynchon. Confounding, labyrinthine, strange, humane, scathing, and so very entertaining. The loose inspiration for One Battle After Another - most certainly not an adaptation.
Below A Massive Dark Land - Naima Bock
I saw Naima perform on a recent trip to London and she was mesmerising. I wasn’t familiar with her music and it’s been a joy discovering her recorded work, especially this most recent album (fave tracks : Takes One, Feed My Release). It’s always special to discover an artist in a live setting, something that I need to do more of.
Songs of Shame - Woods
Let’s not overlook Woods in this ongoing 90s/00s indie revivalism, especially their first and greatly underrated album. A sparkling set of lo-fi guitar pop, with just the right amount of noise. The Woods discography is always worth revisiting or, of course, discovering. Not just a significant band for their music but also for their label Woodist and associated festival. Members of Woods were also the backing band for the late great David Berman on his Purple Mountains album.
Big old 2026 Albums Playlist
Every year I have a rolling playlist where I add any new album that’s of interest. Not necessarily a Best Of the Year, more so any new music that I want to listen to. It’s at nearly 90 hours atm so wade in if you’re after something new in the realm of rock/ indie/ experimental/ folk/ country/ jazz/ psych/ other. Apple Music only.
