by Dave Bertram and Philip Moss

This week we’ve got Shannon Lay, (Sandy) Alex G, Luke Temple, Joan Shelley, Pixies, Bill Ryder-Jones, Molly Sarle and Squid on the stocks for you.

A favourite of Ty Segall, transcendent folk artist Shannon Lay has her Sub Pop debut record, Augustdue out in, erm, August and has followed up the lead single with poignant, acoustic-based Death Up Close.

With her fifth solo record out at the end of next month via No Quarter, Joan Shelley has opened up Like The River Loves the Sea with the beautifully crafted Cycle, recorded at the Greenhaus Studios in Reykjavik. What the video below.

(Sandy) Alex G, aka the singer, songwriter and musician Alex Giannascoli, began writing the songs that would ultimately become House of Sugar in the fall of 2017. With the record now finally set for release, he’s announced new single Hope – one which sees Alex wear his Elliot Smith influence on his sleeve.

With anticipation mounting around the release of his new album Twelve Nudes, out on 30th August via Bella Union, Ezra Furman has shared two new tracks from the LP. Check out the video for Evening Prayer, with Ezra at his angsty, anthemic best.

Luke Temple has certainly been a busy chap of late- having produced Big Thief’s wondrous new record, U.F.O.F – and now he’s back with music of his own. Empty Promises is the first cut from his upcoming record, Both-And, which will be released by Native Cat on 13th September.

On Graveyard Hill is the latest single taken from their upcoming new record, Beneath the Eyrie, which will be released on 13th September. And judging by this, the follow up to 2016’s Head Carrier will be as vital as anything they’ve ever put out.

One third of Mountain Man, Molly Sarle, releases the latest single – Suddenly – from upcoming album, Karaoke Angel. The album, which will be released by Partisan, is out on 20th September.

Bill Ryder-Jones has the stripped-back Yawny Yawn set to land a week on Friday which, on early listens, offer a far more intimate and heart-wrenching window into his psyche. The wonderful And Then There’s You is the second track from the record.

Finally, we have the second single from funky Londoners, Squid – the follow-up to Houseplants, which led to sold-out shows across the UK, has more than a hint of Talking Heads meets Parquet Courts. The Cleaner – the lead track on new EP Town Centre­ – clocks in at the seven-and-a-half-minute mark.

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