The Ropers - All The Time (1995)

"Friendships can be gauged on the mutual love of The Ropers" - Robert Hardy, Franz Ferdinand

"All The Time is one of the most completely inspiring rock records I've ever heard" - Richard Reed Parry, Arcade Fire

"One of the few 'indie' rock records that I would consider to be a classic. Lyrically - complex and gruesome. Musically - simple and sweetly melodic." - Andy Broder, Fog

Okay, okay, okay. So maybe those guys didn't actually say those things about this album and the wonderful band who recorded it. Maybe they were actually talking about another album by another band but the point still stands.

This album is amazing, and you should listen to it.

Give it a listen

I love buying obscure records

The Ropers are awesome, and it's a shame that all the members went on to do different things. However, if you find yourself in New York on the 14th of November you can grab a chance to see them performing together as a band for the first time in a long time. Just in case you're interested, y'know?

LSD and the Search for God - LSD and the Search for God (2007)

Clearly there's only one thing better than LSD, and that's searching for God. So what happens when you do both? You get one of the most mindblowingly awesome shoegaze recordings to be released in recent years.

You like My Bloody Valentine? Good, because that's who these guys sound like. No, really. In the most sincerest form of flattery, LSD and the Search for God have gone down the same path as Algernon Cadwallader ie. sounding almost identical to the bands that are undoubtedly the apple in their eyes. But is that a bad thing? Of course not, after all it's not like Kevin Shields is going to release anything MBV are recording anytime soon, in fact you're probably only going to hear MBV's followup to Loveless once you've completed Duke Nukem Forever a few times. And by that I mean it's not going to happen (seriously, if you didn't get that you should feel bad).

So how does this debut EP from over-complicated named band LSD and the Search for God stand up? Pretty well. It's noisy, it's lush, it's actually pretty beautiful from time to time. In fact, it's got something MBV songs don't have; vocals you can understand (from time to time, of course).

So give it a listen, see what you think. Sure it ain't got a patch on Loveless, but if MBV were to ever release a new album I bet it would sound just like this.

Give it a listen

This shit sounds rad. Hook me up, bro

Church Library - My Very Dear Friend (2009)

Here's a nice surprise.

"My Very Dear Friend" is a short and sweet E.P. released on the always awesome record label Holiday Records. If you're a fan of dreamy female vocals like those found on The Innocence Mission's or Cocteau Twins stuff then this is for you. A wonderful blend of acoustic indie pop and lush dream pop, it may only be 3 songs but this release is a sign of a fuckwin band in the making.

Give it a listen

Tell me more about Holiday Records