Top Moon Tunes 2019 Volume 6

Five weeks after Volume 5 here is Volume 6 of the monthlyish Top Moon Tunes.

It is 16 tracks as Kelsey Lu is on UMG and not on Bandcamp and so her track is embedded below the Playmoss Playlist and also ends the Spotify version.

It is a pretty diverse mix, but with a big emphasis on rock n' roll, some of which is a bit psychedelic, but also a bit of poppy soul, folky blues, some folky Americana and ends with some sumptuous modern soul. As ever, there is a bit of guff of each artist beneath Kelsey Lu.





1. The Divine Comedy  - Dark Days Are Here Again

This is a highlight from the latest LP from the multi Moon offending Neil Hannon. It is one of his best and also his most diverse record.  Even the "singles", which often tend to be the weakest tracks, are brilliant.

2. Stef Chura - Scream

Ms Chura is from Detroit, USA and this is from her second LP of cracking rock n' roll. Her record store day single from 2018 was featured on God Is In The TV, but this album was brought to my attention by the NPR Music Feed.

3. Palehound  - Killer

Boston, USA based Palehound started out as the solo project of Ellen Kemper, but is now a three person band. This is one of the tracks of the year so far and is from the album of the month on The Moon. It is her/their third LP and is apparently a bit less frantic than the previous ones, but it is very much worth persevering with and it does perk up a bit in the second half.

4. Mattiel  - Keep the Change

Mattiel is Ms Mattiel Brown from Atlanta USA and she, and her cracking backing band, are my first ever discovery from my many armchair Glastonbury experiences. This is from her recently released second LP which is like a mutation of PJ Harvey, The White Stripes and Ezra Furman. It is a bit of a mystery that I had not come across her before, but she has just featured in the latest VPME podcast and on the latest Station Breaks on NPR.

5. Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures - Tequila Island

Shockingly, it has been over six month since The Wave Pictures last featured on The Moon. The very prolific Mr Brinks has also featured on The Moon before, but only with The Wave Pictures as they do manage to bring out the best in him.

6. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets  - Hymn For a Droid

More psychedelic rock n'roll from The Land of OZ, with losts of similarities with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, including a silly, if funnier name and being prolific  - as this is from their third LP in a couple of years. In terms of style and sound, it is exactly the kind of LP I would want the Gizzards to make, only I think if they put their mind to it, they could add superior tuneage. 

7. Madonnatron - Sucker Punch

This is the second appearance of this South London band on The Moon after first appearing with their brilliant one off single Mermaids on  Top Moon Tunes 2018 Vol 4. This is from their second LP and they again prove that they have better tuneage and are more innovative than their south London contemporaries The Fat White Family and yet they play a stage at Glastonbury that does not get covered by the BBC.

8. JARV IS - Must I Evolve?

JARV IS is the new band led by the one and only Jarvis Cocker. This track is further evidence that he is getting back to peak form as it combines the sound of Pulp at their most electronic circa 91 with the top tuneage of their 95 vintage. It is very worthy of inclusion in A Yorkshire Treasure - A Best of Pulp and Jarvis on The Moon

9. Pixx - Peanuts Grow Underground

Pixx is Hannah Rodgers from Chipstead, Surrey, UK (for now). Her first releases were described as folktronica and  her 2017 debut LP was more eletro-pop and did not quite float my boat, but with this new LP she has added more diversity with a bit of grungy rock n' roll plus some innovative top tuneage like this track.

10. Courtney Barnett - Everybody Here Hates You

Ms Barnett has quickly become a multi Moon offender. This track is one half of a new one off single released for record store day and is one of her finest moments.

11. Mountaintop Junkshop - Yellow Roses Red Eyes

This is a folky Americana band from Leicester, UK (for now) who were brought to my attention by God Is In The TV. They are yet to release an LP but they have released 15 quality tracks from a number of singles and EPs plus a great cover of Loretta Lynn's White Christmas Blue.

12. Sunny War - If it Wasn't Broken

Sunny War is Nashville USA born Sydney Ward and this is the gorgeous opening track from her third album from 2018, but only recently  brought to my attention by the NPR music feed. Her Spotify profile tells us that she enlivens traditional folk and blues by refreshing her musical attack and writing lyrics that reflect 21st Century concerns" and that she sometimes moonlights "with her punk side band Anus Kings".

13. Hatchie - Without A Blush

Hatchie is Harriette Pilbeam from Brisbane in Australia, who first appeared on The Moon on Top Moon Tunes 2018 Volume 5 with Sugar and Spice which I described as the most poptastic track from her first LP. She has now released a whole album that is mostly just as poptastic.

14. Lizzo  - Jerome

The now super superstar that is Lizzo first appeared on The Moon back in 2015 and the classic Juice also appeared on Top Moon Tunes 2019 Volume 1 - when I also realised that she had released an albums worth of material in singles and EPs since her 2015 album. Those tracks, along with the new LP, are a lot more pop than her previous material but I did not really appreciate how poptastic they are until I saw her Glastonbury performance which was quite brilliant, despite not featuring a live band. The performance included many of the pre-album tracks and shows what a  mystery it is that it took until Juice for her to have a worldwide smash. The album is very good indeed, including this top track, but my 18 track playlist of her tracks since 2015 is brilliant.

15. Mike Adams At His Honest Weight - So Faded

Mike Adams At His Honest Weight are a band from Indiana, USA and this track is from their 4th LP. It is one of many highlights from an album that starts very well but then ends brilliantly and should entice fans of REM at their most poptastic or Saintseneca.

16. Kelsey Lu  - Poor Fake

A 16th track this month as it was not possible to add this track to the Playmoss playlist because Kelsey Lu is an UMG artists and not on Bandcamp, and so this track is embedded above. Kelsey Lu is Kelsey McJunkins and she is a classically trained cellist from North Carolina, USA and this is from her second LP. This is one of the more upbeat tracks from an LP of sumptuous modern soul.