Mandrake Handshake: The Tether / Modulo 5

photo: Sebastian Garraway

London based psych collective Mandrake Handshake are in a trippy South American mood on their new single The Tether / Modulo 5, a relaxed one-two punch that contains all the elements of their signature soft-spoken Flowerkraut sound.

It starts out as a run-of-the-mill late 6os Brasilian pop song before evolving into a free-flowing wordless singalong that will be a set piece on their forthcoming live shows. It is a track from their new album Laputa, due for release on January 29th 2027 via Tip Top Recordings.

Gabriel Vicéns: "Niebla" world premiere shows

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns will perform the music from his latest album Niebla live for the first time in Brooklyn: "Throughout the album he mixes abstract bits with almost easy on the ears melodies. Niebla might mean "fog", but Vicéns and his musicians share a joint clear vision: to create music where tone and risk taking are equal partners to create a mesmerising listening experience. Feel free to wander around in his world and get lost in a good way." He will be joined by the musicians who played on the record.

Remy van Kesteren: "Threads" try-out show in Amsterdam

photo: Nick Helderman

Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren will perform a try-out for his new Threads show about Orpheus and resistance @ Splendor in Amsterdam on September 28. Electronics, loops and lights will be part of it.

» remyvankesteren.com

Blake: Ready, Steady, Quo!

English singer-songwriter Blake picked two familiar songs and a deep cut for his Status Quo covers EP Ready, Steady, Quo!, the band that evolved from a psychedelic folkies act into a 12-bar boogie powerhouse. Most people will be familiar with Pictures of Matchstick Men, which was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and the only song to get some traction in the early days of the Quo. Blake sticks close to the original version (same goes for the included live take).

Things get interesting with his choice for Gerdundula, a track from Dog of Two Head, the first album recorded by what would later be called the Frantic Four - the classic Rossi-Parfitt-Lancaster-Coghlan line-up. Blake obviously loves this song - he loves the whole album in fact - a transitional one that fell through the cracks, but it is a real gem in the band's discography. Finally he tries his hand at the live favourite In My Chair. Trying to play this in the same tempo as the original eluded him, so he chose wisely and went for a slighly slower one that works quite well.

Jo Carley And The Old Dry Skulls: new album "Boneyard Rituals" in October

English old school vaudeville blues trio Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls will release their new album Boneyard Rituals on October 14. It is the first one featuring Stephane Spitz on baritone and tenor saxophone extensively. He made his first appearance on lead single Only When The Moon Is Full.