Steven Wilson: "A Basket of Bees (The Village Hall Sessions)" video

Steven Wilson has shared a video for A Basket of Bees played in the studio with Randy McStine (guitars, backing vocals) and Russell Holzman (drums, percussion) and Shelby Logan Warn (backing vocals), a pastoral prog rocker with a bit of metal bass to confuse the punters. It is a track from his new album Requiem for a Village.

Coltin Thorn: It’s Time For Me To Leave

Finding closure about a relationship going on the rocks within two minutes feels a bit like rushing it. However, Coltin Thorn, an outlaw Americana singer from Salt Lake City manages this to do so with It's Time For Me To Leave, when he reaches the conclusion that moving on is the only viable option after having tried all other options.

The song falls apart in the last seconds, which is a blessing in disguise as he is obviously overcome by his emotions. Take note of his guitar playing. Sometimes a few notes can tell a whole story.

Barbican Estate: Atlas

Japanese duo Barbican Estate quickly made a name for themselves in the UK underground scene after their moved to London in 2022. On their new single Atlas they cherrypicked drone elements of synth-driven downtempo and post-rock on top of a motorik back beat.

It is easy to picture them on a small stage bathed in strobe lights as they stretch the song even further than the six minutes of this studio effort. Too much of a good thing? Not for fans of the Durutti Column and Can, who will have no trouble let themselves be transfixed, with a few choice guitar notes to break the spell every now and then.

Words about music (860): Tom Petty

I tend to write on an acoustic guitar or the piano. I have kind of a rule: if I can't sit down and play this and get the song over, I don't take it to the band, because most any good song, you can sit down and deliver it with a piano or a guitar.

Tom Petty

British Birds: Murmurate, Oscillate

English quartet British Birds have come up with a loveable mix of psychedelic garage rock, XTC-flavoured New Wave and the Kinks in their late '60s early '70s vaudeville leanings. Murmurate, Oscillate is an album that is bursting at the seams with musical ideas, a true cornucopia of twists and turns, plus it will have listener reaching for the dictionary more than once.

They face life's relational stumble blocks with a wry smile and the occasional snide remark (Blame Game), but they don't a turn a blind eye to the world's more pressing problems as well. Some of their friends joined the army and came back with a bad case of PTSD (Polka Dot Eyes). The insightful lyrics deserve undivided attention. The darkness is never far away, but throwing a joyous blanket over it will offer a bit of reprieve.