We missed these. They are all excellent and we missed them.

So just in case, (like us) you are late coming to them, then you’re in for a real treat – from the unwavering desolation of Josh T Pearson to the gung-ho garage riffs of Jeff The Brotherhood, all of these should (if we’d been doing our job properly) have been up on MM long before now.

We have failed.

We must try harder as our school report regularly used to say.

But enough of the self-pity and better late than never, Josh T Pearson’s album Last Of The Country Gentlemen has been gathering almost universally outstanding reviews – so we’ve managed to ignore it completely. Then we idly played Woman When I’ve Raised Hell and discovered seven heart wrenching minutes of (what must surely be) the most mournful ballad in a long, long time to document the relentless pain and suffering caused when a relationship passes from failing to broken.

Honestly, why can’t you just let it be

And let me quietly drink myself to sleep

Honestly, it’s not what it appears to be

But only memories that ain’t got shit to do with you

 

Woman when I’ve raised hell, heaven knows you’re gonna know it

There won’t be a shadow of doubt in your bright little mind

No pictures left hangin’, only lonely unpainted nails

Ah Honey you’ll connect those dots, read the writin’ on the walls

Download Josh T Pearson – Woman When I’ve Raised Hell…(Alternative Version) mp3

By contrast, Jeff The Brotherhood deal in the joys and spontaneity of youth – of big fat guitar riffs and even bigger choruses and remind us of The Ramones on skateboards. Try the non-stop exuberance of Bone Jam from debut Heavy Days or the equally excitable Mellow Out from new album We Are The Champions.

This latter song features on an excellent 12 track free digital sampler from label Infinity Cat that also includes Natural Child, Hell Beach and the brilliant White Death by Fielded. (just click here to go and get it).

Download Jeff The Brotherhood – Bone Jam mp3 (from Heavy Days)

Download Jeff The Brotherhood – Mellow Out mp3 (from We Are The Champions)

The track, Don’t Know Who We Are by The Donkeys has also been around for a while and is from forthcoming album Born With Stripes.

I think it was the name that put us off listening until now – fools that we are. It is a perfect slice of twangy relaxed sunshine rock, that is as catchy as hell and good enough not to become irritating after a short while.

Download The Donkeys – Don’t Know Who We Are mp3 (from Born With Stripes)

Lastly Cloud Nothings recent self-titled album release has also been picking up many plaudits for its adrenalin fuelled sugary pop-punk that is as spiky as it is sweet.

This track has been doing the rounds for a good while too, but as Understand At All is just one of the many standout tracks on the record we felt we ought to post it even after all this time.

Download Cloud Nothings – Understand At All mp3 (from Cloud Nothings)