Sarah Bethe Nelson "Too Rich"

There's been something of a deluge of lovely, countrified pop songs in 2019 and one of the dreamiest is, in Not Unloved's opinion, the swooning "Too Rich" from Sarah Bethe Nelson's tremendous third lp, "Weird Glow" (Burger). Sarah Bethe's vocals are so endearingly sweet and the melody so moreish that whole hours have passed recently without another song nudging it from the top of Not Unloved's playlist. From experience, it makes an ideal soundtrack to staring out the window watching late autumn breezes take the leaves from the trees.

Doug Tuttle "Twilight"

It's got to the stage where it's almost 100% certain that any record that bears the name Doug Tuttle will find a happy home at Not Unloved. Unusually for 2019, I don't even bother sampling them online before buying. I know - crazy! His latest lp, "Dream Road", came out at the very end of May on Burger Records but only recently showed up in Glasgow. "Twilight" from it has a really beautiful video that perfectly suits the softly psychedelic music. Interestingly, "Twilight" never quite builds to the expected singalong chorus and the more predictable fuzz guitar solo is eschewed in favour of a more subtle flute-like backwards guitar interlude; it's all the more memorable for such thoughtfulness. It may have come out in late spring but on this dark, damp evening, autumn seems like just the right season during which to get to know "Dream Road" better.

Mikah Wilson "Sunshine Grooves" 7"

"Sunshine Grooves" (You Are The Cosmos Records) came out last summer and takes the superior sunshine pop of the 1960s (The Beach Boys, The Yellow Balloon, Jan & Dean etc.) as its starting point and adds a generous dusting of icing sugar, a heaped teaspoonful of Creamola Foam and a handful of Rainbow Dust with predictably tooth-bothering results. Not Unloved, of course, has always craved the sweet stuff so fully endorses Mikah's recipe for making the world a brighter, gentler place. Whichever register (helium or counter-helium) he's singing in, Mikah's voice is a thing of wonder. Sometimes wholesome pop is the best pop!

Guitar overdose!

Not Unloved's favourite guitar pop records of the moment:

"Ariana" by Mercury Girls (Slumberland 7")



Yet another classic single from Slumberland.  It's unimaginable that there will ever come a time when  a record such as "Ariana" won't be met with rejoicing in these quarters.  Now that the sun has plucked up the courage to come out in Glasgow it sounds even more lustrous.

"Your Boyfriend's Girlfriend" by Pale Spectres (self-released cdep)



Pale Spectres played one of my favourite Indietracks sets ever with each song seemingly more charming and boasting a more memorable guitar line than the last.  "Your Boyfriend's Girlfriend" makes good on the promise of that set.  It's just a shame that National Pop League is no more as it would have sounded glorious at volume in of the Woodside Social as the condensed sweat of a hundred dancers dripped down the walls.

"Buy This Record" by Nic Hessler & EZTV (Captured Tracks 7")



There seems to be an exponential decline in the goodwill of record shop regulars towards Record Store Day but I'll be happy for it to continue if at least a few of the future exclusive releases are as great as Nic and EZTV'S Milk'n'Cookies covers 7" or Burger Records' public service vinyl compendium of the slim but joyful output of early 80s group The MnMs.  It would appear that neither record made it to the UK in any significant numbers so there was a wee windfall for the Post Office when it became apparent that I needed both.

Curtis Harding "Keep On Shining"

10 minutes ago I'd never heard of Curtis Harding but then I visited the Burger Records website just, you know, to see what they're up to - I'm nosey like that - and spotted that Iggy Pop had given a 'shout-out' to the label.  That shout-out came after he'd played a Curtis Harding track on his BBC6 Music radio show in July and what a startlingly good track it is:



Easily the best Iggy tip since he alerted me to the wondrous Lift To The Scaffold by choosing it as one of the films for his Fantasy Multiplex on Radio 1. I've not felt so aflame with excitement about a new soul act since Did Not Chart first posted about Myron & E.  If that intro doesn't hook you then, well, I despair!  Well done to Burger for not sticking to one sound and going where their ears and heart lead them.  I, for one, never expected to hear them release anything remotely like this; Timmion yes, Daptone yes, Burger no.  I may be a bit skint at the moment but that won't stop me buying Curtis's lp the very second it hits the shelves of Glasgow's record shops.  (Please let it hit the shelves of Glasgow's record shops!)