The Top Boost "Dreaming e.p." (You Are The Cosmos)

Spain's indie(pop) labels really are cornering the market in jangling pop these days. Last April You Are The Cosmos sneaked out Canadian group The Top Boost's "Dreaming e.p." while Not Unloved's back was turned. Thankfully, it was written-up in issue 98 of Shindig! so I didn't miss it completely. The title track is an immaculately recorded, sweet-voiced stomper that conjurs up images of clean-cut fellas in crisp duds and Ray Ban shades tapping their Chelsea booted feet in unison. Also, it's a real pleasure to hear the word 'reciprocate' in a song. If you've been flipping over Slumberland's essential round-up of The Springfields' stellar output, you could do worse than spending 8 minutes and 58 seconds in the company of the "Dreaming e.p.".

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!