London based Damnably Records recently released a free compilation to celebrate their 14th birthday.
The label, which is home to the likes of Otoboke Beaver, Say Sue Me, Grrrl Gang and Drinking Boys and Girls Choir to name a few, have been heavily active this year on social media despite/because of the pandemic. They actually had a marathon streaming session back in October to celebrate the occasion and you can revisit that here.
The Grrrl Gang segment is great and of course Dream Girl features on the compilation which is a soundtrack to accompany that day. You can get the compilation from here on a pay what you want basis.
Sunday Drive Records have released a compilation showcasing their 2020 releases and roster. The compilation features Weathering who I have featured previously and their excellent track Changing Colors can be found on this volume.
I have to confess that aside from the aforementioned and Ease all the other acts here are new to me. Of these I enjoyed the track by Sergio Anello titled Grief Repeating but the compilation contained more tracks that I skipped rather than listened too. Still, it’s free (well pay what you want) and if you have not got the tracks from Weathering as of yet you can grab them via this one.
Leicester based Dayflower have released an album titled On A Different Day: A Demo Mixtape. The title suggests what the contents will comprise and during the recent lockdowns, the band have been sifting through their archives. They write that “we were struck by how these versions have an energy and charm that can sometimes become diluted in the finished product.”
I really enjoyed some of these different version mixes none more so than Popping Candy (Chrissy Joi). Again this one is released on a pay what you want basis and is available from here.
Japanese band Spool recently released their second album Cyan/Amber. It’s chock full of dreampop and fuzz-free shoegaze tracks including the delightful あめ (Rain) and the catchy Cyan. The vocals are lovely and it’s an album to while away an hour or two. Cyan/Amber is available in vinyl, CD and digital formats and can be ordered from here.
EDIT: Indonesia label Gerpfast Records have released a cassette version of the album which can be purchased from here.
Canadian dreampop/shoegaze band Prepare My Glider have released an EP of remixes in aid of charity: water which is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.
There are some good interpretations here. Smokesong (DJ Slee Remix) is attention-grabbing with its Warp style beats whilst the Bahoric Redestruction Mix of Do You Remeber is blissful and dreamy in a Cafe Del Mer kinda way. The highlight for me though is the plainly titled remix of Losing Daylight which also loses its fuzzy guitars seeing them replaced by laidback synths which bring the vocals to the fore.
Remixed is available digitally from the band.
Records I Like 