MV : "Addicted to love" by Ciccone Youth

Better than the original, or is it?

Top 5 Records (November)

1: La Casa Al Mare - this astro EP
2: Class Actress - movies EP
3: Florence & the Machine - how big, how blue, how beautiful
4: Chvrches - every open eye
5: Metric - pagans in Vegas

MV : "Rainy day" by Susan Christie

Lovely song, just bought the album this is off in fact...

Chvrches - every open eye

Second album from Chvrches offers more big number neo-synth pop and exciting electro thrash with killer pop undertones. Very accessible but also still down to earth. The electronics never overshadow but instead enhance the very appealing vocals. Key tracks are "Leave a trace", "Empty threat" and "Never ending circles" but can't really think of many fillers on this album. "Clearest blue" is fun when it erupts what sounds like a sonic update of the Mode's "Just can't get enough". How it should be, not afraid to take inspiration from the past but not being shackled by it. Great album.

MV : "Theme from an unmade silent movie" by Hurricane Smith

Footie memories.

Love - forever changes

Regarded as one of the finest albums to come out of the Summer of Love, "Forever changes" was Love's third album and includes lovely psychedelia and beautiful folk rock with baroque flourishes. Some great pop hooks too, "Alone again or" for example has a delicious urgency and a juicy brass assisted melody.

"A house is not a hotel" is another shuffle of a track with tasty razor sharp guitar licks. "The red telephone" is an irresistible slice of psychedelia with whimsy, tempo changes and lush sounds a-plenty. It is a great album that has not dated any, sounding as fresh in 2013 as it did in 1967.

Florence and the Machine - how big, how blue, how beautiful

Its drama this 3rd album from Florence and the Machine, there is no shortage of emotion on display amid the sonic attacks on songs like "Ship to wreck" and "Queen of peace". In fact it can be a bit overblown, over the top but you know... it just sounds so damn good. Florence's voice is so powerful she could easily get a job as an auxiliary fog horn if the music career dries up, on music like this this is a good thing by the way. Its not a perfect album, or even a good one. More a set of really good tunes set amid some filler but the filler is at least passable and when its good its really good.

MV : "Last year" by Joanna Gruesome

Punky pop rock yeah.

Departure - Thai Indie Scene

A wonderful compilation of indie pop from Thailand from SEA Indie. Some great variety of music styles too, highlight of the album for me is the chilled electro-beat "Keyboard" by derdamissyou, a truly wonderful song atmospheric and mesmerising.

Slow Reverse's "when the worlds collide" has some lovely pop melodies coupled to breathy female vocals and a slinky guitar line, and one of the best choruses for ages. Little Fox's "what we are" is a bit New Wave-ish and a great relaxed pop beat. Colonial's "misplaced" is a great pop thrash with added novelty tones. Seal Pillow's "canvas shoe" is another lovely pop song with good energy.

On this evidence the Thai indie pop scene is thriving, and very varied. So much to enjoy.

Courtney Barnett - sometimes i sit and think and sometimes i just sit

The debut from Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett and its a mixed bag but overall it succeeds and is well worth a listen. Her style is low-key indie rock with exploratory (and often rambling but in a good way) vocals. Her word play is sometimes inspired, sometimes a bit toyshop Dylan, but throughout its entertaining.

Favourite track is "Debbie Downer" which has some great pop moments. The album doesn't always work but it is always individual and honest and thats the best thing of all in a world of sameness.