As the first quarter of 2026 draws to a close, I realize just how much music I’ve been loving and wanting to share, but haven’t had the time to. So here’s a roundup of some of the many records that I’ve been loving since the end of 2025, but haven’t covered yet.
Swim Ignorant Fire – Retrospective & Live at Reverberation Vinyl
Experimental Illinois artist Swim Ignorant Fire wowed me with his album on Island House Records back in ’24, so getting a chance to immerse myself into a collection of his material from the last 20 years was a real treat. On this compilation, you’re treated to, very spacious, vast pedal steel kissed ambient soundscapes that make you feels as though you are coasting across a horizonless ocean of sound. Some tracks are more upbeat and energetic, like “Grains from the Sky,” while others are more dissonant and noise-leaning, like “(3).” With guitar loops, field recordings and lots of knob twisting, SIF makes grand sweeping tone meditations and film score-like beds of swelling dronescapes with the barest of essentials. This is a fantastic legacy worth celebrating with this excellent release.
Live at Reverberation Vinyl
Presented as one long live track and recorded at our good buddy John Anderson’s record store in Bloomington, IL, this is an entirely different situation altogether. SIF here has been expanded as a trio, with Yea Big on gamelan bells, bass clarinet, Stephen H. on bass guitar and sp202 and Nate Hahn on pedal steel. The group dives into the rarely treaded waters that exist between the realms of jazz, country and exotica lounge, and the results are deeply fun, reflecting the sound you hear on the aforementioned IH tape. You can just feel the energy and mirth of this performance. Witnessing this highly unusual yet deeply ear-catching music in person, within a small, intimate space must have been such a thrill for the audience (and I’m sure it must also be equally thrilling to perform!) This is a must-have recording for anyone interested in experimental pedal steel music.
Matt LaJoie – Stonehouse & Hiawatha Service
On Stonehouse, Matt LaJoie is further coasting away from his serene clouds of celestial solo guitar music and veering off into deeper kosmische directions, blending murk and dissonance into his palette of sounds. On tracks like the opening “Die Wand,” he wraps a lengthy swamp guitar line around a throbbing drum machine, like a caramalized Wet Tuna jam.
At other points, he creates dense guitarscapes that either glow with a melted down Hendrixian-styled distortion (like on “Bloom and Decay”) or flow and throb like an undulating sea of sound (Moss on an Ancient Road.”) If Popol Vuh ever collaborated on a Frippertronics record, it might sound akin with this cosmic mutant of a guitar record.
It’s a bold shift in form for LaJoie, but this absolutely smoldering solo guitar record is a just reward for such a brave leap.
Hiawatha Service
Matt LaJoie recently released a live record that features a performance also captured at Reverberation Vinyl! (Seriously, this is definitely the place to be if you’re into this kind of music. Do yourself a favor and stop in if you ever find yourself near Illinois!) On this record, the Maine-based guitarist leans even further into discordant tones, dark vibes and walls of distorted fuzz. This more shadowy, roughened side of LaJoie’s cosmic soundscapes allows for his techniques to further evolve and develop new musical languages and colors for him to explore and play with.
On “Reverberation 2,” LaJoie is joined by RCU regular, Aaron Dooley, on bass, whose melodic lines give the New England axe-slinger something fluid to weave his echo-drenched solos around, double-helix like, before blooming into something hazy and warmly trance-inducing. The full effect is reminiscent of the drifty soundscape mid-section in Hendrix’s underrated epic, “1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be).”
With all kinds of multifarious live effects at his disposal, LaJoie is perfectly equipped for continuing to progress his craft and take us all onto unique sonic journeys. I cannot wait to hear where he will shepherd us to next. Get your copy of this scorching live recording here.
Flying Vipers – World Inversion
This deep space dub record marries together interstellar guitar soundscapes with the most psychedelic reggae you’ve ever heard, and the results are more tripped out and beautiful than you could imagine.
Hailing from Waltham, Massachusetts, Flying Vipers mellow out the listener with their arsenal of melty brass, fat bass lines, throbbing keys and galactic guitar solos, as well as Kellee Webb’s soaring, stunning vocals, all drenched in pulsating reverb. Counterbalancing this hazy chill is the band’s utterly mindblowing cosmic effects and interstellar production work, which answers the question of what it would be like if Hawkwind and Eddie Hazel ever took on reggae grooves together. Check out “The Horrible Truth about Earth” for a spectacular example of this incredible blend of dub and heady space rock. I could only imagine how wild their live shows must be!
Scott William Urquhart – Nowhere To Run EP
From Stirling, UK, Scott William Urquhart is dazzling ears again with his latest atmospheric fingerstyle guitar release. Made up of four serene pieces that harmoniously combine both rustic and dreamlike elements into surrealistic pastoral folk soundscapes, this EP sits perfectly on the same shelf as the psych string music of folks like the Powers/Rolin Duo and Six Organs of Admittance.
Joined by droning violin, sympathetic cello, and in the title track’s case, heartfelt harmony vocals by both Scott and Cecilia’Grace Urquhart, the acoustic guitar sings, swoops and soars with an expressive vibrancy that deserves to be studied and celebrated. Fans of Nick Drake, Joseph Allred and John Renbourne NEED to hear this and the rest of Urquhart’s discography.
Sam Grassie – Caisteal Abhail EP
Another recent fingerpicking record that I’ve been loving lately is Sam Grassie’s astonishingly superb Caisteal Abhail EP.
Hailing from Scotland and previously working with the Bert Jansch foundation, it may not come as a surprise that his nimble fingerstyle work and deep, emotive vocals bring to mind records like Rosemary Lane, Avocet or some of the classic Pentangle LPs (especially the haunting “Causeways,” which features the spectral vocals of Iona Zajac, Celtic harp and some snaking Danny Thompson-like bass lines provided by Herbie Loening). Yet there’s a deep vein of honest originality on display here, as Grassie channels both his world and experiences through his delivery, his arrangements and the deep environmental production work on this EP. It’s like you’ve got an ear up against the wall of his very imagination here. An absolute must-have for every Anne Briggs, Pentangle and Jansch fan.
Lyke Rayne – The Time Will Sort Ye Out
This is some tranquil handmade psych rock that conjures the DIY ethos and technicolor vibes of the Elephant 6 Collective and the likes of Elephant Stone. Throughout the album, sunshine pop vocals glisten over phased guitars, trilling flutes and punchy drums, making this a perfect album for manifesting some warm spring weather.
Tracks like “In the Frame of Your Mind” lean more into a dark folk rock vibe, rich with shadowy drones, hypnotic guitar licks and hazy vocals, while others, like “Closing the Seam,” rock out like Apples in Stereo or The Brian Jonestown Massacre. This is prime analogue psychedelia tinted in watercolor hues and sunbaked nostalgia. Being a project by Sean Conrad, of Channelers and the head of the Inner Islands and Gentle Ways labels, you know it’s going to be a deep, fine listen. Check it out for yourself and explore, won’t you?
Plankton Wat – The Vanishing World
Plankton Wat’s a name that many RCU readers are likely well aware of, as he’s been cranking out great records for over 20 years now. Yet, on The Vanishing World, he plays with the freshness and boundless creativity of someone far greener. Joined by a heady crew that includes Dustin Dybvig (Brass Clouds, Rose City Band, Horse Feathers, Edibles), James Shaver (Abronia, Deep Earth, Million Brazilians), and Victor Nash (Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, The Decemberists), PW (real name Dewey Mahood) plays a scintillating fusion of acid rock, prog and brass-laden Afropop.
While there’s a tasty selection of unique sounds and moods all across this wild record, perhaps its biggest strengths lay in the instrumental jams, like “Black Satin” or “Tentacles,” where the band jams out with complicated rhythms and chord changes, blaring cosmic horns and crunchy distorted riffs. Showing this album to all of my local King Crimson and jamband freaks has always gone down well and blew away some minds. I’m sure you, dear reader, will likely have the same reaction. Be sure to smash that buy button if that is indeed the case: buy it here!
Names Divine – Take My Hand
Kendraplex has released many greatly imaginative genre-defying records under a variety of different projects and collaborations over the years, and Take My Hand is certainly one her best.
Playing as Names Divine, a band with an unset lineup that dates back to Kendraplex’s Chicago days, the now New York-based artist leans heavily into the noisiest and most gothic end of the synth rock spectrum. Supported by some of the city’s most iconic names in underground rock, like J.R. Bohannon, Weak Signal’s Sasha Vine and Garcia Peoples’ Cesar Arakaki, Kendraplex swirls up hurricanes of dark, sludgy noise that slams into you and carries you away. With thunderous guitars, adrenaline-pumping beats and growling bass drones that you can feel deeply in your chest, these songs are tailor made for Kendraplex to show off the near-operatic extremes of her powerful vocal range. This is especially evident on the jawdropping sonic maelstrom that is “Shape of Love,” which feels like an overdriven industrial exorcism of the soul.
Yet at other points, like “Misery Line,” the music goes softer and glides with a smooth 80s goth-pop glean. Other disparate elements, like spoken word and atonal found sounds also emerge through the album’s murky mists, and blend together beautifully well with the rest of the album’s doomy soundscapes.
The one thing I appreciate about Kendraplex’s music, is that it always sounds totally unlike anything else I have ever heard before. This is especially true of Take My Hand. Be adventurous and explore the uncharted expanses of Names Divine.
Normal Community High School Experimental Ensemble – A Moment of Yet
A major esoteric outlet for bass clarinetist, Yea Big (Stefen Robinson), The Normal Community High School Experimental Ensemble has evolved through multiple stages over the years, with the lineup for this particular record comprising of: J Aldeman (percussion, tenor saxophone), Elizabeth Forrest (autoharp, bass trombone, clarinet, voice), Rajeeth Ganesan (harmonium, piano, synths, violin, voice), Andrea Marinello (euphonium, percussion, radio, turntable), Joe Morris (euphonium, percussion)
Jimmy Niewadomski (percussion, synths), Zachary Sargent (alto saxophone) and
Robinson also taking double bass, duduk and shakuhachi duties.
This is an album that is truly experimental, with every track exploring a unique corner of sonic eclecticism, from multilayered musique concrète pieces to clattering avant-garde jazz soundscapes and droning cinematic ambient suites. With an arsenal of found objects being utilized as instruments, strongly processed and manipulated samples and a multitude of other unusual sounds clashing together into something new and exciting, this is a record that is easily peerless. However, shades of Colleen, Harry Partch and even Pelt can be felt throughout this daring LP. Yea Big and his ensemble have created a deeply immersive world of strange and intriguing sounds for you to wander into and get lost within. Put on some big headphones and take a journey.
This record will have a limited vinyl release on Yea Big’s Black Flag Bonsai Club label on April 17th, and preorders are live now.
Guesstimate – Strange Gems
Guesstimate is such an enjoyable singularity, these guys need to be on the radar of so many different camps of record collecting heads. The group all live together in a shared space in New Brunswick, NJ, where they are constantly jamming and cooking up fresh and unique ideas nonstop. The sheer backlog of future albums they have in the can alone speaks to this band’s insatiable creativity. Every time I have seen them live, I have heard completely different sets that at times sound like completely different bands. The group combines complex prog rock arrangements and atmospherics with the adventurous jazz fusion of Electric-era Miles Davis and funky jamband grooves into an ever-shifting liquid amoeba of riveting cosmic sounds.
On this album, the band swerves between tight rockers with wild time signatures, surrealistic synth epics and celestial jazz-funk workouts. Echoes of Camel, Yes and Primus intermingle with the essence of more obscure names like Gentle Giant, Nucleus and Nektar throughout this album, but this Jersey group charge these vintage vibes with a fresh fierceness and a juggernaut power that is entirely their own. With commanding vocals, abstract processed trumpet and sci-fi synths blaring over a breakneck beat, Guesstimate is a force to be reckoned with. Be sure to grab this record and to catch this band on stage, where they take full flight.
Bobby Shock – Horny
Guesstimate’s Bobby Shock’s tenth (!) solo album leans even heavier into vintage prog territory. With a stronger emphasis on songwriting and lyrics, this album is incandescent with the 70s Day-Glo ear candy of groups like Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis and The Alan Parsons Project. Shock’s mathy chord progressions are perfectly balanced by his expertly crafted pop hooks and catchy melodies.
With a generous helping of retro synth sounds, snarling bass lines and processed vocals that range from glossy Beatles-esque harmonies to a meteoric falsetto, this is a prog record for both deep fans of the genre and listeners who just love to throw down to a banger with a tight beat. Especially with tracks like “Whatever Floats Your Boat,” and the very kosmische-flavored title track, this is an album to put on while you’re laying back and pretending you’re floating away on a giant airborn Roger Dean island in the sky. Get your copy on CD or digital today.
Human Adult Band – Freddy’s Phone Call
Jersey’s reigning lords of noise, Human Adult Band, have been on a roll lately, dropping a full potent batch of powerful and arresting releases over the last year. Freddy’s Phone Call, a limited edition CD-R available through the fittingly titled Jan. ’95 CD-Rs label, came out in September, and it perhaps captures one of the widest portraits of the band’s wild range.
From atonal acoustic dirges to sludgy overdriven noise jams that bellow with the rawness of hell, this is is pure unadulterated HAB at their most uncompromising. With “crank radio, live electronics and an array of instruments used to wield sonic explorations for your evening pleasure,” you’re shocked and pinned down by the band’s relentless din of feedback and tape hiss. If the Velvet’s Guitar Amp Tapes, Les Rallizes Denudes and Boris get a lot of plays in your record collection, be sure to grab this explosive CD-R.
Saapato – In Alaska
While spending a residency with the Alaska State Park Service in 2023, ambient artist, Saapato, recorded the sounds and ambiance of the frigid north, and mixed them into icy synth soundscapes. This might be one of the most enjoyably relaxing ambient records of the last few years.
Saapato perfectly expands upon the sonic environments of his carefully captured and curated Alaskan field recordings with complementing trills, chimes and soft melodies from his suitably cold synthesizers. The soothing sounds of nature. like flowing streams, laughing gulls and gentle raindrops mix beautifully with Saapato’s subtle keyboards. The synths are soft, frosted and even church organ-like at times. These artificial tones blend together so perfectly with the natural field recordings, they often sound as though they belong to the same environment. It’s a marvelous effect and a deeply immersive listen. I would love to hear more tastefully blended synth and nature records like this that somehow avoid being cheesy or a novelty. This record is nothing short of a delight and a calming balm in these harsh times.
Get your copy of In Alaska, and listen slowly.
-KH
Record Crates United 