Diverse Music

Diverse Album Of The Month - August

Richmond Fontaine - We Used Ton Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River



'We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River' is the eighth album from acclaimed Oregon act Richmond Fontaine. The album sees Willy Vlautin's lyrical tales of the desperate lives of ordinary people backed by the band's trademark alt-country sound. Vlautin has also had 2 novels published and this shows in his songwriting. The subject matter is as bleak as usual but on this album the band have progressed from the out and out alt.country of their past albums in the way that Wilco escaped their americana roots and become a proper rock band. Richmond Fontaine are a far better band than Wilco though, more interesting lyrically and more layered musically. I love this band so much that the vinyl version of this album is being releases on our own label, Diverse Records.

Matt Recommended

Jimi Alexander & The Satellites - Burn A Little Brighter



This is the sound of Ryan Adams removing his head from his own arse, taking a good look around, grabbing the bottle of whiskey from his bedside table with both hands, consuming it and writing some fucking awesome alt.country songs. Wayward Soul actually sounds something like a country Oasis. This is a good thing. Sort of ‘The Girl In The Dirty Shirt ‘with Victoria Williams on backing vocals. The title track should also appeal to a crossover crowd. The term alt.country tends to scare people off but Burn A Little Brighter, with it’s ‘I’m so in love with you’ refrain, could easily be the song to slow dance to at the school disco or could replace Snow Patrol’s more ‘lighter in the air’ moments on mother’s car stereos everywhere. All this without it sounding any less like it was made by whiskey soaked Steve Earle fans. This album is a lesson in restraint, there maybe six members in the band but they’re only used if they’re needed. There’s no ‘we’ve got a fuzzbox and we’re going to use it’ attitude here. Many of the songs don’t have bass or drums and three of the tracks were recorded live with just Jimi, Lucy and Mat on guitar. There’s a slightly gothic feel to some of the album, not sinister, just that Sun Kil Moon type darkness, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel though. It feels like there’s quest to get somewhere, to return to your roots, to your love, or just to the place you call home.

Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone (May A.O.T.M)



After a rapturously received debut EP (2008's 'Sissy Hits'), Glasgow rock six-piece Dananananaykroyd's debut LP sees them capitalise on their early promise. Influenced equally by the likes of Don Caballero and the early 90s grunge movement, the band's sound on 'Hey Everyone' is as accessible as it is heavy. Epic, almost thrashy punk experiments like 'The Greater Than Symbol And The Hash' sit surprisingly well alongside poppier tunes like 'Infinity Milk' and 'Pink Sabbath', and an undisguised appetite for fun reigns supreme throughout. Contains the single 'Black Wax'.

Le Reno Amps - Tear It Open



Scottish indie/country/punks who were my choice for April’s album of the month. Veering between rockabilly, sweet balladry and sneering lyrics about ex’s they sound like Violent Femmes, REM and Brakes across the course of this great little album.

Paul Recommended

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days / Light Years



Returning to the kraut/psych/rock vibes of their early years, this album is a glorious technicolour journey into the mind of Super Furry Animals, jam packed into 59 minutes of acidic pop genius.

Malcolm Middleton - Waxing Gibbous



After a long and successful time with notable Scottish miserablists Arab Strap, Malcolm Middleton has gone some way to creating a name for himself with his solo recordings. 'Waxing Gibbous' is his fifth long player, and his fourth in as many years. Still riding from the brief celebrity status found upon the release of his Christmas song 'We're All Going To Die' from 2007, Middleton explores slightly lighter territory with this release, the tone being a great deal less scathing and bitter than previous(and still brilliant) outings. This one features contributions from Barry Burns of fellow Scots Mogwai and even that fails to wipe the smile of it’s face.

Mark Recommended

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest



Brooklyn's Grizzly Bear have amassed a reputation as one of America's best-loved underground bands, and this third LP repeats the trick of the first two with its gentle blend of indie rock, folk and experimentation. Like previous releases, 'Veckatimest' blends traditional indie rock with electronic elements. This is an altogether more summery effort with some psychedelic touches, and is the band's second album for the legendary Warp label.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion



Perhaps one of the most talked-about aspects of the eighth Animal Collective album is its optical illusion cover art - oddly acting as a pre-cursor to the sonic invention within. Ever the experimentalists, the New York-based indie troupe decamped to Mississippi for this offering, resulting in the usual vaguely-avant indie pop, but with a definite focus and a more accessible vibe. Production duty comes from friend of the band Ben Allen.

Also Recommended

Cracker - Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey



The first time I came across Cracker was watching them support Counting Crows at Newport Centre around the time ‘Low’ was a minor slacker indie hit. Countrified rock ‘n’ roll was the order of the day and thankfully still is. Sneered, cutting lyrics spat by ex-Camper Van Beethoven main man David Lowery sit with big rawk geetars that Neil Young would be proud of.

Broken Family Band - Please And Thank You



After the success of 2007's acclaimed 'Hello Love', Cambridge indie-rockers The Broken Family Band release their fifth album. 'Please And Thank You' sees the band tackling romantic and social difficulties with their trademark brazen wit and radio-friendly tunes although this album is less country than it’s predecessors and more Pavement like in it’s clattery indie-ness.

Jeffrey Lewis - ‘Em Are I



Part folkie, part indie-rocker, part comic book artist, with comic / tragic lyrics straight from the heart, and guitar style ranging from finger picked roots to outer space swoops, Jeffrey Lewis has worked on and off in between tours to spin an 11 song production that seems to reflect a love of the last 40 years of popular music, all filtered through Jeff’s unmistakable idiosyncratic muse.

The Thermals - Now We Can See



"NOW WE CAN SEE feels both like a nod to America's past grievances and its potentially bright future. The Thermals have never shied from topics like war, politics and religion…". Like a more punk driven Hold Steady, for those who like their music, loud, snotty AND intelligent.

Recommended and Not Forgotten

Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away

Devastating album of anguished folk, rock and country. Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves returns with an album of Americana whose quiet beauty belies lyrics of deep resignation. Just as Springsteen’s anthems can obscure his bite, Cleaves presents his songs with an offhandedness that, on the surface, offsets the despondency of his words.


Secret Machines - Secret Machines

Post prog? Whatever you want to call it, Secret Machines don’t seem to have been overly effected by the loss of a founding member on this, their third album. Still loud, still epic, still ace.


Sky Larkin - The Golden Spike

Spikey indie poppy fun-ness from female fronted Witchita (Bloc Party, Los Campesinos) signings. Reminiscent of nineties bands like Belly and The Breeders while still being very ‘now’.


Fight Like Apes - And The Golden Medallion

Irish funsters release their debut album and make my walk to work a jollier treck. No guitars, lots of keyboards, a bit of swearing. For fans Johnny Foreigner and mclusky.


Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada

Lovely little folk album only a year on from their last lovely little folk album. Some great bittersweet lyrics from this End Of The Road signed band. Bonus CD album free too. Woo hoo!


Future Of The Left - Last Night I Saved Her From Vampires

This was a live album available on the merch stand at tour dates that’s been made available to indie stores only. Great snapshot of a band between albums, recorded at dates in London and Cardiff.


American Princes - Other People

American college rock that recalls Bowie and seventies glam as well as nineties alt.rock veterans Guided By Voices. Even goes a bit Secret Machines on the closing song.


Attack In Black - Marriage

One of the albums of last year, starting out like a tune laden college punk band and gradually morphing into a pedal steel utilising alt.country emo beast for grown ups and kids alike.


Shaky Hands - Lunglight

Quirky, off kilter college rock album for people that like their college rock a bit off key. Fans of Pavement or even Hefner will love this album which is on the always ace Memphis Industries label.


Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up ‘til It Was Late

Shouty girl/boy vocals yelping like an E numbered up Los Campesinos!(who they’ve toured with). Great fun to sing along and dance around your bedroom to.


2009 Albums Of The Month

January - Shaky Hands : Lunglight
February - Sky Larkin : The Golden Spike
March -
April - Le Reno Amps : Tear It Open
May - Dananananaykroyd : Hey Everyone
June - Malcolm Middleton : Waxing Gibbous
July - Future Of The Left : Travels With Myself And Another
August - Richmond Fontaine : We Used To Think The Freeway...




We sell rock, blues rock, indie rock, classic rock, swamp rock, post rock, folk rock, alternative rock, country rock and jazz rock, but not jazz metal (unless you count the Mars Volta and their crazy time signatures). We also sell pop, power pop, blues (both electric and gritty acoustic pre-war field recordings), jazz (modern and trad), 70s funk, soul, americana, bluegrass, country not western (except Dolly Parton, she rocks!), alternative and underground hip hop (definitely no jiggy nonsense), downtempo jazzy chill out groovy kind of stuff for trendy Carhartt wearing types, lots of wierd stuff from Cargo that The Wire magazine likes, punk, reggae (mainly 70s and no homophobic digital or ragga) hardcore, metal, rockabilly, electronica, emo, folk, R&B (in the Professor Longhair sense and definitely not the R Kelly kind of b*ll*cks), and world music from all corners of the globe!

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Occasionally we do the odd instore, we couldn't turn down Miles Hunt. This is a photo of Erica, Paul, Milo and Matt.


This is a photo of Dolly Varden in our store the morning after playing at Hot Burrito.


and here are Ox after a Hot Burrito outing Diversed up to the max.