Appi - From Kyoto, Japancomes this talented singer songwriter / guitarist, performing in an indie nugaze/shoegaze, Dream Pop style, accompanied by only a drummer. Sweet disembodied melodies give way to harder, attacking textures. Check out their Bandcamp via Anglo -Nihon label Koenji records.

Lead Astray - keeping the Japan/aUk collaborative theme alive, having released an album last year, and also opened for both Bo Ningen and Hibushinire, this band might be compared to those artists, maybe also early Pil, Amon Duul II and Hawkwind.A big squalling beautiful psych kosmiche sensation.

Micko and the Mellotronics - Micko Westmoreland's fabbo art pop trio knocks out plenty of nifty records pregnant with song craft and guile and more people should be taking notice. For fans of XTC, Blue Aeroplanes, Wire