iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by The Rosslyns

nightjrrs.bsky.social @nightjrrs.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Do you like tone poems? And Flying Saucer Attack? And a critique of land and class? Do you? Well, then. You might like this. nightjrrs.bandcamp.com/album/dabbin...

nightjrrs.bandcamp.com

Dabbin/Goose Barnacle Goose, by nigtjrrs

2 track album

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 1h

more 2026 product in heavy rotation #nowplaying

A few more strongly recommended new records:
Wandering Summer "Mother" (Precious Recordings of London, 7")
SHYRKA "Affliction" (Droogs, 12")
Catburgers "Galashiels" (Slumberland CD)
At Wetherby s/t (Sound In Silence CD)
Steve Bicknell "Several Streams Of Thought - Remixes" (RRose, Function, Broken English, The Hacker) (KR3 Records, 12")
Real Numbers "Was It Always This Way" (Slumberland CD)

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 3h

Hooded Top One of Matt's favourites 👊 Basically an instrumental, included for its exuberance after an epic debate about whether to finish the CD with “Warhol” instead. Title always a nod to Essex youth being overwhelmed by hoodie swagger and tie-dye, as Madchester consumed all before it...

Picture of ye olde Starforce 8000 guitar, used on "Hooded Top" but also on pretty much all our songs over the years and every time I've played live. Covered in stickers (we were 16!) - many seemingly freebies from a footy magazine, and others sent to us by the wonderful Sara in Madrid, who interviewed us for her fanzine. The song ends with knowingly tongue in cheek sha-la-las, a nod back to flexis, early 'cutie' fanzines, Talulah Gosh and all those of that ilk who - while barely tolerated by my bandmates - were a big part of where I was coming from! Fun fact: Only the CD includes the full “12” version”, with the false starts that to my mind are integral. Streaming version just has the "7" mix".

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 3h

Warhol Wasn’t convinced this should be on the CD, but it proved one of the most popular tracks. 10(!) bleak minutes of prog-C86: dolorous and overlong (obviously). Lyrics betray a lot / too much but the song is rescued by Andy’s propulsive drums and - of course - Howard’s echoing, raking guitars.

Our friends at WXYC Chapel Hill (to whom we bow down forever) played "Warhol" a lot. The pictures (apologies for quality as I've forgotten my TikTok log in and this is lifted from the band diary) are from Madi's TikTok of one of her WXYC shows as DJ Sewer Baby...

At one point our friends at WPRB Princeton (to whom we also bow down forever) had this on Heavy Rotation Here it's at #4 on their airplay list – just behind Elton John.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 4h

Sparkle Bloody hell. Fair embarrassed by this, the bastard fruit of our 3-week hippy phase. We deployed Mum's Lluquet Spanish guitar which later, sadly, fell apart (literally). Incredibly, recorded the same day as Charmtrap: 27 May 1990. “Kind of on the borderline for me song-wise” - the label.

To distract you from the song, and because the Spanish guitar did not survive for a pic, here is another take on the rear sleeve photo from "All We Ever Did Was Try", all part of the band's artistic conception (really!) for the compilation. Taken on Newington Green Road.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 4h

Stakhanovite Endeavour The label suggested this run of more maudlin songs late in the tracklist... Tim liked the words (History GCSE syllabus plundered). This vignette the only survivor from our intense & semi-prolific ‘Brighter rip-off’ bedsit phase. Not sure where the church bells came from!

Picture of an MD that survived the attic years, featuring "Stakhanovite Endeavour" amongst others. The song is typical us: messy but sincere. We were writing a lot of one-minute long songs at this point (the bridge between Rosslyns mk I and mk II). Possibly our first use of the Tascam 4-track, not that you'd ever credit that from hearing this mix (mastered from a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy).

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 5h

Wrenching Hearts Left & Right Essex, and rain. Aka “I Cry A Lot More Now”. We were already now starting to sing about looking back, rather than times ahead. Honestly, one of the 3 or 4 songs I like the most. Others may not (and the label was unconvinced!) but it’s very close to where I wanted it.

We got the eventual song title from an interview that Tim Alborn did with us in Incite! #18, in 1990. "Each song is breathlessly, tearfully romantic, wrenching hearts left and right as only a wound-up teenager can wrench". Credit to Tim, as I think it's a great title (which he was tickled by). He was just kicking off Harriet Records at the time and 32 years later, he got to release this.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 6h

Old Carthusians A later, more delicate, downbeat song I've belatedly grown to admire. Jamie’s work, mind! He had 20 songs like it. Again, the best version later recorded by Assistant 💖 (at the kitchen table). A rare song that kept its original title, mainly because the OCs won the FA Cup in 1881.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 6h

Charmtrap Popnoise! Our most-played song now but buried at the time: mystifyingly, indiekids weren’t up for 157-second long guitar solos. But as our label says, Howard just translates the lyrics into guitar. Would kill to play it live. “Amazing. I want this one. Love the train crash at the end!”

The band, very shortly before this song was recorded. Howard is hiding bashfully on the left but on this one he is front and centre, playing a guitar part I'll never tire of.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 7h

She's More Than Milk To Me More handbells, Starforce 8000 strum and chicken shake. “A keeper” according to the label, but I’m now keen only on its brevity. Eminently shelveable, really and our only tune with zero airplay. Quite rightly.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 7h

There's Always Next Year Ninety amateurish seconds of bang-crash sally army tambourine, Mattel drum machine, chicken shake and cheap Korean guitar. Used the same 3 chords as all the other songs we recorded in the front room that day. Bitter, but said what it needed to say. Can cope with this one.

The players on this one (and most of the others): L to R, Kieron, Howard, Matt. Pic from early 1990, we think. Very poor quality photo!

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 7h

Between New York & New Year Originally “Don’t restrict me” (tribute to “Clearer”). Our swansong - the fade-out is literally the sound of a band disappearing from view. Really ❤️ this, esp. the instrumental bit. Playlisted by Sofaclub NYC (yes the cannabis shop!) “Definitely want this one” - Tim A

Picture of a couple of MDs, that we really ought to find a way of playing as I suspect these may be better recordings than the ones on our compilation CD. Both include "don't restrict me" (which became "Between New York & New Year" after I tried to arrange to meet up with a girl after she got back from Christmas in New York), and a couple of other tunes on the CD. Confusingly, the Central Park in the lyric is not New York but Chelmsford, Essex (where me, the band and the girl all went to school).

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 7h

We're Doing It For The Kids Our ‘pride’ song, amongst other things 🌈 And about growing up, sharing kisses and (militantly naive) optimism. Definitive version(s) by @assistant.bandcamp.com “The lyrics are amazing. If you can find a better version that would be brilliant” - Tim A. We couldn’t.

Still from Assistant, "We're Doing It For The Kids". Jonathan just *got it*, completely (unlike the automatic lyric captions).

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 9h

It would be super interesting to do! Good luck with working the time zones but I guess you’d done that for the zoom calls last year…

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 9h

thank you Kenny, a kind idea. Maybe for the 40th anniversary of tape one, give me time to summon up the courage! There wasn’t a “Nadine“ one I missed, was there? Haven’t given up the hope we’ll put new songs up one day 💛

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 19h

A Dream Come True Hmm. Included only for completeness (as the hidden extra track on our long-deleted first tape). Another lugubrious leftover from October '89 half-term, recorded onto an Amstrad tape deck in Howard's front room. Sincere, but slow & laboured. Don’t get it at all 🤷

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Reposted by The Rosslyns

The Lost Guests @lostguests.bsky.social · 22h

LOST GUESTS ENDLESSLY ON THE WAY is out today www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_Bg...

youtube.com

The Lost Guests - COMPASS CALL (Official Video)

YouTube video by YYZ Records

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 20h

Kirsty, etc A compact ballad, “Paperchase” B-side. 87 seconds of slide guitar & cod-C&W stylings, and why not? Here are Марат & Саша, giving it a spin in the Moscow shop (3 mins in). Still like it, but should have scrubbed the first 10 seconds (grrr). “Not kitsch” - Tim Alborn. Oh, but it is.

youtube.com

ОТО w/ Марат Шаинский & Саша Богодух @KURS Radio 05.12.25

YouTube video by KURS Radio

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 20h

Paperchase By far our best song. We won’t top it. Afraid I’m still really proud of it. Was meant to be re-recorded later for a riot boy flexi. Sadly never happened but thanks to those that tried! “Just right. Even the things that aren't quite right are just right” - Tim Alborn, Incite zine, 1990.

Tim A. kept his copy of our "Paperchase" tape (and used it decades later as the master for our CD, as we had no sensible recording of it). I cut the picture out of a Sunday supplement, typed the band name on my dad's new-fangled "word processor" and we got photocopies done at Billericay Library.

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Some Velvet Sidewalk @somevelvetsidewalk.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

"Don't F*** W/ Your Luck" Sage advice from Some Velvet Sidewalk. Footage looks like... Deep Cuts in Medford, MA, Union Pool in Brooklyn, Monkey House in Winooski, VT. Edited on a train. The Ethan Allen Express! From NYC to VT. #somevelvetsidewalk

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 21h

Someone’s Happy Aka "Think Of Love". Recorded half-term, Oct ’89. A lo-fi anorak-skank mess with snarky lyric, a song I’m not partial to, and not really sure how it happened. Had to ditch the later ‘proper drummer’ recording, on which we sped up too much and got through it in about 60 seconds.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 21h

Sixteen Why Harriet gave us cat no SPY16! The other 50% of our live set, though it morphed a lot. It's not about nostalgia - it's about turning 16: shyboy angst with fairground keys. Covered by Crayola (ace fellow teenage Essex band whose peak was supporting Spirea X at the Pink Toothbrush...)

Letrasetted sleeve of “On The Beach With The Rosslyns” (My Secret World MSW 002, 1990). Timeless black & yellow combo © Ace Mower and the MSW empire.

Inside of inlay for the “On The Beach With The Rosslyns” cassette. Second track: “SIXTEEN 2.07”. Again, sleeve art and neat font choices © Ace Mower and My Secret World.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 21h

Things Are Different Now Tape 1, side 1, track 1. CD title track (sort of). 50% of our live set. On Mat Mills' Triste playlist! ❤️ Attempted 2-min popsong, written (rarely for us) in one go. No bass - couldn’t get all our instruments on train. Drummer hated it. We “borrowed” his brother’s keyboard!

Pic found on Pinterest once. A neat collage for our popsong-attempt “Things are different now” which we always had a dream of going back to one day and recording properly…

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 22h

In a moment of weakness and as it’s #cdfriday, contemplating a ‘track by track’ breakdown of this, our greatest misses comp. 1 like = 1 outsider song from 35 years ago, distilled into 299 chars 😱

Picture of rear sleeve of the Rosslyns’ old-school jewel case “All We Ever Did Was Try” compilation (strictly limited edition, obviously) with tracklist. Sleeve keeps it real, with low-resolution picture of bus stop and the mysterious garage at the south end of Newington Green Road.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

Revisiting a sporadic obsession of mine with this set from 1984, quite plausibly the finest live album of all time

Greensleeves UK Bubblers Presents: Saxon Studio International, “Coughing Up Fire!!!” CD (issued in 2003). Featuring Sandy, Daddy Rusty, Papa Levi, Tippa Irie, Daddy Colonel (Saxon Sound System). “RECORDED LIVE ON 9th NOVEMBER 1984 at the FACTORY, LONDON W9”. It's fully deserving of the 3 exclamation marks.

Rear sleeve of Saxon Studio International, “Coughing Up Fire!!!” CD.
“Recorded live in all its raw and rough excitement, on Friday November 9th 1984, this album is a unique record of a special moment in the history of reggae music. Saxon International was the UK’s ruling sound-system of the day. Its DJs and singers were “Carrying the Swing” – so much that even Jamaica was sitting up and taking notice!”

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Maybe, though not “getting” the LP at least made me sanguine about their split… Even if “Willow” reduced me to tears a few times. Thanks to you I‘ve spent both of today’s commutes listening to the Field Mice ❤️

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

A terrific piece on an astonishing band, full of little truths that others miss. Even though “For Keeps” has still never really clicked for me!

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Tbf I would go! Though might be worth having a good bar nearby, just in case.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Evocative either way. Thank you for opening new windows into Nightjrrs’ musical soul!

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Ha. Not wearing an anorak, then? (I remember liking the fact that TWP wore coats in publicity stills) To be fair, both those bands chime with the time. We all had a Cult phase (er, didn’t we?)

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Strangely not considered "cool" at our school - until around the time of "Kennedy" when they somehow became hip overnight, suddenly up there with Depeche Mode in my classmates' teenage affections!

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

And here it is, LEEDS 1. Foundational to this then-14 year old. First copies came with either a (Reception Records?) carrier bag, or "My Favourite Dress" on white vinyl.

Picture of the Wedding Present's "George Best" LP and hirsute inner sleeve, plus bonus 7" of "My Favourite Dress" (white vinyl). On Reception Records, cat no. LEEDS 1.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Bought from Parrott Records for £5.49, on the way home from school. Dad made me go to Scouts even though I wanted to listen to this instead. We soon taught ourselves pretty much every song on this. Changed my life.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

That one came out so soon after they recorded it that it felt like a new single 👍

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

A handful of Pete Dale 45s I'm v fond of, for #weekendsingles One from Razorblade Smile and three from Milky Wimpshake, on four different (and wonderfully named) record labels. A quarter-century between the first and last of these, though MW are still going 🙂

Picture of four 7" singles featuring Pete Dale:
Razorblade Smile "Vertical Orange" (on Chocolate Narcotic of Holloway, Islington, 1992)
Milky Wimpshake "Home Is Where The Hurt Is" (on Libellous Vinyl of Torquay, 1999)
Milky Wimpshake "Dialling Tone" (on Ferric Mordant of Newcastle, 2000)
Milky Wimpshake "Velvet Pants" (on Tuff Enuff of Brighton, 2016)

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Reposted by The Rosslyns

nightjrrs.bsky.social @nightjrrs.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

You have time for a *bit* of noise, though.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Hm. The Bandcamp suggests they should be on the CD but maybe not the vinyl? I’ll hunt around some more. I wish my brain worked properly!

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Warts and all. You can see I was sincere about them… I’m not really a ’collector’s edition’ man, but I think this connection has tipped me into pre-order after all! Not many gigs I go to get released.

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Yes, another key pivot in their constant evolution... This exchange sent me down a rabbithole of digging out my old fanzine for clues and it seems pretty clear I was actually at the Mixing It show (even mentioned two of the songs on the reissue...!)

Extract from typically over earnest ilwtt.org review of Hood live at the Hackney Ocean for Radio 3 (now featured on the new Cold House reissue):

"we still don't regard hood as post-rock: we are faintly bemused that the esteemed radio 3 can select them to headline a left-field evening at the ocean, thus securing an audience of painfully earnest and trendy fashion-conscious types with bright new designer labels and laboriously-gelled "scruffy" hair who would have been equally at home in the dispiritingly trendy bar beside hackney central which on our arrival in e8 we found to our horror had usurped the rough charm of the former lord amhurst pub...

tonight, apart from still looking so young, and a few exchanges of instrument between personnel, hood were displaying their new found maturity, calmly despatching selections from their new album "cold house", which we may just have mentioned before. although the five songs, starting with the album's first track "they removed all trace that anything had ever happened here" represented all too short an opportunity to bathe in the luxurious melange of indie (yes, say it loud and proud) guitar and vocals, throbbing dub-influenced sequencer and bass, and, in the flesh, frenetic and immaculate live drumming.

we also see (and hear and feel) the bulbous "it's been a long time since i was last here", from the "home is where it hurts" ep: a huge booming bass sound seemingly coming from nowhere as richard adams stands motionless to the left of the stage, before his own electric bass is called into service to bolster the instrumental mist; and "lines low to frozen ground", another soundtrack to early morning dew and low-lying fog over desolate moors. it's pop as thomas hardy."

Extract from typically over earnest ilwtt.org review of Hood live at the Hackney Ocean for Radio 3 (now featured on the new Cold House reissue):

"however, our highlights tonight were "you show no emotion at all" (the repetitive sequencer motif gently and deliberately diluted by hood's trademark guitar picking) - when chris adams sings, almost in a whisper, "i heard the phone ring / so late at night / i thought someone had died... but your voice was filled with love" it is impossibly heartrending. they also finish with a brilliant version of "you're worth the whole world", also the last song on "cold house": again, it is the vocal which seems to make proceedings complete: although the words are still hard to divine, the singer's voice is edged with fragile emotion.

we will continue to regard hood with no little respect and as of meriting immense importance in the scheme of things. their current f(l)avour (of the month) with journalists notwithstanding. we still think they're wonderful, and there's nothing they can do to change that."

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

People rightly focus on those last 2 albums but the EPs around "Cold House" and "Outside Closer" are unbelievable. Beautiful, intense, otherworldly songs - "Ghosts By Japan", "Sad Decline of Home", "Squint In The First Light Of Day" - surely some of the best lost LP tracks / 'B-sides' in history.

Picture of four Hood CD EPs on Domino: "Home Is Where The Hurt Is", "You Show No Emotion At All", "The Negatives..." and "The Lost You".

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Yes, tilts the song into a different light. Didn't realise til listening that it was recorded at Hackney Ocean. I saw them live there around that time but pretty sure it wasn't that night! Also, for me, doing a Radio 3 session is even cooler than a Peel session...

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

in case you frown at "official releases", we should shout-out the bootlegs too

Picture of three Rosslyns CD-rs, which “the kids” will inherit and choose to dispose of as they see fit. They include our complete live discography to date (top left).

@WallyTBM has the audio of the other two :)

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Oh there are holes everywhere! I'm a complete JR ingenu, our paths never really crossed. My 'pop' focus was always on indiebands - oft scrawny, British, shambling, underproduced... I'm grateful and ever-eager for new avenues now, even if time rarely permits enough exploration.

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Reposted by The Rosslyns

Sunny Intervals @sunnyintervals.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It’s been lovely to see the Swept Away CDs arriving on people’s doorsteps over the last few weeks! Thanks so much to everyone who’s picked up a copy and to @subjangle.bsky.social for releasing it. 😃 If you’d like a CD, please visit: sunnyintervals.bandcamp.com/album/swept-...

CD copies of the Sunny Intervals album ‘Swept Away’.

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Reposted by The Rosslyns

Assistant @assistant.bandcamp.com · 04/10/2026

Here's the video to the 2nd track on @lostguests.bsky.social's Endlessly On The Way. The Lost Guests have still not been located, incidentally, so pls continue to check sheds, outbuildings etc. Rumour has it they're on permanent holiday, which their paymasters will not tolerate. This is Compass Call

youtube.com

The Lost Guests - Compass Call [Official Video]

YouTube video by Assistant

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The Rosslyns @therosslyns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Very cool, a promo - I think I just HMV-ed late era Hood... Eagerly awaited all round, definitely a buzz around this album at the time! I'm only slightly older than the band (I think) so heard Sirens as a teenager + kind of grew up with them always being "my age" (ish). Always part of the appeal.

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