We start this week in the Big D, Detroit, Michigan and a sizzler of a record from The Armed.

Then it’s off to Montreal, and the incredible new album from CFCF; it’s powerful electronic music with a global dance bang!

 Next, we are off to London for a new post-punk ditty from Sports Team. 

 Then it’s off to the Windy City and the terrific pairing of Peter CottonTale and the wondrous Jamila Woods for a great new song.

 The Archive Pick is a bruised-but-defiant deep cut from Marvin Gaye’s greatest album recorded in Hitsville U.S.A, right there on Grand Avenue once again in Detroit.

This week we start in Carrboro, North Carolina and a great track from Jenn Wasner, and her solo project: Flock of Dimes. Then off to Los Angeles for the grunge-esque MILLY. Next stop on the global tour: Colombia, and an amazing recording from French producer Lion’s Drums and the Kagabas indigineous people of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Then off to the African nation of Niger for a hot new track featuring some blazing guitar from Mdou Moctar and his band.

 And we turn the clock back to a legend by the name of Junior Kimbrough, it’s a Delta Blue classic, and get ready for some of the best blues guitar you’ll find anywhere, anytime. And believe it or not, this Kimbrough was remixed by Daft Punk! (Honest!) 

We begin in London, with a great new single from the living legend, Gary Numan!  

Then, we make a stop in London’s grime district, a place where electronic dub still lives in the form of Mr. Mitch.

 Next, it’s off to Dublin, for a new one from Inhaler. 

 After that, a hop over to the west coast of Ireland and Galway a home of traditional Irish music, but we bring you something quite different. It’s NewDad that delivers a prototype of a great global indie electronic quasi-dance track.

 And we wrap up with our weekly chestnut, “It Won’t Come Again,” from The Bevis Frond. 

 Also check out the bonus tracks on the playlist and in the weekly newsletter. Our bonus bands include, Goth Babe, Small Black, Sven Wunder Matt Sweeney and Bonnie “Prince” Billy, dodie with a great remix by Georgia, and a loud nasty track from The Horrors, called “Lout.”

We start with the return of Super Furry Animals' frontman Gruff Rhys…then a beuatiful-but-somber new ballad from Nashville’s Lambchop; our an intriguing new direction for Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Greta Van Fleet. Then a sharp indie track from Lila Ramsay, (who also wrote and played the Fresh Sounds theme song). Lastly, a dip into the Archive: a vintage demo track from the mighty PJ Harvey.

We begin in London, with a fresh track by the veteran band Killing Joke. Then, we make a stop in Glasgow for the new album from Arab Strap--their first new music in 16 years. Next, off to Lagos, Nigeria for an upbeat and righteously political tune from Femi Kuti, the eldest son of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. After that, a short hop over to the West African nation of Guinea, and the talented Falle Nioke and his latest team-up with Sweden's sir Was. And we wrap with a chestnut more than 40 years old, from the debut album--a truly seismic record--from The Ramones. 

This week, Mark starts us off with a great new tune from the team of Juan Wauters with Benamin, and Nick Hakim, on a fun New York City hip-hop tune. Next, Ulrich Schnauss and Jonas Munk build smooth electronics and guitar into a tune entitled "Asteroid 2467." Then, a great pop song teaming Glasgow's Texas with RZA and Ghost from the Wu-Tang Clan. From there, we head west for some gothic folk from Chelsea Wolfe and Emma Ruth Rundle. Our archive track this week is a lost '80s gem from That Petrol Emotion. 

This week, we start with a new single from Clark, an English producer currently based in Berlin. Next we move to an E.U. blend of Dutch and UK artists on a soft-rock single with a hint of disco, too. Then some fresh trap jazz from AraabMusik, of Providence,  Rhode Island. Then, off to Tulsa, Oklahoma for an unGooglable band, named Sports. And the archive cut this week closes the pod with a 1990 rave anthem from A Homeboy, a Hippie and a Funki Dread. 

Welcome back to the global indie tour! We have two songs from the Sleaford Mods in our list this week, as both Mark and Brendan are big fans of this Nottingham duo. We also have a new electronic cut from Edinburgh's Blanck Mass, plus a remix of Kyoto artist Cuushe being remixed by Moscow's Kate NV. Next, some buttoned-up indie from Toronto's The Weather Station, and an archive track from avant-pop titans Stereolab. Enjoy! 

This week, we kick off season two of the pod. To do it, we start off with a cookin' new club track from the London-based Bicep.  Next, we are off to Glasgow for a fresh indie single from Mogwai. Then, to Philadelphia, for the R&B star Jazmine Sullivan, with a track from her great new album. Up next, a combination of  Nottingham artists, Little Barrie and Malcolm Cotto, with their new bangin' single. To round out the episode, a lost New Wave gem from 1980, from the British band Japan. 

This week, Mark and Brendan are doing something different. With a nod to the late BBC DJ John Peel, we have put together a holiday spectacular featuring the Fresh Sounds Fifty--25 favorite songs from each of our hosts. It blends into a mighty episode proving that 2020 was a great year for music, even if the rest of the year was for the birds. Don't miss the playlist, which runs 3-1/2 hours of quality favorites from around the world. Happy Holidays!

Also, one programming note: This is the finale of Season One of the Fresh Sounds Podcast. Mark and Brendan will be back with Season Two's first episode on January 8, 2021. See you then!