Thursday, 24 October 2024
JUNIPERS FEATURE in NME ARTICLE from 2006..
Tuesday, 22 October 2024
JUNIPERS FEATURED IN FRESH ON THE NET FAVORITES...
'Mary In the Rain' was featured as a weeks favorite on the Fresh On the Net blog as voted for by readers. Nice little write up by Poppy Bristow too:
THE JUNIPERS – Mary In The Rain
We bring our roundup to a close with something a little lighter – musically, that is. Psychedelic Leicester pop pickers The Junipers bring us 'Mary In The Rain', a melodious, multi-layered pocket symphony topped with Beach Boys harmonies.
The result sounds deliciously like if Kevin Ayers had put a bit more effort into producing his records. But don’t be fooled by such sonic sunshine. 'Mary In The Rain' is based on the true story of a circus elephant, Mary, who was hanged using a crane after she killed the man who was riding her. Plenty of pop music has put a colourful wrapper on tragedy, but rarely has the tragedy been so peculiar as it is here – nor the wrapper quite so dazzling.
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Thursday, 17 October 2024
THE JUNIPERS on PURE POP RADIO with ALAN HABER...
Red Bouquet Fair.
Summer's all the sweeter with this charming collection from the Leicester, UK band in the mix. Recalling the sweet sunshine pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s in such lovely songs as 'Summer Queen' and 'Like a Merry Go Round'. Red Bouquet Fair is no less than the audio equivalent of smiling at your good fortune on a warm day in the park while sipping cool lemonade.
The vocals are enchanting and the instrumentation is perfectly played. By Alan Haber.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS ALBUM REVIEW on MONOLITH COCKTAIL..
What we have here is the fourth album from the group, and what a cracking little pop gem it is. An album of pure pop, the kind Macca and Gilbert O Sullivan used to make in the early seventies, with a touch of pure 60s pop harmony magic that The Zombies would no doubt write home to their mothers about, and playful psych undertones that yearns for the day when London used to swing and Russ Sainty used to loiter outside the Bag O Nails with that bunch of dandies The First Impression. Imaginary Friends is a wonderful album filled with quite wonderful songs. And is really made for your record collection.
Sunday, 6 October 2024
5 STAR RATING and IMAGINARY FRIENDS ALBUM REVIEW in SHINDIG! MAGAZINE..
Saturday, 5 October 2024
IMAGINARY FRIENDS ALBUM REVIEW in MAKING TIME FANZINE..
Translated from Spanish. Original Text HERE!
THEY COME IN COLORS: THE JUNIPERS' NEW ALBUM, IMAGINARY FRIENDS
The Junipers are a secret to the general public but well known by a select group of tasters of the best sounds who rejoice in the release of the group's new album, the fourth and entitled IMAGINARY FRIENDS, eleven songs encapsulated on vinyl, CD or digital download availableon their bandcamp that make up a small treasure of crystalline and super-perfect pop, and that benefits from a compact, homogeneous production, which gives coherence to the album and that, unfortunately, is not usually as usual and desirable in the production of today's 60s influence groups.

IMAGINARY FRIENDS, a self-released album by The Junipers, began its journey before the summer with the releases of new songs that foreshadowed the arrival of great things. The first was Annie Almond, a small and infectious pop capsule that takes us back to 1968, full of vocal melodies and adorned with Mellotron sound and that was elevated to BBC song of the week, something that unfortunately we will never hear on Spanish public radio. It was followed by She Looked Up At The Stars, a great popsike with organ that highlights the melody and My Imaginary Friend, a delight that reminds us of the Beatles' Martha My Dear seasoned with the genius and captivating extravagances of Brian Wilson, bright, luminous and with lyrics about puppies... what more could you ask for?

Those three advances were followed by eight more songs to make up the album, which is already a reality (although the vinyl edition will still have to wait a few weeks) and presented in a playful and psychedelic folder that plays with the concept of imaginary friends, the first of them being The Swarthy Smith introduced with piano, elegant pop with a soft pop Californian air from the 70s followed without interruption by the softly bouncy bubblegum full of vocal harmonies of You're My Sugar And Spice.
While You Preside brings to mind the powerpop a la Crabby Appleton but in its flow it drifts and enters psychedelic terrain, magnificent. Mary In The Rain returns to circulate in Beatlesque ways circa 1967, melodies always supported by the gentle voices of The Junipers, while for Monkey On My Back they also look at sounds from 1967 but in this case more typical of the Beach Boys; its instrumentation and melody, and the very light and progressive elevation of the intensity of the composition makes us think of Brian Wilson, as well as I've Been In Your Shoes that also reminds us of the Beach Boys but those of 1964-1965.
The album comes to an end with Red Song, beautiful acoustic airs and again the Mellotron, and Hollow Sky that closes with a livelier spirit, pop made from piano, organ and sophisticated but endearing melodies.
A marvel of an album that should have been double, at least, to give us more of the pop brand Junipers, but with this duration it is presented to us as a perfect musical pill.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS can be enjoyed on The Junipers bandcamp, where physical copies can also be purchased. Don't miss it!
David
Sunday, 29 September 2024
REVIEW and FEATURE in SHINDIG MAGAZINE...
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| The Junipers in 2012 |
The band formed in Leicester around 2004, and recorded demos at home. "We started passing the recordings around town & got some good feedback so we started rehearsing as a band to take the songs out on the road", says Wiltshire. Several of these demos ultimately were re-recorded for their first full length album, Cut Your Key, which was released in 2008 and garnered several fine reviews. Shindig! Was so enamored of these recordings that we included "Gordie Can't Swim" on our hand-picked compilation, It's a Happening Volume One.
THE JUNIPERS APPEAR IN BOOK "THE KNIGHTS OF FUZZ" by TIMOTHY GASSEN...
The Knights of Fuzz - The New Garage & Psychedelic Music Explosion by Timothy Gessen.
We are featured in a fantastic new 500 page reference book for neo psychedelic bands by Timothy Gessen called "The Knights of Fuzz". It is the definitive history of psychedelic and garage music since 1980. BUY THE BOOK HERE!
JUNIPERS SIDE PROJECT - YELLOW PEGS - ALBUM REVIEW...
Yellow Pegs - Yellow Pegs Album Review - Shindig! Magazine - Jan 2022
PORTABLE RADIO "COUNTING TO THREE" feat JUNIPERS. ALBUM REVIEW...
Shindig! Magazine Review October 2023
2 JUNIPERS JOIN PORTABLE RADIO on NEW ALBUM...
The new album follows Portable Radios eponymous self titled LP which garnered wonderful reviews, with Shindig magazine praising the “uplifting stellar pop songs” and Piccadilly Records saying “Superb!” and “wonderfully listenable.”
‘Counting To Three’ continues apace, adding more magic and every bit a love letter to ‘70s pop and rock.
There’s sharp pop and baroque and jangling guitars, and their trademark harmonies and gear-changes, but now, you’ll also find Philly orchestrations and Dexy’s brass too! Portable Radio took their time and produced the songs themselves to make for a real gem of an album.
You'll find 13 tracks of West Coast cool, melancholy ballads, bubblegum bangers, and echoes of Wings, 10cc, Lemon Twigs, Of Montreal, Weyes Blood, Nick Lowe, Carole King and more.
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JUNIPERS SIDE PROJECT - YELLOW PEGS ALBUM...
The Junipers first recordings in 5 years recorded under the moniker Yellow Pegs. The album was recorded during The Junipers hiatus in 2020 and released 2021. Lots of gardening, sleeping and listening to 60's and 70's Folk and Pop Psych inspired some new songs and recordings.
Got the old 4 track cassette recorder out and had a play around to make a bedroom pop collection of lo-fi analogue recordings. All recorded to cassette tape in mono. Simple, wobbly and fun to make. Inspired by the likes of Bill Fay, Mark Fry, Cliff Wade, Vashti Bunyan, Curt Boettcher, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Forest, Incredible String Band etc.
RED BOUQUET FAIR MAKES No 8 in SHINDIG MAGAZINE BEST OF 2016...
Saturday, 28 September 2024
RED BOUQUET FAIR ALBUM REVIEW in SHINDIG MAGAZINE...
PAINT THE GROUND ALBUM REVIEW in SHINDIG MAGAZINE...
EUPHONIOUS TROLLEY EP REVIEW in SHINDIG MAGAZINE...
I was more than little surprised when I got sent the band’s latest EP, the marvelously titled Euphonious Trolley, to review for a magazine and feel head over heels in love with it. While it is heading for pastiche territory – which is why perhaps the band chose to issue it kind of under pseudonym – the quality of the songs is incredible. And In My Dreams, which kicks off with a lovely Revolver style guitar burst sounds so good it could be an outtake from the first Orgone Box album, while Oh Gilbert, I Need Help, (I want to write a song like Jet) is as perkily tuneful as many of the songs it musically (and lyrically) references.
‘Maybe they should shelve their serious stuff for a while and focus on this – it is what they were clearly born to do,’ I wrote.
Except that after writing the review I went out and checked out their second album Paint The Ground and immediately felt like a bit of a chump. Originally issued as a download, though it has just come out on vinyl courtesy of the fine folks at Sugar Bush, Paint The Ground isn’t just The Junipers’ masterpiece, it is one of the best psych albums issued in this country in the last decade.
Thursday, 26 September 2024
THE JUNIPERS ON TOUR with BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE 2025...
THE JUNIPERS 2024 PLAYLIST on SPOTIFY...
We made a Spotify playlist of some of our old favorites and things we've been listening to a lot the past couple of years while recording. You can listen free on Spotify
Wednesday, 25 September 2024
ALBUM REVIEW of CUT YOUR KEY in SHINDIG MAGAZINE..
CUT YOUR KEY ALBUM REVIEW by CHRIS ROBERTS in UNCUT MAGAZINE...
CUT YOUR KEY ALBUM REVIEW in THE WORD MAGAZINE...
ALBUM REVIEW OF "CUT YOUR KEY" in ROCK N REEL MAGAZINE...
CUT YOUR KEY ALBUM REVIEW by BUCKETFULL OF BRAINS MAGAZINE...
CUT YOUR KEY REVIEW on AMERICANA UK...
The Junipers "Cut Your Key" (San Remo Records, 2008
Meadow Song - Single Review by The Reconnoiter..
A peaceful meadow-like inner space that initially feels like refuge from pressure and pain. Over time, the person realizes this calm place ...
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During 2020 and 2021 many of us had lots of time on our hands, to do the garden on a daily basis and start some new projects. Well between g...
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Album: The Junipers - Imaginary Friends Featuring their crispest and most refined sound yet, The Junipers ’ fourth record is an album that...
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The 2nd single from our new album The Solid and the Hollow is out now. If you pre-order the album you will receive all the singles taken fr...

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