Don't look back in anger - look forward in anticipation

You might have thought that recording Episode 25 of Sounding Bored in a Cardiff bottle shop while sampling some of its wares would have resulted in our ramblings becoming even more incoherent than usual, but I think Rob and I just about held it together in the company of our guest Trev McCabe, the shop's proprietor and also the founder of Odd Box Records.

In time-honoured tradition, we kicked off the new year by looking ahead to what lies in store for 2018. Each of us picked a band or artist to focus on (Rainbow Reservoir, Dream Wife and Nilufa Yanya) before going on to discuss other new acts with debuts just out, imminent or expected (The Baby Seals, Corporation Pop, Shame, Superorganism and a trio of Welsh outfits, Wylderness, Boy Azooga and Adwaith). Of the established bands with LPs due in 2018, the panel were particularly excited about the prospect of new material from My Bloody Valentine, Hookworms, The Spook School and No Age.

We also talked trends and listening habits/means of discovering new music, before rounding off with verdicts on Shopping's third record The Official Body, which hits the shelves today.