Horrid Red – This Joy inside

Of all the music to have come from the US’s ever-fertile DIY/tape underground, few bands have confounded and delighted me like this bunch of west-coast America punks who sing in German called Horrid Red. Their ‘Celestial Joy’ came out in 2010 on a mix of labels – their own Burundi Cloud, Terrible and Italian label Holidays – and it was a melodious and conceptually pure mix of impressionistic post-punk and synth-pop, and has proverbially barely left the office turntable since.

Their latest release – out through Burundi Cloud again and Brave Mysteries – is a lighter affair, moving even further from their beginnings in the hardcore band Teenage Panzerkorps with pretty melodies, youthful innocence and perfectly messy delivery. Think Death In June, Arab Strap, Studio and Talk Talk, but today, and there if you search hard enough. Stream a standout track below, with many thanks to xxjfg