Before Mahjun (of which Souffle Continu reissued, in 2016, the two albums released on Saravah), there was... Maajun. Five musicians (Jean-Pierre Arnoux, Cyril and Jean-Louis Lefebvre, Alain Roux and Roger Scaglia) and three times as many instruments at the service of an electric-poetic guerrilla group moulded from folk and blues. The group’s unique album, “Vivre la Mort du Vieux Monde” evokes an (imaginary) association of Frank Zappa and Jacques Higelin, of Sonny Sharrock and the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. Under these conditions, Long Live Death!
“The most French of all the French groups, determined to take Maurice Chevalier’s place in American hearts.” This was how Rock&Folk presented Mahjun in 1977. So be it. But when “Vivre la Mort du Vieux Monde”, was issued, it was 1971, and the name, though the same group, was still spelled Maajun. So, let’s look back at the story.
At the end of the sixties, five blues fans decided to form a French group ready to break down the barriers: Jean-Pierre Arnoux (drums, vibraphone, saxophone), Cyril Lefebvre (guitar, organ), Jean-Louis Lefebvre (bass, violin, guitar, vocals), Alain Roux (saxophone, flute, harmonica, vocals) and Roger Scaglia (guitar, vocals). This was Maajun, and Vivre la mort du vieux monde would be their only album, but which would (nevertheless) be followed by those of Mahjun created later by Lefebvre (Jean-Louis) and Arnoux.
Recorded for the Vogue label, “Vivre la Mort du Vieux Monde” would disturb a number of people. This is mostly due to the lyrics, many of which were written by Gérald Escot-Bocanegra, who, while summoning the spirit of Lautréamont and Rimbaud, turned the Maajun musicians on to rock and free jazz. Add a bit of politics into the mix, and the release of the album was delayed for several months. But then, wasn’t it worth waiting for?
Because “Vivre la Mort du Vieux Monde”, a real concept-album, is an important and iconoclastic statement made directly in the face of (francophone) dreamers of all countries. Over heavy guitar riffs, psychedelic interludes or fantasy-fuelled digressions, Maajun built mazes on the advice of alchemists known only to themselves before heading off on a long march on the “cracking walls”. It was an ambitious project, but Maajun could handle it, going so far as to proclaim: “Tomorrow will be a huge party!” But as we can see “tomorrow”, is now!
Suche:101
San Francisco's first and only rock 'n' roll band, CRIME loomed over the entire Mabuhay Gardens scene with their blistering 1976 single Hot Wire My Heart. The group's loose, damaged rock 'n' roll was as immediate as it was controversial. They were punk by any definition, yet shunned the label with a guttersnipe sneer. Their meticulously cultivated aesthetic of S&M graphics and police uniforms produced some of the era's most indelible imagery. One of their finest moves was playing in the San Quentin prison yard.
Formed by guitarists/vocalists Johnny Strike and Frankie Fix, CRIME enlisted bassist Ron the Ripper and drummers Ricky "Tractor" Williams (later of THE SLEEPERS), Brittley Black, and Hank Rank. Joey D'Kaye later joined on keyboards and bass duties.
For the first time, this LP release collects the sick energy of CRIME's three singles along with nine previously unreleased studio recordings from 1976 to 1980. The visceral churn and unwieldy leads on tracks like "Frustration" and "Piss On Your Dog" make Murder By Guitar the definitive statement from this prescient American underground band.
Die neue VERVE BY REQUEST-LP-Serie präsentiert rare Kultalben, die von den Fans immer wieder
gefordert werden, gepresst in audiophilem 180-Gramm-Vinyl bei Third Man Pressing/Detroit.
JAMES BROWN - ”Soul On Top ”
“Im Herzen bin ich ein Jazz-Mann“ gesteht der der Godfather of Soul in den Linernotes zu diesem groovenden Album von 1969, mit einer Big Band unter der Leitung von Drummer Louis Bellson und arrangiert von
Impulse!-Star Oliver Nelson. Browns Partner in Crime, der Saxophonist Maceo Parker, ist ebenfalls daran
beteiligt, es zu einer swingenden, temperamentvollen Sammlung von Standards und James-Brown-Hits zu
machen.
(audiophiles 180-Gramm-Vinyl, Gatefold-Sleeve)
MEL BROWN - ”Chicken Fat”
Gitarrist Mel Browns Impulse!-Debüt von 1967 ist das möglicherweise funkigste als auch ungewöhnlichste Album, das je auf dem Label veröffentlicht wurde. Browns flüssiger Blues-Picking-Stil - den er sich
zulegte, als er in den Bands von John Lee Hooker und T-Bone Walker spielte - garniert mit der swingenden
Soul-Jazz-Orgel von Gerald Wiggins. Besondere Highlights sind der Titeltrack, „Greasy Spoon“ und das
blues-getränkte „I’m Goin’ to Jackson“.
(remastered von den analogen Originalbändern, audiophiles 180-Gramm-Vinyl)
Die neue VERVE BY REQUEST-LP-Serie präsentiert rare Kultalben, die von den Fans immer wieder
gefordert werden, gepresst in audiophilem 180-Gramm-Vinyl bei Third Man Pressing/Detroit.
JAMES BROWN - ”Soul On Top ”
“Im Herzen bin ich ein Jazz-Mann“ gesteht der der Godfather of Soul in den Linernotes zu diesem groovenden Album von 1969, mit einer Big Band unter der Leitung von Drummer Louis Bellson und arrangiert von
Impulse!-Star Oliver Nelson. Browns Partner in Crime, der Saxophonist Maceo Parker, ist ebenfalls daran
beteiligt, es zu einer swingenden, temperamentvollen Sammlung von Standards und James-Brown-Hits zu
machen.
(audiophiles 180-Gramm-Vinyl, Gatefold-Sleeve)
MEL BROWN - ”Chicken Fat”
Gitarrist Mel Browns Impulse!-Debüt von 1967 ist das möglicherweise funkigste als auch ungewöhnlichste Album, das je auf dem Label veröffentlicht wurde. Browns flüssiger Blues-Picking-Stil - den er sich
zulegte, als er in den Bands von John Lee Hooker und T-Bone Walker spielte - garniert mit der swingenden
Soul-Jazz-Orgel von Gerald Wiggins. Besondere Highlights sind der Titeltrack, „Greasy Spoon“ und das
blues-getränkte „I’m Goin’ to Jackson“.
(remastered von den analogen Originalbändern, audiophiles 180-Gramm-Vinyl)
PETE MOLINARI is a country blues singer, songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.
He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.
THIS IS THE FIRST PHYSICAL RELEASE OF ALBUM ONLY RELEASED DIGITALLY IN 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC…AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND INDIES-ONLY PALE BLUE VINYL (NON-RETURNABLE) WITH NEW ARTWORK.
Just Like Achilles is the distillation of everything Pete has learned since those years on the road as a travelling troubadour, playing tiny theatres and coffee houses everywhere from London, to New York, Paris to Nashville and around the world, eventually taking him to the most celebrated venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.
Just Like Achilles brims with big songs and huge choruses. After a first listen, it’s like you’ve known and loved this record forever. Although surprising for some who think he is the lone songwriter with his guitar, Pete is a big fan of Pop. Yes, somewhat of a dirty word today, but it is that timeless and well-crafted pop that created so many hit songs in the past that we still adore today.
Pete’s songs always cut straight to the heart of the matter. No fat, no artifice, no histrionics. The sound is real. Live. Real people playing real instruments. Front and center are Pete’s own majestic guitar chops and unique, soulful voice. Even on Achilles’ sadder songs, there’s a buoyancy and potency to them, an infectious effervescence that imbues life is for living, and it is that loving of life that we find celebrated in every song, arrangement and composition.
To coincide with Just Like Achilles highly anticipated release, Linda Perry organized an extraordinary event. She booked out the legendary Capitol Records’ Studio A and hit her contacts list to pull together a supergroup to join Pete in performing his new songs live in the studio. It included legends Ronnie Spector and Don Was, plus Mike Garson and Gail Ann Dorsey from the David Bowie band. Evan Rachel Wood also came along to sing on a couple of songs, while Jakob Dylan duetted with Pete on a very special version of “Waiting For A Train”.
So, everything was ready to go, ready for release. This was the beginning of 2020. And then .... well, as we all know, everything stopped. Now, two more years on, this is Take Two: Just Like Achilles is finally set to receive the release it always deserved.
Blue Vinyl
PETE MOLINARI is a country blues singer, songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.
He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.
THIS IS THE FIRST PHYSICAL RELEASE OF ALBUM ONLY RELEASED DIGITALLY IN 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC…AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND INDIES-ONLY PALE BLUE VINYL (NON-RETURNABLE) WITH NEW ARTWORK.
Just Like Achilles is the distillation of everything Pete has learned since those years on the road as a travelling troubadour, playing tiny theatres and coffee houses everywhere from London, to New York, Paris to Nashville and around the world, eventually taking him to the most celebrated venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.
Just Like Achilles brims with big songs and huge choruses. After a first listen, it’s like you’ve known and loved this record forever. Although surprising for some who think he is the lone songwriter with his guitar, Pete is a big fan of Pop. Yes, somewhat of a dirty word today, but it is that timeless and well-crafted pop that created so many hit songs in the past that we still adore today.
Pete’s songs always cut straight to the heart of the matter. No fat, no artifice, no histrionics. The sound is real. Live. Real people playing real instruments. Front and center are Pete’s own majestic guitar chops and unique, soulful voice. Even on Achilles’ sadder songs, there’s a buoyancy and potency to them, an infectious effervescence that imbues life is for living, and it is that loving of life that we find celebrated in every song, arrangement and composition.
To coincide with Just Like Achilles highly anticipated release, Linda Perry organized an extraordinary event. She booked out the legendary Capitol Records’ Studio A and hit her contacts list to pull together a supergroup to join Pete in performing his new songs live in the studio. It included legends Ronnie Spector and Don Was, plus Mike Garson and Gail Ann Dorsey from the David Bowie band. Evan Rachel Wood also came along to sing on a couple of songs, while Jakob Dylan duetted with Pete on a very special version of “Waiting For A Train”.
So, everything was ready to go, ready for release. This was the beginning of 2020. And then .... well, as we all know, everything stopped. Now, two more years on, this is Take Two: Just Like Achilles is finally set to receive the release it always deserved.
Orange Vinyl[24,16 €]
Wer liebt Belle and Sebastian nicht? Springt dein Herz auch jedes Mal, wenn du ihre Musik hörst? Hast du dich auch zum ersten Mal in Belle and Sebastian verliebt, als du "If You"re Feeling Sinister" auf Repeat gehört hast und hat dieser Song danach auch dein Leben verändert? Wenn du Belle and Sebastian liebst, war "A Bit of Previous" von 2022 ein kleines Geschenk für dich. Belle and Sebastian haben uns bereits eine Fülle von Klassikern geschenkt, so dass man angesichts des Outputs des letzten halben Jahrzehnts, verstreut über EPs, Soundtracks und ein Live-Album (das gleichzeitig eine Greatest Hits-Sammlung war), annehmen könnte, es sei nichts mehr im Tank und es sei an der Zeit, den Tourbus für ein paar Album-Jubiläumsshows anzuwerfen. Aber das wäre ein Irrtum. Wie sich herausstellte, verbrachte die Band die trostlosesten Zeiten der Pandemie miteinander, nutzte die Situation und die Einsamkeit für neue Musik. Sie verwandelten diese Energie in Freude und in einen Herzschmerz, der jeden Moment durchschimmert. Als Zentrum diente ein Raum, der früher eigentlich für den Versandhandel bestimmt war und nun die neue Kreativzelle der Band ist. Aufgenommen in denselben Sessions wie der Vorgänger "A Bit of Previous", fühlt sich das neue Album "Late Developers" nicht wie eine Sammlung von weniger guten Songs an, die nicht gut genug waren, um auf das auf das erste Album zu kommen. Vielmehr ist es ein Beweis für die ungezügelte Kreativität, die die Band während der Aufnahmen entfachte und die das letzte Album nun ergänzt. Während man in einer Album-Info gerne versucht Musik mit markigen Worten zu beschreiben, entzieht sich "Late Developers" den Genres und schwebt zwischen den Welten. Belle and Sebastian hatten schon immer ein Händchen dafür, Musik und Texte so zu kombinieren, dass sie die chaotische Welt der menschlichen Empfindungen perfekt einfangen - ein Soundtrack des Lebens. Und es gibt eine gewisse Leichtigkeit auf "Late Developers", die einen daran erinnert, dass man hier den Experten in Sachen Gefühlswelten zuhört. Stuart Murdoch ist einfach ein meisterhafter Beobachter und Geschichtenerzähler. Es ist bemerkenswert, dass eine Band mit einer derart langen Karriere Musik machen kann, die sich nicht nur unmittelbar anfühlt, sondern auch zwei aufeinanderfolgende Alben, die klingen, als wären Belle and Sebastian auf dem Höhepunkt ihres Schaffens. "Late Developers" ist ein überzeugendes Beispiel dafür, dass Belle and Sebastian stets auf der Suche nach der perfekten Melodie sind, um uns immer wieder aufs Neue zu verzaubern und um klarzumachen, warum wir uns damals auf den ersten Blick in diese Band verliebt haben.
Black Vinyl[24,16 €]
Strictly Limited Orange Vinyl
Wer liebt Belle and Sebastian nicht? Springt dein Herz auch jedes Mal, wenn du ihre Musik hörst? Hast du dich auch zum ersten Mal in Belle and Sebastian verliebt, als du "If You"re Feeling Sinister" auf Repeat gehört hast und hat dieser Song danach auch dein Leben verändert? Wenn du Belle and Sebastian liebst, war "A Bit of Previous" von 2022 ein kleines Geschenk für dich. Belle and Sebastian haben uns bereits eine Fülle von Klassikern geschenkt, so dass man angesichts des Outputs des letzten halben Jahrzehnts, verstreut über EPs, Soundtracks und ein Live-Album (das gleichzeitig eine Greatest Hits-Sammlung war), annehmen könnte, es sei nichts mehr im Tank und es sei an der Zeit, den Tourbus für ein paar Album-Jubiläumsshows anzuwerfen. Aber das wäre ein Irrtum. Wie sich herausstellte, verbrachte die Band die trostlosesten Zeiten der Pandemie miteinander, nutzte die Situation und die Einsamkeit für neue Musik. Sie verwandelten diese Energie in Freude und in einen Herzschmerz, der jeden Moment durchschimmert. Als Zentrum diente ein Raum, der früher eigentlich für den Versandhandel bestimmt war und nun die neue Kreativzelle der Band ist. Aufgenommen in denselben Sessions wie der Vorgänger "A Bit of Previous", fühlt sich das neue Album "Late Developers" nicht wie eine Sammlung von weniger guten Songs an, die nicht gut genug waren, um auf das auf das erste Album zu kommen. Vielmehr ist es ein Beweis für die ungezügelte Kreativität, die die Band während der Aufnahmen entfachte und die das letzte Album nun ergänzt. Während man in einer Album-Info gerne versucht Musik mit markigen Worten zu beschreiben, entzieht sich "Late Developers" den Genres und schwebt zwischen den Welten. Belle and Sebastian hatten schon immer ein Händchen dafür, Musik und Texte so zu kombinieren, dass sie die chaotische Welt der menschlichen Empfindungen perfekt einfangen - ein Soundtrack des Lebens. Und es gibt eine gewisse Leichtigkeit auf "Late Developers", die einen daran erinnert, dass man hier den Experten in Sachen Gefühlswelten zuhört. Stuart Murdoch ist einfach ein meisterhafter Beobachter und Geschichtenerzähler. Es ist bemerkenswert, dass eine Band mit einer derart langen Karriere Musik machen kann, die sich nicht nur unmittelbar anfühlt, sondern auch zwei aufeinanderfolgende Alben, die klingen, als wären Belle and Sebastian auf dem Höhepunkt ihres Schaffens. "Late Developers" ist ein überzeugendes Beispiel dafür, dass Belle and Sebastian stets auf der Suche nach der perfekten Melodie sind, um uns immer wieder aufs Neue zu verzaubern und um klarzumachen, warum wir uns damals auf den ersten Blick in diese Band verliebt haben.
Limited Violet Vinyl repress for Indies only. Genre: alternative/punk/heavy/riot grrl. Debut album for legendary Tasmanian noise-punk band formed in the early 90s. Recordings span more than 20 years, including tracks thought lost on a corrupted hard drive from the late 90s. Legendary Australian punk band Little Ugly Girls formed in Hobart, Tasmania in the very early 90s, but have never released a record until now. This new self-titled set is officially their debut album, and features recordings spanning more than 20 years. The band formed around fiery vocalist Linda Johnston, whose high-kicking stage antics make her one of Australia's most electrifying frontpeople, and her guitar demon brother Dannie "Bean" Johnston. After moving to Melbourne in the mid 90s, the band settled on their classic lineup of Brent "Sloth" Punshon on drums, and rock-solid bassist Mindy Mapp (previously of another cult 90s band, Brisbane's much-loved Fur). Little Ugly Girls played with the likes of Bikini Kill, Fugazi, and once memorably headlined over the White Stripes in Melbourne. But their only recordings released to date include a handful of 90s cassettes. Now nearly 30 years since they formed, the debut album by Little Ugly Girls shows them at their towering best - fierce and inspiring, with Linda's scarifying lyrics and impassioned delivery set to a huge wall of taut punk noise. It has been a long time coming, but it's as good as you could have dreamed. Tracklist 1. Tractor 2. Slip 3. Jimmeh 4. Senseless 5. Baggage 6. The Pit 7. Storm After Storm 8. Dead C 9. Snap 10. Tardis 11. Vinegar 12. Boxen-Hooda-Hayda
Some cities just know how to produce bands by the bucketload. Take Detroit, for instance: we don’t need to rattle through a full list or anything, but safe to say that if your town has given the world the likes of Motown, Derrick May and J Dilla - before we even start to think about The Stooges et al - then you could be forgiven for thinking there must be something in the water round those parts. So whaddya say? Should we get to know two more fine exponents of melodic wonder from the Motor City? Only seems fair. This split LP between citymates The Stools and Toeheads certainly isn’t a letdown as far as the illustrious company of their forebears goes. In fact, it’s a fast-paced thrill ride that oscillates between hip-shaking rock’n’roll swing and bone-shaking hardcore energy. You might already be familiar with The Stools thanks to their ludicrously addictive Feelin’ Fine 7”, which dropped via Drunken Sailor (hey, those guys sound familiar…) early in 2021. If you though that short EP was a good time, wait ‘til you see what they’ve got in store here: right out of the gate, opener Dead Man’s Ford smashes the devil-toed boogie of the MC5 at their slinkiest into the teeth-clenched intensity of Negative Approach (and that’s a pretty decent John Brannon-style roar they deliver too). They maintain this quality and velocity across their side, which is brilliant. There’s no let-up from Toeheads either - their side of this split sounds like someone revved up The Gun Club and aimed fireworks inside their exhaust. This is the sound you always knew you were working towards when you got into this rock’n’roll business; guitars blazing, lungs bursting, a wall of sound collapsing while we all dance in the debris. Does it sound like anything new? Fuck no, but that’s not the point. Much like The Stools, there’s nothing you can say about Toeheads that can’t be summarised with the phrase ‘total exhilaration’. So there you have it. Another compelling case for Detroit as home to the finest sounds around, put forth by two young bands who make playing loud, fast and dumb sound easy. Call it conviction, call it chutzpah… hell, call it talent if you want, I ain’t gonna stop you. But chiefly, call it a fucking good time and put the damn record on. This slays. Will Fitzpatrick.
‘Questionably a hardcore band’ is how Daddy’s Boy describe themselves, and one listen to their discombobulatingly brilliant debut LP should answer all your questions as to what that could possibly mean. Recorded with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, GREAT NEWS! is the sound of punk folding in on itself and racing through sounds you might have previously identified with dumb genre tags like post-punk and possibly even no-wave - except this isn’t either of those things. It rages smartly and discordantly across a wide terrain of undulating rhythms and coruscating rifferema, eventually settling on something that’s… well, kinda uniquely Daddy’s Boy. So what makes this sound? Specifically, four humans who are too clever to simply follow the ‘three chords, now form a band’ template without trying to fuck up the corners (and work their way into the centre). Members of Split Feet, Retreaters and Fake Limbs pile up together to create this delicious cacophony, and you’ll be glad they did. When vocalist Jes Skolnik intones, “I’m so fucking important,” you know it’s drenched in venomous irony, but it’s difficult not to agree: GREAT NEWS! feels like a record that’ll last way beyond those ‘best of the year’ lists and continue to pulverise your eardrums for years to come. It’s the sort of record that felt like the future when Touch & Go Records pushed hardcore past its knuckleheaded limitations 40 years ago, and still feels like no one ever really caught up. It’s the riffs from Cows’ Cunning Stunts, cribbing notes from Crass’ Feeding Of The 5,000, with vocal delivery pitched to ‘gloriously matter-of-fact’. Oh, and no spoilers, but in Skolnik, Daddy’s Boy might just have one of the smartest lyricists in (questionable) hardcore right now. Mark my words, this is some record. Will Fitzpatrick
'What if Blitz hailed from Los Angeles and sang in Spanish’ isn’t a question you hear all that often. Fortunately, we don’t need to ask - the answer is provided by Generacion Suicida’s latest album, which rages and rattles in all the right places, drenched in the memorable brilliance that powered the Killed By Death compilations (ask yer dad - and if he doesn’t know or care, burn his terrible records and make some space to track down the KBD LPs). The band’s slogan is ‘musica del barrio, para el barrio’ - music from the neighbourhood, for the neighbourhood - but it sounds like they could use these hooks to take on the world. That’s a pretty accurate sentiment as well, because this album was written during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, while the world bubbled over with carefully managed misinformation, police violence and the sickening overspill of white supremacy’s foul brew. If Regeneracion sounds potent, it’s because there was a lot to be angry about, and the result is arguably their best album yet. Those chorused-out guitar lines carry shades of deathrock, hints of Manchester circa 1980, elements of something you might call goth if it was several degrees less furious. But there’s no doomed romance to this music; it’s an all-out attack. Street punk with the smarts turned up and an ear turned to the lessons learned from post-punk (but crucially, not the ‘post-punk revival’ that is essentially shirtless beardy lads chanting non-sequiturs over landfill indie). Chiefly, it’ll make you wanna get out of your chair, unite your local community and march on down towards your government’s centre of operations with a simple-to-use molotov cocktail kit. Its rage is infectious. It’s inspired by bleak moments in our recent shared history, but it revels in humans’ capacity to find strength in each other. And the tunes? Oh damn, they’re good.' Will Fitzpatrick.
Conceived as a manifesto for eponymous all-female label Permanent Draft, this limited flexi comes with a booklet of poetry and pictures based on the prime number 13. Permanent Draft aims to highlight works showing a certain taste for fragmentary, irrepressible creative eruption and lo-fi experiments. Leaving the grandiose apart to pay and bring attention to the sounds, details and anecdotes of everyday life, picking up raw material from the ordinary. Bitter truths, migrainous fulfilments, dead clowns, broken gods, taffeta fairies, fruit foxes and non-binary empty frames outline these very aesthetics.
Horn of Plenty excavates the shadowy depths of the New Zealand/Aotearoa underground with Old Light, a collection of previously unreleased recordings by Nova Scotia, the experimental trio of Dean Brown, Dick Whyte, and Rick Jensen. Resting at the borders of free improvisation, noise, drone, and ecstatic ritualism, across seven tracks - recorded sporadically between the early to mid-2000s - the LP unveils a widely unacknowledged flowering of singular, real-time creativity from the southern hemisphere, with few parallels before or since. Old Light - Nova Scotia’s first full-length to appear in 13 years and the first to be issued on vinyl - draws on live recordings made across the years spanning the early to mid-2000s. Encountering the trio fully embracing a radical search for creative freedom, while dispelling all notions of dedicated instrumentation in an “anything goes” approach, the LP’s seven tracks cover a vast amount of ground, while retaining a unifying logic and sense of cohesion. Rather than the brittle angularity and simmering aggression that helped define the generation of NZ/Aotearoa artists that proceeded them, Nova Scotia’s sound - a distant cousin at best - draws from a different well, embracing a form of ecstatic ritualism bound to a fundamental human desire to commune through sound. As though Faust, Marginal Consort, and the free-wheeling psychedelia of Parson Sound and International Harvester had birthed a delicate, inward-looking child, Old Light embarks on a journey through doomy noise dirges, clatter-threaded drones, spirited DIY clamour, and joyously experimental, real-time improvisation, culminating as a body of creatively brilliant sonority that recalibrates our understanding of what flowered from the NZ/Aotearoa underground at the dawn of the new millennium.
‘Fuxsake, what a great ride this album is... …Somewhere John Lee Hooker is smiling and stampin' his foot to 'Runnin' Till I'm Done'! Love the 12 string riffing so much - You just don't hear that enough these days - Brings to mind Stevie Ray on killing it on acoustic. Ledfoot on the Goodfoot got some serious mojo'. - Winter Lazerus, mastering master This record was recorded and mixed in two days - live - straight to tape… no edits, no punching in…just me… honest for better or worse – honesty - What a precious thing ‘ - Ledfoot - In short: 10 tracks recorded analogue live to tape during two magic days at Studio Studio Nyhagen. No bullshit, just a unique artist spitting out his soul in the most naked and real setting possible. Gothic blues! Still, the sound, the lyrics and the performance are very much a product of today. Ledfoot aka Tim Scott McConnell is a 12-string guitarist who plays with fitted heavy strings,
a brass slide, steel fingerpicks and a stompbox. He has been touring and releasing music since the late 1970’s and written for artists as varied as Highasakite and TnT to Sheena Easton. In 2014, Bruce Springsteen recorded ‘High Hopes’ as the title track of his album, written by Tim Scott McConnell for the Havalinas debut album in 1990. It debuted as #1 in over 10 countries including the U.S. and the U.K.
For the uninitiated, Sludgeworth are Chicago punk pioneers from the 1980’s that released a posthumous collection / discography album on Lookout Records back in the day - and it sold tens of thousands of copies, which was impressive for a defunct band. With members of Screeching Weasel, they had obvious leanings towards melodic punk, but they also had a quintessential Midwest sound mixed in with some post-punk. Think Naked Raygun and Fugazi. And now, for the first time ever, Red Scare brings you Losers of the Year on vinyl. Their first and only LP! And we didn’t stop there: we’ve added two unreleased songs to the CD version of this album. Wild, right?! The band actually broke up in the studio (drama!) during a recording session, but we’ve managed to salvage some of that unheard material for this milestone release. Once again, it’s Red Scare to the rescue!
David J, of Bauhaus/Love & Rockers, pays tribute to his old friend Pat Fish (AKA The Jazz Butcher), who sadly passed away in October 2021. Featuring musical contributions from Dave Morgan (Weather Prophets/Jazz Butcher), Rolo McGinty (Woodentops), Max Eider (Jazz Butcher), Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus/Love & Rockets), Owen Jones (Jazz Butcher). Colin Henney (Jazz Butcher) and Raoul. The B Side is 'Vienna Song', a Jazz Butcher song, featuring Paul Wallfisch (Swans) on piano, Wolfgang Tschegg and Tony Green. Random Colour Vinyl. Quelle Tristesse Writing this song was my immediate emotional response to hearing about the untimely passing of my dear friend, Pat Fish. This is how I process these things. It is both personal therapy and heart felt tribute. The song simply poured out of me and when it was done I knew that I had to involve various stellar musicians all of whom had collaborated with Pat in the past. Also present and correct, Pat’s beloved familiar, Raoul the black cat. The title came from a comment that someone made online when the shocking news was announced. 'Quelle Tristesse'. How sad. Indeed. RIP old pal. David J. In Loving Memory Patrick Huntrods (AKA Pat Fish AKA The Jazz Butcher) (20 December 1957 - 5 October 2021) Tracklist Side A Quelle Tristesse Side B Vienna Song
After the success of their full-length LP earlier this year, Night Owls are back for more and ready to take the bar even higher! This first 45 from a new string of recording sessions features two heavy hitters in the funk/soul community; N'Dea Davenport from London's famed The Brand New Heavies and SoCal's own Trish Toledo (Now-Again Records, Silent Giant, Mango Hill).
Side A is the classic soul body mover "Cramp Your Style" (All the People) featuring N'Dea Davenport, which Hip-Hop heads will recognize as the foundation for Boogie Down Productions' "Still #1" and Cypress Hill's "Real Estate." Davenport's soulful delivery elevates Night Owls' flip, echoing the famous Studio One riddim "Greedy G" by Brentford Road All Stars and the quirks of the original. Side B follows up with Motown classic "Your Old Standby" by Mary Wells and features Latina Soul phenom Trish Toledo. Adding a little more bounce and groove to the original, Night Owls’ flip sets the backdrop for Toledo to shine brightly and deliver a vocal performance that perfectly echoes Mary Wells in her youth.
Both sides are must-haves, be it spinning at a party or slowing things down slightly while cruising around the neighborhood, just in time for the holiday season. Produced by Dan Ubick and Night Owls. Recorded and Mixed by Dan Ubick for DanUbe Productions at The Lions Den in Topanga, CA.











