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Rare Seventies Big City Street Soul

In 1971, film producer David Gil and his business partners Robert S Sinn and Paul Frankenberg launched a film company called GSF. Over the next few years, it would be involved in a small number of productions. But, in 1971 the movie business was kind of old-hat, music was where it was at, and so GSF Records, a well-funded label, headed by Larry Newton was formed. Today Newton is largely remembered for his attempts to prevent Louis Armstrong from recording 'What A Wonderful World' but that didn’t stop him from growing ABC from a second division company to an industry leader. As he approached his 52nd birthday he was unveiled as GSF Records’ president a full-service music company, involved in records and publishing across all genres. Through a joint venture with drummer Bernard Purdie the label targeted the R&B charts and soul & funk dominated GSF's release schedule.

Black music ruled and this was reinforced by the hiring of Lloyd Price as head of A&R (veteran R&B star), and producers George Kerr (All-Platinum), Mickey Stevenson (Motown) and Jerry 'Swamp Dogg’ Williams. No wonder then, unintentional as it was, that GSF left behind such an extraordinary legacy of rare soul treasures.

NEW YORK’S BEST KEPT SOUL SECRET Features legendary Northern Soul classics courtesy of Anderson Brothers, Skull Snaps and Connie Laverne Produced by hit makers George Kerr and Motown veteran Mickey Stevenson Starring the Whatnauts and Eddie “Hey There Lonely Girl” Holman

Louisville, Kentucky-based musician and artist Evan Patterson never planned for JAYE JAYLE to blossom from a stripped-down solo project into the otherworldly, full-band sonic experience that it is today. In the beginning, the songs were short and lighthearted, written on acoustic guitar with no intention of releasing them or even performing them publicly. Time, however, is a fickle thing. `After Alter' is an astounding collection of musical memories and emotional fragments, all drawn together from previous recording sessions and previous lives in order to chart a cathartic creative course into new, unknown territories. At once volatile, gut wrenching and serene; expect the unexpected. Raw remnants and lingering refrains from these pivotal moments are reframed to form a powerful reminder of what Jaye Jayle is and always has been: an unadulterated, unfiltered outlet for the sounds that pour out of Patterson's mind at any given time or place. `After Alter' is a document of the indecipherable, of feeting feelings dragged once again to the surface. Lead single and opening track `Father Fiction', for example, dives headlong into the fables and factious ideologies of organised religion with a hardened gaze and a wry smile as rolling drums and repetitive discordant guitar refrains spiral ever down into the labyrinth of meaning and misinterpretation. Elsewhere, `Fear Is Here' sees Jaye Jayle facing up to day-to-day examples of how terrifying everything around us can become within an instant as the song's truncated blues piano hook is pushed ever further, distorted over time into something strange and hideous whilst the crawling post-hardcore dirge of `A Blackout' serves as a searing critique of the American Dream; a nameless, homeless protagonist worships the alluring glow of billboard ads from their bed in the dirt on the side of the highway. Simultaneously both tracks five and eight though, the arresting `Bloody Me' is Jaye Jayle's dichotic, janiform identity made manifest. Written even before the band's debut album was released, track five's `Bloody Me' is a bolshy, bass-driven punk rock retaliation to dressing up for Halloween because Patterson is always dressed for Halloween. Track eight's `Bloody Me' however, is a tender solo acoustic recording cut straight to wax at Third Man Records in Nashville, mere hours before Patterson saw Bob Dylan perform for the first time. Two sides of the same coin; one ferocious and snarling, the other plaintive and bare but both unapologetically Jaye Jayle. By creatively exorcising these poignant moments, Jaye Jayle have opened themselves to even more inspiration. FOR FANS OF Leonard Cohen fronting Spiritualized, Spacemen 3, JJ Cale, Lungfish, Angels of Light, Young Widows The very limited Help Edition is single colour purple vinyl!

"Double Vinyl edition of their 2016 live album • 15 tracks – including two performances not on CD (one featuring Robert Buck) Their greatest hits and more – performed live!

For over 40 years, 10,000 Maniacs have been doing what they do best – Playing Favorites!

Originally released on CD and Digital in 2016, Playing Favorites documented their dynamic live shows. Recorded before an adoring crowd in Jamestown, NY, Playing Favorites included hits and fan favorites from the group’s storied and influential career. The 6 piece band (Jerome Augustyniak, Dennis Drew, Jeff Erickson, Steven Gustafson, John Lombardo, and Mary Ramsey) was augmented by strings, horns, and backing vocalists, making their lush sound even fuller and more engaging.

For Record Store Day, Playing Favorites returns on an Opaque Red double LP. 15 tracks, including two previously unissued performances not on the CD/Digital release: “Candadee-i-o” from the Playing Favorites era and “Angels Of Stone,” a recording from 2012, recorded at Lake Forest College, Illinois, featuring original guitarist and founding member Robert Buck. (Buck sadly passed away in 2000 He was also named one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Guitar Player.)

As the Maniacs continue to perform, devotees in cities across the country are able to experience the band in concert. For those who can’t be there, they don’t have to miss the show. Every 10,000 Maniacs fan can be Playing Favorites—in the venue, at home, or both!"

'When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them’’ heres the children of the pope

We wanted to discard the unimportant.

Songs about life and the living and songs about death and the dead.

Songs about God and the heavenly, songs about hell and the unholy.

Sounds of youthful wonder and the melancholy of time.

Love and hate and the opposites of the the great untold, in extreme, melted together in a boundless pot of sweet surrealist molasses.

The all, through the unmodified eye.

Recording the album was an against the clock under pressure process that turned out very fruitful.

We tracked 12 tracks in 5 days in the dead of witner 2022Snow and ice and trying to explore the depths of our minds in a dim lit room, trying to put surrealism to tape.

Everyhting was was recorded on 2 inch reel to reel in live takes (appart from few overdubs also recorded onto tape)

We did not turn any computer on until the mixing process

Die 'weiße' LP GREATEST HITS" ist erstmals 1977 bei RAK erschienen und war nach einer Reihe von Top Hits die erste "offizielle" Best Of von Smokie.
Mit den Singles aus den ersten drei Alben, die für diese Kopplung ausgewählt wurden, sind schon reichlich Hits versammelt. Die zur Erstveröffentlichung bis dato völlig neuen 'Non-Album' Tracks sind dann allerdings für den Aufstieg der LP in den Legenden-Status verantwortlich. 'Living Next Door To Alice' wurde als erste neue Single ausgekoppelt und ein Welterfolg sondergleichen. Mit 'Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone' hat das Album zudem eine zweite neue Single, die ebenfalls zum Top-Hit avancierte. Das Album erreichte Platin Status in Deutschland, war 67 Wochen in den Charts, davon allein 8 Wochen auf der 1 und auch in vielen anderen Ländern in den Top 10, darunter mit einer #6 Platzierung auch der heimische Markt der Band, England.
Da die Erfolgsserie mit den folgenden Alben und Singles wie ‚'Mexican Girl'‚ 'It's Your Life' oder 'Needles And Pins' anhielt erschien 1980 die 'goldene' GREATEST HITS VOL.2 und wurde ein weiteres Chart-Album für die Band. Ebenso wie die erste Greatest Hits ist auch Vol 2 durch verschiedene Vertragswechsel bis heute nicht wieder neu aufgelegt worden. Bis heute! Jetzt werden beide Alben zusammengefasst und zudem mit einigen weiteren Erfolgstitel, die der Erstveröffentlichung nachgelagert waren, ergänzt. Damit sind diese Kult-LP endlich wieder aufgelegt und das auch gleich noch auf hochwertigem 180g Vinyl die sich auf dem Plattenteller in strahlendem Weiß präsentieren .

Though 潘PAN is an entirely new artist - new outlook, new message, new material and name - you may have met the woman herself before. Back in the mid-‘10s, the Taipei-born rapper went by the moniker Aristophanes. After performing a career-changing feature on ‘SCREAM’, taken from Grimes’ celebrated NME Album of 2015 ‘Art Angels’, Aristophanes went on to build a cult fanbase, releasing her debut mixtape ‘Humans Become Machines’ two years later and then her distributor went bust during covid. Signed to Transgressive she re-released her mixtape followed by Reborn and Ghosts EPs earlier this year.

Across a constantly morphing sound palette that moves from metallic, apocalyptic beats to delicate nods to the traditional music of her Asian heritage, via heavy, industrial moments, spacious soundscapes and much more, the thread is Pan’s utterly mesmeric vocal. Performing in a mix of Mandarin and English, she explains that having the two languages to play with is “like featuring another artist who has a different way of describing things”.

Across the releases, confident sexual expression mixes with tenderness, empathy and a particularly feminine sort of strength to create a world that Pan hopes will transcend language and connect her audience via something more innate. “The music is a place to feel safe,” she says. “The message that I want to carry through these two EPs and the album is to demonstrate the strength of accepting your own situations. When you can’t make things right but you’ve done your best, sometimes it’s really hard to admit that to yourself. It takes strength to do that. I use lots of sexual metaphors, but I feel like it’s more about the female need to be seen and heard. I want to build something more delicate and layered and connected to our life experience - to the trauma and the pleasure and the growth.”

In the time since she last stepped into the spotlight, the musician has experienced her fair share of all these things. Now, it’s as an entirely evolved artist that she returns with a new collection of music that revels in it all: the trauma, the pleasure, the growth and the long-awaited rebirth of 潘PAN

Limited edition of 250 copies. The musician & songwriter Stein Roger Sordal is finally ready with his second solo album - "_All I Try to Forget" - the second part of a double album where all music and lyrics is written by Sordal himself (both part 1 & 2 available as a single 18 track CD). Through the years, the renowned Norwegian artist has played in a variety of bands. Internationally, he's mostly known as the bass player and songwriter in Green Carnation, while more and more people also know him as the singer, guitar player and songwriter in the band Sordal. Stein Roger Sordal has played on more than 30 album releases from the 90s and up to now, but last year's "As I Try to Remember_" was his first a solo album, where everything was played by himself. Both albums show Sordal diving into his own catalogue, making acoustic versions of songs he originally wrote for bands like Green Carnation, Sordal, Angels Motel, Plutho and Soxpan. His choices haven't necessarily been the most known songs, but rather those who mean the most to him. The album is sparsely arranged, and consists mostly of vocals, acoustic guitars and piano.

"Everything I Thought It Was" ist das mit Spannung erwartete neue Album des multitalentierten Entertainers, Künstlers, Produzenten, Songwriters und Schauspielers Justin Timberlake. Es ist Justins sechstes Studioalbum und enthält die erste Single "Selfish", ein von ansteckenden Melodien getragener Pop-Song mit der ikonischen, gefühlvollen Stimme des Stars.

2026 Repress

Seit seinem kostenlosen Mixtape "LiveLoveA$AP" aus dem Jahr 2011 gehört A$AP Rocky zu den meistgehypten Rappern der neuen Hip Hop Generation. Mit seinen Songs "Peso", "Purple Swag" und seiner aktuellen Single "F#king Problems" hat er in der Hip Hop Blog Welt eingeschlagen wie ein Komet. Sein Rap-Style speist sich sowohl aus Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mobb Deep und The Diplomats, als auch der Down South-Ästhetik von UGK, DJ Screw und Three 6 Mafia. Sphärischer Hipster-Hip Hop von Produzenten wie Clams Casino, Burn One, Beautiful Lou, A$AP Ty Beats und SpaceGhostpurrp, dazu Südstaaten-Drums mit Chop & Screw-Spaß und die Überheblichkeit, wie sie nur ein echter New Yorker rüberbringen kann.

"Hipster by heart, but I can tell you how the streets feel."

A$ap Rocky ist ein Star. Das erkennen nicht nur die Szene-Postillen recht schnell, sondern auch die Major-Industrie. Sony bekommt den Zuschlag und nimmt ihn und seine A$AP Crew unter Vertrag. Das Dollar-Zeichen im Namen steht ab sofort zurecht da.

Brandneue Auflage auf weissem Doppelvinyl: Mac Millers Mixtape "Macadelic" aus dem Jahr 2012 mit der Hitsingle "Loud" und den Featuregästen Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Cam'ron, Joey Bada$$, Sir Michael Rocks, Iman Omari, Casey Veggies und Juicy J.

The Ghentian skyline has low peaks and hides its horrors in full view ~ walk streamside and you’ll quickly be confronted with façades that leer with their tales and secrets, the angels and demons that built this city holding up its mortar and stone in an inextricable embrace. It is within this incongruous backdrop that Benoît Monsieurs has fostered the Venediktos Tempelboom persona. Using the 12-string guitar as his main instrument, the self-taught musician creates passages that take fingerpicking Americana and Eastern transcendence into the Flanders fields, with winding compositions that distill the essence of giants like John Fahey, Robbie Basho and Jack Rose and folds them into the dark drone melancholia of Funeral Folk/KRAAK stalwarts like Silvester Anfang, Helvete and Ignatz. The results are ringing meditations of awe and terror, flamboyant and grotesque yet utterly mesmerizing in their unrooted sonic imagery.

In his debut LP, Syne Vuyle Hoeck, the Tempelboom amalgamates his influences - East, West and deep Flanders alike - into a flurry of acid-drenched tracks that spread out into a distinctive musical iconography. Each composition carries a facet, highlighting angel and demon in equal measure: the solemn opener “De woelige rit op een roze wolkje” is a threading of melodies that carry pensive heft and hopeful asides, as hints of ragtime buoyancy lead into sullen ruminations in a fully lucid change of course; “Ocharme Ochgod” is a sober penitence, slowly and almost imperceptibly building up into a tangle of lines that inexorably coil back into their brooding backbone; the echoing tape loop of “In Flock” reverberates and torments, steel sharpness and frayed magnetic disintegration finding improbable common ground; “El Contrario” swerves unforgivingly in an Eastern-infused openness reminiscent of Six Organs’ rawer days and unnervingly giving way to a forceful - dare we say upbeat - conclusion. And so one treks into the depths of the Tempelboomian universe, a place of high drama and low morals inhabited by a prankster creator who deploys euphoria and distress in equal measure. Just as the strings of his guitar are left to echo like sparkles in the dark, so his music lingers in the soil of our humanity, redolent of the kind of peace one can only make with the demons of the self.

The Last Wave (also known as Black Rain in the US) was the final chapter in a trilogy of films scripted and directed by the leading auteur of the Australian New Wave, Peter Weir. Beginning in 1974 with the absurdist black comedy-horror The Cars That Ate Paris, and followed a year later by the lush gothic mystery Picnic At Hanging Rock, The Last Wave was a landmark in existential horror. Sitting alongside other Australian eco-terror films (e.g. Long Weekend) the film featured a haunting electronic soundtrack that is as mysterious and beguiling as the spiritual themes of the film itself. With no LP issued after the films premiere in 1977, and together with the mystery surrounding the true identity of its enigmatic composer 'Charles Wain', the score is a largely unheard recording of pioneering experimental film electronics, easily compared to the music that contemporaries Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream were composing for Australian films during the same period or the electronic soundtracks of John Carpenter. Tense atonal electronics, synthesizer drones and manipulated Didjeridu all perfectly capture the film's ominous atmosphere, punctuating the slow hypnotic pace of this brooding supernatural thriller.

Forbidden ist das achtzehnte Studioalbum der englischen Rockband Black Sabbath, das ursprünglich am
5. Juni 1995 veröffentlicht wurde. Diese Aufnahme war die Wiedervereinigung der Besetzung von Black
Sabbath aus der Tyr-Ära von 1990 mit der Rückkehr von Neil Murray und Cozy Powell. Dieser Remix von
2024 enthält einen vollständigen Remix von Forbidden von Tony Iommi und ist auf Ultra Clear-Vinyl und
CD-Digisleeve erhältlich.

The Holiday Album That Turned Mariah Carey into the Queen of Christmas: Featuring the Standard “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” the Singer’s Blockbuster Merry Christmas Exudes Joy, Spirituality, and Conviction
Sourced from the Original Master Tapes, Presented in Audiophile Sound for the First Time, and Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies:

Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP Set Plays with Superb Detail, Openness, and Definition
1/2" / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Mariah Carey didn’t become the Queen of Christmas just because of her fervent love of the holiday. Or as the result of a brilliant marketing plan. The iconic singer earned her title by way of her blockbuster Merry Christmas, a 1994 album that quickly joined the likes of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song as an all-time holiday vocal classic. Featuring a balanced mix of inspired originals and well-chosen covers, Carey’s fourth studio record has only grown in stature as new generations discover its magic. Mobile Fidelity’s 30th anniversary edition reissue of Merry Christmas makes her spellbinding performances and upper-tier register come alive like never before.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, the pioneering label’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP set of Merry Christmas plays with superb detail, depth, and dimensionality. Available in audiophile quality for the first time since its original release three decades ago, and featuring the bonus track “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” the nine-times-platinum set breathes with a newfound openness and transparency that enhance the spirituality, passion, and festive tenor of Carey’s singing.

Benefitting from superb groove definition, a nearly inaudible noise floor, and dead-quiet vinyl surfaces, the music takes on a heightened energy and anticipatory emotion synonymous with the holiday season. Carey’s signature vocals explode with liveliness and dynamics, the full scope of her acrobatic range presented in clear, transparent sound that practically places her on a small stage in your listening room. This collectible version also breathes with the kind of warmth, intimacy, and coziness you want from a landmark vocal album.

Recorded when Carey helped put “diva” back into everyone’s vocabulary, Merry Christmas gave the New York native another smash right out of the box. What nobody knew at the time was the degree of the album’s staying power — and how, many years removed from its initial promotion cycle, its legend would still grow and even spark a 2010 sequel. Having re-entered the Top 200 charts every year since 2019, Merry Christmas ranks as one of the three most commercially successful holiday LPs ever made and, in due time, will likely earn the top distinction in that class. A global blockbuster, it seamlessly ties together Christian, gospel, and secular threads and speaks to a boundless audience, independent of denomination.

Most obviously, the record remains inescapably connected to “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” an uptempo anthem that towers as a holiday standard and one of the biggest-selling singles in history. Punctuated with celesta chimes, sleigh bells, springy keyboards, and joyous beats, the song echoes the simple albeit engaging melodies and doo-wop style of beloved holiday classics of yore — and blends such elements with contagious dance-pop rhythms to create an atmosphere rich in joy, wonder, and excitement. Radiant with golden soulfulness and sincere conviction, Carey’s exuberant singing and on-point phrasing put it all over the top. And how.

The song stands as the only effort in Billboard history to top the Hot 100 chart during at least three separate runs. Carey’s blockbuster has already hit No. 1 during five runs, spanning every year between 2019 and 2024. That’s just one of the many records the singer holds — and only one of the multiple highlights from Merry Christmas, which includes two other Carey-penned originals, “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” and “Jesus Born on This Day.”

Though slightly lesser known, Carey’s remarkable rendition of Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” further links her album with the big, lush, Wall of Sound heritage that helped inspire its production. Carey’s heartfelt take and transformation of the traditional “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” into an animated tune that even adults can believe, as well as her clairon reading of “Joy to the World” — cleverly augmented with bits of Three Dog Night’s 1971 hit of the same name — further reinforce her status as Queen of Christmas.

At the peak of her powers, Carey finds equivalent success when tapping more spiritual veins. Witness the reverence she brings to the timeless carol “Silent Night,” the piousness she invests in “Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child,” and the sacred feeling she conveys throughout “O Holy Night.” You’ll also never think of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)” the same way again after hearing Mimi pour her heart and soul into them, and pair the songs together.

Indeed, it’s Carey’s pliable voice, melismatic technique, and five-octave range — on display here in definitive fashion — coupled with her undeniable love for Christmas and understanding of the religious significance of the season that make Merry Christmas a must-have holiday staple. And on Mobile Fidelity’s LP, something you better add to your wish list.

Sourced from the Original Master Tapes and Strictly Limited to 4,000 Numbered Copies: Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Plays with Insightful Depth, Definition, and Transparency
1/2" / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Slaughter’s 'Stick It To Ya' ist ein kraftvolles Hard-Rock-Album der 90er-Jahre, vollgepackt mit eingängigen Riffs und unvergesslichen Hymnen, die die wilde Seite der Ära perfekt einfangen.

The final album from stevie’s Mope Grooves, the seminal Portland collective. A 2 hour, 27 track masterpiece of touching, warped music
that transcends genre into a realm of pure inspiration.
All profits from this release will be donated to Survived and Punished charity.

Joe Henry’s 13th studio album “Invisible Hour”, recorded over four days in July 2013 at Henry's personal studio in California, tells a captivating story about resilience and the redemptive power of love.This record features several of his closest musical companions, including The Milk Carton Kids as well as Lisa Hannigan, who co-wrote the title track along with Henry and best-selling novelist Colum McCann. Now available on 180g black double vinyl for the first time, the 2024 reissue includes three special bonus tracks: Two alternate demo versions of “Slide” and “The Glorious Dead”, originally released on Henry’s 2017 record “Thrum”, as well as the previously unheard demo “News From The Great Wide World”.

The Kings of Northern Hyperblast wear the crown once more with pride: “In The Arms Of Devastation” is a monster of an album that strongly reaffirms KATAKLYSM´s pole position in the world of extreme Metal. Produced by the man himself, KATAKLYSM guitarist J-F Dagenais, “In The Arms Of Devastation” received its accolade through the mixing of mastermind Tue Madsen at the Danish Antfarm Studios. Their 8th album shows the band at its best after a long journey of evolution through the folds of all things brutal, technical, extreme and, most of all, heavy! All the trademarks we love so much about KATAKLYSM bare their teeth in the indeed devastating nine tracks of “In The Arms Of Devastation”. “Like Angels Weeping The Dark” is a killer of an opener and guaranteed to tear the whole place to pieces, whilst the slow, grinding and almost doomy “Crippled And Broken” is the tank that will flatten the remains of the wreckage. “It Turns To Rust” is a first in the band’s history: the first time vocalist Maurizio Iacono has ever recorded a duet for KATAKLYSM. Together with KITTIE singer Morgan Lander he turns the track into a fierce duel loaded with screams and growls from hell. A lesson in violence – just like the whole album, so prepare for total devastation, prepare for the return of the mighty KATAKLYSM!

The Numero Group guide to private issue new age. Featuring Laraaji, Iasos, Joanna Brouk, Don Slepian, Peter Davison, Master Wilburn Burchette, Jordan De La Sierra, David Casper, Robert Slap and 9 other pioneers of the Perrier underground. Adorned with Marcus Uzilevsky's Linear Landscapes, this 2xLP compilation is housed in a sturdy tip-on jacket and is accompanied by a 32-page booklet. The fourth world awaits.

The Numero Group guide to private issue new age. Featuring Laraaji, Iasos, Joanna Brouk, Don Slepian, Peter Davison, Master Wilburn Burchette, Jordan De La Sierra, David Casper, Robert Slap and 9 other pioneers of the Perrier underground. Adorned with Marcus Uzilevsky's Linear Landscapes, this 2xLP compilation is housed in a sturdy tip-on jacket and is accompanied by a 32-page booklet. The fourth world awaits.

ON SAND COLOUR VINYL FOR FIRST TIME

Post-Punk? Indie-Rock? Post-Hardcore? The Van Pelt walked between all these worlds. Spoken/sung vocals, anthemic pop hooks, fiery guitars and a tightly wound rhythm section made them stand outs of the DIY basement scene they emerged from.
RELATED TO: The Lapse, Native Nod, St Vincent, Blonde Redhead, Enon, Jets to Brazil, Vague Angels.

ABOUT “STEALING FROM OUR FAVORITE THIEVES”:
90s NYC indie heroes The Van Pelt have had a lasting power far greater than so many of the other once bigger bands of that era have had. The sort of interest that has neither waxed nor waned over the decades since they disbanded, yet just mysteriously continues on despite their discography being out of print since the end of the last millennium. So what is it that sets them apart? Too soft to have ran with the AmRep or Touch and Go crowds, not hip enough to have made sense on Matador or Merge, ernest yet not histrionic enough to make it onto the “best emo bands” lists, not weird enough to be on bills with Arto Lindsay and Thurston Moore, etc. In a sense, their outsider status comes not from the wings, but from the dead center eye of the storm. The 90s were happening all around them, they were witnesses thereof, yet they emerged transcendent of it all. You Follow? Maybe it’s worth having a listen to see what I mean.
Barcelona’s La Castanya records is treating us with the first ever rerelease of the two Van Pelt albums to mark the 20th anniversary of Sultans of Sentiment, their benchmark album. They teased us in 2014 that this might be on the docket with the release of Imaginary Third, a collection of singles and unreleased Van Pelt tracks which were originally intended to have been the components of their third album, including the alt-famous “Speeding Train”. Now we’ll finally have access to their entire discography. The first album, Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves is an explosion of anthems belted out as if the war was already lost yet they were hoisting that tattered banner anyhow until there wasn’t a shred to salvage. The momentum coming out of that album had every major label in the States salivating at the possibility of turning them into the next Nirvana. Instead, The Van Pelt followed it up by pulling the van into the garage, leaving the engine running, funneling the exhaust into their lungs, and blissfully deciding to bow out of the race with the epic Sultans of Sentiment. Of course as the story goes, their intended financial flop was the exact opus that jettisoned them into the history books. Buy both albums. You’ll need them both.

BRAND NEW VINYL PRESSING ON GREEN VINYL FOR FIRST TIME

Recorded in 1996, the second album from this NYC quartet featured a new line up & sound. Clean, warm, spacious guitars paired with repetitive, hypnotic songs showcased the band reaching a new peak. Beloved by those initiated, it continues to find new devotees.
RELATED TO: The Lapse, Native Nod, Blonde Redhead, Enon, Jets to Brazil, Vague Angels

90s NYC indie heroes The Van Pelt have had a lasting power far greater than so many of the other once bigger bands of that era have had. The sort of interest that has neither waxed nor waned over the decades since they disbanded, yet just mysteriously continues on despite their discography being out of print since the end of the last millennium. So what is it that sets them apart?
Too soft to have ran with the AmRep or Touch and Go crowds, not hip enough to have made sense on Matador or Merge, ernest yet not histrionic enough to make it onto the “best emo bands” lists, not weird enough to be on bills with Arto Lindsay and Thurston Moore, etc. In a sense, their outsider status comes not from the wings, but from the dead center eye of the storm. The 90s were happening all around them, they were witnesses thereof, yet they emerged transcendent of it all. You Follow? Maybe it’s worth having a listen to see what I mean.
Barcelona’s La Castanya records is treating us with the first ever rerelease of the two Van Pelt albums to mark the 20th anniversary of Sultans of Sentiment, their benchmark album. They teased us in 2014 that this might be on the docket with the release of Imaginary Third, a collection of singles and unreleased Van Pelt tracks which were originally intended to have been the components of their third album, including the alt-famous “Speeding Train”. Now we’ll finally have access to their entire discography. The first album, Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves is an explosion of anthems belted out as if the war was already lost yet they were hoisting that tattered banner anyhow until there wasn’t a shred to salvage. The momentum coming out of that album had every major label in the States salivating at the possibility of turning them into the next Nirvana. Instead, The Van Pelt followed it up by pulling the van into the garage, leaving the engine running, funneling the exhaust into their lungs, and blissfully deciding to bow out of the race with the epic Sultans of Sentiment. Of course as the story goes, their intended financial flop was the exact opus that jettisoned them into the history books. Buy both albums. You’ll need them both.

This band, and this album, function as critical missing links that takes one from The Fall to Yard Act, from Television and The Minutemen to Parquet Courts and Sleaford Mods, from punk as a sound to punk purely as an ethos. While any Van Pelt album is a stand alone album, the unique approach they take begs one to enter their world and dig deep in.

RELATED TO: The Lapse, Native Nod, St Vincent, Blonde Redhead, Enon, Jets to Brazil, Vague Angels, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, American Football, Texas is the Reason.

‘The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt.’ Pitchfork

‘New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band -- cult favorites for many an emo-inclined crate digger.’ Consequence of Sound

‘...should be mentioned a lot more than they are when you talk about the history of emo.’
Washed Up Emo

Back in the day there was this thing called an A&R guy. They would hang out at small venues looking to throw money at the next big thing. In the early 90s, everyone was looking for the next Nirvana of course. NYC's The Van Pelt had just released an album of anthems called "Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves" that seemed to be just that. The only thing is, they didn't want to sign. Legend has it $2 million was turned down over pierogies and coffee one Monday morning because The Van Pelt didn't want to risk crashing and burning. Instead, they were gunning for a long and stable stride even if that meant they would largely remain out of the public's eye forever.

Lack of willingness to play the game didn't mean people weren't waiting with baited breath for their follow up album though. In 1997 The Van Pelt released "Sultans of Sentiment", an album nearly devoid of the anthems and licks people were expecting. In fact, it's a complete bummer of an album that subjects the listener to the point on life's curve where the hubris of youth gives way to a cresting crashing defeat no kid with heart could ever have seen coming. Seeing as humanity are sick fuckers who revel in the misery of both themselves and others, the popularity of Sultans grew and grew and continues to win new loyal fans even today. It's for this classic album The Van Pelt has never fallen off the radar.

That being said, their swan song "The Speeding Train" was recorded while they were working on their third album. In any other age, in any other way, this song would have been a hit. The Van Pelt broke up mid-recording, released Speeding Train as a single, and the rest of the songs from that session didn't see the light of day until they were released in 2014 as the "Imaginary Third" lp.

Why are we here talking about them today in 2023? Because in preparation for the release of "Imaginary Third" The Van Pelt started playing some reunion shows. Soundchecks revealed to them that this band has a voice that was prematurely muted by their inability to see clearly in the thick of it. Returning to explore just what that is 25 years later has led to this first collection of 9 songs, "Artisans & Merchants". This is not a reunion album. This is vindication for that decision made over pierogies and coffee decades ago. The Van Pelt is a band in it for the long haul, free from whatever trappings the mayflies of trends and markets may bring.

For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to "Artisans & Merchants" is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven't seen in years, a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they've changed. In some ways you're worried for them, looks like they might be teetering on the brink of something. In other ways it's the same old them, a nugget of a soul too unique to ever be altered. It's for those unfamiliar with The Van Pelt though for whom we should be truly jealous. This is a stand alone album, incredible vital song writing in and of itself regardless of the long history this band has. The climax of the single "Image of Health" perhaps describes the beautiful desperation best: "And you never felt more alive / Than when the priest came to read you your rites!"

For the first time in their diverse second act, they allow themselves to be a rock band, freed of adornment and embellishment. As much as Carlson’s guitar has always been the focal point of EARTH’s music, it’s been surrounded by consistently diverse instrumentation. Here the dialog between Carlson and Davies drumming remains pivotal, underpinned by the sympathetic bass of Bill Herzog (Sunn O))), Joel RL Phelps, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter) and thickened by additional layers of guitar from Brett Netson (Built To Spill, Caustic Resin) and Jodie Cox (Narrows). Perhaps the largest left turn on Primitive And Deadly, though, is the prominence of guest vocalists Mark Lanegan and Rabia Shaheen Qazi (Rose Windows) who transform the traditionally free ranging meditations of EARTH into something approaching traditional pop structures.
On “Rooks Across the Gates,” a song stylistically the closest to the folk inspired modality of Angels Of Darkness, Carlson stretches out into some of his most lyrical playing to date, creating an almost symbiotic relationship between his performance and the vocals of old friend Mark Lanegan. “From the Zodiacal Light,” meanwhile, takes the late 60s San Franciscan/freaked-out jazz-rock transcendence of The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull and quickly re-appropriates that sound into a musky torch song for the witching hour.
This contradictive tension between a band pushing itself ever-forward whilst surveying their history is reflected in the albums twin recording locales. The foundation of the record was laid in the mystic desert highlands of Joshua Tree, California where EARTH recorded hour after hour of meditations on each track's central theme at Rancho de la Luna. Upon returning to Seattle these were edited, arranged and expanded upon at Avast with the help of long-term collaborator Randall Dunn (who was previously at the helm for the Hex, The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull and Hibernaculum sessions).

he debut album from Marcus Mumford, frontman of Multi-Platinum, Grammy, and Brit Award winning band Mumford & Sons. Collaborations with Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers, Brandi Carlile, and Monica Martin. Exclusive Limited Edition Version, includes Unique Artwork & 12-inch Clear Transparent

"The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the romantic drama, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, features music from Ed Sheeran, Birdy, Charli XCX, Grouplove, Lykke Li and more! NO Sales Notes

In the film, Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them -- and us – on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love."

Robin Carolan's latest soundtrack for Robert Eggers' highly anticipated Nosferatu is a haunting, gothic-infused and meticulously crafted work that draws from a vast palette of sounds, instruments, and inspirations. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan reunites with Eggers to bring the legendary tale of Nosferatu to life, infusing the film with a score that is as complex and nuanced as the story itself. With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain's most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces was the music box used at the film's beginning. Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect its sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as almost telepathic. Set in the 1800s, Nosferatu allowed Carolan to incorporate contemporary instrumentation, though he made a deliberate effort to ensure the score didn't sound overly modern. Letty Stott, who also worked on The Northman, contributed ancient horns and pipes, enhancing the soundtrack's eerie atmosphere. Additionally, percussionist Paul Clarvis custom-built a toaca-like instrument for added authenticity. Carolan's inspirations for the soundtrack were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a deep connection to the music of the Ukrainian film The Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score's otherworldly tone. Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale's melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism. The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan's artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.

Robin Carolan's latest soundtrack for Robert Eggers' highly anticipated Nosferatu is a haunting, gothic-infused and meticulously crafted work that draws from a vast palette of sounds, instruments, and inspirations. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan reunites with Eggers to bring the legendary tale of Nosferatu to life, infusing the film with a score that is as complex and nuanced as the story itself. With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain's most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces was the music box used at the film's beginning. Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect its sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as almost telepathic. Set in the 1800s, Nosferatu allowed Carolan to incorporate contemporary instrumentation, though he made a deliberate effort to ensure the score didn't sound overly modern. Letty Stott, who also worked on The Northman, contributed ancient horns and pipes, enhancing the soundtrack's eerie atmosphere. Additionally, percussionist Paul Clarvis custom-built a toaca-like instrument for added authenticity. Carolan's inspirations for the soundtrack were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a deep connection to the music of the Ukrainian film The Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score's otherworldly tone. Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale's melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism. The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan's artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.

Who better to help you celebrate that most wonderful time of the year than holiday favorites Bad Religion? Tackling eight chestnuts in their classic punk rock style. From "White Christmas" with its nod to pioneers The Ramones, to the glorious choirboy intro to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," Christmas Songs is the record you need to get your holiday household"s toes tapping.

A New Entry In The Canon Of The Genius Ray Charles The First Black Artist To Record A Country Music Album His Original Iconic Country Recordings Includes ""I Can't Stop Loving You"" & ""Seven Spanish Angels"" Mastered By Multi-GRAMMY® Winning Engineer Michael Graves Produced In Full Cooperation Of The Ray Charles Foundation

Ray Charles changed the way the world perceived country music.

A new, stand alone album, with a track-list of iconic songs cherry picked from across Ray’s country music recordings. With thoughtful attention to detail, this piece looks and feels authentic and period appropriate. This collection not only showcases Ray’s unparalleled interpretations of country classics, but also serves as a timely reminder of his role as a cultural pioneer who helped bridge racial divides through the universal language of music.

180 Gram Vinyl The album `A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra' was released in 1957 and features the Ralph Brewster Singers along with an orchestra conducted by Gordon Jenkins. It's devided in two parts with side one featuring secular holiday tunes, while side two has more religious Christmas carols. Sinatra is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century. He is among the world's best-selling music artists, with an estimated 150 million record sales globally. Over the course of his career Sinatra received eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century" and he continues to be regarded as an iconic figure.

180 Gram, gold marble Vinyl The album `A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra' was released in 1957 and features the Ralph Brewster Singers along with an orchestra conducted by Gordon Jenkins. It's devided in two parts with side one featuring secular holiday tunes, while side two has more religious Christmas carols. Sinatra is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century. He is among the world's best-selling music artists, with an estimated 150 million record sales globally. Over the course of his career Sinatra received eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century" and he continues to be regarded as an iconic figure.

From the very beginning of her musical career, Etta James
displayed worlds of promise. As a teenager she was destined for
greatness when she rocked young America. Ballads, blues, or upbeat-you name it. Etta performed with an ability that is unsurpassed
– getting every ounce of music from each note. On this album, Etta
gives new meaning to the word “torch” with “Don’t Take Your Love
From me”, "How Do You Speak To An Angel” and “Fools Rush In
(Where Angels Fear To Tread)”. Truly, this is Etta James singing for
lovers

The songs that grace this comprehensive double vinyl package all come from the golden age of country music. For nearly a century now, country music has been captured on cylinder, vinyl, tape and compact disc. In America during the 1950s, while rock & roll battled calypso as the nation’s favourite sound, meanwhile in the background, these classic country songs could be heard across the land - all the way from the Gulf of Mexico, right up to the frozen wastes of Minnesota. After the golden age of what might be called pure country, came country-rock, alt-country and Americana. But the century of songs gathered together here is plain and simple country music - at its best

Did you know there are horses on the cover of Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version? There are at least three in the right hand corner, gathered inexplicably near a white canvas tent, a human possibly perched among its folds. As widescreen and vast as the cover may seem, those little details-the horses, the possible human, the faint wisp of white clouds-give it depth and wonder, something to which the imagination can return. Did you know that the music on Earth 2-repressed now for its 30th anniversary, back in its original artwork, and accompanied by a riveting set of remixes that demonstrate the reach of what Dylan Carlson long ago called "ambient metal"-works much the same way? The surface is massive and obvious, the meatpaw riffs of Carlson and bassist Dave Harwell pounding and swiping and pawing at the speakers, a true bludgeon in three-dimensional sound. Listen, though, for the details in the corners, for the finesse beneath the force, and Earth 2 reveals new levels of depth and wonder. The widespread impact of Earth 2 suggests that others have indeed been leaning in, listening to these minutiae and making something new of them. A masterpiece without many genre precedents, Earth 2 surely helped send doom metal down its more modern drone, ambient, and avant-garde avenues. Those descendants are obvious. Perhaps more surprising and gratifying are the ways it has influenced electronic music, modern composition, and even hip-hop by realigning our senses of tempo, time, and texture. Earth 2 engendered a rearrangement of expectations, regardless of preferred form.

180 Gram, Red Vinyl `Christmas With Ol' Blue Eyes' is an extension of Sinatra's most beloved holiday album `A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra'. It includes the bonus tracks `Christmas Dreaming', `Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow' and `Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'. His deep blue eyes earned him the popular nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes" which gave the record its title. Sinatra is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century. He is among the world's best-selling music artists, with an estimated 150 million record sales globally. Over the course of his career Sinatra received eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century" and he continues to be regarded as an iconic figure.