Search:a song for you

Previously unavailable on vinyl for more than 50 years, this rare collection of tracks presents a wealth of hits that helped define country music in the ‘60s - and beyond!

If you don’t remember Western Swing in its heyday, or the first generation of Texas Honky Tonk, you may not know Billy Gray. Aside from a select group of music aficionados and musicologists, Billy Gray’s name and significant contributions to country music and western swing have simply gone unrecognized for far too long.

Musically, there were many shades of Billy Gray. Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Performer, Arranger, Bandleader. Whether on stage or in the studio, Billy Gray personified what this music was – and still is – all about.

Billy played behind some of Country Music’s biggest names – Hank Thompson, Ray Price and Willie Nelson – served as Thompson’s and Price’s bandleader – and built quite a following in his own right with his own bands, The Western Okies, The Nuggets and The Cowtowners.

Billy Gray, together with the legendary Hank Thompson created a wealth of hits that helped to define the country music of an era, and beyond, helped launch the career of future rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, and greatly influenced the future sound of country music.

-- Joe Hopkins

Tim Brown and Donna McKean's legendary lost album "Evolver" is lost no
more! Out for the first time on vinyl, sparklingly remastered with bonus
session tracks, this Twentieth Anniversary edition of a psychedelic
masterpiece fills a crucial hole in the Lunchbox oeuvre
Recorded in the couple's 1990s Oakland basement between stays in Berlin, tour
dates in London, and dreamy sojourns up the rugged Mendocino coastline,
"Evolver" fuses jangle and jungle, ambient and dub into a striking pop statement.
Marrying refined songcraft to the serendipitous magic hidden in half-broken reelto- reel tape decks and vintage synthesizers, the LP plants its pop flag on the
terrain of magic and mystery. Dreamy jangle pop gems emerge seamlessly out of
a sea of loops, drones, and dubbed- out horn fanfares, cascades of tape echo
feedback and whispers from outer space providing a trance-inducing backdrop to
the pop sensibility for which Lunchbox is well- known. Hook- filled and hypnotic,
"Evolver" is a sublime slice of post-pop psychedelia that you won't want to miss.

A warm rain in August, the cool feeling of soft ice cream on the lips, golden light and tender smiles. The sweet scent of strawberries, people laughing in the backyard and autumn is already in the air. This is how the music of Bionda e Lupo feels. Joy and melancholy, warmth and goosebumps – that is “La Deutsche Vita”.

Six summers – ten songs for the double album by the Berlin couple. Lively German lyrics allowing us to immerse ourselves in the world of Gertalo, as we surf on synths in the New German Wave and refresh ourselves with a splash of cheeky Schlager pop.

The private pressing, only available on heavy vinyl, enchants with its lavish presentation. In the colorful gatefold, with a huge sticker, you will not only discover artistically designed inner sleeves with all of the lyrics, but also a greeting card and a secret little surprise.

Limited to 300 copies, “La Deutsche Vita” is sinfully sweet seduction for lovers and fetishists of the black gold. Hmm … delicious!

Sasu Ripatti presents the third volume in his "Dancefloor Classics" series with five 10" releases coming throughout 2023. Music for imaginary dancefloors, released on Ripatti's own label "Rajaton".

--
”Look up, into the light” she said, while the camera shutter clicked. ”Like this? Does it look holy?” His neck felt stiff. Her reply: ”Yes, just like that. What do you mean holy? Like religious? ”No, more like trying to look very far, somewhere beyond what we can see.” ”Okay, stand still, I’m going to come close to you now. The light hits your face great.” click, click, click.

He noticed her fingernails. They were not polished. Natural. Even somewhat rugged, as if something wore out the fingers slightly. What had these hands held besides the camera? What made the edges of her fingernails drift off?

He thought it’s weird to look straight into the camera. The photographer had closed her left eye, the one not looking into the lens. Then it opened, she looked up, perusing the surroundings, then she closed her eye again, then looked up, closed, looking up, very quickly. It all seemed very professional. Maybe she calculated the light, making sure it’s close to perfect. ”What will these photos look like?” – the thought popped into his head briefly. It was liberating to think it wouldn’t matter.

”What’s that song playing?” he asked. ”Wait a sec, Ol’ Dirty Bastard?” she replied. ”Oh yeah, right. But the sample?” ”Hey, could you look up again, like that. No, lower.”

New directions: ”Look out from the window, turn left.” ”My left or yours?” ”Yours, I always try to think from the direction of my model.” How professional! This is a good shoot, so natural. Should I worry about how the photos look like? No, I don’t want to. His thoughts bounced around. What would the story be like? It’s a big newspaper, everyone will read it. Maybe someone drinks coffee and eats a stroopwafel while they do it. Will they place the waffle on top of the mug for a brief while, so that it gets hot and the syrup melts a little? Then it feels wet, and you can bend the cookie.

She broke his train of thought off midway through: ”Now turn right, but look left, and slightly up, but don’t turn your face right.” ”Umm, like this? Sounds like a set of pilates instructions.” she laughed ”You do pilates?” ”Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. Have you tried?” ”No”, she said. ”I’m not good for sports that are done in groups.” ”Yeah, but in pilates you can just be inside your mind, drowning in your private thoughts.”

”What are you thinking in pilates?” she asked, taking more photos. ”Well, mostly just which way is right. And which left.” click, click.

--

Unlike the majority of previous Davis albums, E.S.P. consisted entirely of new compositions written by members of the group. Despite the profusion of new material, only one tune ("Agitation") is known to have appeared in the group's live performances. "Little One" might be best known for being revisited on Hancock's landmark album, Maiden Voyage, recorded a few weeks later. This version is somewhat more embryonic; Carter's bass is halting, and Davis and Shorter state the theme with winding, interlocking contrapuntal lines that evoke Davis and Coltrane's version of "Round Midnight". Hancock's solo on Carter's composition, "Eighty-One", also presages his work on that LP - particularly its title track.

The title track is reminiscent of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae", which Davis had recorded with John Coltrane in 1956. "Iris", by contrast, is another Coltrane-like ballad, not too dissimilar to "Infant Eyes" on Shorter's Speak No Evil album. Shortly thereafter, Shorter's compositions would begin to dominate the Quintet's recordings, though here he contributes only two of the seven songs.

This was the first time Wayne Shorter recorded with Miles, and the band - in this configuration - had been together for less than a year. As you will hear, the connection between the musicians is uncanny, as if they had been playing together for decades. Especially notice Wayne Shorter's brilliant interplay with Miles on the closing track "Mood," the haunting ballad written by bassist Ron Carter. At over forty-eight minutes, E.S.P. is one of the longest jazz albums of its period.

Foyer Red’s debut LP, Yarn the Hours Away, plays out as a collection of short stories, each with its environment and protagonist(s) meticulously crafted by the band, with lead singer, vocalist, and clarinetist Elana Riordan at the helm. Foyer Red’s debut EP, Zigzag Wombat, showcased their playfully chaotic arrangements, which bridge art-punk, math rock, and sweetly sung indie with a dash of the zoomies.

The band synthesizes their homespun take on magical realist indie rock that was centered on their EP with their varied musical influences; taking cues from the otherworldly melodies of Cate Le Bon, Yucky Duster’s jangle-filled crayon rock, and the organized chaos of Deerhoof’s iconic polyrhythms. The songs that makeup Yarn the Hours Away are fantastical, surrealist stories that hinge on contemporary, post-digital life.

The lead single “Etc” captures this dynamic perfectly. Anchored by Eric Jaso’s hypnotizing bass line, the song unfolds with off-kilter call-and-response vocals between Riordan and Kristina Moore, their stilted deliveries bouncing around the mix. The track is searching but discontent with the algorithmic and claustrophobic realities of daily life: singer/guitarist Mitch Myers throws the song for a loop singing, “gathering information / will set you free once you’ve reached / 37 percent / of the database.” While there’s paranoia and cynicism undergirding the lyrics, the song itself is a thrilling and playful listen.

The songs on Yarn the Hours Away are uniformly exciting and compelling; each track feels distinct and sometimes even in direct conflict. The peppy opener “Plumbers Unite!” belies its themes of gamification of our daily lives and delves into the science fiction and fantasy songwriting of Foyer Red’s debut EP. Centered around a relentless rhythm section, their dueling vocals never abate; Moore and Riordan’s honey-sweet but getting more frantic as the song progresses, while Myers’ erratic talk-singing culminates in one final frustrated scream. Juxtapose this with “Gorgeous,” a lovely song about Riordan and drummer Marco Ocampo’s relationship that sees the band slowing their pace into a blissful sway. Riordan coos and sighs over the track while recalling “Marco-isms”; botched colloquialisms that Ocampo uses.

“Gorgeous” shares little in common with “Pocket,” a loose lamentation on late capitalism that touches on time travel and human evolution. Moore and Riordan’s exclamations are chopped up and used as rhythm instruments, layered over the intricately frenetic guitars of Myers and Moore. Foyer Red thrives on these extremes and contradictions. Where their first release was self-recorded, this LP found them in Figure8 Studios with a deadline. “It was really liberating,” says Jaso. “We're all just kind of throwing in our own voices and challenging each other to make the songs better.”

Yarn the Hours Away comes from a lyric on the closer “Toy Wagon.” The song that first marked the time Moore and the rest of the band worked together, a promising spark of a thrilling collaboration to come. “It harkens back to all of us coming together and spending the hours together in music,” says Moore. “There are few moments where you get to relax and exhale,” adds Riordan. “It's what happened when the five of us got together and started writing. We just wrote all of these out there songs and we didn't see a reason to dial that back. Its natural form is in its chaos and layered craziness.”

Lime green (yellowish?) vinyl LP Finnish noise rock duo NYOS deliver a clairvoyant Celebration of the present, written at a time when that present was shimmering just like the feathers of the cover art courtesy of animal photographer Zac Herr. Combining the danceable grooves of Battles with Sonic Youth - infused noise bursts and the yearning electric melodies of And So I Watch You From Afar, Celebration is a defiantly joyful, loud, and festive affair. A promising cure for the drudgery of the times we live in. Recorded by Brooke in his own Tonehaven Recording Studio, Celebration is the latest testament to the undeniable synergy these musicians have built over the past seven years. With the material largely written before the advent of corona, Celebration is a reflection of life before lockdown, filled to the brim with infectious grooves and glaring melodies. "We tried for something upbeat this time to contrast the times," explains Tom Brooke about the recording process, which in turn did take place during pandemic life. "We always love it when people can move to our music, so a big focus for the record was to embrace the dance vibe and go for it." This collection of eight colourful, jarring tracks is rife with small nods to dance music throughout the world. Take a song like "Light" with its complex syncopated drum pattern that recalls the Amen Break so typical for drum and bass music, but listen closely and the song reveals an off-beat skank that flips over into experimental reggae territory. Similarly, a track like "Tucano" recalls the experimental IDM of Bristol-based producer Vessel, while "Gold Vulcan" offsets a gnarly gyrating guitar riff with Latin- American and oriental melodies. The attention to detail on Celebration is phenomenal. The album contains some of the band's most layered compositions to date, but it is also the first NYOS record to feature improvised live recordings, the aptly named "First Take" as well as the celestial "Cloudberry". These musical sketches show two musicians at the apex of their connectedness. Every time that one of them appears to be taking a somewhat questionable turn, you'll find yourself carefully and respectfully readjusting your own interpretation of the song's intention - and what NYOS are all about.

The album showcased Cornfield's knack for crafting deeply personal songs with an observational tone and witty lyric delivery. She took these heartbreakingly relatable songs on the road, playing numerous shows & festivals across North America and Europe, including opening for Pedro The Lion, Stars, Sarah Harmer and others.

On Cornfield's new album, Could Have Done Anything, she teamed up with producer and Bonny Light Horseman member, Josh Kaufman in Upstate New York, first at the stained- glass- tinted Dreamland Recording Studios, then at the nearby Isokon Studio, run by engineer D. James Goodwin (Kevin Morby, Whitney) and his assistant, Gillian Pelkonen. Kaufman and Cornfield played every instrument themselves, channeling the energy of her favorite classic records,
from Elliott Smith's Figure 8 and Jeff Buckley's Grace to Neil Young's Harvest -- albums where the listener is simply carried by the songs, and their musicians' beautiful playing. Standouts like "You And Me" highlight intimacy and absence, while "Gentle Like The Drugs" captures memories from Cornfield's spring 2022 tour with Pedro the Lion - her first time seeing sunsets in Arizona.

Pinky Perzelle, aka Sonny Rooney's debut 'No Games' featuring Eda Eren, is a true labour of love and an ode to his total passion and dedication to multi instrumental record creation without compromise. Almost every instrument was recorded and played by Perzelle at his home studio. Featuring the utterly unique, impassioned and reassuring vocals of British-Turkish artist, Eda Eren, and additional drums from world renowned Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics). The lead track is a timeless, heartfelt, funk-ladened portal into a world reminiscent of a cinematic movie scene or an undiscovered gem from another era all-together. The hypnotic 'Remix' from Velvet Season & The Hearts Of Gold aka Gerry Rooney & Joel Martin, introduces subtle electronica and dubbed out instrumentation. A true lesson in after hours, left-field Balearica. Pinky's own 'Electronic Mix' references early house music and broken-beat electronic drums. Showing yet another side of Perzelle's approach to music making.

DJ Feedback

Gilles Peterson:
"Great stuff! Loving the Turkish twist on No Games. Whoooop!"

Dj Harvey:
"Definitely a jam I’ll play in Ibiza for my summer season!"

Francios K:
"I have the Original Mix and love it!"

Tim Sweeney (Beats in space):
"Great job with this. Definitely supporting! Added to BIS playlist."

Colleen Cosmo Murphy (WWFM):
"Now here’s a great new song. A debut song from Pinky Perzelle aka Sonny Rooney. Also a great remix from Velvet Season & The Hearts Of Gold!"

Charlie Bones (Do You):
"Dangerously sexy."

Apiento (Test Pressing):
"A killer song put together with an overall vision from someone that knows where they want to be. An artist to watch. Respect."

Nancy Noise:
"I haven’t stopped listening to it! I mean it! Well done!"

Laurent Garnier:
"Playlisting Original Mix on PBB Radio. Thanks a lot!"

Luke Howard (Horse Meat Disco):
"Bravo, great job. Keep up the good work. Always happy to hear real music with new melodies and ideas!"

Leo Mas:
"Pinky’s Electronic Mix’ is great! Great job, bravo!"

Ashley Beedle:
"I’ll be putting this in August’s show. Sounds wicked."

Jonny Rock:
"This is great! Intense emotion dancefloor bomb! Big up the Perzelle."

Mehmet Aslan:
"Nice ones, I like! Added to Spotify ‘Track ID’s’ playlist."

CC Disco:
"Sick release! Was not what I was expecting. Even better!"

Patrizio Cavaliere (Mixmag Asia):
"A sublime statement of intent."

Degrees of Freedom is a Canadian musical group founded in 1984 in Montreal by Janet Cadman (vocals and percussion), Martin Chartrand (bass, guitar, rhythm programming and vocals) and David Curtis (keyboards, vocals, and percussion). Established as a 5-piece New Wave cover band, Degrees of Freedom evolved into its classic quartet configuration following the departure of the original guitarist and drummer, and the subsequent enlistment of Santino Mastrocola on drums. With this lineup change came a new musical mission: the writing, recording and live presentation of original material only. Since Santino's withdrawal from the band in 1988, Degrees of Freedom has carried on as a trio in the studio while augmenting concert performances with additional musicians. In February 1985, Degrees of Freedom performed at the newly formed S.O.S. (Save Our Songwriters) Club in Montreal. Like other participants in the S.O.S. project, Degrees of Freedom was rewarded with studio time to record some of its own songs. One of these, "August is an Angel" was selected to close out the locally produced 1985 band anthology album "Listen - A Faze Compilation of Montreal Music." The next year, a new track "In This Room," was included in the follow-up release "Listen 2." Both songs, with four newly recorded works, were issued in 1988 as Degrees of Freedom's eponymous sole vinyl release, informally known as the “China” album. In 2015, the music of Degrees of Freedom experienced a renaissance thanks to a new generation of club DJs, traditional and internet-based radio hosts, vinyl disc collectors, and other aficionados of synth-based music. Local and international recognition has come in the form of record sales to fans in Canada as well as in the USA, Germany, Scotland, England, Ireland, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Lithuania, Sweden, Bulgaria, Australia, Vietnam, and Japan. Responding to the resurgence of interest, Degrees of Freedom has twice re-issued the disc (2017 and 2019). Today, with eyes on the future and the past, Janet, Martin and David continue to collaborate on new material including the songs, "Metal Flesh" and "Be This Way" both accessible on the band's YouTube channel.

Kundan Lal is a highly understated artist. Little is known about his background, though some refer to him as Kunsaf Halil, his personal life remains largely a mystery.

Gathering a cult following amongst people like Den Sorte Skole or DJ Marcelle with his previous releases, he is now set to sail new shores. There is a sense of wanderlust as he opens his box of field recordings, collected on his many travels. From the buzzing streets of Alexandria, early sunday markets in Tafraoute or a crackling bonfire down by the banks of the river Ganges. Each track takes you places.

Kundan's second album is a captivating blend of dubby beats, collages, and exotic instrumentation. Drawing from classic tools like the Roland 808, SC7 and the famous Space Echo, Kundan has created a unique and minimalistic sound that is sure to captivate listeners. At once nostalgic and experimental, "Power of Ra" is a must-listen for both electronic music purists and fans of adventurous soundscapes.

Compelled to work from home on his computer during lockdown, Kundan dusted his pawnshop e-piano, downloaded some orchestral soundkits and started to digitize almost forgotten field recordings. The "Power of Ra“ came to him.

“Illgrimage” is a good example of his approach. Combining atmospheric soundscapes with swirling strings, trombones and pianos. Echoes of birds and children playing in the streets. A small town filled with life and a theremin leading the way while you hear the faint yet powerful words of Greta Thunberg saying: "Imagine...“

“Raqaqa,” a powerful orchestral journey with a hip-hop edge. Tinkling chimes add a groovy vibe, while lush layers of wind instruments weave a masterful soundscape. It’s the slow-burning intensity of this track that pulls you in.

"Nasi Chip" is a signature song that exemplifies Kundan Lal’s musical prowess. An engaging beat coupled with chopped up vocals, 8-bit synth melodies and an arpeggiated piano provide an energetic atmosphere that is both cunning and unique.

”Cen" lures you into the egyptian realm. A Harmonium slithers serpent like around a pounding beat.Horns gently swaying to the rhythm of the desert.

It is hard to put your finger on his style or genre. You can feel Kundan Lal‘s DIY spirit in his production, carving his own ethnic genre. For enthusiasts of Roberto Musci or Muslimgauze, this avant-garde album is one for your collection. Keep your senses open and let the Power of Ra pass you to another world.

Fuzz is Ty Segall (drums/vocals), Charlie Moothart (guitar/vocals)
and Roland Cosio (bass). They’re heavy rock lifers—three Californiabred dudes who have been refining their riffs and getting weird together since high school (which wasn’t that long ago, actually). If you are not already aware of Segall, well, what’s up? He’s one of garage rock’s most prolific sons. He said he was going to take it easy this year, but by the time you finish reading this, the onesheet for his next record will have already arrived in your inbox. Moothart
plays guitar in The Ty Segall Band and was also a member of The Moonhearts, which included Cosio on guitar.

Way back in the early ’00s, all three played in the Epsilons. Fuzz was formed a couple years ago as a collaboration between Segall and Moothart, but only recently did the pair have sufficient time to guide
the band out of side-project limbo and into a recording studio. Since then, they have released two singles, “This Time I Got a Reason” (Trouble In Mind) and “Sleigh Ride” (In The Red). Around the time of the latter, Cosio joined on bass.

They are not dabblers or dilettantes. Fuzz flipped through used bins,
hard drives and record collections of the world, seeking out the finest
weirdo cuts. The band’s self-titled debut LP, which was recorded by Chris Woodhouse (Thee Oh Sees, The Intelligence), dives deep, drawing inspiration from the more esoteric reaches of heavy metal pre-history. There are Sabbath and Hendrix nods, obviously, but on “Sleigh Bells” you might also catch a whiff of UK progressive blues business like The Groundhogs, particularly when the song quits its 10/4-time intro and reboots into fullbore choogle.

Maybe you’ll even glimpse the ghost of Australian guitar legend/sharpie guru Lobby Lloyde sniffing around “Raise.”

The mood is not light. The songs project a state of perpetual paranoia
and eroding mental health. And as it should be, you know? It’s a record for the burners.

LTM presents a limited edition clear vinyl edition of Sorry For Laughing, the legendary first album by cult Scottish guitar group Josef K, recorded for Postcard Records but destined to become the great ‘lost album’ of the post-punk era.
This remastered edition of Sorry For Laughing replicates the original Robert Sharp artwork (a solarised portrait of the band atop Calton Hill, printed in silver pantone), with detailed sleeve notes on the inner bag, and the added bonus of a 12 track CD, The TV Art Demos, featuring all tracks from the band’s very first recording sessions in 1979.
Recorded at Castle Sound Studios (Edinburgh) in November 1980, Sorry For Laughing should have been issued as Postcard 81-1, but was shelved after the band and label boss Alan Horne decided the 12-song set sounded too polished. Perhaps two dozen white-label copies in unmade sleeves exist, and have sold for as much as £1,000 amongst collectors. Josef K issued their second stab at a debut album, The Only Fun In Town, in July 1981 – only to split after completing a promotional tour.
This remastered edition of Sorry For Laughing replicates the original Robert Sharp artwork (a solarised portrait of the band atop Calton Hill, printed in silver pantone), with detailed sleeve notes on the inner bag, and the added bonus of a 12 track CD, The TV Art Demos, featuring all tracks from the band’s very first recording sessions in 1979.
‘They were The Sound of Young Scotland, together with Orange Juice, whose guitars were also radiant and brittle, whose rhythms were also scrubbed and blunt, whose vocals were also proud and serious, but who sounded like another group entirely’ (Paul Morley); ‘In retrospect, their aborted attempt at a debut album feels much superior to what was finally released. The early versions of the songs sound superbly coiled and keen, the sublime poise of Endless Soul their truly timeless blaze of glory’ (Simon Reynolds)

Bonus CD (The TV Art Demos) 1. Chance Meeting (take #1) 2. Terry’s Show Lies 3. No Glory 4. Final Request 5. Art of Things 6. Romance (take #1) 7. Torn Mentor 8. Night Ritual 9. Heads Watch 10.

Baby Rose makes healing music for the aimless and heartbroken. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and producer's uniquely rich voice naturally lends itself to her powerful, smoke-filled ballads lamenting lost loves and broken futures. "I make music to help myself get through things," she says. The piercing honesty and vulnerability she brings to her lyrics in turn helps others process their feelings and find a place of healing. For Rose, it's a journey that's still ongoing. "If I'm going to leave anything behind, it's going to be getting people back to themselves," she says. "As I get back to myself, it's a constant reset: Remember who you are, remember who you want to be." You can hear the impact of this approach in Baby Rose's upcoming second album, Through and Through. Take the hypnotic "Fight Club." Over the track's simmering baseline and crashing cymbals, she declares, "I don't need no one else to show me the way." She describes the song as a "breaking of the shell. It encourages me to just go for it and not care about what anyone else thinks." Therein lies Baby Rose's strength: a determination to live, love, and create on her own terms. "I'm not just a singer with a unique voice," she says. "I'm somebody that has something to say." In the years since releasing her last album, To Myself, Rose has been painstakingly piecing together its sequel. Started almost immediately after its release, her new body of work finds her in a state of musical and personal transition. It's a subtle merging of new sounds_stirring rock, upbeat r&b, psychedelic funk, pop, and soulful ballads_, all mastered through analog tape to make the music feel warmer and all-encompassing. It's also a journey inward as she battles past fear and self-doubt to finally discover_and love_who she is, where she is. Finishing an album with such peace and firm resolution is a first for Rose, but she makes it clear: She's nowhere near done writing her story. "I think as long as I'm being raw and trying to push past my comfort zone, it will feel rewarding," she says. "I don't want to be the type that doesn't take risks because I'm afraid. I have to trust that as long as the music is honest and innovative, it'll be timeless."

In the days before “landfill” indie, and in rebellion against a developing Britpop orthodoxy, there were some weird but melodic bands coming of age outside London that drew inspiration from the US underground and the sparkly retro-futurism of Japan. Primitive guitar noise with art rock leanings, post punk DIY and fanzine culture. The best known of these bands was maybe Urusei Yatsura; “noisy stars”, named in honour of Rumiko Takahashi, legendary manga creator.

Back in 1996, after several increasingly well-received 7’s, the band travelled to Leamington Spa to record their debut album with John Rivers, producer of Swell Maps and Glasgow scene godparents, The Pastels. The resulting album won the group legions of new fans and gained them their first Independent #1 chart placing, alongside peers Ash and Super Furry Animals.

“These were fertile years in Glasgow, a scene with no name, no single sound, where the magic thread tying everyone together was words and works so personal, they couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else’s. ‘We Are Urusei Yatsura’ is a cascade of ‘why not?’ thinking. The way ‘Phasers on Stun’ spirals into ‘Sola Kola’; the sunburned 23-second improv at the end of ‘Pachinko’; the slack-echoing strings of the outro to ‘Road Song’ sprayed with the shrapnel of toy electronics. Pure pop magic, Ren & Stimpy on upstairs, ray-guns, Ian’s homemade walkie-talkie speaker, a beatbox, all sealed with a “Talking Tina” doll’s emphatic endorsement: “I love it”” – Nick Soulsby

The 2022 American drama miniseries George And Tammy was created by Abe Sylvia and directed by John Hillcoat. It stars Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon as country music legends Tammy Wynette and George Jones, chronicling their tumultuous relationship and intertwined careers.

The 26-track soundtrack features iterations performed by Chastain and Shannon of songs made famous by Tammy Wynette and George Jones, including Wynette's “Stand By Your Man” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E”, as well as Jones' “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “The Race Is On”. Chastain and Shannon recorded their own vocals for the show and performed them live on set. The songs were produced by T Bone Burnett, who won several Grammy Awards and rose to fame as guitarist of Bob Dylan's band during the Seventies.

George And Tammy is available as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

Jimmy LaValle’s The Album Leaf has spun from solo outlet to full band and back in its nearly 25 years. His acclaimed catalog spans releases for labels such as Sub Pop, City Slang, Relapse, and others. He also composes music for film and television, scoring over 20 projects (narrative features, documentaries, and TV series) since 2009. The cinematic sensibilities of The Album Leaf were present from the beginning. His 1999 debut introduced the start of a signature sound: melodic and meditative electro-organic soundscapes constructed with guitar, percussion, Rhodes, and field recordings.

His seventh full-length LP, and first since 2016, arrives in 2023 via Vancouver’s Nettwerk Records. FUTURE FALLING finds LaValle working with an array of musicians, shaping slightly darker, more spacious, and synth-driven songs with contributions from Bat For Lashes, Kimbra, and many others.
The music registers a shade darker and more synth-driven than most moments in his acclaimed catalog, a bridge between shadowy, cerebral terrain and dreamy precision pop, where softly percussive frameworks meet shimmering sound design and emotive instrumentation.
LaValle sees the construction of FUTURE FALLING as less conventional than past work. Contributions were done remotely with a “throw everything at it” mindset, making LaValle the arranger of layers from all over: drums, synths, horns, violins, voice, and more. LaValle created a pastiche of these layers and elements; in some cases even moving vocal takes to new tracks entirely. Without the in-the-room dynamics, he had more time to experiment, adding and subtracting ad infinitum.
The album opens on “PROLOGUE,” an evocative, slow-building instrumental that rides a pattern into a symphonic sea of static. Keys and horns glide atop the rhythmic pulse of “DUST COLLECTS,” setting the contemplative scene for “AFTERGLOW,” the record’s most pop-minded performance. Here Kimbra, the Grammy-winning New Zealand singer-songwriter, renders a striking recollection of past love as percussive elements shimmer and swirl.
A plaintive piano line moves throughout “Cycles 19.9” encircled by light ambient washes, both a valley between two peaks and a powerful composition in its own right. “Future Falling” follows; with origins tracing back to 2015, the track embodies the full sonic journey LaValle has taken. All the hallmarks of The Album Leaf — melodic builds, vivid sprawl, tonal shape-shifting — assemble to a blissful finish.

For the next stretch, “Cycles” begins with a uneasy Rhodes loop that builds and erupts into a wall of texture paving its way into “Give In,” where LaValle models a movement that begins subtle and measured before curving up with skyward, percussive bursts (“Stride”) and settling back down to the album’s back-half centerpiece, “Near” featuring the acclaimed English artist Natasha Khan aka Bat For Lashes. “Do you feel me near?” she sings into a mist of widescreen synths and soothing, distant drum beats as if searching through the dark.

It's a cohesive song cycle purpose-built for pit stops at points beyond along the California country corridor. Sonically, Stay In It feels equally at home in 2022 as it might in 1972, evidenced by nods to "After The Gold Rush"- era Neil Young, Jonathan Wilson,and The War on Drugs.
The singer-songwriter trucked Jerry Garcia's old console to the desert to embrace the analog. The kind where if you want to rip a guitar solo at 3am with the windows open, you go for it, cowboy. A flurry of calls reverberated back and forth until Eric and his producer Damien Lewis (Kevin Parker, JamesBay), crash-landed in the tiny high desert outpost of Landers, California...in August.

"Stay In It" is a way of saying be present, it's "Be Here Now" says Silverman, an accomplished veteran of the Bay Area live music scene (with appearances at festivals such as Outside Lands and Noise Pop under his belt). "So the record is really about just finding that moment where it all locks in and flows. Get there and stay there."

This is music that picks up influences and imagery and shapes and colors as it encounters them on Interstate 62, before dropping them off as they turn into specks of dust on the horizon. There's the two-step lilt of "Better Days", where we start awash in melancholy synths but end up hopeful for possibility. There's the synthesizer summoning courtesy of first- call session keyboardist Adam MacDougall (Black Crowes, Circles Around The Sun) on "All In My Head" where
things get fully cosmic.

But no matter the track, there's something bigger happening here.

Southside sweethearts, the Dreamliners, first came into the scene as the Royaltones in 1961 when they were students at South San High School in San Antonio, TX. In 1963, label head Abie Epstein signed them to his Cobra & Jox labels producing 4 singles. On the way to a studio session, Ana (Ana) Wilburn coined "The Best Things in Life" on the dashboard of her car. Out popped a playful Farfisa and harmony-driven tune reminiscent of the Crystals or Ronettes. Ana also wrote and sang lead on the haunting ballad "Just Me & You." A song about longing and adolescent heartache that's perfect for any post-breakup kleenex session.

Southside sweethearts, the Dreamliners, first came into the scene as the Royaltones in 1961 when they were students at South San High School in San Antonio, TX. In 1963, label head Abie Epstein signed them to his Cobra & Jox labels producing 4 singles. On the way to a studio session, Ana (Ana) Wilburn coined "The Best Things in Life" on the dashboard of her car. Out popped a playful Farfisa and harmony-driven tune reminiscent of the Crystals or Ronettes. Ana also wrote and sang lead on the haunting ballad "Just Me & You." A song about longing and adolescent heartache that's perfect for any post-breakup kleenex session.

Back with his second full-length release of 2022 and follow-up to the wildly successful album, “FACE,” Babyface Ray gifts fans with “MOB,” an 18-track album featuring tightly selected appearances by Lil Durk, Blxst, Ninja, Doe Boy, Samuel Shabazz,King Hendrick$ & GMO Stax. 2022 was a banner year for Ray, with him being named to XXLs Freshmen class of 2022, as well as being elected to be part of the 2022 class for YouTube Music’s Black Voices Fund. He also embarked on his first sold out nationwide headlining tour, and appeared at several notable festivals, including Rolling Loud, Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash, Made In America, Wireless Fest, Broccoli City and others. After making a late night appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Ray announced his second headline tour slated for 2023, entitled “Courtesy of the MOB.” If one thing is clear, it’s that Babyface Ray is a force to stay for years to come.

High Roller Records, Wiederveröffentlichung 2023, schwarzes Vinyl, ltd 150, Einleger. In den Fußstapfen der einzigartigen Mercyful Fate und zusammen mit obskureren Acts wie Alien Force, Randy und Crystal Knight gehören die Kopenhagener Witch Cross zu den besten dänischen Heavy-Metal-Bands aller Zeiten. Das 1984er Album "Fit For Fight" ist sicherlich eines der Top-5-Alben in der Geschichte des dänischen Heavy Metal. Nach einer langen Pause folgte auf "Fit For Fight" das zweite Album "Axe To Grind" im Jahr 2013 (ursprünglich veröffentlicht von Hell's Headbangers und nun auf High Roller Records für ein breiteres Publikum wiederveröffentlicht). "Axe To Grind" war für mich ein großartiges Comeback-Album", sagt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Mike Koch heute. "Wir hatten einige Gastmusiker/Sänger Gastsänger und Chris Tsangarides hat das Album gemischt, es war also eine starke Verbindung zur Vergangenheit. Die Songs waren wirklich gut, vielleicht ein bisschen zu old-school, aber das ist es, was wir auf dem Album wollten."Wir waren überwältigt, wie die Presse uns gelobt hat", fährt der Witch Cross-Gitarrist fort. "Es fühlte sich gut an und gab uns das Gefühl, dass die Band das Richtige getan hat, obwohl "Fit For Fight" so ein Kultalbum war. Es gab allerdings eine Ausnahme: "In unserem Heimatland bekam "Axe To Grind" nicht so viel Aufmerksamkeit, wie wir gehofft hatten. Aber die Konzerte, die wir dort gespielt haben, waren großartig." "Axe To Grind" war das zweite Album der Band nach einer langen Pause. Wie kam es überhaupt zu der Wiedervereinigung und wann und warum hat Mike Koch beschlossen, doch ein neues Studioalbum aufzunehmen? "Ich war mit einer Menge anderer Musik beschäftigt und wollte ein Metal-Album schreiben", erklärt er. "Also habe ich angefangen Ideen zu sammeln, und als wir 2012 bei Keep It True spielten, hatten wir ‚Demon In The Mirror' aufgenommen, das wir auf dem Festival spielten, um zu sehen, wie die Leute darauf reagieren. Zusammen mit 'Demon In The Mirror' sind 'Pandora's Box' und 'Bird Of Prey' meine Lieblingssongs auf der Platte. Nach 'Keep It True' beschlossen wir, dass wir mit 'Witch' weitermachen müssen." Koch hält es jedoch nicht für richtig, zu sagen, dass "Axe To
Grind" dort weitermachte, wo "Fit For Fight" aufgehört hatte: "Nein, das stimmt nicht wirklich. Es ist eher eine Verbindung zur Vergangenheit, als zu dem, was wir 1985-86 musikalisch weitergekommen wären, wenn wir ein weiteres Album gemacht hätten. Es gibt einen Song namens 'The Chosen One' auf dem neuen Album "Angel Of Death", der meiner Meinung nach viel mehr im Stil von Witch Cross von 1985 ist."

High Roller Records, Wiederveröffentlichung 2023, schwarzes Vinyl, ltd 150, Einleger. In den Fußstapfen der einzigartigen Mercyful Fate und zusammen mit obskureren Acts wie Alien Force, Randy und Crystal Knight gehören die Kopenhagener Witch Cross zu den besten dänischen Heavy-Metal-Bands aller Zeiten. Das 1984er Album "Fit For Fight" ist sicherlich eines der Top-5-Alben in der Geschichte des dänischen Heavy Metal. Nach einer langen Pause folgte auf "Fit For Fight" das zweite Album "Axe To Grind" im Jahr 2013 (ursprünglich veröffentlicht von Hell's Headbangers und nun auf High Roller Records für ein breiteres Publikum wiederveröffentlicht). "Axe To Grind" war für mich ein großartiges Comeback-Album", sagt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Mike Koch heute. "Wir hatten einige Gastmusiker/Sänger Gastsänger und Chris Tsangarides hat das Album gemischt, es war also eine starke Verbindung zur Vergangenheit. Die Songs waren wirklich gut, vielleicht ein bisschen zu old-school, aber das ist es, was wir auf dem Album wollten."Wir waren überwältigt, wie die Presse uns gelobt hat", fährt der Witch Cross-Gitarrist fort. "Es fühlte sich gut an und gab uns das Gefühl, dass die Band das Richtige getan hat, obwohl "Fit For Fight" so ein Kultalbum war. Es gab allerdings eine Ausnahme: "In unserem Heimatland bekam "Axe To Grind" nicht so viel Aufmerksamkeit, wie wir gehofft hatten. Aber die Konzerte, die wir dort gespielt haben, waren großartig." "Axe To Grind" war das zweite Album der Band nach einer langen Pause. Wie kam es überhaupt zu der Wiedervereinigung und wann und warum hat Mike Koch beschlossen, doch ein neues Studioalbum aufzunehmen? "Ich war mit einer Menge anderer Musik beschäftigt und wollte ein Metal-Album schreiben", erklärt er. "Also habe ich angefangen Ideen zu sammeln, und als wir 2012 bei Keep It True spielten, hatten wir ‚Demon In The Mirror' aufgenommen, das wir auf dem Festival spielten, um zu sehen, wie die Leute darauf reagieren. Zusammen mit 'Demon In The Mirror' sind 'Pandora's Box' und 'Bird Of Prey' meine Lieblingssongs auf der Platte. Nach 'Keep It True' beschlossen wir, dass wir mit 'Witch' weitermachen müssen." Koch hält es jedoch nicht für richtig, zu sagen, dass "Axe To
Grind" dort weitermachte, wo "Fit For Fight" aufgehört hatte: "Nein, das stimmt nicht wirklich. Es ist eher eine Verbindung zur Vergangenheit, als zu dem, was wir 1985-86 musikalisch weitergekommen wären, wenn wir ein weiteres Album gemacht hätten. Es gibt einen Song namens 'The Chosen One' auf dem neuen Album "Angel Of Death", der meiner Meinung nach viel mehr im Stil von Witch Cross von 1985 ist."

First repress since its original release in May 1998

Celebrating twenty-five years since its release as rgirl2 – the label’s first LP – Rocket Girl is reissuing its seminal compilation A Tribute to Spacemen 3 on double vinyl with spot varnish sleeve in May 2023.

Widely acclaimed at the time of its release (garnering rave reviews in the UK, US, Canadian and European music weeklies and monthlies), the collection sounds as fresh and inventive as it did three decades ago. Launched at a time when tribute albums were prevalent, A Tribute to Spacemen 3 stands apart from other covers albums in that it not only redecorates S3’s songs in a bold new palette of colours, but also acts as a time capsule documenting a very specific wave of 90s US and UK bands that shared many sensibilities – ‘post-rock’ might be the catch-all genre, but their music also encompassed psych, slowcore, analogue electronica, dream pop and space rock to varying degrees – and many of whom (Mogwai, Low, Arab Strap, Bardo Pond) have gone on to reap major critical and commercial success, and are still thriving today. In 1998 the LP was a gateway for fans of Spacemen 3 to discover these relatively unknown experimental artists operating on small independent labels either side of the Atlantic – today it is a celebration of the timeless innovation and longevity of that scene.

As author Richard Milward states in Rocket Girl 20, the 2019 book illuminating the history of the label: ‘In no way is the LP a collection of imitators simply regurgitating Spacemen 3’s songs sound-for-sound – rather, the compilation celebrates the purity and bravery of Pierce’s and Kember’s song writing (themselves never averse to a transformative cover version) while showcasing the originality and diversity of those bands they have inspired.’ It is the simultaneous simplicity and otherworldliness of S3’s songs that make them perfect fodder for reinterpretation, the band’s ‘three chords good, two chords better, one chord best’ mantra providing a solid, tantalising foundation for these bands to experiment with freely. Throbbing and humming with equal parts euphoria and melancholia, over the course of the album’s 69 minutes the tracks slide from slithering stoner psych (Asteroid #4’s ‘Losing Touch With My Mind’) to hymnal delicacy (Amp’s ‘So Hot (Wash Away All of My Tears)’ and Mogwai’s crisp, glockenspiel-chiming ‘Honey’) to zero-gravity lounge jazz (Transient Waves’ closer, ‘Billy Whizz’). There are radical reworkings: the oozing fuzztone lava of Bardo Pond’s ‘Call the Doctor’, and not least Arab Strap’s startling take on S3 live mainstay ‘Revolution’, replete with aggressive, crunching drum machine and the lyrics delivered down the telephone in Aidan Moffatt’s laconic Falkirk drawl – ‘a change, a solution, a wee… a wee revolution’ – before its explosive climax.

You never have to guess what Tink’s thinking. The Chicago-born songstress and rapper says it all in her music. She spits, speaks, and sings straight from the heart without filter or apology. At the same time, she breaks boundaries, dropping off bars with uncontainable charisma and belting out hooks with show-stopping range. She can be romantic in one crescendo before getting raw in a bout of wild wordplay. This versatility consistently affirms her as a force in her own lane. Following her 2011 debut mixtape Winter’s Diary, she dropped projects at a prolific pace, including Alter Ego, Blunts & Ballads, and Boss Up. 2014 saw Winter’s Diary 2: Forever Yours arrive to widespread critical acclaim, landing on year-end R&B album lists from Billboard and Rolling Stone. It also yielded “Treat Me Like Somebody,” which gathered 64 million Spotify streams and counting. A year later, XXL touted her among its coveted “Freshman Class.” Following a stint in the major label system, she embraced independence again with Winter’s Diary 4 2016, Voicemails [2019], Hopeless Romantic [2020], and A Gift And A Curse [2020]. She collaborated with everyone from Sleigh Bells and Pentatonix to Future, G Herbo, 6lack, and K Camp. During 2021, she served up Heat of the Moment powered by “Rebel” [feat. Jeremih] and “Might Let You” [feat. Davido]. After raking in streams in the hundreds of millions and earning acclaim from Pitchfork, The FADER, HYPEBEAST, and more, she opens up like never before on her 2022 album, Pillow Talk.

A self- described "semi- professional" musician since he was 14, Barna played drums for Deaf West Theatre's Los Angeles production of Spring Awakening and on the national Broadway tour for The Producers, but it took a trip to Berlin's Club Legarré, and its English-speaking open mic, to find his own voice as a songwriter and performer. His new album is a collection of stories, vulnerable and
openhearted, of his New York. In his words, "It's a character study of the bar itself.

It's a safe space, but there's alcohol, drugs, sadness, and your own demons."

Recorded in Rochester, Seán wrote late into the night as producer (producer!) and his kids slept. Moving fast, Macri Park became the center of a song cycle documenting giddiness, grief, history, and everything in- between. He enlisted friends, including Counting Crows' Adam Duritz and David Immerglück, harpist and songwriter Mikaela Davis, Danielle Ponder, and Maria Taylor, to bring his world to life.

FÜR FANS VON: HEAT, Eclipse, Nestor, Hardline, Brother Firetribe
Mit ihrem neuen Album „Code Red“ schlägt die deutsche Hard Rock Band DEVICIOUS aus Karlsruhe ein neues Kapitel auf. 2017 gegründet, veröffentlichen sie nun ihr 5. Album in fünf Jahren. Nach einigen Klangexperimenten auf dem Vorgängeralbum „Black Heart“ kehren sie nun zurück zu ihren Wurzeln, zu dem, was sie am besten können. Große Arena-Melodien kombiniert mit bombastischen Chorarrangements und einer großen Produktion.
Das Album wurde von Bandleader und Songwriter Alex Frey selbst produziert und in den Mastersound Entertainment Studios in
Steinheim, Deutschland von Alexander Krull gemischt und gemastert. Er ist der Hauptakteur hinter den Bands ATROCITY und LEAVE’S EYES sondern steht auch auf der Producer- und Mastering-Liste von Bands wie ATROCITY, LEAVE’S EYES, DORO, CREMATORY, VELVET VIPER oder ZAR. Das neue Kapitel von DEVICIOUS beinhaltet auch einen neuen Sänger. Antonio Calanna verließ die Band nach dem letzten Album auf freundschaftlicher Basis, um sich auf andere Projekte zu konzentrieren. Sein Nachfolger ist niemand geringerer als der ehemalige TNT-Sänger Baol Bardot Bulsara, der bereits
auf dem „Black Heart“-Album einige Backing-Vocals gesungen hat und bei einigen Black Heart-Headliner-Shows an Bord war. Mit Baol ist die Band flexibler, da er eine breitere Bandbreite hat und alles von melodischen Balladen bis hin zu Power Metal-Melodien singen kann.

Mit „Code Red“ liefern DEVICIOUS ihr bisher kraftvollstes und ausgereiftestes Werk ab. Ein melodisches Meisterwerk mit allen DEVICIOUS-Markenzeichen.

Fresh vinyl slice of UK Dub Roots Reggae sees veteran producer Vibronics hook up once again with rising star Ashanti Selah for a 4 track outing featuring 3 vocals and one deep dub mix.
Vocals are provided by Nia Songbird, Echo Ranks & Ashanti Selah. Nia is the the young singer from Leicester creating waves right now in the sound system scene, Echo provides the listener with a rare opportunity to hear his legendary tones after a long break from releases and finally Ashanti Selah shows his versatility by dropping a vibrant 70’s style DJ cut - crucial combinations on this 10” vinyl that signed of with a furious Vibronics all-analogue dub mix from the Dub Cupboard Studio.

This release is beautifully presented in a specially printed SCOOPS Records purple label sleeve

Vibronics is one of the most established names in UK Dub/Reggae music. From their base, in the Dub Cupboard Studio in Leicester, their music has achieved millions of views on YouTube, millions of Spotify streams and many tens of thousands of vinyl record sales. Vibronics have collaborated with reggae legends Michael prophet, Macka B, Iration Steppas, Soom T, Aba-Shanti and so many more.

Ashanti Selah is a musician / Dub Producer hailing from the UK, is the eldest son of the world-renowned soundman, Aba Shanti-I. As well as working on his own productions Ashanti makes use of his musical abilities as a performer in various bands as keyboardist and has had the pleasure of working and collaborating with a number of great singers, musicians & producers in the scene- such as; Vivian Jones, Mad Professor & Alpha Steppa, to name but a few.

Die beliebte Band Bright Eyes mit der dritten Welle von Veröffentlichungen im Rahmen ihres laufenden Companions-Reihe. Das Projekt sieht vor, dass die Band ihren gesamten Katalog neu auflegt, wobei jedes Originalalbum von Neueinspielungen begleitet wird. Diese Companion EP enthält dazu Gastauftritte von Johanna and Klara Söderberg (aka First Aid Kit) und Alynda Segarra (Hurray For The Riff Raff) sowie eine Coverversionen "When You Were Mine" von Prince. Eines der Dinge, die Conor Oberst auffielen, als er und seine Band durch mehr als zwanzig Jahre Musik gingen, war, dass er vielleicht tatsächlich die ganze Zeit über denselben Song geschrieben hat. Natürlich nicht klanglich, aber konzeptionell. Diese letzte Welle enthält mit Noise Floor frühe Bright Eyes-Songs, die so roh sind, dass Oberst sie damals nicht direkt veröffentlicht hat, sowie mit Cassadaga und The People's Key die ausgefeiltesten und anspruchsvollsten Alben der Band. Als Bright Eyes mit Cassadega auf Tournee gingen, spielten sie 7 ausverkaufte Abende in der Town Hall in New York. Was gibt es Erwachseneres als einen Rockstar? Und doch ... "Thematisch unterscheiden sich diese frühen Songs gar nicht so sehr von denen, die ich jetzt mache", sagt Oberst und schüttelt den Kopf. "Es hat etwas Bestätigendes und Entmutigendes an sich. Man fragt sich: Habe ich mich wirklich verändert oder bin ich gewachsen? Aber vielleicht liegt es auch nur daran, dass ich von Anfang an wusste, worüber ich schreiben wollte. Es war eine interessante Reise, all diese alten Songs wieder aufzugreifen und neu zu interpretieren."

2026 Repress

Marvin Gaye at his very best! Two classics from Gaye’s esteemed catalogue, ‘I Wanna Be Where You Are’ and ‘I Want You’ with alternative mixes that have never been on 12 inch before. Plucked from the Deluxe Edition of the spellbinding ‘I Want You’ album that was mixed Kevin Reeves & remastered by Ellen Fitton, these two cuts have always called out for loud and proud pressing on either side of a 12.

Up first, ‘I Wanna Be Where You Are’ written by the magical pairing of Leon Ware and Arthur 'T-Boy' Ross with Ware also behind the production controls. An abbreviated cover of Michael Jackson’s hit, it sees Gaye take a brief respite from his usual steamy and sensual swooning to express his love for his family. Jackson would then return the favour, taking influence from Marvin’s 1977 hit ‘Got to Give it Up’ to make ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’.

Originally a 1:17 minute segue on the album, the Unedited version clocks in at over 6 minutes, turning it from a transitionary passage to a standalone gem. Extending those delectable grooves, building and breaking with a sun-kissed, funk channelling feeling that washes over like a warm wave. With the 7 inch release trading hands for over £75 on Discogs this ain’t one to miss.

On the flip, ‘I Want You’ written by the same duo as the A, with Leon Ware once again on the production and released as part of the same ’76 album. It was an LP that introduced a change in musical styles for Gaye, songs such as this giving him a disco audience thanks to Leon Ware. The Jam-Alternate version leaves Gaye’s vocals till the final section, letting that sweet soaring soundtrack sing to its absolute emotive peak. Sunrise or sunset, this one is not to be used lightly - tears of joy on the dancefloor guaranteed.

After a meteoric rise in 2018 following the release of his debut album, 'Free Me', J.P. Bimeni's remarkable and soul stewed journey continues with the release of the classic Jackie Edwards track 'Keep on Running'. Recognised as a stone-cold soul music canon afer the UK's Spencer Davis Group's 1965 stewarded the song to top of the pops in 1965, Bimeni adds his sweet Burundian touch aided and abetted by the Black Belts and a terrific hammond organ. 'I Miss You ' is on the flip and features on the long player - a devilishly emotional lament that harks back to the motor city cerca late '60s. BBC 6Music and Craig Charles awarded Bimeni and his band 'Album of the Year' at the end of 2018 and critics and fans have been blown away since his album and remarkable story came to light. Bimeni is a royal refugee turned soul survivor with a remarkable story of resistance having fled Burundi's civil war after three attempts on his life, landing in Wales as a teenager. On his debut album Free Me, Burundian-born JP Bimeni astonishes with a voice that recalls Otis Redding in his prime whilst resonating with the soul of Africa. Living in London since the early 2000s, Bimeni songs of love and loss, hope and fear deliver with a conviction that comes from the extraordinary experiences life has thrown at him. With classic 60s-sounding Motown and Stax-inspired grooves the album was written by musical director Eduardo Martiìnez and songwriter Marc Ibarz and Bimeni imbues these tales of love and loss with his tragic experiences making 'Free Me' a deep soul soundtrack to his pained life: 'When I sing I feel like I'm cleansing myself: music is a way for me to forget'. For Bimeni, music is a way to survive: 'You can't entertain the pain of your problems all the time - you have to put them away and let something else fill the space where it's just been pain, worry and terror.' He's a spiritual soul singer yet also a soul-singer with spirit, and his infallible positivity can be an inspiration to us all: 'It's my dream to return to Burundi one day - but I always remember that getting shot enabled me to meet the world."

Defamator is the long-time-coming debut project of 24-year-old Chloe Gallardo. It tells a story of betrayal in love and friendship and the painful reality of overcoming love lost and former heartbreak.


Drawing influences from artists such as Broadcast, Grouper & My Bloody Valentine Gallardo adds her own haunting, folk-style vocals and hyper-specific lyrics to create a sonic unique to her. A style that she describes in her words as “dark shoegaze bedroom indie pop”.

Album opener “Bloodline” epitomises this bittersweet modus operandi. 15 seconds into its dainty acoustic strum , Gallardo adamantly sulks “I’m fucked up” - the salvo of a lyric about feeling like a family disappointment. As the track lifts up into a cascading gaze-pop rush, recalling the likes of Bachelor and Snail Mail, we’re blessed with a pristine elegance that belies the song’s raging core.
“I have always written music this way.”, she says of this fundamental contradiction. “It’s funny because I try so hard to write darker sounding songs and they always come out way too pretty. So, I’ve resorted to writing the most gut-wrenching and intense lyrics to compensate.”

Written mostly during peak-pandemic times in Gallardo’s bedroom - (“you can hear how scared and alone I was.”) - the songs that made their way onto Defamator arose from a concerted period of healing. Drawing from the teachings of therapy, the songwriting process gave her the means to channel some deeply entrenched emotional scars.
This venting of anger is implicit throughout the record. The album’s title - Gallardo’s own neologism - uses the concepts of “defamation” and “defamatory speech” to innovate a kind of pejorative accusation. As a result, it is like we are actively listening to Gallardo forcefully take command of her past. Of the title track she explains: “The song Defamator is about someone who spoke untruthful things about me in order to manipulate me and the way people perceived me and I felt that was an underlying theme in most of the album.”

Recorded at Jazzcat Studios in Long Beach California with Jonny Bell (Hanni El Khatib, Adult Books, etc.) Defamator marks Gallardo’s first time in a “legitimate recording studio”. And it shows. Bell’s production is vital moving part here. There’s more stripped back affairs - ‘There Will Be Blood”; ”The Way’ - songs which gently seethe and purr like Grouper’s spectral dream-pop; Gallardo’s fluttering folk-ish voice gloriously pushed to forefront.

Following my recent phone call with Prof. Benson, I left him to continue his 92nd birthday celebrations with his family. We'd talked about his life, his music, his achievements. Throughout our conversation it struck me what a kind, humble and pleasant man he was. I felt that I was in the presence of greatness – not the egotistical greatness that emanates so often from high achievers, but that of someone who had simply won at life.

"I was a music teacher. I wasn't trying to make a record to compete, I was trying to make a record so the students would have something to remember the experience that we had... I was doing it for the kids."

It was 1973 that Prof. James Benson had self-funded his private press LP for the benefit of the teenage musicians he tutored at Cal Poly, California. The album was a momentous achievement for him and his young protegees, something they were all proud of, and rightly so. Taking inspiration from their recent trip to Africa and blended with the radical jazz associated with the young minds of early '70s black America, the Gow-Dow Experience is a unique foray into the enthusiastic mindset of up-and-coming jazz musicians, as encouraged by their mentor Prof. Benson.

We present the album as it was released in 1973 with a heavyweight tip-on jacket and 180g vinyl or on CD. We also include an insert with liner notes and photos provided courtesy of Prof Benson. The LP and CD come with 4 additional tracks taken from the recording session. Until now these tracks have never been heard since the day they were recorded - believe me, they're worth the wait!



Made with love from Jazzman - because we love to dig deeper!

Bedouin aka Tamer Malki and Rami Abousabe are to release their long awaited and adventurous debut album Temple of Dreams on their own label Human By Default this Spring.

Over the course of the pandemic, Malki and Abousabe spent a great amount of time finalizing songs created in the past 7 years, composing, song writing, singing, and working on numerous projects including collaborations and new originals. Temple of Dreams was shaped from these sessions and captures the enigmatic sound of the versatile, forward-thinking group.

Malki explains that the album looks to “experiment and push the boundaries.” It differs from their previous work, as the album is intended to be a deep listening experience for the fans, rather than a slew of club cuts. The multi-talented artists sought to create a timeless sound in Temple of Dreams. Malki outlines that the album lies between “what we play on stages around the world and what we’re capable of writing and producing as musicians and producers. We wanted to exceed expectations and present something that you might think or feel you’ve heard before, yet it's something completely new and not what might be expected from us.”

It starts with the enchanting sounds and candle lit grooves of Rise And Fall then journeys far and wide through the Eastern string sounds of Coldman featuring Nathan Daisy, darkly alluring vocals and mystic rhythms of Voices In My Head and the hypnotic melodic leads of Crazy feat. Iveta Mukuchyan. Elsewhere the richness of Bedouin's sound makes for spellbinding listening on tracks like Hokema Feat. Delaram and Flore Chico feat. Chico Castillo with its alluring Spanish vocals. Love And Hate is a more dynamic and punchier house cut while Fill The Space is an intriguing mix of melodic magic, authentic instrumentation and smooth rolling grooves.

The musicians, singer-songwriters, and producers in Bedouin have spent the better part of a decade fine-tuning their sound, which draws as much from their Middle Eastern heritage as it does their world travels as DJs playing iconic venues across the globe. They have pioneered a distinctive and timeless sound on some of the world’s most notable labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical, All Day I Dream, and recently their own imprint—Human By Default.

Select major label releases include remixes for Black Coffee and Virgil Abloh on Ultra and Sony/Universal and as well as calling Burning Man home they have their own iconic Ibiza party, Saga, at Pacha each week of summer, and play major events such as Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Art Basel and venues like Ushuaïa, Wynn Las Vegas as well as a ground-breaking Cercle set filmed in Petra, Jordan.

This much anticipated debut album shows yet another side and the artistic development for this influential pair.

Aptly titled, ‘Welcome’ is the debut album from Don Glori. A kaleidoscopic free dive into his world, featuring 8 recordings of revolving jazz, Brazilian, soul and funk inspired compositions spinning together and blurring into a genre bending slew of new music.

There is an intangible element of joy and connection sitting just outside the grasp of description or definition that can be felt throughout this album. Each song on this album captures the spirit and irrepressible energy that underpins the core of the Don Glori project.

Imperfections are captured along with the moments of transcendence. Layers of vocal harmonies oscillate next to pulsating samba rhythms while spiritual overtones permeate throughout. Congas and percussion form a holy union with the drum kit, co-piloted by Don Glori’s own bass lines.

Saxophones, horns and flutes flutter in between the musical canyons carved out by the piano and vibraphone. When you press all of these forces together you can start to feel the intangible; the intrinsic human elements existing in the creases. The sweat, excitement and willingness of each musician to dedicate their spirit and take risks on every track of this album.

It’s clear from the outset that this is an expansive body of work, from the spiritual jazz opener ‘Maiden Waters’ to the bubbling street party that is ‘Dlareme’, and ending on the unashamedly seductive ‘Commodore’. This is the kind of record that will translate equally well to both the dance floor and the lounge room rug.

Mr. Confuse returns with a brand new series of 7Inches on Confunktion Records.

"No Time To Snooze" is a heavy up tempo funk tune with a disco feel. On the flipside "Break It Loose" catches your ear with a nice melody and a smooth breakdown part. Both songs feature heavy funk drums, a powerful horn section, funky guitar and driving Rhodes sound. Just the right sound for funkateers, organic sound lovers, disco heads and b-boys.

Don't miss this release on Confunktion Records as the 7 Inch vinyl version is limited to 300. Be quick on this one!

Old style, Tip-On Jacket, and 8pp heavy insert featuring a treasure trove of newly discovered photos, and a 6,000 word essay by Kris Needs.

In 1962, Karen summoned Richard Tucker to join her in Colorado, extolling the healthier lifestyle, and plentiful gigs at Boulder folk club The Attic. Upon his arrival, the pair solidified their personal and professional relationship, riding horses in the mountains, and performing as a duo at parties and venues throughout Denver and Boulder. Stories of the spell they conjured - and rumours of tapes! - have circulated among friends and musicians who witnessed them, but until now, no recorded evidence had turned up.

Shuckin' Sugar is the glorious result of three reel to reel tapes that miraculously found their way to us in November, 2018; which featured two complete shows from The Attic in January '63, and a benefit concert for The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) recorded the following February. Their gigs would often include brief solo sets from Karen and Richard, in addition to the duets, and all seven solo songs of Karen's found on the three reels are included here, as well as five duets, sequenced as close to how it all went down as humanly possible. To describe the record would take a poet, but all I can say is that unveiling a missing chapter in the Karen Dalton story - with six songs we've never heard her sing before - is cause for celebration in Delmore's world.

"From her opening, jaw-dropping lift-off with early blues standard "Trouble In Mind," the unique
otherworld Karen conjured springs into vivid life. Playing to audiences inevitably bound to the era's formalities and traditions, Karen instinctively pushed the envelope, straying into uncharted territory beyond the established borders. She must have bewildered many who came to see her in those winsome Peter, Paul and Mary times." From the liner notes by Kris Needs

Before Aretha Franklin rose to fame, she was signed to Columbia Records. This 3LP compilation album is a collection of some of Aretha's most notable songs during her time at Columbia from 1960 to 1965. The Queen in Waiting highlights Franklin's jazz and big-band recordings, and includes the songs "Won't Be Long", "Walk On By", "Today I Sing The Blues" and "Try A Little Tenderness" a.o.

The Queen in Waiting: The Columbia Years 1960-1965 is available as a 3LP limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on gold & black marbled vinyl and comes with three printed inner sleeves.

After releasing their debut project “Voyage” in 2022, Tapioca, the Brussels-Kigali-based, Brazil-inspired duo return with LP “Samba em Kigali.” Building on their sound and influence, “Samba em Kigali” is a definitive step up and clear sonic growth for the twosome, whose debut, RA wrote, is "if Anderson Paak. & Marco Valle made a Brazilian pop-funk record.” Arriving via Berlin’s Jakarta Records May 19th.

Tapioca (32k Monthly Listeners on Spotify), the Belgian duo made of rapper / lyricist Alessandro “Le Tagarel” Vlerick and producer & composer Simon “SiKa” Carlier, tapped into a unique and infectious groove with their debut LP “Voyage,” released in 2022 via Jakarta Records’ “Dubplates” series. Positive reviews came flooding in, including coverage from, among others, BBC Radio 6, KCRW, Resident Advisor, JAZZIZ as well as performances and features on Worldwide FM and Bandcamp Daily. Their debut also landed on global editorial playlists such as Spotify’s “Global Groove,” (600k) “Tulum Vibes” (110k) and Deezer’s “Chilling Pool” (31k). “Voyage,” as the name indicates, was an ode to freedom, escape and the discovery of alternative cultural horizons that brought together various spoken-word testimonies from Portuguese friends around the world. Tapioca’s upcoming LP, “Samba em Kigali,” picks up the thread where “Voyage” left off, acting as an ode to traveling and, more broadly, of the inherent beauty of the African continent. Le Tagarel has worked as a teacher in Kigali, Ruanda, for the past years and his time there is reflected in the album’s buttery lyricism, putting forth the proposition that Africa and Brazil are in fact not so far apart - Africa is, and will always be, present in Brazilian culture. Featuring the Dillaesque sound infused with inspiration from rap, jazz, MPB and funk of the 70/80’s to the stunningly fleshed out lyricism - the LP sways like a ship on the smoothest of seas, a pure ray of aural sunshine to welcome the warm weather. Artwork was stunningly put together by Simone Cihlar (Anderson Paak. Tom Misch, Ivan Ave) and visualizers done by the stalwart crew at Die Ottos (Flofilz, K Le Maestro, Suff Daddy, S.Fidelity, Gianni Brezzo). Jakarta is ecstatic to share such a high-water mark of an album, out everywhere physically / digitally May 19th.

Kicking off “Samba em Kigali” is the impeccably smooth 1st single, “Lagoas de Ruanda” out March 22nd along with LP pre-order announcement. Instantly catchy, the crisp guitar, funky bass and buoyant underlying percussion are the perfect vitamin of joy that gives rise to Le Tagarel’s vocals. The track is a perfect sonic voyage that encapsulates the continued growth of Tapioca’s sound and gives a sonic peek into the LP. Infectious and groovy, the song skirts a line along samba, R&B and jazz with an almost hip-hop bounce.

2nd single, “Sabor Swahili,” out April 12th, is a nostalgic groovy splash that melds soft keys, bass and a percussive edge that slides you into an aural pocket. The song moves in a joyous melancholy that is almost impossible to move to, the under-water synth stabs keep your shoulders loose while the rhythm keeps you bouncing along. Even if you don’t know Portuguese, you’ll be singing along by the tracks end. The joyous 3rd single “Terra Preta” is out April 26th and will lift you up high to keep you in a serene mood anytime, anywhere. Focus track is the headnodding grooves of “Cara de Arabe.” Building from “Voyage,” Tapioca provides a fresh, rare vibe, adding a slight dose of disco to the R&B-driven progressions. “Samba em Kigali” is a unique album that is soaked and marinated in a sonic and visual aesthetic that brings with it feelings of joy, movement, and a global home, and sonic moods ranging from Bruno Berle and Marcos Valle inspired arrangements to bouncing progressions with a swingin’ percussive edge. Besides online promotion from the label and artist profiles, the album will further be promoted by external agencies within the US and UK.

New signing to Xtra Mile Recordings - Hannah Rose Platt releases her new album 'Deathbed Confessions' on 19th May 2023. 'Deathbed Confessions' is a concept album inspired by classic horror, Rod Serling’s ‘The Twilight Zone’, BBC’s ‘Inside No 9’ and Samuel Pepys’s ‘Balladeer’ and is produced by Ed Harcourt. Available digitally, CD and beautiful gold vinyl, gatefold sleeve with special A3 Print of cover art. 'Deathbed Confessions' is an eclectic collection - sure to intrigue, disturb, and pull on the heartstrings of any listener. A collection of haunting vignettes linked through polarised themes of death, love, the afterlife, murder, regret, the uncanny, and bizarre… “Deathbed Confessions” boasts a wide dynamic curve, featuring the luscious swells of the Budapest Film Orchestra on ‘Inventing the Stars’, Harcourt’s signature piano playing and vocals (featured on the sea-shanty duet ‘The Mermaid and The Sailor’) and classical Ondes-Martenist Charlie Draper on ‘Home for Wayward Dolls’. Hannah Rose Platt is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and storyteller, who merges the sinister authorial prowess of Nick Cave and Tom Waits, with the gilded Americana of Bobbie Gentry. Track 1 - 'Dead Man On The G Train' - released 24th February 2023 - Single ‘Dead Man on the G Train’ was the first song I wrote for the record and the opening title. I wanted to write little four-minute ‘pulp noir’ mystery thriller, which sets the tone for the rest of the record. Ed and I had such fun recording this track, expect to hear bombastic drums and beastly guitar train sounds. We hope to transport you to 1930s New York, someone’s boarding the G train to Brooklyn and they won’t be getting off… (listen out for the twist!)’ Track 2 - 'Feeding Time For Monsters' - released 29th March 2023 - Single “If a house represents the psyche – what would haunt the rooms of our very own haunted houses? I explore a mix of my own ptsd experiences and personal ghosts in this song. Ed and I wanted to create a sense of chaos and dissociation with woozy vocals and thrashing guitars (and the video animation by William Davies is just astonishing! Check it out!