Suche:al johnson

Air, Nico, St Etienne, Kid Loco, Young Marble Giants, Sandy Denny, Vashti Bunyan, Andrew Weatherall, Robert Wyatt and Serge Gainsbourg. Limited edition first pressing of 500 copies on "Mock Turtle" Blue. International collaboration between artists in Glasgow, London, Paris & New York. Mastered by Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer. Accompanying visual art work by Film and art director Tim Saccenti. Inspired by the intensity of lockdown, the self-titled debut album by electro-pop project Gates of Light, is the result of a collaboration between five artists across four cities, three time zones and two continents. Hailing from Glasgow, singer-songwriter Louise Quinn and producer Bal Cooke teamed up with London-based DJ and producer Scott Fraser; Parisian musician, DJ and producer Kid Loco; and film director and photographer, New York’s Tim Saccenti - who has previously worked with Run The Jewels and Pharell- to create a sublime, electro-pop reflection on the grief, insularity and peculiar highs of lockdown. Immediately after hearing the album, revered post-punk musician and producer Kramer offered to release the vinyl edition on his iconic cult label Shimmy-Disc, which boasts an impressive back catalogue of artists including Daniel Johnson, Low and Galaxie 500. A project grounded on collaboration - born from a period of disconnect - Gates Of Light perfectly amplifies the longing, confusion, lucid dreams and appreciation of the outdoors that the pandemic ignited in so many over the last couple of years. Originally written and recorded by Louise and Bal from their bedroom studio in Glasgow whilst their one-year-old twins slept, the tracks were then sent to Scott and Kid Loco who remixed the tracks from home studios in London and Paris before Tim created the artwork and a video for the track ‘When The Leaf Falls’. Gates Of Light is the latest project from Louise and Bal who have released music in the past as A Band Called Quinn and DAWNINGS. Louise and Scott Fraser have also previously collaborated following a chance encounter at a nightclub in Glasgow. Their single ‘Together More’ was released on Andrew Weatherall’s renowned Birdscarer vinyl imprint in 2019 and featured a remix by the Guv’nor himself who described the track as “sublime magik”.

New one-off pressing coloured vinyl 18th anniversary edition of the long-out-of-print Studio One Soul 2, the long-awaited second volume of one of the largest selling Soul Jazz Records’ Studio One collections.

Studio One Soul 2 takes us deep into Jamaica’s long-standing fascination with American Soul and Funk music.

Featuring a host of seminal Reggae artists who all first established their careers at Studio One before finding worldwide success. Featured artists include Horace Andy, The Heptones, Cornell Campbell, Ken Boothe, Jackie Mittoo, Jacob Miller and many more A-Class Studio One legends interpreting both classic and littleknown American Soul and Funk tunes by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, The Five Stairsteps, Marvin Gaye, The Stylistics, Lee Dorsey, Al Green, Syl Johnson and more.

Curtis Mayfield is without a doubt the main soul influence for many reggae groups in the 1960s and 70s. Cornell Campbell’s ‘Ten to One’ featured here is a stunning recut of the original Studio One single by The Mad Lads who first covered this Curtis-penned hit for the Impressions. Another great Curtis Mayfield production, The Five Stairsteps and Cubie’s ‘Don’t Change’, is interpreted by Studio One soul man Winston Francis. Similarly, Devon Russell’s superb ‘Make Me Believe in You’ is, if anything, superior to Curtis Mayfield’s ground-breaking original.

While American Soul and Funk remain a constant source of inspiration on this album, classic DJs such as Prince Jazzbo and Little Joe also used these rhythms to ride vocal toasts over to serious effect. This selection features a mixture of classics, super-rare and unreleased tracks from Studio One all lovingly digitally re-mastered for this release. The vinyl edition also comes on super-loud double vinyl housed in gatefold sleeve and with download code. The new CD edition comes as digipack plus booklet. Another essential Studio One release.

** INITIAL 400 LPs CONTAIN A BONUS 7" SINGLE **

MOVEMENTS Vol.12 – A bag full of rare rhythm & blues, mod-jazz, and mid 70s funk.

Side A starts with rhythm & blues from the 1960s. Most of the tracks were pulled from hopelessly obscure 7" singles. The only names of which some of you might be familiar with are most likely Mat Mathews and Lu Elliott. However, both original 45 RPM singles are pretty hard to find these days, especially in playable condition.

Side B is all about deepfunk this time. "Hipper Snapper " is a prime example of that genre. Some say its groove is reminiscent of Charles Wright's "Express Yourself. Agreed! The Villagers are responsible for the first 'aha' moment. Their (previously unreleased!) version of "Funky Broadway" would have certainly astounded even Dyke & The Blazers. Representing Germany on this volume: The Rippers, also called the "Offenburg Beatles"! Back in the USA, John Fogerty has probably never heard of this heavy school-funk cover of "Proud Mary". Drum breaks galore!

Side C begins with another German contribution. Saxophonist Gus Brendel delivers a mod-jazz belter of the highest order as do The Hornets. Definitely sure-shots for any dance floors! High time for 'aha' moment #2. Many bands have tried their hands on a cover version of the Nat Adderley jazz classic, incl. vibraphone player Bret Breitinger! The perfect choice to finish this side is Downtown Trio's smooth and groovy cover of Gershwin's "Summertime ".

Side D is reserved for proper 1970s funk. ONYX's "Break It Loose " has become a certified Rare Groove classic. Here you can enjoy it for the first time with the blessing of the band! Glenn Doughty and his Baltimore Colts Shake and Bake Band of the 70's is the first musical group consisting of former NFL All-Pro players that Tramp Records has partnered with in its history! Watch out, "Shake and Bake " will be re-released on a good old 45 RPM single, too!

Those of you who have been enjoying the detective work of the people behind the label over the past 21 years know that the Movements series can be easily considered as the flagship compilation series on Tramp. So, after having listened to the entire selection of this brand new volume we sincerely hope that we will have achieved our aim to surprise, delight, and enlighten you once again!

Key selling points:

- initial 400 LPs contain a bonus 7" of a SUPERRARE funk 45

- incl. full album download code
- deluxe double-gatefold LP with detailed liner notes & unseen photographs

- ALL but three songs appear on CD, LP & digital for the very first-time

Jon Spencer teams up with Kendall Wind and Macky Spider Bowman - the rhythm section from Woodstock NY punk rock wunderkind The Bobby Lees - to chew bubblegum and kick ass. Two years after “Spencer Gets It Lit” (Marc Riley’s BBC6 Music Album of the Year, “hugely entertaining” MOJO, “a sonic witchdoctor who’ll blow your mind” UNCUT) there is still more work to be done saving rock'n'roll music. “Sick of Being Sick!” will be released on limited clear 45rpm Super-Stereo cut LP. Jon Spencer has been innovative force in the independent music scene since the mid-80s. An acclaimed live performer, he has toured all the continents except Antarctica and has amassed a dizzying discography as the leader of Pussy Galore, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash, and Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, as well as with Boss Hog, The Honeymoon Killers, The Gibson Brothers, and Taxi Girls. His collaborations include (but are not limited to) working with Steve Albini, Add N To X, Nicole Atkins, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bomb The Bass, R.L. Burnside, James Chance, Coldcut, Chuck D, Dan The Automator, Jim Dickinson, DJ Shadow, Einsturzende Neubauten, Guitar Wolf, GZA, David Holmes, Japanese Popstars, Dr. John, Calvin Johnson, Steve Jordan, Khan, Moby, Money Mark, The Muffs, The North Mississippi All Stars, Princess Superstar, Puffy AmiYumi, The Sadies, Nancy Sinatra, Solex, Solomon Burke, Speedball Baby, Rufus Thomas, UNKLE, Unloved, Andre Williams, and Bernie Worrell. His production credits include: Cheater Slicks, Demolition Doll Rods, Experimental Tropic Blues Band, Perrosky, Mike Edison, Jesper Munk, Sunshine & The Rain, The Bobby Lees, and Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton.

Enumclaw aus Tacoma, WA, angeführt von Sänger/Songwriter Aramis Johnson, ist eine Bewegung von Menschen für Menschen. Mit ihrer neuen, zweiten LP „Home in Another Life“ ist Enumclaw mehr als nur eine Rockband. Stattdessen sind sie eine Gemeinschaft von Kreativen, Videofilmern, Fotografen, Schriftstellern, Kritikern und Skatern. Sie sind für die punkigen Kids in den Skateparks in jeder Stadt, für die Kids, die die Hähnchenstreifen im Supermarkt essen, ohne zu bezahlen, für die Kids, die vielleicht nicht in den Theatern und Amphitheatern anzutreffen sind, aber auf jeden Fall im Punk-Treffpunkt die Sau rauslassen. „Home in Another Life“ packt ein ganzes Leben voller Emotionen in seine elf Songs - Johnson gibt gleich beim Opener „I'm Scared I'll End Up All Alone“ den persönlichen Ton an, einem schwankenden, aber heftigen Auftaktsong, der sich an Bands wie Dinosaur Jr und Archers of Loaf orientiert, aber einen modernen Touch hat. Singles wie „Change“ und „Not Just Yet“ zeigen, dass sich die Fähigkeit der Band, Hooks zu schreiben, seit ihrem Debüt „Save the Baby“ aus dem Jahr 2022 komplett verbessert hat. „Would you want me to change?“ schreit Aramis über einem krachenden Riff von Gitarrist Nathan Cornell, während das aggressive Schlagzeug- und Bass-Duo Ladaniel Gibson und Eli Edwards bei „Not Just Yet“ zum Headbanging-Tempo des Songs beiträgt. Nach einem hektischen Tourneeplan mit Bands wie Nothing, Illuminati Hotties und Toro Y Moi gibt es bei Enumclaw keine Anzeichen für eine Verlangsamung ihres Non-Stop-Tempos. Von Anfang an waren sie stolz darauf, eine Band der Arbeiterklasse zu sein, die so viel wie möglich unterwegs ist und CDs an Merch-Tischen brennt, wenn es nötig ist. „Home in Another Life“ fängt diese Energie ein - es ist ein Soundtrack, den man verdammt laut aus dem Fenster einer Mittelklasse-Limousine oder durch die Wände des Wohnhauses des Nachbarn schmettern kann. Es ist ein Album, das darauf abzielt, sich mit dir zu verbinden - das ist die einzige Art und Weise, wie Enumclaw funktionieren.

Enumclaw aus Tacoma, WA, angeführt von Sänger/Songwriter Aramis Johnson, ist eine Bewegung von Menschen für Menschen. Mit ihrer neuen, zweiten LP „Home in Another Life“ ist Enumclaw mehr als nur eine Rockband. Stattdessen sind sie eine Gemeinschaft von Kreativen, Videofilmern, Fotografen, Schriftstellern, Kritikern und Skatern. Sie sind für die punkigen Kids in den Skateparks in jeder Stadt, für die Kids, die die Hähnchenstreifen im Supermarkt essen, ohne zu bezahlen, für die Kids, die vielleicht nicht in den Theatern und Amphitheatern anzutreffen sind, aber auf jeden Fall im Punk-Treffpunkt die Sau rauslassen. „Home in Another Life“ packt ein ganzes Leben voller Emotionen in seine elf Songs - Johnson gibt gleich beim Opener „I'm Scared I'll End Up All Alone“ den persönlichen Ton an, einem schwankenden, aber heftigen Auftaktsong, der sich an Bands wie Dinosaur Jr und Archers of Loaf orientiert, aber einen modernen Touch hat. Singles wie „Change“ und „Not Just Yet“ zeigen, dass sich die Fähigkeit der Band, Hooks zu schreiben, seit ihrem Debüt „Save the Baby“ aus dem Jahr 2022 komplett verbessert hat. „Would you want me to change?“ schreit Aramis über einem krachenden Riff von Gitarrist Nathan Cornell, während das aggressive Schlagzeug- und Bass-Duo Ladaniel Gibson und Eli Edwards bei „Not Just Yet“ zum Headbanging-Tempo des Songs beiträgt. Nach einem hektischen Tourneeplan mit Bands wie Nothing, Illuminati Hotties und Toro Y Moi gibt es bei Enumclaw keine Anzeichen für eine Verlangsamung ihres Non-Stop-Tempos. Von Anfang an waren sie stolz darauf, eine Band der Arbeiterklasse zu sein, die so viel wie möglich unterwegs ist und CDs an Merch-Tischen brennt, wenn es nötig ist. „Home in Another Life“ fängt diese Energie ein - es ist ein Soundtrack, den man verdammt laut aus dem Fenster einer Mittelklasse-Limousine oder durch die Wände des Wohnhauses des Nachbarn schmettern kann. Es ist ein Album, das darauf abzielt, sich mit dir zu verbinden - das ist die einzige Art und Weise, wie Enumclaw funktionieren.

Trying to define what it is that makes Dr. John special is much like trying to define the word "soul'—you can surround it. But nailing it down is a whole ‘nother smoke. You can point to his sense of history, how he's never forgotten from whence he came, how his music always returns to his roots, even honoring the proud heritage of his native New Orleans. You can dissect his technique, marveling at the adroitness of the hands right and left; admiring the strong second line; respecting the tributes to his inspiration, Professor Longhair, apparent at every turn. And you can note how his peers consider his presence at a session as lending instant credibility to that particular project. "Upon the release of The Brightest Smile in Town, the reviews were effusive. Chicago critic Bill Knight’s comparisons to Fats Waller and James P. Johnson were high compliments indeed. Downbeat’s Jim Roberts called the playing 'graceful'; noting that the LP had a broader scope than its predecessor. Jazz Times’ Rhodes Spedale summarized: 'He’s never been in better form than here.' We kept in touch over the years. Mac was always generous and encouraging. Little did we know when The Brightest Smile in Town was released, what accolades lay ahead for Mac Rebennack and Dr. John. From the innovative guitar triumph 'Storm Warning' on the Rex label in 1959, to his 2012 Grammy-winning Locked Down album, Mac’s musical light shone brightly for seven decades. We were fortunate he chose to play for us. I’m sure he’d say that he was lucky too." - Jack Heyrman, Clean Cuts Producer

Clear Blue Vinyl! Van Etten originally recorded "Silent Night" in 2018 for Eric Paschal Johnson 's short film The Letter. Her version of "Blue Christmas" appeared in 2009 on a benefit album titled Do You EAR what I Ear. "The holidays are just around the corner, and since I'm always late to the party, I thought I'd share two holiday songs I recorded. Nothing really beats the Bob Dylan Christmas record for me _ but I hope they bring you joy." - Sharon Van Etten

2024 REPRESS

Fourth corner. Physically, it's where four states in the U.S. come together at one singular point. Symbolically, it's where the four great rivers in China come together as one. Or, it could be the cycle of life during the four seasons of the year. For Trixie Whitley, it's a metaphor for trying to find balance and belonging from the songs that make up her scintillating debut album, Fourth Corner.

Whitley burst into public consciousness in 2011 as the lead singer of Black Dub, super-producer Daniel Lanois' (U2, Bob Dylan) project, blowing people away with a voice and presence beyond her now-25 years.

And it's that voice: an emotional, blues-drenched instrument that ranges from a lilting slap to a knock-you-backwards uppercut. On Fourth Corner, Whitley explores the range of human emotion in another set of four: utter love, total rage, unadulterated happiness, and crippling loneliness. "It's those elements of life I keep coming back to," she says. "Both as a person and musically as well."

Recorded in New York with producer/keyboardist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman, who's also worked with Glen Hansard, Antony and the Johnsons, Grizzly Bear and the National) engineer Pat Dillett (David Byrne, St. Vincent, Mary J. Blige), and string arrangements by Rob Moose (Antony, Bon Iver), aching songs like "Need Your Love" have Whitley working from a spare beginning that explodes into a blossom dripping with pleading vocals and delicate piano. On tracks like the sassy "Irene" and the sinister "Hotel No Name," Whitley lays down a snarling guitar line on top of scuzzy beats while her voice veers from defiant to remorseful.

It's a tantalizing mix of sounds that can come only from someone who says: "I'm from everywhere but have never felt like I belong." Whitley lived a nomadic life: born in Belgium, she split her time growing up there and in New York but also frequently visiting family in France, Texas, and Mexico. Her mother came from an artistic European gypsy family, filled with musicians, painters, writers, and sculptures, while her father, renowned singer-songwriter Chris Whitley, thrust her into the world of music as a toddler when she joined him onstage in Germany at age three.

After a few years of touring and recording experience with some of the most inspiring artists around, Trixie is ready to presenther anticipated first solo full length.

"I'm psyched and petrified," says Whitley in her archetypal wide-eyed wonderment mixed with a fierce determination. "As a songwriter, I want to go to places people don't expect and with that is complete freedom of expression." Perhaps that place is another version of a fourth corner: something spiritual perhaps, certainly emotional, but most definitely real.

Auf seinem neuen Album Sun Glories erkundet der in Oakland lebende Musiker, Komponist und Produzent Chuck Johnson Themen wie Zeit, Erinnerung und Illusion durch seine einzigartige Mischung aus Pedal Steel, Synthesizern, Gitarren, Orgeln, Streichern und Schlagzeug. Der Eröffnungstrack "Teleos" erforscht die linearen und zyklischen Qualitäten der Zeit durch episodische Abschnitte und Motive, die die bittersüße Erleichterung und Nostalgie heraufbeschwören, die mit der Ankunft des ersten warmen und sonnigen Tages nach einem langen, dunklen und regnerischen Winter die Sinne überfluten. Das gitarrenbasierte "Sylvanshine" fängt einen Moment zwischen Improvisation und aufkeimender Komposition ein, mit einem strahlenden Gastbeitrag des elektroakustischen Saxophonisten Cole Pulice. Bei "Ground Wave" greift Johnson auf die Kompositionstechnik zurück, ein kleines Streicherensemble in Wolken aus Pedal Steel zu verweben, ähnlich wie bei "Red Branch Bell" von seiner 2021 erschienenen LP The Cinder Grove. "Wenn das Pedal-Steel-Solo bei etwa 3:30 einsetzt, wollte ich, dass es sich anfühlt, als würde der Boden unter den Füßen des Zuhörers plötzlich verschwinden." Um seine Vision zu verwirklichen, arbeitete Johnson mit der Cellistin Clarice Jensen und der Geigerin Emily Packard zusammen, die beide mehrere Stimmen übereinander legten, um ein virtuelles Kammerensemble zu schaffen. Das Album schließt mit "Broken Spectre", einer Anspielung auf einen Begriff, der eine geisterhafte optische Täuschung beschreibt, die dadurch entsteht, dass sich das Sonnenlicht über einen nebel- oder wolkenverhangenen Berg beugt. Wieder einmal bauen sich Johnsons herrliche Pedal Steel-Melodien zu einem hypnotischen Strudel auf, der mit Ryan Jewells hymnischem Schlagzeugspiel ein episches Gefühl der Erhabenheit entwickelt. Wenn sich der Nebel lichtet und die Sonne durchbricht, hinterlässt dieser letzte Track ein Gefühl von Hoffnung und Entschlossenheit.

In Craig Charles' eigenen Worten enthält "The Craig Charles Trunk Of Funk Volume 3" "19 der feinsten Stücke von super-slinky Soul, boot shaking Blues und Boogie, schillernde Discosongs und feine funky rump shakers!"

Als Dichter, Schauspieler, Radio- und Fernsehstar (u. a. in der Science-Fiction-Comedy "Red Dwarf" und der Seifenoper "Coronation Street") ist er seit seiner Jugend berühmt, und seit über 22 Jahren predigt er in seinen weltberühmten BBC 6 Music-Wochenend- und Tagesshows für den guten Groove, legt in Clubs und auf Festivals rund um den Globus auf - sein Ruf als einer der profiliertesten Botschafter für alles, was Soul und Funky ist, ist unbestritten.

Craigs neueste Kollektion mischt Up-Tempo-Club-Klassiker mit frischer Musik von der Creme de la Creme der zeitgenössischen Soul- und Funk-Szene mit einer Prise Oldschool-Klassikern. Das Ergebnis ist so, als ob Craig persönlich als DJ auflegen würde - eine Mischung aus modernem und klassischem Soul, Disco, Deep Funk und beatlastigem Rhythm and Blues.

I needed to do some recording to cheer myself up. The studio I usually use was booked all month, but before the disasters of Brexit & Covid I’d met pianist Yves Meerschaut in Gent, and he’d shown me his recording studio, Room 13, and that did have a couple of days free in January… I decided to make a record of old songs that other people have liked, and / or that I play differently now, and / or that haven’t appeared on vinyl before. So, here, there’s: “Pennypot Lane”, a fox song that people like, “Winter Turns to Spring” that was Tony Benn’s favourite song, “The Blue Sea Says Yes”, a song about how the sea welcomes us all, heroic or fragile, equally in our mortality (something like that anyway) , that I had forgotten about till people started saying how much they liked it, “More Than Enough”, that Roy Bailey and Martin Simpson have kindly rescued from the obscurity of its previous appearance on a CD in 1992, “Babbecombe at the Closing of the Day”, a song about going to Babbecombe model village, “At the Siege of Madrid” which quite a few people like, but is one of those songs that always somehow eludes a definitive performance, “A True History of Couscous”, a song I like that is more or a less fictionalized autobiography, and lastly.. “You Don’t Have to Say Goodbye”. This is a song from my first CD; Thames Valley folk-stalwart Terry Silver used to enjoy performing it so that afterwards he could shock audiences who’d been happily singing along to it by revealing it had been written by that dreadful lefty Robb Johnson, It’s also, more recently, a song our son Arvin likes very much too, and he graces this version with his characteristically modest tasteful Spanish guitar playing. He also nagged me into doing the artwork for the cover. Three of these songs are lucky enough to have Yves’s breathtaking, exquisite piano playing embellishing them, and Sian Allen gifts “Madrid” some beautiful trumpet accompaniment too. But primarily, for good or ill, it’s mainly me with an acoustic guitar. Robb Johnson, May 24. “in my view one of the best songwriters this country has produced in many a year… the appellation National Treasure is often over-used, but in Robb’s case it is entirely appropriate (St Edith’s Folk) // “an English original”, (Robin Denselow, the Guardian) // “a national treasure” (Mike Harding) // “one of this country’s most important songwriters (no argument!)

Warehouse Find!

As I-Robots launches a new compilation series that celebrates the roots and influences of Italo disco in Turin and the Piedmont region, the Opilec Music boss also offers up various singles from it with some special remixes and edits. After an EP from Johnson Righeira last summer comes the latest one featuring the legendary Captain Torkive and two of his tracks as well as some special versions by I-Robots. Captain Torkive is Daniele Torchio, an Italian artist active in the late seventies & early eighties who got his nickname from a love of UFOs and space, in fact the titles here are inspired by the Superman DC Comics classic.
He has worked with the likes of Valero Liboni and all the material here is officially licensed from Ponzo Records master tapes. His tracks here are some of the most rare 7" Italo space disco tunes from Turin's rich history and feature synthesizers and electronic effects that he made himself, as well as guitars and keys he also played. Up first comes the I-Robots 1979 Reconstruction of Flying Saucers To Krypton which marries both tunes into a lush retro space odyssey that shimmers and rockets through the cosmos with live drums and jangling bass. Rounding off the A side is 1979 original version of Krypton' which is just as dazzling and spaced out with layers of synths and arps all sounding squelchy beneath some robot vocals. Kicking off the B side is the I-Robots 1979 Space Reconstruction of Flying Saucers To Krypton that strips some of the layers and keeps one lead synth line and some ascending spaceship sounds, as well as a lovably loose groove that really stomps along with real character. Last but not least is the original 1979 version of Flying Saucers, a cosmic tune with sci-fi sounds and melodies shooting about above big disco grooves with the keys and synths that carries you away to another galaxy. This is another essential package from Opliec Music that shines a light on an artist and era that deserves all the attention it can get.

Long-awaited reissue of an interesting and rare masterpiece by jazz guitar virtuoso Joe Pass, who took on jazz funk! (Made in 1971) This is the first release on Gwyn Records, a minor label in California, and features a very impressive lineup. Paul Humphrey and Earl Palmer on drums, Carol Kaye (label owner) and Ray Brown on bass, J.J. Johnson, Tom Scott, and Conte Candoli on horns, this is truly a historical session that brought together the top musicians of the West Coast at the time. From the cool funk of "Better Days" at the beginning of the session, almost the entire album was a storm of jazz funk. Free Sample" by Joe Sample, "Burning Spear," with its impressive undulating beat, "Head Start," with its too-subtle bass line, and the boogie shuffle "Gotcha! The jazz bossa "Balloons" and the weepy medium soul "It's Too Late" also have an outstanding presence. Not only can you enjoy Pass' intelligent soul-jazz guitar playing that hits all the right notes in a single tone, but the groovy, funky rhythm section is the best you'll hear on the West Coast.

There are two versions of Perennial: the adventurous art-punk modernists, layering British Invasion pop, 60s soul, 90s Dischord post-hardcore, electronic music, and free-jazz, and the live three-piece whose bombastic 20 minute sets have become a “must-see” in the New England music scene. What started in 2015 as an all-encompassing art project has since grown into an honest-to-goodness word-of-mouth phenomenon, with over 300 shows played in the last six years (including shows with Guerilla Toss, Bully, Calvin Johnson, Jon Spencer, Sheer Mag, Teenage Halloween, and Downtown Boys) and multiple pressings of both of their full-length records. Perennial formed the band they always wanted to hear, and when they play, they're the band they always wanted to see. Perennial’s breakthrough 2022 LP, In The Midnight Hour, was their first time working with producer Chris Teti (The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die), a collaboration that garnered rave reviews from BrooklynVegan, Under The Radar, Post-Trash, Pop Matters, NPR Music and more, and marked a new creative benchmark. Feeling inspired, the band once again worked with Teti on 2023’s 7” EP The Leaves Of Autumn Symmetry, which earned more high praise from Stereogum, Paste, Consequence, Alternative Press, and Bandcamp Daily. Their latest release is the adventurous, experimental mod punk LP Art History, available June 7 via Ernest Jenning Record Co. and Safe Suburban Home.

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 1,” released in 1953 by Blue Note, is a cornerstone of jazz. Featuring J.J. Johnson on trombone, and talents like Clifford Brown and Jimmy Heath, this album brilliantly showcases the trombone in bebop. Including standards such as “Capri” and “Get Happy,” the album shines with virtuosity and sophisticated arrangements, establishing Johnson as an iconic figure in jazz and making this recording essential for jazz enthusiasts.

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2,” released in 1955 under Blue Note Records, continues showcasing J.J. Johnson’s exceptional trombone talent. Accompanied by notables like Horace Silver on piano and Paul Chambers on bass, the album is marked by remarkable technical performances and deep lyricism. Tracks like “Too Marvelous for Words” and “Pennies from Heaven” illustrate Johnson’s agility and creativity, solidifying his status as a master of the trombone in modern jazz.

Christopher Cross's debut album boasts nine legendary hits, solidifying its status as one of the most successful LPs of the classic rock era. This masterpiece is a treasure trove of chart-toppers, including the iconic "Sailing," a timeless number one that cemented Cross as a superstar and earned him all four general field awards in a single ceremony at the 1980 Grammy Awards, bringing home Record of the Year ("Sailing"), Album of the Year (Christopher Cross), Song of the Year ("Sailing") and Best New Artist at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards. This feat was not replicated for 39 years, until Billie Eilish won all four awards at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020. Other top hits like "Ride Like The Wind," featuring superstar Michael McDonald, further showcase the album's crossover appeal across all formats in 1979. The album features some of the most sought after musicians of the era including Don Henley, Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, and more! Produced by legendary producer, Michael Omartian. Seeker Music is proud to present this iconic new pressing featuring limited edition lyric poster insert.

Chris Cohen was always a quiet kid. In fact, this introversion was one reason he began playing music as a toddler-to communicate without speaking, to identify with others without the direct representation of words. It has worked, too, with Cohen's terrific stint in the mighty Deerhoof and his own captivating art-rock act The Curtains, preceding production and session work for the likes of Weyes Blood, Kurt Vile, Le Ren, and Marina Allen. Somewhere along that long way, Cohen started writing lyrics. He found that, though it didn't come naturally, the process offered a new sense of self-discovery and reckoning, a way to see himself and the world from unexpected angles. His three twilit albums of casually complicated pop during the last decade radiated these epiphanies: handling family strife, navigating advancing age, and understanding social woes. But Cohen has never had as much to sing so directly as he does on Paint a Room, his first album in five years and his debut for Hardly Art. If Cohen's meanings have previously lurked inside the tessellated musical layers he built alone, they are newly clear and resonant here, animated and underscored for the first time by a band playing in real time. There is the endless miasma of state violence on the subversively melodious opener "Damage," the existential exhaustion of modernity on the horn-traced jangle "Laughing": this is Cohen communicating with friends not only through his deep understanding of groove, harmony, and hook but also with his listeners through songs that croon of our uneasy little era. On Paint a Room, Cohen's music feels like a warm spring breeze, easy to love and gentle to feel. But it's often carrying something heavy, as if blowing in from some unseen storm cloud. Paint a Room both reckons with reality and conjures an alternate one, where nighttime walks and a neighbor's wind chimes offer endless escapes for the imagination, space for the mind to roam. Sublime and sun-lit, these 10 songs consider dreamy new ways out of old predicaments, clearly stating the problem and dancing and singing their way somewhere new. Paint a Room features Jeff Parker contributing the fluttering horn arrangement on "Damage," and Parker collaborator Josh Johnson (who produced Meshell Ndegeocello's Grammy-Award-winning album The Omnichord Real Book) supplying flute, sax, and clarinet arrangements throughout the record.