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Champaign, Illinois band Hum is re-issuing its four-album catalog on vinyl with exclusive distribution by Polyvinyl Records. The band members oversaw every step of the re-mastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Each album is offered in a double-LP 180g set in black.

Recorded and mixed by Brad Wood at Idful Studio, Chicago, IL.
Re-mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound, Nashville.
Offered in black 180g double LP at 45 rpm.

Champaign, Illinois band Hum is re-issuing its four-album catalog on vinyl with exclusive distribution by Polyvinyl Records. The band members oversaw every step of the re-mastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Each album is offered in a double-LP 180g set in black.

Recorded by Matt, Tim Lash, and James Treichler at Earth Analog, Tolono, IL.
Mixed by Tim Lash at ELL.
Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound, Nashville.
Offered in black 180g double LP at 33 1/3 rpm.

Rediscover all the legendary hits that shaped the sound of Funk Music on a nice double vinyl. Including such great songs as "And The Beat Goes On" by The Whispers, "A Night To Remember" by Shalamar or "Midas Touch" by Midnight Star...

Elliott Fullam is a New Jersey artist who conjures the magic of when loneliness meets hope with his ghostly vocal melodies and gentle guitar tracks that bring a tranquil feeling to the listener. All of Elliott’s songs are recorded in his bedroom at home and mastered by the world-renowned Alan Douches of West West Side Music. His teenage goal was to release his first album by the time he turned 18 and he achieved that goal with the release of his debut album “What’s Wrong” on his 18th birthday of September 2, 2022. Elliott is also an actor, playing the co-starring role as Jonathan in the film Terrifier 2 which made a big smash at the box office as an uncut and unrated horror film. And as a dedicated music fan, Elliott has interviewed many musicians since the age of 9 including James Hetfield of Metallica, J Mascis, Ice-T, Jay Weinberg of Slipknot and many more. He always held his passion for music in high regard while finding inspiration in his favorites Elliott Smith, Duster, Mazzy Star, Broadcast, Radiohead and Nick Drake. With nothing else in his life plans aside from the pursuit of creating the best music he possibly could while sustaining his promising acting career, Elliott will continue to release music and play shows for as long as he exists on this planet in hopes that he may be a small part of the force for good in this trying world.

180g audiophile vinyl reissue of American blues guitarist Melvin Taylor's 1995 album 'Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band', which is appearing on vinyl for the first time with remastering by Cicely Baston at Alchemy/Air Mastering, London "The U.S. release of Melvin Taylor's two early-'80s LPs by Evidence a decade later was a shock introduction to a blues guitarist who seemingly blazed out of nowhere - outside of Rosa's Lounge in Chicago, that is. "Blazed" is the right word, too, because Taylor is a total maximalist who unleashes torrents of notes to fill up every space. But he's so convincing a player that the concept of "blues guitar hero" might get a good name again, even with fans dead- tired of excess who never thought they'd think things like, "Man, can Melvin Taylor play the ever-loving (add the expletive superlative of your choice) out of the guitar" again. Taylor's first real-time release, Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band, is a pretty straightforward affair - basic trio with minimal overdubs, serviceable vocals in an Albert King mode, and a mix of originals and very classic covers. The opening "Texas Flood" lets him rip on a slow blues, constantly changing up his playing with wah-wah blitzes as the real ace in his sonic hole. The originals "Depression Blues" and "Groovin' in New Orleans" add some funk flair, while "Talking to Anna Mae" is a straight- up Chicago boogie instrumental that Taylor shines on. But he's even more in his element on the unadorned slow blues "Tin Pan Alley" and King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." It's partly the speed but even more the phrasing - the unexpected stops and starts, the spiky and blazing runs and flurries, the unusual note selections he tosses in - that sets his playing apart. The other covers have their sporadic moments - "TBone Shuffle" is inconsequential, but Otis Rush's "All Your Love" and "Voodoo Chile" are worth listening to, even if the latter doesn't add anything to the famous Hendrix wah-wah workout. Taylor actually doesn't sound that radical here, like he was playing to establish blues circuit credentials by putting his stamp on familiar songs more than indulging offbeat personal touches like the mellow lounge jazz take on the Champs' "Tequila." But his playing can be truly electrifying and Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band is recommended for anyone, especially Stevie Ray Vaughan fans, looking for a distinctive new blues guitar voice." - Don Snowden, AllMusic Personnel: Melvin Taylor, guitar, vocals / Willie Smith, bass guitar / Steve Potts, drums Recorded and mixed on March 27-30, 1995 at Dockside Studios, Maurice, LA

BERTUS DISTRIBUTION INTRODUCES NORTH SEA JAZZ CONCERT SERIES

Bertus Distribution, in collaboration with NTR, AVROTROS and MOJO, presents a new vinyl series consisting of live recordings of legendary artists through the decades made at the renowned North Sea Jazz Festival.

The North Sea Jazz Concert Series will include officially licensed releases that will be released as standard on 180-gram white vinyl in a sleeve of heavy paper printed on reversed board. The records will be captured in mainly black-and-white artwork by Hans Pol in his signature style of the festival with inspiration from the covers of classic older jazz releases from the Blue Note label, for example. The liner notes are written by journalist and jazz expert Jeroen de Valk.

For the first release in this series, the honour is given to one of the most famous jazz singers ever, Ella Fitzgerald. On Friday 13 July 1979, she gave a raucous and peerless performance at the festival then still held in The Hague. The "First Lady Of Song" worked her way with verve through standards like 'There Will Never Be Another You', 'Satin Doll', ''Round Midnight' and 'Mr Paganini'. Her accompanists that night were Paul Smith on piano, Keter Betts on bass and Mickey Roker on drums; a trio line-up with the power of a big band.

Future releases will include NSJ recordings by such notables as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Ray Charles, Dexter Gordon and Jan Akkerman. It will be a long-running series with the aim of releasing the most extraordinary NSJ performances on vinyl.

The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival took place in 1976 at The Hague’s Nederlands Congresgebouw with some 9,000 visitors. In the first year, jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz performed alongside a host of artists from the Dutch avant-garde.

The festival, officially NN North Sea Jazz since 2018, has now developed into a major international event that is also known beyond the Dutch borders as an event where jazz from the past, present and future merges with other genres such as blues, soul, funk, hiphop, pop and more. Over the years, it has grown to fifteen venues, around thirteen hundred musicians and an annual audience of between eight-five and ninety thousand. Since 2006, the festival has been held in new wider venue, namely Rotterdam Ahoy.

"North London’s midnight man tumbles out his treehouse to deliver twelve potions of minor healing in “Iron Day”, his questing, soul-salvaging songbook. Brimming with majesty and maraud in equal parts, Genghis Cohn synthesises trad. English folk and woe with surrealist dream sequences on this debut long-player. A romance of two hedgehogs, devotional bone temples, broken shadows and sausage kings, GC conjures Brent Hayward strolling through the silver birch and presents to us, in a warmly recognisable form, a grand slab of folk music that challenges its ancient rewards.

Previous acquaintance with GC's lean, amorphous strain of experimental home recordings may encounter a menacing apprehension whilst trying to settle in the splendour of "Iron Day", unnerved by it's posture and the anticipation of songs dissolving or amalgamating in rust and gob at any moment. Still minimalist and direct, but delivered by an altogether different jester, songwriting that has featured in many previous works is smithed into fine, well-wrought suites that build and blend through paced, tempered sequencing and playful, intricate storytelling.

Amidst cavernous inner-dialogue and brilliant, contorted pastoral sequences, GC’s guitar (reported to be over 100 years old!?) laps and thrashes alongside accompaniments of Lauren Collier’s aching violin, a lethargic harmonica and emphatic hand-percussion that drifts in and then out. A dynamic, earthy collection that places future barn-stormers like “Underneath The Oak” and the gentle blaze of “Onion” in cadence with the doom-stricken, ghostly slides as on “Misunderstood” and “Secrets”, all recorded in dazzling clarity that captures the cascading instrumentation as clearly as the settled, tormented humour of GC’s blues. Indispensable candlemeat and essential, joyous listening for fans of; Davy Graham, The Godz, Leonara Carrington, Smelly Feet, Martin Carthy..."

The Syphons are the house band at Suit Yourself Music, a collective of exceptional musicians. This is their first release and features Darrell Smith. In 2024 there will be a series of releases with The Syphons featuring other artists and vocalists in the genres of Soul, Northern Soul, Acid Jazz, Mod Jazz, Rhythm & Blues.

All these releases will be new compositions taking inspiration from the original artists in these genres, but ‘Respecting The Architect’ by taking influence to pen new music rather than cover versions.

Essence of Life was formed in 1973 in Charlotte North Carolina at Johnson C Smith University.

Towan Butler and Craig Young were basketball players on scholarship who were singing in the shower after practice, when a man named Jock Johnson who was a business major who had graduated heard Towan and Craig singing in the shower and asked if we would like to be in a singing group that he was putting together, if we did he asked us to meet him later that evening at a location on campus.

When we arrived we were introduced to Jerry Johnson, who is Jocks brother, Kenny Lock and Larry Graves and Essence Of Life was formed. Essence Of Life has performed with such groups as Blue Magic, The Whispers and The Barkays to name a few.

Essence Of Life sang and danced their way into the hearts of fans all over the United States spreading love through high impact performances.

On Side A, smile your way through two songs by The Teacher Haters — in fact, we challenge you to get through these tracks without smiling. Even the name of the band invokes a chuckle as it suggests what these guys are about — and that’s the P-A-R-T-Y. Straight out of the 60s comes a group that could have been played with Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs back in the day. These whimsical works are deceptively deep as they take us to a time when garage punk fused with R&B.

Big Pig Alley is uncomplicated, and that’s what makes it great — it sounds like a bunch of college guys having a good time, writing lyrics on the spot: “If you’re lookin’ for romance, take a train, take a plane...or a raft to France.” The guys have something other than romance on their minds as they chug along on acoustic guitar and trash can drums (and possibly other things). What really makes the track, though, is the witchy background voice — the performance is loose enough, while the witch is doing his own thing entirely.

The witch returns on the second track on Side 1 in the up-tempo, dance-ready Cut Loose. No obscure artistry here — these guys tell you exactly what the song is for in the title. In fact, just in case you missed it, they state their thesis in the opening lines: “I wanna shake all night, I wanna do it right, I wanna dance, dance, dance with you…” All of their collegiate effort is put toward getting you to move your hips in this groovy, rockabilly-flavored mix.

Let's talk about Side B...

We Got A Thing is up first — a crossover soul dancer that invites you to sing along with an infectious, call-and-response chorus. It pairs nicely with The Teacher Haters as fun, simple party music from the 60s — though this time from a female perspective.

Things go deeper with Guys Today. As the name suggests, the content is about the enduring tension between the sexes and the heartbreak it can lead to. It’s a deep soul beat ballad in the vein of Betty Wright or Helene Smith. A grand opening is followed by a clear, crisp female vocal that brings the singer’s lament into focus. The band is tight, and it all comes together to portray a woman who has made up her mind and is offering a warning about guys today: I know you love your man, but I know they will hurt you in every way they can.

At first glance, these artists seem to share only a few things in common — party-themed music conceived in the 60s with an R&B flavor. But between sides A and B, it feels like these groups are talking to each other — perhaps different perspectives of the same party. Perhaps the party itself and then the fallout. The result is a balanced EP release that feels whole and satisfying. We hope you feel the same as we proudly present these found recordings as an exclusive 12” on 180 gram vinyl. Please enjoy.

FROM RAY CHARLES TO SELAH SUE, FROM NINA SIMONE TO IBEYI, FROM BARRY WHITE TO ALOE BLACC, DISCOVER THE BEST OF THE GREATEST VOICES OF SOUL MUSIC OF ALL TIME IN A 5 VINYLS BOXSET

Following his first LP "Hafa" released by Soundway Records and a 12inch where he remixed Guts & Les Frères Smith (Pura Vida / Heavenly Sweetness), the nomadic producer iZem continues to blaze his own trail, offering a hybrid of Afro-Brazilian influences and electronic funk. After the release in 2022 of the EP "Yemamaya" composed with the Brazilian LuizGa, which was unanimously acclaimed by the public, he is releasing his second album "in Ze early morning", surrounded by artists and friends who have marked out his journey between South America, Portugal and France.

"in The early morning" is a fusion of musical aesthetics, the fruit of the artist's passionate quest to reveal links between cultures. iZem is constantly on the move, creating songs from loops and ideas initiated on the road, with his laptop as his companion. These first seeds are then developed with musicians from all over the world, to create innovative tracks that blend tropical trip-hop, Afro-Latin music and avant-garde electro beats.

Million Seller is the new electro-acoustic album and project led by Matt Calvert, one of the founding members of the underground alt-rock sensation Three Trapped Tigers The inspiration for the project originated as Matt revisited his collection of early 70s releases by Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi group - some of the pianist's most overlooked and least understood albums. "The concept of Million Seller was to create a contemporary sound with similar elements to the Mwandishi band, putting the electronics and percussion at the forefront, merging organic and synthetic." Mwandishi (originally a sextet, later a septet with added electronics) had three horn players: Million Seller has none, instead using three synth players: Calvert himself is joined by Stale Storlokken of free- form experimental legends Supersilent, and by the unclassifiable improvisor Matthew Bourne. The line-up is completed by drummer Dave Smith, who brings his comprehensive knowledge of the Gambian tradition of Sabar drumming alongside his extensive jazz background, and a trio of guest musicians: Mamadou Saar on sabar and djembe drums, Kadialy Koudate on kora, and Sam Wilson on contemporary percussion. The results are a striking fusion of ancient and modern sounds, of heavy yet playful synth interactions topped by driving acoustic percussion, of wild improvisation mixed with moments of ambient beauty, all creating a sonic identity that's every bit as unique, wide-ranging and unforgettable as its inspiration.

180g limited edition on high-definition premium vinyl for super fidelity Made during the first years of the LP era, Harry James in Hi-Fi (1955) comprises some of the greatest hits of the Harry James Orchestra - a unit that by that time had been working unceasingly with few changes since 1939. Recorded in Los Angeles in July of 1955, among the instrumental figures present on the album were trombonist Juan Tizol,who had made a name for himself as part of the Duke Ellington orchestra, and alto saxophonist Willie Smith who was a major force in the swing era. Also present on some of the tracks was singer Helen Forrest, another veteran of the orchestra and other swing bands, and popularly known as "The Voice of the Name Bands." The program was a mix of the orchestra's previously recorded hits, re- recorded here to take advantage of the recently developed Hi-Fidelity recording techniques. The LP was a best seller followed by a sequel, More Harry James In Hi-FI.

Bachman has a dedicated fan base who is tightly focused on his next steps. While he has always been restless with his art, his stylistic changes in 2020's "Axacan" demonstrated - and excited - many within that fan base as to how transformative his work and vision can be for "traditional" music in these modern times. This fresh work continued with 2022's "Almanac Behind". "When The Roses Come Again" is a perfect next step to this trendline, a synthesis of tradition and abstraction. In other words, it is yet another vivid reimagining of what a "traditional" album can be in modern times. On this LP Bachman takes acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle and mouth harp alongside oscillators, drum apps and more to construct one-man string band compositions. Integrating technology as a tool for collage, as well as acoustic instruments that pre-date all of us, Bachman excitingly creates an album that has as much to do with Terry Riley, Laraaji, Eno’s late 70’s ambient albums, and 75 Dollar Bill, as it does the Carter Family, Stanley Brothers, and Hobart Smith. "When The Roses Come Again" is destined to thrill those who have been so enamored with Bachman's past exciting turns as well as pull new folks into the folks who are excited by new sounds.

Bachman has a dedicated fan base who is tightly focused on his next steps. While he has always been restless with his art, his stylistic changes in 2020's "Axacan" demonstrated - and excited - many within that fan base as to how transformative his work and vision can be for "traditional" music in these modern times. This fresh work continued with 2022's "Almanac Behind". "When The Roses Come Again" is a perfect next step to this trendline, a synthesis of tradition and abstraction. In other words, it is yet another vivid reimagining of what a "traditional" album can be in modern times. On this LP Bachman takes acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle and mouth harp alongside oscillators, drum apps and more to construct one-man string band compositions. Integrating technology as a tool for collage, as well as acoustic instruments that pre-date all of us, Bachman excitingly creates an album that has as much to do with Terry Riley, Laraaji, Eno’s late 70’s ambient albums, and 75 Dollar Bill, as it does the Carter Family, Stanley Brothers, and Hobart Smith. "When The Roses Come Again" is destined to thrill those who have been so enamored with Bachman's past exciting turns as well as pull new folks into the folks who are excited by new sounds.

Kacy & Clayton first met Jeff Tweedy in the backroom of the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in September 2016. The band had been invited to open for Wilco on night 4 of their annual 5-night run. While waiting for their soundcheck, Jeff appeared through a curtain backstage and introduced himself. In the conversations that followed, Kacy Anderson, Clayton Linthicum and Jeff Tweedy discussed their mutual appreciation of Davy Graham and Jeff’s understanding of Saskatchewan’s geography. Those conversations would eventually blossom into an invite to stop by Wilco’s studio, the Loft, a visit they made only weeks later. In January 2017, Kacy & Clayton returned to the Loft with a rhythm section and a batch of new songs. Over the course of 8 days, the band recorded 9 songs with Jeff Tweedy producing and Loft house engineer Tom Schick at the helm. These 9 songs are what would become the band’s fourth album, The Siren’s Song. While writing and recording The Siren's Song, Kacy & Clayton found inspiration in the music of Sammi Smith, The Everly Brothers, Link Wray's chicken shack LPs, country records with harpsichords, The Sir Douglas Quintet, Gene Clark, Jeannie C. Riley, as well as British traditional singers like Peter Bellamy and the Watersons. The Siren's Song is a product of these influences and an extraordinary progression in the band's own sound.

Es ist 16 lange Jahre her, seit der monströse Sound von SADUS der Welt das letzte Mal ein neues Album bescherte!
Auf "The Shadow Inside" behalten SADUS ihre charakteristische Death/Thrash-Mischung bei und liefern 10 wütende Tracks, während sie ihren Old-School-Wurzeln treu bleiben und die Bedeutung der Übernahme von Verantwortung für die eigenen Handlungen vermitteln, um das Beste, was das Leben zu bieten hat, freizusetzen.

Das mit dem fesselnden Artwork von Travis Smith geschmückte Albumcover zeigt einen alles verzehrenden Dämon des Kosmos, der heftig eine gequälte Seele darunter umhüllt, und bringt so perfekt die Vision und Dualität der Songs auf dieser Platte auf den Punkt. Obwohl es sich nicht um ein Konzeptalbum handelt, handelt jeder Song von Lebensentscheidungen und davon, wie wichtig es ist, Verantwortung für das eigene Handeln zu übernehmen, um das Beste, was das Leben zu bieten hat, freizuschalten.

VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIE: Stereo, komplett analog von Ryan K. Smith bei Sterling Sound von
den Originalbändern gemastert, QPR-Pressung (180 g), stabiles Tip-On-Gatefold (Stoughton Printing),
wattierte Innenhülle.
Als Oscar Peterson und Milt Jackson 1962 auf “Very Tall” das allererste Mal die “Klingen kreuzten”,
fragten sich viele Kritiker, weshalb die beiden Jazztitanen nicht schon viel früher zusammengearbeitet hatten. In DownBeat schrieb Leonard Feather damals: “Dies war eine Allianz, die ebenso erfolgreich wie
logisch war. Peterson und Jackson haben musikalisch weitaus mehr gemeinsam, als ihr ansonsten übliches
Umfeld vermuten lässt.”

"Collapse Into Now is R.E.M.’s fifteenth and final studio album, released in 2011. Produced by Jacknife Lee, the record features singles ""Überlin,"" ""Oh My Heart"" and ""It Happened Today,"" with guest appearances from Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder and Peaches. This edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl with a printed insert. "