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Quickly on the heels of their debut, Cuneiform Tabs return with Age, an LP that takes a massive leap forward in both melodic sensibilities and inventiveness. Bathed in late night psychedelia and the looping repetition of a drone sample, the group's experimental penchants remain, yet this time wrapped around tunes too sweet to be denied. In pulling back a little of the crackle and haze that made their first album so inviting, the Tabs have revealed more of their pop instincts. The overall effect is a perfect set of early Animal Collective demos or Syd Barrett attempting a Television Personalities cover at 3am.

The duo of Matt Bleyle and Sterling Mackinnon continue their system of trading 4-track tapes between the Bay Area and London, a furtive correspondence until sonic nuggets are fully formed. While these songs are very much the product of the Tascam and rudimentary software that is integral to the band, this album is truly the embrace of their songwriting talents – not unlike the recent breakthrough of labelmate Cindy Lee.

With the dream-like strum of "Ivy," slow shimmer of "Orbital Rings" and enchanting, madcap swirl of "Blended Medal," this is hypnagogic pop at its finest. Age is the record Bob Pollard hears in his head every time he steps down to the basement to pick up a guitar. This is the sound of riding in an elevator hearing McCartney singing "Blackbird" in the distance, only to have it draw closer and closer with each floor as you finally race down the hallway, putting your ear to each door searching for the source. This is Leonard Cohen smoking in the middle of the street outside a Suicide show. If all of this sounds phenomenal, it is.

Sex Mask is a 3 piece post-punk/alternative rock band based in Melbourne, Australia, drawing members who hail from various parts of the globe.

The self-contained writing/production unit comprises Vicente Moncada on drums/production, Ry Gray on vocals and lyrics, and Kaya Martin on guitars and synths.

Their music is described as "vague pop instilled with the ancient genius of your own blood," suggesting a blend of introspective lyrics, innovative soundscapes, in a context of absurdist punk.

Sex Mask has released several tracks, including "Tv Movie," "How To Be Cool At Parties," and "Birds." They have a growing organic base of listeners on streaming platforms.

Their captivating live show in 2024-25 has seen them support Fcukers, Big Special, Fat White Family and festival stages around Australia.
Following an exciting Bigsound Brisbane and SXSW Sydney in late 2024, the chaotic trio will embark on their first UK tour this spring, covering stages at Dot To Dot, Great Escape, Get Together as well as their debut headline show in London.

Sometimes records reflect life with an unsettling precision, your own breath sticking to a mirror, confounding or transforming reality. J.H. Guraj, real name Dominique Vaccaro, is back with ‘The Flip Side’, an accomplished work of grace and sprawling elegance documenting struggle and a near-death experience that summons ghosts of Western primitive masters, rollicking free folk, minimalist orchestrations, weeping guitars and smooth psychedelics.

Time stopped for J.H. Guraj in 2021 following a brush with mortality, extensive forced recovery and subsequent hints of depression after an almost fatal bike crash, leaving our wandering soul, once again, at the edges. While his previous record ‘Introspection / Migration’ hinted at Middle-Eastern influences and merged the artists’ Arbëreshë upbringing with stoic ecstasis, free-form structures and guitar wizardry under sepia tone curtains, ‘The Flip Side’ twists, turns, falls down and rises to new heights, the widescreen breadth of Dominique Vaccaro’s cinematic vision projects new colours, a stark contrast of pastoral emerald green and pitch black asphalt, urban decay and mercurial mystery.

Like passages from some archaic songbook what astonishes is how detailed the new compositions are, a warm embrace like ‘Way To Long Goodbye’, counterpoint pianos leading the way down a Gershwin avenue; ‘You Got It All Wrong So Did I’ with its Van Dyke Parks arrangement; the 9 minute epic ‘Us As Ghosts’ a haunting ballad that resolves into kosmische landscapes; the muted symphony of ‘Fake Af’ and the spectral disorientation of ‘Nothing I Can Do But Flow’. Gentle drumming from collaborator Gianluca Panici augment the eeriness of ‘The Flip Side’, motions that create a sense of suspension and yearning.

"Music was his passion. His life, his love_ his all." Book-ended by the two parts that make up the album's centrepiece, "Opus Imperfectus", Maestro is Magic Pie's long-awaited 6th studio album, years in the making... "Maestro! Where did you go? People ask and I need to know." Does life imitate art, or is it the other way around? Magic Pie is a Norwegian progressive rock band formed in 2001, known for their intricate compositions, symphonic arrangements, and blend of vintage and modern influences. Highly regarded in the international prog community, Magic Pie's music explores themes of introspection, existentialism, and human emotion. Drawing inspiration from bands like Dream Theater, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Deep Purple, Yes and many more - their music incorporates complex time signatures, lush keyboards, and dynamic guitar work, mixing elements of symphonic rock, jazz, and even folk. Fronted by the charismatic Icelandic singer and lyricist Eirikur Hauksson and "maestro-mind" & composer Kim Stenberg, Magic Pie continues to strive for higher & bigger musical conquests. "Follow your vision, fulfill your dream".

The anniversary edition comes in a gatefold-sleeve on clear / golden marbled vinyl with an exclusive poster. It all started in Gothenburg, Sweden back in 2003. After various incarnations the band we've now come to know as EF hit their stride by opening up their heavy distorted guitar palet to a much richer, textural approach with haunting melodies and harmonies. The band started touring and built up a dedicated fanbase throughout the years. The experience and confidence gained from these 22 odd tours have taken them all over Europe and Asia. It has shaped them to become the explosive, energetic and cathartic live band they are now today. As it goes with age and experience also comes growth. Although the sound of the band has evolved away from the hardcore infused post-rock of their early days, EF have always kept their hardcore d.i.y. ethics alive. By running their own record label, And the Sound Records, and setting up their own worldwide distribution they sold thousands of records along the way. In 2010 EF started to collaborate with German label Kapitän Platte by releasing the third album "Mourning golden morning" on vinyl. Now 15 years later, especially as the record is long time out of print, it's time to celebrate this anniversary with a new edition of this album that reached in the meantime the status of a post-rock masterpiece, to name in a row with bands like Caspian, Mogwai or Explosions in the sky.

TÖRZS, Hungary's premier instrumental post-rock band, return with the understated sonic beauty of `Menedèk', their first new music in six years. Loosely translating as `Refuge', `Menedèk' sees the freshly bolstered trio in their element; finding shelter, comfort and joy in the act of creative collaboration whilst the storm of day to day life weathers ever on. A steadfast and admirable mission statement centred on staying true to themselves in the moment, being open to growth and documenting this process as honestly as possible has led to TÖRZS building a reputation as one of Hungary's most exciting musical collectives. Three stunning albums of organic and perfectly composed contemplation, as well as the band's transcendental live shows alongside acts including contemporaries We Lost The Sea, Oh Hiroshima, Föllakzoid and more have placed TÖRZS at the forefront of a post-rock movement that prizes the shared experience of band and listener above all else. The band's previous full-length release, 2019's `Tükor', was recorded live at Aggteleki Cseppkobarlang, a UNESCO World Heritage protected cave system, 500 metres below the Aggteleki National Park. Embracing the cave's utterly unique natural reverb almost as a fourth member led to `Tükor' receiving critical acclaim, with TÖRZS were subsequently nominated for the HEMI Music Awards 2022 and invited to perform at the likes of Moscow Music Week (2020), The Budapest Showcase Hub (2021) and 2024's Changeover Festival in Belgrade, Serbia. Whilst the intervening years have seen unprecedented change on a global scale, TÖRZS too found themselves in a state of flux. The band returned to the more traditional studio setting in 2023, working alongside long-time producer György Ligeti, in order to faithfully capture the intimate energy of songs meticulously crafted together in their small rehearsal space, a far cry from 2019's subterranean setting. However, having spent countless hours writing, orchestrating and recording the pieces that have become `Menedèk', the band's founding drummer Zsombor Lehoczky stepped away from the band and music as a whole. Where this might have been catastrophic for any other band, remaining members Soma Balázs and Dániel Nyitray soon found a connection with Tamás Szijártó, who approached TÖRZS' music with the same openness to creativity in the moment; not `performing' as such, but simply working together to produce breathtaking, musical escapism away from the daily humdrum. The album's themes of shelter, refuge and support resound clearly on lead single `Otthon'. Meaning `At Home' in Hungarian, `Otthon' serves as a de facto introduction to the record. The song's lilting groove, soaring yet soft guitar palette and the band's signature delicate dynamism all combine to invite the listener to reflect; not steering one way or another yet inviting us to close our eyes and join the flow. Elsewhere, the pounding, chiming `Levegovétel' proves TÖRZS are still staying true to their mission statement of documenting the inevitable process of change. Here the band embrace elements of post-rock's harsher, heavier side with a cacophony of driving half-time drums and distorted, open-chord guitars yet still provide brief havens of space for themselves, the song and the listener alike to breathe before the euphoric swell rises anew. Whilst TÖRZS' previous full-length effort was a spectacular collision of the band's tight-knit existence and the (literal) echo chamber of the world outside, `Menedèk' is introspective, understated and refreshingly brave in its honesty. TÖRZS have opened the doors to their inner sanctum, their rehearsal space, their songwriting process, their friendship; inviting us to live in it with them, to revel in the moment together. FOR FANS OF Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, Caspian, MONO, Sigur Rós

TÖRZS, Hungary's premier instrumental post-rock band, return with the understated sonic beauty of `Menedèk', their first new music in six years. Loosely translating as `Refuge', `Menedèk' sees the freshly bolstered trio in their element; finding shelter, comfort and joy in the act of creative collaboration whilst the storm of day to day life weathers ever on. A steadfast and admirable mission statement centred on staying true to themselves in the moment, being open to growth and documenting this process as honestly as possible has led to TÖRZS building a reputation as one of Hungary's most exciting musical collectives. Three stunning albums of organic and perfectly composed contemplation, as well as the band's transcendental live shows alongside acts including contemporaries We Lost The Sea, Oh Hiroshima, Föllakzoid and more have placed TÖRZS at the forefront of a post-rock movement that prizes the shared experience of band and listener above all else. The band's previous full-length release, 2019's `Tükor', was recorded live at Aggteleki Cseppkobarlang, a UNESCO World Heritage protected cave system, 500 metres below the Aggteleki National Park. Embracing the cave's utterly unique natural reverb almost as a fourth member led to `Tükor' receiving critical acclaim, with TÖRZS were subsequently nominated for the HEMI Music Awards 2022 and invited to perform at the likes of Moscow Music Week (2020), The Budapest Showcase Hub (2021) and 2024's Changeover Festival in Belgrade, Serbia. Whilst the intervening years have seen unprecedented change on a global scale, TÖRZS too found themselves in a state of flux. The band returned to the more traditional studio setting in 2023, working alongside long-time producer György Ligeti, in order to faithfully capture the intimate energy of songs meticulously crafted together in their small rehearsal space, a far cry from 2019's subterranean setting. However, having spent countless hours writing, orchestrating and recording the pieces that have become `Menedèk', the band's founding drummer Zsombor Lehoczky stepped away from the band and music as a whole. Where this might have been catastrophic for any other band, remaining members Soma Balázs and Dániel Nyitray soon found a connection with Tamás Szijártó, who approached TÖRZS' music with the same openness to creativity in the moment; not `performing' as such, but simply working together to produce breathtaking, musical escapism away from the daily humdrum. The album's themes of shelter, refuge and support resound clearly on lead single `Otthon'. Meaning `At Home' in Hungarian, `Otthon' serves as a de facto introduction to the record. The song's lilting groove, soaring yet soft guitar palette and the band's signature delicate dynamism all combine to invite the listener to reflect; not steering one way or another yet inviting us to close our eyes and join the flow. Elsewhere, the pounding, chiming `Levegovétel' proves TÖRZS are still staying true to their mission statement of documenting the inevitable process of change. Here the band embrace elements of post-rock's harsher, heavier side with a cacophony of driving half-time drums and distorted, open-chord guitars yet still provide brief havens of space for themselves, the song and the listener alike to breathe before the euphoric swell rises anew. Whilst TÖRZS' previous full-length effort was a spectacular collision of the band's tight-knit existence and the (literal) echo chamber of the world outside, `Menedèk' is introspective, understated and refreshingly brave in its honesty. TÖRZS have opened the doors to their inner sanctum, their rehearsal space, their songwriting process, their friendship; inviting us to live in it with them, to revel in the moment together. FOR FANS OF Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, Caspian, MONO, Sigur Rós

Causa Sui return with the perfect companion to last year's tour de force, "From The Source". Whereas that record was a tightly structured piece of work, that condensed many aspects of the band's sound into a concise 45 minute LP, "In Flux" presents the more loose and impulsive side of Causa Sui. After an introductory suite in classic Causa Sui territory, with deep fuzz riffs and syncopated grooves, things gradually become more outlandish. The following three vinyl sides see the band channeling Hot Rats-style jazz fusion, the oceanic post-rock of late-period Talk Talk, and the impulsive, anarchic experimentalism of Can's "Tago Mago" into their own beatific brew. On "Spree", the band abandons guitar entirely, relying on a dual synthesizer on top of drums and bass instead, yet maintains that uniquely Sui-an vibe.The centerpiece in this set, "Astral Shores", unfolds over 16 minutes - from gently hypnotic, ritualistic folk, through motoric psychedelia and back again. It's been many years since Causa Sui have sounded this unmoored on a studio record. "In Flux" is an essential chapter in the band's ever-changing oeuvre. The double 10" format might seem like an odd choice, but splitting the album into four short, distinctive parts makes perfect sense stylistically. Each side has a character all off its own, taking the listener somewhere different. Still a continious CD version is available as well.

The Madrid duo of Pablo Mirón and Juan Vacas return for their second album 'En Perpetua' as they dive further into their decayed collage and psycho-acoustic-geography. While they remain in similar sonic territory to 'En Perpetua’s' predecessor, 'Of No Fixed Abode', the pair lean into newfound confidence in their process, and the endless possibilities from a new Madrid studio. They employ a selection of instruments including violin, harmonica, voices, guitars, a looper, an FM radio and field recordings from a variety of sources, from the Spanish countryside to exhibition sounds. The result is eight compositions of re-pitched meditations, exploring broken music and rhythmic patterns via their uniquely open-ended, zoned-out tonal journeys.

Mit ihrem siebten Studioalbum katapultiert die Berliner Band Kadavar ihren Sound in neue Dimensionen. Inspiriert von einem Zitat ihres Bassisten Simon 'Dragon' Bouteloup, „Ich will einfach nur ein Sound sein“, schaffen sie ein Manifest für Freiheit, Transformation und radikale Präsenz. Keine Konzepte, keine Grenzen: Das Album ist ein musikalisches Ritual des Übergangs, das sich nahtlos zwischen Rockhymnen, Balladen und epischen Momenten bewegt - immer voller Schwung und Veränderung.

Unterstützt von Produzent Max Rieger und begleitet von Gitarrist Jascha Kreft zelebrieren Kadavar die ewige Verwandlung des „Ewigen Jetzt“. Ein Soundtrack für die Widersprüche der Zeit, der alles hinter sich lässt, was nicht Musik ist - kraftvoll, verletzlich und immer bereit für einen Neuanfang. Es ist ein Liebesbrief an den Moment, an Berlin und an das Leben selbst - voller Liebe, Verlust, Narben und dem bittersüßen Gefühl der Vergänglichkeit. Kadavar laden uns ein, loszulassen und eins zu werden: mit der Musik, mit dem Jetzt, mit dem Klang.

Kids Return opens a new chapter with their highly anticipated second album 1997. The record refines their signature sound, blending sharp guitars, grandiose reverbs, and baggy rhythms with cinematic intensity. At its heart lies My Hero, a poignant tribute to a lost loved one, carried by soaring melodies. As they continue their world tour - headlining L’Olympia on May 14, with stops at KOKO (UK), Red Rocks (US) and Auditorio BB (Mexico) - “1997” cements Kids Return’s boldest statement yet.

A faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, triggering a harebrained but life-saving surgery that fuses the two of them together,

and Dog Man is born. DreamWorks Animation’s adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon is directed by Emmy winner Peter Hastings

(The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), and stars the voice talents of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu,

Emmy nominee Stephen Root, Billy Boyd and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ricky Gervais.



Dog Man composer Tom Howe has scored over 100 projects for film and television, including Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Daisy Jones and the Six, and The Great British Bake-Off.

“Because Dog Man doesn’t talk and I wanted to capture his high energy, I incorporated hand-clapping percussion, vocal layering of dog pants and mouth trumpets.

I recorded all of these mad mouth sounds myself in the studio. And as a contrast to Dog Man, the police chief and action cues are accompanied by wah-wah guitars, sax and afro flute.

It’s like Bullet meets Shaft, blending elements of Lalo Schifrin and Isaac Hayes. This thread of classic ̛60s and ̓70s crime thrillers is woven throughout the score.” Tom Howe

Commemorate's self-titled debut album blends swirling guitars and dreamy vocals to create a hypnotic yet weightless sound, a longing that swells and fades gently. Emerging from Kuala Lumpur's hazy musical depths, Commemorate is a 5-piece ensemble creating their own ethereal soundscapes, while taking heavy influences from shoegaze titans and infusing modern dreampop with post-rock sensibilities. Available in clear and black vinyl.

AAA Gripper have seemingly dropped out of nowhere but the story goes back. The idea was conjured in the summer of 2023 at the first Wrong Speed Records festival in the town of Glastonbury. Inspired by a weekend of radical sounds and fine company a decision was made - 'let's try something'.
Recording hours and hours of bass and drums in deep Somerset then editing it down to a sharp and concise 32 minutes. From Can's Lost Tapes boxset to No Means No's 0+2=1 via a thousand song structure decisions. Wild guitar strafe and precise hyper vocal added. Nine tight tunes magically appeared. The band raised a glass of tea. The band was born. The 'something' had worked.
We Invented Work For The Common Good is a deep dive into the world of the working person. How we end up. Why we climb onto the conveyer belt and never get off. The front cover is one of many of the same photo taken every day, on the walk to work, the dark mills looming - KEEP THEM BUSY, THEY WON'T RISE UP.
Music is therapy. They think it's part of the bread and circuses. We know it's armour. We know it's weaponry.
Gigs being planned.

60’s pop, 70’s junkshop glam and the best of catchy punk from Ramones to Jay Reatard come together in one irresistible power pop package. “Hangin’ Out” and “Sticker Song” both deal with some of the most basic aspects of the rockers' everyday life: standing around on corners, listening to Sheena on the radio, playing pinball and crate digging while avoiding local enemies. Hooks for days and absolutely relentless playing make sure this lands firmly in the thrilling-rather-than-tired camp for anyone who has ever loved catchy fast music.
In this light “Terry” is an obvious choice for a more DIY-oriented makeover that fully retains the originals sense of up-yours fun while upping the tempo and infusing it with vocal harmonies that are more New York Dolls than high gloss and giving the guitar solo a punked-up Thin Lizzy treatment.

The deadbeat Danish duo return to serenade us with their signature sound of fuzzed-out garage-rock guitars, falsetto vocal supremacy, and an unyielding rhythm section. Gabestok find themselves lodged at the pinch point between the grandiose and the garage, crafting songs that are at once eminently epic yet raw and direct. Alle Dør I Fremtiden is a road trip into oblivion, always accelerating toward some unknown precipice until inevitably driving you over the edge. Laying in the wreckage of an old car smelling of stale cigarettes and beer you wonder what happened, then flip the record and start again.
A short conceptual album steeped in hopelessness, regression, power, and the almighty battle against mob mentality in the wake of advancing technology and knowledge. Set amidst a geomagnetic storm on a desolate, scorched Earth, we follow an obsessive collector who has amassed a vast physical repository of lost knowledge now esoteric in an era of hard drives and remote storage. Books, piles of papers, and artefacts are all locked away in his private Citadel, far removed from a population of spiritless people, trapped within their own thought-prisons, fiercely guarded by corporate algorithms.
Fire and flames come in many disguises and eventually We All Die in the Future.

Inspired by the Zamrock movement of the 1970s, Immy Owusu & Sensible J’s swirling psych/afro/funk EP ‘Spiritual War’ is a rowdy, boisterous selection of songs about injustice, insanity, and the inanity of modern life in the burning house that is late capitalism. Owusu, a Ghanaian Australian singer and multi-instrumentalist, bonded with South African Australian drummer, beatmaker, and producer Sensible J (Sampa The Great, Cool Out Sun, Remi) over a shared love of the raw sounds of 70s African music, in particular Zamrock artists like Witch and Amanaz, and cooked up the EP in J’s iconic House Of Beige studio. Immy played guitar, percussion, and miscellaneous instruments, including the recorder, as well as vocals, while J provided drums, bass, and keys, and a roster of guests added vocals.

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine are at it again! Hot on the heels of their debut full-length The Audacity of Hype, the group—featuring Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident, Hellworms), Jon Weiss (Sharkbait, Horsey), Billy Gould (Faith No More) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Carneyball Johnson, Mol Triffid, Griddle)—roars back with five unreleased rippers. CD and download versions include “Metamorphosis Exploration on Deviation Street,” a transmogrified 18-minute cover of the Deviants’ classic. The band’s twin guitar attack retains some of the space punk overtones and spy-music-on-meth chaos of Dead Kennedys, while adding a healthy dose of Detroit-style proto-punk, flavoured with Weiss’s industrial excursions into metal percussion. This is Biafra’s first full-time band since Dead Kennedys broke up in 1986, and the depth and breadth of his musical chops and lyrical triumphs are on full display on these ferocious tracks

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine are at it again! Hot on the heels of their debut full-length The Audacity of Hype, the group—featuring Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident, Hellworms), Jon Weiss (Sharkbait, Horsey), Billy Gould (Faith No More) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Carneyball Johnson, Mol Triffid, Griddle)—roars back with five unreleased rippers. CD and download versions include “Metamorphosis Exploration on Deviation Street,” a transmogrified 18-minute cover of the Deviants’ classic. The band’s twin guitar attack retains some of the space punk overtones and spy-music-on-meth chaos of Dead Kennedys, while adding a healthy dose of Detroit-style proto-punk, flavoured with Weiss’s industrial excursions into metal percussion. This is Biafra’s first full-time band since Dead Kennedys broke up in 1986, and the depth and breadth of his musical chops and lyrical triumphs are on full display on these ferocious tracks

“Wrecking Ball” was one thing. Now comes the long-awaited anti-austerity blast-a-thon with the teeth, venom and one-of-a-kind music of Jello Biafra. The second full-length from Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine picks up where last fall’s SHOCK-U-PY! left off. Covered in gruesome detail this time are corruption (“The Brown Lipstick Parade”), “Werewolves of Wall Street,” “Road Rage,” and corporate McMedia making pop stars out of small-time crooks to shield the big ones (“John Dillinger”) or tabloid pop stars to lobotomize everyone else (“Hollywood Goof Disease”). The title track shines a light on our never-ending foreign policy disasters in ways even Jello’s spoken word albums never did. “Crapture” is the perfect song to play for those lovely End Times believers, pointing out how much better the world would be for everyone else left behind—replete with melodies on the scale Biafra hasn’t really touched since “Moon Over Marin.” Above all, White People and the Damage Done rocks! No pop punk here, just Jello and crew taking punk fire in unexplored directions, with wallof-sound, in-your-face production from Marshall Lawless and Matt Kelley (lots of Jello projects, Hieroglyphics, The Coup, Digital Underground, Zen Guerrilla). Lineup retains the double-barreled guitar attack of Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Griddle, Mol Triffid), joined by bassist Andrew Weiss (Rollins Band, Ween, Butthole Surfers, more) and drummer Paul Della Pelle (Helios Creed, Nik Turner’s Space Ritual, and Philly HC legends Ruin)

“Wrecking Ball” was one thing. Now comes the long-awaited anti-austerity blast-a-thon with the teeth, venom and one-of-a-kind music of Jello Biafra. The second full-length from Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine picks up where last fall’s SHOCK-U-PY! left off. Covered in gruesome detail this time are corruption (“The Brown Lipstick Parade”), “Werewolves of Wall Street,” “Road Rage,” and corporate McMedia making pop stars out of small-time crooks to shield the big ones (“John Dillinger”) or tabloid pop stars to lobotomize everyone else (“Hollywood Goof Disease”). The title track shines a light on our never-ending foreign policy disasters in ways even Jello’s spoken word albums never did. “Crapture” is the perfect song to play for those lovely End Times believers, pointing out how much better the world would be for everyone else left behind—replete with melodies on the scale Biafra hasn’t really touched since “Moon Over Marin.” Above all, White People and the Damage Done rocks! No pop punk here, just Jello and crew taking punk fire in unexplored directions, with wallof-sound, in-your-face production from Marshall Lawless and Matt Kelley (lots of Jello projects, Hieroglyphics, The Coup, Digital Underground, Zen Guerrilla). Lineup retains the double-barreled guitar attack of Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Griddle, Mol Triffid), joined by bassist Andrew Weiss (Rollins Band, Ween, Butthole Surfers, more) and drummer Paul Della Pelle (Helios Creed, Nik Turner’s Space Ritual, and Philly HC legends Ruin)

Even now, as he reaches his eighth decade, with a lifetime of accolades and a
seminal body of music behind him, Robin Trower is still chasing the biggest
high he knows
It always starts the same way, with a road-scuffed Fender Stratocaster and a revvedup Marshall amplifier, those skilful fingers exploring the fretboard until a riff sticks and
a new song ignites. And from the cultural flashpoint of Sixties London with Procol
Harum, through 1974's stadium- filling Bridge Of Sighs, right up to this year's
acclaimed Come And Find Me, it's these addictive moments of creation that have kept
the guitarist vital, relevant and contemporary while his peers trade on past glories.
"Some people say I'm driven, but I think it's just the love of doing it," reflects Trower of
a multi- million- selling solo catalogue fast approaching thirty releases (and that's
before you compute his collaborations with everyone from Jack Bruce to Bryan Ferry).
"I play guitar every day and just through messing around, ideas happen. I can never
feel the songs coming. But all of a sudden, you get a sliver of an idea and you think,
'Oh, what's this...?'"

His story is entangled in the story of America, and he's been tracing it's highways and
entertaining it's audiences, and those abroad, for nearly six decades.
So, it's fitting that his new record, is entitled Look Out Highway, and it's remarkable
that a man who has spent more days on the road than off still brings such spirit and
passion to the music and the lifestyle. Throughout his illustrious career Charlie
Musselwhite has received 13 Grammy nominations and 33 Blues Music Awards. In
2014 his collaboration with Ben Harper Get Up won a Grammy and in 2010 he was
inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2023, Musselwhite was cast in Martin
Scorsese's film Killers of the Flower Moon.Charlie has collaborated with an eclectic
list of incredible artists over the years, including Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Eddie
Vedder, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Gov't Mule, INXS, George Thorogood, Eliades Ochoa,
Cat Stevens, Elvin Bishop and John Lee Hooker.More than any other harmonica player
of his generation, Charlie Musselwhite can rightfully lay claim to inheriting the mantle
of many of the great harp players that came before him with music as dark as
Mississippi mud and as uplifting as the blue skies of California.
In an era when the term legendary gets applied to auto-tuned pop stars, this singular
blues harp player, singer, songwriter, and guitarist has earned and deserves to be
honored as a true master of American classic vernacular music.

Micke & Lefty feat Chef - Live On Air - Live On Airis a double live album from
Micke & Lefty feat Chef, recorded in collaboration with Deutschlandfunk radio
- Volume One, a studio live session for DLF Radio's On Stageprogram, was
recorded during the 2020 pandemic - Volume Two captures a dynamic 2023
performance at the Blues Baltica Festival in Eutin, Germany
This double live album captures the trio's electrifying and intimate performances,
showcasing their mastery of acoustic blues. Featuring 25 tracks, including originals
and blues classics, from the band's live repertoire over the years. The album also
celebrates the trio's 25th anniversary."Reaching this milestone is incredible, specially
when this all started as a spin off of my main band. We wanted to share these
recordings as a tribute to our long journey and audience. This live album is a real deal,
raw performance as live as it can be with no overdubs" says Bjorklof."Original! Lively!
Entertaining! The trio's performance is as unique as it is high-quality. Bjorklof stomps
on an old suitcase instead of a bass drum, Lefty Leppanen wields his vintage guitar
with effortless mastery, and Mr. Chef's semi-acoustic bass adds depth. This Finnish
acoustic blues is dynamic, original, and captivating." - Deutschlandfunk
RadioReflecting on this dual release, Bjorklof states: "Blues has always been my
foundation, but I've explored it's many shades over the years. WithOuttakesandLive On
Air, I want to celebrate both the electric and acoustic sides of my musical journey. I
couldn't think of a better way to markmy 60th birthday than by sharing these two very
special albums with our fans

DOUBLE-DISC EDITION OF DARKTHRONE'S 1993 PURE NORWEGIAN BLACK
METAL MASTERPIECE, INCLUDING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY MASTER, PLUS
ADDITIONAL DISC WITH COMMENTARY FROM FENRIZ
Darkthrone began life in the late 80's as a thrash/ death metal act & progressed
through technical death/doom metal experimentation to become legends of the black
metal world & one of the original leading bands of the Norwegian scene, as well as
inspiring a whole generation of metal bands, as they continue as strong as ever to this
day.
'Under A Funeral Moon', Darkthrone's third album, was originally released by Peaceville
in 1993. The album is a bleak reflection of contemporary times, featuring harsh guitar
riffage & hateful vocals in what was the band's first 100% pure black metal opus; a
work completely stripped of the death metal traces of former releases & in its place, a
stark & primitive execution. This was aided by an intentionally lo- fi sound that is
powerfully cold & entirely unconcerned with any modern- day aesthetics. 'Under A
Funeral Moon' is the album that many Darkthrone fans hail as the ultimate manifesto
for Black Metal.
This edition of 'Under A Funeral Moon' is presented on double- disc CD format &
includes an audio master created for the album's 30th anniversary in line with the
original 1993 version, plus the 2013 commentary disc from Fenriz with his
recollections on the tracks & the time period.

Italian jazz guitarist Andrea Rinciari's 'Soho Sessions', presents eight carefully
curated jazz standards and hidden gems with a stellar quartet featuring tenor
saxophonist Alex Garnett, bassist Lorenzo Morabito and drummer Mark
Taylor
"The album represents a great period of my life where I was playing in Soho every
week with this band and we were able to create a vast repertoire of tunes by various
different composers, from American songbook composers to the most obscure
bebop artists," explains Rinciari. "So, the tracks of this album are a good
representation of those tunes."
'Soho Sessions' features a mix of classic and lesser-known compositions, including a
Barry Harris arrangement of 'Bean And The Boys', a rare John Collins piece ('John's
Delight'), and a reharmonised 'I Can't Get Started' inspired by Teddy Wilson. Other
highlights include a fresh take on 'Tea For Two', Bud Powell's groove- driven 'John's
Abbey', and deep cuts by Freddie Redd and Elmo Hope/Sonny Rollins, 'Time to Smile'
and 'Carvin' the Rock' respectively. The album closes with Rinciari's signature
contrapuntal solo interpretation of 'Polka Dots And Moonbeams'.
Rinciari's dynamic quartet breathes new life into the music while exploring fresh
harmonic and melodic ideas. "This album is a reflection of the magic that happens
when musicians play together regularly. The tracks capture the spirit of our weekly
Soho sessions - improvised, refined, and always evolving," concludes Rinciari. "It's a
tribute to the jazz greats who have inspired me and the amazing musicians I'm lucky
to play with."

"Music collectors have the chance to rediscover a lost gem from the golden age of psychedelic rock. This Half-Speed Mastered Edition offers the ultimate listening experience of the Texan band"s legendary 1967 debut-and only-album. Originally pressed by the International Artists label, Power Plant has gained mythic status among fans of the genre, often fetching up to $2,000 for an original pressing. But this exclusive reissue surpasses even the most sought-after versions, delivering a superlative experience that uncovers astonishing stereo details never before heard. Recorded at the height of the Texas psych-rock explosion, Power Plant stands as the only album on the International Artists label to rival the cult-like fascination surrounding the 13th Floor Elevators. Fronted by George Kinney, The Golden Dawn crafted a sound both haunting and transcendental, blending poetic lyrics, distorted guitars, and dreamlike vocals. Fans old and new will be transported back to the heart of the 1967 psych revolution, reliving this masterpiece as it was meant to be heard.

1000 copies pressed on Black vinyl & DL card. First time on vinyl for 10 years .The poems of iconic 19th century American writer Emily Dickinson crafted into the esoteric sounds of Josephine Foster. Originally released in 2009, this highly collectable record is now back on vinyl for the first time in over a decade.

It's 2022. The world lockdown is finally over. Imagine a picturesque lake in Tuscany. Now imagine a floating state of the art studio on that lake with two maverick rock icons creating a wild, alchemical concept album: Hugo Race, frontman of Australian post-punk legends The Wreckery and guitarist for the Bad Seeds and leader of True Spirit and Fatalists, and Gianni 'Marok' Maroccolo, producer of Italian alternative music and film soundtracks since the 1980s Florence darkwave scene with Litfiba, CSI & CCCP. Together, they fuse an existential narrative made up of individual stories in the style of Boccaccio's Decameron with psychedelic soundscapes framed by experimental electronica, rock instrumentation and decades of experience as cutting edge musicians and studio producers to bring you an album that defies categorization - The Vigil… "We all knew the situation was inauspicious, the planets lined up overhead like a firing squad and this empty silence roaming around our town, cut off from the other mountain towns by an electrical blackout. Without power, there was no way of knowing what was happening anywhere else. Left alone with our thoughts until help came from outside, a group of us gathered around a blazing fire in the abandoned city hall, feeding it with documents and broken furniture. Scientific progress had long told us we were parcels of dumb atoms and that consciousness and the soul were merely human projections. Now science had failed itself..."

Rising musical visionary Reuben Vaun Smith's latest album, Land of Music, is a vibrant and atmospheric collection of tracks that transport listeners to a tropical soundscape of chilled beats, lush synths, and laid-back vocal musings. Remarkably, Smith recorded the entire album aboard a fishing trawler docked in a marina in Gibraltar, transforming the tight space into a creative sanctuary.

Blending dreamy synthesizer pads, groovy beats, and smooth vocals, Land of Music evokes a relaxing, high-vibe journey from start to finish. Collaborations on the album enhance its eclectic sound, with standout performances from vocalist Lucy Saddler, who lends her ethereal voice to “Lost in Space” and the title track “Land of Music.” Additionally, labelmate and guitar virtuoso Chico Mann brings his signature funky guitar licks, infusing the album with fresh energy and dynamic flair.

Smith’s Land of Music offers listeners an imaginative escape from the everyday, a vibrant sonic retreat that balances experimentalism with a deep sense of relaxation. Visually, it's paired perfectly with the striking album art courtesy of Brazil-based artists Uinverso, comprised of sisters Nadiuska and Priscila Furtado. Whether you’re tuning in on a quiet evening or drifting through a sun-soaked day, this album promises to be the perfect soundtrack for living the good life.

This newly formed and already brilliant label is back with more previously unreleased instrumentals that bring a different twist and dancefloor edge to classic sounds from the rock and indie world. First up we get a subtle edit of 'Sound and Vision' which has a nice fat and funky bassline bouncing beneath the splashy drums as nice acoustic guitar melodies ring out next to glistening retro-future pads. It's a cosmic trip that oozes soul then things slow down on the flip with 'Young Americans'. This one is a nice go-slow instrumental with funky and expressive horn work taking the lead over the fat-bottomed drums and bass.

Marc Moulin’s Top Secret is a mixed bag of downtempo jazz treats and sweet-sounding rhythmic forays into the dark of night. With this recording,
Marc Moulin craftily blends the sound of sexy vocals and collages them against the sounds of muted trumpets, congas, guitars, and drums.
This work comes alive with a jazz flavor, one that seems to have been used by a variety of performers and producers, but
one that is uniquely Marc Moulin. Top Secret is a journey through the kaleidoscopic sound world of 1960s bossa jazz with a taste of
Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and George Duke. Marc Moulin’s Top Secret seems to be half downtempo 1990s chill recording,
and half contemporary jazz, which makes for a compelling fusion. This recording certainly breathes new life into the genre of acid jazz, or downtempo music
This expanded edition of Top Secret - with no less than 5 bonus remix tracks- is available as a limited numbered edition of 750 copies on orange coloured vinyl

As the nights get colder and longer, we often lose touch with those around us. Nights when loneliness takes hold of us as our only dependable friend, and our imagination becomes the universe; forever questioning the existence of our own reality, while perpetually stuck in an emotional limbo.. Delve into your thoughts with ‘Lonely Days’, the latest Lofi Girl compilation featuring 31 artists worldwide. Soft beats, melancholic pianos, lulling guitars and a range of other instruments are knitted together like a warm blanket to bring ease and comfort for as long as you need. Focus on the ingressing dawn light, close your eyes, and breathe in - this feeling is only temporary, and better days are on their way.

Canadian bowed guitarist and multi-instrumentalist C. Diab announces his fifth album Imerro, out February 16th, and presents the trip-infused lead single 'Lunar Barge'.

(Real name) Caton Diab creates soundscapes that evoke the spectacular wilderness of his childhood home in northern Vancouver Island. Incorporating experimental textures, folk overtones and tape manipulations, C. Diab uniquely finds the unseen spaces in-between, and fittingly dubs his creations "post-classical grunge". Imerro explores new sonic realms and is the culmination of a sound world that Diab has built up since the critically acclaimed 'No Perfect Wave' (2016, Injazero) and subsequent releases 'Exit Rumination' (2018), 'White Whale' (2020) and 'In Love & Fracture' (2021). The Wire calls it "ambient music in the best sense - music for living, which can be both non-invasive and immersive...epic"

Imerro was recorded in late July and August of 2021 at Risque Disque Studio in Cedar, BC, during the summer's unprecedented second "heat dome", which saw temperatures soaring to over 40 degrees. Recorded with regular collaborator and engineer Jonathan Paul Stewart, the pair journeyed by boat to the studio to a place with minimal distraction with a plan of "simple ecstatic improvisation." Diab explains: "I wanted to place myself in a space for creation with little thematic pretence, with the belief that music 'shows its face' as you move along. I would pick up an instrument, whether I had experience playing it or not, and make a sound. If it wanted to be played, it would play."

Classic RootsReggae is the definitive influence on the music of Vibronics .. so it has been a true labour of love to bring together the powerful voice of Jospeh Lalibela, the intricate playing of the Mafia & Fluxy Band and the deep production skills of Vibronics to make this homage to classic Jamaican Roots Dub Reggae music.
The LP is a fine body of work with full production featuring live bass, drums, horns, guitars & flutes as well as up to the minute studio trickery to produce an album that is rooted in reggae history but sounds relevant right now.
5 vocals and 5 dubs - this album is original showcase style !
Vibronics is one of the most established names in UK Dub/Reggae music achieving millions of views on YouTube, millions of Spotify streams and many tens of thousands of vinyl record sales. Collaborators include Michael prophet, Macka B, Iration Steppas, Soom T, Aba-Shanti and more.
Joseph Lalibela is a Birmingham born UK vocalist who found fame through his work with OBF & King Earthquake
Mafia & Fluxy are the UK’s leading Reggae riddim section and recording artists working with Eek-A-Mouse, Jah Shaka, Luciano and the cream of worldwide Reggae artists.

The Scream, Siouxsie & the Banshees' first album, was released late enough in the punk era to bear some claim as the first post-punk album, with only a minor traces of 'punk' (one lingering early song, "Carcass" comes to mind) and enough hints of what had come even earlier, Andy MacKay-like saxophone flourishes - to feel utterly new. Not to mention the effort producer Steve Lillywhite must have put into the album, his first fully-credited major label production. Siouxsie was clearly the focus of the band, with her unique vocal style and lyrics, but the real star, we've always known, was John McKay, who wrote most of the album's music (as well as singles like "Hong Kong Garden"), creating a wholly new guitar sound - harsh and brittle, yet melodically intoxicating . . . best articulated by a somewhat confounded Steve Albini years later ". . . only now people are trying to copy it, and even now nobody understands how that guitar player got all that pointless noise to stick together as songs". McKay's influence lives on; many of the most influential guitarists of the past four decades credit him as a major influence - Geordie from Killing Joke, Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain, U2's The Edge, Thurston Moore, Johnny Marr and even the two guitarists - The Cure's Robert Smith and Magazine's John McGeoch - who followed him in The Banshees. McKay's burgeoning status as the anti-guitar hero was halted when he and Banshees drummer Kenny Morris - at odds with Siouxsie and bassist Steve Severin - fled the band just after the start of a tour supporting the group's second album, Join Hands. It was a weekly music paper scandal, later the subject of a BBC documentary, and Siouxsie's vitriol working its way into the lyrics of a later Banshees b-side, "Drop Dead / Celebration". Aside from a solitary single on Marc Riley's In Tape label nearly a decade later, no music was heard from McKay again. So it comes as a major surprise to learn of a pile of excellent recordings made in the years just after he left The Banshees, unheard by all but a very few, some of which feature drummer Kenny Morris, plus Mick Allen from Rema Rema, Matthew Seligman of the Soft Boys and longer-term collaborator Graham Dowdall and John's wife Linda . . . the latter three of whom now all sadly deceased. Sixes And Sevens is an historic lost album. Brazenly genius and bearing fair claim as the lost treasure of the post-punk era, the album collects eleven studio tracks, carefully mastered from original tapes. It's a masterpiece which best speaks for itself.

The Scream, Siouxsie & the Banshees' first album, was released late enough in the punk era to bear some claim as the first post-punk album, with only a minor traces of 'punk' (one lingering early song, "Carcass" comes to mind) and enough hints of what had come even earlier, Andy MacKay-like saxophone flourishes - to feel utterly new. Not to mention the effort producer Steve Lillywhite must have put into the album, his first fully-credited major label production.
Siouxsie was clearly the focus of the band, with her unique vocal style and lyrics, but the real star, we've always known, was John McKay, who wrote most of the album's music (as well as singles like "Hong Kong Garden"), creating a wholly new guitar sound - harsh and brittle, yet melodically intoxicating . . . best articulated by a somewhat confounded Steve Albini years later ". . . only now people are trying to copy it, and even now nobody understands how that guitar player got all that pointless noise to stick together as songs". McKay's influence lives on; many of the most influential guitarists of the past four decades credit him as a major influence - Geordie from Killing Joke, Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain, U2's The Edge, Thurston Moore, Johnny Marr and even the two guitarists - The Cure's Robert Smith and Magazine's John McGeoch - who followed him in The Banshees.
McKay's burgeoning status as the anti-guitar hero was halted when he and Banshees drummer Kenny Morris - at odds with Siouxsie and bassist Steve Severin - fled the band just after the start of a tour supporting the group's second album, Join Hands. It was a weekly music paper scandal, later the subject of a BBC documentary, and Siouxsie's vitriol working its way into the lyrics of a later Banshees b-side, "Drop Dead / Celebration". Aside from a solitary single on Marc Riley's In Tape label nearly a decade later, no music was heard from McKay again. So it comes as a major surprise to learn of a pile of excellent recordings made in the years just after he left The Banshees, unheard by all but a very few, some of which feature drummer Kenny Morris, plus Mick Allen from Rema Rema, Matthew Seligman of the Soft Boys and longer-term collaborator Graham Dowdall and John's wife Linda . . . the latter three of whom now all sadly deceased.
Sixes And Sevens is an historic lost album. Brazenly genius and bearing fair claim as the lost treasure of the post-punk era, the album collects eleven studio tracks, carefully mastered from original tapes. It's a masterpiece which best speaks for itself. John McKay will be made available for a limited number of interviews . . . and yes, there are surprises in store.

Ground-breaking afro-rock and jazz with Memphis soul roots on this lost 1972 gem. Lovingly restored and reissued by Matsuli Music


'Black Soul' from 1972 is the third and last known album by The Anchors, a soul group originally formed in Johannesburg's Alexandra township in 1968. Their first two albums, 'Soul Upstairs' from 1969 and 'Everything' from 1971, were issued on Teal's City Special label alongside other prominent South African soul groups of the era like The Beaters, The Movers and The Flaming Souls.

On 'Black Soul', The Anchors undergo a notable shift, moving away from their early Memphis soul influences towards a pioneering African-driven sound. These changes laid the foundations for an emerging afro-fusion scene in the years to come from groups like Batsumi, The Drive and Harari.

'Black Soul' features a who's who of intergenerational musicians from great South African bands over the decades. In addition to Zacks Nkosi, the renowned bandleader of the Jazz Maniacs and long-time member of the African Swingsters in the 1940s and 50s, this album includes kwela star Little Kid Lex Hendricks, known for his Columbia recordings of the late 1950s; as well as Zack's son Jabu Nkosi who would go on to play with The Drive, Roots and Sakhile; and Banza Kgasoane later a member of The Beaters, Harari and then Mango Groove.

Now remastered for its first release since the original 1972 pressing, this lost gem offers a revealing glimpse into the evolution of South African music during a transformative era.

Zacks Nkosi (Sax), Patrick Jabu Nkosi (Organ and Flute), Anderson Nkosi (Lead Guitar), Given Sabela (Bass Guitar), Kid Lex Hendrix (Sax), Banza Kgasoane (Trumpet), Peter Morake (Drums), Hamilton Nzimande (Musical Director).
Original LP issued in South Africa on GRC’s CBS label (LAB 4037) in 1972.
Produced for reissue by Chris Albertyn and Matt Temple at Matsuli Music, and Siemon Allen at Flatinternational.
Original vinyl sourced from the Flatinternational Archive.
Artwork restoration and design by Siemon Allen.
Audio restoration, mastering and lacquers by Frank Merritt at The Carvery.
Manufactured at Pallas, Germany.

Neon Pink Vinyl. For their tenth LP in a career spanning more than two decades, Tulsa's Unwed Sailor deliver their heaviest riffs, loudest squalls, and most deeply textured arrangements yet. Cruel Entertainment is a catalogue of contrasts - dissonance and harmony, hardcore crunch and post-rock grandeur, complexity and catchiness - that adds a vibrant new dimension to the second phase of their discography, spanning thus far from 2019's landmark Heavy Age up to the "vivid, starry-eyed psychedelia" (AllMusic) of 2024's Underwater Over There. Opener and lead single, "Rock Candy", roars in with a gale of feedback, pounding drums, and nimble bass, until a latticework of howling guitars ushers us into a more goth-tinged space. It's a characteristically intricate, energetic composition that flows with remarkable ease between its parts, and wastes not a moment of its three minutes. "Monster Collecting" brings a rare combination of melancholic and driving energy, reminiscent of avowed heroes New Order, but ups the ante with a tight, fastpaced rhythm section and litany of guitar lines, until opening up into a cascade of reverberating textures and tenuous sweetness. According to Ford, the title Cruel Entertainment refers to "the hardships of being an artist and musician in the crowded, imbalanced world of social media and streaming," where the completion of a new work demands that the creator also be a promoter, content strategist, and agent, among many other intensifying challenges. Pointedly drawing inspiration from noisier, rowdier bands - including Fugazi, Quicksand, and Cherubs - here they seek a much-needed catharsis in the ongoing fight to keep the creative soul intact. Second side standout, "Monty Donahue", typifies this form of release, as massive, mid-tempo percussion leads a fluid low end theme - inspired by the dual bass assault of Dianogah - and Swatzell's chords burst into shimmering nebulas across a labyrinthine arrangement that's equally loud and beautiful. Title track, "Cruel Entertainment", is a mosaic of sound for which Ford's bass provides the mortar: taut drums list between the channels, washes of guitar stretch to the horizon, and metallic heaviness punctuates the drift. There is a confident immensity here, proving that, although Unwed Sailor have witnessed a wild amount of changes in the music industry, their knack for creating complex, vital, and masterfully produced work remains untouched.

Growing up is painful, brutal, and sometimes beautiful _ something Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Bedridden knows all too well. The band's name is even a nod to that ineffable period between childhood and the jagged edges of the real world. "When I was 21, I kind of lost my home," says frontman/guitarist Jack Riley. "I was couch-surfing. I was having a hard time.The next iteration in the band's maturation, then, is their debut, LP Moths Strapped To Eachother's Backs, 10 fuzzed-out (and sometimes gnarly) ruminations on dating, drugs, and survival out April 11 on Julia's War. The title came from a mysterious missive Riley received on astrology app Co-Star. "Last year I was way too reliant on other people _ my partner at the time, my friends," he says. "I was strapped to them in a weird way _ and flying in circles. This album is about that time."The current incarnation of Bedridden encompasses a patchwork of styles, influences, and friends Riley accumulated over the years. A Chicago native who first started making music at age five on a thrift-store guitar emblazoned with Kurt Cobain's name, Riley moved to New Orleans for college where he dabbled in punk before falling in love with shoegaze. There, he launched the first version of Bedridden. Sebastian Duzian (bass) _ a jazz musician and Pasadena native _ linked up with Riley in NOLA along with his bandmate, drummer Nick Pedroza. Pedroza, from Claremont, grew up on rock, metal, and jazz, honing his style after joining the band. Wesley Wolffe _ a guitarist fed on a steady diet of New Wave and `90s alt _ rounded out the crew just a few months back. Bedridden's previous lineup released their first EP, Amateur Heartthrob, in 2023 _ a noise-washed blend of shoegaze, DIY, and indie that Riley says is a "coming-of-age EP _ these formative stories about not having a bed, dating, being kind of a jackass. I was making fun of myself a lot." That release caught the attention of Douglas Dulgarian from Philly Label Julia's War (and TAGABOW), who signed them for Moths."Some of these songs have been around for years," says Riley, adding that they were recorded last February at Studio G Brooklyn; the album was produced by Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Momma). "As opposed to Amateur Heartthrob, we attempted to blend more clean guitars into a driving sound to capture more clarity _ one that also sounds live_ and raw," Riley says. That rawness thrums through the record, which kicks off with the thrashed "Gummy," about an incident when Riley had to gently fend off a co-worker's unwanted advances while both drunk and high on an MDMA gummy. And then there's mournful rager "Etch," which sees Riley daydreaming about beating up a meddler in his personal life _ in the minor key.The annihilating "Chainsaw" revs in next, a lightning-fast Lemonheads-inspired track that recalls Riley moving in with new roommates who were unnaturally obsessed with purchasing a lamp. "For some reason that pissed me off," he laughs; that rage is evident in the album cover, which shows said power tool demolishing a lampshade. Heavy-shredding "Heaven's Leg" showcases the band's affinity for `90s mainstays like Smashing Pumpkins while telling the tale of a gig at a local church. "The lyrics are about a pastor I had met that had lost his leg," Riley says. "The church had signs about not cussing and I had a feeling that neither of us had anything to talk about without potentially offending the other."The band's not afraid to get confrontational, though, on the anger-fueled, drum-heavy "Philadelphia, Get Me Through," which deals with a dead-end relationship and the mistaken assumption that getting drunk in the titular city would be a balm against the pain. And the nasty, brutist, and short hardcore-adjacent "MainStage"? "It's about being disrespected at a show on New Year's and how I lashed out," Riley says. "I then began to take it out on other people, which was a quality that I despise."Things get contemplative and mournful from here on out _ the emo-edged "Snare" is about bringing flowers to a hospital room where you're not welcome, while the Smiths-inspired "Uno" wrestles with self-loathing. "I guess the big finale of that song was my response to dealing with this recurring experience of feeling like I wasn't good enough by getting really into whippets," Riley says. Nu-metal bop "Bonehead," then, recalls an embarrassing dinner that turned into an argument _ the name applies both to that incident and the delicious simplicity of the guitar parts.After all that turmoil and pain, the band caps everything off with their eyes to the future on the jangle-pop "Ring Size." "All my friends are getting married _ do I follow in their footsteps? Or is it all a waste of time?" Riley says of the song. "At the end, through it all, I guess that's what I've been trying to figure out _ how to grow up, how to move on. I'm trying to navigate things as an adult and I'm not very good at it. But this is just the first record. This is just the beginning."And, hey, at least now he has a bed.