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Legendary Italian musician Sergio Messina serves up his 13 track Sensual Musicology on Hell Yeah this March. It comes a couple of years after he first released on the label's Buena Onda compilation and takes in everything from demented waltz to grown-up jazz, groovy beach music to heart-aching melancholia with artwork by virtuoso Italian AD DeeMo.

Now based in Lombardy, Sergio was there at the birth of pirate radio in the mid-seventies and eventually produced Radio art for national broadcaster Rai. At the same time, his DJ career took off and he helped establish Hip hop in Rome before taking his own live show to the stage with a mix of PCs, samplers and tape recorders as early as 1989. Frank Zappa declared himself a fan and in the years since Sergio has done everything from radio art to producing Neapolitan reggae and hip hop band 99 Posse, producing his own solo albums and writing for monthly music magazine Rumore. On top of this, he has both written books about and delivered lectures on the digital porno revolution, as well as teaching History of Pop Culture at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. All this makes him a truly original creative thinking who has long been immersed in many niche facets of popular culture.

Sensual Musicology took several years and four different locations to happen. Its release has been delayed by the pandemic, during which Sergio lost many friends and relatives close to him. As a result, the album is dedicated to all of them. It is a record that addresses many topics from economic migration to jazz piano, 60s blues motifs to corruption, pollution and racism via Michael Jackson covers, odes to West Coast guitar albums and spaced-out pieces of electronica.

Opening with the beautifully delicate Mingus melodies of 'Goodbye Porkpie Hat' the album roams through the bluesy Italo-American-Jamaican groove of 'Amara,' slow melancholy of 'Sometimes Remember' with classy vocals from chanteuse Valeria Rossi and 'The Way You Make Me Feel', an acoustic rebuild of Michael Jackson's hit song. Then comes the serenade that is 'Just Because You're Dead,' and ‘Sono Stufa di Tutto’ which is based around a protest speech recorded from the radio in the 1980s. Jon Hassell Beach Bar' is a musical hybridisation for dancing pleasure.

The second half of the album takes in 'Ouana Di lambo' which is the Four Twenties taking you to a cocktail bar in the tropics, 'Benjamino Placido' which is a melody for a man who inspired Sergio to start writing his columns, and 'Nowhere Special' which is a tribute to West Coast guitar albums. Closer ‘Switchblade Bolero' has a Zappaesque theme.

Sensual Musicology is a rich and diverse musical world that is as thought-provoking and deep as it is emotionally rewarding.


Early DJ Support:
Leo Mas, Phat Phil Cooper, Calm, Chris Coco, Andy (We are The Sunset), Severino (Horse Meat Disco)

Giuseppe Scarano's musical journey began at a young age, DJing in some of Puglia's best clubs like Clorophilla, Guendalina, Discorama and Heartz Festival supporting top tier DJs before launching NICEPEOPLE in 2018. His latest is on Constant Sound sublabel Cardiology and features four deep and dusty cuts. From the low slung disco loops of 'In Your Own' and the particuarly thumpin' Same For You' on the A side. Over on the flip, there's the swing fuelled deep house of 'Freaky' and some late '90s filtered house in the form of 'Best Places', cleverly sampling a pop classic from the same period.

We finally made it: BEWITH100LP! And what better way for a re-issue label to celebrate such a landmark catalogue number than to give it to a record of new music. We couldn’t resist when the artist is Official Be With Family Member Kenny Dickenson and when the music is his lovely, lovely score to French-Vietnamese artist Mai Hua's 2020 documentary film “Les Rivières”. If you enjoy the more minimal, intimate piano of the likes of Nils Frahm or John Carroll Kirby’s solo work, you’re certain to fall for this beautiful album.

Taking six years to make, Mai’s film explores what happened when she brought her dying grandmother to France, pulling together four generations of women from the same family. Kenny’s score accompanies all the pretty things, sad things, dirty, beautiful, happy, broken and reborn moments of these women’s experiences.

The whole score is built around delicate, sparkling piano motifs. At times they’re joined by cello and complemented with ambient chords and other flourishes. It’s a very particular palette that Kenny and Mai established early on, as Kenny explains: “We had agreed on a particular sonic aesthetic early on in the process - to use specific and relatively minimal instrumentation, reflecting the intimacy of the picture. So piano and cello were quite prominent in instructing a sense of space and immediacy. Until I had to get the junkyard percussion out… ”

When it comes to describing the end results, Kenny’s happy to wear his influences on his sleeve:

“When the director and I sat down for the creative meetings early in the process, we watched ‘Wolf Children’, a Japanese animation film by Mamoru Hosoda. The amazing soundtrack by Masakatsu Takagi was a launching point for me and thereafter I leaned into more modern classical composers - Reich, Sakamoto, Glass as well as Jon Hassell’s Fourth World output. Richard Reed Parry’s ‘Music for Heart and Breath’ was a good early touchstone for me and Mark Hollis’ sparse, considered and deliberate approach was a constant presence. Also labels like Ghostly, ASIP and the ubiquitous Erased Tapes should probably get a nod here too…”

We’d even suggest there’s the occasional Yann Tiersen moment in there too.

Out of sheer necessity the collaboration between Kenny and Mai continued beyond this initial creative direction. With Kenny speaking neither French nor Vietnamese, Mai acted as translator, a process that naturally lead to discussing the film beyond just what was being said in the footage. Mai herself explains just how successful this relationship felt to her: “Music plays a very important role in all my work, particularly in Les Rivières. I cried every time Kenny sent me a new composition. I felt understood in a way that words cannot describe. It was absolutely magical and I am so happy if this music can make your soul vibrate too.”

Kenny composed much of the music in London, at the same time that Mai was shooting and editing. As the film took shape and the music also evolved, another challenge presented itself when Kenny relocated to Los Angeles part way through, resulting in Arnulf Lindners beautiful cello taking on new shapes- multi sampled, played and manipulated by Kenny into new compositions.

What Kenny has put together for the film score release is definitely a “soundtrack LP”, with the music arranged to work as a proper album in its own right that should be listened to from start to finish. Indeed the album also includes a new piece “Pour Marthe” that Kenny composed in memory of Mai’s grandmother who died after the film was finished.

Kenny’s personal highlight is also ours: “When I listen back to the album as a whole now, I never want part II of the Trilogy (Belles Larmes) to end. I have fond memories of recording it and I love how the dynamic of the piece gradually evolves from falling on the ‘1 and the 3’ to the ‘1 and the 2’. It’s so short and sweet, I keep wanting it to last for longer. But it’s kind of perfect as it is.”

Pretty much our sentiment for the album as a whole.

Running a record label means we often get asked advice about pressing a record. In this case the music was too good not to offer to release it ourselves. To Kenny, having the Les Rivières score on vinyl also feels like the final part of the project.

“It’s a beautiful thing to have it on vinyl. It’s quite an intimate soundtrack so there’s something really perfect about being able to listen to it on that format. When I was a kid, my Uncle Pat who used to work at Woolworths would visit and bring random records from their record department over to us. I can remember listening to “Theme From Exodus” by Ernest Gold. I had no idea what it was about but the imagery it conjured up when listening to that record was just mind blowing to me at that age. Soundtracks can have their own life on vinyl I think, and removed from their original context is this unique format for reinvention. So I’m excited that people who haven’t (and have for that matter) seen the film can have that experience.”

This might not be a re-issue, but the Les Rivières film score album has still been given the full Be With treatment. The vinyl has been mastered by Simon Francis (under Kenny’s ever-watchful eye/ear, of course), cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. The sleeve follows the film’s poster and other promotional material, including Lucile Gomez’s almost magical illustration.

We’re under no illusions that many people reading this will have seen “Les Rivières”, but that doesn’t really matter when it comes to listening to the score. Just on its own, Kenny’s music still captures the robustness and the delicacy of lives lived.

The Olympos series returns with its sixth instalment, this time calling on Athena, daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom and warfare.

Olympos 06 features 4 tracks of trippy techno that rides space themes and strong advanced sound fx's that make listeners feel like they are travelling the galaxies.

A-side, starts with 'Enceladus D' which is a jaunt into futuristic electro. Featuring a proper continuous build that's supported by an eeriness, giving you a strong sense of space trek. Gritty breaks and next-level breakbeats just add to the tension. 'Minerva' is an adventurous tech workout not for the faint of heart. The wobbling bass makes for a bumpy mission, throwing off your equilibrium...in a good way.

The B-side is a heavy one! First off, 'Ophis' is an ominous yet powerful voyage into the abyss. A strong magnetic gravity is literally pulling your ship apart as you ride this dangerous route.
Lastly, 'Glaphcopis' pushes the boundaries of deep techno further. The 90's mood is palpable in this stargazing journey. Don't let the robot noises distract you. They are just adjusting the spaceflight travel coordinates.

Singing actors and actresses do not always cut a good figure on the silver screen; play-acting singers, however, are all the better when they draw attention to themselves with great vocals. As did Lena Horne in the days of the black-and-white film, who, with her sultry, versatile voice, was constantly employed by Hollywood. Although she occasionally ventured into the world of jazz, and made music with Teddy Wilson and Benny Carter, she never forayed into the wide world of improvisation. Her musical home was in the American Songbook, which she approached with a natural and entertaining manner. A good example of this is the first number here – the Cole Porter classic "I Concentrate On You", which swings along to the perfectly recorded big-band sound of the Marty Paich Orchestra. A surprise element is the extensive palette of vocal sound-colouring with which the diva enhances her voice to achieve the drama of a Shirley Bassey or the dusky depths of a Dinah Washington. Each and every number on this Grammy-worthy album has been thought out in great detail and guarantees sophisticated entertainment, and a hint of West Coast jazz is perceptible when Jack Sheldon treats us to the sound of his warm and dark trumpet solos.

ANATHEMA'S 'WEATHER SYSTEMS' NOW AVAILABLE ON 2LP GATEFOLD VINYL

'Weather Systems' is the ninth studio album from Anathema. Lead vocalist & guitarist, Daniel Cavanagh, discussed the album, "it feels like we are at a creative peak right now & this album reflects that. Everything from the production to the writing to the performances are a step up from our last album."

He continues, "This is not background music for parties. The music is written to deeply move the listener, to uplift or take the listener to the coldest depths of the soul."
The intertwining melodic structures, the profoundly beautiful & intensely powerful - yet simple - songs transports the listener closer to the heart of life, that is to say, to the heart of themselves.
Previous album, 2010's 'We're Here Because We're Here' was described by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) as, "definitely among the best albums I've ever had the pleasure to work on."

''Weather Systems' was recorded in Liverpool, North Wales & Oslo, each place significant to Anathema. The record was produced & mixed by 5-time Norwegian Grammy nominated Christer- André Cederberg (Animal Alpha, In the Woods...), who Daniel described as "a revelation. His calmness & brilliance helped to bring about the greatest inter- band chemistry that Anathema have experienced
together in their career."

This career stretches back to 1990 when the band formed in Liverpool. Since then, they have embarked on a remarkable musical journey, initially emerging as pioneers of melodic heavy music & continually evolving over the ensuing years, always remaining true to their original goal of creating forward thinking, meaningful, passionate & honest music.
"Absolute World Class" 'Detlef Dengler' Metal Hammer

Blue States, aka Andy Dragazis, returns with his sixth album, titled
‘World Contact Day’, released via Memphis Industries and named
after the day each year on which UFO society International Flying
Saucer Bureau tries to contact alien lifeforms.
 ‘World Contact Day’ arrives six years after the previous Blue States
album, written and recorded partly at Dragazis’ Lightwell Recordings
studio in Hackney and featuring a combination of instrumental
soundscapes and vocal songs that draw from influences as diverse
as world as Morricone, Vangelis, Beak, Broadcast and the
Carpenters.
 Songs on the new record feature guest vocals from the likes of
Giampaolo Speziale and Federica Caiozzo of the Italian band
Malihini, English folk-musician Rachael Dadd and Miami-based
Allison May-Brice (The 18th Day Of May, Lake Ruth).
 Written under the backdrop of claustrophobic uncertainty and grief,
Dragazis wanted to make an album of expansive escapism whilst
also grounding musically in a more live approach than previous
albums.
 ‘World Contact Day’ opens with ‘Plain Sight’, the first of the Rachael
Dadd-featuring songs, thematically about escape and setting
Rachael’s Sandy Denny-a-like vocals to a baroque pop backing. It’s
followed by an instrumental ode to the humble wire in a world of
wireless connectivity (“I trust wires and I understand them,” says
Dragazis). The second Rachael Dadd track is ‘Tides Confusion’, a
song about how waves of grief can come like tides, grounded on a
pulsating electronic loop that evolves into live drums, horns and
backing vocals representing the rising water. Next up is ‘Warning
Signs’, featuring Giampaolo and Federica of Malihini, a track about
looking after yourself because if you don’t, how can you look after
anyone else?
 Two brilliant songs with Allison-May Brice light up side two of ‘World
Contact Day’, the urgent, sparkling electronic pop of ‘Alarms’ and the
epic, velvety torch song album closer ‘Science or Fiction?’, about the
paleoanthropological fraudster Charles Dawson and the Piltdown
Man hoax.
 LP pressed on cream vinyl.

Loss and hope, isolation and communion, the cessation and renewal of purpose. Timeless and
salient, these themes echo throughout the fifth album from Midlake, their first since ‘Antiphon’
in 2013.
 From the cover to the title and beyond, a longing to reconnect with that which seems lost and
seek purpose in its passing sits at the record’s core. The cover star is keyboardist/flautist Jesse
Chandler’s father, who, tragically, passed away in 2018. As singer Eric Pulido explains, “He
was a lovely human, and it was really heavy and sad, and he came to Jesse in a dream. I
reference it in a song. He said, ‘Hey, Jesse, you need to get the band back together.’ I didn’t
take that lightly.”
 A desire to commune with the past and connect with present, lived experience asserts itself
from the opening of the album. ‘Bethel Woods’ sustains and develops that reconnection,
evoking the steadfast and contemplative urgency of ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’ to back a
lyric steeped in yearning for a paradisal time and place of hope and optimism. Soaring guitars
and atmospheric noise effects extend a sonic scope further developed by ‘Glistening,’ where
arpeggios dance like light glancing off a lake. In just three songs, Midlake reintroduce
themselves and reach out into fresh territory with a richly intuitive dynamism, honouring their
past as a seedbed of possibility.
 Elsewhere, the prog-enhanced funk-rock of ‘Gone’ seeks to find hope in relationships that
seem fragile. The ELO-esque ‘Meanwhile…’ draws inspiration from what happened when
Midlake paused after ‘Antiphon’, developing universal resonance as a song about the beautiful
growths that can emerge from the cracks and gaps between things. ‘Dawning’ draws on 1970s
soft-rock stylings for another song searching for hope, its keyboard line reaching out towards
an uncertain future while everything seems to collapse around it; ‘The End’ reflects on the
difficulties of partings.
 On-hand was new collaborator John Congleton, who produced, engineered and mixed the
album, marking Midlake’s first record with an outside producer. “I can’t say enough just how
much his influence brought our music to another sonic place than we would have,” says Pulido.
“I don’t want to record without a producer again. Part of that is the health of the band, because
as you get older you get more opinionated and you kind of need that person who says, ‘No, it’s
going to be this way!’ It’s hard to do that with your friends.”
 The result is a powerful, warming expression of resolve and renewal for Midlake, opening up
new futures for the band and honouring their storied history. Formed in the small town of
Denton, with roots in the University of North Texas College of Music, Midlake delivered an
auspicious debut with 2004’s ‘Bamnan and Slivercork’. For the follow-up, they looked further
afield and deeper within to deliver 2006’s wondrous ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’, a modern
classic pitched between 1871, 1971 and somewhere out of time: between Henry David
Thoreau and Neil Young’s ‘After the Gold Rush’, between 1970s Laurel Canyon thinking and a
longing for something more mysterious.
 Confidence bolstered by a growing fanbase and a developed sense of their own far-reaching
abilities, Midlake - a band acutely attuned to seasonal shifts - then embraced change. In 2010,
they visited darker psych-folk thickets for ‘The Courage of Others’ and backed John Grant on
his lustrously spiky breakthrough album, ‘Queen of Denmark’. When singer Tim Smith departed
Midlake in 2012, Pulido stepped up to the lead vocal role for 2013’s freshly exploratory
‘Antiphon’, teasing out singular routes through vintage electric-folk pastures.
 In reuniting, the bandmates were adamant that Midlake needed their absolute focus. The result
is an album of tremendously engaged thematic and sonic reach with a warm, wise sense of
intimacy at its heart: an album to break bread and commune with, honour the past and travel
onwards with. In ‘Bethel Woods’, Pulido sings of gathering seeds. On ‘For the Sake of Bethel
Woods’, those seeds are lovingly nurtured, taking rich and spectacular bloom.
 LP pressed on 180g vinyl in a gatefold sleeve printed on matt card and printed inner sleeve
with lyrics and digital download card.

Green coloured vinyl edition of William The Conqueror’s
‘Maverick Thinker’ album from last year, released to
coincide with the band’s upcoming tour and book
publication.
 William The Conqueror have paid their damn dues. Like
the sportsman cutting chipped teeth in the lower leagues
before shooting to the very top, this band have lugged all
the amps, placated the in-house sound guy for an easier
life, their nails dirty, their hair unkempt. Enough.
 Except it’s never enough, because despite their slinky,
swampy, razor-sharp, blues-drenched, guitar thrashed
alt. rock songs that form new album ‘Maverick Thinker’
and suggest that the door is opening for bigger rooms
and broader audiences, it’s those sticky basement bar
stages where the songs have always shed a skin and
come alive. The record put the three piece behind the
glass at Sound City Studios in LA, treading the same
carpet as the likes of Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Neil Young,
and Fleetwood Mac and they might well have inhaled
the spirit of them all.
 William The Conqueror’s protagonist is Ruarri Joseph,
who knows his way around a melody and a verse.
Joseph’s wryness suggests life just ain’t plain sailin’ and
he fizzes that sigh and lament into something that
breathes heavy with heart and with soul.
 LP in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeve and
digital download card.

On the tribute album Songs for Tres, Psychic Ills band members come together to commemorate the late Tres Warren who passed away just as the world turned upside down in March of 2020. Isolated, feeling helpless and lost by the death of her musical soul mate and collaborator of 18 years, bassist Elizabeth Hart found making music to be her only outlet in a time where people were unable to be physically together to mourn. So, she reached out to Adam Amram, Jon Catfish DeLorme and Brent Cordero, the main players in the Ills line up since the release of their last full length album Inner Journey Out (2016), to ask if they would embark on this cathartic journey with her. This was a different kind of production endeavor for Hart driven solely by “the aching need and urgency” to do something to honor her friend.

Hart, Amram, DeLorme and Cordero reunited for the first time five months after losing Warren at Amram’s loft – the same spot where they’d rehearsed countless times before – although this time with a different objective. In an effort to share, support and create, the old friends joined in the painful and healing experience of making this tribute album to cope with their loss. The band members wrote, arranged, and rehearsed for months and the result of their work culminated in a weekend of recording in the southern Catskill mountains at the end of 2020. This isolated and intimate environment was a perfectly serene and fitting location to finalize their story.

Throughout the album, Hart, Amram and DeLorme take turns as the vocal lead on each of the songs while Cordero showcases his finger-picking guitar skills in addition to his piano and organ playing, which he is known for. Along with the core band members, a number of other musicians played on the album, many of whom had collaborated on prior Psychic Ills releases and wanted to be a part of this last collaboration in memory of Warren. Keeping the project in the Ills family, Hart produced the album alongside Iván Diaz Mathé, the long-time Psychic Ills sound engineer.

The album consists of five original tracks and four cover songs. Initially, learning the covers was just a method for the musicians to “break the ice” and play together again for the first time without their band leader. However, those tracks became just as important to include as the originals because of their essential role in the process of coming together to make the album. The cover songs were chosen because of their unique connections to the band’s memories of Warren. Dennis Wilson’s "Rainbows" and Fleetwood Mac’s "Station Man" come from two of Warren’s favorite albums, Pacific Ocean Blue and Kiln House. The band also recorded Blaze Foley’s "Clay Pigeons" and Powell St. John’s "Right Track Now." The idea for the latter was suggested by Amram. Warren once sent him a clip of Roky Erikson singing a moving rendition of that song in the film Demon Angel and it had stuck with him ever since.

Hart wrote "I’ll Walk With You" on the day of Warrens’ passing, at the time not knowing what it meant. When she got the call with the heartbreaking news, it became clear to her what the song was about. Relying on a gently lilting string arrangement to set the tone, this duet features Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval alongside Hart. Sandoval previously collaborated with Psychic Ills accompanying Warren on "I Don’t Mind" (2016). The ideas for "Home" and "Walk Around," two other songs on the album by Hart, started simply with an acoustic guitar and lyrics, a hopeful exercise to connect with her lost friend. Brent Cordero’s instrumental "Whole Lotta Piece of Mind" is nothing short of a transcendental experience. By running his pedal steel through a Leslie speaker, Jon Catfish DeLorme crafts the unique tone showcased on Wonderful Feeling, a moving example of studio experimentation combined with old school techniques. DeLorme describes it as “an attempt to highlight the musical experience I shared with Tres both sonically and thematically. What resulted is the unguarded exaltation I feel lucky to have shared with my fellow bandmates.” Adam Amram’s “Into the Sea” was composed spontaneously the week Warren passed. The melodic tune has a hopeful lightness and Amram describes it simply as “a song to my brother”. Their connection shines through.

In fact, the entire album is one that radiates the layers of friendship, love and music that will forever exist between this family of musicians. As the band themselves state: “This album was made out of love and a commitment to honor our dear friend and bandmate.” A portion of the proceeds from the album will be donated to RAICES, a charity who aids children who have been displaced at the Texas/Mexico border.

A collection of Elvis Presley covers recorded by the duet David Fenech & Pierre Bastien. The idea of "Suspicious Moon" started at a party around the topic of blue color. David Fenech had chosen to play "Blue Moon" and Pierre Bastien asked to join in. It was a very enjoyable party and then they recorded the song and decided to plan an album exclusively based on covers of the King. Not that we were absolute fans of Elvis... but as a starting point to go somewhere else. And this is what we reached: in many aspects a premiere for the two musicians. Pierre focuses on (prepared) trumpet for the very first time, while David is heard extensively as a vocalist and is more than ever responsible for all arrangements and textures. Playing other people's material is also a premiere for both of them. 11 tracks around very well known standards. Like familiar places that are changed when seen in a different light. Please enjoy. "Our choice of the Elvis Presley song book for this record may seem strange to many. It seems strange to me as well. Not that I dislike the original music, but before our sessions it had never been a direct source of inspiration. Paradoxically, this distance gave me freedom and flowing ideas. I hear similar qualities in David's parts too. We hope that our relaxed attitude and its positive outcome will be reflected in this album" - Pierre Bastien "The strange thing about these recordings is that the creative process was so fluid and natural_ that it seems that through playing other people's music, we almost reveal something of ourselves. As if these tracks were our creation, as if they were our own children!" - David Fenech

Jerry Leger follows up his critically acclaimed 'Time Out For Tomorrow' with 'Nothing Pressing'; produced by Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies).Jerry's last self released album 'Songs from the Apartment' was a stripped-down lo-fi affair recorded in Leger's home using a cheap tape recorder with an internal microphone
This lead to two songs from Nothing Pressing, "Underground Blues" and "Sinking In," to be also recorded in Leger's home.The remaining nine tracks included on 'Nothing Pressing' present Leger's work in two starkly contrasting soundscapes.

"Nothing Pressing," "Protector," and "Still Patience," are soloacoustic recordings cut live in the studio with little embellishment. The other six tracks are prime roots rock and roll featuring his long-time band The Situation. Among the latter songs, "Kill It With Kindness" and "Have You Ever Been Happy?" have the kind of drive, energy and spirit that are sure to make them highlights of his future live shows.

Leger often times finds himself at a loss as to explain the source of his songs. He feels his songwriting, while clearly drawing on experiences filtered through a panoply of influences,often verges on being a supernatural experience. Over the course of the eleven songs on Nothing Pressing, the songwriter's songwriter engages with questions of existence, mortality,hope, trust and heartbreak while
simultaneously conjuring feelings of isolation, reflection, longing and gratitude.

Paired with such evocative lyrics are wonderfully crafted melodies, soulful vocals and the spirit and energy of a mature songwriter, comfortable in his skin and growing as an artist withevery release. Nothing Pressing serves a wonderfully refreshing tonic in troubling times

Available for the first time on vinyl, celebrated blues, R&B and Americana vocal powerhouse blazes an exhilarating roots music trail, with many of the songs reflecting the spirit of our turbulent times
Produced by Will Kimbrough, it features guest performances and/or songwriting by Kimbrough, Jason Isbell, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Orphan Brigade, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy and Shawn Mullins.

Nominated for 2022 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.Winner of Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year.

Jack Francis is a singer-songwriter from the deep south – of England - A troubadour straight out of Southampton, Jack is one of the exciting new breed of UK Americana acts that includes rising stars such as Jade Bird, Ferris & Sylvester and Yola.

The heartfelt songs on his self titled debut album are rooted in the finest musical traditions of America, while staying true to his own geographical heritage.Having previously been employed by a major label to write pop hits for other acts, Jack left to concentrate on his own songs - each single being championed by BBC Introducing.

In an era where technology is increasingly shaping music, 'The Garden Of Eve explores the opposite: it's an organic album, made by real musicians recording simultaneously, giving it a live mood while at the same time having wonderfully brilliant sound. It has been a long time since a contemporary artist has made such a beautiful homage to the blues.

"Blues has always been dear to my heart: it's a cathartic experience, precious and profound, whether it's playing it or listen to it on the radio. When I first heard Billie Holiday sing 'Blue Moon', I could feel it with every cell of my body. She had such a powerful effect on me. Sentimental blues, originating from tragic situations, sometimes even reflecting my own experiences... No matter how bad family, friends, politics, lovers, governments or society might be, they can never destroy the forces for good in this world. And as time passes by, I more and more find the truth that is rooted in my soul. And I finally feel mature enough to understand this wonderful musical tradition - because blues means life."

And if blues means life, Malia is the energy that allows the blues to have a soul, a voice. Characterised by her unique timbre - that doesn't need any further explaining - Malia gives us a thrill throughout the 12 tracks of this album, that has everything to become a classic.

Jesper Lindell’s second album is a creative tour de force! During two
years of setbacks – weathering label issues, a pandemic, cancelled tours, and a kidney disease to boot – Jesper and his band had little else to do but write and record music.

The result is a remarkable new album; “Twilights”, recorded in their own studio in Brunnsvik, outside of Ludvika, Sweden. The record is produced by Jesper Lindell and Björn Pettersson, but is at its core a collaborative effort from the heart and soul of the whole band. This was fundamental to the recording sessions from the get-go – to encourage ideas and influences from all six members of the band. As
the cherry on top, the album has three luminous guest singers; Swedish Klara Söderberg, one half of sister- duo First Aid Kit; French rockstar Theo Lawrence; and American singer Amy Helm, daughter of The Band’s Levon Helm.

“Out of Our Hands” brings together Alvin Lucier and Jordan Dykstra who, through the hands of Ordinary Affects, have created debut recordings of two new compositions.

These companion pieces have similar orbits as they were not only both composed in Middletown, CT (where Alvin and Jordan lived for a number of years), but are about Middletown, at least from a starting point. Alvin’s piece — a homage to the location of the house in which he recorded “I am sitting in a room” back in 1969 — continues his study into slow-moving glissandi and carefully crafted beating patters by interweaving three string players within a minor third (voiced by two vibraphonists). The result is entrancing, almost psychedelic, and opens space where one didn’t expect. Like much of his previous work, it is conceptual and process-based; once the wheels get turning they go on and on, giving the listener time to approach the piece, sit with it, and then move back inward.

On the other hand, Dykstra’s piece “32 Middle Tones” (a pun on his Middletown street address and the harmonic microtonality utilized in the composition) is a very textural work. His piece asks the cellist to sustain pitches for extended durations — at times quietly singing in close proximity to the stopped pitch coming from the cello — while the rest of the ensemble (violin, viola, and 2 percussion) voice a sequence of chords separated by notated silences. The cello voice is sometimes alone, but never for too long as it finds itself supported from both the top and bottom in a harmonic embrace. This supportive structure involves a percussion section which colors the seemingly simple chords (major 6th, inverted minor 7th, inverted minor 2nd, etc.) with a non-traditional toolkit of bowed singing bowls, stone sheets, harmonicas, and even leaves.

This is music that gently gives the listener a sense of predictability but always in an unexpected (and subtly indeterminate) shade. Speaking of shade, the album’s cover photo was taken in 2019 in Alvin’s backyard in Middletown. Alvin and Jordan sit with similar demeanors in front of his favorite tree — a crooked aspen which early on looked to be doomed — but which he would often saunter over to spend time with, giving it whispers of blessings and encouraging words.The world was blessed with Alvin’s presence and hopefully this album will whisper to you and yours.

Artist statement:
“With Alvin’s recent passing I was overwhelmed with messages and calls from friends, collaborators, and his former students. Everyone had a heavy heart, no doubt, but were grateful for the memories and their gift to be around Alvin during his lifetime of prolific dedication to the arts, his fascination with poetic storytelling through scientifically-inspired minimalism, and his calm and warmhearted spirit. In his last few years on earth, Alvin was busier than ever — brainstorming new ideas, creating new pieces, and planning big things. While he was here, he was alive, and may his music — and spirit — live on forever, spreading from his corner of Church and High (where he recorded his seminal piece I am sitting in a room) to every corner, concert hall, and loudspeaker in the world.”

Over twelve tracks performed across three sessions from 2012, 2013 & 2014 the undeniable song writing brilliance of David Gedge is clearly evident. From the bounding, propulsive recklessness of ‘Back A Bit... Stop’ (Valentina) to the harsh edges and sudden tempo changes of ‘Heather’ (Seamonsters), The Wedding Present’s bass-driven, muscular riffs are a constant theme throughout. Gedge’s bittersweet lyrics and honest take on love are highlighted in such tracks as ‘The Girl From The DDR’ (Valentina) and ‘Little Silver’ (Going, Going...). Other memorable moments include a frenzied cover of The Monkees' ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ and a rapturous performance of ‘Flying Saucer’ [both taken from the Hit Parade series of singles] along with a rousing ‘It’s A Gas’ and a heartfelt ‘Spangle’ - complete with an apologetic Gedge clearing his throat mid-verse - from the Watusi album. Tracklisting: Tracks 1-4 Recorded 19/11/12 Back A Bit… Stop (Valentina 2012) Heather (Seamonsters 1991) You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends (Tommy 1987) The Girl From The DDR (Valentina 2012) Tracks 5-8 Recorded 21/10/13 Flying Saucer (Hit Parade 2 1993)

Two Bridges (Going, Going… 2016) Pleasant Valley Sunday (Hit Parade 1 1991) Montreal (Saturnalia 1996) Tracks 9-12 Recorded 3/11/14 It’s A Gas (Watusi 1994) Spangle (Watusi 1994) Birdsnest (Going, Going… 2016) Little Silver (Going, Going… 2016)