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Emotional Especial reaches a landmark with its 50th release. Started in 2012 as a “dancier & trippier”, club friendly spin off, sub label to Emotional Response, it has gone on to forge a path, releasing a myriad of artists including the opening release by Jamie Paton (Cage & Aviary / ESP Institute) to Richard Sen (Bronx Dogs), the debut of Khidja (Malka Tuti / DFA) and on to unearthing the breaks masters Alphonse (Klasse Wrecks) and Junior Fairplay (Crimes Of The Future), the uplifting Italo influenced Lauer (Robert Johnson), the new wave anthem of Sfire (featuring Sophie), plus perfect remixes bt Kris Baha (CockTail D’amore) and INHALT (Dark Entries), the NYC pop-rave-vox of Kim Ann Foxman, through to showcasing upcoming artists like Berlin’s Giraffi Dog (Aiwo Recs) and the global acid adventures of Akio Nagase (Chill Mountain) to most recently, the slo-mo trance muscle of 53X and post-rave uplighters of Remotif (Space Lab) and DJ 1985.

As with every 10th release on the label, the label present a various artists “Showcase” of what and where the label is. Aptly it is recent signing 53X who opens Gracias Especial with the bounce of Radar. Finland’s Jonne Lydén debut EP on Especial, Zen ’23 came out of nowhere, more than simply riding a zeitgeist of the “Trance Revival”, his all-live analogue symphonies drop the bpms, presenting widescreen beats, darkroom bass, sirens and tripped out vox all mix to propel a singularly driven.

Taking things much deeper has been the hallmark of Jamie Paton’s remixes for the label. As well as providing the opening EP in 2013, designing every sleeve and producing 20 remixes and counting another 2 for the label here, it’s impossible not to associate Especial with Jamie’s music. First, he reworks rising star DJ, but recent break out producer Chez De Milo, with a trademark dub excursion that takes the ethnic origins of Kremer to a space echo wonderland. Space is the place, the lulling beats, see you falling through the gaps, true dub style.

Alphonse makes a rightful return to Especial, with Raze Rave highlighting the allusive producers’ unique understanding of the varied history of rave culture via a techno-suite of soundscapes, perfectly mixing uplifting breaks, memory inducing vocal samples and dub bass, with a nod to the pop sensibility that rave encompassed, while being that allusive “lost chord” moment of man and machine.

The finale returns to the trance acid expanse of 53X, with the mastery of label stalwart Jamie Paton. An apt marriage, Paton takes the title cut from Lydén’s debut EP and crafts a trademark durge-dub, where TB303 and space echo intertwine with the De Witte vocal, hinting at touches of dub, new wave, trance and acid house all in one melting pot of sound the label optimistically termed “Protoid” back at inception of summer 2013.

Thank You For Using GTL is a 2020 album from vaunted Los Angeles rapper, Drakeo the Ruler. The album contains verses recorded entirely through phone service from GTL while Drakeo the Ruler was incarcerated at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles, California. The album focuses on topics such as the targeting of rap and rappers by the US criminal justice system, the prison-industrial complex, incarceration, capitalism, and the gray area between what’s real versus fiction in hip-hop. Lauded by Pitchfork as “Likely the greatest rap album ever recorded from jail,” and included at number 32 on their 50 Best Albums of 2020, the album serves as an interesting moment in hip-hop, further cementing Drakeo the Ruler as one of LA’s most beloved rap luminaries. For the very first time, for any album, on any format, Drakeo’s music will be available on vinyl for fans. Pressed on Green & Blue A Side B Side vinyl and limited to 1700 copies.

A self-described chronically-sincere farm girl, Emily Hines grew up on a farm in rural Ohio before moving to Nashville where she played in other songwriters' projects before recording her own songs on a 4-track cassette recorder. Hines worked with producer Henry Park. Together they drew inspiration from acts like Duster, Laura Marling, and Karen Dalton to record simply and add layers one at a time. The resulting collection makes for something truly special; rich and decadent but also earthy and cracked. Emily prioritized creating a recording that feels human and present, and the outcome is palpable throughout These Days. At times we're right there in the room with Emily, up close and deeply personal, at other points it's as if you're straining to hear from the outside listening in; ear to the wall, notes carried and caught in the breeze. "We were drawn to the 4-track because it constrains the urge for perfectionism and encourages authenticity to the moment," Emily explains. "What you get is what you get, the 4-track doesn't afford you to get surgical about the details - and that can be really freeing." "Listening to Emily Hines' lo-fi folk ballads feels like discovering a cult hero's lost demos-these gentle, heart-mending recordings crackle with intimacy and seem to unfold as you're listening.' Paste Magazine 'Hines sings plaintive and romantic acoustic ballads, small moments of a life that build to something far greater within the woozy timber of her voice." - Gold Flake Paint

Australia's Gallery of Modern Art commissioned Xiu Xiu to reinterpret the music from Twin Peaks for their David Lynch: Between Two Worlds exhibition. Since then, the band has performed select concerts all over the globe culminating in a proper studio album of the compositions.

The ‘Split EP’ is a collaborative release with James Hayford and BiggaBush, as well as labels Filtered Deluxe and Tru Thoughts Recordings.

The collaboration commenced several years back, when Glyn ‘Bigga’ Bush reached out to James (known for his Shoes Edits series), one conversation led to the next, and a remix exchange was initiated.

In 2022, James contributed a remix to BiggaBush’s ‘A Different Style’ remix collection, released on Tru Thoughts Recordings - followed by Bigga’s version of James Hayford’s ‘Flower Of Thy Womb’, released via Filtered Deluxe Recordings in the spring of 2025.

The ‘Split EP’ is presented as a vinyl-only release, including the previously unreleased ‘Come To Crunch’ by
BiggaBush.

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James Hayford is a sample-based producer best known for his unparalleled series of Shoes edits (feat. Al Green, Miles Davis, Roy Ayer, and more), plus remixes released under his own Shoes and Plimsoll labels - as well as for the Numero Group.
James continues to release original downtempo and leftfield dance music on labels Filtered Deluxe Recordings, and Growroom Productions.

Glyn ‘Bigga’ Bush launched his career as half of Rockers Hi-Fi, and co-founded the Magic Drum Orchestra. He’s
released as BiggaBush and Lightning Head through the ever-evolving Tru Thoughts Recordings, and many more.
His influences range from afrobeat, dub and funk, to library music and soundtracks - as well as electronic, Latin, and jazz music.

Die Stimmungsgaranten sind zurück – auf farbigem Vinyl! Mit der Saragossa Band – Original Hits & Remixes erscheint eine ganz besondere Ausgabe für alle Fans von Kult-Partyhits.

Seite A bietet die beliebtesten Klassiker der legendären Band in ihren Original Versionen:

Agadou
Zabadak
Big Bamboo
Se Me Quieres

Auf Seite B wird es modern: Frische, brandneue Remixe dieser Klassiker bringen den typischen Saragossa-Sound ins Hier und Jetzt – perfekt für heutige Dancefloors, Sommerpartys und gute Laune nonstop!

Second album from North East indie rockers Fortitude Valley! "We're still very much the same band," says Fortitude Valley's Laura Kovic, describing the band's triumphant return with second album Part Of The Problem, Baby. "But the dials have all just been turned up a bit." That much is immediately apparent from the off - whereas 2021's self-titled debut was a breezily charming coalescence of effortless pop hooks and indie-punk energy, this new effort announces itself with guts and a road-earned sense of self-confidence. It's the sound of a band growing into itself; with a smartly effervescent approach to songwriting and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of swoon-inducing indiepop hooks. Over the course of Part Of The Problem, Baby's ten glorious offerings, we get treated to a miscellany of pop cultural sources of inspiration as a means of tackling themes like distance, personal growth and self-determination. For Kovic, an Australian-born musician living in the UK for almost two decades, the first of those is clearly a big one. "When I was a teenager I couldn't wait to get away," she explains, referencing her upbringing in Brisbane, "and now I can't wait to go back each time. My life is now just repeatedly visiting and then feeling sad when I leave, but knowing in my heart that I am where I'm supposed to be." Louder, wiser, in tune with each other and their identity as a collective_ Fortitude Valley may well remain the same band, but Part Of The Problem, Baby is a step forward on every level.

For most members of the band it's the best album. But, tragically, the release of Operation Heavenly in 1996 was overshadowed by the sudden death of drummer Mathew Fletcher. The promotional tour was cancelled, the surviving members of the band went into emotional hibernation and no-one could bring themselves to celebrate these vibrant, upbeat songs. So, this release by Skep Wax Records, nearly thirty years on, is more like an album launch than a re-issue. Time has healed most wounds, and the songs on Operation Heavenly feel like they can finally emerge onto the stage, with Mathew's spirit very much alive: his effervescent witty drumming sounding as fresh now as it did then. These tracks are gleeful, melodic, sophisticated and knowing. The tough riot grrrl edge that Heavenly had developed a year before with seminal singles P.U.N.K. Girl and Atta Girl, has been blended with a deliberate quantity of Britpop styling. Heavenly were clearly listening to what was going on, liked the energy, but didn't necessarily feel the need to join in. Some of the tracks (eg Ben Sherman) are as jaunty as early Blur, but the lyrics, mocking a narcissistic boyfriend for his obsession with hair, clothes and his own erections, show that Heavenly didn't need or want to be part of the la - or even ladette - herd. Operation Heavenly was the band's first release on a label other than Sarah Records. Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd had brought that exceptional label to a deliberate and dramatic end. The liaison with US punk label K Records continued - as did the duets with Calvin Johnson: Pet Monkey is a moving duet between a growling Calvin Johnson and a sweet-voiced Cathy Rogers, as they dramatize another complex, maybe doomed relationship, with another self-centred boy finding himself frustrated by a girl who won't take any shit. But in the UK, Heavenly needed to find a new home - and Wiija Records were welcoming hosts, ushering the band into a brasher, less cloistered world: the production on this album is brighter than before, the artwork is colourful and upbeat. With tracks as catchy and as complete as Fat Lenny, Trophy Girlfriend and Space Manatee there was an expectation that Heavenly might finally emerge from the indiepop shadows and trouble the charts. And who knows if this might have happened. Mathew was lost before the album was released, and the band had no choice but to bring things to an end. This reissue also contains two tracks that appeared on the B side of the 7" single of Space Manatee. They are both cover versions, and along with Serge Gainsbourg's Nous Ne Sommes Pas Des Anges on the main album, these vivacious assaults on Art School by The Jam and You Tore Me Down by The Flamin' Groovies show that the band, briefly in its prime, could happily embrace any variant of pop music and make it something Heavenly.

Ghetto Cycle is the soundtrack of Charlie P’s life, set to music by O.B.F.

Meeting up with Charlie P and Rico from O.B.F in a studio is like diving into a particle accelerator operating at full speed. Lively, hyperactive, hardworking, Southend’s MC and the greatest warrior of French sound systems just can’t stay put.

Their creativity works continuously: riddims, melodies, lyrics, clip concepts and other fantasies spurt out at top speed. These common traits allow them to produce explosive collaborations, both on stage and in the studio.

After the success of the singles “Dub Controler” and “Sixteen Tons of Pressure”, the launch of an album became self-evident. Coming from a modest background in a remote London suburb, Charlie P has been through a lot before understanding that his passion for music could be a vehicle for emancipation. It is this life trajectory, punctuated by difficulties, pitfalls, hard work, encounters and challenges that he tells through the tracks of “Ghetto Cycle”.

Conceived as a concentrate of joint influences, this album gathers tracks in the purest digital dub vein, but also reggae, dance or downright grime. A new stage in the development of their collaboration.

Neurotox melden sich eindrucksvoll zurück und belegen, warum sie seit über 12 Jahren fest zur deutschsprachigen Punkrock-Szene gehören. Die Songs sind wie Geschichten aus dem echten Leben – mal laut und wütend, mal verletzlich und tiefgründig. Zwischen Aufbegehren und Melancholie lotet die Band die ganze Bandbreite menschlicher Emotionen aus. Thematisch geht es um Freundschaft, Loyalität, Verrat, Absturz und den unbändigen Drang, nicht unterzugehen.

Night ist ein Konzeptalbum von über 50 Minuten Länge, das in 5 Segmente unterteilt ist, die fließend ineinander übergehen. Mit der konzeptionellen Anlage, den episch ausgreifenden Strukturen und der z.T. immensen Länge der einzelnen Stücke kommen Gazpacho dem, was der Proggie mag, so nah wie nie zuvor.

Dennoch ist Night sicher kein Neo-, Retrooder sonst-was-Prog, sondern die Band bleibt ihrem im Laufe der vorangegangenen Alben entwickelten Stil treu. Die Songs klingen wie eine Mixtur aus späten Talk Talk und späten Marillion.

An Talk Talk erinnert auch, dass sich die Stücke sehr gemächlich entwickeln. Das ist ein Novum für die bislang stärker songorientierte Band.

Alanis Morissette Delivers the Equivalent of a Spiritual Awakening on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie:
Introspective Themes and Compassionate Emotions on Eastern-Tinged Album Have Grown More Relevant
1998 Smash Plays with Enhanced Detail, Rich Textures, and Sharp Focus on Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM 2LP Set:
First-Ever Audiophile Edition Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies
1/2" / 30 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Alanis Morissette refuses to adhere to convention on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. While most artists follow-up their breakthrough with an album that closely parallels the approaches that helped make them famous, the maverick singer-songwriter stayed true to herself and drew inspiration from travel to India before she began the recording sessions. As much as the preceding Jagged Little Pill put her on the global radar, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie confirmed her role as a vital generational voice — and proved her blockbuster success was no fluke. Having set a mark for most sales of an LP in its debut week by a female artist, the 1998 smash remains a pop-rock staple.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM 2LP set of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie presents the triple-platinum LP in audiophile sound for the first time. Benefitting from defined grooves that befit the album’s nearly 72-minute length, this pressing plays with enhanced detail, refined clarity, sharper focus, and broader dynamics than prior versions.

Those traits are key given Morissette’s use of more textured and atmospheric soundscapes, not to mention her evolution into a more nuanced and controlled singer. Similarly, the scale and reach of David Campbell’s string arrangements come across as orchestrations should. Ditto the synth-based architecture shaped by producer and principal Morissette collaborator Glen Ballard. All in all, Mobile Fidelity’s collectible edition simply delivers more information via transparent means.

Notable for its balance, sophistication, and richness, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie at heart finds Morissette pausing, taking a breath, and learning how to navigate life in a healthy manner after enduring one of the most exhausting and rocket-to-fame stretches any musician ever experienced. It’s the sonic equivalent of a spiritual awakening, a call to betterment, a brave assessment of the self and humanity as a whole. As such, the tunes on her second international (and fourth Canadian) release teem with gratitude, compassion, love, empathy — emotions that lend themselves to the largely mellow, contoured scope and Eastern-tinged melodies of the songs themselves.

“How ‘bout how good it feels to finally forgive you,” Morissette sings on the lead single “Thank U.” “How ‘bout grieving it all one at a time.” Those sentiments, and the vocalist’s embrace of concepts such as divinity and acceptance, not only provide a foundation on which Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie rests. They also reflect the personal maturation she gained from her embrace of Buddhist culture in India and a mindset bent toward notions of reconciliation, peace, and sensuality that were nearly absent in popular music in the late ‘90s.

Those themes continue on “That I Would Be Good,” a confident reflection that takes stock of one’s mental, physical, and emotional state in the face of both changing and unpleasant circumstances — and concludes with Morissette performing a flute solo, further exposing the raw intimacy of the introspective tune. She channels relatable simplicity and joy on “So Pure,” with her invocations of “dance” and “freestyle” speaking to the freedom of expression that courses throughout Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. And perhaps no song finds Morissette showcasing her refreshed attitude toward life and opening up more than the relationship-themed “Unsent,” whose unconventional structures and lack of a chorus only add to its directness.

Akin to many albums that were ahead of their time, and despite the critical and commercial accolades afforded it upon release, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie attracted new appreciation and perspective as it got older. Issued during an era where its ideas of serenity, absolution, tranquility, and contentment seemed largely alien, the record — akin to the ways its predecessor foreshadowed a movement — now functions as a visionary beacon that foretells of way to maintain sanity, dignity, and goodness amid a contemporary landscape filled with constant distractions, polarizing views, and incessant calls to purchase, promote, and produce without questioning the what-for purpose.

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie dares to ask the questions and, at its best, supplies meaningful answers and alternatives that lead to longed-for enlightenment, healing, and laughter. For these reasons alone, it’s a record that never goes out of style.

Ora Cogans ,Formless", veröffentlicht am 25. August 2023, ist ein Album, das Schönheit, Absurdität, Humor und unerwartete Freude in den düstersten Zeiten findet. ,Formless" entstand inmitten von Trauer und pandemiebedingter Isolation. ,Ich habe viel Zeit damit verbracht, mit meinem Hund ziellos durch den Wald zu streifen", sagte Cogan. Das Ergebnis ist eine Flut von Gedanken über ungeschickte Liebe, Schmerz, innere Kämpfe und den Kampf, Wege zu finden, sich gut zu fühlen, wenn alles schlecht läuft. Das Album wurde größtenteils in Live-Takes mit der Rhythmusgruppe David Proctor und Finn Smith auf Analogband im Risque Disque Studio auf Vancouver Island aufgenommen und von Cogan und David Parry von Loving co-produziert. Mit dabei sind internationale Gaststars wie Cormac Mac Diarmada von Lankum, der ,Feel Life" auf der Saitengitarre spielt, und Y La Bamba, die ,Ways of Losing" im Duett singt. Das Album ist thematisch sehr vielfältig: ,Katie Cruel" mit seinem ätherischen Gesang, einer schlurfenden Snare und einer sitarähnlichen Gitarre ist eine tragische Ballade über eine Sexarbeiterin, die mit Soldaten der leichten Infanterie unterwegs ist. ,Cowgirl" ist ein psychedelischer, langsamer Country-Jam, der sich mit sozialer Isolation in Trauer auseinandersetzt; und ,Feel Life" ist ein Track, der durch den Wahnsinn des alltäglichen Tumults und epische, lebensverändernde Verluste tanzt. Mit einer einzigartigen Stimme, die ebenso sensationell wie klangvoll ist, sucht Ora Cogan nach neuen Realitäten im Labyrinth aus Rauch und Spiegeln unserer grausamen Gesellschaft.

Der mehrfach mit Platin und siebenmal mit Diamant ausgezeichnete R&B- und Popstar The Weeknd kommt mit seinem Album „Hurry Up Tomorrow“ zurück. Nach seinem 2020 erschienenen Erfolgsalbum „After Hours“, welches auch das am häufigsten gestreamte R&B-Album aller Zeiten ist, und dem 2022 veröffentlichten Album „Dawn FM“ bringt The Weeknd die Trilogie mit „Hurry Up Tomorrow“ zu ihrem Höhepunkt. Dieses Album hebt seine künstlerischen Erzählungen auf ein neues Level und fängt existenzielle und selbstreferenzielle Themen des Sängers ein. Titel wie „Dancing In The Flames“, „Timeless“ mit Playboi Carti und “Sao Paulo” mit Anitta werden bereits seit dem Sao Paulo Konzert von den Fans gefeiert. Im Jahr 2023 wurde The Weeknd vom Guinness-Buch der Rekorde zum „Beliebtesten Künstler der Welt“ ernannt.

Analogue Productions' UHQR, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl! 45 RPM Ultra High Quality Record release limited to 5,000 copies Mastered from the original tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound Pressed at Quality Record Pressings using Clarity Vinyl® Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!

By the time Bob Marley died, he was one of the world's first global superstars, famous and lauded from Europe through Africa and the Americas. Some even saw him as not just a reggae singer but as a folk hero, a sort of freedom fighter, and to this day his enduring image feels greater than the music he made, writes Pitchfork. In the 21st century, Bob Marley is a global cultural icon and the first Jamaican inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 1977's Exodus — recorded in London exile after a failed attempt on his life — turned out to be Marley's biggest-selling studio album.

Time magazine named it the greatest LP of the 20th century. Other Marley discs had bigger hits and still others had better album tracks, but the balance Marley strikes between politics, religion, and romance on Exodus — compare and contrast the urgent title track and the laid-back "Jamming" — shows a pop star at the peak of his powers.

Now, Analogue Productions presents perfection — Exodus in UHQR 45 RPM format on Clarity Vinyl. This Ultra High Quality Record release will be limited to 4,500 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets. After the success of 1974's Natty Dread and 1976's Rastaman Vibration, Bob Marley was not only the most successful reggae musician in the world, he was one of the most powerful men in Jamaica. Powerful enough, in fact, that he was shot by gunmen who broke into his home in December 1976, days before he was to play a massive free concert intended to ease tensions days before a contentious election for Jamaican Prime Minister.

In the wake of the assassination attempt, Marley and his band left Jamaica and settled in London for two years, where he recorded Exodus. Exodus represented a subtle but significant shift for Marley; while he continued to speak out against political corruption and for freedom and equality for Third World people, his skill as a songwriter was as strong as ever, and Exodus boasted more than a few classics, "including the title song, 'Three Little Birds,' 'Waiting in Vain,' and 'Turn Your Lights Down Low,' tunes that defined Marley's gift for sounding laid-back and incisive at once," writes AllMusic. This UHQR is remastered at 45 RPM by Sterling Sound's Ryan K. Smith from the original analog master tapes. Each UHQR will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Acoustic Sounds' industry-leading pressing plant Quality Record Pressings (QRP) using hand-selected Clarity Vinyl® with attention paid to every single detail. These records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation. Every UHQR will be hand inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless will be allowed to go to market. Each UHQR will be packaged in a custom clamshell box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product.

Jeroen van der Smut launches the 2nd volume of Smutty Edits. The crew from the first release DJ Mawashi, Tom Bolas and MLiR are joined by Italian Dama and Japanese crew C.O.M.P.A.S… The second edition carries through the concept of 3 electronic and House edits on one side with more disco and synth-pop leaning offerings on the flip.

Explosiv, emotional, kompromisslos und zu laut. In einer Rocklandschaft, die zunehmend zwischen Retro-Glanz und digitalem Kalkül pendelt, übernehmen THE EXTRAS eine Rolle, die längst verwaist scheint: Die einer Band, die Emotionalität nicht mit Pathos verwechselt, die Punk-Wurzeln mit Songwriting-Können paart - und die Haltung hat, ohne Parolen zu schreien. Gegründet 2023 in Köln, aber mit internationaler DNA, zwei der vier Mitglieder stammen aus den USA, verbindet sie den rohen Geist des amerikanischen Undergrounds mit europäischer Gegenwartskultur. Die Gründer Elmar Freels (Köln) und Jon Manierre (New York) werden komplettiert durch Transgitarristin Killer Krissy, Drummer extraordinaire Leroy Kaldenbach und Bassist Pat Bewick. Mit ihrem eigenständigen Breitwandsound, ausgefeilten Lyrics und Rollkragenpullovern nach Lou-Reed-Vorbild (nur in weiß) sind THE EXTRAS eine stilvolle Ausnahmeerscheinung. Sie vereinen rohe Energie mit Zugänglichkeit, Melancholie mit Wut, Punk mit Pop - und zeigen, dass Empowerment auch laut, chaotisch und kollektiv sein kann.

Folk-Musik hat die schlechte Angewohnheit, als eine todernste Angelegenheit dargestellt zu werden. Sie ist etwas, zu dem man weint, sie ist übermäßig heilig, sie ist feierlich von Kritikern und Historikern betrachtet. Aber das Folk Bitch Trio, die ehemaligen Highschool-Freundinnen Heide Peverelle (,they/them"), Jeanie Pilkington (,she/her") und Gracie Sinclair (,she/her"), haben einen gemeinsamen Sinn für Humor , der tief in ihre Musik eingebettet ist und sie zum Leuchten bringt, sicher vor den selbsternsten Fallen des Genres. Now Would Be A Good Time, ihr Debütalbum, erzählt lebendige, viszerale Geschichten und ist witzig und dunkel-ironisch in der Art von Schriftstellerinnen wie Mary Gaitskill oder Otessa Moshfegh. Ihre Musik klingt vertraut, aber die Songs sind modern, jugendlich, singen akut durch dissoziative Tagträume und ärgerliche Trennungen, sexuelle Fantasien und Medienüberflutung, all die belanglosen Ressentiments und kleinen Demütigungen, die Anfang zwanzig in den 2020ern sind. ,Cathode Ray" beginnt mit Vorsicht, seine ersten Harmonien kommen in großen, schleifenden Seufzern an. Es ist verletzlich, aber auch ein wenig bedrohlich, mit , einem weit offenen Refrain und einem geräumigen, luftigen Beat, der alles verankert. ,Moth Song", ein Song über unerwiderte Liebe und ,von so durchgedreht zu sein, dass man sich wie im Wahn fühlt und verrückte Dinge halluziniert", bildet das sparsame Herzstück des Albums, wobei Anita Clarks wogende Geigenstimme wie in einem Traum in den Fokus hinein- und wieder herausdriftet. Andere Songs sind nicht so schräg, sondern schildern brutal vertraute Momente am Ende von Beziehungen: Der spannungsgeladene, emotional flüchtige Torch-Song ,The Actor" handelt laut Peverelle davon, ,zur One-Woman-Show deines Partners zu gehen und dann Schluss zu machen". In ,Hotel TV", einer hypnotischen, nächtlichen Träumerei, geht es darum, ,einen Sextraum über zu haben, während man neben seinem Partner sitzt, und der Partner ist ein Lügner", erklärt Pilkington. Die stärkste Verbindung zwischen dem Trio, abgesehen von der Freundschaft, ist Musik. ,Wir haben alle darüber gesprochen, dass wir Musik liebten, als wir aufwuchsen, , und dass wir wussten, dass Musik ein großer Teil unseres Lebens sein sollte", sagt Pilkington. Dieses Gefühl, dass Musik eine angeborene Berufung ist, im Gegensatz zu Hobby oder Torheit, war berechtigt: Das Folk Bitch Trio tourte bereits auf durch Australien, Europa und die USA und unterstützte dabei so unterschiedliche Bands wie King Gizzard, Alex G und Julia Jacklin. Sie haben bei Jagjaguwar unterschrieben, einer Heimat für einzigartige Ikonen und Ikonoklasten (Bon Iver, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, UMO und andere), und sie haben ihre ersten eingefleischten Fans mit schillernden Harmonien und bissiger Lyrik gefunden, die über Genreerwartungen und Publikumsgrenzen hinausgehen. Das sind die Herausforderungen: Es geht darum zu lernen, wie man ein Leben ohne Liebeskummer und Verlierer-Ex lebt, wann man im zeitgenössischen Nihilismus versinkt und wann man mit seinen Freunden lacht, und warum sich das Leben so flüchtig und unwirklich anfühlen kann. In diesem Sinne fühlt sich Now Would Be A Good Time wie ein Handbuch für das moderne Leben an: eine Botschaft dreier stolzer Folk Bitches, die gemeinsam Schönheit und Weisheit finden, wo sie können.

Die dreiköpfige Band Golomb - bestehend aus Mickey Shuman (Gesang/Gitarre), Xenia Shuman (Bass/Gitarre) und Hawken Holm (Schlagzeug) - wurde im fruchtbaren Rockgebiet von Columbus, Ohio, gegründet und kanalisieren die Reibung des Mittleren Westens in ein Album, das nach einer echten Verbindung sucht. Sie klingen in der einen Minute wie Loop und in der nächsten wie die Pixies, die in Fort Apache auf die weichen Stellen des Pop einhämmern. Das unterschwellige Summen auf ,Real Power" erinnert an klarsichtige Klänge aus dem dem Guided By Voices-Spielbuch. Bei ,Dog" entblößt sich die Band mit einem langsamen Schleichen, in Richtung der gesungenen Eleganz von Spiritualized und mit einem lyrischen Labyrinth, einer Burroughs-mäßigen Verwischung von Rock-Motiven. Der Song gipfelt in einem reinen Mahlstrom mit einer glorreichen Rückkopplungsschwemme, die aus den Lautsprechern schäumt. Das vertraute Gespenst von The Velvet Underground taucht im shambolischen Beat des Titeltracks auf, und ,Other Side Of The Earth" wird mit Dub veredelt, verliert aber nie die Fähigkeit der Band, sich in den Vordergrund zu spielen. Dann wickeln sie auf ,Be Here Now" die Gitarre um ihre Rhythmen mit der Anmut der frühen Built To Spill und die Saxophonwirbel von Henry Ross schicken den Song in den Äther.