Forgive Yourself. Learn to live with yourself. Don't hurt yourself. This is the mantra of the new album Venus Smiles Not in the House of Tears from Samora Pinderhughes. Made over 8 years with loving detail by Pinderhughes and his longtime producer Jack DeBoe, it is a deeply personal exploration & reflection of mental health in the modern age. It tells a non-linear story about a relationship that didn't last, and the lessons learned through it. How can love exist when grief is in the way? Musically it's intentionally tough to pin down. Although Pinderhughes is Juilliard-trained, Venus is an open-genre exploration of musicmaking with wide-ranging production and a cinematic landscape of feeling and spirit. From quiet, contemplative piano pieces to hard-hitting and soulful full band jams, to expansive and fullthroated choir celebrations, Venus is a fitting accompaniment to a multitude of daily human experiences. It also features artists from Pinderhughes's tight-knit NYC community, representing a wave of new artists who thread the ethics of honesty & vulnerability into their work. Says Pinderhughes of the album, "Mental health isn't solitary; it's about how our feelings, fears, traumas, and conceptions of self meet the world around us. Like so many, I've struggled with depression, anxiety, and isolation within a complicated matrix of identities. I wanted to make a project that would be brutally and lovingly honest about what it feels like to try to sift through the debris of time. A project that really engages with what it means to love, in the midst of a society that teaches us all the wrong lessons. Our modern world wants us to get over things quickly and easily. That's where shame enters the picture, because when you struggle with deep cyclical feelings, the process of engaging with these elements in your life is never linear. It is always two steps forward, one step back. Kindness and honesty are required in equal measure in this life. Hopefully through the prism of these songs, you can feel something that resonates with you in your own life and experience." Pinderhughes is known for striking intimacy and carefully crafted, radically honest lyrics alongside high-level musicianship, and for using his music to examine sociopolitical issues and fight for change. His work delves into the things our society tries to hide - its history, its structures, and the things we all experience but don't know how to talk about. It is an invitation to feel and think deeply about how we live and a commitment to making art that is useful for everyday life. The New York Times described Pinderhughes' 2022 album GRIEF as a "visionary" work from "one of the most affecting singer-songwriters today, in any genre." Pinderhughes - a collaborator across boundaries with artists including Herbie Hancock, Glenn Ligon, Sara Bareilles, Common, Robert Glasper - is the creator and director of The Healing Project, a project that examines trauma & healing from incarceration, detention, and structural violence. Pinderhughes was the first-ever Art for Justice + Soros Justice Fellow and a recipient of Chamber Music America's 2020 Visionary Award. He is also a United States Artist Fellow, Creative Capital awardee, and Sundance Composers Lab fellow.
Cerca:ly
Phoebe Rings is a dream-pop band offering a unique blend of introspective yearning with celestial danceable grooves. Their self-titled debut EP, a hopeful collection of musings, out on Carpark Records, is a testament to the distinctive musical style of Auckland jazz-school-trained pianist and songwriter Crystal Choi. Across six tracks, the EP is a love letter to some of the band’s influences: Studio Ghibli films, Zelda and Stardew soundtracks, Bossa Nova, Stereolab, and 90’s Korean ballads.
In 2020, the band played their first gig in a ‘funny side room’ during a festival at Auckland Town Hall. Choi’s songwriting was brought to life with Alex Freer on drums, Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent on guitar and synths, and Benjamin Locke on bass. Choi says she knew the tracks had to be recorded after the band played the songs better than she could ever imagine. And so, remotely through the COVID-19 lockdowns, the band started recording the EP.
“Daisy” is the vibrant leading single, with the shimmery refrain “Ooh-wee-a-waa” and the uplifting mantra: “When you’re next to me, the world’s full of daisies.” The swirling synths fizz on the skin like warm sun, promising growth and new starts. “Cheshire” is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired trip through the rabbit hole, pacing in anticipation. “Like a Cheshire cat, it grins and disappears in moments when you accept yourself,” explains Choi. Locke and Choi finished the lyrics one evening, huddled in the corner of a local underground music venue, with references to Murakami’s book Dance Dance Dance.
Choi grew up in Seoul, developing a palette for K-pop and retro sounds. The city-pop influence of “January Blues” shines through, with Choi crediting one of her favourite songs from the ’80s: “연극이 끝난 후 After Play”. The track explores her disconnect with the summer break. “In the Northern Hemisphere, January is winter,” says Choi. “I missed that a lot, and I don’t vibe with the beach.”
“Spissky,” chimes in with Choi’s lilting vocals reminiscent of childhood lullabies, inspired by a lonely-looking castle she saw on tour with Princess Chelsea in Slovakia. While “Ocean” leans into its mumble-core roots, taking a leaf from the Cocteau Twins. There’s an external shift in the EP, with “Lazy Universe” being the most energetic track, evolving with the band’s chaotic sci-fi experimentation. Asking, “Are you still waiting for a kiss?” Choi is self-critical and urgently speaks up from being passive.
The members of Phoebe Rings are cemented in the musical ecosystem, balancing other projects and full-time work. Yet Sundays will always be carved out for Phoebe Rings to dream up imaginative, world-building tunes — often with a Nintendo game soundtrack in the background as inspiration.
Edgar Allan Poes zeitlose Poesie, gelesen von Künstlern, Schriftstellern, Dichtern, Musikern und Magiern, im Dienste des Werks und auch im Gedenken an einen großen Freund und Weggefährten auf den musikalischen Wegen, Hal Willner. Kramer hat eine eklektische Liste von Stimmen zusammengestellt, um den alten Worten eine neue Vision zu geben. Mit dabei Joan As Police Woman, Edgar Oliver, Thurston Moore, Britta Phillips, Lydia Lunch, Rick Moody, und andere. Die von Kramer geschaffene Musik, die jede Lesung begleitet, lässt das Licht auf den Interpreten scheinen und poliert den Raum zwischen der Poesie und der Aufführung. Den Abschluss des Albums bildet eine Archivaufnahme von Allen Ginsberg, der ,The Bells" lebendig vorträgt. Die unbegleitete Lesung vom Juni 1981 ist ein Auszug aus seinem Studienkurs ,Expansive Poetics" an der Naropa School of Disembodied Poets in Boulder, Colorado.
The Intima led a chameleon-like existence from 1999 to 2004, confounding critics who struggled to describe their distinctive sound while sharing stages with everyone from The Rapture to The Mekons. Hailing from Olympia and Portland, the postpunk quartet utilized sharp rhythms, prescient lyrics, and a collaborative compositional approach to conjure forth a sound that manages to be explosive yet detailed, experimental yet propulsive and melodic. Featuring a classically-trained violinist, custom-tuned guitars that careen at odd angles, and an imaginative and powerful rhythm section, the band explored the intersection of art-punk and agitpop with a spirit and tenor uniquely their own. In 2017, the Polish website More Noise summed up their sound by saying that "the first association that comes to mind is The Ex and the Dutch avant punk scene of the 1980s, but fans of the bands Dirty Three, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Unwound may also be intrigued."The group toured the States extensively during the 4+ years that they were active, including one grueling six-week tour undertaken just after 9/11 and another one in 2003 during which the US began bombing Iraq. The group's live sets are remembered for their combination of unbridled intensity and tightly-coiled musicianship, as well as their chaos potential, whether that chaos was performing in the middle of an illegal street party or causing a PA to burst into flames immediately preceding a headlining set by Deerhoof. A memorable show in DC with Q And Not U was mentioned by Dischord group Black Eyes in their Speaking In Tongues booklet last year, with Hugh McElroy describing the Intima as "a really aggressively-beautiful and poetic punk band with a violin where a guitar normally would be...pushing genre barriers in a way that helped me see a vision of how we might want to do that ourselves."Peril and Panic was recorded in Olympia over eight months in 2002 and was released in 2003 on LP (Zum/Collective Jyrk) and CD (Slowdance). In 2022, in the midst of the pandemic, the group commissioned Jason Powers to remix the original tracks from the ground up, which turned into an 18-month endeavor that included some compositional edits, significant work to improve the sound of the drums, and the uncovering of unreleased songs. Today, a fully remixed and remastered Peril and Panic is finally being released into the wild sounding much closer to how it was originally meant to be heard. Sounding more relevant than ever, it seems increasingly clear that the ideas and feelings that informed both band and album are no longer so "radical" - if anything, they've become the zeitgeist of today, as a confluence of global crises points to a fraught future long predicted.
This book is a collection of what I call Punk Art Poetry. Poetry put together like a lyric to tell a certain story or explain a thought on some punk related matter. Some of these stories did actually turn themselves into a song which I released on my Punk Art imprint.
Most of these poems were influenced or inspired a piece of art I was working on. So I have put together 30 of these ideas and put them next to the related work to give it all a bit more context.
Hope you like them or can relate to these stories.
A companion spoken word album ‘Listen Up Punk!’ is also available on the Punk Art label.
On October 18th, Minnesota born singer-songwriter Breymer, aka Sarah Walk (she/they), will release ‘When I Get Through’ with One Little Independent Records. The album is a strikingly honest exploration of their relationship with gender and identity, and specifically it tracks Walk’s experience undergoing top surgery, from making the decision to the process itself.
Breymer utilizes a rich array of instrumentation elevated by a standout vocal performance, raw lyricism, and textured production by Grammy winning Tyler Chester. Exquisite, layered vocal harmonies across the record enforce its reflective themes, and at times the conversation seems to be internal, with much of the record posing questions such as “Am I better now?”, “Am I on the wrong path?”, “Who am I?”. ‘When I Get Through’ examines a journey of self-discovery, it’s introspective and transformative, and it’s a testament to the strength of its lead; someone willing not just to make the choice, but to document the emotional experience in its entirety.
On their decision to change their artist name, Walk explains that “this album feels really transformative to me. I was compelled to have some kind of separation between my artist existence and personal existence. Bremer is my middle name and has always been intriguing to me; I like that it’s androgynous and uncommon. I changed the spelling, and it feels like it suits my music, particularly parallel to this album, and I was ready for a fresh start. Choosing a name requires a certain amount of agency and intentionality. This album feels bold and gender non-conforming, and Breymer felt like it encapsulated all of that”.
Revelatory and radically insightful, ‘When I Get Through’ bares all as Breymer takes listeners through every stage of their pursuit for self-acceptance. Unlike anything that has come before it, Walk’s ideas surrounding their own physical and mental progress are candid, authentic and ultimately breathtaking. Amidst a body of deftly constructed songcraft and extraordinary poeticism, Breymer has penned a companion piece for anyone in search for their true selves.
On October 18th, Minnesota born singer-songwriter Breymer, aka Sarah Walk (she/they), will release ‘When I Get Through’ with One Little Independent Records. The album is a strikingly honest exploration of their relationship with gender and identity, and specifically it tracks Walk’s experience undergoing top surgery, from making the decision to the process itself.
Breymer utilizes a rich array of instrumentation elevated by a standout vocal performance, raw lyricism, and textured production by Grammy winning Tyler Chester. Exquisite, layered vocal harmonies across the record enforce its reflective themes, and at times the conversation seems to be internal, with much of the record posing questions such as “Am I better now?”, “Am I on the wrong path?”, “Who am I?”. ‘When I Get Through’ examines a journey of self-discovery, it’s introspective and transformative, and it’s a testament to the strength of its lead; someone willing not just to make the choice, but to document the emotional experience in its entirety.
On their decision to change their artist name, Walk explains that “this album feels really transformative to me. I was compelled to have some kind of separation between my artist existence and personal existence. Bremer is my middle name and has always been intriguing to me; I like that it’s androgynous and uncommon. I changed the spelling, and it feels like it suits my music, particularly parallel to this album, and I was ready for a fresh start. Choosing a name requires a certain amount of agency and intentionality. This album feels bold and gender non-conforming, and Breymer felt like it encapsulated all of that”.
Revelatory and radically insightful, ‘When I Get Through’ bares all as Breymer takes listeners through every stage of their pursuit for self-acceptance. Unlike anything that has come before it, Walk’s ideas surrounding their own physical and mental progress are candid, authentic and ultimately breathtaking. Amidst a body of deftly constructed songcraft and extraordinary poeticism, Breymer has penned a companion piece for anyone in search for their true selves.
25 years ago, this record sprang on the scene— a record holding a voice impossible to draw comparison to, and lyrics and stories alien to anything that resonated from The Opry’s stage beforehand. Mary was the first openly queer person to play The Opry, and for us at KRS, this record encapsulates things new, exciting, bold, while being an absolute standout to what the realm of Americana has to offer. This is an authentic American experience, cliches weren’t needed. Mary is a legend. This record will always feel new, exciting, and bold.
'Whiplash' is the first album recorded by bôa in over twenty years, following the incredible reemergence of 'Duvet'. The album is a collection of melody-driven narratives, leaning into the emotive and relatable lyricism which resonates so well with fans. “Whiplash” is very human and uniquely universal — reflecting on the tides of time and relationships, which can refer to past entanglements, deep-rooted friendships, or even the abruptness of social change around us today. Newer fans craving more of the timeless warmth that has made “Duvet” an enduring hit will find that in abundance here, while decades-long fans will feel as if they’re welcoming an old friend back into the fold.
After the breakthroughs of 2020’s wistfully lush Fear of Death, and 2022’s High School, whose tales of nostalgia were never quite as distant as they seemed, the multi-hyphenate comedian and songwriter Heidecker has reached a new peak with Slipping Away, his warmest and fullest record to date. While all of his albums are concept records to some degree, this one tells a story on a larger scale, offering an imagistic framework that allows for some of his brightest melodies, heaviest themes (the feeling of before the fall and after), and most direct and vulnerable lyrics.
Soifass veröffentlichen zum 25jährigen Jubiläum ihr neues Album und nie klangen die Berliner besser aufgestellt zwischen wohldosierter Härte und prägnanten Refrains. Ein absolutes Brett! 1999 in Ost Berlin als Oi-Punk Band gegründet, fand man schnell seinen eigenen unverkennbaren Stil irgendwo zwischen Punk, HC, Oi! und hin und wieder sogar mit Ska Einflüssen (auf Speed). Schnelle und treibende Beats treffen auf ballernde Gitarren, lebendige Melodien und Straßenköter Gesang ohne textlich aber genretypische Klischees zu bedienen. Man teilt aus, man steckt ein, verzichtet auf den gehobenen Zeigefinger genauso wie auf kommerzielle Ambitionen. Während viele Bands ihren Sound an den "Deutschrock"-Trend der letzten Jahre anpassten ist die Band um Shouter Viktor in ihrem Revier geblieben. Und es gibt viel in den 12 neuen Songs zu erzählen und in Soifass-typischer Manier die Dinge beim Namen zu nennen: "Hipster-Stomp" ist die quasi Fortsetzung ihres Anti-Gentifizierungshits "Großstatdtwahnsinn", die Berlin und andere Großstädte für ihre neue Spielwiese infiltrieren. In "Berliner Walzer" gibt's ein schonungsloses Tänzchen über die immer größere werdende Kluft in der Ellbogengesellschaft. Soifass packten die unter den Fingenagel brennenden Themen lyrisch schon immer anders und subtiler an. Statt Parolen und plakativ aus dem Setzkasten, entfalten Songs wie "Verschwörer" eine ganz andere Wirkung, wenn im intimsten Umkreis der eigene Partner die ganze Schwurbelscheisse glaubt, oder in "Exzessiv" mit beißendem Zynismus einem den Spiegel von der angeblich heilen Welt vorhält. Und wenn man schon 25 Jahre lang dieses Berliner Aushängeschild zu einer der besten deutschsprachigen Streetpunkbands gemacht hat, darf man mit "Anglizismen" auch selber zurückblicken. Soifass tun auch dies ohne die übliche Selbstbeweihräucherung. Diese Band ist eine Klasse für sich...Authentisch, Dreckig-Soifass!
Soifass veröffentlichen zum 25jährigen Jubiläum ihr neues Album und nie klangen die Berliner besser aufgestellt zwischen wohldosierter Härte und prägnanten Refrains. Ein absolutes Brett! 1999 in Ost Berlin als Oi-Punk Band gegründet, fand man schnell seinen eigenen unverkennbaren Stil irgendwo zwischen Punk, HC, Oi! und hin und wieder sogar mit Ska Einflüssen (auf Speed). Schnelle und treibende Beats treffen auf ballernde Gitarren, lebendige Melodien und Straßenköter Gesang ohne textlich aber genretypische Klischees zu bedienen. Man teilt aus, man steckt ein, verzichtet auf den gehobenen Zeigefinger genauso wie auf kommerzielle Ambitionen. Während viele Bands ihren Sound an den "Deutschrock"-Trend der letzten Jahre anpassten ist die Band um Shouter Viktor in ihrem Revier geblieben. Und es gibt viel in den 12 neuen Songs zu erzählen und in Soifass-typischer Manier die Dinge beim Namen zu nennen: "Hipster-Stomp" ist die quasi Fortsetzung ihres Anti-Gentifizierungshits "Großstatdtwahnsinn", die Berlin und andere Großstädte für ihre neue Spielwiese infiltrieren. In "Berliner Walzer" gibt's ein schonungsloses Tänzchen über die immer größere werdende Kluft in der Ellbogengesellschaft. Soifass packten die unter den Fingenagel brennenden Themen lyrisch schon immer anders und subtiler an. Statt Parolen und plakativ aus dem Setzkasten, entfalten Songs wie "Verschwörer" eine ganz andere Wirkung, wenn im intimsten Umkreis der eigene Partner die ganze Schwurbelscheisse glaubt, oder in "Exzessiv" mit beißendem Zynismus einem den Spiegel von der angeblich heilen Welt vorhält. Und wenn man schon 25 Jahre lang dieses Berliner Aushängeschild zu einer der besten deutschsprachigen Streetpunkbands gemacht hat, darf man mit "Anglizismen" auch selber zurückblicken. Soifass tun auch dies ohne die übliche Selbstbeweihräucherung. Diese Band ist eine Klasse für sich...Authentisch, Dreckig-Soifass!
Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys is the self-titled debut album by the English rock and pop band released in 1990.
The band was formed by David A. Stewart who is known for being part of the British pop duo Eurythmics.
Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys is available as a limited edition of 1000 numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics.
Honest is the second album by the English rock and pop band Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys released in 1991.
The bandmembers on this album include Chris Bostock from JoBox-ers, Jonathan Perkins, Olle Romo and Nan Vernon,
but also include Martin Chambers from the band The Pretenders and John Turnbull from Ian Dury and The Blockheads.
Honest is available as a limited edition of 750 numbered copies on translucent magenta coloured vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics.
Tonic is an American rock band, formed by Jeff Russo and Emerson Hart in 1993. Sugar is their second studio album, includes the charting singles "Knock Down Walls" and "You Wanted More".
It was released in 1999. The track "You Wanted More" was also included in the coming-of-age teen comedy American Pie.
Sugar is available on vinyl for the first time and includes an insert with song lyrics.
Conscious Pilot was founded by Joe Laycock and Jack Sharp as a successor to theatrical punk group Cheap Teeth, the pair birthed the project from their joint love of immersive, beat-driven soundscapes and an exploration of subtle shifts. After recording the debut EP "Epoxy Plains" in 2024 the band have already recorded a follow-up EP "Wipe Clean". Conscious Pilot offer post-punk with a dollop of sonic melodies, inspiring lyrics and raw vocals.
2024 coloured (violet) vinyl repress for this year's Sonic Cathedral's 20th anniversary! Hull/Leeds based five-piece bdrmm release their much anticipated debut Bedroom on July 3, via Sonic Cathedral. The 10-track album was recorded late last year at The Nave studio in Leeds by Alex Greaves (Working Mens Club, Bo Ningen) and mastered in Brooklyn by Heba Kadry (Slowdive, Beach House). It's a hugely accomplished debut and a real step up both sonically and lyrically from their early singles, which were rounded up on last year's If Not, When? EP. Musically, there are nods to The Cure's Disintegration, Deerhunter and DIIV, while the band reference RIDE and Radiohead. There are also echoes of krautrock and post-punk, from The Chameleons to Protomartyr, plus the proto shoegaze of the Pale Saints' The Comforts Of Madness, not least in the cross fading of some tracks, meaning the album is an almost seamless listen. As a result, Bedroom becomes an unexpected and unintentional concept album, running through the different stages of a break-up set against the backdrop of the ups and downs of your early twenties. "The subject matter spans mental health, alcohol abuse, unplanned pregnancy, drugs_ basically every cliché topic that you could think of," reveals frontman Ryan Smith. "But that doesn't mean they ever stop being relevant. It's a fucker growing up, but I'm lucky enough to have been able to project my feelings in the form of this band, surrounded by four of the best people I've ever met." And that band name, in case it needs explaining, is pronounced the same way as the album title. "I never thought I'd get to the stage where I would have to explain it so much," says Ryan. "We have been pronounced as Boredom, Bdum and my old boss thought we were a ska band called Bad Riddim. We're all sarcastic cunts, so Bedroom spelt correctly seemed like the perfect title." He's right. The perfect title for the perfect debut album. "A modern day shoegaze classic" - NME "The general roller coaster of being twenty-somethings in post-Brexit England who find themselves awash with a shimmering soundscape that recalls Oshin-era DIIV, Deerhunter's Microcastle, or even The Cure at their most ambiently grandiose" - Under The Radar
If a “sound” is unique, it can often expect a reasonable success. However, it takes a great deal more than just uniqueness to sustain this success. The Fleetwoods did this – and more. They became America’s top teenage vocal trio. Their sound was more than just different and identifiably their own. It was a perfect blend of young voices, just right for so many of the fine ballads they were singing. The Fleetwoods’ secret, if you can call it a secret, was sincerity. They simply gave each lyric they sang its truest and sincerest meaning. Over the years, many others have tried to imitate them, but none have come close to the overwhelming success they had. We hope you will enjoy this album of The Fleetwoods’ very best recordings.
Joe Henry is one of the artists who have shaped the sound of modern American folk and blues music like hardly anyone else. “Civilians”, his 10th studio album, was originally released in 2007. It takes the listener on an intimate journey into Henry’s poetic lyricism and is heavily influenced and inspired by the more melancholic sounds of folk and jazz music. Recorded in Henry’s home studio at the time, the Garfield House in Pasadena, the album has a raw and stripped-back feel, with several of Henry’s close friends and collaborators, like Loudon Wainwright III, Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, and Van Dyke Parks, joining him in the studio to bring these songs to life. The 2024 reissue edition of “Civilians” features not only the 12 songs of the original release, but also previously unheard bonus material, including intimate demo versions of several songs on the album, as well as the all-new bonus track “Bread & Flowers”. Available on CD and for the first time ever, 2LP Black Vinyl.
Emotive and raw, British (St. Albans) punk band returns with fourth album “Heaven Can
Wait.” With “Heaven Can Wait.”, the band effortlessly blend punk rock and post-hardcore;
shining melody and searing lyricism. New album includes features from Eric Vanlerberghe
of I Prevail on single “Be Someone” & Kenta Koie of Crossfaith on single
“filthy//RIGHTEOUS”.




















