- Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine
- Carmen Mcrae & The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five
- Dean Martin - You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
- Louis Prima - Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody
- Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd - Desafinado
- John Coltrane - Naima
- Norah Jones & Joel Harrison - Tennessee Waltz
- Sarah Vaughan - Lullaby Of Birdland
- Miles Davis - Générique (B.o.f. Ascenseur Pour L'échafa
- Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova
- Madeleine Peyroux - He's Got Me Goin
- Diana Krall - Straighten Up And Fly Right
- Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin
- Harlie Parker - All The Things You Are
- Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me
- Harry Belafonte - Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)
- Aretha Franklin - God Bless The Child
- Youn Sun Nah, Lars Danielsson & Xavier Desandre Navarre
- Melody Gardot & Seth Kallen - My Sweet Darling
- Billie Holiday - I'll Be Seeing You
- Nat "King" Cole - Unforgettable
- Ella Fitzgerald - How High The Moon
- Sidney Bechet - Petite Fleur
- Dinah Washington - What A Difference A Day Makes
- Django Reinhardt - Nuages
- Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose
Suche:mc 1
- 1: Synthtro
- 2: I'm So Tired (Of Living In The City)
- 3: Can't Get Through To My Head
- 4: Someone Else Is In Control
- 5: Goin' Down
- 6: Wish That She'd Come Back
- 7: Thick Skin
- 8: Too Much Tension
- 9: Watching The News Gives Me The Blues
- 10: It's Alright
- 11: Traces
Ltd edition in transparent yellow vinyl!
The Mystery Lights 2nd outing on Daptone's rock subsidiary, Wick, sees them digging deeper into their cavern of influences, taking on tips from Suicide, The Kinks and Television as they look to build on their already party fuelled, raucous sound.
The Mystery Lights story begins in 2004 in the small town of Salinas California when friends Michael Brandon and Luis Alfonso -whose shared fondness for groups like The Mc5, Velvet Underground, Dead Moon, and The Fall (just to name a few) -decided to join forces and craft their own brand of unhinged rock and roll. From there they spent the better part of 10 years touring relentlessly before migrating to Queens, New York in 2014.
With a live show known for its raw, visceral energy and relentless assault –leaving little to no stoppage between songs –they barreled through countless NYC haunts and DIY venues, quickly amassing a fervent local following. The buzz soon caught the attention of Daptone Records execs who were in the beginning stages of launching a new rock-centric imprint, Wick Records. Impressed by the groups’ musicianship, groove, endless supply of energy, and understanding of musical history the Mystery Lights were quickly signed to Wick. Though a rock band at heart, the parallels to what Daptone Records had traditionally looked for in their Soul artists was undeniable. Soon sessions were booked with Producer/Engineer Wayne Gordon, and the release of their debut single “Too Many Girls” b/w “Too Tough to Bear” launched to mass critical fanfare.
Upon the release of their self-titled full-length on June 24th 2016 The Mystery Lights were quickly crowned “one of New York’s finest garage rock bands” by NME. Extensive touring, including multiple stops in Europe, Asia and Australia followed which found the group graduating from support slots at hole-in-the-wall clubs to headlining stages at major festivals worldwide.
After two years of break-neck, non-stop touring, the group settled back into Queens to prepare for their second full-length record, Too Much Tension(out May 2019). With Wayne Gordon in the producer’s chair and several intense writing sessions under their belt the group were back at Daptone’s House of Soul and ready to track. While keeping the hard-hitting approach of the first LP, Too Much Tension finds the group digging deeper into their well of eclectic influences, enriching their sound without echoing the past. Mixing the eerie, insistent synth sounds of groups like The Normal and Suicide, the energy and swagger of punk’s golden age, the pop sensibility of The Kinks, and the stark, deliberate execution of Television -The Mystery Lights are taking their idiosyncratic brand of rock and roll to dizzying new heights.
- A1: The Wraith Of The Rings 7:05
- A2: (I) The Fields That I Recall
- (Ii) Emissary
- (Iii) The Fields That I Recall (Reprise) 8:02
- A3: City Walls 6:11
- B1: Against The Wind 5:15
- B2: (I) Where You Lead I’ll Follow
- (Ii) Stormcrow And Pilgrim
- (Iii) Where You Lead I’ll Follow (Reprise) 8:47
- B3: Return Of The Mountain King 6:40
- C1: The End Of Summer (Galadriel’s Theme) 5:51
- C2: This Gallant Band Of Manic Strangers 3:46
- C3: The Fellowship 4:23
- D1: Deep Winter (Live) 5:13
- D2: Fire And Ice (Live) 4:56
DESCRIPTION
Escape Music has the pleasure to announce the re-release of much-loved vocalist Bob Catley (Magnum/Avantasia) “Middle Earth” album. After the great success of ‘The Tower’, Bob and Gary got together again for the follow-up – ‘Legends’. It was during this period that Bob and Gary first discussed their mutual love for the work of JRR Tolkein, which planted a seed in Gary’s mind, which finally led to this full-blown concept album based around Tolkein’s work on ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’.‘Middle Earth’ is, of course, the mythical world where all these events take place, and once again Gary’s wonderfully evocative lyrics fully immerse us into this wonderful and colourful universe. As with the previous album ‘Legends’, the band again mostly consisting of members of Ten, such as Vinny Burns and Steve McKenna, with the drum stool being occupied by Dante Fox’s Jon Cookesy. Artwork has once again been provided my world-renowned artist Rodney Matthews, whose career is inextricably linked with Magnum/Bob Catley. This ‘fellowship’ was once more prepared to take Gary’s evocative work and Bob Catley’s mercurial vocals out into the world once more.
- Hang Em High
- Two Seven
- Bitter
- 4: Priest Hunter
- Little Paths
- Rumble Shake
- Black Asphalt
- Black Man's Gold
- Jessie Mae* (Written By Ray Wylie Hubbard)
- Sit With Satan
Das zweite Album des irischen Bluesrock-Trio jetzt auf Vinyl! 2014 stieg es auf Position 12 in die irischen Albumcharts ein und ist eine brillante Reise voller Blues-Rock Power! Als Nachfolger zu dem 2012 veröffentlichten und von Kritikern vielbeachteten Debüt "Electric Soup"baut das zweite Album der Band, "Rumble Shake" auf diesem Erfolg auf und liefert 10 Bluesrock-Songs aus dem tiefen Süden Irlands. Wahre Geschichten und sündhaft gute Musik mit Gästen wie zum Beispiel der texanischen Legende RAY WYLIE HUBBARD. Aufgenommen wurde das Album in den Westland Studios in Dublin, während das Trio die Historie des Ortes in sich einsog - denn in diesem Studio haben schon Größen wie BOB DYLAN, HORSLIPS und THIN LIZZY ihre Platten machen lassen - und abgemischt in Texas von George Reiff (TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, THE BAND OF HEATHENS, RAY WYLIE HUBBARD). Christy O'Hanlon (Gitarre, Vocals), Stephen McGrath (Bass) und Gev Barrett (Drums, Background-Gesang, Perkussion) schrieben bis auf "Jessie Mae" (RAY WYLIE HUBBARD) alle Songs selbst und lassen den Bluesrock weiter Unvergänglichkeit atmen, ohne ihn dabei verstaubt klingen zu lassen.
- A1: Elton John - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- A2: Paul Mccartney & Wings - "Live & Let Die
- A3: Slade - "Cum On Feel The Noize
- A4: T Rex - "20Th Century Boy
- A5: Sweet - "Blockbuster
- A6: Mud - "Dyna-Mite
- A7: Wizzard - "See My Baby Jive
- A8: 10Cc - "Rubber Bullets
- B1: John Lennon - "Mind Games
- B2: Bruce Springsteen - "Blinded By The Light
- B3: Billy Joel - "Piano Man
- B4: Carly Simon - "You're So Vain
- B5: Paul Simon - "Take Me To The Mardi Gras
- B6: Stealers Wheel - "Stuck In The Middle With You
- B7: Elvis Presley - "Always On My Mind
- C1: Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly With His Song
- C2: Marvin Gaye - "Let's Get It On
- C3: Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (Feat Teddy Pendergrass)
- C4: The Spinners - "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
- C5: The O'jays - "Love Train
- C6: The Temptations - "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
- C7: Ike & Tina Turner - "Nutbush City Limits
- D1: Dawn - "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" (Feat Tony Orlando)
- D2: Gilbert O'sullivan - "Get Down
- D5: Simon Park Orchestra - "Eye Level" (Theme From The Tv Series Van Der Valk)
- D6: Shirley Bassey - "Never Never Never
- D7: Diana Ross - "Touch Me In The Morning
- D8: Billy Paul - "Me & Mrs Jones
- D9: Gladys Knight & The Pips - "Help Me Make It Through The Night
- E1: Paul Mccartney & Wings - "My Love
- E2: Kiki Dee - "Amoureuse
- E3: Fleetwood Mac - "Albatross
- E4: Electric Light Orchestra - "Roll Over Beethoven
- E5: Thin Lizzy - "Whiskey In The Jar
- E6: Free - "Wishing Well
- E7: Faces - "Cindy Incidentally
- E8: Bob Dylan - "Knockin' On Heaven's Door
- F1: Sweet - "The Ballroom Blitz
- F2: Suzi Quatro - "Can The Can
- F3: Alvin Stardust - "My Coo Ca Choo
- F4: Mott The Hoople - "Roll Away The Stone
- F5: Roxy Music - "Street Life
- F6: David Essex - "Rock On
- F7: Wizzard - "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
- F8: Slade - "Merry Xmas Everybody
- D3: Olivia Newton-John - "Take Me Home Country Roads
- D4: Peters & Lee - "Welcome Home
- A1: Blondie - "Call Me" (3 31)
- A2: Madness - "My Girl" (2 47)
- A3: Kate Bush - "Army Dreamers" (2 51)
- A4: Roxy Music - "Oh Yeah!" (4 50)
- A5: Grace Jones - "Private Life" (4 39)
- A6: Siouxsie & The Banshees - "Christine" (3 00)
- A7: Judas Priest - "Breaking The Law" (2 36)
- A8: Motorhead - "Ace Of Spades" (2 49)
- B1: Donna Summer - "On The Radio" (3 53)
- B2: Diana Ross - "I'm Coming Out" (3 57)
- B3: Change - "Searching" (3 12)
- B4: Stephanie Mills - "Never Knew Love Like This Before" (3 24)
- B5: Odyssey - "If You're Lookin' For A Way Out" (3 07)
- B6: The Korgis - "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" (3 54)
- B7: Andrew Lloyd Webber & Marti Webb - "Take That Look Off Your Face" (3 08)
- B8: Jona Lewie - "Stop The Cavalry" (2 57)
- C1: Adam & The Ants - "Antmusic" (3 31)
- C2: Toyah - "I Want To Be Free" (2 58)
- C3: Kim Wilde - "Chequered Love" (3 17)
- C4: The Human League - "Open Your Heart" (3 51)
- C5: Visage - "Mind Of A Toy" (3 35)
- C6: Altered Images - "I Could Be Happy" (3 30)
- C7: Fun Boy Three - "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)" (3 04)
- C8: Shakin' Stevens - "Green Door" (3 02)
- D5: Gary Numan - "She's Got Claws" (4 52)
- D6: Freeez - "Southern Freeez" (3 55)
- D7: Kiki Dee - "Star" (3 14)
- D8: Cliff Richard - "Wired For Sound" (3 38)
- E1: Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf" (3 25)
- E2: Haircut 100 - "Fantastic Day" (3 13)
- E3: Adam Ant - "Friend Or Foe" (3 25)
- E4: Soft Cell - "Torch" (4 08)
- E5: A Flock Of Seagulls - "Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)" (4 06)
- E6: Japan - "Nightporter" (4 52)
- E7: Abc - "All Of My Heart" (4 38)
- F1: The Clash - "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" (3 01)
- F2: The Jam - "Beat Surrender" (3 22)
- F3: Bucks Fizz - "The Land Of Make Believe" (3 49)
- F4: Tight Fit - "Fantasy Island" (3 26)
- F5: Dollar - "Videotheque" (3 32)
- F6: Imagination - "Just An Illusion" (3 57)
- F7: Shalamar - "There It Is" (3 22)
- F8: Daryl Hall & John Oates - "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (3 43)
- G1: Wham! - "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)" (3 22)
- G2: Spandau Ballet - "Gold" (3 42)
- G3: Bananarama - "Cruel Summer" (3 30)
- G4: Billy Joel - "Tell Her About It" (3 45)
- G5: Paul Young - "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (4 02)
- D1: The Police - "Invisible Sun" (3 22)
- G6: Carmel - "Bad Day" (3 37)
- D3: The Teardrop Explodes - "Reward" (2 45)
- G7: Culture Club - "Victims" (4 55)
- H1: Paul Mccartney & Michael Jackson - "Say Say Say" (3 40)
- H2: Kc & The Sunshine Band - "Give It Up" (3 55)
- H3: The Cure - "The Walk" (3 26)
- H4: Tears For Fears - "Change" (3 51)
- H5: Heaven 17 - "Come Live With Me" (3 30)
- H6: Elton John - "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" (4 40)
- H7: Robert Plant - "Big Log" (4 54)
- I1: Queen - "Radio Ga Ga" (5 40)
- I2: Thompson Twins - "Doctor! Doctor!" (4 23)
- I3: Nik Kershaw - "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (3 21)
- I4: Howard Jones - "Like To Get To Know You Well" (3 52)
- I5: Sandie Shaw - "Hand In Glove" (2 56)
- I6: Alison Moyet - "All Cried Out" (3 39)
- I7: Tina Turner - "Private Dancer" (4 03)
- J1: Lionel Richie - "Stuck On You" (3 07)
- J2: Rufus & Chaka Khan - "Ain't Nobody" (4 21)
- J3: Billy Ocean - "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" (3 57)
- J4: Hazell Dean - "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" (3 42)
- J5: Shakatak - "Down On The Street" (3 17)
- J6: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "The Power Of Love" (5 31)
- J7: Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (3 45)
- D2: Pretenders - "Message Of Love" (3 25)
- D4: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - "Joan Of Arc" (3 14)
- A1: Queen - "I Want It All
- A2: Simple Minds - "Belfast Child
- A3: Tears For Fears - "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" (7" Version)
- A4: Holly Johnson - "Love Train
- A5: Fine Young Cannibals - "She Drives Me Crazy
- A6: Lisa Stansfield - "All Around The World
- B1: Black Box - "Ride On Time
- B2: Kym Mazelle & Robert Howard - "Wait
- B3: Neneh Cherry - "Buffalo Stance" (7" Mix)
- B4: Soul Ii Soul & Caron Wheeler - "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)
- B5: Paula Abdul - "Straight Up" (Single Version)
- B6: Donna Summer - "This Time I Know It's For Real
- B7: Sonia - "You;Ll Never Stop Me Loving You
- B8: Jason Donovan - "Too Many Broken Hearts
- C1: Tina Turner - "The Best" (Edit)
- C2: Cher - "If I Could Turn Back Time
- C3: Belinda Carlisle - "Leave A Light On
- C4: Martika - "Toy Soldiers" (Single Version)
- C5: Billy Joel - "We Didn't Start The Fire
- C6: Chris Rea - "The Road To Hell" (Part 2)
- C7: Gladys Knight - "Licence To Kill
- D1: The Cure - "Lullaby
- D2: Electronic - "Getting Away With It" (7" Edit)
- D3: Yello - "Of Course I'm Lying" (Single Version)
- D6: Shakespears Sister - "You're History
- D7: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - "What I Am" (Album Version)
- E1: Mar Almond & Gene Pitney - "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart
- E2: Jimmy Somerville - "Comment Te Dire Adieu" (Feat June Miles Kingston)
- E3: London Boys - "Requiem
- E4: Liza Minnelli - "Losing My Mind
- E5: Kon Kan - "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You A Rose Garden)
- E6: New Order - "Round & Round" (7" Version)
- E7: Malcolm Mclaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra - "Waltz Darling
- F1: Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan - "Especially For You
- F2: Pet Shop Boys - "It's Alright" (7" Version)
- F3: Duran Duran - "All She Wants Is" (Single Mix)
- F4: Deborah Harry - "I Want That Man
- F5: The Bangles - "Eternal Flame
- F6: Sam Brown - "Stop" (7" Edit)
- F7: Mile & The Mechanics - "The Living Years
- D4: Rem - "Orange Crush
- D5: The Stone Roses - "Fools Gold
NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series, and the final one representing an individual year from the 1980s: NOW – Yearbook 1989. 78 tracks across 4CDs – celebrating a magnificent and eclectic year in pop! This release is available as a standard 4-CD set, and as a special edition 4-CD set in ‘hardback book’ packaging, which includes a 28-page booklet packed with notes about all of the 78 featured tracks. Also available as 42 tracks across 3LPs, pressed in stunning pink vinyl…celebrating a magnificent and eclectic year in pop!
The Masters At Work – "Get Up" 7-inch vinyl is a dynamic hip-hop breakbeat release designed for DJs and beat enthusiasts. Featuring samples from "Funky Sensation" by the late Gwen McCrae, this track is a tribute to classic funk and breakbeat culture, infused with MAW’s signature groove-heavy production.
This must-have vinyl blends funk, hip-hop, and party breaks, making it a perfect addition to any DJ crate or vinyl collector’s stash. Ideal for turntablists and those who appreciate the golden era of breakbeat sampling.
Horizon is a new collaborative album by Resavoir and Matt Gold. Across the 10 tracks the two Chicago-based producers combine their distinct sensibilities to create a hypnotic and inviting love letter to their shared admiration for "60s and "70s Brazilian music. Resavoir leading man Will Miller - the acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and producer who"s worked with SZA, Whitney, and more-makes room at the table for Gold - a seasoned multi-instrumentalist and accomplished guitarist who has collaborated with the likes of Makaya McCraven and Greg Ward - and the results are distinctly new for both of them. The sunny and expansive tunes on Horizon are as immersive as they are endlessly replayable, a dynamic and joyous body of work.
Wairunga finds the Freddy juggernaut digging deep to debut five songs and revisit two classics captured in an outdoor performance sans audience but with wild weather elements playing an important creative role in producing this unique live album.
Recorded in Wairunga, high above Waimarama Beach in New Zealand, it is place etched into the DNA of Fat Freddy’s Drop who’ve roamed here for over 20 years; to party, relax between tours, make a song Wairunga Blues in its honour and even to get married. Farmed by the Parker family for a century, Wairunga is an oasis of green pasture and native tree filled valleys that fall away to the ocean below.
In inimitable Freddy's fashion the new tunes run a gamut of genre busting styles. Coffee Black is layered with cosmic hot buttered soul and cinematic wigged out psyche-blues while Shady continues Freddy's Afro-Acid adventures with Fitchie’s beat-making tapping into a South African township brand of techno Freddys experienced on tour.
Bush Telegraph is a reggae classic featuring MC Slave aka Mark Williams on the mic with freshly minted yum char spiced rhymes of hope. The other new tracks Leave Your Window Open and Dig Deep are loose rhythmic experiments that the band have been working on for a long time. Versions were developed, rehearsed, but then set aside – dismissed, demonised - only to be revived with new energy in some future moment of creative cohesion. The results are loose-limbed; broken and bruised beats smashing into subterranean bass and twisted up melodies.
Bones and Wairunga Blues are the two classics from Freddy's vast back catalogue. Off the Blackbird album, Bones has aged beautifully - like a fine wine - the song’s component parts matured and melded together in harmony and balance. DJ Fitchie rates this 2021 vintage superior to the 2013 original. Wairunga Blues has been a work-in-progress since it was released on Bays in 2015. Kuki dials up some appropriately off-kilter keys to match the wonky-funk laid down by Fitchie’s bass line and the horns. It’s a mighty comeback – and a fitting tribute to this magical place.
Punching our ticket for the tenth trip on the Drum Chums line, we rattle past the control centre, where Approach Release delivers another masterclass in genre-blurring brilliance.
Darting through emotional New Beat, psychedelic soul, stomping Afro-disco and coastal cosmic, AR keeps things right on track and perfectly off the rails.
'So Wrong' starts the party with a growl and a gurn, all gnarly sequences and robotic drums until that mournful vocal moves us into a land of Lynchian longing. Teardrops on the dance floor, clouds in your coffee, it's, it's, Goth Italo folks.
Shifting tone like McCrae shifted gears, Approach Release moves on from Main-Room Gloom into the smooth and sensual soul of 'LuvLuvLuv'. Low-slung, lilting, loose and lysergic, this versatile version-excursion works wonders as warm up and rub down, its brilliant bedroom vocals floating atop the synthetic and psychedelic groove.
Over on the B-side, 'E-Killa' bursts out the speakers with about 100,00 volts of Afro-disco energy, each one perfectly harnessed to whip a crowd into a grinning frenzy. Armed with an unstoppable arrangement, vital vocals and a stomping rhythm section, this delicious drink of tropical pop just keeps on fizzing.
For an encore, Approach Release drops the deeply dramatic 'Lou Cee', a full-hearted bit of Balearique-brilliance stacked with enough synth strings, faux-accordion and earnest outpourings to give Chris Rea a run in the anthem stakes.
100% Drum Fun Guaranteed. .
Only the first plate of the LP. (AB side)
New Zealand drum & bass titans The Upbeats have galvanized the global turbulence and turmoil during COVID to create their most explorative and emotionally heavy album to date "Not Forever". Featuring the likes of Fat Freddys Drop frontman Joe Dukie, Jordan Dennis, Levine Lale, Sylvee, Syrene Favero and US MC don Armanni Reign, "Not Forever" is unlike anything the duo has released before. Written in a different way, approached from another perspective, created with a newfound love for the creative process and the scene at large; It's a whole new side to the duo who have continually pushed themselves and their sound into the unknown...
2025 Repress.
Originally released in limited formats in 2017 and having since been repressed several times, 2025 sees
a new pressing to acknowledge the enduring legacy of this recording. In 2024, the song Trees & Flowers
became an unexpected hit on Tik Tok and introduced a new generation to these timeless songs.
“1982 4-Piece Demo” is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name
Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences
in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band’s
mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn’t a
complete picture.
Bryson and McDowall’s growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative
partnership: Bryson’s art school background and McDowall’s history in avant-punk group The Poets meant
Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band’s very first incarnation,
an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow’s Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends
Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry
Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it’s in these raw, passionate
recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time.
“Spanish Song” is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall’s instantly recognizable lead vocal
dovetailing with Bryson’s harmonies and lead guitar, it’s the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry
Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indiepop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. Trees & Flowers is instantly
recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it’s given a more forceful rhythm
section: Goodlett and McGowan’s playing is in fact accomplished and doesn’t hint at the bands’ youth. Go Away
would also surface later on the band’s debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting
refrain.
These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.
Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single
photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and
new text from contemporary Stephen Pastel.
Spanish Song' is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall's instantly recognizable lead vocal dovetailing with Bryson's harmonies and lead guitar, it's the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indie-pop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. "Trees & Flowers" is instantly recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it's given a more forceful rhythm section: Goodlett and McGowan's playing is in fact accomplished and doesn't hint at the bands' youth. "Go Away" would also surface later on the band's debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting refrain. These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.
Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and new text. Pa
Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl + Book[14,71 €]
1982 4-Piece Demo' is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band's mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn't a complete picture. Bryson and McDowall's growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative partnership: Bryson's art school background and McDowall's history in avant-punk group The Poets meant Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band's very first incarnation, an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow's Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it's in these raw, passionate recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time.
Spanish Song' is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall's instantly recognizable lead vocal dovetailing with Bryson's harmonies and lead guitar, it's the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indie-pop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. "Trees & Flowers" is instantly recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it's given a more forceful rhythm section: Goodlett and McGowan's playing is in fact accomplished and doesn't hint at the bands' youth. "Go Away" would also surface later on the band's debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting refrain. These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.
Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and new text. Pa
- Don't Like You Anymore
- Consistency
- No More
- How Long Will It Take
- Here When You're Ready
- Reasons To Stay
- The Lament
- Don't Let Go
- Talk To Me Nice
- Having A Time
- Win Feat. Clerel
TRANSPARENT 7 inch VINYL[14,08 €]
Two Times Juno awards listed and 2 times Polaris price listed, Canadian Soul Star Tanika Charles unleash the new album "Reason To Stay that drops on May 16 via independent soul label Record Kicks. Reasons To Stay is Tanika Charles' fourth full-length album, and her most introspective to date. Where her songs have typically touched on romantic love and heartache, the core love and loss of this record is family focused. It has taken years for Tanika to be able to publicly reflect on the childhood trauma and family breakup that occurred during her teens. The majority of the album was composed by Tanika with the tight knit team of Scott McCannell (Lydia Persaud, Henry Nozuka), Kyla Charter (Aysanabee) and Chino de Villa (Jessie Reyez). Kelly Finnigan of the Monophonics joined in to mix the bulk of the project and apply some trademark analogue grit to Tanika's sheen. Guests include Quebec-based Soulful singer/songwriter Clerel on the last track "Win", as well as Toronto soul artists Aphrose and Claire Davis providing additional vocals. "I love this album. I love singing these songs. I love that it's made me step outside of my comfort zone. It's forced me to face the root causes of my own insecurities that I carry to this day. Why am I striving so hard to seek validation, and why take it so personally when it doesn't come? That distortion has prevented me from celebrating my own successes at times. This album is me trying to change that." "I love the conversations that have begun with these songs. It's about childhood trauma, but it's not a victim story. I'm doing well, despite the baggage I carry. I want others to be able to carry theirs too." In the last few years, Canadian Soul/R&B powerhouse Tanika Charles has transformed from an emerging solo artist to a commanding performer and bandleader, cementing her status as a staple in the Canadian soul scene. Her previous studio albums - "Soul Run" (2017), "The Gumption" (2019), and "Papillon De Nuit" (2022) - have propelled her to international acclaim, earning her two JUNO nominations, two Polaris Prize listings, and a growing global fanbase. Extensive touring across North America and Europe has further solidified her reputation, with standout performances at festivals such as Trans Musicales in France, Fusion Festival in Germany, Mostly Funk & Soul Festival and Jazz Festival in the UK, Holy Groove Festival in Switzerland, and Canarias Jazz Festival in Spain. She has also shared the stage Estelle, Mayer Hawthorne, Haitus Kayote, Lauryn Hill, Bedouin Soundclash and Macy Gray. Tanika's meteoric rise and undeniable artistry have been widely championed by outlets such as KCRW, KEXP, BBC6 Music, Exclaim!, CBC Music, Uncut Mag, PopMatters, Albumism .. further solidifying her position as a global soul sensation.
Risk/Reward is the brainchild of New York based, London-born underground music scene veteran and Archivio Records owner Daniel Dutts.
The label fuses leading contemporary artists, with iconic 90s producers to create a playful yet sophisticated sound, firmly focused on creating dance floor magic!
The first EP showcases rising Philadelphia talents Post Play (Sweater & John Raffaele), whose previous excursion on Small Moves became a much sought after cult classic.
Danger is what’s commonly known by DJs as a “sure thing”, guaranteed to get the most stubborn of crowds moving. A cheeky bass groove, quirky stabs, hip hop breaks and scratched vocals, create a vibe best described as “if DJ Premier made a track for Wiggle in the late 90s”
Go blends vintage Nu Groove style NYC house with progressive and techy elements to create a unique dancefloor monster. warping speed garage style sub bass combines with punchy stabs, lush pads, trippy synth leads and skippy, swinging drums, creating an atmospheric but driving track, that keeps you guessing til the very end.
Bushwacka! channels his Plank-era heyday to create a remix of Danger that delivers multiple “what the f#%k was that?” moments, as he takes you on a breakbeat voyage with crisp percussion, devastating low end, hypnotic ragga vocals and a didgeridoo no less! A reminder of the man’s genius and genre-defining sound.
What I Meant To Tell You merges warm, J Dilla style sampled chords, with punchy 808s, a deep and warm bassline, dreamy pads and enchanting male/female call and response vocals. Perfect for a warm up or deep in the afters.
With heavy support from the likes of Dyed Soundorom, Tini, Harry McCanna and more, the Post Play boys are ready to add another buy on sight record to their growing discography.
- Flush In The Cheeks 04:24
- Crow Speech 04:00
- Feiform Tabs 03:28
- So Light 05:25
- Orbital Rings 03:09
- Ivy 04:23
- Taoist Face Wash 03:26
- Blended Medal 02:32
- Alyosha 03:47
- Flintstone Meal
Quickly on the heels of their debut, Cuneiform Tabs return with Age, an LP that takes a massive leap forward in both melodic sensibilities and inventiveness. Bathed in late night psychedelia and the looping repetition of a drone sample, the group's experimental penchants remain, yet this time wrapped around tunes too sweet to be denied. In pulling back a little of the crackle and haze that made their first album so inviting, the Tabs have revealed more of their pop instincts. The overall effect is a perfect set of early Animal Collective demos or Syd Barrett attempting a Television Personalities cover at 3am.
The duo of Matt Bleyle and Sterling Mackinnon continue their system of trading 4-track tapes between the Bay Area and London, a furtive correspondence until sonic nuggets are fully formed. While these songs are very much the product of the Tascam and rudimentary software that is integral to the band, this album is truly the embrace of their songwriting talents – not unlike the recent breakthrough of labelmate Cindy Lee.
With the dream-like strum of "Ivy," slow shimmer of "Orbital Rings" and enchanting, madcap swirl of "Blended Medal," this is hypnagogic pop at its finest. Age is the record Bob Pollard hears in his head every time he steps down to the basement to pick up a guitar. This is the sound of riding in an elevator hearing McCartney singing "Blackbird" in the distance, only to have it draw closer and closer with each floor as you finally race down the hallway, putting your ear to each door searching for the source. This is Leonard Cohen smoking in the middle of the street outside a Suicide show. If all of this sounds phenomenal, it is.
- Almon Memela - Amapoyisa
- Cowboy Superman - Ntombi Kazipheli
- Mfongozi Guitar Players - Marabi Jazz
- Casper Shiki - Ngazula
- Elliot Gumede - Amasoka
- The Play Singer - Imitwalo
- The Play Singer - Kusile Dale
- Enoch Mahlobo And Shezi - Wenzani
- The Blind Man With His Guitar - Isoka Labaleka
- Nongomo Trio - Guga Mzimba
- The Play Singer - Nga Fika Ekaya
- Cowboy Superman - I Lele Insizwa
- Mbaqanga Guitar Trio - Come Again
- Cowboy Sweethearts - Sambamba Lomfana
- Cowboy Superman And Beauty - Kumnandi Kwazulu
- The Blind Guitar Player - Ungakhulumi
- Thoko And Almon - Mandlovu
- Zachariah And His Guitar - Abafana
- Mampondo And Sobantu - Themba Lami
- Baca Boys - Ngiyamqoma
- Dennis Khanyile - Thembile
- The Play Singer - U Ngi Cebe E Poisen
- Mike Khuzwayo And The Playboys - Zibedu
- The Blind Man And His Guitar - Unledo Wabantu
- Almon Memela - Lashona
"Amazing! Like stumbling on a treasure-trove of unheard Charlie Patton and Blind Willie McTell 78s, but imbued with the spirit of Mahlathini and Ladysmith." Joe Boyd
'But for this compilation of rescued songs masterfully restored from rare 78 rpm shellacs, few could imagine the diversely beautiful roots of Zulu Guitar Music emerging during the period 1950 – 1965. Story-tellers and master musicians appropriate outlaw personae, re-purpose country and western, Hawaiian and other styles, to stretch and challenge our notion of “the Zulu guitar”.
Twenty-five songs (18 on vinyl) plunge us into the depths of the migrant experience. Translations in the liner notes offer us glimpses of pugnacity, melancholy and heartache, all coloured by the paternalism that circumscribed the singers’ apartheid-dominated lives.
The early *mbaqanga* undertow in many of the songs subverts the wanderlust of Country and Western music into a fugitivity burdened by nostalgia. Something irretrievable has been lost, prompting a blending of ideas and cultures to make sense through thankless acts of musical divination. Inadvertently they have been thrust into the role of the antihero, where outwitting competition for lovers is as important as evading the Black Jacks (apartheid’s municipal cops) and their informants.
Considering the politically repressive period that this music emerges from, we can surmise that the specificity in the storytelling went a long way towards evading censure. But even when words are absent, there is a narrative arc suggested by the musical expression.
With most of the master tapes wilfully destroyed or lost, modern transcription and restoration techniques from the original shellac discs present the original sound most likely more clearly than ever heard before.'
Produced for reissue by Chris Albertyn and Matt Temple at Matsuli Music and Siemon Allen at Flatinternational.
Artwork design by Siemon Allen.
Liner note and translations by Kwanele Sosibo.
Audio restoration and lacquers by Frank Merritt at The Carvery and pressed at Pallas, Germany.
Original 78rpm recordings sourced from the collections of Chris Albertyn at Matsuli Music, and Siemon Allen at the Flatinternational Archive.
- 1: The Brown Lipstick Parade
- 2: John Dillinger
- 3: Werewolves Of Wall Street
- 4: Road Rage
- 5: Mid-East Peace Process
- 6: Hollywood Goof Disease
- 7: White People And The Damage Done
- 8: Crapture
- 9: Burgers Of Wrath
- 10: Shock-U-Py!
White Vinyl[30,88 €]
“Wrecking Ball” was one thing. Now comes the long-awaited anti-austerity blast-a-thon with the teeth, venom and one-of-a-kind music of Jello Biafra. The second full-length from Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine picks up where last fall’s SHOCK-U-PY! left off. Covered in gruesome detail this time are corruption (“The Brown Lipstick Parade”), “Werewolves of Wall Street,” “Road Rage,” and corporate McMedia making pop stars out of small-time crooks to shield the big ones (“John Dillinger”) or tabloid pop stars to lobotomize everyone else (“Hollywood Goof Disease”). The title track shines a light on our never-ending foreign policy disasters in ways even Jello’s spoken word albums never did. “Crapture” is the perfect song to play for those lovely End Times believers, pointing out how much better the world would be for everyone else left behind—replete with melodies on the scale Biafra hasn’t really touched since “Moon Over Marin.” Above all, White People and the Damage Done rocks! No pop punk here, just Jello and crew taking punk fire in unexplored directions, with wallof-sound, in-your-face production from Marshall Lawless and Matt Kelley (lots of Jello projects, Hieroglyphics, The Coup, Digital Underground, Zen Guerrilla). Lineup retains the double-barreled guitar attack of Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Griddle, Mol Triffid), joined by bassist Andrew Weiss (Rollins Band, Ween, Butthole Surfers, more) and drummer Paul Della Pelle (Helios Creed, Nik Turner’s Space Ritual, and Philly HC legends Ruin)
“Wrecking Ball” was one thing. Now comes the long-awaited anti-austerity blast-a-thon with the teeth, venom and one-of-a-kind music of Jello Biafra. The second full-length from Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine picks up where last fall’s SHOCK-U-PY! left off. Covered in gruesome detail this time are corruption (“The Brown Lipstick Parade”), “Werewolves of Wall Street,” “Road Rage,” and corporate McMedia making pop stars out of small-time crooks to shield the big ones (“John Dillinger”) or tabloid pop stars to lobotomize everyone else (“Hollywood Goof Disease”). The title track shines a light on our never-ending foreign policy disasters in ways even Jello’s spoken word albums never did. “Crapture” is the perfect song to play for those lovely End Times believers, pointing out how much better the world would be for everyone else left behind—replete with melodies on the scale Biafra hasn’t really touched since “Moon Over Marin.” Above all, White People and the Damage Done rocks! No pop punk here, just Jello and crew taking punk fire in unexplored directions, with wallof-sound, in-your-face production from Marshall Lawless and Matt Kelley (lots of Jello projects, Hieroglyphics, The Coup, Digital Underground, Zen Guerrilla). Lineup retains the double-barreled guitar attack of Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident) and Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Griddle, Mol Triffid), joined by bassist Andrew Weiss (Rollins Band, Ween, Butthole Surfers, more) and drummer Paul Della Pelle (Helios Creed, Nik Turner’s Space Ritual, and Philly HC legends Ruin)




















