quête:new hook

LOVE + POP is a snapshot of a moment in not-so-far-away time; something fast, loud, moody and a little dangerous. It is, in some ways, classic Current Joys: full of wild ambition, sneaky hooks, and songs that move from concept to completion with prolific speed. But LOVE + POP also explodes myriad expectations with aggressive, deconstructed production, house music influence, and a guest appearance from Lil Yachty. It is not so much a twist as it is a unique multiverse identity for Current Joys, as Nick Rattigan's set out to "capture this sonic moment and harken back to the way I first released music." The story of LOVE + POP begins with one of those house parties: the kind that bulldozes your home and, in its aftermath, leaves a wreckage that finds you flattened but also ready to be new. In that mess and mayhem, Rattigan watched Everybody's Everything, the documentary of Lil Peep, and recorded a cover of "walk away as the door slams". But the itch wasn't scratched, and what began as a moment of homage morphed into something bigger, deeper and more fundamental, a point where the seemingly haphazard - in his home, in Peep's process - opened Rattigan up to an entire creative space and a new approach to bending or even detonating genre. Crucially, all of this was recorded at home, in what Rattigan calls a "tribute to the process of creating" in a DIY space. And what began as a singular passion project unexpectedly grew into a uniquely collaborative record for Current Joys. "I've set out to make collaborative records before," Rattigan explains, "but they often end up totally me, with just a couple exceptions. But then this record gave me the opportunity to be extremely collaborative, to let other people write instrumental tracks, sending links around for people to mess with and weigh in on. I sat down to do credits and realized here were all these people and styles and they all came together and worked." LOVE + POP's cover art is an airbrush/spraypaint rendition of the Wild Heart album cover, which is itself a photo of Rattigan's grandparents kissing. It is sacred in some ways and shredded in others. This idea - the aggressive reimagining of something timeless into a present, finite style - is LOVE + POP.

LOVE + POP is a snapshot of a moment in not-so-far-away time; something fast, loud, moody and a little dangerous. It is, in some ways, classic Current Joys: full of wild ambition, sneaky hooks, and songs that move from concept to completion with prolific speed. But LOVE + POP also explodes myriad expectations with aggressive, deconstructed production, house music influence, and a guest appearance from Lil Yachty. It is not so much a twist as it is a unique multiverse identity for Current Joys, as Nick Rattigan's set out to "capture this sonic moment and harken back to the way I first released music." The story of LOVE + POP begins with one of those house parties: the kind that bulldozes your home and, in its aftermath, leaves a wreckage that finds you flattened but also ready to be new. In that mess and mayhem, Rattigan watched Everybody's Everything, the documentary of Lil Peep, and recorded a cover of "walk away as the door slams". But the itch wasn't scratched, and what began as a moment of homage morphed into something bigger, deeper and more fundamental, a point where the seemingly haphazard - in his home, in Peep's process - opened Rattigan up to an entire creative space and a new approach to bending or even detonating genre. Crucially, all of this was recorded at home, in what Rattigan calls a "tribute to the process of creating" in a DIY space. And what began as a singular passion project unexpectedly grew into a uniquely collaborative record for Current Joys. "I've set out to make collaborative records before," Rattigan explains, "but they often end up totally me, with just a couple exceptions. But then this record gave me the opportunity to be extremely collaborative, to let other people write instrumental tracks, sending links around for people to mess with and weigh in on. I sat down to do credits and realized here were all these people and styles and they all came together and worked." LOVE + POP's cover art is an airbrush/spraypaint rendition of the Wild Heart album cover, which is itself a photo of Rattigan's grandparents kissing. It is sacred in some ways and shredded in others. This idea - the aggressive reimagining of something timeless into a present, finite style - is LOVE + POP.

Sean La’Brooy is an Australian producer and composer currently based in New York, who’s work traverses ambient, jazz and house music. He is the co-founder of Australian ambient label Analogue Attic Recordings. With this release, La’Brooy has hooked up with the Scissor and Thread label to put out Merchant - five dreamy and versatile tracks featuring his distinct style of harmonically complex pads mixed with jazz-influenced instrumental melodies and solos. Snow Storm starts the journey, coupling field recordings with snippets of gentle jazz lines and wandering percussion. Cargo is the most dancefloor-oriented of the release, and locks into a driving groove early on, featuring various synth and piano fragments to add and flow through the track. Pilot is a track that also finds an off-kilter groove, embellished with dubbed-out percussion by fellow Australian Joseph Batrouney and samples. Storage too features a guest—New York based drummer Leo Yucht—who delivers a rolling breakbeat which is intertwined with live percussion, airy pads and snippets of piano to build a rich atmosphere. The closing piece is Helipad, a dubby bassline providing the anchor for an intricate rhythm of bongos and synth to support a light-as-a-feather melody.

- Rare and Unreleased New Orleans Funk 1968
Tuff City’s Funky Delicacies imprint has issued the 7th volume in its New Orleans Funk series. This edition has a side of vocal tracks and a side of instrumental ones. These tracks have been hard to find and many were CD only bonus tracks on earlier editions of the series now out of print.
Noted guitarist Little Buck Sinegal opens the record with “Little Boy Blue.” This was first issued in 1969 on the Seven B label. Little Buck (as he was credited on the original record) passed in 2019 after a lengthy career dating back to the late 50’s as a session man for Slim Harpo & Lazy Lester. He also was a touring member of various Zydeco legends like Clifton Chenier, Rockin’ Dopsie and Buckwheat Zydeco. Drummer Chuck Conway leads the next track with the Amars, “Get On Up.” Cover feature Deacon John Moore still lives today. “You Don’t Know (How To Turn Me On)” was a 1970 B-side on the Bell label. Brotherhood issued “Suckey Suckey Feeling” as a 2-sided single in 1974. At some point the track was renamed “Sooky Feeling” and we have Part 2 here. Singer and Pianist Tommy Ridgley’s track “Fly In My Pie” was originally issued on our sister imprint Soul-Tay-Shus on The Best of International City compilation as well as a 7” on that imprint in 1968. Lonnie Jones recorded several singles for Jenmark in the early ‘70’s including the B-side “You Got To Do Better” originally released in 1972. Sam Henry of Sam and the Soul Machine closes out the side with “Loving You.” This track was originally a CD-only bonus track on our Po’k Bones and Rice compilation of that group we issued on Funky Delicacies in 2002.
Kicking off the instrumental second side is a recently located master by Anthony Butler and the Invaders covering the Otis Redding classic “Hard To Handle.” A bit of organ Funk here. Larry Jones jams out the “Funky Jaws.” The exact year is unknown, but the J.B.’s label that issued the original record put their releases out primarily from 1974-1976. Tyrone Chestnut’s B-side of 1969’s “The Bump” is called “Bumping.” Hook and Sling piano legend Eddie Bo has two appearances. The first is the second part of the “Getting To The Middle” single that came out on Bo-Sound in 1970. Louisiana Purchase have “Accept What You Expect” before they moved from New Orleans to Detroit. The Scram Band that backed vocalist Mary Jane Hooper on her “Don’t Change Nothin’” single are here in an instrumental version of that song. The album closes with a 5-minute combined version of Eddie Bo’s “If It’s Good To You (It’s Good For You)” single, issued in 1969 on Scram.
Overall, this album contains 14 previously hard-to-find tracks that would take hundreds if not thousands of dollars to track down the original singles on the used market. These tracks have been recently remastered, including tracks that were issued as CD bonus tracks on earlier volumes.

History has shown that the greatest bands–bands with that certain, ever elusive quality called lasting power–neither conform to nor buck the trends of their time, but rather force the times to catch up to them. Sheer Mag has such lasting power in droves. After almost a decade spent carving out a career that has already become the stuff of modern underground legend, the band’s new stand-alone single, “All Lined Up,” comes alongside the announcement of their signing to Third Man Records–their first partnership with a larger independent label–who will also be physically and digitally re-releasing the entirety of Sheer Mag’s back-catalogue, including their cult-beloved early EPs I (2014), II (2015), and III (2016), as well as their first two breakthrough LPs, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019). Sheer Mag’s sensibility, as fervently beloved by baseball-tee clad garage rockers and tattoo-less indie kids as it is by leather-and-stud-loyal punks, finds its strength in an unconventional mixture of refined complexity and straight-forward pop prowess. Seamlessly trading between head-turning guitar heroics and a charmingly timeless blend of disco, hard rock, and garage inflected hooks, Sheer Mag’s oft-referenced, never-replicated sound has played an undeniably large role in stoking the current resurgence of interest power-pop forward rock music. While quickly adopted as a fan-favorite amongst the sweat-caked crowds of the early 2010’s underground, time has attested to Sheer Mag’s singular cultural mutability: though never straying too far from their home-town Philadelphian origins

History has shown that the greatest bands–bands with that certain, ever elusive quality called lasting power–neither conform to nor buck the trends of their time, but rather force the times to catch up to them. Sheer Mag has such lasting power in droves. After almost a decade spent carving out a career that has already become the stuff of modern underground legend, the band’s new stand-alone single, “All Lined Up,” comes alongside the announcement of their signing to Third Man Records–their first partnership with a larger independent label–who will also be physically and digitally re-releasing the entirety of Sheer Mag’s back-catalogue, including their cult-beloved early EPs I (2014), II (2015), and III (2016), as well as their first two breakthrough LPs, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019). Sheer Mag’s sensibility, as fervently beloved by baseball-tee clad garage rockers and tattoo-less indie kids as it is by leather-and-stud-loyal punks, finds its strength in an unconventional mixture of refined complexity and straight-forward pop prowess. Seamlessly trading between head-turning guitar heroics and a charmingly timeless blend of disco, hard rock, and garage inflected hooks, Sheer Mag’s oft-referenced, never-replicated sound has played an undeniably large role in stoking the current resurgence of interest power-pop forward rock music. While quickly adopted as a fan-favorite amongst the sweat-caked crowds of the early 2010’s underground, time has attested to Sheer Mag’s singular cultural mutability: though never straying too far from their home-town Philadelphian origins

A new band that truly understands what '80s metal was.

Get ready to rock with the Cobrator! Go back to the golden age of metal with this powerful band, delivering a unique 80s feeling and plenty of head- banging fun.

With crunchy guitars, rocking basses and fierce drums, it's perfect for those who are looking for the perfect time travel to the '80s!

COBRAKILL are here to bring you the best of classic metal, with the energy of new blood.

If you are a fan of early MOTLEY CRUE, ODIN or SEDUCE, then you will be hooked on the Cobrator! An album with a total of eight songs high on heavy riffs and hard-hitting solos, "Cobrator" will be available in an ultra limited edition on vinyl LP, with all the extras that our followers are used to.

GER Mit diverser Kunst und Kulturszene ist Wien ein wunderbarer Ort, um Neues zu entdecken. Mit eingängigen Hooks, atmosphärisch psy chedelische Gitarrenklängen und positiver Resonanz transformiert Liz Metta ihre Eindrücke mit neuer Ästhetik in animierenden Dream Pop und fängt spezielle Momente in ,Vienna` ein. Die Single ist vor allem ihren Freunden gewidmet, die Wien erst zu jener besonderen Stadt machen, die sie für sie ist. Genau dieser Vibe spiegelt sich auch im nostalgischen 70s retro style Clip "Vienna" wider, gedreht an einem der bekanntesten Orte Wiens, dem Prater Stets auf der Suche nach kreativen Ausdrucksformen, ist Liz Metta auf intuitivem Weg in die Welt des Songwritings eingetaucht. Nach ihrem Studium der Landschaftsarchitektur und der Beteiligung an verschiedenen Musikprojekten gründete die in Wien lebende Songwriterin, Gitarristin und Sängerin Maria Elisabeth Thornton ihr Soloprojekt Liz Metta. Die Musik ist für Liz Metta sowohl das Ergebnis als auch ein essenzieller Bestandteil des Prozesses der eigenen Identitätsfindung. In ihre Kompositionen lässt Liz Metta stilistische Elemente aus Dream Pop, Alternative Rock, Indie Soul und Modern Psychedelia einfließen und nimmt dabei immer wieder Bezug auf ihren Ausgangspunkt , das Songwriting mit Gitarre. Damit kreiert sie eine Klangwelt, in die HörerInnen selbstvergessen eintauchen können. Seit 2020 tritt sie auf, z.B. beim Popfest, Poolbar Festival und Waves Vienna. Ihre EP Fragile & Strong wurde 2022 auf eigenem Label veröffentlicht und die Singles Vision und Fragile & Strong u.a. auf FM4, Radio Wien, Ö1, 88.6, Byte.FM gespielt Liz Metta wurde für The New Austrian Sound of Music (NASOM 2023 / 24) als Künstlerin im Genre Pop nominiert, jetzt erscheint das Debütalbum Introspection auf Siluh Records digital, als farbige LP sowie CD.

History has shown that the greatest bands–bands with that certain, ever elusive quality called lasting power–neither conform to nor buck the trends of their time, but rather force the times to catch up to them. Sheer Mag has such lasting power in droves. After almost a decade spent carving out a career that has already become the stuff of modern underground legend, the band’s new stand-alone single, “All Lined Up,” comes alongside the announcement of their signing to Third Man Records–their first partnership with a larger independent label–who will also be physically and digitally re-releasing the entirety of Sheer Mag’s back-catalogue, including their cult-beloved early EPs I (2014), II (2015), and III (2016), as well as their first two breakthrough LPs, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019). Sheer Mag’s sensibility, as fervently beloved by baseball-tee clad garage rockers and tattoo-less indie kids as it is by leather-and-stud-loyal punks, finds its strength in an unconventional mixture of refined complexity and straight-forward pop prowess. Seamlessly trading between head-turning guitar heroics and a charmingly timeless blend of disco, hard rock, and garage inflected hooks, Sheer Mag’s oft-referenced, never-replicated sound has played an undeniably large role in stoking the current resurgence of interest power-pop forward rock music. While quickly adopted as a fan-favorite amongst the sweat-caked crowds of the early 2010’s underground, time has attested to Sheer Mag’s singular cultural mutability: though never straying too far from their home-town Philadelphian origins

This is it: PRIZM's breakout debut album is available for the first time on vinyl!

All Night is loaded front to back with hook-heavy retro pop creations that pay tribute to the '80s and '90s while forging ground for a new decade.

The funky LP comes in a bright and bubbly hot pink, and the collection features a full color inner sleeve with lyrics

Vinyl re-issue of the 2017 album. Norwegian power trio Bokassa fuse riffs and grooves into a hook-laden Molotov Rocktail of punk, hardcore, metal, and rock. In 2019 they were handpicked by Lars Ulrich to support Metallica alongside Ghost on their summer stadium tour all over Europe, UK and Russia. The legendary drummer hailed them as "his favourite new band" and described them as "Insanely fucking cool" after hearing the trio's first album Divide & Conquer.

Divide & Conquer is Bokassas self-released debut full length. A noisy no comprimise of an album that made it onto Metal Hammer UK´s list over the best debut of 2017, was called one of the most important Norwegian albums of the 2010s by Gaffa, and of course attracted drummer Lars Ulrich who invited the ba

Vinyl re-issue of the 2017 album. Norwegian power trio Bokassa fuse riffs and grooves into a hook-laden Molotov Rocktail of punk, hardcore, metal, and rock. In 2019 they were handpicked by Lars Ulrich to support Metallica alongside Ghost on their summer stadium tour all over Europe, UK and Russia. The legendary drummer hailed them as "his favourite new band" and described them as "Insanely fucking cool" after hearing the trio's first album Divide & Conquer.

Divide & Conquer is Bokassas self-released debut full length. A noisy no comprimise of an album that made it onto Metal Hammer UK´s list over the best debut of 2017, was called one of the most important Norwegian albums of the 2010s by Gaffa, and of course attracted drummer Lars Ulrich who invited the ba

It's the one you've been searching for....new white label action from Klasse Wrecks in the form of BOY1. The boy-wonder behind the music is none other than Seoul's favourite soulful son, Mogwaa. It's dubbed out pianos, forget-me-not vocal hooks and classic breaky House with a sprinkle of acid to sweeten the pot.

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album, ‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.

Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.

Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave and courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ - ‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy.

It's only just begun.’ Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each song is definitely a standstill moment.’

Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’

Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”

And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her.

She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.

While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before.

‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th

Channeling the speed of youth and the heaviness of a fleshy, lived life in equal proportion, Upchuck’s second LP, Bite the Hand That Feeds, is a Trojan Horse par excellence, craftily smuggling in waves of sentimental emotion and clever pop songwriting under a veil of pulsing rhythms and scorching riffs. What binds Upchuck together is a purity of intention, an organic loyalty to a thick knot of uncalculated friendships, struggles, and desires. These are songs about the joy of continuing to live, songs that find each other in the rush of a crushing reality, propelling the listener onward towards a collective release, however brief it may last. Themes of surviving through the night, youth-blinded love, cheap champagne soaked back-alley parties, and chaotic street protests are subsumed under a single unifying thread: the needs we have for one another, our shared hunger for connection. In a world saturated with arbitrary rules and paper-thin moralism, Upchuck offer free¬dom through sensation, a type of unserious transcendence found through the swirl of bodies melting into one another in the passion of dance. With Bite the Hand That Feeds, Upchuck isn’t trying to tell anyone how to live. Rather, they are simply trying to find a way to make life more worth living for both themselves and their friends—if the music compels you to move, you might as well consider yourself their friend too. Shortly after the release of their debut album Sense Yourself, Upchuck absconded to Southern California to record Bite the Hand That Feeds, enlisting the production talents of Ty Segall and the airy reprieve of his secluded Topanga Canyon home studio. Upchuck credits Segall, who recorded the entire record live to tape over the span of five days, with helping to elevate the arrangements of their second record to bold new heights—fans of Segall’s extensive catalog will undoubtedly recognize the shadow of his creative touch in Bite the Hand That Feeds’ commanding, layered drum polyrhythms, tasteful use of oddball effects, and fuzzed out, every-guitar-pushed-into-the-red ethos. All the same, final credit for Upchuck’s evolution from Sense Yourself to Bite the Hand That Feeds must be paid to the band itself. Following the release of their debut LP, Upchuck embarked upon a break-neck string of live shows, touring alongside the likes of Segall’s Fuzz, Amyl and the Sniffers, Negative Approach, OFF!, and Sub¬humans. The razor tight focus of Bite the Hand That Feeds was forged in the fire of these live shows, speaking directly to the power of their in-person presence—these are songs meant to be heard pressed up against a barricade, blasted through dimed guitar amps placed so close to your ears that you can practically reach out and touch them. In its totality, Bite the Hand That Feeds offers a sonic portrait of what it feels like to be young and caught up in the thrill of it all, coursing between ripping dance grooves and thundering dirges, anti-self-serious crowd anthems and charming pop hooks.

HAVEN is proud to present another new catalogue number with the first full EP on the label from London-based Greek producer of hard-edged speedy techno MarcelDune, following on from their contribution to the Sardonic Tonality Vol. 4 VA compilation.

The A1 kicks off with 'I Am Looking For Date Ideas' - a hectic 4-4 dance-floor assault with chugging synths, hardcore kicks, overdriven percussion and cheeky vocals loops. This is followed by 'Final Loose' with its addictive vocal hooks, charging drum patterns and playful melodies. The A-side is closed with 'The Scene' with rolling bass-lines, bubbling synth sounds and distorted vocal breaks.

On the B-side 'Independence Creating Distance' hits us with hypnotic vocal loops and ear-worm synth patterns amongst its speedy drum patterns sure to get feet moving. HAVEN main-stays New Frames close out the record with their remix of the B1, with their usual heavy drum programming interplaying with dubbed out synth work creating another club killer to end another dance-floor focused record from the imprint.

Full of shimmering guitars, opulent harmonies, and good ol' rock 'n' roll, the band was limited to a handful of singles before going their separate ways. Here you'll find a full LP's worth of The Gestures on vinyl, all killer no filler!

In California, The Gestures were especially well- received, maybe because "Run, Run, Run" had the lightness, the hook, and infectious drive of the California surf and car band hits. Record World's hot picks column called it a surf-like sound that should endear them to teens. The slice is a hard-driving ditty. Cash Box said The Gestures bow was a hard- rock- ing, Liverpool- sounding affair... powerhouse instrumental support on this haunting entry. There's a complete change of pace in the soft-sounding uptempo undercut.

"'Run, Run, Run' hit #1 in the Twin Cities, #3 in Los Angeles, #1 in New York and #3-5 in Oklahoma City. It reached the top of the local C&N Sales jukebox charts, cracked Billboard Magazine's top 40, and as I mentioned before, was even played on Bandstand. It was right up there with records by the Hondells, Gene Pitney, Jay & the Americans, and all the early British bands - including the Beatles."
- Dale Menton (of The Gestures)

Emitting a soulful, nu-jazz sound that builds into an uplifting chorus refrain, "On My Way Up" is sonically inspired by the likes of Joy Crookes, Roy Hargrove and Leanne La Havas.

Hailing from Bristol, Cut Capers bring an elevating message and a big sound. The 4 piece horn-section blends with the lead vocal to create a textured juxtaposition rich in depth and layers. With infectious ear- worm melodies and warm vocal energy, Cut Capers deliver a feel-good summer hook that takes you from themes of reflection to new discoveries. With over 13 million streams across major streaming platforms, Cut Capers returned with their first release since their 2019 critically acclaimed album, Metropolis. A passionate and dedicated fanbase has
waited patiently, and the wait is over!

A-side from recent album Soundtrack To The New Cold War! B-side exclusive to this release! TRACKLISTING 1 – Hope You’re Having Fun 2 – Don’t Tell Me Everything’s Alright (Exclusive track) Tell us about your influences Phil… “Influences hmm well, we don’t just listen to punk rock, neither did the early bands because there wasn’t any. We like the usual suspects obviously, our favourites are the Belgian band The Kids, X-Ray Spex and Buzzcocks. We like Satan’s Rats, The Tours, Knots, The Fingers, Panic, Kleenex, Crime, The Terrorways, Victims, Wipers, The Briefs, The Spits, The Plugz, Bad Nerves, Nasty Rumours, stuff like that, loads of stuff, Syd Barrett, The Kinks, MC5, Stooges, Bowie, Ruben and the Jets, Kim Fowley, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf. The list goes on and on and on.” We love that you still release singles. Are they fun to do? Why do you keep doing them? “Ian and Duncan Damaged love singles. We love singles. Where else would you put a B side?” (As told to Bruce Turnbull from Vive Le Rock Magazine) The band play the UK in September and December, Europe in November, and will also be heading to the US for the first time in October to play some west coast shows! UK TOUR DATES: 7th Sep 2023 @ The Salty Dog, Northwich. 8th Sep 2023 @ Redchurch Brewery, Harlow (w/ The Courettes). 15th Dec 2023 @ Hope and Anchor, London. 16th Dec 2023 @ Leeds Punk Rock Xmas (Brudenell Social Club), Leeds. 17th Dec 2023 @ Waterloo Bar, Blackpool.

Since forming in early 2021, The Prize have established themselves as one of Melbourne's premier rock and roll outfits, funnelling vocal soaked hooks and harmonies through a three guitar onslaught and a pulsating rhythm section. Their unique blend of power pop and rock and roll has earned new fans and followers from all sides of the globe. The Prize’s debut EP "Wrong Side of Town' sold out on the first day of its release and received high praise from the likes of punk legend, Henry Rollins. The band quickly found itself securing plum support slots for bands like the Sunnyboys, Pavement and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. This culminated in a national tour supporting The Chats in late 2022 that has helped to establish them as a premium live act with the tunes to back it up. To top it all off, The Prize are set to embark on their first international outing in August/September 2023 supporting KGLW and the Murlocs on their European tours with a number of headline dates across Europe and UK. “First Sight”, the much anticipated second release from The Prize will be out just in time for the EU/UK tour via Anti Fade Records and Drunken Sailor from August 18th

• Latin Freestyle was a dizzying, passionate, ultra-modern music. It was the aural equivalent of a can of thirst-quenching Quatro or a Spanish Harlem dance-off, and it became the electronically constructed bridge between disco and house.

• Freestyle grew out of the electro sound of the early 80s, combined clean staccato rhythms with morse code synth hooks, and topped them off with emotive, usually female, frequently Latina vocals. There was plenty more going on besides: proto-house piano lines, Cuban percussion, high emotion and synth hooks to die for.

• Put together and annotated by Bob Stanley (who also compiled the acclaimed “The Daisy Age” and “Fell From The Sun”), “Latin Freestyle” is the first compilation to cover the whole gamut of Freestyle from its early 80s breakthrough to its early 90s revival. So many classics… Lisa Lisa made the UK top ten with the 808 joy of ‘I Wonder If I Take You Home’. Stacey Q’s cosmically great ‘Two Of Hearts’ came out in 1986, while 1987 saw the likes of Company B’s ‘Fascinated’ and Exposé’s ‘Point Of No Return’ become huge UK club hits.

• Today, Freestyle is a scene with a solid collector’s market, and rarities like Janelle’s ‘Don’t Be Shy’ sell for hundreds of dollars. It’s a classic summer soundtrack, finally condensed in one Ace Records compilation – “Latin Freestyle”.

Superstar Joe Bonamassa Returns To His Roots With New Studio Album Blues Deluxe, Vol. 2, Celebrating The 20th Anniversary of His Best-Selling Independent Release

In Addition, Joe Will Release A Remastered Version Of Blues Deluxe Which Will Drop With Its Predecessor On October 6th via J&R Adventures/Provogue Records

Blues Deluxe is the third studio album by Joe Bonamassa and originally released on August 26, 2003. Recorded at Unique Recording Studios in New York City, it was produced by Bob Held and features nine cover versions of songs by classic blues artists, such as BB King, Jeff Beck, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Elmore James and more. The album is completed with three original tracks, including the fan favorite Woke Up Dreaming.

With 26 #1 albums, yearly sold-out tours worldwide and custom annual cruises, he's a hard act to beat. These albums are a testament to his credentials and a toast to his longtime fans who remember them originally and new fans who can experience them for the first time. It's Joe Bonamassa at his finest, ready to rock.

After a string of successful releases, Lenske regular AIROD is back on the label with a striking new single and subsequent EP.

A certified dance floor pleaser both in and out of the studio, AIROD's distinct sound has kept him at the forefront of cutting-edge underground techno as it continues to evolve rapidly. Circling back for another release on Lenske, his latest work is another bold statement of intent, staking his claim as one of the genre's most exciting talents.

Released first, on the 4th August is standalone single 'Meet Me In The Club', it teases with a wave of high-octane club-focused goodness. Building around a catchy vocal hook - the track comes in hot with racy grooves and riveting musicality. A core of thumping drums, fizzing hat sequences and erratic melodies flood the mix, twisted and pulled around with clever modulation and use of FX to carve out an energetic dance floor journey with hints of euphoric nostalgia throughout.

The title cut 'Golden Pills' emulates a progressively intensifying sprint. Ethereal melodies and unwavering drums create an ever-increasing sense of urgency, dissected by ominous vox chops, atmospheric breaks, and a sea of instrumental flare from start to finish.

'I Just Wanna Rave' has 'warehouse track' written all over it. Furious drum work and minimal accompanying percussion set the base of the track, paving the way for an onslaught of shuddering synth layers and electrifying bass tones that keep you stomping until the last beat.

'At All Costs' cuts a sinister line from the outset. Its striking selection of infernal musical layers make the perfect match for a potent beat structure and catchy vocals, leading into a continuum of peaks and troughs, steered by crescendoing snare rolls and huge throwdowns with gripping melodic progressions either side.

Dessa, the rapper, singer, writer, academic, and all-around polymath, who NPR hailed as a “national treasure,” will release her first solo full-length album in five years, Bury the Lede, September 29th, 2023 on Doomtree Records. It’s an eleven-track project of hard-hitting rap verses, big, catchy pop hooks, and a couple melancholic tracks. Dessa (an anthropology and psychology-enthusiast whose 2018 album, Chime, was inspired by neuroscience) conceptualized Bury the Lede as an examination of human nature and mortality. Reflecting on the pleasure-seeking and loss-aversion that define us as a species, the album ultimately endorses a Camus-with-a-lime-twist take on life. “It’s about indulging in a measure of hedonism even as the threat on the horizon mounts … Survival is, at best, indefinite. So maybe get a cocktail with an umbrella in it,” says Dessa.
The new album leans into the light more than past projects–more moments of levity and abandon, more danceable–but it’s still very much a product of Dessa’s lyrical style, writerly and multi-layered, and meticulous.
Executively produced with longtime collaborators and friends Lazerbeak (Doomtree, Lizzo) and Andy Thompson (Taylor Swift, Dan Wilson), Dessa and company’s indie-rock, soul, and Swedish-pop inflected rap on Bury the Lede create an album that’s hard to imagine hearing from anyone else. And, despite the wide range of influences, it’s also one of Dessa’s most cohesive albums to date.

Since his career started over three decades ago back in 1981, The Chicago house veteran Boo Williams has been heavily involved in the house music industry, racking up highly strong reputation with his massive discography which includes a wide range of influences.

Hooking up with Mr Green Velvet, aka Curtis Jones’, much celebrated Relief Records in the mid-‘90s, the hard, jackin’ sub-label of Cajual, and later releasing on the tough-as-nails Dutch label Djax, 1996 saw Boo produce his seminal album with the bouncy house of ‘Home Town Chicago’, the first of a series of reissues by Anotherday Records.
Boo has since gone on to record for reputable imprint such as Ovum Recordings, Relief Records and Rush Hour.

For those who have religiously followed Boo over the many years, he continues to deliver as promised, once again bringing the driving beats and textured etherial soundscapes as you'd expect from the master‘. And for those who are just tuning in for the first time, Boo will open up your ears to a new level of sound.

Many things have been said, written and rightfully attributed to DJ and Producer Boo Williams' monumental career: "innovator".
As Boo Williams said: «House music will never die! Love, peace and hair grease».

Label owner, Adrien Calvet, is in charge of the B side. Always trying to push boundaries of raw sounds and electro glitch.

If the name of this collection of traxxx offends you, move on — there’s no hope for you here. If, on the other hand, Toribio’s salacious fun-pun cracked your cool exterior, here’s an introduction to a set of bangers that helps exemplify New York’s increasingly exuberant dancefloor, and what producer/DJ Cesar Toribio brings to it. His is a ribald, rhythmic take on dance music, neither for the weak of musical character (purists need not apply) nor for the weak of ass (-shaking). In fact, the proof is right there, in Toribio’s label’s and monthly party’s name: Bring Dat Ass. This command is not optional, but *the* key ingredient for a good time.

The five songs Toribio has created for “Tongue In Cheeks,” BDA’s first release, comprise a horny melting pot of tribal house and Linn-drum plug-ins, minimalist synth textures and basslines, hi-hats reminiscent of electro and freestyle classics, some of which are infused with New York’s Latin club history and futures. The lead-off track, “No Pare,” is based on the producer’s 808-driven reinvention of the call-and-response hook from Proyecto Uno’s 1993 merengue-house smash “El Tiburón,” marking the first time the group has ever cleared a sample of this Nuyodominican classic. We predict that “No Pare” will be a Fall 2023 monster.

Guest vocal appearances by The Illustrious Blacks and Maluca, cornerstones of different dance-floor scenes in a city currently hitting peak-energy levels, show the breadth of Toribio’s regard for community: There is a lot of crossover to how the punky Dominicana MC from Washington Heights chooses to slang-tastically “Werk It Out,” and how the Neo-Afro-Futuristic-Psychedelic-Surrealistic-Hippys Monstah Black and Manchildblack infuse a dollop of booty into “Work Dat Shit.” And the two different metallic beats point at seemingly separate parts of Toribio’s musical heritage uniting. There’s no formula, but if there was, it would be: Make it sexy. Make it (consensually) grindy. Make it funny to the point of ridiculous but so funky that the laughter becomes more fuel to the joyous momentum propelling the movement. Then make it home — or try to.

Cesar Toribio’s home is, originally Tampa — and the DR, where he’d spend summers with family. He was a drum-corps prodigy who went to Berklee to become a jazz drummer and be like Gil Evans. He idolized Miles’ orchestral arranger’s work as much as Dilla’s beats, but then discovered house music, so it was a wrap. The 2021 band album Toribio made under the name Conclave — which included his sister Sharin and musicians from such great projects as Standing On the Corner, No Regular Play and Irreversible Entanglements — unearthed the work of a singer-songwriter-arranger-producer of immeasurably nuanced, soulful jazz-house music. But when Toribio started DJing more and more, he decided to listen to the devil on his shoulder who told him to Bring Dat Ass. As Cesar damn-well knows, it’s the devil who has the better jokes and holds the better parties, so his ears perked up. “Tongue in Cheeks” is the music Toribio says he made to play at these parties, because he can’t find it anywhere else. It’s hard to disagree.

A pungent ooze emanates from the subway. As a sticky drum machine sequence rolls out like thick dark fog, ice cold synth swirls rise from the depths.

Since the debut album Europe By Night, one of the main references associated with Henrik Stelzer and his Metro Riders project has been that of cinema, and particularly the European genre films of the 1980s. With its seedy subject matters manifesting both in visual style and music, the vibe of that era has crystallized over time. Passed down to us from deteriorating video cassettes, it became an invaluable key to decoding our present day reality.

And this is true for this album as well; Stelzer does not hide the fact that he builds heavily on that vibe; referencing it through track titles and utilizing a particular recording setup consisting of a Fostex and a reel to reel in order to achieve and recreate the feeling of those soundtracks — as heard on magnetic tape rather than vinyl.

The motion picture soundtrack as an arbitrary genre definition becomes, in the hands of Stelzer, a pair of X-ray specs for him to envision a kind of music that deals in grains and contrasts rath- er than hooks and choruses. And like Roddy Piper in John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live, he hands those glasses over for us to see the true face of our times.

On Lost In Reality Metro Riders maps out an emotional geography of the cities at night, wherein the cinematic haze becomes a tool by which we can view the cities with new eyes. Not steering away from the darker alleys nor the harsh realities of modern day politics masquerading as progress. Yet escapism, in the end, seems the only viable option. But not as an endgame, but rather a stepping stone for building a new vocabulary for an utopian language.

On Yard, Wisconsin-bred, Chicago-based four-piece Slow Pulp nestles comfortably into pockets of nuance, impressions, contradictions-sonics and lyrics finessed together to bottle the specific tension of a feeling you"ve never quite been able to find the right words for. In that regard, listening to Slow Pulp can feel like being in a room with someone who"s known you so long that they can read your every micro-expression and pinpoint exactly how you"re feeling before you can. Perhaps this spawns from the band"s own shared history and chemistry; in various ways, the four of them grew up-are still growing up-together. The dreamy songs of the Midwest (United States) indie rock outfit draw on moody shoegaze, hooky grunge, and intimate lo-fi fare. The band made their full-length debut with Moveys in 2020. After the downcast 2021 7" Deleted Scenes, they put the focus on hooky grunge pop for singles like 2021"s "In Too Deep" and 2023"s "Cramps". After their label debut single the band toured throughout Europe and the UK earlier this year as main support for Death Cab For Cutie. The new album "Yard" is their second full-length album and first for ANTI-.

Toy Tonics going New Wave Disco with Baby’s Berserk’s self-titled debut album (to be released on 29 September).

There are many shades of funk in dance music. Berlin’s Toy Tonics label brings up artists that reflect many of these different aspects in dance music. Now the label comes up with a band! A band that is inspired by 1980ies New Wave as well as the Y2K Indie dance scene. Two guys and 2 girls from Amsterdam and Montreal called Baby’s Berserk.

Baby’s Berserk is about taking the freedom to be who you want to be, about being comfortable. Having played in all-girl punk bands since the age of 14, the bands singer Lieselot is an expert on female empowerment. “Dress like a girl and act like a boy,” is a catchphrase she lives up to every day and it clearly is a message that resonates with the band’s wild fans.

In the great tradition of Roxy Music, Throbbing Gristle and Malcolm McLaren, Baby’s Berserk is not just about the edgy music, but also about a very strong own visual style. They readily blend their sounds with underground fashion. What you see is what you get and seeing Baby’s Berserk is feeling right at home. Lieselot is a visionary when it comes to stage presence. Have you always wanted to see an electronic band with a punk attitude perform wearing a mix of haute couture and Flintstone-style rags? Look no further, it’s Baby’s Berserk.

Following on the critically acclaimed singles ‘What I Mean’ (2020) and ‘Toxic Kisses’ (2022), Baby Berserk’s highly anticipated self-titled full-length is now finally about to see the light on Berlin’s Toy Tonics records. Sonically designed for gritty rock venues as well as up-to-date edgy dance clubs, Mano’s lush compositions smoothly intertwine with the highly associative lyrics written by Puggy and Lieselot. Poets and literary addicts may think they’ve just discovered the rock & roll equivalents of Sylvia Plath, Kurt Vonnegut and Allen Ginsberg. To tell you the truth: their wild guess is pretty accurate as the works by these greats lie scattered around the Baby’s Berserk studio for inspiration.
The band was born in a laboratory back in 2019. Tired of being in bands with unruly and unpredictable humans, Mano Hollestelle set out to create a group of high precision robots to create the post-punk sound he had in mind. His outdated technology of floppy disks and cassette tapes worked well to program the androids, until one day a 90s rave mixtape was mistakenly entered into his computer. House music is a feeling and the punk bots instantly got hooked on it upon hearing it for the first time. They could never be reset to factory settings again. Mano worked tirelessly with his androids, currently known by their humanoid names of Lieselot Elzinga, Puggy Beales and Eva Wijnbergen, to fulfil his evil plan to make the rockers dance and the dancers rock. Baby’s Berserk is the fiendish extension of this plot. Beware, the band’s bass driven grooves and computerized beats have been known to cast a spell upon all within earshot.

So what do the songs on ‘Baby’s Berserk’ tell you? That it’s totally fine to have lots of fun in life! To have a boyfriend as an accessory (‘Accessories’), to get inspired by Sponge Bob (‘Dancing with the Fish’) and to blend your spirits with mixers whenever the hell you feel like it (‘Rum ‘n’ Kola’).

Baby’s Berserk member Puggy Beales on ‘Limousine’: “Decant the wine from my tip jar to yours. Soon we'll be on easy street, chauffeured home from the rat race each evening. Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?”

Check not only the debut album but also the forthcoming Remix EP with remixes by Each Other, Niklas Wandt, Sam Ruffillo, Kris Baha and Nicolini.

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album,
‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.
Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.
Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave nd courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ -
‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she
enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy. It's only just begun.’
Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each
song is definitely a standstill moment.’
Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends,
relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’
Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”
And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always
figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her. She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.
While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the
world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before. ‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album, ‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.

Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.

Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave and courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ - ‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy.

It's only just begun.’ Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each song is definitely a standstill moment.’

Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’

Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”

And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her.

She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.

While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before.

‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th

As for the music: no sophomore slumping to be
found here. Back then Matador wrote, “With
impossibly huge hooks and an innate
understanding of every pop trick in the book, this
follow-up to 2000’s breakthrough ‘Mass Romantic’
is the most exciting pop record we’ve heard in a
long while.”

For once, tastemakers of the day shared the
label’s enthusiasm: “The New Pornographers mix
the pop purism of the Beach Boys, the power
charge of Cheap Trick and the gentle psychedelia
of Syd Barrett,” wrote the New York Times, who
labelled ‘Electric Version’ “Some of the best pop of
the year.”

FINAL GASP unleash their debut album Mourning Moon! A harrowing journey through all things Hardcore, Metal, and Goth, Mourning Moon drags the listener through the dark in 12 thrilling tracks, and drives a stake right into the heart of 2023's most compelling releases. Opener "Climax Infinity" sets the tone for what's to come: the undeniable hardcore swagger of the Boston-based band is immediate as drums and guitars stomp and riff against one another, while FINAL GASP vocalist Jake Murphy howls - "watch as the way it falls, your loss of control, from whispered incantations, burnt down for your invocation!" Mourning Moon showcases expert songwriting and lyrical crafting, snarling and barking through the harsher, heavier punked out moments in "Blood and Sulfur" and "Frozen Glare" while flexing arena chops on the tremendous "Temptation" and utterly despairing "The Vanishing". Elsewhere, the hook-laden title track explodes out of the underground and aims straight for the moon. Lead single "Mourning Moon'' is downright catchy and showcases FINAL GASP's knack for excellent songwriting. A song professing eternal love through a lens clad in black and morbid as ever, "Mourning Moon" proves to be one of the most inventive journeys this side of the genre in recent times, recalling a prime period for luminaries Killing Joke and Danzig. With Mourning Moon, FINAL GASP emerge from the shadows, and step into the forefront of extreme music's new guard.

Jessica Brankka makes her debut on Crosstown Rebels with new single ‘Musk’, joined by Audiojack and OMRI. on remix duties. Emerging from Brazil’s ever-evolving house music hotbed to make appearances at major venues across the globe, including Hï Ibiza this summer, DJ and producer Jessica Brankka is fast becoming an artist to keep an eye on. Debuting on Frau Blau alongside Floyd Lavine and racking up support from leading names in Solomun, Joris Voorn, Blond:ish and more, her outings via RADIANT. have only continued to help build and craft her growing sound. Stepping up for her most significant release to date, she joins the Crosstown Rebels family to open September with her new single ‘Musk’ - with remixes coming courtesy of Gruuv head honchos Audiojack and Tel Aviv’s OMRI.

Hooky, provocative vocals take hold from the off on ‘Musk’, with Brankka building via slick drum programming, vibrant stabs and sweeping melodies for an intensely catchy production shaped for all hours of the night. First up on remix duties are Crosstown regulars Audiojack, with their take introducing an abundance of additional energy via skippy percussion, zipping bassline grooves and swirling, off-kilter sonics, before launching into heady breakbeat territories. To close, returning Rebellion signee and OMRI. introduces his acid-tinged remix into proceedings, with wandering synth lines carrying the track towards more cosmic spheres.

Latin Freestyle war eine schwindelerregende, leidenschaftliche Musik. Es war das klangliche Äquivalent eines Dance-Offs in Spanish Harlem und wurde zur elektronisch konstruierten Brücke zwischen Disco und House. Freestyle entstand aus dem Elektro-Sound der frühen 80er Jahre, kombinierte klare Stakkato-Rhythmen mit Morsecode-Synthesizer-Hooks, und rundete sie mit gefühlvollen, meist weiblichen Gesang ab. Darüber hinaus war noch viel mehr: Proto-House-Klavierlinien, kubanische Percussion, viel Emotion und Synth-Hooks. Zusammengestellt und kommentiert von Bob Stanley ('The Daisy Age', 'Fell From The Sun'), ist 'Latin Freestyle' die erste Zusammenstellung, welche die gesamte Bandbreite des Freestyle von seinem Durchbruch in den frühen 1980er Jahren bis zum 1990er-Revival abdeckt. Die Doppel-Vinyl sowie die CD werden natürlich wieder von ausfühlichen Liner Notes begleitet.

In the late '70s, The Avengers established themselves as one of the US's preeminent punk bands. Fusing incisive guitar hooks, explosive rhythms and adolescent venom, the group forged some of the most in-your-face songs of the era. Their live shows were legendary, playing up and down the West Coast and even blowing Sex Pistols off the stage at the latter's final performance.

As Byron Coley writes in the liner notes, "Of the best bands of San Francisco's first wave in 1977, The Avengers were by far the coolest and youngest sounding. They roared without irony, as though this were indeed Year Zero (and, for a moment, it was) with history being overwritten by the new. The honesty of their belief was carried by their sound. And it was convincing!"

Originally released in 1983, four years after the band's dissolution, The Avengers' self-titled LP is often referred to as "The Pink Album" for its magenta-hued cover design. Frontwoman Penelope Houston's iconic voice and razor-sharp lyrics resonate on anthems "We Are The One" and "The American In Me," while penetrating ballads like "Corpus Christi" reveal a truly out-of-body euphony.

The Pink Album remains The Avengers' definitive statement - collecting their classic Dangerhouse EP, sessions recorded with the Pistols' Steve Jones and a half-dozen revelatory demos. While much has been written about The Avengers in the past three decades, rock critic Greil Marcus puts it succinctly, "The word I always come back to is mystical, and that remains almost theirs alone."

The blues portion of the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival took place on Sunday afternoon, July 3, at the end of the long weekend of jazz performances. The program also included, among others, sets by John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rushing, Sammy Price, and Otis Spann. Waters' portion of the show includes unforgettable versions of Hoochie Coochie Man, I've Got My Mojo Working, and Tiger in Your Tank.

"The King of Chicago blues at his very best." - ***** AllMusic

One of Death Metal's biggest bands, DYING FETUS return with their highly anticipated new album, Make Them Beg For Death. Recorded in Baltimore with longtime producer Steve Wright and mixed by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse), Make Them Beg For Death contains every DYING FETUS hallmark. The veteran Death Metal band’s ninth album is fast, intense, and brimming with unstoppable grooves. Monstrous riffs, blast beats, unstoppable hooks, and earth-moving grooves define their catalog. “We put our own twist on Death Metal,” explains co-vocalist/guitarist John Gallagher. “We were like most bands, starting in the garage, drinking beer, having a little fun on the weekend, finding the right amps through trial and error. We blended aspects of bands we liked – Suffocation, Obituary, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse, among others; the dual vocal approach of Carcass – and made them our own. ‘Let’s make it moshy, let’s make it slammy.’” Make Them Beg For Death delivers savage beatdowns equally designed to pulverize and mesmerize. “It follows on from where Wrong One To Fuck With left off,” drummer Trey Williams promises. “We don’t need to participate in the technical death metal arms race. We’ve got the big guns, and we’ve proven that. It’s all about pointing them in the right direction, so to speak.” To the men of DYING FETUS, the mission is straightforward. “The philosophy is the same now as it was when the band started,” Gallagher confirms. “To write catchy riffs and to make it memorable. Whatever style of music you’re doing, make it something people want to hear repeatedly.”

The Vaselines have long been celebrated by musicians and music enthusiasts across genres and across the globe, including super-fan Kurt Cobain. Emerging in the mid-eighties under the wing of The Pastels' Stephen McRobbie, The Vaselines came to define the sly wit and irresistible pop hooks of the era's Scottish indie scene. Sub Pop's remastered reintroduction of The Way of The Vaselines is an opportunity for those already familiar with the Scottish band's brief career to delve deeper into their body of work, while those new to their music can experience firsthand why so many hold them in such high regard. Originally mastered from a cassette tape (and since remastered on much better equipment in the new millennium), The Way of The Vaselines compiles the band's two EPs (Son of a Gun and Dying for It) and their sole LP release (Dum-Dum). This 2023 edition is the first ever vinyl release of The Way of The Vaselines, which originally came out on CD in 1992.