Search:out of the blue

"Most of this record was created in the shadow of COVID and deep in the maw of Melbourne’s 2020 long winter lockdown. It is a meditation on the nature of connection.

Restricted to a 5km zone, one of the only people I saw outside my family during this time was my old friend and teacher, Ania Walwicz. We met in the overlap between our zones on the waterfront near Docklands to walk and talk on bright, cool winter afternoons. Those conversations became large in my thoughts when Ania suddenly passed away in September. Her voice was in my head as I worked on this music, trawling through threads of ideas, recordings made on my phone, and thoughts jotted down in notebooks.

Ania’s practice as a writer relied on ‘automatic’ processes. Her work was informed by everything she had read (a lot) but it was created in the manner of dreams. In a state where the subconscious might bubble up and the words arrange themselves into meaning bearing forms that resonate more than represent. I thought a lot about that as I made this music. I recorded everyday using the trumpet, my old Revox reel-to-reel, a couple of synths, a harmonium I lent from a friend, and whatever else was around. I worked mostly on just diving a little deeper each time I sat down to it.

Through the simple process of exhalation, I explored my relationship with the trumpet, which has been through so many twists and turns. I let the tones produced by my breath unfurl on long tape loops and degrade beyond recognition through pedal and plugin chains, until the only imprint of the initial gesture remained.

My process also involved long bike rides during which I’d listen to the work of previous days on ear buds, gliding through familiar streets made slightly strange by the absence of people and movement. Often my rides took me along Footscray Rd next to the port, and as I washed down towards Docklands past the old boat moorings I stopped pedalling to coast. The sounds from my darkened studio mingled with the low rush of air past my helmet, the click and whirr of my bike gears, a squalling bird, a whooshing car. And I remembered my last conversation with Ania. Sitting in the late afternoon sun, squinting against the light that raked across the water, she was telling me about all the different words for they have for blue in Polish and Russian, and how words don’t just change our perception of things, but also actually change the thing being perceived.

As I rode home that afternoon, I felt like anything was possible. "

Peter Knight

Taken from the forthcoming album ‘Prom Nite’. In a world of beauty school dropouts and jukebox tearjerkers, Eva Lazarus (DJ Vadim, The Nextmen, and a guest on Yoda’s ‘Home Cooking’ album) invites you to come and feel ‘My Energy’. A superlatively soulful slow jam wrapped in stars and stripes, it’s a timeless, lilting breakup song, with Yoda shiftily putting in work on the decks out back. Authentic doo wop straight from a 50s picture show, Lazarus takes centre stage as she leaves a string of devastated would-be suitors in her wake. The new sound of DJ Yoda revisits a golden era of rhythm and blues – going all in on ‘Prom Nite’, his new album of retro Americana and superstar guests continues to expand his musical expertise, with his signature scratches and cut-ups craftily coming into view over Heartbreak Ridge. Cover Art by ENDLESS. Side A: My Energy Side B: Lesson 1956 ft Jamie Cullum & DJ Woody

To celebrate its first anniversary Lempuyang firmly stakes its claim amongst the forefront of deep techno labels with an outrageous line-up consisting of eight of the most respected heads in the business, all doing their stuff across four pieces of vinyl. Among the highlights are the growling menace of Sa Pa's 'Randomer', Gradient's fizzy, dubbed up 'Dopamine Rain' wearing its Basic Channel influence on its sleeve, the ghostly rave stabs of Deadbeat's 'Planterwald' among a sea of radioactive white noise and the clear, sculpted linear grooves of 'Growing Pains' by Bluetrain. That said, there's no weak link among the eight cuts and put together into one coherent package it's more than the sum of its part.

For most of us, life is a series of human interactions; some good, some bad, some happy, some sad. But what would life be without those peripheral characters who plant themselves into our worlds through the sheer force of their presence? Whether we speak to them or not, those vibrant contrasts to the everyday tide of ordinary people are a magical part of the human experience. Oddballs and misfits, flamboyant instigators or low-key game changers, we all clock them on our own hectic journeys, and they make the day a little brighter. Everyone has their favourite people.

Following the runaway success of their first one-shot single in 2020, Favourite People reconvene for a full-length of blues-tinged cuts stemming from sessions at Selva Studios in Brooklyn. The project’s roots predate the studio, from scattered jams and sweaty nights in New York nightspots to impromptu recordings on cruise ships, but the flashpoint of inspiration that truly set the album in motion was the arrival of a blonde 1960s Fender Telecaster. From there, the motley crew of sharp-shooting string slingers and sticks men set about crafting paeans to those striking souls who make the world a more colourful place.

The emphasis here is on the kind of forward-facing, electrically charged mix you felt (whether you realised it or not) hearing early Sabbath or Priest for the first time. With their undeniable bias towards vintage soul, Favourite People are far from heavy metal, but the same lineage of blues and by extension jazz informs the music, while the tonal crunch of that 70s era guides the sound. Feasting on tasteful overdrive and leaning on the unmistakable flavour of tape for much of the recording, the deal was sealed on this purposeful exercise in vibe thanks to the near-mythical texture of Guy Davie’s EMI Nigeria console at Electric Mastering.

Across the album there are mellow shades and bursts of good-time get-down exuberance, but the lead singles capture the essence of the band in no uncertain terms.

‘Promise Of Nibbles’ brings the Favourite People MO into sharp relief with a low-slung, hard swinging blues confection full of overheating organ and duelling guitars in pursuit of Southern-stewed boogie (im)perfection.

‘We’ll Be Late To The Party’ turns up the tempo and dials in the fuzz, striking an anthemic note which lands somewhere between urgent highway escapism and euphoric communal revelation.

‘Mass and Mustiness’ leans in on the funk dimension of the group’s sound with the sweetest licks and chops on that fabled telecaster backed up by an acutely angled beat and the slinkiest of b-lines.

These are but three of the vibrant vignettes laid down by this quietly unassuming collective of heads down jammers, loose groovers and vintage sound freaks –heavy grooving instrumentals pulled from their own moments of pure musical magic and captured on disc for your listening, dancing, living, loving pleasure.

Repress expected. Date TBA

By 1980 when this was originally released Pharoah Sanders was solidly entrenched with his own voice on tenor. The passing of John Coltrane and Sanders's fruitful years of playing with the prolific saxophone genius resulted with an unmistakable influence on his sound and explorations of the instrument. Beginning with "Greetings to Idris" the structure of the music is one that follows tradition yet opens up for the musicians to improvise within the arrangements. "Greetings to Idris" is in reference to the featured drummer Idris Muhammad who also played with Coltrane during his late period. Naturally Sanders is featured as the main instrument and his horn can be bold and demanding of your full attention. Always interested in other instruments from other cultures, much like Trane, he incorporates the Japanese instrument the koto, a beautifully harmonic stringed instrument to counter his soft rich blowing on tenor with only wind chimes and a harmonium for a delicious peaceful bit of music on "Kazuko"(Peace Child) that has the qualities of a meditative offering. Most of the music, eight tracks, is composed and arranged by Sanders and demonstrates his leadership. There is one John Coltrane composition entitled "After The Rain" that gets the Tranesque treatment by Sanders that makes it hard for even the most discerning listener to distinguish between the original version and Sanders impression. It is a bluesy duet featuring only sax and piano and leaves you wanting to hear it over and over again because of it's simple and haunting melodies. Another song that Coltrane recorded entitled "Easy To Remember" has a gentle swing to it built around a classic quartet (drums, bass, piano, sax) like that employed by Coltrane that results in a superb standard. Sanders incorporates the use of another "foreign" instrument to jazz by working in a tabla and sitar on "Soledad " that takes center stage before Sanders joins in on the music. The result is a thing of genius as the East and West merge and interface for composition that is peaceful. Sanders music on this LP fluctuates between the tranquil sounds of his mellow horn to the outer limits where he left off with the explorations of Trane's late period. What separates this LP from others is that it is a group playing under his leadership where he gives all others close to equal billing. The uptempo, "You've Got To Have freedom" is one such song where Sanders gets out there on some of his solos but works within the group structure as the other musicians, most notably Eddie Henderson on flugelhorn, bring the music back home. There is a chorus sung much of the time throughout where the the proclamation "Ya gotta have peace and love, ya gotta have freedom" is presented in Manhattan Transfer style but with much more soul. The use of vocalists is done again on the track entitled "Think About The One." The chorus features vocalese specialist Bobby McFerrin. This LP shows the different sides of Pharoah Sanders, a man always willing to explore the music, explore his soul and share it with you. The closing track "Bedria" is a mellow exploration of the various ranges of the tenor. It is a ten minute song that displays all the grace of his being, a gentle giant who can manipulate the horn to do extraordinary things, reverberating out and back in undulating waves of harmonic bliss. Sanders on this LP is next to perfect. One of his best recording from his post Impulse career. It belongs in your jazz collection right next to John Coltrane.

Clear Vinyl

New Nordic jazz duo Svaneborg Kardyb sign to Gondwana Records and announce NPR Tiny Desk session and captivating third album Over Tage

Svaneborg Kardyb are Nikolaj Svaneborg - Wurlitzer, Juno, piano and Jonas Kardyb - drums, percussion a multi award winning duo from Denmark, where they won two "grammys" at the Danish Music Awards Jazz 2019: New artist of the year and Composer of the year. ?Drawing on Danish folk music and Scandinavian jazz influences, including Nils Frahm, Esbjörn Svennson and Jan Johansson's landmark recording Jazz På Svenska, their music is an exquisite and joyful melding of beautiful melodies, delicate minimalism, catchy grooves, subtle electronica vibes, Nordic atmospheres and organic interplay, all underwritten by the sheer joy of playing together. "We started in the earliest of mornings over the blackest of coffee, sometimes even without talking, just music.

Immediately we felt a connection between our personal style of playing and the compositions emerged like out of nowhere. The vibe from these early sessions is still the backbone of our little band".

Svaneborg Kardyb hail from Aalborg, in Jutland, in the north of Denmark where they first met in 2013 and discussed the possibility of creating a duo over late night talks. Six years went by as they both explored other projects before they eventually realised the idea of making music together. Like their new label mates, Vega Trails, Svaneborg Kardyb are a duo, a format that gives them a lot of space to occupy - or leave blank. "We enjoy the simplicity and focus it gives to the interplay. We come from very different musical backgrounds; Nikolaj from Scandinavian jazz, and Jonas from Roots, blues and folk, so the music is a sum of our personal contributions and doesn't thrive to be anything else than that. It's quite unique for us to have this shared musical tongue and friendship".

Their music is intentionally simple at first glance, but evolves and unfolds through listening over time, with plenty of room for exploration, reflection and improvisation. Their aim is to create music that is as honest and intimate as possible "with melodies and rhythms so strong that we are left as only the messengers". And their fast-developing music chemistry allowed them to give little thought to what their musical influences were. Giving their music a captivating charm. "We explored whatever sounds and musical structures our duality gave birth to and through long jam-sessions we found small seeds of ideas that turned into tunes. Danish traditional songs, community singing and hymns are a big inspiration too. Both the tonal language, the lyrical melodies and the way generations can gather around the music, is something that is close to our hearts".

Over Tage (over roofs) is their third album, following Knob (2019) and Haven (2020) and marks their debut for Gondwana Records a label noted for working with artists such as Mammal Hands, Portico Quartet and GoGo Penguin whose music, like that of Svaneborg Kardyb delights in exploring the fertile spaces between genres. For the duo it is their most serious and thoughtful record to date. "It may be our strongest and most honest record so far. Doubts and uncertainty were kind of the foundation for the sounds of the album but there is also hope and lots of uplifting moments and we're very pleased with how it came out." And it is that mixture of elevation and thoughtfulness, honesty and intimacy that makes the music of Svaneborg Kardyb so special and Over Tage such a joy to listen to. The world awaits.

A meeting of the minds between two Israeli DJs and producers. Adam Ten & Mita Gami release a combined two-tracker in September on Crosstown Rebels, dipping into dark and hypnotising waters while maintaining a club-cut aesthetic.

The pair pen a slow-burning chugger on the title track, merging tones of tech house, progressive house and techno. A high-pitched vocal weave’s throughout, in tandem with a distorted synthline and oddball sound FX—one for a wavey dancefloor. On the flip, Night Shift glistens with emotion as tribal-tinged percussion collides with long, drawn-out piano notes. A cosmic creation that blurs the line between melancholia and warmth.

Adam Ten is a Tel Aviv-born producer and resident DJ of institutional club The Block, located in his home city. Ten is a key artist on the Israeli scene, recognised for his all-night sets that blend a myriad of moods in electronic music. He’s played worldwide, spanning stints in Miami, Cape Town and Mykonos, amongst several other regions, and he’s channelled his compelling sound on labels like Diynamic, Multinotes, Disco Halal and Selador. As a co-founder of the event series TERRA, Ten curates some of the finest nature-orientated parties in Israel. Mita Gami hails from Tel Aviv. A multi-instrumentalist from a young age, he goes beyond the trope of entertainer. Instead, Gami invites his audience into immersive and almost trippy journeys during his performances via a hybrid set-up and enticing energy on-stage. Releases on REALM Records and Diynamic display his metaphysical approach. Beyond producing, Gami co-runs the label Blue Shadow Records and the Sunrise Kingdom area in Midburn Festival, based in the Negev Desert in Israel.

On August 26th Gwilym Gold releases his third album, Blue Garden, on SA Recordings. Alongside the record we are pitching the beautiful Blue Garden. Gwilym began playing improvised music as a pianist and may be fondly remembered as the singer and keyboardist in psychedelic pop trio Golden Silvers but has since worked widely as a soloist. 2012 saw the release of his high-concept solo piece Tender Metal which was composed and released using Bronze; a new music technology which Gold created with producer Lexxx alongside Mick Grierson. Using Bronze, a song is enabled to rebuild itself on each playback from the musical seeds and ground sown by the writer. Music composed with Bronze is not restricted to just one playback possibility, it is a dynamic, ever-transforming representation of itself where the artist builds a new model as part of each song’s writing process. Gwilym has since collaborated with artists such as Arca, Jai Paul, Philippe Parreno and Nicolas Becker, introducing them to this new technology. One of the hopes for Bronze is that it brings some of the characteristics of performance back into previously inert musical documents, and alongside his work with Bronze, Gwilym has maintained a wide performance practice. Performing recently alongside musicians such as Dave Okumu, Tom Skinner and Lucinda Chua and collaborating with artists Eddie Peake and Holly Blakey. His two recent collections of songs, A Paradise and Sky Blue Room, stem from this, the second being recorded almost entirely live in three days alongside Okumu and drummer Dan See. Blue Garden is Gwilym’s first collection written and recorded entirely in solitude and he hoped to unburden the process of anything beyond the most primary elements. Setting up a sort of hybrid harp in a small isolated room, the aim was to let the songs flow out unadorned and record them as they were. The only addition to the album is the accompanying sound of rivers and birdsong by sound recordist and founding member of Cabaret Voltaire, Chris Watson. Gwilym started to play the new album alongside Watson’s recording ‘The Drinking Boy’ which led him to reach out to Watson. Gwilym explains “I played it to a friend once I had recorded it with Chris’ field recordings, they said it almost sounded like the quarantine birds, there was a feeling of it being a little sanctuary”. The songs on Blue Garden were written during a bittersweet time, where Gold was experiencing moments of love, loss and rebirth. The album is a loose and abstract exploration of love in all its forms, how familial, platonic and romantic love are all intertwined.

Seit ihrem Durchbruch mit dem umjubelten Debütalbum Black Holes haben die Blue Stones mitreißende Live-Shows abgeliefert, die die Gesetze
der Physik außer Kraft setzen und allein durch die beiden Bandmitglieder einen unfassbar massiven Sound erzeugen.
Auf ihrem dritten Album Pretty Monster fängt das Duo das kontrollierte Chaos und die brennende Energie ihres Live-Sets zum ersten Mal vollständig
ein - und baut dabei auf dem starken Songwriting und dem klanglichen Einfallsreichtum auf, den sie auf Black Holes (eine Veröffentlichung aus dem
Jahr 2018, die ihnen eine JUNO-Award-Nominierung als "Breakthrough Group of the Year" einbrachte) und dem 2021 folgenden Hidden Gems (eine
JUNO-Nominierung als "Rock Album of the Year") gezeigt haben. Trotz des kolossalen Wachstums, das sie seit ihren Anfängen in den Spelunken ihrer
kleinen Heimatstadt erfahren haben, versprühen The Blue Stones in jedem Stück gleichermaßen ungebremste Leidenschaft und einen fröhlichen
Abenteuergeist.
Pretty Monster wurde hauptsächlich vom mehrfachen GRAMMY-Preisträger Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, The Strokes, Spoon) produziert und
entstand in 35 aufeinanderfolgenden Aufnahmetagen in einem Studio in Kingston, Ontario. In dieser Zeit arbeiteten Sänger/Gitarrist Tarek Jafar und
Schlagzeuger/Backing-Sänger Justin Tessier unermüdlich daran, die rohe Vitalität der Demos des Albums zu bewahren und gleichzeitig jeden Song
mit so vielen unerwarteten Details zu versehen (düstere Beats, rastlose Grooves, elegant frenetische Texturen). Das Ergebnis ist ein triumphales
Werk, das sich von dem eher atmosphärischen Sound von Hidden Gems abhebt (ein weithin gelobtes Werk, das drei Top-5-Radiohits in Kanada
hervorbrachte) und die harte Dynamik des Rock'n'Roll mit den unauslöschlichen Ohrwürmern des Pop verbindet

Wganda Kenya was ahead of its time, anticipating current contemporary Afro-Latin-funk trends in a prescient way that has inspired a legion of fans across the globe. As part of that legacy, "Africa 5.000" (1975) has a legendary reputation as one of Discos Fuentes' best hard-to-find Afro Caribbean funk records and is a highly prized collector's piece. This LP features several classic dance floor gems as well as some lesser-known nuggets and a non-album bonus cut, plus informative notes. "Africa 5.000" (1975) has a legendary reputation as one of Colombia's best hard-to-find Afro-funk records and is a highly prized collector's piece today. The epic 'La torta' ('The Cake') kicks things off with a lively Colombian interpretation of Haitian compas. The tune is still remembered as a big picó (amplified sound system) hit at the verbenas (outdoor dance parties). 'Fiebre de lepra' ('Leprosy Fever') was also released as a 45 single and is certainly one of Wganda Kenya's wilder tracks. Funky wah-wah guitar, makossa style bass, manic organ, and feverishly insane vocals (from Wilson "Saoko" Manyoma and Joe Arroyo) indicate that Fruko and his pals were having a ball goofing around in the studio. If for no other reason, "Africa 5.000" is sought after for being the album containing Fruko and Javier García's outrageously funky and off-kilter 'Tifit hayed', which has become a tropical dance floor favorite in recent years. Again the "kitchen sink" approach is employed, including massive Latin bass lines, tasty Farfisa organ stabs, a bluesy, jazzy piano solo, and plenty of humorous vocal sound effects (including animal noises and lip burbling). However, it's the stomping break beats and cowbell counterpoint that has kept dance floors busy. Side B leaps out of the speakers with the heavy, strutting 'El caterete', which was the flip side to the 'Fiebre de lepra' single and is based on the 1970 song 'Cateretê' by Brazilian singer/songwriter Marku Ribas. Like its sibling Fuentes studio band Afrosound, Wganda Kenya was ahead of its time, anticipating current contemporary Afro-Latin-funk trends in a prescient way that has inspired a legion of fans across the globe, and this reissue of "Africa 5.000" will only serve to further cement the band's growing reputation amongst today's diggers of tropical psychedelia. First time reissue.

After a year of releases exploring recent musics from the USA, Europe and the southern hemisphere the Horn of Plenty presents a survey of archival private, demo, and live tapes from local avant-anarcho-punks The Apostles. The tapes were (poorly) recorded in Islington & Hackney squats between 1981-1983 and they capture the fledgling band exploring various line-up’s, styles & techniques with limited means and ability. In 1983 The Apostles released their first vinyl EP and switched mainly to a more straight-ahead anarcho-punk style. They gained a strong following then called it a day in 1989. Their vinyl output is still regarded highly by fans and collectors and their ‘official’ demo tapes have become highly sought-after, particularly since being namechecked by Ty Segall in a 2014 interview. In a 2009 article charting the band’s history (frontman) Andy Martin gives these early tapes a mere footnote and states that, in his opinion, they are ‘Best Forgotten’. With respect Andy, I beg to differ. Best Forgotten shows the band grappling with the political, racial and cultural tensions of the time whilst exploring radical politics and issues around homosexuality and mental health. Their sympathies with The Angry Brigade’s ‘direct action’ ethos extended to their involvement with the squatted Centro Iberico and The Wapping Autonomy Centre where they worked closely with Crass, Poison Girls, Flux of Pink Indians and The Mob among others. Viewed retrospectively, it’s easy to draw comparisons with early Fall records, The Door and The Window etc… but also at their melodic best they echo 60’s beat groups and even 70’s blues-rock. A keen interest in tape collage (supplied here by Ian Rawes who later became established with his London Sound Survey project) and the avant garde also inform the mix. Highlights include a bleak reworking of Lemon Kittens’ Chalet D’Amour and a live version of Simon & Garfunkel's I Am A Rock segueing into their take on Alternative TV’s Splitting In Two recorded at The Recession Club in Ponsford Street, Hackney. The short-lived Recession Club, which The Apostles co-ran and where Andy Martin worked the door, also hosted the first ever Coil concert. On that night he refused entry to Death In June on account of their ‘inappropriate attire’. Best Forgotten comes in a hand stamped, stickered and assembled edition of 500 copies and includes an A3 poster and 32 page A4 zine collecting archival photos and images from The Apostles tapes & zines along with liner notes and reflections on the tracks written by Steve Underwood (Harbinger Sound), Chris Low (former Apostles drummer) and The Apostles frontman Andy Martin, who thought this whole thing was daft.

The ‘3000 Volts of Holt’ album was the third in a series of records that launched John Holt into the UK charts in the 1970’s.
To say that every home had a copy of a 1000 Volts and many 2000 Volts of Holt might be an overstatement but it certainly felt that way, as all good radio stations and parties seemed to have these tracks on permanent rotation.’3000 Volts of Holt’ was the more roots sounding of the three albums but still carried that sweetened string sound that set these recordings together.
This album also featured the first recordings that Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare played on together.
We are glad to get this version back out on the streets where it belongs especially on vinyl so those new Reggae Blues parties can again spin some fine vintage John Holt Magic…
Sit back and enjoy…..

Before Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes even had an album on the shelves, they were being played on the radio in Cleveland. That’s how far back the New Jersey band’s relationship goes with the city. As the “Jukes” part of their name would suggest, Southside Johnny and his group were spiritually a band from another time. They had a big sound (and a full horn section, courtesy of The Miami Horns) that conjured a vision of a large band, jammed together on the bandstand. Which was hardly far from the truth on a number of nights. Mixing carefully chosen blues and soul covers with their own originals (and some choice songwriting contributions from Bruce Springsteen), they had a live show that was even more potent than what had been laid to tape in the studio. This 1977 performance at the Cleveland Agora was the group’s second outing at the legendary venue in less than a year. Live in Cleveland ‘77, the recorded evidence of that night, presented here for the first time by Cleveland International Records, shows exactly why they would become frequent visitors and really, honorary Clevelanders. Songs like “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” Springsteen’s “The Fever,” “Havin’ a Party” and “Without Love” were already well-loved favorites with the local audience, thanks to frequent airplay on WMMS long before they even had an album. Cleveland got a special bonus round that other cities would have killed for. Ronnie Spector had joined the group in the studio as they recorded that debut and came to Cleveland to share the stage with the Jukes, sharing her soon-to-be-legendary take on Billy Joel’s “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” with the Agora crowd. As she did with so many songs, Spector made it her own. Southside Johnny and the Jukes continue to thrill audiences with their live performances worldwide to this day. Now, thanks to the release of Live in Cleveland ‘77, you can be in the audience to hear a bit of the early magic as they were on their way to the top.

Don't let the prestigious acting career fool you, Caleb Landry Jones is a bonafide musical maverick. And on hisforthcoming release Gadzooks Vol. 2 he places himself in a lineage of outsider artists, many with only a thin thread tethering them to this reality, who are capable of reaching into the cosmic realms of imagination and bringing back a musical masterpiece. And while most artists don't save some of the best music of their career for an album with Vol. 2 in the title, Jones is an artist for whom chronology is a slippery substance.

The album was recorded with Nic Jodoin in the famed Valentine Recording Studios simultaneous with the mixing of his debut album The Mother Stone. The team invited a slew of heavy hitting musicians to the studio to contribute to the magic. The resulting album sounds a bit like pink elephants in cowboy hats making asmr... at least for the first 20 seconds before it seamlessly changes entirely.

Don't let the prestigious acting career fool you, Caleb Landry Jones is a bonafide musical maverick. And on hisforthcoming release Gadzooks Vol. 2 he places himself in a lineage of outsider artists, many with only a thin thread tethering them to this reality, who are capable of reaching into the cosmic realms of imagination and bringing back a musical masterpiece. And while most artists don't save some of the best music of their career for an album with Vol. 2 in the title, Jones is an artist for whom chronology is a slippery substance.

The album was recorded with Nic Jodoin in the famed Valentine Recording Studios simultaneous with the mixing of his debut album The Mother Stone. The team invited a slew of heavy hitting musicians to the studio to contribute to the magic. The resulting album sounds a bit like pink elephants in cowboy hats making asmr... at least for the first 20 seconds before it seamlessly changes entirely.

Initial copies / pressing on limited-edition coloured LP edition on blue transparent vinyl. The Milk Teeth mini album compiles singer-songwriter Suki Waterhouse's various non-album singles onto a physical release for the first time. It includes the song "Good Looking," which, in mid-2022, exploded on Tik Tok and hit #1 on the global viral chart. Suki Waterhouse catalogues the most intimate, formative, and significant moments of her life through songs. You might recognize her name or her work as an actress and model, but you'll really get to know the multi-faceted artist through her music. Growing up in London, Suki gravitated towards music's magnetic pull. She listened to the likes of Alanis Morissette and caught Missy Elliott live as her first concert. Meanwhile, Oasis held a particularly special place in her heart. She initially teased out this facet of her creativity with a series of singles, generating nearly 20 million total streams independently. Nylon hailed her debut "Brutally" as "what a Lana Del Rey deep cut mixed with Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides, Now' would sound like." In addition to raves from Garage by Vice and Lemonade Magazine, DUJOR put it best, "Suki Waterhouse's music has swagger." Constantly consuming artists of all stripes, she listened to the likes of Sharon Van Etten, Valerie June, Garbage, Frazey Ford, Lou Doillon, and Lucinda Williams. In late 2020, she finally dove into making what would become her full-length debut album, I Can't Let Go Sub Pop Records with producer Brad Cook [Snail Mail, Waxahatchee]. Now, she introduces this chapter with "Moves" and "My Mind." Her first album for Sub Pop, I Can't Let Go, produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, War On Drugs, Snail Mail, Waxahatchee) and released in May of 2022, is a testament to her powers as a singer and songwriter. The Milk Teeth mini album rightly shines a spotlight on her pre-album material, giving these six songs their first physical release.

A Deep Lake is an easy, breezy, sky-blue house tune with a healthy swing and a carefree bass line. The unhurried slowbuild evokes just the kind of outdoor jam that Ospovat frequents. There are some small surprises as the record goes on, though. The more dense, acidic feel of Thick Air is a clubfriendly workout, while Chasonsa Vibes has an earthy groove with live drums and half-sung vocals. The sprightly,

Kompakt-esque title track closes out this vibrant EP

Paving the way for independent artists with songs about love, loss and life, Low Island release their highly anticipated sophomore album, Life In Miniature, promising more ‘delicious alt pop’ (Clash) as the group follow in the footsteps of fellow ‘Oxford bands Glass Animals, Radiohead and Foals’ (Rolling Stone Germany).

It comes fresh off the back of their debut album, If You Could Have It All Again, which placed #17 in the Official UK Album Sales Chart and won them plaudits from Gigwise (‘truly engrossing’), Line of Best Fit (‘arena ready’), Double J, KCRW, Radio1, 6music and Zane Lowe, who described the bands ‘intellectual, soulful creativity.’ Their second album, Life In Miniature, sees Low Island continue to broaden the scope of their ambition, with a record that exquisitely balances stirring electronics, euphoric indie and infectious pop. It’s a record described by the band as a ‘timecapsule, a sonic photo album that captures three years of accelerated change that felt like a lifetime. Leaving home, falling in love, losing loved ones, trying to capture full complexity of emotion that all of those experiences engender.’

Setting that heartfelt lyricism against such a diverse range of sonic backdrops is something that Low Island have been devotedly fine-tuning over the years, firmly rooted in an independence that extends to everything from managing themselves and releasing their music on their own label, Emotional Interference. Its lead to an electrifying live show, which has seen them play festivals from Glastonbury to Lollapalooza Berlin, support synthpop legends Hot Chip and pack out their own shows everywhere from London to Berlin, Prague and Paris, prompting 6music’s Tom Robinson to prophesise that ‘we’ll have them rocking the Pyramid Stage yet, mark my words’.

After recent releases on Truncate and Ben Sims’ Hardgroove, the Italian producer Elisa Bee returns to Balkan Vinyl with her new EP, Sample Minds. 3 cuts of peak-time jacking techno and acid with a proper edge of funk, plus a remix from Neville Watson taking it into slower, deeper blissed out territory. Out on a hand-numbered edition of 303 copies, on translucent blue 12” vinyl.

Ringing from hi-fi headphones and blown-out boombox speakers alike
comes the overloaded guitar genius of "Easy Listening", a record of rock
n' roll daydreams and terminal boredom, and 2nd Grade's long awaited
second LP.Like a blue slushy on a hot day, Easy Listening is a sweet
respite
Like the Blue Angels touching down on the Las Vegas Strip, Easy Listening is
impossible to ignore. And like a janitor mopping up beer on the floor of the
Hollywood Palladium in 1972, hours after the Rolling Stones have finished
Ventilator Blues and climbed onto the bus, Easy Listening knows the glory and
cost of escapism, abandon, and the soul of rock n roll. Philadelphia's 2nd Grade
(Peter Gill, Catherine Dwyer, Jon Samuels, David Settle, and Fran Lyons) is a band
both obsessed with and worthy of rock stardom, and Easy Listening proves their
status as virtuosos of the power pop renaissance.Sonically and lyrically, Easy
Listening pays tribute to a guitar lineage linking the Stones to the Flamin'
Groovies, to Redd Kross and Guided By Voices. With its spiraling hooks and
handclapped quarter note beat, lead single Strung Out On You sounds like an
alternate reality post-Radio City Big Star cut. In 2nd Grade's world, music history
is a prism, not a linear progression. Famous teens transcend time on the outro to
Teenage Overpopulation, a shouted cacophony of names including Tommy
Stinson, Lizzie McGuire, and Joan of Arc. The line between the love of an
audience and that of a romantic partner is blurred on songs like Hands Down and
Me & My Blue Angels. Across the album, hi- fi and lo- fi styles splice together;
playful references and surreal hints of impossibility build a complex, believable
world atop a foundation of simple and sticky melodies that resonate on very first
listen. Pressed on Blue Jay Color vinyl.

XAM Duo – the Yorkshire-based pairing of Matthew Benn and Christopher Duffin – follow-up their The A-side features a reworking of the album’s closing track, ‘Cold Stones’, by legendary electronic artist and DJ, James Holden. In one of his first remixes for a number of years, he has taken the original’s calming, comedown energy and transformed it into an epic, 11-and-a-half-minute journey, which somewhere around the five-minute mark comes right back up. “It didn't turn out quite how I expected, but as they say the sculpture is already in the stone, we just have to find it,” says Holden. “It's like the most rave thing I’ve done for ages and also not rave at all, like a blurry dream about a rave?” Whatever it is, it’s incredible, as are the two further reworkings on the B-side. The Early Years resurface after another lengthy hiatus and reframe ‘LGOC’ as a divine astral jazz / krautrock crossover, while Richard Pike (of PVT and Deep Learning, among others) turns ‘Blue Comet’ into a glitchy and discordant soundtrack to the best 1980s computer game you never played. “It’s lovely to hear three different interpretations of songs that we already tend to keep quite loose and elastic,“ says Matthew Benn. “These remixes feel like a natural extension of the music on the album, like they're from the same world, but perhaps in a different language.” Praise for XAM Duo II: “Thirty minutes of top-quality retro techno ambience and high-tech jazz” – MOJO “An elegant swirl of MIDI exotica, digital wind chimes and health-spa tones... threading saxophone through Boards Of Canada-style funk” – Uncut “Simultaneously more eclectic and more concise, the album expands, refines and folds down the twosome’s electro-organic explorations” – Concrete Islands “XAM Duo’s layered electronics pivot between the meditative and the assertive” – Clash “Made up of sweet synths, precise beats and some piano and sax, they create an atmosphere that feels as if it’s designed to accompany times of concentration and calm” – Loud And Quiet A1 - Cold Stones (James Holden Remix) B1 - LGOC (The Early Years Remix)
B2 - Blue Comet (Richard Pike Remix)

Moody Blue Vinyl. RIYL: Codeine, Mazzy Star, Bedhead, Red House Painters, Low & American Music Club. Previously unreleased 16-track recordings that predates Spain’s 1995's landmark “The Blue Moods Of Spain". Includes original studio version of "World Of Blue" featuring Petra Haden on violin. Re-mixed and re-imagined by Kramer for Shimmy-Disc. The LP “World of Blue” features Merlo Podlewski on guitar. I first met Merlo in 1994. My sister Rachel Haden, who had been working with him at the Rhino Records store in Westwood, knew I was looking for a new guitarist for my band, and introduced us. Merlo is one of those guitarists whose playing is so smooth and effortless he makes anyone feel like they can play. He had an instinctual grasp of harmony and theory, which brought a great counterpoint to the technical knowledge and finesse of lead guitarist Ken. Spain played their first official L.A. gig with Merlo at a club called Pan, which shortly thereafter changed its name to Spaceland. We opened for Beck and That Dog. We played at Spaceland a lot and at other small clubs and coffee joints like the Troy Cafe (owned by Beck’s mom), Congo Square Coffee House in Santa Monica, Alligator Lounge, and others. At a certain point that year we were ready to record our first 7” single, and I reserved some time at Poop Alley. Poop Alley didn’t seem like the ideal recording setting. The walls and floors were made of concrete, and there was no soundproofing. The mixing board was in a loft up this steep staircase with no guard rails. But it worked somehow. On the particular day we recorded basics there was a rain storm which you can clearly hear in the background. The ceiling was so high there almost wasn’t a ceiling. A steep curving staircase with no guardrail led up to a loft area where the console was located, and next to it, on a custom-built, guardrail-less ledge, a queen-sized bed where Tom slept. I paid for the session with weed I grew in my closet. We set up and it started raining. Tom put a microphone outside. After tracking was finished, Petra came over and overdubbed violin. There was a cushioned area where I remember sitting during mixdown. We stayed good friends with Tom. We recorded a couple more songs with him the following year. Tom recorded lots of bands at Poop Alley. My sisters’ band That Dog, Beck, the Rentals, Rod Poole, Tom’s band Waldo the Dog Faced Boy, and many others. There were parties in the alley. There would be a keg of beer. Everyone was well-behaved. The most dangerous it got was when Kenny asked Beck if he was a Scientologist. I remember laughter and happiness the most from those parties. Not long afterwards Tom shut down the studio. Luckily for us, the tapes still exist. On those tapes are five songs, all of which are represented here. “I Lied” and “Her Used-To-Been” were released on the 7”, the remaining three have never been released before now. I can’t remember who I sent copies of the 7” to but shortly after it came out I got a call from an A&R executive at Geffen inviting me to their offices to talk. “I love your songs,” I remember him saying to me, “but my boss David Geffen won’t let me sign you because he doesn’t know how to market you.” Eventually a label that did want to sign us got in touch with me. Restless Records, they had decent distribution, so I said to myself, “Why not?”. This eventually led to the recording that produced our debut LP “Blue Moods of Spain”. Track listing: A1. Her Used-To-Been A2. Phone Machine A3. I Lied B1. Dreaming of Love B2. World of Blue

Winter’s glittery, holographic image takes on a darker shade in the grooves of their 4th album, What Kind of Blue Are You? The record sees Samira Winter return to the kind of hooky shoegaze of her early recordings. A darker, more world-weary perspective informs the honest and emotionally unguarded lyrics. Sonically, What Kind of Blue... is Winter’s greatest achievement yet. Texturally,, bellowing fuzz and wirey guitars evoke a new sonic territory. Tracks like “Atonement” (ft. Hatchie), “Good” (ft. Sasami) and “Fool” claw, scrape and wriggle their way into your ear. Produced by Joo Joo Ashworth (Sasami, Automatic, Dummy). Recently completed a US and Europe tour as part of Hatchie’s band. 4 pre-release singles and a video for “Atonement”. Featured guest peformances from Sasami Ashworth and Hatchie. Recent collaborations with Pachyman, Mile High Club, and Jorge Elbrecht. “Utterly charming kaleidoscopic dreampop... her perfect palette of sounds draws you in but she’s got the tunes to keep you around” Brooklyn Vegan // Tour Dates Europe & Australia (Supporting Hatchie). Sept 25th Bristol @ Louisiana, Sept 26th Manchester @ YES, Sept 27th London @ Village Underground. // Track Listing: Side A 01. Wish I Knew 02. Atonement 03. Good 04. Sunday 05. Crimson Enclosure Side B 06. Write It Out 07. Lose You 08. Fool 09. Mr. On-My-Mind 10. Kind Of Blue

Remastered reissue of the eponymous debut album by legendary genre scramblers, Cerberus Shoal. Available on vinyl for the first time in over 25 years. Limited edition Toasted Peach colored vinyl, 500 only pressed. The long out-of-print, eponymous debut album by the prescient, genre-scrambling collective, Cerberus Shoal, showcases their humble beginnings as a progressive punk band with extraordinary promise. Recorded in 1994 and originally released the following year, Cerberus Shoal disTRR024LPC1 is an Indie Retail Exclusive on Rouge Colored Vinyl, 500 only while supplies last. The long out-of-print breakthrough third album by the forever forward-thinking New England collective, Cerberus Shoal, is rightfully considered a high-water mark for the band, and a quintessential example of what would eventually be commonly defined as “post-rock.” The first studio album to feature the members of fellow local experimental rock troupe, Tarpigh, Homb exemplifies the transitional magic and mystery that marked Cerberus Shoal’s brilliant early era. Unraveling their various influences – early 90s post-hardcore, shoegaze, avant-rock, psych-folk, early New Age – and weaving them into something uniquely rich and resonant seemed almost effortless to Cerberus Shoal, and perhaps no album epitomized that more than the lush tapestry of Homb. Finally available on vinyl for the first time ever, Homb Anniversary Edition is packaged in restored artwork with extensive new liner notes written by the band. The record has been newly mastered for vinyl by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service, and pressed onto audiophile-grade vinyl. “It’s another milestone for the always intriguing Cerberus Shoal.” Pitchfork // “Formed in the early 90s, this six-piece collective has steadily gained a name for themselves as one of the most interesting and original bands coming out of the North American indie scene today.” tilled the band’s earliest creative and philosophical influences – the rhythmic post-hardcore of Dischord Records; the disarming histrionics of Ebullition and Gravity Records; and the ominous, patient dynamics of Slint and Moss Icon – into a concise six-song document that is as much a snapshot of an era as a blueprint for much that followed. Cerberus Shoal Anniversary Edition is packaged in restored artwork with extensive new liner notes and newly uncovered photos from the earliest era of the band. The record has been newly mastered for vinyl by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service, and pressed onto audiophile-grade vinyl. The enclosed digital download coupon includes a massive 30-minute instrumental bonus track not available on the LP. Track Listing 1. Rain (2:44) 2. Daddy As Seen From Bar Harbor (11:25) 3. Elena (4:56) 4. Change (7:31) 5. Breakaway Terminal Cable (6:24) 6. Rain (Reprise) (5:34)

We love nothing more than belated success, from the Nightingales' rise to top cult band, to the string of five marvelous Blue Orchids LPs in six years (as much as Martin Bramah had managed in the previous four decades) . . . so give us more. Like David Westlake. The release of NME's C86 cassette heralded a new generation of artists who'd emerged since the preceding C81 assembled a set of acts who'd coaxed new dialects out of punk, rhythms, reggae and the avant-garde. Though variable, C86 became a phenomenon, making a bigger splash and enduring longer than anyone could have predicted. The evolution by 1986 of "independent" or "alternative" music into "indie" brought a modified focus. From C81's post-punk negotiations of politics and cross-cultural influence to C86's compact blasts of, on the one hand, effervescent melodic pop and, on the other, jagged Beefheart-esque racket. Tiny Global Productions has proudly presented already one of the best from C86. The Wolfhounds' leader David Callahan's talent evolved masterfully into Moonshake, and more recently to a strain of blistering raga-folk psychedelia which deals with sociopolitical issues in brilliantly idiosyncratic fashion. And what of another of the best from C86 - the Servants, David Westlake's band? Ambivalent about the invitation to be on C86, Westlake gave the NME a wrong-footing b-side, before keeping a distance from the noise around the compilation. Subsequent releases from Westlake and The Servants and Westlake attracted fine reviews but settled quietly into relative obscurity, despite musical involvement from various Housemartins, Go-Betweens and Triffids, a quest by Stuart from Belle & Sebastian to find Westlake and form a band; not to mention Luke Haines' own five-year presence in the Servants before forming The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder. Westlake went first into the law, then spent years in literary academia. Now the surprise arrival of My Beautiful England. The album is a masterpiece of concept, composition and performance, a conceptual work of truths and reflections of difficult but deft and unflinching expression. "It is not only fashionable now to denigrate England and its past; it is heresy to recognise good in it. The place that made me is disappearing. Its values and traditions. Among them: good manners, humility and clemency, resilience and perseverance, good humour. History is being refashioned – in spirit and material fact – by ideologues unshakeably certain they are in the right, and people are being distanced from their pasts. Some find themselves forced into passive acceptance of new distortions of the past, out of imitativeness or cowardice. I resist. This album is a memorial. Intentionally, a museum piece. It is a personal tribute to the England I knew."

An Indie-pop daydream desperate melody with true love's aim. A voice subtle in its delivery and powerful in its affect. Hooks, lyrics, melody, tears. I'd call it a teen tragedy but everyone's getting older, Hearts are getting bigger but head and heart can't ever line up. 11 tracks 45RPM. Ribbon Stage are a trio from NYC with no small amount of love for the noise pop days of Dolly Mixture and the Shop Assistants. The group does perfectly what only punks playing pop music can do–create chaotic noise in tandem with the sweetest hooks and most sophisticated nihilism. Ribbon Stage makes noise pop so catchy you swear you've heard before. Forever trapped in the space between your ears. Featuring Mari Softie (Ratas del Vaticano, Tercer Mundo, Exotica, and Pobreza Mental) as well as scene stalwart Jolie M-A (Juicy II, Boys Online) and vocalist Anni Hilator. Recorded by Hayes Waring on 1/2” 8 track tape in Olympia WA. Mixed by Capt. Tripps Ballsington. Mastered by Amy Dragon. Look for the video for singles “Playing Possum”, “Stone Heart Blue”, and “Dead End Descent” as well as a Fall West Coast tour, if touring is at all still possible in the new future. Whatever happens it is quite assuring that whatever these times may bring bands can still put out music as good as this EP. 2500 vinyl copies. “It’s an indie-pop joy ride” -SVL (Rollingstone) // Tracklist: 1. Playing Possum 2. Nothing Left 3. No Alternative 4. Nowhere Fast 5. Sulfate 6. Stone Heart Blue 7. Clock Tower 8. Hearst 9. Exaltation 10. It's Apathy 11. Dead End Descent

LP colour is Transparent Blue. Stu Spasm (Lubricated Goat) + Russell Simins (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) + Kate Bjelland (Babes In Toyland). One off garage-sleaze rock masterpiece. Remastered. Crunt began in 1993 as a kind of indie rock supergroup and had their 1994 debut album touted by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Crunt's members included guitarist/vocalist Stuart Gray (aka Stu Spasm) and bassist/vocalist Kat Bjelland. Gray was well-known in Australia by the start of Crunt for his past involvement in the bands Salamander Jim and the horn/guitar punk rock of Lubricated Goat, which included drummer Martin Bland who went on to play in the Monkeywrench. As for Bjelland, she was the frontwoman/guitarist for the Minnesota-based Babes in Toyland. Crunt was rounded out by drummer Russell Simins, who was the full-time sticksman for New York City's Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Each of Crunt's members were temporarily residing in Seattle when Gray conjured up the idea of starting a new group. After writing almost a dozen songs, the trio entered Seattle's Ranch studio in February of 1993 with Simins and Gray acting as the producers, and their friend John Dunleavy -- known for his work with the Supersuckers -- filling the role of engineer. A year passed before the group's self-titled album was released on February 15, 1994, on Austin, TX label Trance Syndicate, owned by Butthole Surfers' drummer King Coffey. The record was the imprint's first release from a non-Texas group. The debut of the full-length album coincided with the "Swine"/"Sexy" single on Australia's Insipid label, which was known for releasing singles by other bands such as the Cows, Urge Overkill, and the Jesus Lizard. Prior to the releases, there had been talk that the band was not going to just be a side project, but a full-time band in the same tradition as Babes in Toyland and the Blues Explosion. The trio had even planned a full-scale tour. By January of 1995, however, Crunt came to an end.

LP is on baby blue vinyl in a jacket w/ spot gloss + printed inner sleeve + LP3 album download. On October 21, 2022, Merge Records will release Pigments, the debut collaboration between New Orleans electro-revival dynamo Dawn Richard and multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Spencer Zahn. Pigments is a project about the power of self-expression through living art, through motion. It’s also a love letter to New Orleans, Louisiana. Not strictly classical, jazz or ambient electronica but rather a body of “movements,” Pigments is an expressive soundscape that is an immersive passage through the city as seen through the eyes of a young Black girl with dreams to paint her future with the pigments given to her. Richard explains: “Spencer wanted to create one long piece of music that would ebb and flow around my lyrics and emotions, which tell a story of growing to love my own skin. I wanted my voice to be moss surrounding the roots of Spencer’s compositions, never forcing the moment to fill every space but rather reveling in the openness of thought and breath.” Zahn agrees, saying, “I wanted to work with all these different textures, tones, and colors to have a new sound to frame Dawn’s voice and lyrics. To hear a lone clarinet as the breath fades and a cello continues its melody to cue Dawn’s vocal entrance is unlike any other record she has made. These are things that excite me as a composer but more as a listener. I hope that other listeners feel the same.” Coming on the heels of Dawn Richard’s critically acclaimed Merge debut Second Line, Pigments will introduce listeners to a different facet of Richard’s outrageous talent and bring Zahn’s thoughtful creativity to a new audience

Remastered reissue of the eponymous debut album by legendary genre scramblers, Cerberus Shoal. Available on vinyl for the first time in over 25 years. Limited edition Toasted Peach colored vinyl, 500 only pressed. The long out-of-print, eponymous debut album by the prescient, genre-scrambling collective, Cerberus Shoal, showcases their humble beginnings as a progressive punk band with extraordinary promise. Recorded in 1994 and originally released the following year, Cerberus Shoal distilled the band’s earliest creative and philosophical influences – the rhythmic post-hardcore of Dischord Records; the disarming histrionics of Ebullition and Gravity Records; and the ominous, patient dynamics of Slint and Moss Icon – into a concise six-song document that is as much a snapshot of an era as a blueprint for much that followed. Cerberus Shoal Anniversary Edition is packaged in restored artwork with extensive new liner notes and newly uncovered photos from the earliest era of the band. The record has been newly mastered for vinyl by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service, and pressed onto audiophile-grade vinyl. The enclosed digital download coupon includes a massive 30-minute instrumental bonus track not available on the LP. Track Listing 1. Rain (2:44) 2. Daddy As Seen From Bar Harbor (11:25) 3. Elena (4:56) 4. Change (7:31) 5. Breakaway Terminal Cable (6:24) 6. Rain (Reprise) (5:34)

When Cypress Hill came with their debut self-titled album 30 years ago, they made an immediate spark that captivated the Hip Hop audience, critics, and then the world. Led by B-Real with his nasal, singsong delivery, and Sen Dog to play the perfect hypeman, Cypress’ debut fueled tales of revenge, revolution, recreational drug use, gangbanging, and cultural pride. Like Public Enemy before them, the production was also a key factor in what made this debut so groundbreaking. DJ Muggs was able to craft a blueprint that would change Hip Hop production with his innovative stoned-out beats. Cuts like "How I Could Just Kill a Man", "Pigs", "Stoned is the Way of the Walk" and "Hand on the Pump" made Cypress Hill an instant classic. Since its release, the album has won acclaim as one of Rolling Stone's Essential Recordings of the 90s and Top 100 Best Rap Albums by The Source Magazine.

Pressing Info: 180g 12” pink vinyl, standard sleeve, limited to 500 copies, download card included. 'Defensive Designs', the self-released 2019 cassette tape from French outfit Unschooling, is now being reissued on vinyl for the first time by London-based label and promoters Bad Vibrations. With its blend of energetic post-punk and lo-fi math-rock, the nine-song collection saw Unschooling make an instant splash in their home country's indie scene and draw comparisons to contemporaries like Omni, Women and Preoccupations. Soon becoming positioned at the forefront of the new school of post-punk revivalists, Unschooling followed the release of ‘Defensive Designs’ with their ‘Random Acts of Total Control’ EP (also being reissued by Bad Vibrations) and latest single ‘Shopping On The Left Bank’, plus heavy touring around the UK and Europe and festival appearances at Great Escape, Green Man, Wide Awake, Le Printemps De Bourges, Levitation France, Dot to Dot and more. Tracklist: 1) Wet Sidewalks 2) Pride Blues 3) Rational Freak 4) Strong Frog 5) Irony Strings 6) Hold Me 7) Nouvel Order Patriarchal 8) Long Away Jade 9) (The Second) Punk Broke

Jet Set is a collection of 15 carefully crafted guitar-driven songs that
prove to be the most diverse and inventive of Los Straitjackets' oeuvre
The album was recorded at The Pow Wow Fun Room studios in Los Angeles with
producer and friend Janne Haavisto (of Laika and the Cosmonauts) and includes
a few guest appearances by The Basic Cable Horns (from the Conan show) and
Finnish actress and musician Irina Bjorklund. Jet Set delivers the high-energy rock
and roll instrumental music fans have come to expect from Los Straitjackets.
This 10th anniversary edition of Los Straitjackets' long-out-of-print 2012 classic is
pressed on sky blue vinyl

Nach dem massiven Erfolg von "Foreverglade" im Jahr 2021 rührt sich der Sumpfin Florida wieder - WORM beschwören ihren nächsten Output herauf: "Bluenothing", ein 26-minütiges Mini-Album mit 4 Tracks ist ein ominöses nächtliches Klagelied, das zeigt, wo die sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Nebelbewohner schon waren und in welche fernen Gefilde sie sich noch wagen werden.

Die A-Seite von "Bluenothing" enthält zwei Tracks aus den mythischen "Foreverglade"-Sessions, die bisher in der Krypta eingeschlossen blieben, aber nicht weniger meisterhaft sind als die sechs Tracks des Albums. Der Titeltrack "Bluenothing" sollte einst den Abschluss des Albums "Foreverglade" bilden, und all die erdrückende Wucht und die geheimnisvolle Anziehungskraft, die dieses Werk zu einem neuen Klassiker machten, sind auch in diesen beiden Tracks enthalten. Dennoch haben diese Songs durch den neuen Gitarristen Wroth Septentrion (Atramentus, VoidCeremony, Chthe-ilist, Hulder live) eine weitere, nekromantische Klangdimension hinzugewonnen.

Die B-Seite offenbart eine andere, aber komplementäre stilistische Richtung, die in früheren Inkarnationen angedeutet wurde und nun voll und ganz verwirklicht wird - die geheimen Dimensionen und die unergründliche Dunkelheit der verhüllten Mysterien des Black Metal. "Invoking the Dragonmoon" ist ein rituelles Tor, das sich in diese obskure Galaxie öffnet, während "Shadowside Kingdom" die Ankunft in der abgelegenen Dämmerungsfestung am Rande der Schwärze bezeichnet, wo Phantom Slaughter's tyrannisch-himmlische Nekromantie ungestört von sterblicher Unruhe gedeihen kann und Axtschwinger Nihilistic Manifesto tausendende von Türme dunkel kaskadierender Melodien bastelt. Einfach einer der besten symphonischen Black Metal-Tracks seit dem Höhepunkt des Stils Ende der 90er Jahre.

Nach dem massiven Erfolg von "Foreverglade" im Jahr 2021 rührt sich der Sumpfin Florida wieder - WORM beschwören ihren nächsten Output herauf: "Bluenothing", ein 26-minütiges Mini-Album mit 4 Tracks ist ein ominöses nächtliches Klagelied, das zeigt, wo die sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Nebelbewohner schon waren und in welche fernen Gefilde sie sich noch wagen werden.

Die A-Seite von "Bluenothing" enthält zwei Tracks aus den mythischen "Foreverglade"-Sessions, die bisher in der Krypta eingeschlossen blieben, aber nicht weniger meisterhaft sind als die sechs Tracks des Albums. Der Titeltrack "Bluenothing" sollte einst den Abschluss des Albums "Foreverglade" bilden, und all die erdrückende Wucht und die geheimnisvolle Anziehungskraft, die dieses Werk zu einem neuen Klassiker machten, sind auch in diesen beiden Tracks enthalten. Dennoch haben diese Songs durch den neuen Gitarristen Wroth Septentrion (Atramentus, VoidCeremony, Chthe-ilist, Hulder live) eine weitere, nekromantische Klangdimension hinzugewonnen.

Die B-Seite offenbart eine andere, aber komplementäre stilistische Richtung, die in früheren Inkarnationen angedeutet wurde und nun voll und ganz verwirklicht wird - die geheimen Dimensionen und die unergründliche Dunkelheit der verhüllten Mysterien des Black Metal. "Invoking the Dragonmoon" ist ein rituelles Tor, das sich in diese obskure Galaxie öffnet, während "Shadowside Kingdom" die Ankunft in der abgelegenen Dämmerungsfestung am Rande der Schwärze bezeichnet, wo Phantom Slaughter's tyrannisch-himmlische Nekromantie ungestört von sterblicher Unruhe gedeihen kann und Axtschwinger Nihilistic Manifesto tausendende von Türme dunkel kaskadierender Melodien bastelt. Einfach einer der besten symphonischen Black Metal-Tracks seit dem Höhepunkt des Stils Ende der 90er Jahre.

Out of the Fog is a masterpiece of divine beauty and charm from the Norwegian composer / performer Daniel Herskedal featuring fellow Norwegian singer-songwriter Emilie Nicolas (4 Times Norwegian Grammy Winner - 2014: Pop soloist of the year and new artist of the year. 2018: Album of the year and pop artist of the year). Crafted with a warmth and awe-inspiring finesse, it’s the blend of Daniel’s unequivocally trademark sound of multi-layered brass, empowering harmonies and soaring melodic lines, with warmth and emotive power of Song and the collaboration with Emilie Nicolas that gives this album its uniquely defining quality. Having emerged in recent years as one of the most prolific and exciting Norwegian composers, Daniel is adeptly capable of straddling Jazz, Classical, soundtracks and now High-Art Pop as well as being a performer who has pushed his instrument beyond its limits. As a consequence it has earned him numerous awards and accolades including a Norwegian Grammy for Best composer and seen him write music for a global Coca Cola ad, the film (The Last Black Man of San Francisco), and the soundtrack for the 9/12 podcast (nominated for Best Score And Music Supervision at Ambie Awards) as well as his own acclaimed albums. Featuring legendary guitarist Eivind Aarset and percussionist Andreas Helge Norbakken, Out of the Fog is an astonishing album from Norwegian Jazz and Pop royalty, with music that is long-lasting and that leaves you wanting more and more. It’s breathtaking and powerfully moving.

"The LP "World of Blue" features Merlo Podlewski on guitar. I first met Merlo in 1994. My sister Rachel Haden, who had been working with him at the Rhino Records store in Westwood, knew I was looking for a new guitarist for my band, and introduced us. Merlo is one of those guitarists whose playing is so smooth and effortless he makes anyone feel like they can play. He had an instinctual grasp of harmony and theory, which brought a great counterpoint to the technical knowledge and finesse of lead guitarist Ken. At a certain point that year we were ready to record our first 7" single, and I reserved some time at Poop Alley. Tom Grimley converted an auto-repair shop into Poop Alley Studio. The walls and floors were made of concrete, and there was no soundproofing. The mixing board was in a loft up this steep staircase with no guard rails. But it worked somehow. On the particular day we recorded basics there was a rain storm which you can clearly hear in the background. We set up and it started raining. Tom put a microphone outside. After tracking was finished, Petra came over and overdubbed violin. There was a cushioned area where I remember sitting during mixdown. There were little stacks of Aphex 16-track tape everywhere. We stayed good friends with Tom. We recorded a couple more songs with him the following year. Luckily for us, the tapes still exist. On those tapes are five songs, all of which are represented here. "I Lied" and "Her Used-To-Been" were released on the 7", the remaining three have never been released before now." - Josh Haden

• Joe Buckner was lead singer of the Major IV, a Chicago group who recorded in Los Angeles in the late 60s. ‘I Wish I Knew’ had been issued by the Ballads on Venture in 1969 and that outfit later re-cut it as ‘Butterfly’ in 1975. Joe and the Majors give an equally impressive performance on this great Leon Ware/Susaye Greene song. ‘I Stand Blue’ is another Ware composition that we first featured by writer/producer Mickey Stevenson on the Kent 100 Club Anniversary single of 2019. Big-voiced Hal Frazier also gives a top performance on the excellent beat ballad.

For Fans Of Temples, Allah-Las, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Khruangbin, David Axelrod. Each song on Ghost Funk Orchestra's 3rd album, A New Kind of Love, due to be released on Colemine Records … 2022, resonates like the soundtrack to a scene from an imaginary movie. The music could score a romantic drama, an action thriller, or a modern twist on a classic film noir. The spare, cascading vocals accentuate the lush instrumental orchestrations composed, performed, arranged and produced by multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum, whose latest brainchild was conceived and conceptualized during The Great Pause of 2020, a time of tension, bewilderment and isolation. Evoking the grooviness of an era which preceded his arrival on earth, Applebaum draws upon sonic devices of mid-century exotica and the succinct but dense arranging style of the leaders of the pop orchestras which dominated the hit parades of the 60s and early 70s. He blends impressions of this bygone era with an expression of his actual experiences as a young filmmaker coming of age in the 21st century, citing influences such as Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and Antibalas. A New Kind of Love encompasses a reverence for the past without attempting to recreate it. In the tradition of the "production forward" discographies of such record makers as David Axelrod and the Mizell Brothers, it's easy to visualize Applebaum as a "mad doctor" figure, hunkered down in a studio channeling this musical representation of his inner world into the 12 compositions which make up A New Kind of Love. His writing stretches his psyche to explore a terrain in which to capture emotional notes of love going well, love gone sour, manifesting love songs based in ghostly affairs. While the studio is obviously a wondrous happy place of experimentation and creativity for Applebaum, he's a band guy too (having actually fronted punk outfit The Mad Doctors). Applebaum has the wherewithal to bring his dreamy material to the 10 piece all star Ghost Funk Orchestra, leading them to breathe life into this sophisticated body of work which heralds the celebration of a new era for the group. Ghost Funk Orchestra will be touring in concert this summer and fall to celebrate the release of A New Kind of Love, an album which is sure to stand the test of time. Also Available From Ghost Funk Orch: Night Walker/Death Waltz LP/CD, Opaque Red LP, An Ode To Escapism LP/CD, A Song For Paul LP / CD 1. Introduction 2. Your Man's No Good 3. Scatter 4. Prism 5. Quiet Places 6. A New Kind Of Love (pt. 1) 7. Why? 8. Blockhead 9. A Song For Pearl 10. Bluebell 11. Rooted 12. A New Kind Of Love (pt. 2)

Since 2014, Wand have made five albums (and an EP) in the studio and a living playing on the road. Business/pleasure: the two sides of their (multiverticed, decagon) coin, flipping in the strobe light of ongoing self actualization. And yet, by doing both at the same time-making a record of them playing live-they"ve now made their best one yet. How do you get Spiders In the Rain? Start by going all the way back to January 2020. Do you remember? Wand do. They"d been touring Laughing Matter for ten months. They"d done the coast, spanned the country, crossed the water twice, came back home and kept on going...driving, flying, occasionally floating (or maybe just thinking they were?), always on to the next town. They did all kinds of shows-clubs, ballrooms, festival gigs with no roof overhead-the songs expanding and contracting according to the dimensions of each day. Seventy-nine shows, and everything that was involved-the miles that ran beneath them, the different places and people everywhere, the music as it reathed, making everyone change every night-alchemized the band, and they drove deeper into their far horizon than they"d ever previously gone. The essential truth of the live vibe-that it"s always better when everybody"s here-was clear, so they booked a few shows more in Cali, from L.A. up to Marin. They brought along light and projections from The Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show and Mike Kreibel and Zac Hernandez too, to tape everything-to get the big-deck energy out of performances in S.F. and L.A., but also to draw it out of the margins in Sacramento, Novato and Big Sur. It all happened, too. Everyone brought their experience. Packaged sumptuously with artwork from Sam Klickner, Spiders In the Rain is an arc of natural beauty and man-made abstraction inside and out, on an epic scale. Wand are orchestra and machine on Spiders In the Rain, one with the audience, able to get inside any dimension of their sound, whether its songs from their second album or their last one.

The legendary Brownsville duo of Lil Fame and Billy Danze followed up their first group single "How About Some Hardcore" with their first full-length studio album, To The Death, in the Spring of 1994, and they haven’t let up the pressure since. While some solo offerings came earlier - most notably Fame’s appearance on The Hill That’s Real compilation- the classic aggressive energy the two emcees exhibit while trading rhymes back and forth is what street-rap fans have come to know and love from the group. If you are not into the that smash-ya-face-in style, then simply put, the Mash Out Posse is not for you. The album was produced entirely by DR Period, except for track "Guns N' Roses" (produced by Silver D), and it solidified what has become a successful 30 year career for M.O.P. Fame and Danze haven’t waivered from their grimy, crimey, high-energy boom bap style to this day, and the songs on this album established that fact early on. Tracks like "Rugged Neva Smoove", “Blue Steel”, “Guns N’ Roses”, and the robbery-story driven "Heistmasters" are early indicators of the ruckus they would later bring on anthems like “Stick To Ya Gunz” and “Ante Up”.