As wonky as Weezer, as poignant as Pulp, Confidence heralds the long-awaited
return of The Hoosiers, the band whose debut album, The Trick To Life, sold well
over a million copies, and spawned four singles including Top 5 hits, Worried
About Ray, and Goodbye Mr A. Enter Confidence, a sonic shot of optimism,
effervescence and joie de vivre, and an album so hook-laden, you'll think you've
had it knocking around your house for years.
On Subsonic Eye's All Around You, the Singaporean five-piece present a
concise collection of their richly layered, quick-paced indie-pop - Over ten
songs which explore singer Nur Wahidah's upbringing, All Around You
boasts Subsonic Eye's penchant for snappy, invigorating pop-rock songs
jangling with clarity and entrancing tone
Crashing dirty carnage somewhere between Neuroot, Ripcord, and Sacrilege lands in your lap with Stingray’s debut LP. Tin Savage barks his brutish textural east London drawl on top of unrefined metal-tinged hardcore punk veering between scandi wallop, jacked up amphetamine hardcore and jaw snapping mosh lusciously and confidently. Recorded by Jonah Falco at Fuzzbrain Studios, mixed and mastered by Chris Corry in the Paincave, Fortress Britain is a ruthless and unrelenting blunt instrument.
Can't Stand The Rezillos is the debut studio album by Edinburgh-based punk band the Rezillos and was released in 1978. The album includes the UK top twenty hit "Top Of The Pops", as well as several cover versions of 1960s songs: "Glad All Over" (Dave Clark Five), "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" (Fleetwood Mac), and "I Like It" (Gerry and the Pacemakers). It was produced by the acclaimed Bob Clearmountain in collaboration with Tony Bongiovi.
The debut album received positive reviews from the UK music magazines and reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. The Rezillos split four months after the album's release, and the band did not make another studio album until their reformation in 2001 and the release of Zero in 2015. In March 2003 Mojo magazine ranked the LP in its list of Top 50 Punk Albums.
Can't Stand The Rezillos is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on translucent red & black marbled vinyl and includes an insert.
2023 marks 35 years since the first single by The Brand New Heavie
Twenty-one seminal tracks from Acid Jazz royalty, The Brand New Heavies, who transcended London’s local funk scene to become to enjoy global success across with hits such as ‘Sometimes’, ‘You Are The Universe’, ‘Dream on Dreamer’, ‘Midnight at The Oasis’ and more.
This new compilation brings together all the singles from the band’s time with London Records, featuring 15 Top 40, 5 Top 20, and 1 Top 10 UK hits.
All formats feature new liner notes from producer and long-time fan Mark Ronson.
Presented on double heavyweight vinyl with 21 hits – all their biggest hits + 4 US Singles- and expanded 2 x CD with remixes by Masters at Work, Dimitri from Paris, Roger Sanchez and a new remix of ‘Stay This Way’ by Bob Sinclar
Top Left Club are a budget Brighton band from the depths of 2020. Ease into the sleaze and get ready to submit to the filthy frequencies about to be unleashed. Raw, pure songs filled with visceral energy will saturate every corner of your mind, potentially changing the course of your life. Top Left Club take no prisoners
Bristol's soul jazz kings The Jazz Defenders release a new vinyl 45 single this autumn as a taster for their third album, which is destined for release in spring 2024. Once again, they are bringing together their love of 1960's soul jazz and golden era 90's hip-hop, just as they did on a couple of tracks on their last album "King Phoenix" (Haggis Records 2022). This new single sees them reunited with London MC/rapper Doc Brown, who guested on the track "Perfectly Imperfect", and his flow sits so naturally over the Jazz Defenders' music and beats, you'd think he's a permanent band member.
The A-side "Rolling On A High" is a real old school boom bap style party hip-hop jam. Big beats, rolling bassline (acoustic double bass), Ramsey Lewis soul jazz piano vamps, funky Hammond organ and some punchy horn section business, all topped off with Doc Brown bouncing bars back and forth with that laid back vibe he always brings to the mic. A guaranteed dance-floor bomb, whether you're a breaker, a jazz dancer or simply a Saturday night disco shuffler. The B-side "Looking Back" takes the tempo right down. An 'end of the night' number when the lights in the club are low, the last drinks are being drained and you're thinking and reminiscing about times gone by. The good times and bad, successes and mistakes. And made even more poignant and reflective halfway through when the mellow strings come into the song (once again excellently arranged by pianist/bandleader George Cooper). If "Rolling On A High" is the fire then "Looking Back" is definitely the ice. Proof that the Jazz Defenders can rock the party and grab the dancers but also dig deep with emotive tunes that draw in the discerning listener.
The Jazz Defenders, led by keyboard maestro George Cooper from The Haggis Horns, have been building a reputation as a great musical unit since their debut Blue Note/hard bop-inspired album "Scheming" appeared on Haggis Records back in 2019, which received a huge amount of praise from critics, and subsequently went on to spend 5 weeks in the top ten of the American jazz charts In 2021, their double A-side vinyl single "The Big Man/Love's Vestige" got them the breakthrough they deserved. It garnered heavy support on radio from top folks like Craig Charles (BBC6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), and Worldwide FM resident DJ's Ashley Beedle and Colin Curtis. They further enhanced their reputation as a rocking band with album number two "King Phoenix" and by electrifying audiences at sold out live shows across the UK, including the legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.
Album number three is well on its way but for now, check out this tasty limited edition 45 single on Haggis Records. The JDs and Doc Brown...the perfect combination, still keeping that sweet jazz/hip-hop love affair alive today.
Classic Jazz Album from 1978.
Featuring an all-star line-up.
First ever vinyl reissue since 1986.
Released for the first time in the UK & North America.
180g BLACK vinyl limited to 500 copies (w/obi strip).
Curtis Fuller (December 15, 1932 – May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist best known for being a member of several legendary jazz outfits, his impressive catalog of solo albums and a contributor to many classic jazz recordings.
Fuller was born in Detroit and lost both his parents at a very young age. He spent several years in an orphanage run by Jesuits where he developed a passion for jazz after one of the nuns there took him to see his first live performance. Curtis attended public school in his hometown (together with Donald Byrd and Milt Jackson) where he took up the trombone at the age of sixteen.
Curtis Fuller was a well-respected member of iconic outfits such as Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Art Farmer’s Tentet, The Benny Golson Quintet and Eastern Rebellion. The list of his collaborations is impressive to say the least, Mr. Fuller recorded and performed with greats such as Quincy Jones, John Coltrane, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Roland Kirk Rashaan, Miles Davis…and many others.
Fuller was granted an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music in 1999 and eight years later he was honored as a NEA Jazz Master. Curtis Fuller’s performances were included on classic recordings released by prominent labels from the likes of Blue Note, Savoy, Prestige, Strata-East, Muse, Verve and Impulse!
On the album we are presenting you today: Four On The Outside (Recorded in 1978 at the famous New York CI Recording Studio and released on Timeless Records the same year) the listener is treated to six majestic tracks of the highest caliber and features a remarkable outing of advanced musicianship by jazz-giants in their prime, delivering an inspirational gem of an album.
The all-star line-up includes Pepper Adams (Oliver Nelson, Lalo Schifrin, Herbie Hancock) on saxophone, Dennis Irwin (The Jazz Messengers, Chet Baker) on bass and James Williams (Calvin Keys, Thelonious Monk) on piano.
Four On The Outside shows off Fuller’s mastery of the Trombone and this delightful set features him in a front line with Pepper Adams delivering a unique trombone-baritone saxophone combination (few others have followed this intriguing coupling). Curtis Fuller plays from the heart and is on top of his game. Expect sharp and elegant original compositions, machine gun-like spurts, angular boppish lines and top rhythm section work that never gets in the way of the horns spreading their wings. All of the above makes this record a must have for any self-respecting jazz fan or collector!
2023 Repress
Since Jesper Munk's debut album in 2013 the German singer-songwriter has made a name for himself as multi-instrumentalist , "in the paths of Jack White and Dan Auerbach," as the Rolling Stone Magazine puts it, playing music that ranges from Blues and Soul to heartfelt Pop and indulging Jazz, all this with a very unique, post-Punk
edge. His new album Taped Heart Sounds offers an evolution of Munk's sound: warm, gentle and soft vibes that go deep. "If there is a way to give you a hug in form of an album, this is how I'd attempt to do so," says Munk.
Recorded in an offbeat band room in Berlin with The Cassette Heads, the album brings together classics reaching from Blues to Rock'n Roll. Twelve songs of legendary artists who have influenced and inspired Munk since his early days, including Tom Waits, JJ Cale, Etta James, Hank Williams, Willie Dixon, Jacques Brel, and Mocky.
The entire album was recorded with a Tascam Portastudio 8-Track Cassette Recorder which brought an original and authentic sound to each song: "The technical limitations immediately liberated all other aspects of the recording," Munk says. "It shows how much of making music is just listening and without a screen to catch your eye, you really have no choice but to do so." All Songs face realness and live from these volatile moments that reveal vulnerability and musical generosity. The outcome of this analogue experiment is a very personal album, both inspiring and consoling.
Taped Heart Sounds courageously opens with Donnie & Joe Emerson's Baby; a song so iconic that it actually cannot be enhanced. However, Munk's interpretation stands out and has a presence that gives the song a life of its own - made for walking. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, All the World Is Green, I'd Rather Go Blind, Head in the Clouds - what follows is a journey through Blues and Soul that is so vital and "now" that End of the Line may be the final track but certainly not the end of the story.
The album wouldn't be what it is without collaboration and partnership. Munk's special thanks go to his fans who helped to crowd-fund the recording. "On top of having had a real fun learning experience it all felt like a community project with real support from friends, the Cassette Heads, incredibly inspiring guests, and from Miles Deico, a wonderfully open and able engineer," so Munk about the making of the album.
Taped Heart Sounds is Jesper Munk's 4th album, following acclaimed debut album For in My Way it Lies (2013), CLAIM (2016), and Favourite Stranger (2018). Released via Billbrook Records, Hamburg-based Distributor Wordandsound's new label, the album is available for pre-order now - for purchase on vinyl and CD. The first single 'Baby' is going to be released on November 19, 2021.
clear 2x12"[58,19 €]
Released in 1998, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC earned double-platinum certification and continues to captivate audiences with fan favorites like “Music Box Blues,” “Boughs Of Holly,” and “Ghosts Of Christmas Eve.” The album also introduced “Christmas Canon,” which has become one of the band’s most popular songs and a modern holiday classic. THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the heartwarming tale of a little girl’s magical night spent in an attic filled with yuletide memories, accompanied by spellbinding guitar solos and soaring choral vocals set against a rock orchestral backdrop. The record serves as the second installment in TSO’s celebrated Christmas trilogy, which also includes Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996) and The Lost Christmas Eve (2004).
TSO was conceived by the group’s late founder, composer, and lyricist Paul O’Neill. His ambitious vision was to create a progressive rock band that combined rock opera and classical rock with a dazzling live show that featured lights, lasers, and pyrotechnics. In the 1980s and 1990s, O’Neill produced several albums for the influential heavy metal band Savatage, which is how he connected with longtime collaborators Jon Oliva (vocals), Al Pitrelli (guitar), and Robert Kinkel (keyboards/producer).
With more than 10 million albums sold, TSO has inspired generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of rock opera. Since its touring debut in 1999, the band has emerged as one of the world’s top live acts, performing for over 10 million people across the globe, selling more than $280 million worth of tickets, and donating $11 million to charity.
black 2x12"[49,79 €]
Released in 1998, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC earned double-platinum certification and continues to captivate audiences with fan favorites like “Music Box Blues,” “Boughs Of Holly,” and “Ghosts Of Christmas Eve.” The album also introduced “Christmas Canon,” which has become one of the band’s most popular songs and a modern holiday classic. THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the heartwarming tale of a little girl’s magical night spent in an attic filled with yuletide memories, accompanied by spellbinding guitar solos and soaring choral vocals set against a rock orchestral backdrop. The record serves as the second installment in TSO’s celebrated Christmas trilogy, which also includes Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996) and The Lost Christmas Eve (2004).
TSO was conceived by the group’s late founder, composer, and lyricist Paul O’Neill. His ambitious vision was to create a progressive rock band that combined rock opera and classical rock with a dazzling live show that featured lights, lasers, and pyrotechnics. In the 1980s and 1990s, O’Neill produced several albums for the influential heavy metal band Savatage, which is how he connected with longtime collaborators Jon Oliva (vocals), Al Pitrelli (guitar), and Robert Kinkel (keyboards/producer).
With more than 10 million albums sold, TSO has inspired generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of rock opera. Since its touring debut in 1999, the band has emerged as one of the world’s top live acts, performing for over 10 million people across the globe, selling more than $280 million worth of tickets, and donating $11 million to charity.
The undoubted Queen of British Soul and 2023 Olivier Award winner, Beverley Knight returns with a brand new album The Fifth Chapter - on September 29th on Tag8/BMG. The album Includes the first single “Last One On My Mind” which was ROW on R2 and the follow up “Systematic Overload ” which we expcct to also be a R2 favourite
Zoe Ball will be playing Systematic Overload as a first play on R2 on 17th September. Beverley appears at R2 In The Park on 16.09 with appearances on Vernon Kaye TOMY, Rylan KaRyoke appearance confirmed live and interviews with Graham Norton, and a Chris Evans session on Virgin. Press to include Guardian, Sunday Times, and Attitude.
The Fifth Chapter comes on the back of what has undoubtedly been Beverley’s most successful period ever as the iconic Ms Knight celebrates 30 years making music with several top 10 albums and over a million UK albums sold.
UK national TV appearances will support the album release - we expect Royal Variety, Strictly, Sunday Brunch, The One Show and BBC Breakfast news performances and interviews, while Beverley has already appeared on ITN News, and GoggleBox on the launch of the album.
Beverley will take on her biggest ever UK tour throughout October and November, to over 30,000 people, ending with a headline date at the London Palladium on November 14th. The album brings together some of the greatest contemporary songwriting talent including Diane Warren, Seb Coe, Ollie Green and Andrew Roachford, as well as co-production with the likes of AC Burrell, Jimmy Hogarth, Mitch Allen & Josh Cohen/DJ Waldie, The Fifth Chapter is a spectacular journey through the inspirations that have defined her incredible career.
Beverley has collected numerous awards and accolades including an MBE, three MOBO Awards, numerous Brit and Mercury Music Prize nominations and, most recently, an Olivier Award for her role as Emmeline Pankhurst in the critically acclaimed musical SYLVIA at London's Old Vic Theatre. She also recently appeared as a judge on Starstruck alongside Adam Lambert, and Shania Twain.
'Dawn of the Axe' harkens to dustier, more archaic times - ones where subgenre delineations weren't so strict and all was mostly heavy metal. For sure, Cruel Force can still thrash with the best of them. The nine songs comprising the 39- minute album exude a wider variety of moods and dynamics, and also sees Cruel Force exploring their more epic side, with three of those songs topping six minutes.
No matter the mood or dynamic, though, energy bristles from every second of 'Dawn of the Axe'- riff, rhythm, lead, vocal, everything - and with the slightly-more-atmospheric recording style, it all gels together to create the band's strongest and most complete statement to date.
No matter how you (axe) slice it, there's no wimping out whatsoever!
It's rare for a band to be away a full decade and then come back with their best work, but such is the case with Cruel Force and 'Dawn of the Axe'. There's some strange magick brewing in the Devil's Dungeon, and they've crossed the Styx to bring you that Power Surge!
Sven Wunder returns with his highly anticipated fourth full-length album Late Again out September 29th on Piano Piano Records. The album compiles some of his most admired compositions to date, like the jazz ballads ”Snowdrops” and ”Asterism Waltz”, and the modal jazz pieces ”Jazz at Night”, and ”Stars Align”. As well as new compositions such as ”Sundown”, ”Pop-Jazz Structures”, and ”Take A Break” with brightly colored textures and vibrant melodies which have become Wunder’s trademark, and so forth.
The Swedish artist and composer have previously catapulted himself onto the global stage of contemporary grooves with his three critically acclaimed albums Eastern Flowers (2019), Wabi Sabi (2020), and Natura Morta (2021), along with a handful of singles such as Harmonica And.... (2023) Sun- Kissed (2022), and Mosaic (2022). His releases have appealed to psych and prog listeners, folk and jazz aficionados, hip-hop connoisseurs, bonafide tastemakers, and fans across the globe which have cemented Wunder’s position as a gifted composer and a musical force to be reckoned with.
When the sun hovers near the horizon, the rays of white sunlight are scattered out of the beam by small particles and molecules in the atmosphere that sprinkle the sky with brilliant hues indicating that the day starts to fade. As night begins to fall, tree-tops redden and begin to glow. Darkness closes in and falls like a blanket covering the sky. It is late again and all is in shadow below. It is when stars align and dreams come true.
Sven Wunder thrives at nightfall and welcomes the horizon of beginnings on Late Again, a collection of nocturnal jazz pieces that depict shooting stars and scattered beams from the setting sun, with an emphasis on gentle compositions for piano and orchestral pop-jazz arrangements for flute, brass, and strings.
The Two Sides Of Mary Wells is the seventh studio album by soul singer Mary Wells, released in 1966. Wells' career had drastically changed from just six years before when the then-teenage Wells first recorded songs for Motown. This album mixed traditional pop with more earthier and uptown soul songs. Wells released a modest hit with the Motown-esque "Dear Lover", which hit the top ten of the R&B charts.
It also includes some great interpretations by Wells of classic tracks as: "Satisfaction", "In The Midnight Hour", "My World Is Empty Without You" and "The Boy From Ipanema" a.o.
The Two Sides Of Mary Wells is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on translucent yellow coloured vinyl.
Originally released on Polydor Records in August 1981, it remains a very special and discrete record and has gone on to achieve a cult status separate from the rest of their august catalogue.
Formed at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama by way of Paris and the Isle Of Wight, Level 42 marked the union of four talented friends – Mark King, Mike Lindup, and brothers Phil and Roland 'Boon' Gould – complete with Wally Badarou, their very own studio-based synthesiser whizz-kid. From building a fervent following through the nascent Britfunk scene, they signed to Polydor and went on to make a series of fascinating albums.
The sheer invention, melody and imagination of this four-piece was astounding, aided by their secret weapon, French-Belizean Badarou, whom the band had met playing sessions for M, Robin Scott's art-disco ensemble. Although Level 42 had recorded – and made waves – for indie label Elite, they signed to Polydor and released this album, with three of their original calling cards, Starchild, Turn It On and the mighty, UK Top 40 breaching Love Games.
By the mid 80s Level 42 had become arena-filling superstars, with their commercial pop-funk with everyman lyrics that delighted fans not just in Europe, but also in America, too. Hear the roots of that on this frequently surprising, always entertaining debut album. Think of this album as the missing link between Talking Heads and Herbie Hancock.
Out of print on LP for a number of years, this re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1981 Polydor UK release with insert and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl.
In 1996, she kicked off her notable career with "Heads Carolina, Tails California," a single that immediately made her a household name.
Following the success of her debut, Jo Dee posted nine No. 1 hits and sixteen Top 40 songs and has been recognized by the ACM Awards, CMA Awards and GRAMMY Awards. As Jo Dee's resume grew, she proved to be a trendsetter and history-maker, becoming the first female in country music history to celebrate three consecutive multi week, charttopping songs.
Jo Dee Messina has amassed quite a number of hits, including five chart-toppers.
All of them are here on this chart busting collection, highlighted by the opening track "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and followed by the double platinum tunes "Bye- Bye" and "I'm Alright" as well as the chart topper "Bring On The Rain" with fellow label mate Tim McGraw. Jo Dee Messina's hits appear on vinyl for the first time ever in a spectacular splattered blue and orange on white vinyl
Die Judas Priest Ikonen K.K. Downing und Tim ”Ripper” Owens präsentieren auf ihrem zweiten Studioalbum neun neue Tracks – Mehr Heavy Metal geht nicht!
Nachdem ihr gefeiertes Debütalbum Sermons Of The Sinner (2021) in Deutschland, Österreich, der Schweiz, den USA, Großbritannien und vielen weiteren Ländern in den Top 20 der Albumcharts landete, kehren KK’S PRIEST mit dem zweiten Album The Sinner Rides Again zurück. Das neue Album der Band, bestehend aus den legendären ex Judas Priest Mitgliedern und GRAMMY-Award gekrönten, sowie nominierten Musikern K.K. Downing (Gitarre) und Tim ”Ripper” Owens (Gesang), sowie A.J. Mills (Gitarre), Tony Newton (Bass) und Sean Elg (Schlagzeug), erscheint am 29. September 2023 über Napalm Records. The Sinner Rides Again bietet 100% puren Heavy Metal und entwickelt den Stil des Vorgängeralbums, das vom UK Metal Hammer als „äußerst unterhaltsam“ und vom deutschen Rock Hard Magazin als „starkes Album“ betitelt wurde.
Dabei bietet das neue Werk neun riffgeladene Heavy Metal Hymnen, produziert und geschrieben von K.K. Downing, gemischt und gemastert von Jacob Hansen.
Nach seinem Aus bei Judas Priest war die Zukunft des Genre definierenden K.K. Downing ungewiss. Aber nach fast 10 Jahren Pause nahm er die berühmten Flying V Gitarren wieder in die Hand und bewies, dass er nach wie vor einer der besten Songwriter im klassischen Heavy Metal ist.
Dimension Hatröss is the fourth studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was released in 1988 on Noise Records and is a concept album which narrates the exploits of Voivod’s mascot cyborg Korgull.
The cover concept and artwork was produced by drummer Michel Langevin. Estimated sales are more than 70,000 copies, worldwide. In 2017, Dimension Hatröss was added by the US magazine Rolling Stone to its Top 100 Metal Albums of All Time list at No. 78.
The word Hatröss is pronounced by singer Snake (Denis Bélanger) in French as the word atroce, meaning terrible or horrible
'MULTI-PLATINUM artist Thomas Rhett has put out a collection celebrating his 20 No. One hits in 10 short years, titled 20 NUMBER ONES out now. Set to include all 20 No. One hits so far and, “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings),” as a bonus track, it’s a project tracing the path behind one of Country’s most vibrant current stars. As the last 10 years have seen Thomas Rhett grow into a never-static artist at the top of his game, the vinyl celebrates Thomas Rhett’s role as one of the best all-time representations of what Country music stands for – a world-class songwriter, an elite entertainer and a guy who’s down-to-earth character shows up in everything he does. Through these 21 songs on two discs, he finally stops to acknowledge it all – to take the journey in, with the knowledge that he’s already surpassed his dreams 100 times over. Radio: BBC Radio 2, Absolute Radio Country, Smooth Country, CountryLine Radio ‘Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings)’ playlisted on Downtown Country, Absolute Radio Country and CountryLine Radio Press: Maverick, CMP, Entertainment Focus, online country specialist press Socials: IG: 4.7M, TW: 2.4M, FB 2.5M
