quête:love nation

FROM RAY CHARLES TO SELAH SUE, FROM NINA SIMONE TO IBEYI, FROM BARRY WHITE TO ALOE BLACC, DISCOVER THE BEST OF THE GREATEST VOICES OF SOUL MUSIC OF ALL TIME IN A 5 VINYLS BOXSET

On his album NEGRO DELUXE Siifu trades in soulful rap for punk, fueled by the Black experience in America followed by spiritual jazz and poetry. A beautiful chaotic collage of sounds that reflect the black man’s thoughts on the day-to-day. It doesn’t take long to reach the heart of NEGRO, Pink Siifu’s new album. It’s an aggressive collection of hardcore punk and free jazz, with bold lyrics that encourage shooting back at trigger-happy law enforcement. This album profoundly communicated the anger of an African-American community beset by police violence a month before the murder of George Floyd lit the streets on fire. In April 2021, he revisited the project with NEGRO DELUXE, which doubled the length of the original.

Pink Siifu tells Bomb Magazine “after we were done mastering and mixing, Zeroh was like, “Yo, NEGRO is like fire, and NEGRO DELUXE is like smoke….So I would characterize NEGRO DELUXE as, like, after you’re angry, after you’ve punched a wall, after you beat somebody up, whatever, how do I channel that into something else? How do I just let it go? I feel like NEGRO DELUXE is that, for real, in a nutshell. It’s like the chaos calmed down after all the fire’s gone and the smoke is in the air.”

It isn’t anything like ensley, Siifu’s breakthrough 2018 LP. Where that record used mid-tempo soul and hip-hop to score his upbringing, NEGRO is a riotous mix calling for Black revolution. It’s also the most fearless project in his growing discography. NEGRO harkens back to 1992, to Ice-T’s thrash metal band Body Count, song “Cop Killer”.

This album is meant to remind us of Rodney King, Racist Cops, The Black Panther Party, and Christopher Dorner, the ex-L.A. police officer who, in 2013, went on a violent shooting spree against his former colleagues and their family members due to seeing his own policeman violate the people there supposed to be protecting. “It’s about America, It’s about the trauma that comes from the flag. It’s about understanding that it’s okay to be angry.”

In the album, originally titled ‘To Be Angry’, Siifu started crafting NEGRO after listening to old Afrocentric jazz and watching clips of novelist and poet Amiri Baraka and civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael, reading Sun Ra’s sci-fi poetry book, The Planet Is Doomed, and started studying Bad Brains, June Tyson, Death, Ras G, and many others.

Forged in a warehouse in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, Beatowls emerge in 2023 as a genre-defying trio. Darcie Chazen, Tom Roberts and Carl Cook, possess distinct talents, fusing elements of electro, folk, and psychedelia into captivating, dark atmospheric grooves.
The city’s urban-industrial mood inspires their sound, weaving evocative and cinematic tones into their upcoming debut album Marma.
For Fans Of : Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland,The XX, Portishead , Nancy & Lee
Badalamenti/Lynch, Broadcast, Warp Records.
Above all, Beatowls embody a journey. Their story starts from a shared passion, extends into this collection of songs and sounds, and hints at a future filled with creative exploration.
From a dream in a Liverpool warehouse to a national platform, Beatowls stand on the cusp of an era promising audio adventures steeped in originality, emotive tales, and sonic diversity.

Most of Gen X-ers who grew up in the mid-1980s Indonesia must have seen Soedjarwoto Soemarsono, known with his nom de guerre “Gombloh” performing on a state-run television station, playing some of his biggest hits from that era, pop gems like “Kugadaikan Cintaku (I Pawn Off My Love)”, “Setengah Gila (Half-Crazy).”

But of course, it is not fair to judge Gombloh only from these hits. Dig deeper and you will find buried treasure in his early stuff from Indra Records, and there are many of them.

His album with the band Lemon Tree’s Anno ‘69 (yes, that’s the name of the band) is all remarkable, but what he did for Chandra Records was no less spectacular. How can you go wrong with songs like “Kebyar-Kebyar”, the unofficial national anthem for Indonesia, dan “Berita Cuaca” one of the better epic songs in a catalogue full of epochal songs? These were all long out of print and in our journey to source the original master for these albums we met Bob Djumara of Nirwana Records, the Surabaya, East Java-based label which broke Gombloh into the mainstream in the mid-1980s. Almost all albums Gombloh recorded for his early labels, Indra Records and Chandra Records were critically acclaimed, but commercially they bombed, big time. Nirwana Records came up with an ingenious plan. What if they recorded Gombloh performing live and release it as is. After all, the first song in Gombloh debut record Nadia & Atmospheer is him strumming on his guitar backed by the cheering of a crowd, who could be heard going wild when he hurled that epithet “bastard” at the end of the song

The end result is a brilliant recording which despite being recorded live the sound quality so pristine leading many to doubt the claim of being live. Regardless, Nirwana shipped a decent number of units and Gombloh could buy his first car, a Katana Jeep, with money from the royalty.

One of the best things about Live Gila is its perfect sequencing, beginning with Gombloh’s social commentary on the rich’s debauched lifestyle of preying on young boys and girls, one of the most popular subjects allowed by the censoring machine of the New Order authoritarian government. The second song “Untuk Persada” is a soaring ode to the nation. For this song, Gombloh could be heard drawing his inspiration from The Police, which was undoubtedly popular in the early 1980s, even in a faraway port city like Surabaya.

Listening to this record as a whole (we omitted the last song from the original master tape “Bagimu Negeri” which sounds too jingoistic), we could not help but point to some of similarities it has with Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. Not a single composition in this record sound indigenous (the Malay-influenced rock of Panbers or Koes Plus come to mind); they all sound modern and effortlessly catchy, and had it not been for the language, this album could be mistaken for a musical output from someone growing up in Laurel Canyon or Southern France.

There are only limited copies of vinyl records in the second-hand market today available for Gombloh music, if at all. For his ardent fans, they have to scavenge for old cassettes to continue to be able to enjoy his music and have to pay top dollar for that. In Indonesia, where he was a superstar in the early 1980s, Gombloh was largely forgotten. With this project, we can only hope that the time is ripe for Gombloh to reemerge and now, more than ever, his music could speak to a bigger audience.

A national musical treasure" The Guardian // Steven Adams, formerly of The Broken Family Band releases new album DROPS on Fika Recordings in November 2023. Since calling time on TBFB at the height of their success, Adams has released half a dozen albums under various names (Singing Adams, Steven James Adams, Steven Adams & The French Drops), his witty, incisive lyrics and melodic sensibilities taking in DIY indie rock, folky introspection, and off-kilter pop hooks. Originally from South Wales, Adams now lives in East London. “Every record I’ve made has been in a hurry of some sort” says Adams of his new album, “and with this one I took my time”. DROPS is the first album to be credited to him as a solo artist since 2016’s Old Magick, his first new music since 2020, and his noisiest record to date. Armed with a new batch of material, he began by upping sticks to the Welsh countryside to experiment with drummer Daniel Fordham and bassist David Stewart - both formerly of psych oddballs The Drink. The trio then took the songs to Big Jelly, a converted chapel on the south coast, with co-producer Simon Trought (Comet Gain, Johnny Flynn, The Wave Pictures) to lay down the basic tracks for DROPS. Eschewing a full band set up (“I wanted to concentrate on one thing at a time”), recording sessions in East London followed with Laurie Earle (Absentee) on guitar and Michael Wood (Hayman Kupa Band, Michaelmas) on keyboards. Adams then took the recordings home and to the French countryside, to work alone. “I finally got my head around home recording in 2020, while things were a bit quiet. Once I worked out how to record things I realised I didn’t have to think about time. I could let the songs evolve and change once we had the basic tracks down. After a while I started to think of them as paintings; trying something one morning, painting over it in the afternoon and attempting something completely different… it was about enjoying the process, making some bangers, playing around... and giving Simon the producer a mess to sort out when it came to mixing the record". Whenever Tom from Fika Recordings checked in to see how the album was progressing Adams would reply, “it’s taking ages but it’ll sound like it was recorded in an afternoon”. The result is a dynamic and spirited collection of songs, with Adams's love of 90/00s US underground rock (Pavement's Bob Nastanovich is a fan) to the fore. DROPS is a sonically compelling piece of work: from bleak/exultant opener Out to Sea and the motorik Living in the Local Void to the weirdly funereal Fascists (where Adams imagines the “little skip in our steps” that we’ll have upon outliving some baddies), and Day Trip's psychedelia in miniature. There are also moments of tenderness: the avalanche of empathy on closing track Cheap Wine Sad Face, and I Tried to Keep it Light’s “worse things could happen… I don’t know how, but give me time”. Adams says: “I'm preoccupied by the passing of time and the way it affects how we feel. This record is about time and bewilderment and trying to make sense of things". “…astonishing tenderness in its simplicity … brilliant lyrics.” Q Magazine //“…the tunes are instant and uplifting, but the real wallop comes from the lyrical imagery.” The Guardian // “…barbed modern life chronicles.”

“‘Bashed Out’... will also likely be her breakout... get ready to hear a lot more from her.” - Stereogum  This Is The Kit is the much beloved musical project of Kate Stables, born in England and based in Paris. ‘Bashed Out’ was produced Aaron Dessner, a member of The National known for both minting indie icons (Sharon Van Etten, Local Natives) and, more recently, becoming a producer to stars like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. Dessner’s former client Sharon Van Etten called This Is The Kit her “favorite new artist” in Pitchfork.  The backing band gathered for ‘Bashed Out’ combines the talents of This Is The Kit’s touring members alongside session players drawn from the Brooklyn music scene: Bryce Dessner, Thomas Bartlett (Doveman, The Gloaming), Matt Barrick (The Walkmen) and Ben Lanz (Beirut, The National) made key contributions.  Since this LP’s initial release Kate made significant contributions to The National’s 2019 album/film ‘I Am Easy To Find’ and became a touring member on subsequent live dates. In 2020, ‘Bashed Out’’s title track became a streaming hit after an impactful needle drop in a key episode of Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ series.  This music is honest, human and humane - a folky-lovely slowrumble. It’s rock but of the groovy, hangover-friendly, stoner variety. Stables’ voice hearkens back to the singer-songwriter era - her distinctive, cutting vocals up front in the mix.  The Line of Best Fit has the band as an “essential fixture of British folk music for the past 10 years… one of a handful of truly innovate songwriters working with the British folk template today.”  For fans of Joni Mitchell, Bon Iver, Sharon Van Etten, Father John Misty, Gillian Welch, Laura Marling, Natalie Prass, Jose Gonzalez.  This is the first time ‘Bashed Out’ has been widely available on vinyl since 2019.  ‘Green Eyed Muddy Puddle’ eco-vinyl variant.  Heavy touring in UK, Europe and North American to support the June 2023 release on Rough Trade, ‘Careful Of Your Keepers’.

First music in 10 years from cult favourites Dark Dark Dark.
B Side is a solo cut from the bands lead vocalist Nona Maie Invie.
10” EP limited to 500 in UK/EU.

Fans of contemporaries Weyes Blood (of which DDD multi-instrumentalist Walt McClements is now a full-time member) and Angel Olsen (in whose live and studio band Invie is now a staple) will find much to love in these songs, as well as the b-side, Invie’s solo piece, “For Now” which, not unlike Invie’s 2017 solo release under the moniker IN / VIA, makes use of seamlessly interwoven piano and swelling, liquid synthesizer.

Invie sounds a bit like an alternate dimension Sharon Van Etten here and elsewhere. The three song set has the understated intensity of Nick Cave’s The Boatman’s Call and the promise of emotional liftoff that characterizes Kate Bush’s The Sensual World. 

Dark Dark Dark’s rich history is punctuated by house shows and train hopping; touring as support for The National in Portugal;
playing both the National and TV on the Radio’s ATP Festivals, and years of indefatigable coast-to-coast U.S. touring. It’s a
history rich with recordings, including a pair of celebrated full-lengths produced by Tom Herbers (Low, The Cactus Blossoms),
three EPs, and a feature film score. Now, ten years later, –– surprise –– a new 10” single.

In 2013, when Dark Dark Dark released the What I Needed EP, anyone might have guessed it was a bridge between the previous year’s lauded LP Who Needs Who and the next big venture. The band had closed out 2012 as part of Australia's touring Harvest Festival, during which they stepped up to fill an unexpectedly vacant slot much later in the day, enchanting thousands of unsuspecting festival goers. Alas, after that, the band went silent.

The release of these new songs is certainly delightful and perhaps startling, as is the promise of more solo work from singer Nona Marie Invie. On the gorgeous and stately “Didn’t I Try,” Invie’s voice is elegant as ever, couched in the familiar sounds of Marshall LaCount’s distorted banjo and Mark Trecka’s rolling drums. The loping and haunted “Something Was There” follows –– a staple of Dark Dark Dark’s live sets in the last year of their touring.

Considering this band's history, their distinctive and dramatic sense of identity, this music is really and truly for fans of Dark Dark Dark.

New Order are delighted to announce a remastered 2LP black vinyl set of Substance 1987, released via Warner Music on 10th November.

Originally released via the legendary Factory Records, Substance compiled all of the band's singles to that point in their 12” versions, and specially new recorded versions of ‘Temptation’ and ‘Confusion’. The album also included the biggest selling 12” single of all time, Blue Monday, alongside other classic singles The Perfect Kiss, Bizarre Love Triangle and the band’s debut single release Ceremony.

The album is the band’s biggest selling to date, with over one million copies sold, going platinum in the UK with a Top 5 hit in True Faith which was accompanied by the seminal video, directed by French choreographer Philippe Decouflé. This 180g 2LP collection includes all the band’s singles from the original Substance album.

Following the release of the shoegaze masterpiece Delaware in 1992, and the intricate experimentations on National Coma in 1993, Drop Nineteens disbanded. They had a great run. Shared stages with Radiohead, Hole, Blur, PJ Harvey. Went from being teenaged kids in Boston to mid twenty somethings with an MTV video under their belt. So when Drop Nineteens ceased to be, Greg Ackell felt content, music was a closed chapter. That was until 2021. For the first time in nearly 30 years, Ackell felt compelled to pick up a guitar. He immediately called up Steve Zimmeran, the band's bassist and fellow guitarist, and the two got writing. It felt effortless for Ackell, like he never stopped writing music. "We were off to the races," he says. "But also the question came up: what does a Drop Nineteens song sound like today? Enter Hard Light, the band's stunning third record. It's the band's proverbial follow up to Delaware, a modern Drop Nineteens record that is completely singular in its sound and vision. The first task making Hard Light, was of course, getting the rest of the band back together. Drop Nineteens is an inherently collaborative project. Ackell's primarily the lyrics writer, and he collaborates with Zimmerman, Paula Kelley, Motohiro Yasue, and Peter Koeplin to create the sonic world. The record came together over the course of a year, recording at a patchwork of studios all around the country. Making music together felt natural, fluid, exciting. The guitar reverb is expansive as ever. Ackell and Kelley's vocals are crystalline. "Scapa Flow," is triumphant. An excellent example of what a modern day Drop Nineteens song sounds like. The guitars glide like clouds on a blue sky day, drums shuffle in the background, searching. Ackell and Kelley's vocals are cool toned and dreamy, bound up in a haze of reverb. It's unquestionably lovely. You could say the same for the whole of the record. Hard Light is so lovely. A portrait of a band 30 years later, as talented and as dedicated to their craft as ever.

Cold War Kids have announced their 10th studio album, Cold War Kids, that will arrive on November 3 via AWAL. The band’s singer and songwriter Nathan Willett describes: " This is our self titled record . Everybody gets one . This felt like the right time because the sound of this record is the sound that makes Cold War kids unlike any other . I’m so proud of these songs. They took a long time to come together . The longing and struggle and joy I wanted to express are personal to me and i am so excited to share it with our fans who have come with us on the journey.”
The epic tale of Cold War Kids has long been informed by deeply personal songcraft, enthusiastic experimentation, and an avowed commitment towards forward motion. The band continues their ascent, becoming one of the biggest rock bands of their generation amassing more than half a billion streams, consistently churning out alternative radio hits, selling out tours and headlining festivals worldwide.
Over the course of nine studio albums and numerous EPs, Cold War Kids have become a major part of the modern musical landscape, with “First,” their Platinum-scanned 2015 single, named as the Most Played track at Alternative radio outlets nationwide over the last decade. As well as 600+ million career streams, 2.2 million singles sold, and over 600,000 albums sold. The band’s current lineup – Nathan Willett (vocals, piano, guitar), Matt Maust (bass guitar), David Quon (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew Schwartz (keyboards, backing vocals, guitar, percussion), and Joe Plummer (drums, percussion) – coalesced in 2016 and have since maintained a dynamic presence in both the studio and on stages around the world.

AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL! 25-plus years and thousands of fan requests later, Over the Rhine’s Christmas classic, The Darkest Night of the Year, finally gets the vinyl treatment it
has long deserved. The Darkest Night of the Year is Over the Rhine’s first holiday release and quietly helped re-define the genre for many listeners. It should be filed squarely in the “Now-for-something-a-little-different” file. It includes dark ambient arrangements of classic carols as well as strange and wonderful originals. We are told that in-store holiday airplay always generates keen interest for this after-midnight, deeply-layered record. The very first national review the album
received contained the opening salvo: Take a deep breath. Relax. Over the Rhine’s The Darkest Night of the Year is the Christmas disc of the year and destined to become a classic. Curl up with someone
you love, or enjoy some quiet time alone, The Darkest Night of the Year is the perfect soundtrack…”

Reviews for Over the Rhine’s visionary Christmas Music have continued to pour in over the years with coverage in the New York Times, NPR’s Morning Edition, USA Today, Paste, No Depression and many others. TOURING: Over the Rhine will be supporting the vinyl release of The Darkest Night of the Year with 2023 Christmas concerts currently booked in Chicago, Boston, DC, Philadelphia, Cincinnati (three shows), Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, Grand Rapids and Kent, Ohio

The Living Mountain is the second solo album from songwriter Jenny Sturgeon (singer and multi- instrumentalist in Salt House and Northern Flyway), recorded and produced by Andy Bell at Clashnettie Arts Centre in the Cairngorms National Park.

The Living Mountain is inspired by Nan Shepherd's book The Living Mountain and Jenny's experience growing up near, and walking in, the Cairngorms. In the album Jenny explores her own connection to this highland area as well as delving into Nans philosophy of being in the mountains and peoples connection to the wild.

The twelve songs take inspiration from the chapter titles of Nans book; the lyrics tell of exploration, love, loss and wonder at the natural world from small scale mosses and moths to the wider landscape and ecosystem.

The album features Mairi Campbell on viola and vocals, Su-a Lee on cello, Grant Anderson on bass and vocals, and sound recordings from Jez Riley-French and Magnus Robb.

Originally a solo project led by Toronto-based producer Josh Korody (known for his work with Tess Parks, Dilly Dally, Fucked Up, Weaves, Dirty Nil, Beliefs), Breeze has since evolved into a full band following their debut performance for KEXP Live At Home Sessions.

"Sour Grapes" is a new wave - britpop inspired album was recorded by Korody at his Candle Recording studio, at Hotel 2 Tango with Shae Brossard, and mastered by Mark Gardiner of RIDE. "Sour Grapes" marks an exciting direction for this anticipated full-length and full band follow up.

"a fun, referential mix that celebrates the idealized hedonism of his favorite records" - PITCHFORK

"a rising electro-psych artist makes a bold new impression" - CLASH

"a playful mix of shoegaze, Britpop, and disco" - NEW & NOTABLE / DAILY BANDCAMP

"frenetically fun album - energetic and eclectic" - SONG OF THE DAY / KEXP

"an intriguing ambience that meshes disco with post-punk" - STEREOGUM FOR FANS OF: Happy Mondays, Gang of Four, Wire, Gorillaz, Nation Of Language, Shame, Slowthai, Fontaines D.C.

Discover the history of Hip-Hop with this brand-new 3-vinyl box set! The Gems Of Hip-Hop Culture - FEAT. - THE PHARCYDE - AFRIKA BAMBAATAA - MOS DEF - GRAND MASTER FLASH - RZA - CAPONE-N-NOREAGA - MONIE LOVE - DIZZEE RASCAL - GRAND PUBA - BRAND NUBIAN - BIG L - 2PAC...

In der letzten Dekade hat sich das britische Independent-Synthpop-Duo EMPATHY TEST als einer der stärksten Geheimtipps der Synthpop-Welt erwiesen. Ihre Hymne "Losing Touch" hat mittlerweile über 6 Millionen Streams auf Spotify und viele weitere Follow-Up-Tracks haben ebenfalls die Millionen Streaming-Marke überschritten. Die sich selbst vermarktende Band ist in den letzten zehn Jahren bei Liveshows und Festivals immer weiter nach oben geklettert. Zum ersten Mal in der Bandgeschichte werden EMPATHY TEST nun ihre vier Backkatalog-Alben über SPKR Special Services und den AMPED-Vertrieb in Europa und Nordamerika regulär im traditionellen Handel wiederveröffentlichen.
Die vier Alben "Losing Touch" (2014), "Safe From Harm" (2017), "Monsters" (2020) und das 2022 erschienene Live-Album "Time To Be Alive" erscheinen auf CD und Vinyl.
In den letzten neun Jahren haben sich Empathy Test zu einer der bekanntesten und beliebtesten Bands in der alternativen elektronischen Musikszene entwickelt, mit begeisterten Hörern auf der ganzen Welt. Empathy Test veröffentlichen nicht nur kontinuierlich erstklassige Musik, sondern tourten auch als Support für Bands wie VNV Nation, Covenant, Mesh und Aesthetic Perfection und arbeiteten sich durch die Line-Ups der deutschen alternativen Musikfestivals wie Wave Gotik Treffen, Mera Luna, Amphi, Plage Noire und NCN, bevor sie nun ihre eigenen Headliner-Touren durch Deutschland, Großbritannien und die USA anführen. Die Band plant eine ausgedehnte Nordamerika-Tour mit über 30 Terminen im Oktober 2023, sowie eine 10 Jahre Jubiläums-Tour in Europa für das Frühjahr 2024.
Das Londoner Duo, bestehend aus den Kindheitsfreunden Isaac Howlett (Sänger, Songwriter) und Adam Relf (Komponist, Produzent), hat Musik geschrieben, die von der Presse als "wunderschön" und "opulent" (Clash Magazine) beschrieben wurde und "zeitlose Melancholie (Hymn) enthält. Ganz auf sich allein gestellt, haben EMPATHY TEST mittlerweile über 4000 Vinyls und 6000 CDs im Eigenvertrieb verkauft und damit das Maximum erreicht, was man im Selbstvertrieb erreichen kann. Nun schließen sie sich mit dem Independent-Vertrieb SPKR Media zusammen.

TaxiCab Verses, Is What You Make It, is a project that was created by Athens musician, Jim Wilson. It’s an international collaborative project between TaxiCab Verses (a name inspired by the phrases
covering the backs of taxis Jim observed during his travels in Ghana) and Ghana’s Kofi Atentenben and the Warriors. The 10-track album is named Is What You Make It, and according to Flagpole Magazine it's "aggressive and propulsive, even on tracks lesser musicians would let devolve into simple swing patterns (like the darkly jazz-tinged “Step By Step”)...my only regret is that I didn’t write about it the moment it came out. It’s righteously excellent." Overall, 22 musicians contributed to this between Athens and West Africa. TaxiCab Verses was originally released on CD only in 2012 and became a sort of hidden gem of Athens. The album was mastered by Greg Calbi (Bob Dylan, Drive-By Truckers, Paul Simon, The National) and was produced by Drew Vandenberg (Faye Webster, S.G. Goodman).

Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers also had a big role in the creation of this album. He says that he is "so filled with love and pride for what Jim, Drew and all of those amazing musicians from two continents have created. Kudos to George Fontaine and the Strolling Bones Records folks for spotlighting this amazing chapter of Athens music history (and beyond) and finally making this record available for the whole world to hear."

To coincide with The Courettes' first US tour, Damaged Goods put out this special compilation album. Boom! Dynamite includes singles, deep cuts from their studio albums, with B-sides and rarities thrown in for good measure! First pressing on orange vinyl is limited to 1000 copies only! The Courettes are two souls in love with each other and in love with rock 'n' roll. They've been touring nonstop throughout Europe since 2015, bringing their "perfect blend of garage rock, '60s Girl Group, Wall of Sound, surf music and doo wop" to the delight of any audience even remotely interested in rock 'n' roll. Expect excitement, danger, sweat, explosive performances, and most importantly, GREAT tunes! The "hardest working band in showbiz" now venture further away - After visiting the Land of the Rising Sun in 2022, The Courettes are thrilled to tour the USA for the first time in 2023. Described as "The Ronettes meet The Ramones at a wild party at Gold Star Studios echo chamber", The Courettes have released four fantastic albums on the legendary label Damaged Goods Records, each one praised by magazines such as MOJO and Shindig!, most notably the Back In Mono album in 2021, a true milestone in their career. This new compilation, Boom! Dynamite, released exclusively for the US market, guides you through their albums from the very beginning, from the early raw power garage rock onto their present Spector/Levine Wall of Sound Gold Star sound, made using complex recording techniques at StarrSound Studios in Denmark with top producer Soren Christensen and mixing genius Seiki Sato from Japan. Featuring Brazilian Flavia Couri on guitars and vocals, and Danish Martin Couri on drums, The Courettes were born international. For them there are no nations or borders. Their mission is to connect, cherish, and inspire rock 'n' roll souls around the world, including now, in the USA. The Courettes are pure dynamite! Turn up the volume and fuzz out! BOOM!

Even as a little boy, Johnny Cash has a feeling he was going to be famous one day. It wasn’t the kind of premonition he could go about telling people. They’d have thought dreams of fame and riches pretty far removed from the Cash’s barely-productive 40-acre cotton farm in Arkansas. Especially since Johnny had no idea how he was going to make his mark.

Johnny left the farm to go into the Air Force — and in his travels he acquired first, a wife — and secondly, a guitar. Assigned to Germany and forced to leave his wife behind, Johnny found a faithful companion in his guitar. The boys in his barracks seem to like his “pickin’ and singin'” and gradually the plan for a career began to take shape. He would be a singer — a country singer.

When he got back from service, Johnny was not so modest about his plans for the future. He let his Memphis friends know he was going to be a singer — a good singer, a famous singer — a singer who would revolutionize country music. No matter how long it took — he was determined!

As it happened, Lady Luck inclined her face toward Johnny almost immediately. His releases on the Sun label were instantly acclaimed, and in 1956, one year after Johnny Cash launched his recording career, he was named the most promising country and western artist of the year in four separate polls.

After the success of “I Walk the Line” as a simultaneous C & W and popular hit, it was indicated the course Johnny’s career should take. Though always identifying himself as a singer for the country fans — a favorite entertainer on the Grand Ole Opry — Johnny Cash with “Ballad of a Teen-Age Queen” came to be a top selling artist in the pop recording field.

Almost reluctantly, Johnny evolved a pop-county style in arrangement and instrumentation, evident in such hits as “Guess Things Happen That Way” and “The Ways of a Woman in Love” to supply the demand for Cash records by fans of both types of music. It is ironic that Johnny Cash caused more of a revolution in pop music than in country music, as was his aim, by being one of the first C & W artists exposed on national “general entertainment” TV shows; and the first C & W artist to capture the LP market with one great release (Sun 1220).

Johnny Cash — in his voice, looks and demeanor — carries a certain aura of “specialness.” He is a very dramatic figure — tall, muscular, with blue-black hair. He looks the part of a folk singer — a 20th century wandering minstrel. And his fatalistic style, both in composing and singing, has a quality of monotone, but of “emotional monotone” that defies analysis, but which is genuinely powerful.

Johnny Cash is one of those persons endowed with an exceptional talent which has to express itself. And being expressed, his talent has been uniquely recognized and applauded by many loyal fans, who will enjoy this reminiscent album of the songs which to date are landmarks in the career of the one and only Johnny Cash.

Mr Bongo is thrilled to announce a special RSD Black Friday edition of 'Speak Your Peace,’ a stunningly beautiful album by the legendary Terry Callier. This remarkable record not only showcases Terry Callier's immense talent, but also features production by Bluey (Incognito) and Marc Mac (4 Hero). It includes the single, ‘Brother to Brother’, a song co-written and performed with British musical icon, Paul Weller. This stellar cast of producers and collaborators infuses the album with modern sensibilities while maintaining the integrity of Terry Callier's unique sound.

'Speak Your Peace' is a testament to Terry Callier's enduring legacy as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known for his ability to blend genres seamlessly, here he takes listeners on a transcendent journey through soul, jazz, folk, and blues. His captivating voice and exceptional guitar playing create a musical landscape that is both timeless and profound. This collection of songs tackles a range of themes, from love and introspection to social justice and the human experience. Terry Callier's poignant lyrics and soul-stirring melodies intertwine, creating a multi-dimensional work of art. It rates with his incredible Cadet work in its vision, articulation, and execution.

Mr Bongo Records is honoured to present 'Speak Your Peace’ and to celebrate the legacy of Terry Callier and his impact on the musical landscape.

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.

Wide Mouth Mason, the iconic Canadian blues-rock band, are thrilled to announce their highly anticipated new album Late Night Walking - With an impressive discography spanning over two decades, the band has captured the hearts of fans across the nation and beyond

A Foray Of '60s Pop Singles! Weaving magical pre-Beatle love-ballad sounds with hipper, Sgt Pepper-era styles, Jon & Robin hit the national Top Twenty with the infectious "Do It Again a Little Bit Slower" Their singles, ever whimsical and glib, encapsulate that mid-60s foot-tapping beat just before it went out of style

Let Me Die Loved is now available in a limited edition white vinyl pressing. Vinyl contains an oversized 11” x 11” 16 page book that tells the story of modern Ethiopian music and Mesfin’s role within it. Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin’s music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin’s recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7” singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia’s 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums – the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin’s uber-rare 7” single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Tewedije Limut gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7” single releases.

Wewantsounds Is Pursuing Its Ambitious Akiko Yano Reissue Program With The Release Of "japanese Girl", Her Landmark Debut Album From 1976. Backed By Little Feat With Lowell George And By The Cream Of Japanese Musicians (including Haruomi Hosono), Japanese Girl Is One Of The Most Important Japanese Albums Of The 70s, Mixing Pop, Rock, Japanese Folk Together With Little Feat's Superb Classic Sound. This Is The Very First Time The Album Is Released Internationally. The Deluxe Lp Edition Includes Remastered Sound, Tip-on Lp Sleeve, Download Card Plus The Original 4-page Insert With Lyrics And Full Line-up!
When Akiko Suzuki Left Her Home Town Of Aomori For Tokyo In The Early 70s Aged Just 15 To Become A Professional Musician, She Quickly Started Making Waves On The Local Music Scene Performing At The Jazz Club Rob Roy. In 1973 She Released A 7" With The Group Zariba And Caught The Attention Of A&r Man Koki Miura. She Then Recorded One Song, "oinaru Shiino-ki" With Haruomi Hosono On Bass And Drummer Tatsuo Hayashi (who Features On Many Hosono Albums And Also Hiroshi Sato's 1979 Album Orient) With A Full Album In Mind.

After A Marriage With Musician/producer Makoto Yano And The Birth Of Her Son (named Fuuta), Yano And Her Team Resumed The Recording Of The Album And Decided To Pitch Little Feat For A Collaboration As She Loved The Group. Against All Odds They Said Yes And Yano Left Tokyo For Los Angeles In March 1976 To Record A Full Side With Them. The Legend Has It They Found It So Difficult To Keep Up With Yano's Compositions They Returned Some Of Their Fee. The Session Was Nevertheless Stunning And Lowell George Even Compared Yano To Stevie Wonder. The Little Feat Blend Of New Orleans Groove Matched Yano's Melodies Perfectly, As Witnessed On "funamachi-uta Part 2." Originally A Traditional Song From The Nebuta Festival In Her Hometown Of Aomori (part I On Side 2 Gives A Good Idea Of What The Original Form Sounds Like), The Little Feat Version Is A Formidable Slow-funk Workout Not Dissimilar To Their Classic, "spanish Moon", Serving Yano's Beautiful Vocals And Sense Of Groove To Perfection. The Whole Side Is A Match Made In Heaven, Showcasing The Classic Little Feat Line Up At Their Funkiest With Yano's Unique Japanese Twist.

The Japanese Side On The Album Gives A Great Snapshot Of The Tokyo Music Scene Of The 70s With Many Musicians Gravitating Around Haruomi Hosono (and Present On His 1973 Classic Album 'hosono House' Including Sound Engineer Kinji Yoshino) And Also Several Musicians From Japanese Band, The Moonriders.

Recorded At The Legendary Onkyo Haus Studio In Tokyo, The Sessions Mix Singer-songwriter Sensitivity And Pop With Traditional Japanese Sounds And Instruments Like The Shinobue Transverse Flute, The Koto String Instrument Or The Tsuzumi Hand Drum As Played On "hekoriputaa" By The Legendary Percussionist Kisaku Katada Who Was Appointed Living National Treasure By The Japanese State In 1999; Together They Create A Beautiful East-meets-west Mix Masterfully Driven By Yano's Creativity And Unique Talent.

A Breathtaking Debut Album That Made Akiko Yano One Of The Most Important Artists To Emerge From The 70s, Japanese Girl Has Since Become A Milestone In Japanese Music With A Recent Documentary On Nhk Tv Telling The Whole Story Behind This Classic. Wewantsounds Is Now Proud To Present This Essential Album To The Rest Of The World.

Clear Vinyl So Far…The Best Of brings together the cream of Sinead O’Connor’s four album releases on the Chrysalis label.

Originally released in 1997, it features the Number 1 worldwide hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” as well as her early singles “Troy” and “Mandinka”, it showcases Sinead’s enormous talent and fearless uncompromising style.

This is the very first time that this album has appeared on vinyl, and is being released to coincide with National Album Day in the UK, with the emphasis on female artists.

The album is presented in a 5mm sleeve and includes the tracks “Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home”, as well as “Heroine” and “Just Like U Said It Would B” which were previously only available on the US version. This is pressed on 2 x clear vinyl.

new music in nearly 30 years Includes 11 brand new songs written by the band The Cowsills will be on the road through 2023 supporting the new record Some of the best music made in the last 60 years has been delivered by musical families. Think about it . . . The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys, Bee Gees, The Jackson 5, The Staple Singers, Pointer Sisters, Kings Of Leon, Oasis . . . and The Cowsills! Starting in 1965, The Cowsills was composed of six siblings, performing their instruments and singing those glorious harmonies as only families can. Originally starting as a regional act (from Newport, Rhode Island), the group was “founded” by Joda Records owners Danny Sims and reggae/pop singer Johnny Nash (“I Can See Clearly Now”) in the mid-’60s for whom they recorded a handful of singles before turning towards more national recognition when they were signed to MGM Records in 1967. At this point, the group’s mother Barbara and young sister Susan joined the act and they were awarded a Gold record for over one million copies sold of their very first single for MGM, the sublime, “The Rain, The Park & Other Things.” This began a series of chart records that dominated the Top 40 for the next three years. Among the classic Cowsills recordings are “We Can Fly,” “Indian Lake,” “Hair” (from the rock musical Hair), and “Love American Style” (the theme song from the popular ABC-TV show of the same name). The group also recorded and charted with five successful albums during this time period. The band and their story were even the inspiration for the popular 1970s sitcom The Partridge Family. The group was also a prosperous touring attraction up through 1972, spreading their harmonious hope and love to an adoring fan base. They even had their own comic book published in 1968. As all families do, the group went through a series of changes, disbanding in 1972. But music never left the soul of this tuneful and melodic kin. Over the years, the group, as individuals, continued to make music and even reunited in 1978 and 1993 to make historic records that are woefully out of print. Now, nearly 30 years after their last recordings as a group, The Cowsills are returning with new music for the new world! Omnivore Recordings is proud to announce the release of Rhythm Of The World. Eleven brand new songs written by the band. The ambassadors of goodwill and love will be on the road through 2023 thrilling fans with their classic hits and soon to be new favorites!

Singer/Songwriter, Country, R&B und Bigband-Swing bringt Lyle Lovett auf seinem neuen Album ganz selbstverständlich unter einen Cowboy-Hut. In seiner langen Karriere als Musiker und Schauspieler hat er sich eh noch nie über Genre-Grenzen Gedanken gemacht. Auf seinem ersten Album seit über 10 Jahren, seinem Debüt bei Verve Records, mischt er Balladen aus eigener Feder mit swingenden Big-Band-Nummern, darunter bekannte Standards wie „Straighten Up And Fly Right“ und „Cookin‘ At The Continental“. Kein Wunder, dass Lovett in den USA längst als „national Treasure“ gilt. Seine musikalische Karriere begann er als Songwriter. 1986 veröffentlichte er sein Debütalbum, 1989 gewann er einen Grammy für die „Best Male Country Vocal Performance“. Hierzulande schaffte er es in alle Medien, als er 1993 die Schauspielerin Julia Roberts heiratete. Lovett hat bis heute auch in zwölf TV- und Kinofilmen gespielt, unter anderem in vier Filmen von Regisseur Robert Altman.

Ska icon Prince Buster changed the face of Jamaican popular music by helping give birth to the form in the late 1950s by blending Caribbean cadences with a rhythm-and-blues backbeat, its rhythmic emphasis shifted to the afterbeat rather than the fore. National Ska: Pain In My Belly is a killer various artists compilation that Buster produced in 1964 for Blue Beat Records in Britain, its blistering contents featuring Toots and the Maytals, Eric ‘Monty’ Morris, and the Prince himself, as well as the pivotal musicians Don Drummond and Tommy McCook, who would shortly form the Skatalites. Essential listening for all true ska devotees!

Joshua Ray Walker announces NEW RECORD “What Is It Even?” - lending his signature alt-country style to iconic pop songs - paying homage to female-identified powerhouse vocalists and their influence on global culture. Launching with his reimagination of Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” Walker pushes himself and his band to respectfully and artfully build a bridge between two seemingly polar styles of music. What Is It Even? Album Rollout 6/2 - “What Is It Even?” Preorder launch & IG1 “Cuz I love You” 7/7 - "Linger" 8/4 - “What Is It Even?” Street Date The catalyst of Joshua Ray Walker’s new album, What Is It Even?, was sparked on the patio of the Tulsa, Oklahoma music venue and dive bar Mercury Lounge, a fitting origin story for any country record. But this is far from an ordinary country record. It was on that Tulsa patio, deep into tour, when Walker and drummer Trey Pendergrass were half joking about what their gospel jump blues version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” would sound like, wondering “what if the Blues Brothers covered a Whitney Houston song?” At that point, it was still unclear how the Dallas native would follow up his trio of critically acclaimed, interconnected albums, all of which were packed tight with character-driven songs that put multiple national-tours worth of crowds on the precipice of staining their shirts with either beers or tears, depending on the song. The third of the trio, See You Next Time, led to Walker appearing on The Tonight Show and CBS Saturday Morning, brought with it performances at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and Gruene Hall in Texas, landed him on Rolling Stone’s “Best of 2021” list, and prompted SPIN to call him “one of country’s most exciting storytellers.” Those stories about dive bar dwellers running out of last chances made listeners feel a gauntlet of emotions. What Is It Even?, a 10-track covers album consisting of songs made famous by female pop acts, produced with John Pedigo and arranged alongside his touring band of Pendergrass, bassist Billy Bones, and pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, was born out of wanting to make people feel joy.

A central figure in Seattle’s fading disco scene, radio DJ, producer, engineer, writer and multi-instrumentalist…Tony Benton was the driving force behind the Seattle soul-funk sound during the late 70s & 80s. Starting off his career at the age of ten he learned how to play the piano and then finally got to take a music class in the 7th grade. Having access to an electric piano made him fall in love with the thought that he could make his own music. At the age of 16 Tony and his friends already formed their first band called ‘Crystal Clear’ and were making up songs in his basement.
Things would really start off when Tony Benton teamed up with his group to form the avant-boogie group Teleclere who went on to release their first single in 1982 (Fantasy Love / Ultra Groove). That’s when Tony started playing all of the other instruments and thus earning him the title ‘multi-instrumentalist’. Teleclere was all about creating and performing original music, there was no music scene in Seattle at that time for a black artist or group who played original compositions. Rap-music was also emerging and clubs slowly started to switch from live performances to deejays.
Through the success of their independent EP release, Teleclere followed up a year later with their Affection/Defection album which created a serious hype. This gave them the chance to regularly open at concerts for national artists in halls and clubs. They played at nightclubs, bars, festivals, private parties and did mini tours in the Washington State cities & Canada…including opening for Grammy-award winning soul-star Peabo Bryson (performing for a crowd of 3,000 in their hometown Seattle)
Sadly, radio would not play their music so folks never really had the chance to hear it unless they saw them perform live (they always won the crowd over). To add insult to injury, venues and the likes started to mainly book cover bands playing top 40 music. Disappointed by this Tony Benton became a radio personality but would continue to record and perform under the name ‘Teleclere’ with various players and vocalists for many years to come. Only a handful of his tracks recorded were released in the end.
Thankfully we are left with the unique audio-document that is the Affection/Defection LP. The album took the scene by storm in 1983 and sounds like a sci-fi space odyssey unfolding on an intergalactic dance floor…a chopped and slapped slice of 80ies electro-funk, sensual soulful serenades, pulses of Innervisions-worthy bass, top of the line vocals and a plethora of vocoder magic. Also included is the hit ‘Steal Your Love’ that was featured on the acclaimed 2014 Light In The Attic compilation ‘Wheedle’s Groove Volume II: Seattle Funk, Modern Soul And Boogie 1972-1987’.
Tidal Waves Music (in collaboration with the Numero Group) now proudly presents the first ever vinyl reissue of this fantastic private pressed Seattle electronic soul/funk album (originally released in 1983 on Telemusic Productions). This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork and obi strip.

Rare Detroit Jazz-Funk Fusion Album from 1988.

Wendell delivers a unique and different sound compared to his earlier body of work.

First ever vinyl reissue. Mastered on 45 RPM for an optimal audiophile experience.

Featuring an all-star line-up including Tribe alumni Marcus Belgrave & Duke Billingslea.

180g BLACK vinyl limited to 500 copies (w/obi strip). Non-Returnable.

Wendell Harrison was born in Detroit in 1942 where he began formal jazz studies for piano, clarinet and tenor saxophone. At 14, while still in high school, Harrison started performing & recording professionally with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Grant Green, Sun Ra, Hank Crawford … and many others.

In 1971, Harrison began teaching music at Metro Arts (a multi-arts complex for youth) where he also connected with Marcus Belgrave, Harold McKinney and Phil Ranelin…soon after they formed the (now legendary) Afro-centric TRIBErecord label and artist collective. TRIBE used the Metro Arts complex as a vehicle to convey a growing black political consciousness. Wendell Harrison also published the very popular TRIBE magazine, a publication dedicated to local and national social and political issues, as well as featuring artistic contributions such as poetry and visual pieces.

In 1978 Harrison and McKinney co-founded REBIRTH, a non-profit jazz performance and education organization, in which many notable jazz artists have participated. Around the same time Wendell Harrison also created the WENHArecord label and publishing company, which released many of his (now classic) recordings as well as those of other artists, such as Phil Ranelin, Doug Hammond and Reggie Fields (The Real ShooBeeDoo).

In the early 1990s, Wendell Harrison was awarded the title of “Jazz Master” by Arts Midwest. This distinction led Harrison to collaborate with fellow honorees and gave him the chance to tour throughout the United States, Middle East and Africa. Even to this day Wendell Harrison’s recordings for the TRIBE, WENHA and REBIRTH labels have a large worldwide fanbase.

It is on REBIRTH that Harrison released the opus: THE CARNIVOROUS LADY (1988), which we are proudly presenting you today.

‘The Carnivorous Lady’ is a monster of an album featuring an all-star line-up that includes Marcus Belgrave (Ray Charles, Houston Person, Charlie Mingus) on guitar, Duke Billingslea (Martha Reeves) & Pamela Wise (Tribe) on keyboards, Larry Fratangelo (Fred Wesley, Dennis Coffey) on percussion and Shirley Hayden (Parliament/Funkadelic) on vocals.

On this fantastic sounding album (produced by the maestro himself) the listener is invited to experience a synthesis of what has been and what is now. The record shows Wendell’s trademark proficiency on saxophone, flute and clarinet. Although you can hear the 80ies creeping in with a smoother fusion sound, infectious boogie synths, R&B vocals and a lot of mind-blowing Jazz-Funk percussions…this album remains a very spiritual (and soulful) hard bop jazz record. From the first to the last note you get an irresistible blend of so

Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin’s music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin’s recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7” singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia’s 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums – the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin’s uber-rare 7” single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Good Aderegechegn gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7” single releases. Contains an oversized 11” x 11” 16 page book that tells the story of modern Ethiopian music and Mesfin’s role within it.

LP includes Poster.

When Sacred Bones first began their Mort Garson reissue project in 2019 with a proper reissue of Plantasia, the Garson-naissance began in earnest. Soon after, you could hear Mort Garson and his Moogs bubbling up on TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, hip-hop tracks, or anywhere else, the man a cultural phenomenon once more.

Like a perennial that returns with each new spring, the Mort Garson archives have brought to bear yet another awe-inspiring bloom.

Journey to the Moon and Beyond finds even more new facets to the man's sound. There's the soundtrack to the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Eye (starring Fred Williamson) alongside some newly unearthed music for advertising. Just as regal is "Zoos of the World," where Garson soundtracks the wild, preening, slumbering animals from a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name.

The mind reels at just what project would have yielded a scintillating title like "Western Dragon," but these three selections were found on tapes in the archive with no further information. The crown jewel of the set is no doubt Garson's soundtrack to the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, as first heard on CBS News. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Moogkind. But for decades, this audio was presumed lost, the only trace of it appearing to be from an old YouTube clip. Thankfully, diligent audio archivist Andy Zax came across a copy of the master tape while going through the massive Rod McKuen archive.

So now we get to hear it in all its glory. Across six minutes, Garson conjures broad fantasias, whirring mooncraft sounds, zero-gravity squelches, and twinkling études. It showcases Mort's many moods: sweet, exploratory, whimsical, a little bit corny, weaving it all together in a glorious whole.

Maybe at the time it scanned as crass and opportunistic for Garson to apply his keyboards to subjects like astrological signs, the occult, hippiedom, houseplants, or the moon landing. But more than most other electronic music pioneers of his ilk, Garson foresaw the integration of such electronics into our daily lives, how they would allow us to engage with the world.

LP includes Poster.

When Sacred Bones first began their Mort Garson reissue project in 2019 with a proper reissue of Plantasia, the Garson-naissance began in earnest. Soon after, you could hear Mort Garson and his Moogs bubbling up on TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, hip-hop tracks, or anywhere else, the man a cultural phenomenon once more.

Like a perennial that returns with each new spring, the Mort Garson archives have brought to bear yet another awe-inspiring bloom.

Journey to the Moon and Beyond finds even more new facets to the man's sound. There's the soundtrack to the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Eye (starring Fred Williamson) alongside some newly unearthed music for advertising. Just as regal is "Zoos of the World," where Garson soundtracks the wild, preening, slumbering animals from a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name.

The mind reels at just what project would have yielded a scintillating title like "Western Dragon," but these three selections were found on tapes in the archive with no further information. The crown jewel of the set is no doubt Garson's soundtrack to the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, as first heard on CBS News. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Moogkind. But for decades, this audio was presumed lost, the only trace of it appearing to be from an old YouTube clip. Thankfully, diligent audio archivist Andy Zax came across a copy of the master tape while going through the massive Rod McKuen archive.

So now we get to hear it in all its glory. Across six minutes, Garson conjures broad fantasias, whirring mooncraft sounds, zero-gravity squelches, and twinkling études. It showcases Mort's many moods: sweet, exploratory, whimsical, a little bit corny, weaving it all together in a glorious whole.

Maybe at the time it scanned as crass and opportunistic for Garson to apply his keyboards to subjects like astrological signs, the occult, hippiedom, houseplants, or the moon landing. But more than most other electronic music pioneers of his ilk, Garson foresaw the integration of such electronics into our daily lives, how they would allow us to engage with the world.

Preservation Act 2 is the 1974 follow-up to The Kinks’ 1973 Preservation Act 1 RCA album, and their thirteenth studio LP.

The album is a finely produced concept of story, theatre, instrumentals, announcements, guest singers and songs.
A further installement of Ray Davies’ musical drama, with the character sketches, wry observations and ballads seen on Preservation Act 1.

Full of The Kinks’ distinctive and unique charm, featuring gems such as ‘Money Talks’, ‘He’s Evil’, ‘Mirror Of Love’ and ‘Artificial Man’.

This is a 2LP black heavyweight 180g vinyl in gatefold sleeve, with original artwork faithfully reproduced. The first repress, apart from a limited edition 2008 US pressing, since the original release in 1974.

2024 will be the 50th Anniversary of Radio Birdman. To celebrate that milestone, Citadel is pleased to announce the recutting / repressing of all their albums. Radios Appear was Radio Birdman's first full length album. Recorded piecemeal over 1976 and early 1977, on weekends and nights when their home base (Trafalgar Studios Sydney) had no paying customers, it was finally released on the Trafalgar label, created specifically to release their records. In addition to mail order, the album was literally distributed by hand and out of the back of cars. The band thus wrote the Australian handbook on DIY independent music. It was hailed as a breakthrough album in Australian music, a turning point after the scene's early and mid seventies stagnation. Radios Appear was given a 5 star review in Rolling Stone, and the album gave the band a needed boost to depart Sydney as a national touring entity, while still maintaining their renegade status

Die 'The Bulls & the Bees' EP (2012) sowie das 'Electroretard' Album jetzt erstmalig zusammen auf Vinyl erhältlich. 140gr Kanariengelbes 2LP Set mit speziellem 12-seitigen Booklet.

- Ltd. Col. 2LP: (Canary Yellow Vinyl)

Toronto-based Soul/R&B artist Aphrose is back and ready to release her soulful,long-anticipated single, "Good Love" from her upcoming 7" vinyl release on LRK Records.

A dreamy, evocative slow jam that is sure to make you feel like you've been transported back to the heyday of the 70s, "Good Love" features Aphrose's undeniable vocal prowess supported by layers of bass, drums, string synths,percussion, and luxurious vocal harmonies.Drawing inspiration from the late Teddy Pendergrass, early MJ, and the sounds of the 70s Soul era, Aphrose and her production team SafeSpaceship Music (Scott McCannell, Chino DeVilla & Ben Macdonald) crafted this deep-cut soul classic that drenches you in lush vocals and string synths, met by undulating bass and drum sounds.Aphrose was inspired to write about experiencing that "good love" that surpasses all barriers, even theself-sabotaging ones we put up to protect ourselves. "Good Love" also features Kyla Charter-one of Toronto's most brilliant artists- on background vocals,as well as Ben Macdonald on tenor saxophone, which is the cherry on top.

Yaya to be announced soon..

Releases July 7, 2023
Currently in the UK soul chart at number 14

Got to number one on The Grenada Soul Chart

Played on all the soul stations , starpoint radio, solar radio, misoul etc Played on national Italian Radio Capital by Massimo OldaniNational Spanish radio show "Como Lo Oyes" on Radio 3,

"Sounds So beautiful" blog featured "Good Love" by Aphrose on the front page

PREMIERED in "Canadian Beats"

Spun on cbc on afterdark by Odario Williams

A kind of hush pervades throughout Standards Vol VI, the latest release by The National Jazz Trio of Scotland, the ironically named project helmed by Falkirk’s musical polymath, Bill Wells, that is neither a trio, nor a jazz band. If this collection of ten covers probably comes closest to the latter in its late night renditions of actual standards, the presence of long-term NJToS member and collaborator Aby Vulliamy as the record’s lone vocalist adds to its solitary air. This follows Standards Vol IV (2018), which featured fellow NJToS co-founder Kate Sugden as primary vocalist, while Gerard Black, a member of the group since 2016, took centre stage in similar fashion on Standards Vol V (2019). Wells has long been a fan of Vulliamy, both of her work as a viola player with numerous collaborators, and as a singer.

Vulliamy played viola on Everything’s Getting Older, Wells’ 2011 collaboration with Arab Strap vocalist Aidan Moffat. Wells went on to play melodica on Vulliamy’s solo record, Spin Cycle, released on Karaoke Kalk in 2018. With the intent of producing the saddest heartbreak record ever made, Wells sourced a back catalogue of miniature epics, reinterpreting each tale of everyday yearning to make a canon of melancholy loungecore designed for nights in alone, if not always lonely. Beyond the concept of isolation behind Standards Vol VI, practical concerns added to the affair, with Wells recording backing tracks at home in Glasgow, while Vulliamy added her voice from her home in Yorkshire. The result on Standards Vol VI is a thing of quiet beauty that sees Wells and Vulliamy reimagine a panoply of pop classics in their own aloof sounding image.

Shades of Margo Guryan and Claudine Longet abound in Vulliamy’s delivery over Wells’ woozy, low-slung guitar and piano, with samples culled from a session with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake. Little electronic percussive clicks and hisses lend things an even more otherworldly air on a record bookended by opener, Donovan’s proto hippy classic, Catch the Wind, and Dixieland miniature, Careless Love. The eight points in between take in a first half led by The Beatles’ normally jaunty We Can Work it Out, flipping the loveable mop-tops’ perky optimism for something more soul searching. This is followed by I Wish You Love, Albert Beach’s English language version of French songwriter Charles Trenet’s evergreen, Que reste-t-il de nos amours. The Bee Gees lost classic, To Love Somebody, is up next, with more impossible to answer questions coming in Why Can’t I?

The latter is a Rodgers and Hart composition that first appeared in the duo’s 1930 Broadway musical, Spring is Here, in which the show’s two heroines commiserate each other over their shared loneliness. Wells stumbled on the song in a tatty Rodgers and Hart songbook, which, like its subjects, had been left on the shelf before he and Vulliamy brought it in from the cold. The second half of Standards Vol VI leads with Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s much covered evocation of a pre dating app era from their 1964 hit musical, Fiddler on the Roof. This is followed by Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer’s showbiz staple (with Al Jolson also taking a credit), Me and My Shadow. While made famous by showbiz double acts ranging from Frank and Sammy to Robbie and Jonathan, here it flies decidedly solo. Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael’s Skylark comes next, a song inspired by Mercer’s yearning for Judy Garland. We hear ya, bub. The most downbeat take on Bacharach and David’s The Look of Love you’re ever likely to hear comes next, ushering in the short farewell of Careless Love, before the lights are turned out forever. Yeah, well. Whatever gets you through the night…

Jabee's Am I Good Enough is the prolific OKC hip-hop artist’s most ambitious project to date. Several years in the making, Am I Good Enough compiles four EPs of brand-new music (22 tracks total), each recorded entirely with a different producer. The resulting four EPs each could stand alone as powerful individual works, but combine to make one of the most remarkable and compelling artistic statements of Jabee’s career. Am: produced by Derek Minor I: produced by Blu Good: produced by Conductor Williams Enough: produced by Havoc (of Mobb Deep). Am I Good Enough is available on 2xLP, housed in a gatefold jacket with inner sleeves showcasing each of the four EP’s individual covers.