Pop & Rock News

Ltd. 25th Anniversary- Edition: Heavyweight, Silver Coloured Vinyl- Gatefold Sleeve! Includes Download-Code for Album, rare- and unreleased Tracks, also Mustique-Demos! Printed Inner-Sleeves,
4-Pages Booklet!

Exclusive Green Coloured, Heavyweight Viny! Record-Store Day, 2018.
PRINTED INNER SLEEVES WITH LYRICS- AND SESSION PHOTOS!










m D3 It's A Beautiful Thing - Vocals [Additional] – P.P. Arnold



[c] A3 Travellers Tune - Vocals [Additional] – P.P. Arnold









[m] D3 It's A Beautiful Thing - Vocals [Additional] – P.P. Arnold

Another Afro Cosmic classic from Spaziale! Regularly played by Baldelli & Loda, 'Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag' was masterminded by British post-punk band Pigbag active during the early '80s. An electrifying whirlwind of brass, bass and percussive glory, that's proved to be an earworm for nearly 40 years.

This beauty, comes housed in a picture sleeve and contains the killer 'Slow Afro Version' by Stefano Ritteri, alongside the original remastered version on the flip side.

Heavyweight Box-Set, containing Suede’s five Studio-Albums from their Original Incarnation & 2 Post-Reformation Albums- issued on Warners in 2013- and 2016. Everything: 180 Gram Vinyl!

In Conjunction with Jollett’s memoir, The Airborne Toxic Event has completed an Album by the same name, 12- Song Concept-Record which draws from Scenes- and Themes in the Book!

Incorporating real Audio from his Family, Gospel Singers- and Orchestral flourishes from Violins to Timpani to horns- the Record is Jollett’s Attempt to capture the high-hopes of his Parents, the dash dreams- and difficult Times which followed, the confusion of an adult Life spent nursing the Wounds of Childhood- and the ultimate Redemption, which came from looking inward- and finding an Acceptance of Self- and Love of Family!

"Band of Gypsys" was originally released in March 1970, at a time when Hendrix was at the peak of his powers. Featuring a new line up consisting of drummer Buddy Miles- and bassist Billy Cox, it was recorded across two performances at the Fillmore East on New Year’s Day 1970. The resulting Live-Album captured an incendiaryMix of Blues, Rock- and Funk.

The 50th anniversary edition of Band of Gypsys features an 8-Page book featuring rare archival photos & an essay by Hendrix Archivist John McDermott- it also has been remastered from the Original Analogue-Stereo Tapes by Eddie Kramer, long time engineer to Jimi Hendrix.

Pressed on Dark-Red Marble-Effect Vinyl!

Tracklist, Side A: Recorded January 1, 1970 Early Show- and Side B: Recorded January 1, 1970 Late Show

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- GATEFOLD SLEEVE
- INCLUDES 4 PAGE BOOKLET
- INCLUDES POSTER
- LIMITED EDITION OF 4.000 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON GOLD COLOURED VINYL

By The Driving Force Of Lead Vocalist, Songwriter And Guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt Opeth Became One Of The Most Successful Swedish Bands. On Their 9th Studio Album Watershed They're Combining Their Death Metal Elements With Progressive Structured Music. It's Critically Acclaimed Because Of The Alternation Between Slow Melodic Parts And Dark Heavy Riffages. The Folky Clean Vocal Parts Of Mikael Åkerfeldt And His Harsh Death Growls Have Been Growing Over The Years. His Clean Singing Reaches Out To The Heaviness In the Lotus Eater'. The Songs Offers Both The Extremeness Of Their Guitar And Drum Driven Sounds As The Dreamy Sounds Of Keyboards And Synthesizer. The More Brutal Songs, Such As heir Apparent', Breathes The Growling Vocals With Progressive Elements. The Wall Of Guitar Riffs With Speedy Drumming Creates The Doomy Atmosphere. Nowadays The Album Can Be Seen As One Of The Strongest Efforts From Their Impressive Catalogue.

The Watershed Vinyl Package Includes A 4 Page Booklet And A Poster. The Album Is Available As A Limited Edition Of 4.000 Individually Numbered Copies On Gold Colored Vinyl.

"AVALPBOX4", Limited Edition- 1.000 Copies' 28-Page Hardback-Book: 10" Vinyl, Hand signed Programme, Tour Poster & DVD.

By the time The Beatles travelled to Blackpool for the first time,
they had toured with the legendary American singer, songwriter, Roy Orbison; recorded several BBC radio shows, including Saturday Club, Easy Beat and Pop Go The Beatles; appeared on many, highly popular television programmes; released their debut album, Please Please Me and issued their first three EMI singles, ‘Love Me Do’, ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘From Me To You’.

Their fourth, ‘She Loves You’ had just been recorded and mixed ready for release. It was an exciting time for the band so, when they reached the popular, seaside resort for the first time, on 7th July 1963, optimism was filling the air. This stunning AVA Editions collectors pack contains a 10" Record feat. two appearances made by the Beatles on the ABC television show, Blackpool Night Out; an impressive 28-page book, crammed full of previously unseen colour images of the group and a high-quality reproduction of an original, 1963 concert programme signed by Skiffle legend, Chas McDevitt, who supported the Beatles on several occasions.

Also included is a full colour A3 poster and an exclusive DVD feat. a new, 30-minute interview with him, alongside his previously unseen, candid, colour footage of the group backstage, and in performance at the ABC Theatre in August 1963.

So too is a unique, fully colorized version of their 17-Mins. appearance before the cameras for Blackpool Night Out in August 1965. For Beatles and music fans alike, this pack serves as a wonderful opportunity to own a unique slice of music history.


*** Side A: Recording 19th of July, 1964
*** Side B: Recording 1st August, 1965

The first installment in Fu Manchu’s 30th Anniversary vinyl 10” series, Fu30, Pt.1, includes 2 new original Fu Manchu songs, as well as a cover of The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets.” The band will be releasing 2 more editions in this 10” series over this year making a total of 30” of new Fu Manchu music for the Fu30 anniversary.

Each release will include 2 new original compositions and a newly recorded cover. Like the band’s most recent album, Clone Of The Universe, Fu30, Pt. 1 was recorded at The Racket Room in Santa Ana, California by Jim Monroe (Adolescents, Ignite) and co-produced with Fu Manchu.

This ltd. edition 2500 unit run is pressed on translucent orange sunshine vinyl at 45 RPM for maximum heaviness with a package design that pays homage to the cover of the Doobie Brother’s original single.

Britain’s thrash torch-bearers Shrapnel unleash 12 tracks of blistering speed, heaviness, and hooks with their third album ‘Palace for the Insane’. Costin Chioreanu (At The Gates, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Grave, Entombed A.D., Primordial, Ghost) provides the visuals, while the album was mixed and mastered by Samuel Turbitt (Unfathomable Ruination, Scarecrow, All Consumed, Sathamel) at Ritual Sound Studios in Darlington, UK. UK. Reviews in Metal Hammer and Sunday Sport, print ad in Zero Tolerance magazine.Available as CD JEWEL CASE and TEAL BLUE COLOURED 2LP.

2x12"

Originally recorded in 1994 and released in 1995, Home is characterized by MASSAKER's ultra-refined riffs of shrieking, screeching feedback, and rattling machine gun staccatos.

Exuding confidence, authority and a natural rapport that the musicians clearly had with one another. Certain songs from earlier records were revisited on Home including "The Tribe" and "Massaker" from The Tribe, and "Templehof," "Hunter Song," and "Böhmen" from Black Axis. These pieces had evolved following years of rethinking, rehearsing and reshaping them on stage, as well as playing with Danny Lommen, who had replaced Frank Neumeier on drums after Black Axis.

These refined versions on Home raise the level of density and tension, the ominous evocations of impending doom, booming threat, and the grim determination that's always driven MASSAKER.

In 2013 Finland’s OranssiPazuzu issued their "Valonielu" LP, an album of timeless creative immensity that was met with ubiquitous praise throughout the world, and solidified the band’s position as one of the most forward-thinking and interesting metal bands.

Now OranssiPazuzu returns with the follow-up album & fourth overall, the mind-bending masterwork "Värähtelijä". OranssiPazuzu, since birth, has never been satisfied to stick with a formula. Each album has seen the band expand upon it's previous incarnation and then, like a supernova, blow it up & transform again into sth. recognizable but completely new.

"Värähtelijä" continues in this vein, giving the band much more room to diverge and explore the vast regions of hypnotic progressive psychedelia & the nebulous outer limits of Scandinavian black metal.

Songs explode with radiant ultraviolet color and plunge into the deep black darkness of innermost consciousness. If ‘Valonielu’ was the creation of a universe, ‘Värähtelijä’ is the magnification & expansion of it's infinite boundaries.

Not meant for genre purists, OranssiPazuzu are on a trip all their own; modern electric pioneers on an expedition to unlock the keys to the hidden spaces all around and inside us.

‘’Ruff drum computer- and bubbling ambient excursions from Bonn, Germany, making their first appearance on vinyl for the new decennium’’.

Newly established label Raakvlak plucks a lush synth gem from the depths of 80’s D.I.Y.- cassette culture for their inaugural release. Heil Eris / Enjoy sees the first-time reissue of the work of German synth-wizards Overflow. The group, conceived as the session band of cult tape label Brainstorm-Studio, merely released two cassettes within the timespan of one year, of which Raakvlak now has culled some of the finest moments.

Out of a matrix of drum computers, synths, voices, tape FX and a flute come these five live-takes (no overdubbing used!), dedicated to the trio’s mascot Apumé, which was present at all sessions.

Ranging from the aquatic ambient excursion on ‘’Pressure Wave’’ and the existential cold-wave pop of ‘’Take A Chance’’ to the blissed-out downer ‘’Voiceless’’, Overflow shies away from musical expectations and thereby sounds as up to date as ever.
Restored, remastered and available on wax for the first time! Comes with download card plus three digital bonus tracks.

Music From Memory are happy to finally announce MFM045 - VA ‘Music For Theatre And Dance’ (EP).

This will be the first in a small series of EPs which will focus on music which was initially created for or inspired by dance and performance. Created as a dialogue with the avant-garde and highly experimental work in dance, theatre and art evolving at the time, the music was in turn at times greatly innovative.

That it was created for a dance or performance though means that such music was also often highly rhythmic and a number of pieces from this time stand out and seem greatly deserving of a new context.

Whether it’s more ambient or atmospheric works or whether it’s in the more rhythmic or percussive pieces, Music From Memory brings together a selection of tracks which aim to highlight this highly innovative direction in music.

"DOL1007HG" Remastered Vinyl Edition, Presented in a Gatefold Sleeve! Original Artwork & Liner Notes of 1958.

“If there was no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles…” - Sir Paul Mc Cartney, quote in 2007.

GRAMMY nominated band Code Orange have announced details of their new LP UNDERNEATH, which will be released on March 13th via Roadrunner Records. UNDERNEATH is heralded by the LP’s title track, offering a glimpse into the reconfigured and urgent compositions of a band at their most ambitious. “Underneath” is also joined by a Max Moore directed music video.
Code Orange’s Jami Morgan detailed the band’s new LP: “UNDERNEATH is about facing the duality in ourselves as individuals and as a society in an overcrowded, overexposed, all-consuming digital nirvana. Everyone has a voice and no one’s seems to matter… plummet down the rabbit hole of your deepest fears, anxieties and regrets to confront the monster that has been building underneath. down.we.go”

“Underneath” finds Code Orange once again confounding expectations, piling element on element, and towering towards the sky. Rattling drum loops give way to bursts of rage as “Underneath” transforms into something colossal, daring, and resilient, setting the tone for one of the year’s most exhilarating heavy records. Produced by Morgan and Nick Raskulinecz with co-producer Will Yip, UNDERNEATH features additional programming from Chris Vrenna, and was mixed by Yip and Code Orange’s own Eric ‘Shade’ Balderose.

In 2017, Code Orange flipped the heavy music world on its head with their breakthrough album FOREVER, a collection that masterfully mixed hardcore aggression with urgent industrial textures, earning the band a breakthrough GRAMMY nomination and top placement on several “Best of 2017” lists including: Rolling Stone’s “20 Best Metal Albums of 2017,” Revolver’s “20 Best Albums of 2017,” and The Independent’s “Top 20 Rock & Metal Albums of 2017.”

This past summer, Code Orange made headlines in the professional wrestling world with the release of “Let Me In,” their official entrance theme for WWE Superstar ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt. Code Orange previously featured at WWE’s NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III performing a rendition of wrestler Aleister Black's entrance theme alongside Incendiary’s Brendan Garrone. “Let Me In” followed Code Orange’s 2018 release of THE HURT WILL GO ON, a digital EP featuring “3 Knives” and “The Hunt” Feat. Corey Taylor, as well as “The Hurt Will Go On” (Shade Remix), an official remix of Code Orange’s “Hurt Goes On” helmed by the band’s guitarist and vocalist Shade.

“A whisper awash in celestial din, ‘Placer Found’ establishes the sonic and emotional palette that would come to define Dan Burton’s work as Early Day Miners. This is music that rewards patience, and reveals itself more with each listen. There’s a deep clarity within the soft focus - equal parts lost and found. Everything in its right place. We need this music now more than ever.” - Charlie Hall, The War On Drugs. “I knew anything Burton created would be worth my time and attention, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how ‘Placer Found’ would affect me - or how it still does. As someone whose friends describe as ‘instantly nostalgic,’ I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect soundtrack to the competing impulses of missing my life in Indiana and pretending to be a professional adult in the Big Apple in my early 20s. It makes me think of otherworldly Indiana and Kentucky nights that never seemed to end. Kissing my girlfriend under an impossibly starry sky. Wondering what I was doing on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. After all these years, I return to ‘Placer Found’ often, not only when I need to nourish those memories, but when I’m ready to make new ones. “The opening title track sets the mood just right, its comforting guitar interplay and gentle vocals holding your hand toward an unseen destination that’s ‘still a ways to go.’ ‘East Berlin at Night’ is the definition of cinematic, almost like an Ativin song with the amplifiers turned down from 12 to 3, while the last two minutes of ‘Texas Cinema’, are the equivalent of a deep embrace from which you never want to let go. “Why some sharp-eared music supervisor hasn’t utilized ‘In These Hills’ in a movie montage of two people falling in love, I’ll never understand. “This new edition brings it all back to the proverbial start, as it is being released on the Bloomington label Secretly Canadian which championed Ativin from the beginning and quickly became a home for Early Day Miners after the initial Western Vinyl release of ‘Placer Found’. “The two unreleased instrumental tracks on side D are fascinating glimpses into creative paths not taken. ‘Prospect Refuge’ is a delicious slice of posivibes math-rock, while the taut, vaguely ominous ‘Blue Casino’ makes an entirely different song out of a riff later utilized for the standout ‘Jefferson’
from the band’s 2003 ‘Jefferson at Rest’ LP. “For nearly 20 years, the music on ‘Placer Found’ has fed my soul in a way few albums ever have. I hope it might do the same for you.” - Jonathan Cohen

This 20th Anniversary Edition is the first time ‘Placer Found’ has been
released on vinyl.

Espers’ self-titled first release appeared in 2004, heralding an era in which there was a perception of back-to-the-roots in the underground; kids making new music that spoke strongly of folk traditions and psychedelia, in the process setting themselves apart from latter-day sounds and approaches. Espers didn’t shy away from this image, projecting a collective air, almost like a rural outpost, out of time and place in the urban environs of Philadelphia. The staid harmonies of Meg Baird and Greg Weeks, the 6- and 12-string guitars and percussion of Brooke Sietinsons, the full-bodied arrangements rife with traditional and classical details and the regular intervention of acid-toned guitar leads formed, along with the mystic and melancholy cast to their songwriting, a galvanizing identity for them among other like-minded music players of the day.

The second Espers album, ‘The Weed Tree’, was released in 2005. It was a nearly inevitable endeavour for the group, made almost entirely of cover material but the traditional folk songs - ‘Rosemary Lane’ and ‘Black Is the Color’ - were paired with songs by Nico, Michael Hurley and even Blue Oyster Cult, making for an oblique run through eclectic aspects of the past that succeeded due to Espers’ thorough re-imagining of the material in their own image. The addition of current members Helen Espvall on cello and Otto Hauser on drums and percussion upped the alchemy of the band to its most potent, making music that drew from tradition but making it new at the same time.

Amongst the usual straight up rock and roll that GOTTHARD are known for, "#13" offers remarkable variety between songs – such as the powerful opener ‘Bad News’, the fast hard’n’heavy ‘Every Time I Die’, the straight to the point lyrical message of ‘Man On A Mission‘, old-school blues-rock with ‘Another Last Time‘, epic Ballads like ‘I Can Say I’m Sorry‘ and unbridled 70’s psychedelia with ‘Rescue Me‘.

Aside from the obvious standout of the record, the cover of ABBA‘s world-famous Hit ‘SOS’, the first single ‘Missteria’ confidently displays the band’s passion for experimentation that is on show throughout "#13". The eccentric track, that was written in collaboration with none other than Francis Rossi himself, combines an unmistakeable rock structure with flourishes of oriental instrumentation and is a perfect basis for the video, that was recorded at the Madi-Zelt in Berlin. Exotic mysticism, the sense of illusion and sensual dancers, that remind the watcher of Salma Hayek‘s legendary appearance in ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’, frame the band’s performance between velvet, deceptive mirrors, fog and fascinating LED-effects. An extremely opulent clip, matching the breathtaking first single.

After 16 #1 albums, over three million records sold worldwide and more than 2000 live shows, "#13" proves that GOTTHARD, even after 25 years, still know how to provide their fans with exactly what they love about the band. "#13" was produced by US producer Paul Lani, while Leo Leoni upheld the role of co-producer for the album. The recordings of "#13" took place at the Yellow House Studio in Lugano, while the mixing was done in Los Angeles and the final touches were added by the renowned Darcy Proper at Valhalla Studios in New York.

Human Impact, the New York-based outfit that features members of Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop and Swans are to release their self-titled, debut album. “The supergroup’s lineup represents the fulfillment of a noise rock ran’s most fervent wish.” - New York Times. “When it’s done you feel as though you’ve been through a meat grinder, and in the case of a band like Human Impact, that’s a good thing.” - Rolling Stone. Human Impact are Chris Spencer (Unsane) vocal, guitar, Chris Pravdica (Swans, Xiu Xiu) bass, Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop) electronics, Phil Puleo (Cop Shoot Cop, Swans) drums.

We’ve worked with Ian Willson to reissue his insanely good, self-released West Coast classic “Straight From The Heart”. Privately pressed and originally released in 1985, this is the only album Ian ever put out. A magical blend of AOR/sophisticated funk/synth-boogie/spiritual jazz and modern soul, it’s a spellbinding record of many colours.

You might already know “Straight From The Heart” for the dubby-disco paranoid-balearic anthem “Four In The Morning”, and it’s easy to assume this is probably just another one of those one-track LPs. But trust us when we say it’s definitely not. This is an impressively slick record from start to finish, just ask those modern soul DJs and AOR collectors who’ve managed to find a rare copy in the last 35 years. It could’ve (should’ve?) been number 1 all over the world back in 1985.

Album opener “Think About It” is all sorts of right. It’s emotional. It’s tops-off. It’s funk in its purest form. And take the proto-modern-funk of the title track (half Dâm-Funk / half Dâd-Funk).

The shimmering, spiritual Bossa-Jazz of “If I Were You” serves as the album’s soaring centrepiece. A gorgeous suite of Cosmic vibes to get Gilles frothing, it sounds like nothing else on the record which makes sense given that it was recorded a couple of years earlier, and is the only track on the LP that wasn’t recorded in Ian’s own studio.

Side B opens with the propulsive ode to love that is “Two Is Better Than One”. Wonderfully sparse when it needs to be, it’s also richly percussive and that special kind of California-warm. Frenetic, speaker smashing synth and horn workout “Funk Invasion” dares you not to dance and “A Game Called Love” is heavily indebted to Prince with its lush, deep funk stylings. The sweeping sax-drenched instrumental “Song For Katelyn” is head-nod, beat-heavy AOR for that melancholic magic hour we spend our days longing for. It all adds up to the ultimate BBQ record.

Almost all of “Straight From The Heart” was recorded over a few months between 1983 and 1984 on Ian’s brand new Otari 8 track in the Oakland, California studio he built just the year before. Only “If I Were You” was recorded elsewhere, at Bay Sound in 1982.

A “full time poor musician” at the time (and he says he still is), Ian produced the album himself and played all of the instruments, except for guitar. That’s Peter Fujii you can hear, his good friend from growing up together.

Tower Of Power, Average White Band, Earth Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder was the list of influences Ian gave us when we asked. No wonder the record’s just so easy on the ears.

And why did he put the record out himself? Simple, he had no idea how to go about getting a record deal.

When we first got in touch with Ian he had no idea that “Straight From The Heart” had become something of a cult record, let alone that there were those of us out there that thought the album deserved to be pressed again. The original tapes have long since been lost so this re-issue was only made possible by remastering Ian’s one and only pristine copy of the finished LP.

The end results have been worth the work, including reproducing the original’s unmistakeable sleeve. Ian Willson’s “Straight From The Heart” is yet another Be With release that will find an easy home on the shelves of those of you who up to now have only dreamt of finding a copy and also those of you who who never knew it even existed.

The "INSOC EP" contains the first official recordings from the legendary Minneapolis music collective Information Society led by founder/producer Paul Robb.
Originally released on vinyl in 1983 the EP became extremely difficult to find. Now, for the first time since 1983, Mannequin Records is giving it a new birth on wax, this time including a bonus track "Charentiesm" never appeared before in any format, which is the first track ever recorded by Information Society in 1982.

When released in June 1995, Marillion earned critical acclaim with Afraid of Sunlight – the band’s eighth studio album and final release on EMI. The album peaked at #16 in the U.K. and introduced fans to the Top 30 hit, “Beautiful.”

Back in November Parlophone released two versions of AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT: DELUXE EDITION, a 4CD/Blu-ray set and a 5LP collection. Featuring on these deluxe editions, on 13th March we will release the 2LP breakout of the original album Afraid of Sunlight, newly remixed by Michael Hunter.

It is impossible to talk about modern psychedelic music without mentioning Ripley Johnson. As bandleader of Wooden Shjips and half of Moon Duo, Johnson has continually charted new cosmic paths that expand on the language of the genre. With Rose City Band, Johnson's songwriting and beautiful guitar lines take center stage. While his vocal treatment would be recognizable to any Wooden Shjips fan, the sparseness of the instrumentation lays bare the beauty of his writing. Shimmering guitar lines are free to shine, buoyed by driving rhythms. New to the mix are arrangements and instruments drawn directly from classic country, resulting in songs with more than a hint of twang. Buoyant and joyous, Summerlong is a captivating listen that leaves the listener yearning for more. The record is an ode to freedom, born of a musician stepping out of all routines and whose own liberation is communicated so completely in his music. Summerlong is a record that, taken in its entirety, is an emphatic statement on the songwriting power of Ripley Johnson. Johnson's joy in every aspect of this album is delightfully infectious. Rose City Band started purely as a recording project, with Johnson's role mostly obscured for the self-titled debut album. Released with no promotion, in the style of private press records, it was a liberating, a focus on music without any expectations. With a chuckle, Johnson elaborates, "I always would threaten to my friends that I'm gonna start a country rock band so I can retire and just play down at the pub every Thursday night during happy hour. I love being able to tour and travel, but I also like the idea of having a local band ... more of a social music experience." Freedom from expectation and obligation gave Johnson the space to experiment. The introduction of lap steel, mandolin, and jaw harp enhance Johnson's lean guitar work with radiant overtones, placing Summerlong more overtly within the country tradition than its predecessor. Work on the album began at Johnson's home studio in Portland during the summer, but, interrupted by touring, was not be finished until winter. The dark isolation of winter and the pining for summer's easier days can be felt in the album's few quieter moments. Summerlong was mixed by John McEntire (Stereolab, Broken Social Scene, Tortoise) at his newly minted Portland Soma Studios and mastered by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering, also based in Portland. The aptly named Summerlong, born of Johnson's own fondness for the season, delivers an emotional lift-an expression akin to the joy of getting out there on a warm day, be it gathering for a BBQ, hopping onto a bike, leaping into a swimming hole, or simply reading in a park.

It is impossible to talk about modern psychedelic music without mentioning Ripley Johnson. As bandleader of Wooden Shjips and half of Moon Duo, Johnson has continually charted new cosmic paths that expand on the language of the genre. With Rose City Band, Johnson's songwriting and beautiful guitar lines take center stage. While his vocal treatment would be recognizable to any Wooden Shjips fan, the sparseness of the instrumentation lays bare the beauty of his writing. Shimmering guitar lines are free to shine, buoyed by driving rhythms. New to the mix are arrangements and instruments drawn directly from classic country, resulting in songs with more than a hint of twang. Buoyant and joyous, Summerlong is a captivating listen that leaves the listener yearning for more. The record is an ode to freedom, born of a musician stepping out of all routines and whose own liberation is communicated so completely in his music. Summerlong is a record that, taken in its entirety, is an emphatic statement on the songwriting power of Ripley Johnson. Johnson's joy in every aspect of this album is delightfully infectious. Rose City Band started purely as a recording project, with Johnson's role mostly obscured for the self-titled debut album. Released with no promotion, in the style of private press records, it was a liberating, a focus on music without any expectations. With a chuckle, Johnson elaborates, "I always would threaten to my friends that I'm gonna start a country rock band so I can retire and just play down at the pub every Thursday night during happy hour. I love being able to tour and travel, but I also like the idea of having a local band ... more of a social music experience." Freedom from expectation and obligation gave Johnson the space to experiment. The introduction of lap steel, mandolin, and jaw harp enhance Johnson's lean guitar work with radiant overtones, placing Summerlong more overtly within the country tradition than its predecessor. Work on the album began at Johnson's home studio in Portland during the summer, but, interrupted by touring, was not be finished until winter. The dark isolation of winter and the pining for summer's easier days can be felt in the album's few quieter moments. Summerlong was mixed by John McEntire (Stereolab, Broken Social Scene, Tortoise) at his newly minted Portland Soma Studios and mastered by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering, also based in Portland. The aptly named Summerlong, born of Johnson's own fondness for the season, delivers an emotional lift-an expression akin to the joy of getting out there on a warm day, be it gathering for a BBQ, hopping onto a bike, leaping into a swimming hole, or simply reading in a park.

“Recording in a foreign environment like Berlin, I was inspired to experiment with more cinematic, psychedelic sounds,” says Sam Doores, “but my love for old-school New Orleans R&B, Memphis Soul & Rock n’ Roll, Detroit Motwon & Gospel, Doo-Wop, Early Blues & Folk music will probably always bleed into whatever I do. Recording this album was an opportunity to explore the space between these worlds.” With his captivating self-titled debut, Sam Doores has done precisely that. Written on-and-off over the course of several years, the collection is classic and contemporary all at once, blending traditional southern roots with adventurous sonic landscapes as it reckons with heartache and loss, love and gratitude, fresh starts and, ultimately, a whole lotta change. The performances are infectious in their ease, simple on the surface but built on foundations of deep emotional and harmonic complexity that belie their amiable exteriors.