Pop & Rock News

In our youth we all imagined our futures in different ways, very seldom how they actually turned out. This new concept-album from progressive artist Dropout is a journey through eight instrumental compositions around the theme of fear and relief; understanding the differencies between what we imagined and the reality we are in while living the actual "future". Especially today, in light of this global and slightly distopian situation, these compositions have strong relevance. The result is a mixture of contemporary new wave, progressive rock and electronic-music. An album to listen to, and not just to hear.

Originally released in 1978, City To City was Gerry Rafferty’s second solo album and first release since his departure from Stealers Wheel. The album was a top 10 hit across the globe, including #1 in the US, going Platinum in the process. The album is masterclass in soft rock, featuring arguably the most famous saxophone riff in music with Baker Street, alongside the recent viral hit Right Down The Line.

Asia Dream by Mu-Project is an incredible combination of eastern and western music made by Ryoichi Kuniyoshi and Kiyoshi Toba in 1985.
This singular and very personal album transports us to an Asian dream. A mix of emotions, between nostalgia and melancholy crosses the music.
The refinement of the production is at the service of the sensitivity of the synth melodies and bring a pop side to this project.
Asia Dream is definitely an album for lovers of avant garde synth pop music from Japan.

auchen Sie ein in die aufregende Welt des Rock‘n‘Roll . Unsere neue Vinyl-Serie “Rock’n’Roll Hits“ enthält eine sorgfältig ausgewählte Sammlung von 20 originalen Rock‘n‘Roll-Hits aus den 1950er Jahren, die die Ära des Rock‘n‘Rolls in seiner Blütezeit einfangen.

Mit legendären Künstlern und unvergesslichen Songs bietet diese Schallplatte ein Stück Musikgeschichte zum genießen. Mit dabei sind: Guy Mitchell, Frankie Avalon, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino uvm. Erleben Sie die Energie und den Spaß der 1950er Jahre Rock‘n‘Roll-Szene auf dieser hochwertigen Vinyl-Schallplatte. Perfekt für Liebhaber der Musikgeschichte und Fans zeitloser Hits.

Drittes Soloalbum des dänischen Pretty Maids Sängers Ronnie Atkins-" Trinity". Seit bei Ronnie 2019 Lungenkrebs im vierten Stadium diagnostiziert wurde, hat er keine Sekunde seiner Zeit verloren, die er mit dem Komponieren und Aufnehmen von zwei sehr erfolgreichen Veröffentlichungen "Make it Count" und dem Debüt "One Shot" verbracht hat, die beide von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen sehr gefeiert wurden. Vor kurzem hat er auch Live-Shows mit seiner eigenen Band und mit dem Avantasia-Projekt wieder aufgenommen. Später in diesem Jahr plant er, wieder auf Tour zu gehen, um das neue Album zu unterstützen. "Ich glaube, ich habe heutzutage eine andere Perspektive auf das Leben als noch vor 4 Jahren", sagt Ronnie. "Lassen Sie mich hinzufügen, dass die Arbeit, die in meinem Fall darin besteht, Songs zu schreiben und auf der Bühne zu stehen, das ist, was mich am Laufen hält, denke ich. Ich konzentriere mich gerne auf die positiven Aspekte des Lebens und gönne mir Dinge, die ich wirklich gerne tun möchte." Never change a winning team und so wurde das Album erneut von Chris Laney produziert und Jacob Hansen kümmerte sich um den Mix und das Mastering.Das Album ist vielleicht etwas härter geworden, da alle Songs auf der Gitarre komponiert wurden. Seit Beginn seiner Rock'n'Roll-Reise mit Pretty Maids hat Ronnie Atkins seine Fans immer wieder mit qualitativ hochwertigem, melodischem Hard Rock beschenkt und "Trinity" zeigt ihn erneut in Höchstform.

Official reissue of this obscure Hawaiian psych-pop rarity.
Meticulously restored for reissue by Jessica Thompson.
Pressed at Gotta Groove Records.
A beautiful album celebrating Hawaii’s warmth and spirit. Enterprising composer and musician Eddie Suzuki made his own path throughout his lifetime. Born on October 4, 1929, Suzuki worked as a young shoeshiner in 1940s Honolulu, saving enough money to take piano lessons. In high school, he led a big band orchestra of 16, and sometimes up to 40 members. By the age of 18, he owned a piano shop that pivoted to become Honolulu’s top guitar store.
For Eddie Suzuki, music always came first. In 1973, after performing and composing songs for many years, Eddie Suzuki and his group, New Hawaii, recorded the now impossibly rare album, High Tide.
The LP isn’t a rock-outfit, local music journalist Wayne Harada ruminated in a 1973 review. Rather, it’s one man’s vision and version of the now Hawaii. A seasoned mix of psych, Hawaiian, and pop sensibilities, the music on High Tide gave the listener a look into Eddie’s singular vision celebrating the sights and sounds (and spirit) of Hawaii.

Debut solo album for Alternative Tv frontman and long-time running Uk punk scenester, originally released in 1980 on Deptford Fun City Records. Mark Perry was also the man behind the iconic Sniffin' Glue zine, founded in July 1976. The album was produced by Grant Showbiz, principally known for his work with The Fall, The Smiths and Billy Bragg, and it is literally an art-rock nugget.

Sort of an autobiographical work, the record is full of twisted hooks, showing the dark side of post-punk. Less hysterical than the output released with Alternative Tv, Snappy Turns should be considered as a post-apocalyptic pop record. It could have been easily included in the infamous Nurse With Wound list (guess what, his former band was there) introducing several connections to the so-called ‘grey area’. In particular, the disturbing tape loops and the violin heard in Death Looks Down are perversely informed by late Throbbing Gristle, a band seriously informed by the same aesthetics (Alternative Tv used to rehearse in TG studio in Hackney back in the days, while former ATV member Alex Fergusson founded Psychic Tv with Genesis P-Orridge). As the shadow of doubt surrounds our nearby future, Snappy Turns could be easily an appropriate soundtrack.

Contains two bonus tracks from the 1980’s 7”: The Whole world’s down on me.

Laura Nyro Live In Concert in 1994! Previously available only in Japan Includes live versions of the classics “And When I Die,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” and more Member of both the Songwriters and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame A member of both the Songwriters and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame, Laura Nyro not only wrote songs that became hits for acts including The 5th Dimension, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand, and many more, but has been cited as a major influence by Kate Bush, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Todd Rundgren, Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz Godspell, Wicked, and countless others. She recorded 10 studio albums (one released posthumously), but a live performance from Nyro was always an event. Originally issued only in Japan as Live In Japan in 2003, these 16 tracks recorded at Kintetsu Hall, plus 5 recorded at On Air West return as Trees Of The Ages: Laura Nyro Live In Japan. From Nyro-penned hits including “And When I Die,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” and “Save The Country,” to covers of Bacharach/David, Smokey Robinson, and Phil Spector classics, Trees Of The Ages is an essential document of Laura’s February 1994 historic visit to Japan. With Laura on piano and vocals, with harmonies by Diane Wilson, Dian Sorrell, Diane Garisto, the performances are sublime. Newly remastered by Grammy®-winner Michael Graves, and produced for release by Grammy®-winner Cheryl Pawelski and George Gilbert with the approval of The Laura Nyro Trust, the packaging contains updated artwork and new liner notes from author and musician John Kruth. Looking and sounding incredible, this essential addition to Nyro’s discography is available worldwide for the first time. Trees Of The Ages: Laura Nyro Live In Japan cements the legend of the incomparable Laura Nyro.

Feral art rock from the gritty depths of ’90s Manhattan. Japanese-Italian guitar symphonies for 120 Minutes refugees and Keith Haring enthusiasts alike. Blonde Redhead’s self-titled 1995 debut, in print as a definitive single LP for the first time since… ever.

“These songs combine a raw need, a ready access to neediness, with seemingly incongruous cinematic changes reminiscent of ‘60s Italian pop music and movie scores. They switch between emotional grandeur and eye scratching immediacy.” —Arto Lindsay

A bit of blues here, a bit of rock there, and maybe even a little jazzy improvization, with numerous inspirations from the folk music of various cultures, and the never absent, albeit not always conscious Turkish modes and vaguely reminisced melodies.

A songwriter accompanied by a team of marvellous musicians who left an important imprint on the Turkish music scene since the 80s.

Bülent Somay, an academic, writer, translator, political activist, educator and musician, is a former member of the Turkish Jazz-rock-fusion group Mozaik. He rolls up his sleeves and dusts off some old songs that were never published before with 'a little help from his friends'.

When Fleetwood Mac released their first live album in December 1980, it captured the legendary band’s most iconic lineup on stage demonstrating the full scope of their collective, creative powers. Recorded mostly during the world tour for Tusk, Fleetwood Mac Live delivered a double-album’s worth of exhilarating performances that included massive hits like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way,” “Rhiannon,” and “Don’t Stop.”

Rhino gives the band’s live debut a much-deserved encore with a new 3-CD/2-LP collection that features a remastered version of the original release on both 180-gram vinyl and CD, plus more than an hour of unreleased live music recorded between 1977 and 1982 on the third CD. The set also includes a bonus 7-inch single featuring previously unreleased demos for “Fireflies” and “One More Night.”

This Super Deluxe Edition is presented in a 12 x 12 rigid slipcase and comes with a booklet filled with rare photos, a full itinerary for the Tusk Tour, plus a history of the live album by writer David Wild.

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available from 9th April 2021.

JARV IS... truly evolving. From its earliest recordings beginning
in an actual cave, via the enticing hypnotics behind the mantralike tracks ‘Sometimes I Am Pharaoh’ and ‘Must I Evolve’, the
exquisite yet candid storytelling of ‘Swanky Modes’ and timeless
anthem-turned-inadvertent lockdown soundtrack, ‘House Music
All Night Long’, the debut album of the Jarvis Cocker-led band
JARV IS... proved a standout swirl of creativity, invention and
vision on its release last summer.
 Yet ‘Beyond The Pale’ has continued to inspire long after the
sessions for the record stopped. Despite being divided by the
pandemic, audiences came together around the album, Jarvis
and co made a live film based on the album with pioneering
directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard entirely underground in
a cavern, and intriguingly other musicians and producers have
continued to be intrigued by the songs Cocker and his band
created. The latter now has yielded an entirely new way of
hearing ‘Beyond The Pale’ as, for the first time in his career,
Jarv is releasing a remix album based on one of his records.
 Boasting re-imaginings and re-stylings from the likes of David
Holmes, Dennis Bovell and Greg Wilson among others, the
record is a collaborative mix that offers new focus and insight
on the music of one of this generation's greatest songwriters,
while also allowing the remixers’ own unique characters to take
flight within JARV IS... creative cave.
 Paving the way for JARV IS… ‘REMIX ED…’ is Hot Chip's
brand new version of ‘House Music All Night Long’, a brilliant
demonstration of the exchange at the heart of this project -
Jarvis Cocker and the London band have been frequent
collaborators over the years - as Cocker’s emotionally raw
vocals are relocated within a dazzling new disco wonderland
conjured up by Hot Chip. It not only captures the spirit of the
remix record and ‘Beyond The Pale’, but of the concept that
drives Jarvis Cocker’s band too, because thanks to the
creativity at its core JARV IS... anything it wants to be.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Lady Gaga’s iconic album Born This Way, Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary includes Lady Gaga's original Born This Way album, along with six new versions of songs reimagined by artists representing and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, including Kylie Minogue, Big Freedia, The Highwomen, Orville Peck, and more. The 3LP version includes 3 additional tracks.

In 2001, P.O.D. released its fourth studio album Satellite, a triple-platinum smash that remains the hard rock band’s best-selling album. To celebrate the record’s 20th anniversary, the San Diego-based group is hitting the road for its Satellite Tour and releasing a newly remastered version of Satellite, which has been expanded with rare and unreleased music.

We Are Vinyl release - fourth studio album by US rock/grunge legends, originally released on August 27th 1996 through Epic Records. Following a troubled tour working their previous album (Vitalogy 1994) the band went into the studio to record this follow up. The music on the record was more diverse than what the band had done on previous releases, incorporating elements of garage rock and worldbeat. Pressed on standard black vinyl (no download code). Super deluxe gatefold sleeve packaging which includes 9 insert cards. Marketing activity. Stock is limited/allocated.

OUTSIDER ist die Idee von Philippe Cohen Solal, dem millionenfach verkauften Künstler, Produzenten und Komponisten hinter Gotan Project, der exklusiven, beispiellosen Zugang zu Henry Dargers Leben und Werk erhalten hat. Er hat den mit dem Mercury-Preis ausgezeichneten Produzenten Mike Lindsay von der Acid-Folk-Gruppe Tunng zusammengebracht, um das im Februar 2021 veröffentlichte Album mitzuschreiben und zu produzieren. Sie haben die gefeierte Solokünstlerin und Komponistin Hannah Peel für das Blechbläser-Team mitgebracht. Streicher und Backing-Vocals, die Dargers Kindercharaktere, die Vivian-Mädchen und Adam Glover für den üppigen, krächzenden Lead-Gesang darstellen, der die innere Stimme von Darger selbst durch die Originaltexte widerspiegelt. Die reichhaltigen Instrumente und Vocals, die zuweilen theatralisch, nostalgisch, magisch und unschuldig sind, verbinden sich mit Dargers Texten und Geschichten, um den Hörer in panoramische, aquarellierte Klangblicke zu versetzen. Solal und Lindsay haben ihre überragenden musikalischen Talente zusammengebracht, um rollende emotionale Streicher, hymnische Hörner und hochfliegende Symphonien zu schaffen, die Melodien über Vintage-Gitarren, verzogene Tape-Loops, Synthesizer und Kinderinstrumente hinzufügen. Solal und Lindsay tauchen in Dargers innere Welt ein und haben eine neue musikalische Dimension geschaffen, die uns auf eine Reise in Dargers Fantasie entführt

1977’s Jenakuru was self-produced and reveals a slightly darker, somewhat introspective and perhaps more vulnerable side to Saitana. A great admirer of Jimi Hendrix, Satiana often performed
solo during this period. “It was really unheard of at the time to perform without a band. He could
entertain people like that and a lot of people loved him because he was such a character.” There
was also an increasingly Dionysian aspect to Saitana’s routine as a performer - a gradual advance
into drunken showmanship akin to Jim Morrison. Taken from the original reels.

Saitana’s debut Baby Don’t Go in 1976 saw him return to the producer of the Beaters first album, Ray Nkwe,
whose JAS Pride label was undergoing a mid-70s boom. In contrast with the mod sensibilities of the early
Beaters, Saitana came out of the gate with a completely new look to suit the times, sporting an impressive
Afro, an embroidered dashiki and an amicable grin on the album’s cover. A mix of Soul, Folk, Blues and Rock
the debut from Saitana is not to be missed. Recently mentioned by Trevor Noah as one of the albums that
influenced him as a youth. Taken from the original reels.

Taken from the album ‘Alice In Ultraland ‘ (initially released on the Harvest EMI label in 2005) these 3 epic cuts show the Amorphous Androgynous at the top of their cosmic space orbit - expansive psychedelic rocktronica and soundscape fusing in full effect . Samplerdelia guitars strings keys and dynamic aplenty matched with tripped out otherworldly lyrics on THE WORLD IS FULL OF PLANKTON on the A side is backed by immersive emotional instrumental ALL IS HARVEST and triumphant piano riff groove and sliding bass rock replete with Floyd wailing diva of ‘ THE EMPTINESS OF NOTHINGNESS ‘ on the B side . File under - COSMIC SPACE MUSIC. 1000 copies only, all individually numbered and in full picture sleeve

Rigid slipcase to house:
LP1: Let It Be (new stereo mix of original album)
LP2: Get Back – Apple Sessions
LP3: Get Back – Rehearsals and Apple Jams
LP4: Get Back LP – 1969 Glyn Johns Mix
12” EP: Let It Be EP
105-page hardbound book in slipcase
Limited Edition

January 1969 – The Beatles planned to return to live performance, setting up in Twickenham Film Studios, London, for 21 days of rehearsals. They then decamped to their new studio in their Apple office building in Saville Row and on January 30th performed their last ever live group performance on the rooftop. All of this was filmed for a proposed documentary (eventually released in 1970). During the rehearsal process, they asked Glyn Johns, who had been hired to help with the live sound, to attempt a mix to create an album. This was never released, becoming known as one of the great ‘lost’ albums in rock history and is now included in this Super Deluxe Set. The album was delayed further and in fact became their 12th and final official album release on 8th May 1970 following additional production by American producer Phil Spector.

Raised on the salted air and pebbled beaches amidst the faded seaside opulence of Brighton, Tigers & Flies spent much of their formative years building a friendship forged on a diet of the melodies and rhythms to be found deep within their parents’ wildly eclectic record collections. A worthy and noble pursuit for anyone, from those wonderfully endless hours, those bottomless cups of tea great ideas can flourish. Tigers and Flies are a great and flourishing idea.

From the bounce and sunny optimism of Orange Juice to the brutalist edge of Gang of Four. From XTC to Bacharach. Each listen offers more. A harmony appears where you’re convinced there wasn’t one before, or a rhythmic change you hadn’t noticed. A lyrical twist. Harmonies that seem to float in through an open window.

!!! A DOSE OF PSYCHEDELIC FUNK & BLUE-EYED SOUL !!!

It's been a minute since Perfect Toy Records last hooked you up with a wild ride down that ol' psych-soul highway but the blacktop beckons once more with the sourcing of material for Down & Wired Vol. 5 by veteran follower of the 'way of the dusty crate' - Chan The Man!

This one begins, aptly enough, with an irresistible cover of Hit The Road Jack, by turns languorous and fiery from Bay Area-based Lydia Pinkham & The Denver Hot Flashes. Of course, working up a head of speed, is intoxicating and the next three cuts, from Changes, The Changing Times and Abe, Malka & The Basic Bronx, deliver increasingly scorching psych-funk laced with wah-wah guitar. Things get heavier again as Side A draws to a close with a brace of rock-oriented cuts – an uptempo blues groove from Reb and a psych-rock nugget from Dallas.

The second half of the LP, like the first, also opens with a cover – this time with The Nassauvians' heavy take on Baby Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood followed by a dirty slab of 60s garage rock from The Continentals. After that, things take a mellower turn with The Ladds' lowrider love song, I Found A Girl, (the first ballad to be featured in the series!) before getting back to the psych-rock on a short edit of the original 9-minute long It's Love from German Christian rock band Oratorium. Wrapping things up for Vol.5 are Caesar & His Romans' garage classic Black Lantern and The Bobbies' funked up cover of Jerry Lee Lewis's, She Put Me Down.

In short, it's another triumphant set of dope obscurities (once againaccompanied by detailed liner notes and never-before-seen photos of the artists) and a tribute to the dusty-fingered digging skills of Chan The Man.

It's been a minute since Perfect Toy Records last hooked you up with a wild ride down that ol' psych-soul highway but the blacktop beckons once more with the sourcing of material for Down & Wired Vol. 6 by veteran follower of the 'way of the dusty crate' - Chan The Man!

This release opens with two consecutive covers, the first of which is What's Happening's instrumental Latin-jazzy cover version of Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang followed by Hercules & The Black Majic's raw take on counter-culture anthem War. Then it's the turn of E.S. Grit to deliver proto-stoner rock on Petty Insinuations and Canadians the Klaas Craats Six to unleash a heady cocktail of funky psychedelia and garage fuzz on their sole 45 release. Mercy Men's Fifth Street, by contrast, delivers unadulterated deep funk and is followed by blistering funky rock on Staff & Managements' aptly-named instrumental, Fresh Dirt.

The second half of this collection is opened by two amazing finds - Snapdragon's super-funky organ-led Hardluck and Ron Lynch & Bene Regesh's psychedelic garage-rock number Evil Woman. Subsequently, Carolina Tikis and The Raiders keep the revs up with a brace of instrumentals - funky garage rock and a garage/RnB hybrid respectively - which are slipstreamed by some uplifting bubblegum guitar fuzz from The Cynch. The final cut is an unreleased live recording from Mike Peace & Filet of Soulpitched somewhere between garage rock and 'country funk'and while it may havestanky lo-fi production values it is not only one of the best cuts on the entire release but the band have arguably the funkiest rhythm section too!

In short, it's another triumphant set of dope obscurities (once againaccompanied by detailed liner notes and never-before-seen photos of the artists) and a tribute to the dusty-fingered digging skills of Chan The Man.

A high quality selection of little known and underrated Soul, AOR and anything in between!

As a spare time dj and only one of the many thousands of record collectors on this planet (but avowedly one of the not so many from Austria) it's a wonderful feeling to share some of my personal favourite songs with fellow music lovers from around the world. I don't wanna bore the pants off anyone out there as the music clearly speaks for itself. But then I think that I should shine some light on particular songs of my choice selection.

The twelve tracks on this album display a wide range of genres with some being difficult to categorize. Call it whatever you feel describes it best. I would say it is authentic music with a whole lot of soul. A fact which should be mentioned (and which makes me proud to be honest) is that many of the songs have not found its way onto a compilation album yet. Rarity was not the prime reason though, however some of the original records do not turn up often and thus might be considered 'rare'. During the last couple of months I have had listened to this selection at least a hundred times. For some reason I am still not tired of it and this is what I hope for you to experience too.

Roman Bloecker – December 2021

There are constellations within the grooves of Cymbalom Solos. Innumerable points of light, rendered audible in glowing, radiant sound. There are entire worlds too - undiscovered, yet familiar - both terrestrial and celestial. There are moments of quiet comfort and exultant discovery. And all of it conjured by one man with a handful of ancient and invented instruments, recorded mostly-live, with precious few overdubs.

Michael Masley has been a fixture of Berkley, California, since he arrived from Michigan in 1982. Even today, he remains a common sight, working as a street performer - catching the attention of passers-by as he summons otherworldly overtones from a coterie of arcane instruments. This is how he met fellow east-coast transplant and musical voyager, Barry Cleveland, in 1983. Cleveland was enraptured by the sound of Masley’s wildly innovative bowhammer cymbalom. The cymbalom is an ancient instrument, similar to a zither or hammered-dulcimer - originating in Eastern Europe in 1874, but with primitive early examples dating back as early as 3500 BC. Yet Masley’s approach to the instrument was wholly original. Masley replaced the two traditional cymbalom hammers, with bowhammers - an invention wherein he fitted each of his fingers with it’s own combination hammer/bow device, which allowed him to both strike the strings, and bow them like a violin. Outfitted with his bowhammers, Masley was able to wrest startlingly new sounds from a centuries-old instrument.

In 1985, after performing together for a couple years, Cleveland produced Masley’s first solo endeavour, Cymbalom Solos. With the help of Cleveland’s timely production, Masley’s technique reached its zenith. His complex and beautiful compositions combined elements of Eastern-European classical, new minimalism, and celtic/folk music, yet the end result falls squarely within the world of new age kosmiche. Music of the spheres, conjured by earthbound strings. Masley estimates that he sold tens-of-thousands of cassette copies of Cymbalom Solos over his years of performing. And now, Morning Trip is distinctly proud to offer it on vinyl for the first time ever - an album of startling, imaginative beauty, by a brilliant American folk artist.

The Smile have today confirmed details of a limited edition, vinyl only live EP, titled Europe: Live Recordings 2022, out 10th March via XL Recordings. True to its title, the EP is comprised of live recordings of fan favourites from The Smile"s widely acclaimed debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention, as well as the band"s rendition of Thom"s 2009 solo track FeelingPulledApartByHorses. Europe: Live Recordings 2022 was recorded in various cities over the course of The Smile"s first ever tour last summer.